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Abstract: In this paper, the fruit-based beverage production scheduling problem is studied. The aim is to determine the lot sizing and scheduling production, optimizing inventory costs, backorders and cleanings. Fruit-based beverage production processes typically consist of two production stages, beverage preparation and pasteurization/filling/beverage packaging, including the following characteristics: an intermediate inventory in the second stage, temporal cleanings in both stages and the need for synchrony between the two stages. An effective heuristic based on a two-phase mathematical model is proposed to solve the problem in situations where item changeovers in the tanks (Stage 1) and in the lines (Stage 2) are sequence-dependent on the production. In the first stage, the heuristic searches for feasible solutions, while the second is an improvement stage. Computational tests were run using data based on real instances of a beverage company in two variants of the heuristic and both are promising because they are able to find good solutions to the problem in computational times acceptable in practice.

Abstract Supply chain risk management (SCRM) has been widely discussed in the academic literature and several models have been proposed in recent years, but there is a need for a model encompassing phases and tools for SCRM. This study presents a systematic literature review (SLR) of 254 abstracts and 68 full-text papers. The SLR made it possible to identify and define the main phases for the SCRM, as well as the tools proposed for each phase. There is a concentration of efforts in the phases of identification, assessment, and selection of risk management strategies and a limited number of studies in monitoring and controlling risks. The article offers a global SCRM framework, contributing to the theoretical discussions and a practical guide to implementation related to SCRM.

Abstract The concept of Logistics 4.0 works closely to that of Industry 4.0. While Industry 4.0 proposes a disruptive change in manufacturing, Logistics 4.0 advocates a transformation in the way organizations buy, manufacture, sell, and deliver products. The objective of this paper is to identify, in Brazilian companies, the degree of interest in the investment in six emerging technologies applicable to logistics, according to scientific literature, as well as to identify the current perception of data quality of these companies. To achieve these objectives, an online survey was conducted. The research showed that the technologies that most interest Brazilian companies are Internet of Things (IoT) and cloud computing, both with 82% of investment intention. The two technologies that least interested companies are crowdsourcing and 3D printing, both with 68% investment disinterest among respondents.

Abstract: The concept of Industry 4.0 was first introduced in Germany in 2011. Also called as the 4th industrial revolution, this concept is based on digitization and integration of physical and digital media, focusing on the automation of production processes and integration across the value chain. Due to the fast development of Industry 4.0 in the last few years, this study performed a SWOT-based analysis to assess strategic points to develop and apply digital technologies in the companies situated at the SMR – Sorocaba Metropolitan Region (São Paulo State, Brazil). A literature review was developed on Industry 4.0 conception and its main technologies: Cyber-Physical Systems, Internet of Things, Intelligent Factories and Big Data. Findings from the literature review were used to develop an exploratory questionnaire (survey), which was applied to SMR’s companies’ representatives. After that, a SWOT matrix was applied, to generate action plans to facilitate the insertion of Industry 4.0 in the companies from the SMR, based on offensive, confrontational, reinforcement and defense strategies selection. The strategies proposed on this paper should be used as an input for public political issues in the SMR, and they could also be expanded to other regions in Brazil as short and long-term strategies.

Abstract The present work has as main objective the development and presentation of a model for supplier’s evaluation. The proposed model includes the criteria of the lean concept and provides a comprehensive analysis for decision-making in the area of supplies. The work involved 05 steps: (i) identify and select the main criteria for lean suppliers management; (ii) perform the weighting of criteria using the AHP (Analytic Hierarchy Process); (iii) define the indicators to be used for the suppliers analysis in every sub-criteria; (iv) calculate the relative weight of each indicator through the analysis of interdependence between the sub-criteria and indicators; (v) testing partially the model through the application of the same in a product group in the reality of a company. The main contribution of this paper is to propose a model that combines the method AHP (Analytic Hierarchy Process) used for multiple criteria decision-making method with QFD (Quality Function Deployment) able to translate these criteria in guidelines for the supply management. From a practical point of view, the importance of this article is to present a relatively simple model for the systematization of building supply indicators. The obtained results recommend the use of this template.

Abstract: The capability of organizational innovation is an important factor for the company to achieve a higher competitive performance. Understanding how innovation capability emerges, develops, and applies could bring important managerial and scientific contributions. This study investigates the main research results regarding the capability of organizational innovation, indicating some theoretical propositions for future studies, based on the systematic review of the literature. The research aimed to identify the determinants of organizational innovation capability and the context in which the studies are carried out. We conducted a systematic literature review based on the Web of Science database. We identified and analyzed 33 papers through the analysis of content. This study presents several research results regarding the capability of innovation in organizations, divided into internal, external and determinant aspects of innovation capability, as well as the collection of propositions for guiding a research project in depth in questions to be tested in future research. The study also brings practical contributions, as it shows in which context each study on determinants of identified innovation capability is applied, and points out the importance of innovation capability in small companies and in countries.

Abstract: New online fault monitoring and alarm systems, with the aid of Cyber-Physical Systems (CPS) and Cloud Technology (CT), are examined in this article within the context of Industry 4.0. The data collected from machines is used to implement maintenance strategies based on the diagnosis and prognosis of the machines' performance. As such, the purpose of this paper is to propose a Cloud Computing Platform containing three layers of technologies forming a Cyber-Physical System which receives unlabelled data to generate an interpreted online decision for the local team, as well as collecting historical data to improve the analyzer. The proposed troubleshooter is tested using unlabelled experimental data sets of rolling element bearing. Finally, the current and future Fault Diagnosis Systems and Cloud Technologies applications in the maintenance field are discussed.

Abstract: This paper presents the main factors associated with the motivation of researchers from two universities in the state of Pernambuco, Brazil, to develop patents. To do so, the researchers responded to a Likert-scale survey. Through a principal components analysis, it was verified that the factors that serve as barriers to the development of patents in the universities are associated with limitations in the support given by the TTO (Technology Transfer Office) and the amount of benefits offered to researchers. Likewise, the main motivating factors were associated with improvements in the TTO infrastructure and with the expansion of benefits.

Abstract: The objective of this study is to develop a quantitative tool, based on Machine Learning and Geomarketing to identify business opportunities and contribute to the strategic process of local choice of franchises’ network selecting regions that have a high demand forecast and a lack of product supply. In addition, we conducted a qualitative analysis of the selected business places based on defined criteria. This prediction is given by constructing a consumption pattern, defined by a classifier, based on the characteristics of the reserved rights. Initially, for a better understanding on this subject, a theoretical background was made covering the main concepts about Geomarketing and Machine Learning and its applications. After that for a demonstration of the results, we opted for the application of the method for the market of fine chocolates (Cacau-Show) in the Distrito Federal. The main databases used in this paper were Pesquisa de Orçamentos Familiares and from Instituto Brasileiro de Estatística e Geografia (IBGE). As a result, the Standardized Spend was obtained, which indicates the requirement for each Censitar Sector, as georeferenced information of the competition, containing 44 stores that have as their main product of fine chocolate, and as digital meshes of the Federal District. The crossing is available for the elaboration of a map that facilitates the identification of the business opportunities for the market of fine chocolates in the Distrito Federal, Brazil.

