Establishing technical debt management — A five-step workshop approach and an action research study

A Safety Management System (SMS) cannot run without the support of other components. The key to successful SMS implementation lies in the alignment of operational systems, technical management, and human resources. Flying schools in Indonesia were recorded to have contributed to 20 accidents and serious incidents. This study aims to describe safety at the Indonesian Civil Pilot Academy in Banyuwangi, where regulations have been implemented, school leaders are committed to a safety management system, and the system is supported by adequate technology. The study employed a qualitative method based on Q Methodology. Qualitative research was chosen to facilitate the review of perspectives on the implementation of safety management systems and to assess respondents' perceptions. Respondents in this study were key personnel from PSC 141–014, senior pilot students, and pre-solo pilot students, with a total of 7 respondents. Respondents were selected using purposive sampling. Respondents completed a Q-sort with 33 statements/courses. The respondent's Q-sort results were processed using the KADE application. The consensus results, both most agreeing and most disagreeing, indicate that safety perceptions are based on two factors: self-awareness and the role of the organization, specifically leadership, in building and developing a safety culture, including a just culture. To promote a safety culture, including a just culture, the organization ensures that internal safety audits are conducted by competent, adequately trained personnel. The development of a safety culture will be more effective if regulators are involved in establishing safety culture indicators and in using them as assessment indicators through audits or surveillance.

With the acceleration of the global informatization process, cybercrime has increasingly become a serious challenge for the world. The transnational nature of cybercrime makes the response of a single country inadequate, and there is an urgent need for global policy coordination and optimization. Through an in-depth analysis of VCDB data, this paper reveals the distribution characteristics of global cybercrime, and points out the significant differences between developed and developing countries in terms of cybersecurity incident reporting and transparency. Then, use the Grey Relational Analysis method and the five key indicators of the Global Cybersecurity Index (GCI)to evaluate the effectiveness of their national security policies. The results show that technical capability and organizational management are the core factors affecting the effectiveness of cybersecurity policies. In addition, this paper uses the entropy-weighted TOPSIS method to further analyze the relationship between demographic data and network security indicators to verify the previous conclusions. By fostering a unified approach, the international community can better address the evolving landscape of cybercrime and safeguard the digital ecosystem.

The development of digital technology has transformed the way society accesses and appreciates cultural arts, making the preservation of traditional dance require adaptive strategies that use social media. This community service program aims to improve Sanggar Tari Mugi Lestari's social media management skills to support cultural promotion and preservation. The implementation method used a participatory approach comprising several stages: identifying technical needs, training in digital content production, social media management workshops, production simulations, continuous content broadcasting, and performance quality evaluation. The results showed a significant improvement in the partner’s capacity, both in technical production skills (camera operation, lighting, and image capturing) and content management skills (content calendar development, caption and hashtag strategies, and audience engagement). Within two months of implementation, the dance studio successfully broadcast 10 pieces of digital content on Instagram and TikTok, resulting in a notable increase in viewers and interactions, thereby expanding its cultural promotion outreach. Initially lacking equipment, skills, and digital strategies, the studio can now independently manage active social media accounts. In conclusion, strengthening social media management skills has proven effective as a strategy for preserving traditional dance in the digital era, while also creating opportunities for cross-community collaboration, supporting a culture-based creative economy, and contributing to the achievement of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs 4 and 8). Follow-up efforts will focus on developing more diverse content, exploring digital monetization, and expanding cultural promotion networks.

Introduction. Technical, economic, and efficient management of natural resources such as soil and water is fundamental and imperative to ensure sustainable agricultural production. Pedotransfer functions (PTFs) are tools for estimating soil hydrological properties, such as water retention, from other easily measurable soil variables. Objective. To evaluate the performance of four functions in estimating soil water content at two reference points field capacity (FC) and permanent wilting point (PWP) in Costa Rican soils. Methodology. Using soil profile data available for Costa Rica, the fitting parameters of the van Genuchten equation were estimated to calculate soil water content (θ) at FC and PWP through two functions: Rosetta1 and Rosetta3. These values were also derived using the empirical equations of Peele and Briggs. The estimated data were compared with laboratory measurements, and predictive performance indices were calculated to assess the accuracy of the functions. Results. The empirical equations of Peele and Briggs exhibited very poor performance in estimating soil water content at FC and PWP. In contrast, Rosetta1 and Rosetta3 demonstrated good performance in estimating the van Genuchten parameters. Nevertheless, considerable deviations between FC and PW7 measured and estimated values were observed, particularly in Andisols. Conclusion. Caution is advised when applying Rosetta1 and Rosetta3 for soil water content estimation, as inaccuracies may affect the appropriate management of soil and water resources. The use of Peele and Briggs’ empirical equations is not recommended for irrigation scheduling.

