Systemic Supply Research Articles

The Association between COVID-19 Status and Economic Costs in the Early Stages of the COVID-19 Pandemic: Evidence from a UK Symptom Surveillance Digital Survey.

In the absence of a vaccination programme, the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic had substantial impacts on population health and wellbeing and health care services. We explored the association between COVID-19 status, sociodemographic, socioeconomic and clinical factors and economic costs during the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. The study used patient-reported digital survey and symptom surveillance data collected between July and December 2020, in collaboration with a primary care computerised medical record system supplier, EMIS Health, in the UK. The study included 11,534 participants. Generalised linear models (GLM) and two-part regression models were used to estimate factors associated with economic costs (£sterling, 2022 prices) estimated from two perspectives: (i) a UK National Health Service (NHS) and personal social services (PSS) perspective and (ii) a societal perspective. Experience of the onset of COVID-19 symptoms started more than 3 months ago was associated with significantly higher NHS and PSS costs (GLM: £319.8, two-part: £171.7) (p < 0.001) and societal costs (GLM: £776.9, two-part: £675.6) (p < 0.001) in both models. A positive test result within the previous 14 days was associated with significantly higher NHS and PSS costs (two-part: £389.1) (p < 0.05) and societal costs (GLM: £470.7, two-part: £439.2) (p < 0.01). Age between 31 and 55 years was associated with significantly higher societal costs than age between 16 and 30 years. This study identifies and quantifies factors associated with the economic costs incurred during the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in the UK. The results of our study caninform cross-country comparisons and other cost comparisons.

Prawa autorskie wobec sztucznej inteligencji. Czy istnieje jeszcze szansa na ich skuteczną ochronę?

We have all been affected by the euphoria connected with AI, and we have all followed the on-going discussion about our future, supported by thinking machines, which can replace us in many activities, and maybe professions as well. We can observe the media race to the news feeds about the use of generative AI. What is often left aside, however, is the inconvenient topic of legal consequences of such modifications to human work that is used to train AI, and there are many. This article addresses the issue of the clash of copyright with AI. It discusses the matters of using someone’s creative work to design AI systems, as well as the consequences of a designer’s work with AI, especially on commercial projects, including the notion of copyrights to the content generated by means of such tools, and attempts to determine when there is a chance to grant their protection. These considerations are complemented with examples of legal actions taken against suppliers of AI systems. Part of the text has been dedicated to discussing the pending regulations, especially the Act on AI. Keywords: copyright, artificial intelligence (AI), fair use

Enhancing privacy protections in national identification systems: an examination of stakeholders’ knowledge, attitudes, and practices of privacy by design

Privacy by Design (PbD) is a well-known concept that aims to provide a high level of protection for privacy throughout the entire life cycle of systems development. Despite the considerable attention from stakeholders such as researchers, government agencies, and system suppliers, the widespread adoption of PbD faces obstacles due to a lack of knowledge, insufficient awareness of PbD benefits, and the absence of specific implementation guidelines. In this study, stakeholders are identified primarily as diverse participants from government agencies and system suppliers engaged in National Identification Systems (NIDS). Specifically, government agencies representing regulatory bodies and administrators of NIDS, setting the legal framework that governs the NIDS’s privacy aspects. The NIDS system suppliers includes private companies playing a crucial role in the development and implementation of NIDS with a focus on privacy considerations. Through the perspectives of NIDS stakeholders, this study aimed to examine the Knowledge, Attitudes and Practices (KAP) of PbD principles and its integration in NIDS. A survey involving 203 participants from government agencies and NIDS system suppliers engaged in NIDS development was conducted. Subsequently, a focus group discussion was held with 11 members to provide qualitative insights into the KAP of PbD. The survey results revealed a significant correlation between attitudes and practices but a weak correlation between knowledge and attitudes or practices. The focus group discussion assured these findings, emphasizing the role of positive attitudes in facilitating PbD practices and highlighting knowledge-practice gaps. In conclusion, this study offers tailored recommendations for improving the integration of PbD in NIDS development. The recommendations includes strategies such as developing training programs, establishing clear guidelines and standards and creating awareness campaigns.