Abstract: This study aims to identify the integration between quality tools and multi-criteria methods, using a bibliometric and systemic analysis. In order to meet this research objective, the methodology used to select the bibliographic portfolio, perform the bibliometric and systemic analysis was the ProKnow-C (Knowledge Development Process – Constructivist). As result were selected 17 articles that represented the bibliographic portfolio and 351 articles as reference for the bibliographic portfolio. The results highlight the journals: Expert Systems with Applications e Applied Soft Computing Journal. The most aligned articles with the theme were, “Supplier selection paradigm: An integrated hierarchical QFD methodology under multiple-criteria environment”, and “Decision making with the analytic hierarchy process”. In the systemic analysis were considered six lenses, according to the theoretical affiliation MCDA-C, and was concluded that the articles were not totally aligned with this specific affiliation. The AHP and TOPSIS methods stood out as the most used methods in this portfolio. It was verified that the quality tools when used integrated with multi-criteria methods allow the creation of decision making evaluation models for scenarios present in the papers found in this research.

Abstract: Existing research establishes customer orientation (CO) per se as insufficient to achieve higher levels of financial performance (FP). Such reasoning suggests the need for additional skills and capabilities, such as, innovative capability (IC). In addition, environmental variables (e.g., Technological Turbulence – TT) affect these relationships. This paper explores the relationships and effects of CO and IC on FP under different TT conditions. A research framework and hypotheses were developed. The framework captures the following relationships: (i) the direct influence of CO on FP; (ii) the mediating role of IC on the CO/FP relationship; (iii) the moderating role of TT over the mediation of IC on the CO/FP relationship. The fieldwork included an exploratory stage, followed by a cross-sectional survey applied to managers in medium-sized companies in Brazil. Findings revealed that IC partially mediates the relationship between CO and FP, in particular in high TT environments. Managerial implications and avenues for future research are presented.

Abstract: The financialization process in the automotive sector is growing and has affected the automakers in different ways. In this paper, we propose to study the different dynamics that involve financialization in the automotive sector by comparing Ford and Hyundai cases worldwide. To do this, we used indicators that aim to concretize the economic concept of financialization. They are the following: a comparison between sources of profitability; composition and shareholder acquisitions; business leaders; compensation payments to executives; dividend payments to shareholders; salaries and level of employment. These indicators showed a tendency of financialization in both automakers, but with different incidences in each one of these indicators. They have shown, for example, that while Ford's financial sector is more profitable than its productive sector, Hyundai's two sources of profitability are much more balanced showing significantly smaller differences than Ford's. The employment level indicator showed that while there has been a huge drop in the number of jobs at Ford in recent decades, at Hyundai there has been a reverse movement of expansion and hiring. The aim of this article is to discuss the financialization indicators in these two automakers, contributing to better knowledge about the automotive sector and collaborating with the research agenda of economic sociology and finance.

Abstract: This paper aims to present the use of a hybrid tool to support decision making in a forestry industry in the state of Sao Paulo. It was applied the Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) and Fuzzy logic techniques in Microsoft's Excel® platform, aiming to disseminate an unrestricted tool of use across the company. A solid result was reached, where it was possible to rank all the qualitative aspects concerned by the company strategy, highlighting how the facility would be moving its efforts to achieve competitiveness gains within its projects.

Abstract: Due to the current climatic conditions and concerns about the energy generation by renewable sources, wind energy becomes an alternative to meet the existing energy demand. This paper aims to analyze the most promising regions of the State of Rio de Janeiro for the implementation of wind farms for electricity generation. As an analysis tool, we intend to use the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP), due to its practicality, to assist in the state’s wind power atlas regions evaluation, identifying generating farms installation feasibility based on logistical, technical and economic aspects. Three suitable regions for wind farms installation were evaluated according to the following criteria: potencial for generation, land cost, interconnection cost to the grid, implementing zones e terrain-landform logistics. It was found that, for the Serrana Region, it is indicated the installation of a wind farm that operates at 50 meters in height, because it only has enough potential for equipment with this height. In the Lakes Region, it is appropriate to use wind turbines of 75 meters in height, highlighting it as the most promising for this equipment height, besides having the best logistics capacity of the three regions. Because it has a greater potential area than the other, the North Region provides a greater total production, also taking into account its greater efficiency in the aerogenerators to 100 meters of height, considering this region as the most appropriate. It is worth highlighting that, in this region, there is potential for installation in all the heights presented, scrutinizing the results obtained.

Abstract: The paper aims to propose an Expert System to predict the failure of onshore pipelines. Knowledge Management supports expertise sharing throughout the organization. The Expert System Prototype Model proposed is classified as Empirical Descriptive Research, and may support maintenance management. The findings evidence that Expert System proposed grounded in employee knowledge may be considered a promising solution to support Industry 4.0 implementation. The Expert System facilitates the decision-making of the experts so that the employees’ expertise can be better used in the implementation of Industry 4.0 and to face the new challenges related to the daily work in the organization. In this context, the Expert System can be considered as an innovative approach to manage maintenance processes and supporting reliable, consistent decisions during I.4 implementation.

Abstract: This paper proposes a performance evaluation model of sustainability for construction sites. This model was developed bringing together the Lean Construction, Green Building and the Well-being concepts addressed through the triple bottom line concept of sustainability. Following the Design Science approach, the model was applied in three construction sites at the city of Fortaleza, northeast of Brazil. Results are presented to validate the performance evaluation model proposed. It can be observed that the model can handle a range of variables both in terms of possible management actions and in terms of their sustainability outcomes. Different from others performance evaluation models, this artefact takes in consideration actions that are theoretically deemed to promote sustainability (according to particular construction phases) and managerial actions that are actually implemented. Finally, graphical displays help to guide how sustainability might improve over time, either evaluating individual sites against their previous records or benchmarking different building projects among different construction companies.

Abstract Supply chain risk management (SCRM) has a strong influence on the cooperation among partners and the performance of the entire production chain. A supply chain designed to minimize risks enables firms to establish a competitive position and provides long-term benefits to stakeholders. The SCRM system should be structured to manage both routine and extraordinary risks, such as natural disasters and major accidents. The risks should be managed both reactively, by monitoring changes in the chain, the needs of customers, technology and the strategies of suppliers and competitors, among others, to enable quick reaction to events; and proactively, to identify risks and implement actions to prevent them or minimize their impacts. The basic risk management process consists of identifying, evaluating, mitigating and controlling risks. The objective of this paper is to analyze how a carmaker identifies and manages the risk factors in its supply chain. To achieve this aim, we performed a qualitative, applied and exploratory field study of a Brazilian automaker. The data were collected by structured interviews, and the analytic hierarchy process was applied to rank the risk factors, resulting in a risk matrix that can be an instrument for making decisions by the company studied.

Abstract Defense logistics (DL) is an important and yet unexplored knowledge area of Production Engineering. Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to establish the DL problem domain. The focus is on industrial, technological, institutional, organizational and, specially, strategic management aspects applied to logistics in the defense sector. It also proposes a conceptual framework identifying DL objectives, functional areas and interfaces with the environment. The framework defines the Defense Logistics Base (DLB) as a system meant to create and sustain military capability, but also involved with the development of industrial capability, related to high and medium-high technologies, applied to high value products, with dual use. Furthermore, it suggests a research agenda for future work on strategic management related to DL.

