Armindo Frias | ISEG - Academia.edu (original) (raw)

Papers by Armindo Frias

AHFE international, 2022

The prevention of accidents at sea requires appropriate education and technical training that giv... more The prevention of accidents at sea requires appropriate education and technical training that gives professionals suitable competences and skills for the specific conditions of life on board ships and other maritime facilities. The sea is a hostile environment to humans which requires some specific skills to perform and live on board.Traditionally, the education and training of seamen were done on board ships, where competences and skills were developed in work context, within a master-apprentice relationship. With the evolution of education, in response to more demanding social and technical requirements, a substantial part of this teaching was moved into the classroom context. Such evolution may have brought advantages in the amount of scientific knowledge transmitted, but somehow limited the ability to develop specific skills. To create a balance in the education of seaman, and in order to respond to the current and future needs of the related industries, education should be tailored to combine the traditional expository method with more challenging educational methods and techniques. New technologies in the field of ICT, graphical visualization, computer based simulation or artificial intelligence (AI) can enhance students' learning capabilities. Education should provide students with competences and skills fundamental for problem solving such as critical thinking, the ability to analyze different situations, system thinking, leadership and decision-making in crisis situations, autonomous work or as part of a team, while integrating social, ethical and environmental values.Among the educational techniques that can foster the needed competences, the following can be referred: (1) carrying out experiential learning, individually and as part of a group, requiring activity planning, critical analysis, synthesis, public speaking and feedback through the evaluation of the achieved results; (2) case study method; (3) role-plays, which imitates situations close to reality within a safe context; (4) computer simulation or; (5) gamification. All these techniques can benefit from the technological evolution, such as wide graphic interactions, virtual reality or augmented reality to create more realistic environments that may increase the motivation of students. Another relevant benefit is related to the place where they are made available, a critical factor in the maritime context, as it will make it easier to overcome the distance, making learning available on-board for students.The present work intends to contribute to the discussion around the reformulation of the teaching of management, logistics and engineering in the maritime related industries, by identifying methodologies, techniques and technologies which are optimally adapted to the specificities and the needs of the field. It is intended that the achieved results will be integrated in the structuring of the Master’s Degree Program in Maritime Logistics, to be made available in September 2022 at the Portuguese Naval Academy. The security, safety and performance of the activities carried out in the maritime environment are directly related to the competencies and skills that the education system can foster in the future professionals of the sector. Therefore, there are teaching methodologies more suitable than others in order to enhance such competences development.

European Journal of Applied Business and Management, May 12, 2023

Purpose: Many public entities experience difficulties in designing and implementing a Management ... more Purpose: Many public entities experience difficulties in designing and implementing a Management Accounting and Control System (MACS). This work aims to design a MACS implementation framework for a public sector organization, constituting a useful tool for other public organizations conducting a similar task. Design/methodology/approach: Following an interventionist research, a comprehensive case study of the organizational and financial structure of the entity under study, as well as the operational activity was carried out. Findings: A framework for designing and implementing a MACS in the public sector is proposed, including a list of main practical difficulties and a roadmap for overcoming them. Research limitations/implications: Since the proposed MACS implementation and cost allocation criteria were developed with the case under investigation in mind, modifying them for use in other organizations is necessary. Practical implications: Professionals in the field acknowledged the model's validity, enhancing the quality of the available data. Originality/value: The implementation of MACS in public sector organizations face several challenges, arising from the complexity that characterizes these organizations. This research adopted a very practical approach, seeking to identify tools to support future MACS design and implementation processes in public organizations.

INTED proceedings, Mar 1, 2022

International journal of industrial engineering and management, Dec 30, 2022

Practice, Progress, and Proficiency in Sustainability, 2022

The 21st century accentuated the globalization, regardless of some cases apparently returning to ... more The 21st century accentuated the globalization, regardless of some cases apparently returning to the previous regionalization paradigm. In both cases, human communication has been and will be key to overcome the major challenges ahead. Within the global context, communication is increasingly cross-cultural, which brings additional challenges related to misunderstandings and the potential to escalate conflicts, sometimes ending up at crises. Therefore, communication and negotiation across cultures has never been as relevant as now, and the purpose of this chapter is to provides a fundamental knowledge base to cross-cultural negotiation, taking into account the main culture models from the last 50 years. It will be based on several relevant culture models, taken from multiple lines of research from reference authors in the field of culture models, negotiation, leadership, and decision making.