ABSTRACT This article investigates the discursive construction of school self-evaluation (SSE) in Portuguese academic journals, applying the sociology of knowledge approach to Discourse (SKAD). By framing SSE as a public policy instrument, the study analyses how it has been interpreted and represented in Portuguese educational literature. The analysis is organised around four core dimensions: definitions of SSE, rationales for its existence, intended purposes, and principles guiding its implementation. Findings indicate that SSE is predominantly framed as a technical and rational management tool aimed at promoting improvement, producing knowledge, and assuring quality. The literature often lacks precise definitions and frequently juxtaposes conflicting ideas without critical reflection. This discursive framing contributes to the naturalisation of SSE as a neutral regulatory mechanism, obscuring its political and ideological underpinnings. As a result, SSE is portrayed less as a contested policy instrument and more as an unproblematic, depoliticised practice within educational governance.

The fisheries potential of Banyuwangi Regency is substantial due to its abundant natural resources. The Fish Farmers Group (Pokdakan) Sumber Bening serves as a productive partner located in Rejopuro Hamlet, Kampunganyar Village, Glagah District, Banyuwangi Regency, an area situated within a watershed (DAS) that supports aquaculture activities. This Community Service Program (Pengmas) aims to empower the Sumber Bening fish farmers group as a productive partner; however, they face challenges related to low production output. Initial identification revealed two main problems: limited human resource capacity in intensive catfish cultivation and weak technical management. The interventions implemented included the establishment of an aquaponic cultivation demonstration plot, technical training sessions, as well as continuous mentoring and evaluation. The results showed a significant improvement in skills and competencies—from 8% before training to 75% after training—along with an increase in motivation to develop from 10% to 80%. The final capacity improvement reached 100% in both indicators, indicating successful technology transfer and adoption of intensive aquaculture practices. The partner group successfully implemented Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for cultivation, conducted daily record-keeping, and achieved improved feed efficiency, reduced mortality rates, and produced additional outputs in the form of organic vegetables. The growth performance indicated a Feeding Rate (FR) of 1:1 and a Survival Rate (SR) of 99%. This program resulted in the development of a model fish farming group that is adaptive and has strong potential for replication in other regions.

Although the advent of the novel Covid 19 pandemic led to education disruptions in Uganda, it as well widened the scope and role that information and communication technology can play in education. There was always a negative attitude towards embracing technology in the teaching and learning for purported reasons such as; financial, insufficient technical skills, insufficient equipment, management support, school culture, perceived usefulness, time consuming and others. This study set out to establish the extent of readiness in using information and communication technology (ICT) in the absence of physical class interaction that was not possible due to intermittent total lock downs. The objectives of the study were; to examine the relationship between ICT infrastructure and student preparedness for national examinations; to investigate the relationship between technological skills and student preparedness for National examinations; and to assess the relationship between management support and student preparedness for National examinations. The study employed a cross sectional research design, data were collected and analyzed quantitatively using descriptive and inferential statistics using the Pearson chi square analysis of independence. The key findings revealed that the students’ performance was independent of ICT infrastructure (P value=0.992>0.07), technological skills (P value=0.143>0.07) and management support (P value=0.075>0.07) which implied that the students were not prepared to use ICT as preparation for national examinations. The study may be of significance to; curriculum developers, MoES and policy makers, society and schools’ administration. The study thus recommends that Ministry of Education and Sports (MoES) and curriculum developers, embed and embrace the uptake of ICT as part of instruction in the schools of Uganda to prepare for similar education disruptions.

Machine learning for enterprise deployments in the enterprise context does come with significant challenges in terms of deploying data science to production and requires systematic frameworks in order to be production-ready. The progression from experimental development to operational deployment exposes serious shortcomings in the traditional software engineering practices, as the majority of data science projects fail to successfully move to production because of poor deployment strategies and configuration management problems. AIOps frameworks provide the next generation of solutions that help organizations automate system management, identify failures, and perform remediation steps using artificial intelligence technology, and can result in significantly lower operational overhead. Contemporary software engineering practices must adapt to meet the unique requirements of ML systems, such as specialized version control, continuous integration pipelines, and special methods of technical debt management for data quality, model staleness, and infrastructure complexity. Standardization through self-service platforms offers needed mechanisms to scale AI actions across organizational boundaries and keep operations invariant and the configuration entropy low. The evolution of CI/CD pipelines specifically tailored for machine learning workflows includes flow-based programming paradigms, specialized testing frameworks, and model versioning strategies that help guarantee deployable pipeline reliability and dexterous monitoring capabilities for production-ready systems.

