Real-time location systems (RTLS) can be implemented in aged care for monitoring persons with wandering behaviour and asset management. RTLS can help retrieve personal items and assistive technologies that when lost or misplaced may have serious financial, economic and practical implications. Various ethical questions arise during the design and implementation phases of RTLS. This study investigates the perspectives of various stakeholders on ethical questions regarding the use of RTLS for asset management in nursing homes. Three focus group sessions were conducted concerning the needs and wishes of (1) care professionals; (2) residents and their relatives; and (3) researchers and representatives of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). The sessions were transcribed and analysed through a process of open, axial and selective coding. Ethical perspectives concerned the design of the system, the possibilities and functionalities of tracking, monitoring in general and the user-friendliness of the system. In addition, ethical concerns were expressed about security and responsibilities. The ethical perspectives differed per focus group. Aspects of privacy, the benefit of reduced search times, trust, responsibility, security and well-being were raised. The main focus of the carers and residents was on a reduced burden and privacy, whereas the SMEs stressed the potential for improving products and services. Original article at MDPI: https://doi.org/10.3390/info9040080
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In this paper we present the results of an international comparative research conducted through a special web survey, i.e. an online 'game' to rate and classify Critical Success Factors (CFSs) for BPMS implementations. The survey was completed by 39 respondents from 11 different countries. Central to the research was the question how BPM-systems success factors are perceived by professionals from different countries (i.e. cultural backgrounds) and how this is related to other characteristics such as their level of experience within the BPM domain. The respondents judged a total of 55 factors in two ways: (1) by allocating them to one of the five domains of BPMS implementation, and (2) by ranking their importance for BPMS implementations. Significant differences were found between respondents from Northern European versus Anglo-American countries, and between respondents with different levels of experience with BPMS implementations.
Business Process Management Systems (BPMSs) are increasingly implemented in and across organizations. There is much talk on BPMSs, and software vendors and IT-consultancy companies are leveraging this. In this paper we provide an investigation on the originality of BPMSs. We identify concepts, features and characteristics of such systems, and trace them back to business and IT concepts from the past, like Business Process Reengineering (BPR), Total Quality Management (TQM), Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems and Workflow Management (WFM) systems. We conclude that much of what BPMSs entail comes from earlier business and IT innovations. However, the combination of functionality, concepts and characteristics in BPMSs make new applications in IT possible. We end our paper with a research agenda for BPMSs.
Digital transformation has been recognized for its potential to contribute to sustainability goals. It requires companies to develop their Data Analytic Capability (DAC), defined as their ability to collect, manage and analyze data effectively. Despite the governmental efforts to promote digitalization, there seems to be a knowledge gap on how to proceed, with 37% of Dutch SMEs reporting a lack of knowledge, and 33% reporting a lack of support in developing DAC. Participants in the interviews that we organized preparing this proposal indicated a need for guidance on how to develop DAC within their organization given their unique context (e.g. age and experience of the workforce, presence of legacy systems, high daily workload, lack of knowledge of digitalization). While a lot of attention has been given to the technological aspects of DAC, the people, process, and organizational culture aspects are as important, requiring a comprehensive approach and thus a bundling of knowledge from different expertise. Therefore, the objective of this KIEM proposal is to identify organizational enablers and inhibitors of DAC through a series of interviews and case studies, and use these to formulate a preliminary roadmap to DAC. From a structure perspective, the objective of the KIEM proposal will be to explore and solidify the partnership between Breda University of Applied Sciences (BUas), Avans University of Applied Sciences (Avans), Logistics Community Brabant (LCB), van Berkel Logistics BV, Smink Group BV, and iValueImprovement BV. This partnership will be used to develop the preliminary roadmap and pre-test it using action methodology. The action research protocol and preliminary roadmap thereby developed in this KIEM project will form the basis for a subsequent RAAK proposal.
Inleiding en praktijkvraag De groeiende wereldbevolking gecombineerd met de klimaatverandering zorgt voor een de noodzaak tot een duurzame voedselvoorziening (KIA missie Landbouw, voedsel & water). Een significante reductie van gewasbestrijdingsmiddelen is daarbinnen een belangrijke doelstelling. Robotica maakt als technologie motor van de precisielandbouw plant specifieke precisie-bestrijding mogelijk. Het projectconsortium onderzoekt een semiautonoom samenwerkend grond-luchtrobot platform voor de precisielandbouw. Projectdoelstelling De doelstelling van het project AGRobot Platform is dan ook: “Onderzoek de mogelijkheden van een semi-autonoom samenwerkend grond-lucht robotplatform voor de precisielandbouw”. De hoofddoelstelling wordt binnen dit project beantwoordt door de deliverables uit de volgende subdoelstellingen: 1. Case studie onderzoek naar de mogelijke voordelen van het grond-luchtrobotplatform 2. Onderzoek naar de benodigde technologieën voor een grond-luchtrobotplatform 3. Ontwikkelen van een eerste (mogelijk case-specifieke) demonstrator 4. Ontwikkelen van (nieuwe) samenwerkingsvormen. Vraagsturing & Netwerkvorming Riwo Engineering is een industriële automatiseeerder die met zijn grondrobots en control-besturingssytemen actief is in de veeteelt. DRONEXpert gebruikt hyperspectrale camera’s onder drones voor het bemeten van gewassen. Saxion mechatronica onderzoekt met de onderzoekslijn unmanned robotic systems hoe de nieuwste robotica technologieën systemen mogelijk maakt voor ongestructureerde omgevingen. De partners bezitten gezamenlijk een enorm netwerk (TValley, Space53, euRobotics) en klanten om via de case studies de kansen te achterhalen en te realiseren. Innovatie Nergens ter wereld is een samenwerkend grond-luchtrobot platform actief in de precisielandbouw. Voor OostNederland, met naast veel robotica kennis ook veel Agro-kennis, zal het project letterlijk de KIEM zijn voor nieuwe projecten waaruit de valorisatie kansen richting heel Europa gaan. Activiteitenplan & Projectorganisatie Het project wordt geleid door de lector Dr. Ir. D.A.Bekke en uitgevoerd door Abeje Mersha en Mark Reiling samen met het deelnemend MKB. Het project bestaat uit 4 werkpakketten die achtereenvolgens antwoordt geven op de gestelde subdoelstellingen. Aan elk werkpakket zijn deliverables gekoppeld.
Sea Lettuce, Ulva spp. is a versatile and edible green seaweed. Ulva spp is high in protein, carbohydrates and lipids (respectively 7%-33%; 33%-62% and 1%-3% on dry weight base [1, 2]) but variation in these components is high. Ulva has the potential to produce up to 45 tons DM/ha/year but 15 tons DM/ha/year is more realistic.[3, 4] This makes Ulva a possible valuable resource for food and other applications. Sea Lettuce is either harvested wild or cultivated in onshore land based aquaculture systems. Ulva onshore aquaculture is at present implemented only on a few locations in Europe on commercial scale because of limited knowledge about Ulva biology and its optimal cultivation systems but also because of its unfamiliarity to businesses and consumers. The objective of this project is to improve Ulva onshore aquaculture by selecting Ulva seed material, optimizing growth and biomass production by applying ecophysiological strategies for nutrient, temperature, microbiome and light management, by optimizing pond systems eg. attached versus free floating production and eventually protoype product development for feed, food and cosmetics.