Advances in Human Factors and System Interactions, 2021

The maritime industry is affected by security and safety problems. Human factors (HF) are recogni... more The maritime industry is affected by security and safety problems. Human factors (HF) are recognized as an important root-cause of such problems, which often result in complex crisis-e.g., technological disasters, humanitarian disasters, piracy/terrorism, cyber-attacks-, which require a comprehensive approach, and operations conducted by multiple agencies that combine competencies, frequently at international level. The efficiency and effectiveness of the response to crises depend on the level of preparedness of the agencies involved, both at individual and at joint levels. Preparedness is particularly important for managing offshore maritime crises, since the environment is adverse, access to resources is limited, and tolerance to errors is small. The paper addresses HF factors affecting the maritime industry and provides examples of initiatives and best practices that mitigate the threats and negative impacts to security and safety in this industry.

Asian Journal of Business and management, 2015

Tourism contributes to the development of many regions. Different factors affect the movement of ... more Tourism contributes to the development of many regions. Different factors affect the movement of tourists within a destination. Those factors are related to the tourist characteristics, like the time budgets, preferences or destination knowledge, and to the destination features, like the attraction characteristics or accessibility level. Tourist decisions aren’t always done in a rational way. Emotions add further complexity to the human decision process. The use of footpaths can play an important role in the satisfaction of tourists, helping them discover the territory and giving them access to different types of attractions. The existence of a mathematical model that integrates the main factors related to the movement of independent tourists within a destination, in a dynamic way, will make possible the creation of an adaptable software tool. This tool will meet the specific needs of tourists, allowing the use of the network in an optimal way by the different tourist profiles, and ...

The increase in consumption, the need to respect the environment and business opportunity, dictat... more The increase in consumption, the need to respect the environment and business opportunity, dictated the appearance of reverse flows, were goods are moved from the end of life or consumed point in to the origin point. In search for efficiency, in the various processes and supply chain as a whole, the organizations identified as an important element the infrastructures location. In searching for the optimum location, different mathematical models have been developed to increase each organization specific objectives. One of the most used models, which seeks the total distances traveled minimization, that means, the costs minimization associated with moving goods, is the p-median model. By the amount involved, the commercial value and the environmental danger they represent, was implemented in Portugal an integrated management system for collection and processing tires and used tires. The configuration analysis of the reverse logistics chain implemented by the system, regarding the infrastructure location, allow to evaluate the costs taken with the tires handling. Since this is a important cost to be taken into account in the system, it's minimization can improve the system efficiency. This is a multidisciplinary work that contributes to a better understanding of the system for collection and processing tires and used tires, implemented in São Miguel island, creates a innovative model for infrastructure localization adapted to the specific case studied, as well as a computer tool that allows to analyze the location efficiency on networks. Also carries out a concrete proposal for improving the current system efficiency and discusses the possible reasons for sending used tires generated in the Azores, only for energy recovery.

Asian Journal of Business and management, Dec 13, 2013

The global market advent, with consumers, that requires speed, quality of service and respect for... more The global market advent, with consumers, that requires speed, quality of service and respect for the environment came to dictate the change of some imposed paradigms. We are seeing the integration of internal and external supply chains following the customers concerns about the environment and social friendly processes, making it sustainable. The collection and treatment of waste in the islands have great economic, social and environmental importance. Several critical points, such as transport, storage and processing must be integrated. By its growing influence on the performance on the majority of economy sectors, freight transport is assumed to be one of the activities with the greatest importance. The location of facilities or infrastructure is a critical factor for the public or private organizations. The decision-making process of its location falls within strategic and when is situated in insular space must meet their specific characteristics of sustainability. With the objective of analyzing the configuration and performance of the reverse logistics chain implemented for waste collection and treatment, in concerns to facilities location, we performed a study based in secondary data, regarding to the used tires collection in the São Miguel Azorean island. From the implementation of the developed facilities location model, taking also the solution already implemented we developed several alternative possible scenarios. The results obtained meet the empirical expectations, and despite not corroborate the implemented solution as great, for the case of a collection facility, consider the actual one as acceptable. It is made a proposal to improve the implemented collection of used tiers network. The optimization of the transport network, by the correct facilities location, allows the minimization of economic costs, social impacts and the polluting emissions caused by means of transport, or by the conditions of storage of waste. We conclude, trough the mathematical model that the obtained model is appropriate, getting close to the already implemented solution. Also, the conducted study, serves as a datable application to other similar problems.

