Engineering Commons^™

Smes And Virtual R&D Teams: A Motive Channel For Relationship Between Smes, Nader Ale Ebrahim, Shamsuddin Ahmed, Zahari Taha

Nader Ale Ebrahim

This paper explores potential advantages and barriers of virtual teams toward making an interrelation between small and medium-sized firms (SMEs) with a comprehensive review on different aspects of virtual teams in SMEs based on authentic and reputed publications. The purpose of the state-of-the-art literature review is to provide an overview of what is known about the structure and dynamics of virtual collaboration in SMEs which they are the back bone of the world business. This study seeks to address some of the advantages of virtual R&D team in the existing extensive literature on the increase SMEs interrelations. Besides of identify …

Determinants Of Foreign Direct Investment In Iran: An Empirical Study Using Structural Equation Modeling, Ahmad Jafarnejad, Arash Golnam, Nader Ale Ebrahim

Nader Ale Ebrahim

This paper examines the determinants of foreign direct investment (FDI) in Iran by applying the structural equation modelling (SEM). Using the annual time series data for the 1991-2006 period, two models were developed. In the first model the correlation between 12 determining factors and FDI in Iran were analyzed and in the second model the 12 factors were fit into five categories of determinants namely: Business, Economic, Infrastructural, Oil and Science and Technology and the impact of each of the mentioned groups of factors was investigated. The results derived through the first model indicated that openness of trade and Gross …

A Conceptual Model Of Virtual Product Development Process, Nader Ale Ebrahim, Shamsuddin Ahmed, Zahari Taha

Nader Ale Ebrahim

In today’s dynamic marketplace, companies are under strong pressure to introduce new products for long-term survival with their competitors. Besides, every company cannot cope up progressively or immediately with the market requirements due to knowledge dynamics being experienced in competitive milieu. Increased competition and reduced product life cycles put force upon companies to develop new products faster. In response to this pressing need there should be some new approach compatible in flexible circumstances. This paper presents a solution based on the Stage-Gate system, which is closely linked with virtual team approach. Virtual teams can provide a platform to advance the …

Innovation Process Is Facilitated In Virtual Environment Of R&D Teams, Mohammad Ali Shafia, Nader Ale Ebrahim, Shamsuddin Ahmed, Zahari Taha

Nader Ale Ebrahim

Innovation is becoming the most important key issue for company's success in the 21st century. In the competitive environment it is necessary for the enterprises to put together different capabilities and services with the goal. It is widely accepted that innovation can be better achieved by working in team particularly in the virtual environments. The employed web services technology, although very popular nowadays but it is still not mature enough, so dealing with it can bring new findings. Virtual teams base on information technology are formed to facilitate transnational innovation processes and it should be noted that innovation has a …

Virtual Teams For Npd – An Innovative Experience For R&D Engineers, Nader Ale Ebrahim, Shamsuddin Ahmed, Zahari Taha

Nader Ale Ebrahim

New interaction tools such as internet allows companies to gain valuable input from research and development (R&D) engineers via virtual teams. Consequently engineers also get more expertise in diminutive timeframes. Virtual R&D teams present the key impetus to the technology acquisition process. The present knowledge-economy era is characterized by short product life-cycles. Virtual R&D teams may reduce time-to-market, make available a large pool of new product know-how and provide greater flexibilities which are the key success factors in a competitive market. This comprehensive review contains almost 100 references and covers the recent literature with emphasis on topic. The review has …

Virtuality, Innovation And R&D Activities, Nader Ale Ebrahim, Shamsuddin Ahmed, Zahari Taha

Nader Ale Ebrahim

Innovation plays a central role in economic development, at regional and national level. In the competitive environment companies are obliged to produce more rapidly, more effectively and more efficiently in new product development which is a result of research and development (R&D) activities. It is necessary for them to put together different capabilities and services with the goal, through cooperation between suppliers and customers, service providers and scientific institutions to achieve innovations of high quality. Depending on the type of industry, the type of business, the type of innovation and the strategic objectives that have been set, firms will regularly …

Consideration Of The Virtual Team Work And Disabled Citizens, As Promising Opportunity Providers For The E-Government Infrastructure's Formation, Mohammad Ali Shafia, Nader Ale Ebrahim, Sumsuddin Ahmed, Zahari Taha

Nader Ale Ebrahim

The Information area has revolutionized the workplace. Douglas Kruse, a professor of human resources and the director of the program for disability research at Rutgers University, states that 7% of employed persons with disabilities work 20 hours or more a week from home. While some modern countries have established “virtual teams”, which are said to be comprised of people who are geographically scattered and who work across boundaries of space and time using computer driven communication technologies, it is also true that many developing countries remain structured around conventional face-to-face teams. A motive toward virtual team working may be cost …

Virtual Teams And Management Challenges, Nader Ale Ebrahim, Shamsuddin Ahmed, Zahari Taha

Nader Ale Ebrahim

As a result of globalization and advances in information and communication technologies, the increased use of virtual teams in business has become prominent. In the competitive environment companies are obliged to produce more rapidly, more effectively and more efficiently. It is necessary for them to put together different capabilities and services with the goal, through cooperation between suppliers and customers, service providers and scientific institutions to achieve firm’s objective with high quality. Nowadays shift from serial to simultaneous and parallel working in entity has become more commonplace. Literatures have shown that collaboration is as a meta-capability for companies. This article …

Virtual R&D Teams: Innovation And Technology Facilitator, Nader Ale Ebrahim, Shamsuddin Ahmed, Zahari Taha