Abstract This paper examines the role of the Brazilian service of Support for Micro and Small Enterprises – SEBRAE in Brazil in recent decades organizational environment and aims to contribute to the identification and description of your activity, as a way to understand the organizational transformations of the micro and small companies. Achieving this goal, a field survey was carried out in which were raised institutional documents, records and interviews with professionals connected to the institution. Qualitative analysis were made in the material through five sections: products, agents, customers, structure/strategy and scenario. From the chronological analysis of the data, they were organized in three distinct periods. Each of these temporal spaces significant for the institution’s understanding. In this way, it seeks to portray the processes of transformation and redirection through which SEBRAE has passed in each period, from the foundation to the 21st century, and its forms of intermediation of micro and small Brazilian companies.

Abstract Lean production aims at operational improvement by the elimination of waste and variability reduction. The lean practice known as help chain, which contributes to the lean goals is an underexplored topic. Thus, the objective of this paper is to propose guidelines regarding the help chain design and operation by addressing issues related to the definition of the events that need support from the chain and selection of the members to be involved. The proposed guidelines involve seven steps: (i) delimitation and evaluation of the scenario of application; (ii) identification and classification of abnormalities; (iii) identification of the types and contents of visual devices; (iv) identification of agents involved in the help chain; (v) definition of the operating logic of the help chain; (vi) training and qualification; and (vii) application and evaluation of the results. A partial application in the printing department of a tobacco’s manufacturer plant is a basis for discussing the strengths and weaknesses of the guidelines.

Abstract This paper analyses the use of the Cumbuca Method as a teaching strategy to develop reading skills in engineering students. Despite their importance, reading skills are little stimulated in engineering undergraduate courses. Teamwork, communication, organization and exposure of ideas, time management are also important skills to new employees. The Cumbuca Method was created to disseminate quality concepts among company employees, by discussing text related to a given topic of interest. This analysis is based on a qualitative approach involving a sample of 200 engineering undergraduates from Operations Management discipline at a public University in the State of Sao Paulo, Brazil. The results showed that the use of this teaching strategy inducted improvements to regular reading and debate among students.

Abstract Outsourcing allows quick reactions to market fluctuations and allows firms to focus on their core business. This strategy is currently used in the Brazilian apparel industry. The paper analyzes the interaction between big customers (some multinationals firms) and Brazilian suppliers in the sports apparel industry to verify how these relationships can contribute to the capability development of suppliers. Multiple case studies were conducted. The findings indicated that collaborative, and long-term relationships are beneficial to businesses and customers significantly influence the development of the sewing factory suppliers with whom they work.

Abstract Founded on the premise that Enterprise Risk Management (ERM) as a Management Control System (MCS) and according to contingency theory, the design and the use of MCS tends to vary according to the organizational context. The aim of this paper is to describe how the contingency factor strategy and structure are interrelated with the control and presence and processes of ERM in a health organization. The methodology has a qualitative approach and, as a research procedure, the study of the case. Two theoretical propositions are presented to data analysis. Data were collected through interviews, observations, and documents. The theoretical propositions are: i) the kind of strategy adopted by the organization, typified according to Miles and Snow´s adaptive cycles interfering in the processes and in the controls of ERM; ii) the organization structure interfere in the processes and in the controls of ERM. The investigated hospital is a philanthropic entity distinguished as the general hospital of high complexity that is related to the Brazilian Sistema Único de Saúde (Unified Helth System). The main conclusions found in the study were: health area managers have bigger expertise regarding the use of controls and processes of ERM when compared to the administrative area managers; the strategy is the contingency factor that guides the way the organization is positioned against the risk management. The risk management supported in health certification systems revealed useful to minimize problem inherent to professional bureaucracy. In this case, the risk management helped to control inner characteristics related to the hospital professional structure, as well as, the organizational structure, defined by the formalization degree of tasks, contributing to the risk management.

Abstract Economic growth is not the only factor to explain human development. Therefore, many authors have prioritized studies to measure the Human Development Index. However, these indexes do not analyze how Economic Complexity can increase Human Development. This paper aimed to determine how efficiently nations from Latin America and Asia measure a country’s performance in converting Economic Complexity into Human Development, between 2010 and 2014. We used Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA), through the Variable Returns of Scale (VRS) Model and Window Analysis. Results showed that in 2014, all Asian countries, except China and the Philippines, were efficient; on the other hand Cuba was the benchmark for inefficient countries. Window Analysis showed Japan, South Korea and Singapore were efficient over time. This result confirms the initial hypothesis of this article: the more complex countries are the more efficiently they create Human Development.

Abstract Specialized literature on organic production highlights the presence and concentration of retail, especially supermarkets, in the organic enhancement chain. This presents enormous obstacles for the entrance of small farmers in the production of organic products due to administrative barriers, in addition to pressure for lower prices by the supermarket retail network. This paper investigates the commercialization channels of organic production in Brazil. The survey was undertaken in 2013; questionnaires were sent to 900 out of approximately 11.200 farmers producing organic products; 216 answers were received. Analysis showed that approximately 90% of farmers provided for the internal market and 60% of the products were fresh fruits and vegetables. The distribution of organic products in Brazil is highly fragmented at the local, regional and national levels. The presence of supermarkets and intermediaries in the commercialization of fruits and vegetables is relevant, regardless of the size of the farm. There is a great dispersion of channels in the case of small farmers, although supermarkets rank second. However, direct commercialization (farmers markets) is the main form of commercialization of the produce. Commercialization triggered by social programs has guaranteed a considerable part of the income on small production units or small farms. It seems that high involvement of retail networks and agents in the agribusiness segment causes low development rates in small agricultural units and in local development due to the latter’s low profit margins.

A logística reversa ganha importância cada vez maior tanto no meio acadêmico quanto entre os profissionais de supply chain, não só por ser um dos instrumentos para a prática da sustentabilidade, como também por seu papel estratégico em muitos segmentos econômicos. Diversos trabalhos mostram como uma logística reversa eficiente pode diminuir custos e propiciar vantagem competitiva às empresas. Da mesma forma, o comércio eletrônico vem apresentando crescimento expressivo em muitos países e, por sua própria natureza apresenta taxas de retorno muito maiores que o comércio tradicional. Contudo, apesar da importância da operação de logística reversa para o comércio eletrônico, não se encontram trabalhos que explorem esse tema na literatura. O objetivo deste trabalho é descrever o processo de logística reversa do maior varejista virtual do mercado brasileiro, mostrando sua evolução, analisando seu desempenho e identificando suas principais deficiências. Conclui-se com a apresentação de sugestões para melhorias e implantação de um sistema mais eficiente.Reverse logistics has gained increasing importance among researchers and supply chain professionals not only for being one of the tools for sustainability, but also for its strategic role in many economic sectors. Several studies have shown how an efficient reverse logistics can reduce costs and provide competitive advantage to companies. Likewise, there has been a significant growth of electronic commerce in many countries, which has much higher return rates than those of traditional trade. Nevertheless, despite the importance of reverse logistics in electronic commerce, there are no studies addressing this topic in the literature. The aim of this paper is to describe the reverse logistics process of the largest online retailer in the Brazilian market by showing its development, analyzing its performance, and identifying its major deficiencies. Some suggestions for the improvement and implementation of a more efficient system are made