AHFE international, 2023

There are organizations for whom interoperability is crucial for the accomplishment of their miss... more There are organizations for whom interoperability is crucial for the accomplishment of their mission, such as in the areas of disaster management, security, and defense. However, those organizations also must comply with the constraints and rules for information security and privacy. The ISO 27001 provides a global standard framework to help organizations to protect their information in a systematic way, through the adoption of an information security management system. Furthermore, the ISO 27701, provides specific data privacy controls, allowing the organization to demonstrate effective privacy data management. A challenge organizations face is how to comply with information security and privacy policies and procedures together with the accomplishment of their mission. In this paper, we argue this can be achieved with an Enterprise Architecture (EA) framework. Particularly, the NATO Architecture Framework (NAF) provides a methodology to develop EA artifacts, however it lacks the tools amenable to enforce information security and privacy. In this paper, we propose the integration of ISO 27001 and ISO 27701 in NAF, in order that the EA artifacts delivered by NAF framework, could have embedded the information security and privacy principles by design.

AHFE international, 2023

The blue economy develops in a multicultural environment, posing an additional risk for the organ... more The blue economy develops in a multicultural environment, posing an additional risk for the organizations involved. Operations at sea where people are involved, be it in ships or offshore infrastructures, are not free from operational risks, affecting safety of on board operations for example. Moreover, international projects and operations pursued by multinational organizations (such as UN, EU or NATO), have the potential for the risk levels to increase as a result of a particular aspect of human factor – cultural diversity. Crises response and peace operations, for instance, force teaming up people not only with different cultural backgrounds among themselves, but additionally make such teams interface with local populations whose culture is usually much different from theirs. Not being aware of the cultural differences of the involved people may lead to increased misunderstandings, unnecessary controversies, increased risks and avoidable accidents. Conflicts originate from different mental models of the world, which are developed as a consequence of the growing experience – not only within a specific social context, but also national one. Therefore, when people with different backgrounds are gathered as part of a multinational effort, the potential for misaligned perceptions and conflicts arise, and consequently organizational and operational increased risk levels.Several distinct models and frameworks exist to bring understanding over intercultural management; however, there’s barely any established taxonomy or standard model which one could refer to in order to master any situation. Among the main frameworks, we have the ones from Hall, Trompenaars, Hofstede. The purpose of this paper is to bring some clarity, and if possible order, contributing to establish a general framework as a result of the integration, or blending, of the main different ones, and as such provide guidance for professionals who have to face risks in their respective fields of work as a result of the impact of different multicultural settings. Even if the writing of this paper was done with the maritime industry in mind, which is perhaps the oldest multicultural industry in the world, the attained results and practical implications will spill over the purely maritime operations and extend their application into most multinational systems’ endeavours – be it within the business, NGO or security contexts.The methods used comprise the analysis and comparison of the main culture models and associated frameworks, clarifying where such models superimpose each other and where they are complementary. Once they are understood, it will be possible to think in terms of cause and effect and design useful procedures to support the people on the fields, hence contributing to an improved human factor paradigm in what intercultural interactions concern.The expected outcome will be a clearer and tentatively universal model – a proposed taxonomy - which may help to address, manage and keep risks derived from multicultural interactions under control, so their organizational risk level doesn’t arise as a result of such endeavours.Finally, and guided by the principle of usefulness, some practical implications will be presented and discussed; and a summary of suggested actions, followed by some conclusions.

AHFE international, 2023

Human activity often negatively affects the ocean and their livelihoods, with overexploited fishe... more Human activity often negatively affects the ocean and their livelihoods, with overexploited fisheries, marine pollution, plastic litter, or acidification. The importance of sustainable use of the ocean is recognized under United Nations’ SDG 14, which focused on ocean habitats. Dealing with the challenges facing the ocean and their use requires ocean-related stakeholders to make informed decisions, often complex, due to the cross-domain nature of the issues and the still quite limited amount of knowledge and tools available for such a decision-making process. This article discusses a conceptual framework addressing the contributions and challenges that a Digital Twin Ocean, as a key element of the Metaverse, faces or presents to sustainable ocean use, in support of its stakeholders.