Joint Caching and Computing Offloading Strategies for Power Supply Chain Services Under Cloud Edge Collaborative Computing Environment

Aiming at the problem of long task calculation delay of traditional edge computing offloading strategy (COS), a joint caching and COS for power supply chain services under cloud edge collaborative computing environment is proposed by introducing the master-slave game model. First, for the network of information interaction between power grid system and electrical equipment suppliers, the corresponding overall model of cloud edge collaborative network is constructed by combining cloud computing, edge computing, supplier terminal communication and remote cloud. Then, the cloud-side collaborative network model is analyzed and solved by building the service function cache model, task unloading and data transmission model and power business data calculation model, respectively. Finally, by introducing the master-slave game model, the whole system is divided into three different interests of power service providers, communication providers and communication network terminal providers and the joint caching and COS for power supply chain services is given. Through simulation experiments, the proposed computing unloading strategy and the other three methods are compared and analyzed under the same experimental conditions. The results show that the service cache hit rate of the proposed method is the highest, reaching 96.35%. Compared with the other three comparison methods, it increased by 14.96%, 11.24% and 4.85%, respectively. In addition, its task computing delay is the least affected by agent computing power and agent computing resources, and its performance is better than the other three comparison methods.

Analysis of the Influence of the 6-Pulse Thyristor-Bridge Input Reactor Size on the Shunt Active Power Filter Work Efficiency: A Case Study

This paper presents a case study in which the influence of the 6-pulse thyristor-bridge input reactor size on the shunt active power filter (SAPF)’s work performance is investigated. The purpose of using an SAPF in the power system is in most cases for fundamental harmonic reactive power compensation, harmonics and asymmetry mitigation. The work efficiency of such a filter depends not only on the designed control system, interface filter and dc-link capacitor parameters, but also on the parameters of the electrical system in which it is connected. Therefore, it is necessary to study and know the power system (supplier and consumer sides) before its installation. For instance, in the electrical system with diode or thyristor-bridge as loads, the SAPF performance efficiency may not be satisfied due to the high rate of current change (di/dt) at the points of commutation notches. In this paper, the performed simulation and laboratory experiments show that for a better operating efficiency of the SAPF, the input reactor parameters should be selected based not only on the effective reduction in the inverter switching ripple or the control system demand, but also on the parameters of the load, such as the parameters of the diode or thyristor-bridge input reactor. Apart from the experimental demonstrations on how the input reactor size influences the SAPF work efficiency, the novelties in this paper are: the formulated recommendations on how to choose the SAPF input reactor parameters (the SAPF is more efficient in terms of harmonics, asymmetry and reactive power mitigation when the inductance of its input reactor (L-filter) is smaller than the one of the diode or thyristor-bridge input reactor); the proposed SAPF control system; the proposed expressions to compute the SAPF input reactor inductance, DC voltage and capacitor.

Automated Anonymization of Sensitive Data on Production Unit

The article presents the approach to data anonymization with the use of generally available tools. The main focus is put on the practical aspects of using open source tools in conjunction with programming libraries provided by suppliers of industrial control systems. This universal approach shows the possibility of using various operating systems as a platform for process data anonymization. An additional advantage of the described approach is the ease of integration with various types of advanced data analysis tools based both on the out-of-the-box approach (e.g. business intelligence tools) as well as customized solutions.

Automated Anonymization of Sensitive Data on Production Unit

The article presents the approach to data anonymization with the use of generally available tools. The main focus is put on the practical aspects of using open source tools in conjunction with programming libraries provided by suppliers of industrial control systems. This universal approach shows the possibility of using various operating systems as a platform for process data anonymization. An additional advantage of the described approach is the ease of integration with various types of advanced data analysis tools based both on the out-of-the-box approach (e.g. business intelligence tools) as well as customized solutions.