This study investigates professional conductors’ perspectives on how they prepare for orchestra rehearsals, with a focus on their individual practice routines. A qualitative approach was adopted, using extended open ended questionnaires administered to 12 professional conductors. The responses were analyzed through an inductive process within the principles of grounded theory, leading to the identification of the following themes: interpretative and analytical preparation, technical and organizational strategies, and communication and social dynamics. The findings reveal the strategies conductors employ in preparing orchestra rehearsals. Participants account for the multidimensionality of their work, by acknowledging that it involves the integration of technical precision, interpretive insights, interpersonal communication, and organizational management. Rather than treating these areas as separate, conductors emphasize their dynamic interplay and the need to balance them continuously. They report holistic and purpose-driven strategies supported by self-assessment and reflection, which enhance their adaptability and leadership during rehearsals. The findings highlight the educational importance of metacognitive strategies in the conductor’s preparation, offering a perspective on individual practice techniques that can improve rehearsal outcomes and inform the training of future conductors.

Against the backdrop of accelerating global urbanization, urban governance faces multiple pressures, including dense populations, resource constraints, and diverse public service demands. Managing public affairs efficiently, equitably, and sustainably has become a core issue for governments worldwide. In recent years, public affairs standardization has emerged as a crucial tool for enhancing urban governance. By establishing unified technical specifications, service processes, and management guidelines, standardization helps reduce administrative costs, improve service consistency, and enhance public trust in government. However, standardization is not a one-size-fits-all governance model. Significant differences in political systems, administrative cultures, and social structures exist across countries, leading to diverse standardization practices in different contexts. Therefore, while drawing on international experience, it is crucial to prioritize local adaptation to avoid incompatibility. This article aims to analyze the public affairs standardization practices of representative international cities, identify valuable lessons, and explore their applicability and optimization paths in urban governance in China.

The transportation of hazardous goods by ships is a core link in the global supply chain. Its risks are characterized by suddenness, diffusibility, and high harmfulness. Once an accident occurs, it will cause catastrophic consequences to personal safety, marine ecology, and the shipping economy. Based on the four-dimensional analysis framework of "Man-Machine-Environment-Management", this paper systematically identifies the core risk points in the entire process of consignment, packing, navigation, unloading, and emergency disposal of hazardous goods by ships, and in-depth analyzes the technical bottlenecks, management loopholes, and external incentives that breed risks. By integrating the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) and the Fuzzy Comprehensive Evaluation Method, a risk assessment model is constructed to realize the quantitative characterization of risk levels and the accurate positioning of key management and control nodes. On this basis, from four dimensions of technological innovation, system improvement, management optimization, and emergency enhancement, an integrated "Early Warning-Prevention and Control-Disposal" prevention and control system is proposed, providing theoretical support and practical paths for the safety management of hazardous goods transportation by ships.

Community-Based Service Activities (PBM) – the Lecturer Community Service Program (PDM) aims to increase the income of pig farmers in the Gunung Nona area, Ambon City, through the formation of farmer groups and the development of product marketing. The activities were carried out by the PDM-PBM Team of Pattimura University using methods such as lectures, discussions, demonstrations, and participatory mentoring over two days. Participants consisted of small-scale farmers who have been running their businesses individually. The training materials included group management, partnership networks, product promotion, and technical management of animal care. Evaluation results showed a significant increase in farmers' knowledge and skills, from 31.27% and 44.23% to 82.38% and 91.67%, respectively. Partner farmers showed high responsiveness through active participation and numerous questions during the activities. A tangible impact of this activity is the formation of the Gunung Nona pig farmers group as an institutionally recognized organization, which is beginning to design collective marketing strategies. The establishment of the group and the strengthening of marketing capacity are expected to increase business efficiency, strengthen the bargaining position of the farmers, and open opportunities for sustainable income growth.