AHFE international, 2023

Autonomous vehicles, Artificial Intelligence (AI), IoT, drones, 3D Printing, green fuels or susta... more Autonomous vehicles, Artificial Intelligence (AI), IoT, drones, 3D Printing, green fuels or sustainable practices are presented as the Holy Grail for the logistics of the future. But, what are the implications of their adoption in people’s lives and in the society?The dynamism of knowledge creation and the adoption of new methodologies and technologies are increasing. Contrary to what happened in the past, there are no longer periods of stability after the emergence of new technologies, preventing societies to smoothly adapt to the new reality. Periods of change and uncertainty usually end up affecting people’s living conditions - e.g. the early days of the industrial revolution. Thus, it will be relevant to identify the new trends in logistics and their impacts on people. Anticipating potential problems, allows for mitigating measures.More agile organizations represents a competitive advantage in responding to environments of uncertainty and greater customer customization requirement, but may imply less job stability, making people nomadic. The globalization of markets and the existence of even longer supply chains, dependent on effective and efficient transportation and communication technologies, increase the risk of supply disruption being exposed both to natural and anthropogenic causes (such as ideological, cultural or resource conflicts), with economic and social consequences. Recent examples are the COVID-19 Pandemics, the cyberattack to Maersk shipping company, the grounding of the Evergreen container, in the Suez Canal, in 2021, or the current war in Ukraine. On the other hand, technological evolution has increased the automation and autonomy of systems and boosted the reduction of human involvement. The development of AI and IoT allows, among other impacts, the use of drones to perform last mile deliveries or the existence of autonomous vehicles, being ships, planes or trucks, to carry out long-haul transport. Their adoption allows cost reduction, but also anticipates the reduction of jobs. It is recognized that new technologies themselves create new jobs; but the pertinent doubt is if they will compensate for the lost jobs? The existence of more sustainable activities (e.g., environmentally friendly), while respecting ethical and social principles, brings better living conditions for current and future generations. However, it can be conflicting with the existing long supply chains or imply lower process efficiency, leading to increased costs for customers.The aim of this work is to systematize the main future trends in logistics, assessing possible impacts that these trends can have on the daily life of individuals and society. To achieve this objective, a literature review will be carried out and the opinion of professionals will be surveyed. The expected contributions of this work are to systemize of the main logistics’ future trends and helping to anticipate the human factor consequences arising from its adoption. As a result of this work, subsequent mitigating measures to avoid negative impacts on people’s lives and society can be identify, leading to a smoother and more sustainable change process, in line with the principles of green and circular economy, and the targets of UN SDG.

IGI Global eBooks, 2021

In critical activities and organizations, decision making in the face of complexity has been a gr... more In critical activities and organizations, decision making in the face of complexity has been a growing normal. Complexity troubles humans due to cognitive limitations. Moreover, humans are merely able to understand cause-and-effect relationships that are close in time and space, not the paradigm of many complex socio-technical systems. Decision-making processes shall rely on models that help harness a problem´s associated complexity – among them the dynamics of supply chains. Models typically fall into two broad categories: mental and formal models. Supply chains are complex systems, which may exhibit complex behaviour patterns. Decisions and policies within organizational systems are the causes of many problems, among them undesirable oscillations and other problematic patterns of the parameters of interest. A system is a grouping of parts that work together for a purpose. Hence, the systems dynamics methodology is an adequate approach to deal with fuel supply chain management. A model was developed that helps manage marine gasoil supply chains in the context of the navy.

Pomorstvo, Dec 21, 2020

The 21 st century endeavour bring new challenges for the maritime industry. The challenges facing... more The 21 st century endeavour bring new challenges for the maritime industry. The challenges facing the professionals within the industry are multifaceted and complex due to globalization, cross-cultural interrelationships, and technological change that are permeating the maritime industry. The aim of this article is to contribute to better understanding the problem of developing the future maritime industry professional, filling the existing gap between education and training programmes, while integrating the 21 st century professional skills. The contents of a comprehensive education and training programme shall be proposed within a knowledge triangle encompassing academia, the industry and relevant authority or regulatory institutions, so all interested parties' "voices" will be considered. Besides raising awareness for the educational and training challenges ahead, more effective teaching methods are suggested in order to meet the needs, particularly supporting double loop learning, together with a pragmatic proposal for a realistic programme at master's level. The proposed programme is based on the EU MarLEM project, which aims towards the development of the 21 st century maritime industry professional, focusing on logistics, engineering and management contents.

International journal of industrial engineering and management, Sep 30, 2021

Global competition and public awareness drive organizations to improve their management processes... more Global competition and public awareness drive organizations to improve their management processes, including those related to logistics and warehousing. With the aim of improving the efficiency and safety of the food warehousing processes, an analysis of the warehouse layouts and storage areas layouts was carried out. Through the reorganization of the space and the review of storage policy, a practical proposal was made. To obtain more efficiency, an improved equation for the calculation of the distances travelled within the warehouse was defined. The implementation of the proposed improvements provides efficiency to warehousing, taking the Navy food central warehouse as a real case study.