A integração das atividades logísticas constitui um grande desafio e envolve, além da empresa, seus parceiros externos. As tecnologias de informação têm papel central neste processo, já que fornecem a infraestrutura e os aplicativos que permitem a troca de informação necessária para a integração. O trabalho tem como objetivo apresentar um modelo - baseado nas tecnologias de informação - para análise das fases de integração externa entre operadores e os demais agentes da rede logística. A análise foi construída a partir de um estudo de casos realizado com quatro operadores logísticos com atuação no mercado brasileiro. A pesquisa identificou as tecnologias utilizadas pelos operadores no processo logístico e analisou sua contribuição para o estabelecimento da logística integrada baseando-se em três parâmetros - integração dos fluxos de materiais, produtos e informação; sua coordenação; e o estabelecimento de parcerias entre os agentes. A partir dos elementos levantados na pesquisa, o estudo apontou a existência de três níveis de integração externa entre o operador e os demais agentes da rede: plena, parcial e inexistente. A rede logística constitui uma rede de valor quando há integração plena e o estabelecimento de parcerias entre os operadores e os demais agentes.The integration of logistics activities is a major challenge that involves the company's internal and external partners. Information technology (IT) plays a central role in this process since it provides infrastructure and software applications that allow the exchange of information needed to achieve such integration. The aim of this paper is propose a based IT model to analyze the external integration stages between third-party logistics providers (3PL) and the other agents of the logistics network. The analysis was based on a multiple case study conducted in four 3PLs operating in Brazil. This research identified and analyzed the technologies used in the logistics process and how they contribute to the achievement of logistic integration based on three parameters: integration and coordination of material, product, and information flow, and the establishment of partnerships between the network agents. This study revealed the existence of three levels of external integration between the 3PLs and the other agents in the network: total, partial, and lack of integration. The logistics network is considered a value network when there is total integration and the establishment of partnership between 3PLs and the other agents..

A Programação por Metas, ou Goal Programming (GP), é uma importante abordagem analítica que tem sido aplicada com sucesso na solução de importantes problemas de decisão. Propõe-se um modelo de Programação por Metas Binária-Mista, ou Mixed-Binary Goal Programming (MBGP), para otimizar o planejamento agregado da produção e da distribuição de uma empresa do setor sucroenergético, que incorpora a cogeração de energia. Deste modo, o modelo aborda os processos de produção de açúcar, de álcool, de melaço e derivados e da cogeração de energia. Contempla, também, as etapas agrícolas, industriais e de distribuição, possibilitando que as decisões sejam tomadas em um horizonte de planejamento semanal, incluindo a safra e entressafra. A aplicação deste modelo em uma usina de açúcar e álcool brasileira auxiliou na determinação de políticas ótimas de produção e distribuição, gerando resultados financeiros e operacionais interessantes para a empresa, além de gerar relatórios de exportação de energia aderentes à realidade da usina estudada.The Goal Programming (GP) is an important analytical approach that has been successfully applied in relevant real-world decision making problems. This paper proposes a Mixed-Binary Goal Programming (MBGP) model to optimize production and distribution planning of a energy cogeneration sugar and ethanol milling company. Therefore, the MBGP model integrates the production process of sugar, alcohol, molasses, and energy cogeneration, and it enables decision-making in the agricultural, industrial, and distribution phases on a weekly-basis planning horizon including the harvest season and the periods between harvests. The model was applied in a Brazilian sugar and ethanol milling company, and it contributed to the formulation of production and distribution optimum policies yielding good financial and operational results in addition to raising energy export in conformity with the reality of the plant.

A adoção de Sistemas Integrados de Gestão, também denotados sistemas ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning), introduziu a necessidade de se discutir o processo de avaliação deste tipo de sistemas, o qual está inserido em um contexto de múltiplas percepções ou critérios de avaliação. No presente trabalho, efetua-se uma revisão bibliográfica sistematizada em um conjunto de artigos publicados em periódicos indexados nas bases Scopus, ISI Web of Science ou Engineering Village, os quais relatam a construção/aplicação de modelos multicritério para avaliação de sistemas ERP. Com base nesta revisão bibliográfica, foi construído um conjunto de critérios e subcritérios, o qual foi submetido à validação por um conjunto de especialistas com experiência na seleção e implantação de ERP, resultando em uma árvore composta por 45 subcritérios agrupados em cinco critérios. Posteriormente, foi desenvolvida uma pesquisa de campo, da qual participaram 79 respondentes, principalmente das áreas de TI e Construção Civil, para captar percepções quanto à importância relativa destes critérios. A pesquisa revelou que os respondentes consideram os critérios Financeiro, Negócio e Software os mais importantes.The adoption of ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) by companies has introduced the need of evaluating and selecting such systems. This discussion is embedded in a context of multiple perceptions or evaluation criteria. In the present study, it a systematic literature review was conducted on a set of papers published in journals indexed by Scopus, ISI Web of Science, and Engineering Village databases focusing on the multiple criteria evaluation of ERP systems. Based on this literature review, criteria and sub-criteria was set, which was submitted for validation by a group of professionals with strong ERP System selection and implementation experience resulting in a tree comprised of 45 sub-criteria grouped into five criteria. A survey of IT and civil construction areas was conducted on a sample of 79 respondents in order to investigate the relative importance of these criteria. The survey demonstrated that the Financial, Business, and Software criteria were considered by the respondents as the most important.

Este trabalho teve como objetivo analisar o orçamento de capital (OC), voltado a investimentos em ativos de capital (máquinas e equipamentos), desempenhado por gestores de empresas algodoeiras. Sua elaboração foi motivada pela queda produtiva em algumas regiões do País em que a cultura algodoeira era tradicional, especificamente nos estados de São Paulo, Minas Gerais e Goiás. A escolha das empresas levou em conta a disponibilidade dos gestores em conceder entrevistas presenciais. Dessa forma, partindo-se de uma abordagem qualitativa e exploratória sobre os dados, aplicou-se uma análise de conversação, forma de análise de conteúdo que permitiu identificar particularidades de cada unidade investigada e realizar inferências quanto a razões, causas e motivações em relação aos investimentos dessa natureza. Resultados apontam para um enfoque gerencial mais voltado à tentativa de se garantir resultados operacionais satisfatórios no curto prazo. Assim, a gestão na maioria das empresas pesquisadas não considera um planejamento de investimentos no médio e longo prazos devido à percepção quanto aos baixos ganhos marginais da substituição e investimento em novos ativos. Constatou-se ainda uma forte influência de experiências passadas nas decisões de investimento dos gestores entrevistados. Tais observações podem impedir políticas de investimento e de negócios focadas no desenvolvimento do setor como uma forma de contornar suas dificuldades, mesmo havendo mobilizações recentes por parte dos produtores.This purpose of this paper was to analyze the process of capital investment (machines and equipment) from the perspective of a multiple case study. From a qualitative and exploratory approach toward the data, a content analysis was used, a method that allowed identifying distinctive features of each unit investigated and making inferences about reasons, causes, and motivations. The results point to a more managerial approach targeted towards attempting to ensure satisfactory operating results in the short term. Hence, most of the gins investigated seem to be more susceptible to the uncertainties of the environment in which they operate since there is a limited consideration of the possibilities that investments might bring to them, as well as an inherent risk management approach; behavioral aspects such latency were verified in investment decisions performed by the managers interviewed.