ABSTRACT This study addresses a critical gap in cybersecurity and artificial intelligence (AI) literature by conducting a systematic and comparative analysis of five key AI-focused cybersecurity frameworks: NIST AI RMF, MITER ATLAS, ENISA AI-TL, ISO/IEC 42,001:2023, and AI-SEC. Unlike prior works that remain largely conceptual, this research identifies and organizes six analytical dimensions (i.e. technical competence, risk management, ethical and legal compliance, governance and policy, human and organizational skills, and innovation and foresight) allowing a more structured and interdisciplinary evaluation. The analysis shows areas of convergence, particularly in technical safeguards and governance structures, while also revealing gaps in human capacity building and long-term monitoring of emerging threats. Innovative practices, such as adversarial simulations (i.e. MITER ATLAS, AI-SEC) and enhanced model deployment security, demonstrate promising directions for future development. The study makes two contributions. First, it advances academic understanding by providing a structured framework for evaluating AI-focused cybersecurity initiatives. Second, it provides practical insights for policymakers and organizational leaders, highlighting where existing frameworks succeed and where strategic improvements are necessary to ensure more resilient and ethically grounded cybersecurity practices.

Background: New perspectives are needed to break the stagnant 2.7% operative mortality rate in congenital cardiac surgery. After experiencing a 0% operative mortality rate for 365 days (06/2023 to 06/2024), we aimed to qualitatively identify institutional factors impacting operative mortality and compare to reasons for operative mortality. Research Questions: 1) What are the descriptive characteristics of patients with CHD who experienced an operative mortality in our single institution from January 2020 to June 2023? 2) What are the most prevalent reasons for operative mortalities seen at our institution? 3) How do staff describe institutional factors that impact operative mortality outcomes? 4) How do the reasons for operative mortality compare to how staff describe institutional factors that impact operative mortality outcomes? Methods: A mixed-methods study was conducted to compare quantitative and qualitative data. A total of 43 operative mortality records between January 2020-June 2023 were reviewed and the reasons for operative mortality were quantified. Semi-structured interviews were conducted to identify institutional factors influencing operative mortality. Data were compared by matching reasons for operative mortality to each of the qualitative themes. Results: Reasons for operative mortality were technical failure (n=19 [22%]) and intractable disease (n=19 [22%]), communication (n=18 [21%]), management strategy (n=15 [18%]) and decision-making (n=14 [16%]). Three qualitative themes were revealed: (1) Implementing Best Medical Practices, (2) Fostering Healthy Interpersonal Relationships, and (3) Building a Responsive Organizational Structure. Upon comparison of quantitative and qualitative data, the institutional factors encompassed by Theme 1 were most comparable when the reason for operative mortality was technical failure, intractable disease, management strategy, or decision-making), while factors within Theme 2 were most comparable when the reason was communication. Theme 3 was only related to one instance of operative mortality. Conclusions: Efforts to implement best medical practices are critical to improve operative mortality. A considerable effort should also be made to foster healthy relationships amongst staff. Building a responsive organizational structure may indirectly influence outcomes and should be further explored. Centers can adapt these findings to create future strategies that will improve operative mortality outcomes locally.

Abstract Foreseeing the future in an increasingly and unpredictably changing environment has a crucial role. The annual reports of Gartner’s Hype Curve for Emerging Technologies offer a multipurpose, multifactorial overview of new technologies. The study used the content of the 2024 model. Q-sort methodology was used on a sample of 38 engineering experts from different fields to check the existing opinion patterns regarding the listed emerging technologies. The results revealed competing opinion patterns with a leading role of artificial intelligence in 2-5 years. The study has a methodological implication that Gartner’s results can be further processed for industrial or corporate-level evaluations and comparisons. A technical management challenge is building strategies on the expected and accepted technologies to achieve competitive advantages.

The increasing complexity of mechanical manufacturing demands intelligent, integrated solutions to maintain high levels of precision, efficiency, and traceability. While ERP systems provide centralized management for core business functions, they often fall short in addressing operational-level workflows on the shopfloor. This paper presents the development and implementation of GIP (Gestão Integrada de Produção—Integrated Production Management), a custom software solution designed to bridge this gap for a small-to-medium enterprise (SME) specializing in precision mechanical components. GIP automates manual tasks such as technical drawing validation, file management, and part tracking, significantly reducing approval times and human error while enhancing traceability through unique DataMatrix part marking and centralized data logging. Developed with a modular, user-centered design using C# and SQL Server, the system integrates seamlessly with existing ERP infrastructure, following Industry 4.0 principles. Its deployment resulted in quantifiable improvements in productivity, data security, interdepartmental communication, and project delivery times. The success of GIP underscores the benefits of complementing ERP platforms with task-specific tools tailored to real user workflows. This approach aligns with smart manufacturing trends such as digital threads and digital twins, laying the groundwork for future enhancements in predictive maintenance and real-time analytics. GIP demonstrates how agile, scalable digital tools can drive competitiveness in modern industrial environments.