Tourism is one of the activities with high benefits on the development and for many regions, enab... more Tourism is one of the activities with high benefits on the development and for many regions, enabling the integration of local populations and economies. In our natural laboratory, the Azores Island of São Miguel, an important share of tourists identifies adventure, leisure and touch with nature, as the main reasons for the visit. The use of footpaths can contribute to the satisfaction of tourists, promoting tourism and the region's development during their movements on the tourism network, tourists appreciate different types of attractions and need the support of a set of facilities. Tourist decisions aren't always done in a rational way, emotions add even more complexity to the human decision process. The movement of tourists within a destination depends on factors related to tourist characteristics, like the time budgets, preferences or destination knowledge, and destination features related to attractions characteristics or accessibility level. The existence of a mathematical model that incorporates the main factors that explain the movement of independent tourists within a destination, in a dynamic way, will make possible the creation of an adaptable software tool. This tool will meet the specific needs of tourists, allowing the use of the network in an optimal way by the different tourist profiles, and the needs of regional government and business, allowing better decisions and the offer of relevant tourism products. This article is based on the authors' previous research and identifies the relevance of tourism for regional development, finds the main tourists' mobility criteria on the study territory, using as main support the footpath network, recognises the necessary modelling process and develops the foundation for the building of the mathematical model that explains the movement of tourists within the destination, making possible a future adaptable software tool.

Dirección y Organización

El almacenamiento añade flexibilidad y costes a las cadenas de suministro. El objetivo de este es... more El almacenamiento añade flexibilidad y costes a las cadenas de suministro. El objetivo de este estudio es minimizar los costes de almacenamiento. Esto se logra mediante la evaluación de los flujos de materiales dentro del almacén, derivados de las políticas y operaciones realizadas. una propuesta concreta de modificación de la ubicación de los artículos existentes y un modelo de distribución para un nuevo almacén, sugieren mejoras relevantes basadas en la simulación de las tasas de manipulación. La cuantificación y validación del potencial de mejora se basan en el cálculo de la distancia total recorrida por los materiales dentro del almacén.

AHFE international, 2022

The prevention of accidents at sea requires appropriate education and technical training that giv... more The prevention of accidents at sea requires appropriate education and technical training that gives professionals suitable competences and skills for the specific conditions of life on board ships and other maritime facilities. The sea is a hostile environment to humans which requires some specific skills to perform and live on board.Traditionally, the education and training of seamen were done on board ships, where competences and skills were developed in work context, within a master-apprentice relationship. With the evolution of education, in response to more demanding social and technical requirements, a substantial part of this teaching was moved into the classroom context. Such evolution may have brought advantages in the amount of scientific knowledge transmitted, but somehow limited the ability to develop specific skills. To create a balance in the education of seaman, and in order to respond to the current and future needs of the related industries, education should be tailored to combine the traditional expository method with more challenging educational methods and techniques. New technologies in the field of ICT, graphical visualization, computer based simulation or artificial intelligence (AI) can enhance students' learning capabilities. Education should provide students with competences and skills fundamental for problem solving such as critical thinking, the ability to analyze different situations, system thinking, leadership and decision-making in crisis situations, autonomous work or as part of a team, while integrating social, ethical and environmental values.Among the educational techniques that can foster the needed competences, the following can be referred: (1) carrying out experiential learning, individually and as part of a group, requiring activity planning, critical analysis, synthesis, public speaking and feedback through the evaluation of the achieved results; (2) case study method; (3) role-plays, which imitates situations close to reality within a safe context; (4) computer simulation or; (5) gamification. All these techniques can benefit from the technological evolution, such as wide graphic interactions, virtual reality or augmented reality to create more realistic environments that may increase the motivation of students. Another relevant benefit is related to the place where they are made available, a critical factor in the maritime context, as it will make it easier to overcome the distance, making learning available on-board for students.The present work intends to contribute to the discussion around the reformulation of the teaching of management, logistics and engineering in the maritime related industries, by identifying methodologies, techniques and technologies which are optimally adapted to the specificities and the needs of the field. It is intended that the achieved results will be integrated in the structuring of the Master’s Degree Program in Maritime Logistics, to be made available in September 2022 at the Portuguese Naval Academy. The security, safety and performance of the activities carried out in the maritime environment are directly related to the competencies and skills that the education system can foster in the future professionals of the sector. Therefore, there are teaching methodologies more suitable than others in order to enhance such competences development.