Assessing Food Safety Compliance in a Small-Scale Indian Food Manufacturer: Before and after Certification of the Food Safety Management System and Foreign Supplier Verification Program

The implementation of food safety management systems has a great influence on global food safety and security, especially for developing nations. The principles of the Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points are crucial for food safety and are the basis of food safety management systems. The purpose of this study was to assess the food safety management systems of a selected small-sized food company in India, both before and after certification of the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) 22000 and the Foreign Supplier Verification Program (FSVP). This company manufactured traditional fried vegetable snacks using manual processing. The effectiveness of these certifications was assessed through direct audit. The integrated FSVP and ISO 22000 audit checklist were elaborated and applied in this study. It was shown that the certification significantly improved (97.14%) food safety system conformity in the company in question. Before certification, many non-compliances were found, especially for HACCP implementation. After certification, the only non-conformity concerned pest control. The integrated FSVP and ISO 22000 audit checklist used for the assessment enabled an evaluation of several factors: the food quality and safety compliance level, the effectiveness of certification, and the readiness of the small-sized Indian snack producer to develop the export of their products to the U.S. and other developed countries. It was shown that certification enabled a small-sized Indian food producer to meet the requirements of ISO 22000 and FSVP, which are the prerequisites for exporting to the U.S. and other developed countries.

Understanding Taiwan’s offshore wind industry

Understanding taiwan’s offshore wind industry Here, Open Access Government speaks to Gwo-shyh Song, Chairman of MMA Global Aqua, and explores the challenges, successes and long term plans for the offshore wind power projects in Taiwan. Can you provide an overview of the current state of the offshore wind industry in Taiwan and its significance in the country’s energy transformation? Taiwan had no experience in offshore wind power development in the past. The offshore wind power industry includes wind farm developers, who conduct environmental assessments of wind farms, as well as wind turbine system suppliers, marine engineering companies, cable manufacturers, and wind farm operators. Therefore, the Ministry of Economic Affairs allows 100% foreign ownership to attract foreign investment and gradually increases domestic demand to cultivate local related companies in order to achieve the goal of offshore wind power localization.

Competitive dynamics of lead firms and their systems suppliers in the automotive industry

Lead firms play a dominant role in the governance structure of conventional global production network (GPN) analyses but this framework is not fully applicable in sectors where (new) regulations, technologies and subsequent market changes have a disruptive effect on its governance structure. This paper proposes an analytical framework to examine how disruptive effects of industrial megatrends in forms of new regulations and technologies and the subsequent market changes could alter the competitive dynamics between lead firms and their tier-I suppliers. Although lead firms are becoming more specialized and highly efficient in specific product segments, they may not always have inter-firm control over their tier-I suppliers. GPN boundaries become more permeable when there is an external shock, such as new regulations or massive shifts in consumer demand, or the entrance of an entirely new lead firm, possibly due to a technological breakthrough or innovative use of existing technologies in a product. This external shock could have disruptive effects on the GPN, from the exit of current lead firms to the entrance of new tier-I suppliers or lead firms. Consequently, a reconstituted GPN with a newly established boundary is then produced. Applying the analytical framework to the automotive industry, it is argued that selected (and new) systems suppliers with expertise in micro-electronics are not only in a prime position to capture the value generated by the increasingly stringent regulatory environment on safety and environmental standards, but also more resilient than the incumbent automakers to three emerging megatrends: electrification, digitalization and autonomous driving. JEL: F23, L14, L20, L62

BT07 Creation of a skin lesion image pipeline: key steps in developing a mobile application with DICOM® fields and metadata