Abstract This paper is a research brief on sustainable supply chain management and covers some of the key elements of literature’s past debate and trends for future directions. It highlights the growth of this research area and reinforces the importance of a full consideration of all three key dimensions of sustainability when managing sustainable supply chains, i.e., the financial, environmental and social dimensions. Therefore, supply chain decision makers need to unequivocally assess the impact of their decisions on the financial, environmental and social performances of their supply chains. This paper also argues that risks and opportunities are the key drivers for supply chain decision makers to adopt sustainability within their operations, and that barriers to sustainability adoption exist. This research highlights that, depending on the focus adopted, supply chains can evolve and shift from more traditional to more sustainable approaches over time. The paper concludes with some promising avenues for future investigation.

Abstract An increasing number of papers on statistical process control (SPC) has emerged in the last fifty years, especially in the last fifteen years. This may be attributed to the increased global competitiveness generated by innovation and the continuous improvement of products and processes. In this sense, SPC has a fundamentally important role in quality and production systems. The research in this paper considers the context of technological improvement and innovation of products and processes to increase corporate competitiveness. There are several other statistical technics and tools for assisting continuous improvement and innovation of products and processes but, despite the limitations in their use in the improvement projects, there is growing concern about the use of SPC. A gap between the SPC technics taught in engineering courses and their practical applications to industrial problems is observed in empirical research; thus, it is important to understand what has been done and identify the trends in SPC research. The bibliometric study in this paper is proposed in this direction and uses the Web of Science (WoS) database. Data analysis indicates that there was a growth rate of more than 90% in the number of publications on SPC after 1990. Our results reveal the countries where these publications have come from, the authors with the highest number of papers and their networks. Main sources of publications are also identified; it is observed that the publications of SPC papers are concentrated in some of the international research journals, not necessarily those with the major high-impact factors. Furthermore, the papers are focused on industrial engineering, operations research and management science fields. The most common term found in the papers was cumulative sum control charts, but new topics have emerged and have been researched in the past ten years, such as multivariate methods for process monitoring and nonparametric methods.

Esse trabalho investiga um problema combinado de planejamento da produção e corte de estoque comum em fábricas de móveis de pequeno porte, onde os custos de produção envolvidos no processo de manufatura e as demandas dos produtos não são conhecidos com precisão. Para lidar com essas incertezas, foram propostos modelos de otimização robusta que permitem controlar o conservadorismo da solução de acordo com a atitude do decisor em relação ao risco. Experimentos computacionais baseados em dados reais de uma planta moveleira mostraram que é possível obter soluções robustas sem sacrificar em demasia o custo total. Além disso, observou-se que estratégias tipicamente utilizadas na prática para lidar com as incertezas podem gerar planos de produção com custos totais proibitivos.This paper investigates an integrated production planning and cutting stock problem that is common in small-scale furniture plants, in which the production costs involved in the manufacturing process and the demands for the products are not known precisely. To deal with these uncertainties, robust optimization models that control the conservatism of the solution according to the attitude of the decision maker towards risk were proposed. Computational experiments based on real data from a furniture plant showed that it is possible to obtain robust solutions without overly sacrificing the total cost. In addition, it was observed that commonly used strategies to deal with uncertainty issues can result in production plans with prohibitive total costs.

O objetivo deste trabalho é analisar como a organização do trabalho nas centrais de teleatendimento interfere no processo social de identificação com a profissão e na organização coletiva dos trabalhadores. Para isso, apresentam-se informações sobre o crescimento dos serviços e da atividade de teleatendimento e analisa-se a maneira como o trabalho do operador se encontra organizado dentro das centrais, a partir de um levantamento bibliográfico e de um estudo de caso em uma empresa que realiza cobrança por telefone. Os resultados da pesquisa apontam para a fraca identificação com a profissão, que aparece como um dos motivos para a baixa adesão à organização coletiva.The purpose of this paper is to analyze how the work organization in call centers interferes in the social process of occupational identification and in the workers' collective organization. To this end, information about the service growth and the activity of telemarketing is provided, and an analysis of how the call center operator's work is organized is presented through a literature review and a case study in a debt collection call center. The results obtained indicate weak occupational identification, which is one of the reasons for low membership rate in the collective organization.

Este trabalho apresenta um modelo quantitativo para auxiliar nas decisões estratégicas associadas à inovação, denominado DEIN - Decisões Estratégicas de INovação - o qual contempla tanto a inovação espontânea como a induzida. O modelo proposto foi construído a partir da análise do referencial teórico e entrevistas conduzidas junto a especialistas. Ele fornece uma estrutura para avaliar os diferentes elementos envolvidos na gestão da inovação: (i) ideias associadas à inovação em produto ou processo; (ii) competitividade dos produtos existentes; (iii) possibilidade de inovação nos processos e produtos existentes; (iv) competitividade de novos produtos; e (v) índice de inovação praticado pela empresa. A utilização do DEIN pode auxiliar as empresas a decidir a respeito de quais produtos serão mantidos, quais serão aposentados, quais serão objeto de inovação e quais novos produtos devem ser lançados. O DEIN é apresentado em detalhe neste artigo. Ele foi desenvolvido a partir do estudo de duas empresas de diferentes setores industriais: automotivo e de cabos de ancoragem para plataformas marítimas. Posteriormente, ele foi avaliado junto a outras três empresas com diferentes perfis. A avaliação permitiu aprimorar o modelo e confirmou a sua relevância e aplicabilidade junto ao meio empresarial.This study presents a quantitative model to aid strategic decisions concerning innovation management denominated DEIN - Strategic Decision Making on Innovation - which embodies both spontaneous and inducted innovation. The model was constructed based on the review of literature and interviews conducted with experts. It comprises a framework to evaluate the different elements involved in innovation management such as: (i) ideas associated to product or process innovation; (ii) competitiveness of existing product range; (iii) innovation associated to existing portfolio;(iv) new product competitiveness; and (v) company's level of innovation. The use of DEIN can help companies decide which products of their portfolio will be maintained, discontinued, improved, or innovated. DEIN model is described in detail in this paper. It was developed based on a study carried out in two companies in different market segments: automotive and platform anchoring rope. It was also evaluated in three companies in other different segments. The evaluation led to improvements in the model and confirmed its relevance and applicability in the business scenario.

Este artigo apresenta o modelo de referência para o desenvolvimento de produtos mecatrônicos (MRM) enfatizando o trabalho de validação do modelo pela implantação de melhorias no processo de desenvolvimento de produtos (PDP) de uma empresa desenvolvedora. A aplicação e validação do modelo foi realizada por meio de uma pesquisa-ação. O conteúdo do modelo é sumarizado e sua metodologia de aplicação e validação é apresentada. As melhorias introduzidas aumentaram a capabilidade do PDP da empresa tanto na análise dos principais atores da implantação quanto para executores do processo não envolvidos na implementação. Estes últimos reportaram uma percepção de melhoria de indicadores de tempo, custo e qualidade do PDP. Os resultados mais significativos ocorreram no controle de documentos e configurações de produto e isso se deveu a aspectos regulatórios do mercado de equipamentos médicos. Embora tenha havido forte investimento em melhorias na área de gestão de projetos, seus resultados em controle de prazos e custos foram limitados por aspectos vinculados à integração entre as áreas de engenharia e marketing.This paper presents a reference model for the development of mechatronic products (MRM) emphasizing the model validation by making improvements in the new product development (NPD) of a manufacturing company. The model was applied and validated through an action research. The model content was summarized and its application and validation methodology was presented. The improvements increased the company's NPD capability even for those who work on the process but who were not involved in the process implementation. The latter reported a perceived improvement in time, cost, and quality of NPD. The most significant results occurred in document control and product configurations due to regulatory aspects of medical devices. Although there have been significant investments in the project management area, the time and cost control results were limited by aspects related to the integration between engineering and marketing personnel.