European Journal of Applied Business and Management, May 12, 2023

Purpose: Many public entities experience difficulties in designing and implementing a Management ... more Purpose: Many public entities experience difficulties in designing and implementing a Management Accounting and Control System (MACS). This work aims to design a MACS implementation framework for a public sector organization, constituting a useful tool for other public organizations conducting a similar task. Design/methodology/approach: Following an interventionist research, a comprehensive case study of the organizational and financial structure of the entity under study, as well as the operational activity was carried out. Findings: A framework for designing and implementing a MACS in the public sector is proposed, including a list of main practical difficulties and a roadmap for overcoming them. Research limitations/implications: Since the proposed MACS implementation and cost allocation criteria were developed with the case under investigation in mind, modifying them for use in other organizations is necessary. Practical implications: Professionals in the field acknowledged the model's validity, enhancing the quality of the available data. Originality/value: The implementation of MACS in public sector organizations face several challenges, arising from the complexity that characterizes these organizations. This research adopted a very practical approach, seeking to identify tools to support future MACS design and implementation processes in public organizations.

INTED proceedings, Mar 1, 2022

International journal of industrial engineering and management, Dec 30, 2022

Practice, Progress, and Proficiency in Sustainability, 2022

The 21st century accentuated the globalization, regardless of some cases apparently returning to ... more The 21st century accentuated the globalization, regardless of some cases apparently returning to the previous regionalization paradigm. In both cases, human communication has been and will be key to overcome the major challenges ahead. Within the global context, communication is increasingly cross-cultural, which brings additional challenges related to misunderstandings and the potential to escalate conflicts, sometimes ending up at crises. Therefore, communication and negotiation across cultures has never been as relevant as now, and the purpose of this chapter is to provides a fundamental knowledge base to cross-cultural negotiation, taking into account the main culture models from the last 50 years. It will be based on several relevant culture models, taken from multiple lines of research from reference authors in the field of culture models, negotiation, leadership, and decision making.

Advances in Human Factors and System Interactions, 2021

The maritime industry is affected by security and safety problems. Human factors (HF) are recogni... more The maritime industry is affected by security and safety problems. Human factors (HF) are recognized as an important root-cause of such problems, which often result in complex crisis-e.g., technological disasters, humanitarian disasters, piracy/terrorism, cyber-attacks-, which require a comprehensive approach, and operations conducted by multiple agencies that combine competencies, frequently at international level. The efficiency and effectiveness of the response to crises depend on the level of preparedness of the agencies involved, both at individual and at joint levels. Preparedness is particularly important for managing offshore maritime crises, since the environment is adverse, access to resources is limited, and tolerance to errors is small. The paper addresses HF factors affecting the maritime industry and provides examples of initiatives and best practices that mitigate the threats and negative impacts to security and safety in this industry.

Asian Journal of Business and management, 2015

Tourism contributes to the development of many regions. Different factors affect the movement of ... more Tourism contributes to the development of many regions. Different factors affect the movement of tourists within a destination. Those factors are related to the tourist characteristics, like the time budgets, preferences or destination knowledge, and to the destination features, like the attraction characteristics or accessibility level. Tourist decisions aren’t always done in a rational way. Emotions add further complexity to the human decision process. The use of footpaths can play an important role in the satisfaction of tourists, helping them discover the territory and giving them access to different types of attractions. The existence of a mathematical model that integrates the main factors related to the movement of independent tourists within a destination, in a dynamic way, will make possible the creation of an adaptable software tool. This tool will meet the specific needs of tourists, allowing the use of the network in an optimal way by the different tourist profiles, and ...

The increase in consumption, the need to respect the environment and business opportunity, dictat... more The increase in consumption, the need to respect the environment and business opportunity, dictated the appearance of reverse flows, were goods are moved from the end of life or consumed point in to the origin point. In search for efficiency, in the various processes and supply chain as a whole, the organizations identified as an important element the infrastructures location. In searching for the optimum location, different mathematical models have been developed to increase each organization specific objectives. One of the most used models, which seeks the total distances traveled minimization, that means, the costs minimization associated with moving goods, is the p-median model. By the amount involved, the commercial value and the environmental danger they represent, was implemented in Portugal an integrated management system for collection and processing tires and used tires. The configuration analysis of the reverse logistics chain implemented by the system, regarding the infrastructure location, allow to evaluate the costs taken with the tires handling. Since this is a important cost to be taken into account in the system, it's minimization can improve the system efficiency. This is a multidisciplinary work that contributes to a better understanding of the system for collection and processing tires and used tires, implemented in São Miguel island, creates a innovative model for infrastructure localization adapted to the specific case studied, as well as a computer tool that allows to analyze the location efficiency on networks. Also carries out a concrete proposal for improving the current system efficiency and discusses the possible reasons for sending used tires generated in the Azores, only for energy recovery.