Abstract A key issue facing artificial intelligence (AI) for dermatology is the lack of standardization around capture, transfer and storage of skin images and clinical data. To assist systematic capture of clinical data, we developed a nationally agreed proposed minimum dataset, based on Digital Imaging and Communications in Medicine (DICOM®) standards. Subsequently, we collaborated with an established image management system (IMS) supplier, Waba [supported by grants from our local National Health Service (NHS) innovation department], to incorporate these fields into a dermatology-specific mobile application (app), facilitating real-time capture and data transfer. We describe our steps in developing this app. The app integrates with the national Patient Administration System (SCI Store), allowing retrieval of real-time patient demographics linked to hospital or Community Health Index number. Each care episode captures a standardized dataset, including lesion views, clinical information and consent level. On episode completion, datasets are securely transferred to the IMS via WiFi or GPRS signal, following a fully auditable pathway. The IMS is a web-based app developed on a Microsoft Structured Query Language server, which allows authenticated users to access our trust’s centralized repository of nonradiological images. Adherence to industry-standard data storage format, patient safety reporting and specific access rights ensure compliance with Caldicott recommendations and data protection standards. For AI research, we are exploring conversion of datasets into DICOM format. Close collaboration between software developers and end users, including clinical photography, dermatology and general practice, was essential for app design. We worked on design architecture through fortnightly technical meetings, scheduled to progress development in months 1–8. Installation and functionality testing was performed in months 9 and 10, followed by comprehensive user testing in months 10–12. Live app test-of-change rollout was performed in months 13–16, with continued usability refinement during this period. To develop a standardized minimum dataset, we conducted a consensus exercise with the British Association of Dermatology AI working group. Based on DICOM standards, a comprehensive international standard for medical imaging, this could improve the quality, availability and interoperability of data for AI development. In summary, we have developed an app to standardize the capture, transmission and storage of skin lesion images and associated metadata. By collaborating with an industry partner with NHS experience, iterative user-led design and national engagement for standard-setting, we believe this is a useful step toward a national UK skin database for training and validating AI systems. Future work is planned to evaluate the output of this data pipeline.

Qualitative interviews to understand methods and systems used to collect ethnicity information in health administrative data sources in England.

Background:This article is one of a series aiming to inform analytical methods to improve comparability of estimates of ethnic health disparities based on different sources. This article explores the quality of ethnicity data and identifies potential sources of bias when ethnicity information is collected in three key NHS data sources. Future research can build on these findings to explore analytical methods to mitigate biases. Methods:Thematic analysis of semi-structured qualitative interviews to explore potential sources of error and bias in the process of collecting ethnicity information across three NHS data sources: General Practice Extraction Service (GPES) Data for Pandemic Planning and Research (GDPPR), Hospital Episode Statistics (HES) and Improving Access to Psychological Therapies (IAPT). The study included feedback from 22 experts working on different aspects of health admin data collection for England (including staff from NHS Digital, IT system suppliers and relevant healthcare service providers). Results:Potential sources of error and bias were identified across data collection, data processing and quality assurance processes. Similar issues were identified for all three sources. Our analysis revealed three main themes which can result in bias and inaccuracies in ethnicity data recorded: data infrastructure challenges, human challenges, and institutional challenges. Conclusions:Findings highlighted that analysts using health admin data should be aware of the main sources of potential error and bias in health admin data, and be mindful that the main sources of error identified are more likely to affect the ethnicity data for ethnic minority groups. Where possible, analysts should describe and seek to account for this bias in their research.

Unearthing the relationship between supply chain social capital and firm performance: the role of supply chain responsiveness

PurposeThis paper examines the nexus between supply chain social capital (relational social capital and structural social capital), supply chain responsiveness (operations system responsiveness and supplier network responsiveness) and firm performance. Additionally, the study examines the mediating role of supply chain responsiveness on the relationship between supply chain social capital and firm performance.Design/methodology/approachThe authors test their hypotheses on a sample of 120 firms operating in Ghana. The measurement model and hypothesized paths were assessed using partial least squares structural equation modelling.FindingsThe findings revealed that structural social capital had a significant direct effect on firm performance, but relational social capital did not. It was also revealed that both relational and structural social capital have significant effects on operations system responsiveness and supplier network responsiveness. Additionally, operations system responsiveness fully mediated the effect of relational social capital on firm performance and partially mediated the effect of structural social capital on firm performance. Supplier network responsiveness, on the other hand, partially mediated the effect of both relational and structural social capital on firm performance.Originality/valueThis study contributes to the limited literature on supply chain social capital by unearthing the mechanisms through which supply chain social capital enhances firm performance. Specifically, the study demonstrates the intervening role of operations system responsiveness and supplier network responsiveness in the supply chain social capital–firm performance link.