As pequenas empresas constituem um segmento relevante da economia brasileira, pois representam 98% das empresas e empregam 67% da mão de obra economicamente ativa, sendo responsáveis por somente 20% do PIB do País (SEBRAE, 2005). Isto mostra que a produtividade dessas empresas é relativamente pequena, podendo melhorar com a adoção de práticas organizacionais que aumentem o seu desempenho, entre elas, o e-business. Para que o e-business promova a melhoria de desempenho nessas empresas, é necessário que esteja inserido adequadamente em seu modelo de negócios, de forma a atender aos anseios mais amplos da empresa. O objetivo deste trabalho é descrever o modelo de negócios utilizado pelas pequenas empresas dos setores de comércio e serviços para a adoção de e-business, observando as principais dificuldades para essa adoção e os principais resultados obtidos por essas empresas. Este estudo caracteriza-se por uma pesquisa descritiva, realizada em duas etapas: qualitativa, com um estudo exploratório em 13 empresas; e quantitativa, com uma coleta de dados em 156 empresas. Os principais aspectos identificados na pesquisa foram a centralização das decisões referentes à adoção de e-business e à sua operação pelos sócios-proprietários, o uso da Internet para divulgação da marca ou do produto das empresas como principal proposta de valor e a separação da operação da loja física e da loja virtual na maioria das empresas. Os principais resultados obtidos pelas empresas pesquisadas foram a ampliação no alcance geográfico das vendas, a melhoria na organização das tarefas de comercialização e a utilização de redes sociais para relacionamento com clientes.Small businesses are an important segment of the Brazilian economy because they account for 98% of all enterprises and employ 67% of economically active manpower, but they represent only 20% of Brazil's GDP (SEBRAE, 2005). This shows that these companies can improve productivity by adopting practices that enhance organizational performance, such as e-business. In order for e-business to improve performance in these companies it is has to be properly included in its business model to meet their greater needs. The objective of this paper is to describe the business model used by small enterprises in the trade and service sector for e-business adoption focusing on the main problems in adopting it and the main results obtained by these companies. A descriptive research was conducted in two stages: qualitative, an exploratory study in 13 companies, and quantitative, data collection in 156 companies. The main findings were the centralization of e-business adoption decision-making and its operation by the partner/owners, the use of Internet for product branding as the primary value proposition, and the separation between physical and online operations in most companies. The main results obtained were expansion of geographical scope of product sales, improvement in marketing organization, and use of social networking sites for customer relationship.

This paper presents a hybrid multi-criteria method developed through the combination of the Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) and exponential smoothing techniques applied in time series forecasting. To illustrate its use, a model was developed with the aim of creating a quality index for electric power distribution utilities. The conclusions highlight the need to take into account the results obtained in the latest months for those utilities, but giving less attention to those obtained in the earlier months. This characteristic of the problem led to the idea of incorporating the mathematical formulation of the exponential smoothing into the aggregation function of the AHP. At the end, the utility company is given a score between 0 (zero) and 10 (ten).Este trabalho apresenta um método multicritério híbrido construído através da fusão entre o Método de Análise Hierárquica (AHP) e técnicas de Amortecimento Exponencial, aplicadas na previsão de séries temporais. Para ilustrar a sua utilização foi construído um modelo com a finalidade de criar um índice de qualidade para distribuidoras de energia elétrica. As conclusões apresentadas revelam a necessidade de levar em consideração os resultados obtidos em meses anteriores por essas distribuidoras, mas dando menor importância a períodos mais distantes do tempo presente. Essa característica do problema sugeriu a idéia de incorporar a formulação matemática do amortecimento exponencial à função de agregação do AHP. Ao final é fornecida para a distribuidora avaliada uma nota entre 0 (zero) e 10 (dez).

Para atender às demandas do ambiente, as organizações implementam diversos sistemas de gestão. Com isso, dificuldades relacionadas ao seu gerenciamento paralelo podem surgir, o que leva as empresas a integrar estes sistemas em um único Sistema de Gestão Integrado (SGI). Dado este cenário, os pesquisadores buscam elaborar modelos que visam facilitar a implementação do SGI, a integração da documentação, além de investigar os benefícios e dificuldades dessa implementação. Entretanto, as pesquisas não mostram como a integração dos sistemas de gestão normalizados acontece nas organizações, assim uma investigação deste processo se torna interessante de forma a contribuir para a pesquisa sobre SGI. Com foco nos sistemas de gestão normalizados ISO 9001 e OHSAS 18001, o objetivo deste trabalho é analisar a integração desses sistemas de gestão sob três variáveis de pesquisa: o processo de implementação do SGI, a integração dos requisitos das normas e a estrutura de gestão do SGI. Para a condução desta pesquisa foi utilizado como método o estudo de caso. Como resultados, foram observadas diversas semelhanças no processo de implementação do SGI e na documentação desenvolvida pelas organizações para a sua implementação. Identificou-se ainda, que o tamanho da organização pode influenciar na estrutura de gestão estabelecida para o gerenciamento do SGI.In order to meet the demands of the environment, organizations usually implement a range of management systems. However, difficulties related to the parallel management of these systems may arise, and the companies are then driven to integrate their management systems into a single Integrated Management System (IMS). Given this scenario, researchers have designed models to ease the implementation of an IMS and the integration of documents and have investigated the benefits and difficulties of such an implementation. However, these studies have not shown how the integration of management systems takes place in organizations; therefore, the investigation of this process seems to be an interesting area to study contributing to IMS research. Focusing on the normalized management systems ISO 9001 and OHSAS 18001, this paper analyzes their integration by means of a case study based on three variables: IMS implementation process, integration of the IMS management norm requirements and structure. The results show similarities between the IMS implementation process and the documentation related to the IMS established by the organizations. It was also found that the size of the organization can affect the structure established to oversee the IMS management.