Asian Journal of Business and management, Dec 13, 2013

The global market advent, with consumers, that requires speed, quality of service and respect for... more The global market advent, with consumers, that requires speed, quality of service and respect for the environment came to dictate the change of some imposed paradigms. We are seeing the integration of internal and external supply chains following the customers concerns about the environment and social friendly processes, making it sustainable. The collection and treatment of waste in the islands have great economic, social and environmental importance. Several critical points, such as transport, storage and processing must be integrated. By its growing influence on the performance on the majority of economy sectors, freight transport is assumed to be one of the activities with the greatest importance. The location of facilities or infrastructure is a critical factor for the public or private organizations. The decision-making process of its location falls within strategic and when is situated in insular space must meet their specific characteristics of sustainability. With the objective of analyzing the configuration and performance of the reverse logistics chain implemented for waste collection and treatment, in concerns to facilities location, we performed a study based in secondary data, regarding to the used tires collection in the São Miguel Azorean island. From the implementation of the developed facilities location model, taking also the solution already implemented we developed several alternative possible scenarios. The results obtained meet the empirical expectations, and despite not corroborate the implemented solution as great, for the case of a collection facility, consider the actual one as acceptable. It is made a proposal to improve the implemented collection of used tiers network. The optimization of the transport network, by the correct facilities location, allows the minimization of economic costs, social impacts and the polluting emissions caused by means of transport, or by the conditions of storage of waste. We conclude, trough the mathematical model that the obtained model is appropriate, getting close to the already implemented solution. Also, the conducted study, serves as a datable application to other similar problems.

AHFE international, 2023

There are organizations for whom interoperability is crucial for the accomplishment of their miss... more There are organizations for whom interoperability is crucial for the accomplishment of their mission, such as in the areas of disaster management, security, and defense. However, those organizations also must comply with the constraints and rules for information security and privacy. The ISO 27001 provides a global standard framework to help organizations to protect their information in a systematic way, through the adoption of an information security management system. Furthermore, the ISO 27701, provides specific data privacy controls, allowing the organization to demonstrate effective privacy data management. A challenge organizations face is how to comply with information security and privacy policies and procedures together with the accomplishment of their mission. In this paper, we argue this can be achieved with an Enterprise Architecture (EA) framework. Particularly, the NATO Architecture Framework (NAF) provides a methodology to develop EA artifacts, however it lacks the tools amenable to enforce information security and privacy. In this paper, we propose the integration of ISO 27001 and ISO 27701 in NAF, in order that the EA artifacts delivered by NAF framework, could have embedded the information security and privacy principles by design.

AHFE international, 2023

The blue economy develops in a multicultural environment, posing an additional risk for the organ... more The blue economy develops in a multicultural environment, posing an additional risk for the organizations involved. Operations at sea where people are involved, be it in ships or offshore infrastructures, are not free from operational risks, affecting safety of on board operations for example. Moreover, international projects and operations pursued by multinational organizations (such as UN, EU or NATO), have the potential for the risk levels to increase as a result of a particular aspect of human factor – cultural diversity. Crises response and peace operations, for instance, force teaming up people not only with different cultural backgrounds among themselves, but additionally make such teams interface with local populations whose culture is usually much different from theirs. Not being aware of the cultural differences of the involved people may lead to increased misunderstandings, unnecessary controversies, increased risks and avoidable accidents. Conflicts originate from different mental models of the world, which are developed as a consequence of the growing experience – not only within a specific social context, but also national one. Therefore, when people with different backgrounds are gathered as part of a multinational effort, the potential for misaligned perceptions and conflicts arise, and consequently organizational and operational increased risk levels.Several distinct models and frameworks exist to bring understanding over intercultural management; however, there’s barely any established taxonomy or standard model which one could refer to in order to master any situation. Among the main frameworks, we have the ones from Hall, Trompenaars, Hofstede. The purpose of this paper is to bring some clarity, and if possible order, contributing to establish a general framework as a result of the integration, or blending, of the main different ones, and as such provide guidance for professionals who have to face risks in their respective fields of work as a result of the impact of different multicultural settings. Even if the writing of this paper was done with the maritime industry in mind, which is perhaps the oldest multicultural industry in the world, the attained results and practical implications will spill over the purely maritime operations and extend their application into most multinational systems’ endeavours – be it within the business, NGO or security contexts.The methods used comprise the analysis and comparison of the main culture models and associated frameworks, clarifying where such models superimpose each other and where they are complementary. Once they are understood, it will be possible to think in terms of cause and effect and design useful procedures to support the people on the fields, hence contributing to an improved human factor paradigm in what intercultural interactions concern.The expected outcome will be a clearer and tentatively universal model – a proposed taxonomy - which may help to address, manage and keep risks derived from multicultural interactions under control, so their organizational risk level doesn’t arise as a result of such endeavours.Finally, and guided by the principle of usefulness, some practical implications will be presented and discussed; and a summary of suggested actions, followed by some conclusions.