Fundamental and Key Concerns of the Shared Use Vehicle System

Currently, a significant portion of Shared-Use Vehicle Systems (SUVS) providers make use of cutting-edge technologies (such as GPS monitoring, smartcard access and online reservation systems) to improve customer experiences. There is a growing need for interoperability between vehicle operators and suppliers of Shared-Use Vehicle Systems (SUVS) (e.g., smartcard accessibility across different car-sharing businesses) (i.e., transport fare collection via smartcards). Improved interoperability across systems is expected to increase customer satisfaction and adoption, which in turn will expand the market reach of such systems. In a similar perspective, we might expect to see some uniformity develop in areas such as vehicle interfaces, client contacts, and general operating procedures (for example, online reservation systems and insurance policies). However, the idea of SUVS is still in its infancy as a mobility option, therefore a comprehensive push toward standardization has not yet been implemented in the sector. In that case, the purpose of this research is to attempt to catalog a few of the key concerns that will be crucial to future interoperability conversations between SUVS and the establishment of industrial standards. This paper focuses on the fundamentals of operating an intelligent SUVS and details many of the concerns that have arisen throughout the formative stages of SUVS development.

After-Sales Services During an Asset’s Lifetime: Collaborative Planning of System Upgrades

We consider a physical asset consisting of complex systems, where the systems may require upgrades during the lifetime of the asset. In practice, the asset owner and system supplier can make the upgrade decisions together, requiring a decision-support model that can be jointly used to optimize the total benefit for both parties. Motivated by a real-life use case including an asset owner and a system supplier, we build a continuous-time model to optimize the upgrade decisions of a system during the fixed lifetime of the asset. In our model, we capture the key critical factors that drive the upgrade decisions: increasing functionality requirements due to evolving technology, age-dependent maintenance costs, a predetermined overhaul plan of the asset, and the lifetime of the asset. A system upgrade is less costly if it is executed jointly with an asset overhaul. We first analyze the case with no additional cost of upgrading outside an overhaul. We analytically characterize the structure of the optimal upgrade policy under various realistic assumptions that lead to different types of cost functions. We then use these results as a building block to characterize the optimal policy for a generalized cost function. When there is a penalty for upgrading outside an overhaul moment, we propose a dynamic programming approach that efficiently determines the optimal upgrade policy by using our analytical results. We also prove that as this penalty increases, the optimal policy can only change to one where the number of upgrades not jointly executed with overhauls is reduced. However, the optimal number of upgrades is a nonincreasing function of this penalty. Also, surprisingly, more overhauls may lead to a smaller number of upgrades under the optimal policy. Funding: This publication is part of the project “Maritime Remote Control Tower for Service Logistics Innovation (MARCONI)” (project 439.18.309) of the research program “Integrator-Logistics as Enabler for Enhancing Society,” which is (partly) financed by the Dutch Research Council (NWO).

Information Value Analysis for Real-Time Silo Fill-Level Monitoring

Supply chains in the construction industry are less efficient than in other industries (e.g., retail or automotive). The reason for the less optimized supply chains is often the lack of accurate, up-to-date information. For a leading supplier of building materials and construction systems, we perform a value of information analysis to guide future investments in costly sensors for silo fill-level monitoring. Silo inventory is vendor-managed as construction sites withdraw material from silos as they need it. Ensuring continuous availability of material requires proactive replenishment across products and customers. We establish the optimal purchase level of (partial) information for different hardware costs and service levels. Based on the current ensured service level regime, the minimum total costs are achieved with approximately 50% sensor-equipped silos for medium and high annual sensor costs. The findings on the appropriate use of information technology to improve decision making with partial information are generally relevant for suppliers looking to stand out with service guarantees and short delivery times. History: This paper was refereed.

NVH investigation of automotive HVAC brushless motors

In the automotive industry, thermal systems are of critical importance in securing optimum vehicle operating, preserving battery capacities and ensuring passenger comfort. These systems involve a wide range of components with various technologies, designs and more innovation. Currently, thermal engine market shares are decreasing as facing increasing electrification trends worldwide. Consequently, thermal systems may become major sources of noise and vibration that may emerge inside the car cabin. This may cause significant discomfort to passengers and can create disturbances to passersby outside the car. As a system supplier, Valeo ensures NVH compliance according to internal standards and OEM specifications during development and production stages. However, as electrification trends involve more and more innovations with less technical background, ensuring NVH compliance becomes a formidable challenge to deal with. Among the main NVH sources, the HVAC Brushless motor is highly critical as implanted inside the car cabin. This paper focuses on the main NVH topics encountered on HVAC BLDC motors. First, the NVH sources are analyzed from mechanical and magnetic design perspectives. Furthermore, solutions to control the NVH behavior are presented which sets the product's intrinsic limitations and operating conditions. Finally, from a technical compliance perspective, specification design implications are discussed.