The strategic rollout of Workday Timekeeping and Absence to Abbott's Medical Devices business in the United States and Puerto Rico is an enterprise-wide transformation project that replaced aging Kronos platforms, affecting over 16,000 employees across multiple manufacturing facilities and deploying 160+ Workday ZK Teko physical clocks. The implementation engaged a cross-functional project team of 100+ members spanning IT, HR, manufacturing operations, and compliance functions. The rollout consolidated payroll processing functionality, improved regulatory compliance, such as California attestation, and modernized employee experience with mobile-responsive interfaces and biometric identity verification systems. The conversion resolved key issues such as disjointed legacy systems, regulatory risks, and shallow enterprise-wide visibility into labor statistics that had developed organically at various sites and business units over prior decades. Major results were gains in operations efficiency, cost savings from system consolidation, improved readiness for audit, and greater data visibility to support workforce planning. Implementation involved thorough change management frameworks covering technological, organizational, and human aspects in parallel through stakeholder involvement, customized communication techniques, hybrid learning solutions, and Site Champion initiatives that provided localized go-live support. The project had well-defined governance structures, deployment phasing strategies, and ongoing improvement techniques that supported successful organizational adoption and not just technical deployment. This change adds to the overall body of work in digital workforce management and offers insight into large-scale enterprise system modernization in regulated manufacturing environments, serving as a model for cross-functional collaboration and technical program management in healthcare device manufacturing operations.

ABSTRACT In the era of digital intelligence, intelligent manufacturing enterprises expect to leverage the power of knowledge to reduce costs and enhance efficiency. Therefore, exploring the logic of intellectual capital value creation within intelligent manufacturing systems is of great significance. Drawing on complex systems theory and employing dynamic qualitative comparative analysis, this study analyses the panel data of listed intelligent manufacturing enterprises from 2015 to 2023 to examine the multi‐factor synergistic effects of technological, organizational and environmental factors in driving high‐level intellectual capital value creation from temporal and cross‐case perspectives. The study finds that (1) individual elements within the intelligent manufacturing system do not constitute necessary conditions for high‐level intellectual capital value creation. (2) There are four configurations to drive high‐level intellectual capital value creation in intelligent manufacturing enterprises, namely, production configuration assistance, technical management drive, strategic change support and resource–ecology synergy. (3) In the time dimension, the consistency of the four configurations collectively declined during 2019–2020 and significantly increased in 2021. (4) In the case dimension, the technology management‐driven configuration exhibits stronger explanatory power for state‐owned enterprises. The strategy change–supported configuration exhibits stronger explanatory power for intelligent manufacturing enterprises located in intellectual property demonstration cities. (5) The configurations driving high‐level intellectual capital value creation demonstrate asymmetry in configuration patterns with those for non‐high‐level intellectual capital value creation. The research content helps deepen the understanding of intellectual capital value creation, and the conclusions provide empirical references for the high‐quality development of intelligent manufacturing enterprises.

The existence of pesantren as educational institutions faces challenges from rapid changes in the increasingly complex era of globalization. Traditional pesantren with individual leadership models find it difficult to develop due to non-collective development approaches. Modern pesantren face moral crisis challenges due to insufficient internalization of moral values in pesantren activities sourced from religious texts. Combined traditional-modern pesantren face dilemmatic challenges in maintaining traditional values while responding to changing times, causing pesantren to tend to prioritize technical management while neglecting mastery of classical Islamic texts (kitab kuning). These challenges must be responded to responsively by implementing pesantren managerial innovations to maintain sustainability amid societal demands. Pesantren managerial innovation is expected to become a strategic step in maintaining traditional pesantren values and evolving with modernity, without losing the indigenous identity of pesantren. This research uses qualitative methods with a literature review approach analyzing various relevant literature sources. This study aims to analyze the importance of pesantren managerial transformation by integrating traditional leadership models with modern management principles. Pesantren managerial transformation can use strategic management concepts in achieving pesantren goals including visionary planning, measurable goal setting, and continuous evaluation.