Este artigo apresenta os resultados de um estudo de caso realizado para avaliar a aplicação dos métodos de análise de falhas potenciais FMEA e DRBFM no processo de desenvolvimento de produtos de uma empresa de autopeças que é referência na aplicação desses métodos. Foram avaliadas a qualidade do processo e a qualidade dos resultados da aplicação. Os resultados da avaliação sugerem que o sucesso da aplicação dos métodos FMEA e DRBFM, na unidade de negócio caso, é devido à combinação de provisão de recursos, trabalho em equipe multidisciplinar, formação de competências (treinamento), definição de procedimentos, aplicação integrada como outros métodos/ferramentas do PDP, e, sobretudo, não considerar a aplicação como uma atividade proforma. À parte da restrição de generalizar os resultados, a principal limitação do estudo foi ter questionários como única fonte de coleta de dados. Acredita-se que os conhecimentos gerados nesta pesquisa podem contribuir para auxiliar as empresas a alcançarem os benefícios da aplicação desses métodos no processo de desenvolvimento de produtos.This paper presents the findings of a case study carried out to assess the application of the methods FMEA and DRBFM in the new product development of an automotive parts manufacturer, which is regarded as a reference in the use of these methods. Both the process quality and the output quality of the application were assessed. The findings suggest that the successful execution of the FMEA and DRBFM methods, in the business unit case, is due to the combination of provision of resources, employment of multi-disciplinary teams, competence development (training), definition and documentation of the process of application, and integration of the application of these methods with other NPD methods/tools, and, mainly, it results from not considering their application as a perfunctory task. Despite the result generalization constraints, the main limitation of this study was using questionnaires as the only source of data collection. It can be said that the knowledge resulting from this research can assist companies to benefit from applying these methods in the new product development process.

O processo de orçamento de capital envolve a análise e seleção de projetos de longo prazo de maturação. Essas decisões de investimento são tradicionalmente feitas pela aplicação simultânea de vários métodos financeiros com uso de fluxo de caixa descontado como, por exemplo, o Valor Presente Líquido (VPL) e a Taxa Interna de Retorno (TIR). Apesar da longa e ampla disseminação dessas técnicas, são notórios os problemas de avaliação especialmente quando consideradas funções mono-objetivas e projetos mutuamente excludentes. Em se tratando de decisões financeiras, parece ilusório falar em otimização sem considerar múltiplos objetivos e atributos. O objetivo deste trabalho é propor um modelo matemático multiobjetivo prático que auxilie na seleção de projetos de investimento submetidos simultaneamente a vários indicadores de desempenho que incorpora uma nova medida de risco (GAFT). Os testes foram feitos sobre uma amostra de quarenta e cinco projetos e os resultados demonstram que o modelo proposto é uma ferramenta gerencial prática e promissora.The capital budgeting process involves the analysis and selection of projects committed over long periods of time. These investment decisions are traditionally made by the simultaneous application of various financial techniques using discounted cash flow, such as the Net Present Value (NPV) and Internal Rate of Return (IRR). Despite the long-term and wide dissemination of these techniques, there are major problems of inconsistency especially in mono-criterion functions and mutually exclusive projects. When dealing with financial decisions, it seems illusory to address optimization without taking multiple objectives and attributes into account. The objective of this paper is to present a mathematical model that allows the multi-criteria selection of investment projects submitted to various financial indicators; the mathematical model incorporates a new measure of risk (GAFT). Forty five projects were tested and the results show that the proposed model is a practical and promising decision-making tool.

Este artigo avalia a premissa da aderência da demanda à distribuição Normal em modelos de gestão de estoque, mostrando que tal consideração pode trazer distorções significativas no caso dos itens de baixo e baixíssimo consumo. Dessa forma, é proposto um quadro conceitual para auxiliar a identificação do modelo mais adequado com base nas principais características de cada item. Como contribuição adicional da pesquisa, é apresentada aplicação desse quadro conceitual no conjunto das peças de reposição de uma empresa brasileira, evidenciando-se seus principais benefícios em termos dos custos totais de falta e excesso.This article evaluates the premise of demand adherence to Normal distribution in inventory management models showing that such consideration can bring about significant distortions, mainly to very slow and slow moving items. Accordingly, the article proposes a framework to help identifying the best stock policy to be adopted, given the characteristics of each item. As an additional contribution, the paper presents an application of this framework on the set of spare parts of a Brazilian company making evident its main benefits in terms of shortage and excess costs.

As cadeias de suprimentos são cada vez mais importantes para a sobrevivência das empresas no mercado competitivo atual. Teorias e métodos que contribuam para a melhoria de sua gestão são elementos importantes para a pesquisa e o desenvolvimento na área da Engenharia de Produção. Considerando os sistemas de medição de desempenho como um desses elementos, este artigo tem por objetivo apresentar um modelo para alinhamento entre sistemas de medição de desempenho e sua maturidade aos níveis de maturidade da gestão da cadeia de suprimentos. Para isso, foram estudados os sistemas de medição de desempenho e sua maturidade, bem como os modelos de maturidade para a gestão da cadeia de suprimentos, permitindo, desta forma, a construção de um modelo teórico de relação entre estes dois elementos. Com o uso do método de pesquisa de estudo de múltiplos casos aplicados em três diferentes unidades de análise, foi possível verificar a aderência do modelo teórico proposto. Como principais resultados, na maioria dos casos, foi identificada a existência de uma relação entre a maturidade do sistema de medição de desempenho e a maturidade da gestão da cadeia de suprimentos, embora nem sempre todas as dimensões da maturidade dos dois elementos encontrem-se em um mesmo nível de desenvolvimento. Como contribuição, o modelo busca apresentar uma abordagem inédita para a teoria dos sistemas de medição de desempenho no âmbito da gestão da cadeia de suprimentos, como também, proporcionar aos praticantes o alinhamento correto entre a maturidade da gestão da cadeia de suprimentos e a maturidade dos sistemas de medição de desempenho.Supply chains have become increasingly important for companies to survive in today's competitive market. Theories and methods that contribute to the improvement of their management are important elements of research and development in the field of Industrial Engineering. Considering performance measurement systems as one of these elements, this paper aims to propose a model for alignment between performance measurement systems and its maturity to the maturity levels of supply chain management due to the lack of studies that address the relationship between these two elements. Therefore, performance measurement systems and their maturity, as well as maturity models for supply chain management were studied enabling the creation of a theoretical model of relationship between these two elements. The multiple case study method was applied to three different units of analysis to verify the suitability of the theoretical model proposed. In most of the cases, as the main results of this study, it was identified the existence of a relationship between the maturity of performance measurement system and the maturity of supply chain management although the dimensions of maturity of these two elements are not always at the same development level. The contribution of this model is to present a new approach to the theory of the performance measurement systems in the supply chain management, as well as to provide practitioners with the correct alignment between the maturity of supply chain management and maturity of performance measurement systems.

Statecharts are a graphical representation to model reactive systems that respond to external or internal stimuli by changing the state of a given system. Statecharts can be seen as an extension of state-transition diagrams that allows modeling hierarchy, orthogonality, and interdependence. Due to their features to represent reactive systems, Statecharts have been adapted to represent and deal analytically with performance models (reactive systems whose performance is to be evaluated). An interesting feature present in Statecharts is to record the system's state, which cannot be represented in Markov models in a straightforward manner due to its "memory-less" property. The contributions of this paper are: show that Statecharts are a feasible alternative to specify a reactive system so that its performance can be evaluated by both analytical and simulation techniques; show that the inclusion of the memory representation in the Statecharts specification can indeed be made by both analytical and simulation techniques. The results of a case study of a manufacturing system show that the objectives are achieved.Statecharts representam graficamente sistemas reativos que respondem aos estímulos externos ou internos e mudam estados de um dado sistema. Statecharts estendem diagramas de estado com hierarquia, paralelismo e interdependência. Devido às suas características, eles foram adaptados para representar e tratar analiticamente modelos de desempenho (sistemas reativos cujo desempenho deve ser avaliado). Uma característica presente em Statecharts é registrar (ou memorizar) um estado do sistema que não é possível representar numa forma direta em modelos Markovianos devido à sua propriedade de "sem memória". São duas as contribuições deste artigo: mostrar que Statecharts são viáveis para especificar sistemas reativos e avaliar o seu desempenho tanto por técnicas analíticas quanto por simulação; mostrar que a inclusão de representação de memória em Statecharts pode, de fato, ser tratada por abordagens analíticas e de simulação. Um estudo de caso de um sistema de manufatura é considerado para mostrar que os objetivos foram alcançados.