Records management system at the eNews Channel Africa

In this article, the researchers investigated the records management system used by the eNews Channel Africa archivists in South Africa to manage their records. The main purpose of this article was to ascertain whether eNCA archivists find their records management system user-friendly and if there was a need to improve it. This article focused on eNCA archivists in South Africa who are based in Johannesburg and Cape Town because they are the only ones who use the records management system at the eNCA. This article was guided by two theories: the records life cycle and the records continuum theories. This article adopted the positivism paradigm and the quantitative approach. The data were collected using questionnaires from all eNCA archivists. Purposive sampling was employed in sampling the targeted population for this article and the survey research method in research design was adopted. Quantitative content analysis was done using Microsoft Excel. This article revealed that the eNCA archives used records management systems to manage their records, since it was found that 2 (22%) respondents used Dalet Galaxy as their records management system and 7 (78%) used Dalet Plus Client. Furthermore, this article found that all 9 (100%) respondents mentioned audio-visual records as the type of records that were managed by the eNCA archive. Lastly, it was ascertained that only 1 (11%) respondent found their records management system to be not user-friendly, while 8 (89%) respondents found it user-friendly. This article recommends that institutions and organisations managing records should have records management systems to manage their records. It is also recommended by this article that the records management system suppliers should design systems that are user-friendly and provide refresher training to its clients.

Uloga zajednica obnovljivih izvora energije u energetskoj tranziciji

We are witnessing frequent global efforts aimed at accelerated energy transition. In recent years, they have been the consequence of intense climate changes, increasing air and water pollution, but also of the rise in electricity and natural gas prices on the market. Such efforts have also been promoted by the new set of regulations adopted more than two years ago, which defined the new institutes that should contribute to the greener image of the Republic of Serbia. One of those institutes is the community of renewable energy sources, which was introduced by the Law on the Use of Renewable Energy Sources, with the purpose of enabling more entities, who are members of the community, to meet their energy needs in a sustainable way. This paper will analyse possible models of organising the work of communities of renewable energy sources, the existing legal regulations and prerequisites that are necessary for their functioning on the market of the Republic of Serbia. In addition, efficient methods of production and consumption of electricity within the community of renewable energy sources will be considered, along with the analysis of the possibility of storage, aggregation and development of charging stations for electric and/or hybrid vehicles. The impact of communities of renewable energy sources on the work of the distribution system operator, suppliers and other market participants will also be discussed. Finally, the advantages and challenges that members of the renewable energy community may have due to their joint association will be reviewed.

Technology Acquisition Strategy: A Latecomer's Perspective on Integrating Component Suppliers With System Integrators

Having unique market structures divided between a few buyers (military or airliners) and a few oligopolistic producers, as well as requiring several millions of components, the aerospace industry has the typical feature of a complex structure. Due to the complexity of operational procedures, strict safety regulations, and reliability requirements, close cooperation between manufacturers and suppliers is critical in developing new products based on the operational plan that incorporates customers’ needs. Thus, it is necessary to have a systematic planning and technology acquisition procedure that considers these various aspects. However, research has paid little attention to strategic technology learning and acquisition procedures in detail and practical guidelines through which system integrators and suppliers strategically cooperate in sharing strategic development plans. In this regard, we analyzed the case of “T-50,” the first indigenous supersonic advanced trainer introduced by Korea Aerospace Industries in 2005, to investigate the associations between system integration and components in development phases. Not only did we examine how the structures of technology dependence and operations in R&D phases manifest but also identified discrepancies between system integrators and suppliers. Finally, we provided strategic actions for latecomers to effectively acquire core technologies in accordance with both technology absorptive capability and the types of product architecture. This article helps firms to build both strategic technology planning and managerial capabilities in the complex product system industry. The proposed framework provides a detailed strategic planning process in the development phase and includes technology acquisition and R&D project plans between system integrators and suppliers for creating new products.