Nader Ale Ebrahim

Innovation is becoming the most important key issue for company’s success in the 21st century. In the competitive environment is necessary for the enterprises to put together different capabilities and services with the goal. It’s a widely accepted that innovation is better achieved by working in team. The employed web services technology, although very popular nowadays but it is still not mature enough, so dealing with it can bring new findings. Virtual teams base on information technology are formed to facilitate transnational innovation processes and it should be noted that innovation has a positive impact on corporate performance. Information and …

Virtual R&D Team: Technology Transfer Facilitator, Nader Ale Ebrahim, Mohammad Ali Shafia, Hamid Tahbaz Tavakoli

Nader Ale Ebrahim

A conceptual model is proposed which facilitate the process of technology transfer by applying a virtual R&D team. The underlying hypothesis is responded to competitive challenges, the complex customer requirements and the high instability on the market. The context of the knowledge-based economy introduces a major shift from serial to simultaneous R&D activities in the way technology transfer is conceived. The traditional model of R&D team work is relies on the visual and face-to-face teams. The complexities involved in organizing face-to-face interactions among team members from one side, and the rapid developments of electronic communication technologies from the other ,caused …

Vers Un Développement Orienté Services Des Applications Interactives Dans Le Domaine De La Logistique, Étude De Cas, Djilali Idoughi, Christophe Kolski

Professor Djilali IDOUGHI

Cet article contribue au domaine de l’interaction homme-machine (IHM), en proposant un cadre méthodologique global en vue de la spécification de systèmes interactifs dans le domaine de la logistique, pouvant aller jusqu’à la e-logistique. La logistique est vue au sens large en étudiant les besoins des différents acteurs d’une organisation complexe, vis-à-vis de l’exploitation de nouvelles technologies où l’accent est mis sur les services web et l’architecture orientée services. Le cadre proposé a été appliqué sur une étude de cas complexe représentative, relative à la fonction logistique d’un groupe agro-alimentaire.

Smes: Erp Or Virtual Collaboration Teams, Nader Ale Ebrahim, Shansuddin Ahmed, Zahari Taha

Nader Ale Ebrahim

Small firms are indeed the engines of global economic growth. Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) play an important role to promote economic development. SMEs in the beginning of implementing new technologies always face capital shortage and need technological assistance. Available ERP systems do not fulfil the specific requirements of Small firms. SMEs has scarce resources and manpower therefore many SMEs don‟t have the possessions to buy and operate an ERP System. On the other hand competition and competitiveness of SMEs have to be strengthened. This paper briefly reviews the existing perspectives on virtual teams and their effect on SMEs management. …

Learning And Forgetting In Maintenance Outsourcing, Hakan Tarakci, Sunantha Teyarachakul, Kwei Tang

Hakan Tarakci

We study the effects of learning and forgetting on maintenance outsourcing in this paper. This is an extension of the paper by Tarakci et al. (2009), which analyzed the effects of learning on maintenance outsourcing. In our model, a manufacturer offers a short-term outsourcing contract, where payment includes a fixed value along with cost subsidization for each preventive maintenance activity, to an external contractor. The contractor schedules and performs preventive maintenance activities as well as repairs the system if there is a failure. We consider two types of learning: natural learning and learning by costly efforts. We then analyze the …

On The Problem Of Production Deadline And Maintenance Outsourcing, Sharafali Moosa, Hakan Tarakci

Hakan Tarakci

In this paper we consider a production-maintenance problem in which a buyer and a supplier have already entered into a contractual relationship for a firm delivery date. Our focus is on the production-related decisions of the supplier rather than the nature of the contract itself. We assume that production rate is actually constant as long as the system is up and running but randomness arises in production due to downtimes as a result of unpredictable failures (breakdowns) and scheduled preventive maintenance activities. Production maintenance is outsourced. As production output is random due to unreliable production facilities, the supplier needs to …

The Convergence In Workers’ Skill Levels Under Learning And Forgetting: The Fixed-Point-Property Approach, Sunantha Teyarachakul, Dogan Comez, Hakan Tarakci

Hakan Tarakci

This paper presents a study on the convergence of workers’ skill levels under learning and forgetting in processing time in a batch-manufacturing environment. The convergence properties are examined under assumptions of an infinite horizon, a constant demand rate, and a fixed lot size. Our work extends the convergence results of Teyarachakul, Chand, and Ward (2008) beyond Globerson and Levin’s (1987) exponential forgetting function and Wright’s (1936) learning curve to more general classes of learning and forgetting functions. We also discuss why early papers other than Teyarachakul, Chand, and Ward (2008) did not find other types of long-term behaviors beyond convergence …

Neural Network Application For Supplier Selection, Davood Golmohammadi Phd

Davood Golmohammadi

No abstract provided.

Network Flow Formulation Of Optimal Perimeter Sensory Coverage Problem, Davood Golmohammadi Phd

Davood Golmohammadi

No abstract provided.

Persona Comme Outil De Design De Services Interactifs: Principes Et Exemple En E-Maintenance, Ahmed Seffah, Christophe Kolski, Djilali Idoughi

Professor Djilali IDOUGHI

Dans ce papier, nous discutons du rôle du persona comme outil de modélisation et d’analyse de l’expérience utilisateur. Ce concept est issu des travaux de recherche de marketing sur le comportement du consommateur. Sa finalité est une meilleure compréhension et une prise en compte de l’expérience de l’utilisateur final. L’Expérience Utilisateur ou client (UX) est un terme générique désignant une collection d’information couvrant le comportement de l’utilisateur, incluant les connaissances, l’expertise, et les attributs décrivant la personnalité de l’usager. Un cas d’exemple en logiciel comme service pour la e-maintenance illustre l’approche persona. Le Software as a Service (SaaS, logiciel comme …

Controlled Language - Does My Company Need It?, Uwe Muegge

Uwe Muegge