Com a concorrência no cenário mundial cada vez mais acirrada, para que as empresas se tornem competitivas, existe a necessidade de conhecer e entender as mudanças que ocorrem em um ambiente globalizado. Ambiente este, que não se restringe apenas ao ambiente externo, mas também ao ambiente interno à organização. As empresas devem definir claramente, quais são suas estratégias quanto à informação, para que possam buscar, assim, melhor posicionamento de mercado. Este trabalho apresenta os resultados de um estudo exploratório, sobre a gestão estratégica da informação aplicada à indústria moveleira da região de Bento Gonçalves do Estado do Rio Grande do Sul. Os resultados alcançados identificam as características das empresas quanto à coleta, difusão e sistematização da informação e apresentam como estão sendo utilizadas a gestão do conhecimento e a inteligência competitiva.In other to become competitive in the current context of fierce global competition, companies need to recognize and understand the changes that occur in a globalized environment, which involves both the external and the organization's internal environment. Companies should clearly define their information strategies in order to achieve better market position. This paper presents the results of an exploratory research on strategic information management applied to the furniture industry in the region of Bento Gonçalves, Rio Grande do Sul State. The results obtained show characteristics of companies in terms of information collection, dissemination, and systematization and indicate how knowledge management and competitive intelligence are being used by them.

Este artigo apresenta como a ferramenta computacional de Modelagem e Simulação Humana contextualizada pela Análise Ergonômica do Trabalho (AET) e pela análise da Atividade Futura Possível pode auxiliar nos processos de projeto de postos de trabalho. São analisados dois estudos de caso nos quais a Simulação Humana foi empregada com auxílio do software Jack. O primeiro estudo aborda a concepção de um balcão de atendimento em uma empresa pública de serviços postais. O segundo apresenta o desenvolvimento de uma estação de trabalho de abastecimento de agulhas cirúrgicas em uma empresa de manufatura de produtos relacionados às áreas de saúde e higiene. A partir dos resultados dos estudos de caso, são explicitadas as contribuições e desafios da utilização dessa tecnologia em projetos visando equacionar as questões de saúde e produtividade. O uso da simulação integrada ao processo de intervenção da AET permitiu melhorar a antecipação das futuras atividades prováveis das novas situações de trabalho e auxiliou a integração e comunicação dos atores envolvidos nesses processos sociais.This paper investigates a computational tool for Human Modeling and Simulation contextualized by Ergonomic Analysis of Work (EAW) and future work activity forecasting that can assist in the design processes of workplaces. Two case studies using Human Simulation was employed and the software Jack were analyzed. The first study presents the design of a counter in a public post office. The second shows the development of a workstation for the supply of surgical needles in a company that manufactures hygiene and healthcare products. The results of the case studies show the contributions and challenges of using this design technology aiming to solve problems related to health and productivity. The use of simulation combined with EAW helped to improve future work activity forecasting of new work situations and helped the integration and communication of the actors involved in these social processes.

Este trabalho aborda o problema do carregamento de contêineres, cuja forma mais geral consiste em arranjar itens (por exemplo, produtos embalados em caixas) de vários tamanhos dentro de objetos maiores (por exemplo, contêineres) com máximo aproveitamento do volume disponível. Em particular, é considerado o caso especial em que as caixas a serem arranjadas são retangulares e idênticas. Com o objetivo de resolver este problema, estendemos a heurística de busca tabu de Pureza e Morabito, originalmente projetada para o problema de carregamento de paletes do produtor. Partindo-se de uma solução inicial gerada por uma heurística de blocos, são realizados movimentos de troca de orientação e/ou expansão de blocos selecionados, resultando na geração de novos padrões de carregamento. Resultados computacionais obtidos com 22 exemplos da literatura sugerem que a abordagem proposta é promissora.This paper tackles the container loading problem, which consists of determining the most effective way of arranging items (for example, products packed in boxes) in larger objects (for example, containers). In particular, we consider the special case in which the boxes to be arranged are rectangular-shaped and identical. In order to solve this problem, we extend the tabu search algorithm by Pureza and Morabito, originally designed for the manufacturer's pallet loading problem. From a starting solution generated by a block heuristic, the algorithm performs moves, which change the orientation and/or expand selected blocks, resulting in new loading patterns. Computational results obtained with 22 instances from the literature suggest that the proposed approach is promising.

Este trabalho apresenta o resultado de uma pesquisa-ação, realizada em uma pequena empresa de base tecnológica, na qual se aplicou o método ágil Scrum em um projeto de desenvolvimento de um produto de software. A empresa objeto desta atua em Itajubá/MG e seus principais produtos são sistemas de software. Estudos indicam que a indústria de produção de software é ineficiente e ineficaz. E as micro e pequenas empresas de base tecnológica (MPEBT) têm um desafio ainda maior devido aos seus recursos restritos. Além disso, os métodos tradicionais de desenvolvimento de produtos de softwares demandam muitos custos. Tendo em vista a importância estratégica das MPEBT no desenvolvimento regional, seria importante que o Scrum fosse compatível com seus processos, para que elas pudessem se tornar mais competitivas e usufruir de seus benefícios. O objetivo deste trabalho foi analisar a implantação do método ágil Scrum nos projetos de desenvolvimento de novos produtos de software de uma MPEBT, além de compreender e mensurar o impacto desta implantação na empresa. Concluiu-se que os resultados alcançados sugerem que o método melhorou a comunicação e aumentou a motivação do time, diminuiu o custo, o tempo e o risco do projeto e aumentou a produtividade da equipe. Com esses resultados alcançados, a organização tende a se tornar mais competitiva, pois a bem-sucedida gestão de desenvolvimento de produtos é ponto crucial para o sucesso de uma empresa de base tecnológica.This study presents the result of an action research that was carried out in a small technology-based company, in which the Scrum agile methodology was applied in software product project. The company object of this research operates in Itajubá/MG, and its main products are software systems. Studies have shown that the software industry is inefficient and ineffective. Micro and small technology-based companies have an even greater challenge, considering their limited resources. Furthermore, traditional methods of software product development are expensive. Considering that the strategic importance of micro and small technology-based companies in regional development, Scrum should be compatible with their processes, so that they could become more competitive and reap its benefits The objective of this paper is to monitor and assist the implementation of Scrum agile methodology in new software product development in a small technology-based company to understand and measure the impact of the use of this methodology in the company. The final results of the research show that this methodology increased the team's motivation, reduced the cost, time, and risk of the project, and increased productivity. Therefore, with these results, the organization tends to be more competitive since a successful product development management is crucial to the success of a technology-based company.