AHFE international, 2023

Human activity often negatively affects the ocean and their livelihoods, with overexploited fishe... more Human activity often negatively affects the ocean and their livelihoods, with overexploited fisheries, marine pollution, plastic litter, or acidification. The importance of sustainable use of the ocean is recognized under United Nations’ SDG 14, which focused on ocean habitats. Dealing with the challenges facing the ocean and their use requires ocean-related stakeholders to make informed decisions, often complex, due to the cross-domain nature of the issues and the still quite limited amount of knowledge and tools available for such a decision-making process. This article discusses a conceptual framework addressing the contributions and challenges that a Digital Twin Ocean, as a key element of the Metaverse, faces or presents to sustainable ocean use, in support of its stakeholders.

AHFE international, 2023

Autonomous vehicles, Artificial Intelligence (AI), IoT, drones, 3D Printing, green fuels or susta... more Autonomous vehicles, Artificial Intelligence (AI), IoT, drones, 3D Printing, green fuels or sustainable practices are presented as the Holy Grail for the logistics of the future. But, what are the implications of their adoption in people’s lives and in the society?The dynamism of knowledge creation and the adoption of new methodologies and technologies are increasing. Contrary to what happened in the past, there are no longer periods of stability after the emergence of new technologies, preventing societies to smoothly adapt to the new reality. Periods of change and uncertainty usually end up affecting people’s living conditions - e.g. the early days of the industrial revolution. Thus, it will be relevant to identify the new trends in logistics and their impacts on people. Anticipating potential problems, allows for mitigating measures.More agile organizations represents a competitive advantage in responding to environments of uncertainty and greater customer customization requirement, but may imply less job stability, making people nomadic. The globalization of markets and the existence of even longer supply chains, dependent on effective and efficient transportation and communication technologies, increase the risk of supply disruption being exposed both to natural and anthropogenic causes (such as ideological, cultural or resource conflicts), with economic and social consequences. Recent examples are the COVID-19 Pandemics, the cyberattack to Maersk shipping company, the grounding of the Evergreen container, in the Suez Canal, in 2021, or the current war in Ukraine. On the other hand, technological evolution has increased the automation and autonomy of systems and boosted the reduction of human involvement. The development of AI and IoT allows, among other impacts, the use of drones to perform last mile deliveries or the existence of autonomous vehicles, being ships, planes or trucks, to carry out long-haul transport. Their adoption allows cost reduction, but also anticipates the reduction of jobs. It is recognized that new technologies themselves create new jobs; but the pertinent doubt is if they will compensate for the lost jobs? The existence of more sustainable activities (e.g., environmentally friendly), while respecting ethical and social principles, brings better living conditions for current and future generations. However, it can be conflicting with the existing long supply chains or imply lower process efficiency, leading to increased costs for customers.The aim of this work is to systematize the main future trends in logistics, assessing possible impacts that these trends can have on the daily life of individuals and society. To achieve this objective, a literature review will be carried out and the opinion of professionals will be surveyed. The expected contributions of this work are to systemize of the main logistics’ future trends and helping to anticipate the human factor consequences arising from its adoption. As a result of this work, subsequent mitigating measures to avoid negative impacts on people’s lives and society can be identify, leading to a smoother and more sustainable change process, in line with the principles of green and circular economy, and the targets of UN SDG.

IGI Global eBooks, 2021

In critical activities and organizations, decision making in the face of complexity has been a gr... more In critical activities and organizations, decision making in the face of complexity has been a growing normal. Complexity troubles humans due to cognitive limitations. Moreover, humans are merely able to understand cause-and-effect relationships that are close in time and space, not the paradigm of many complex socio-technical systems. Decision-making processes shall rely on models that help harness a problem´s associated complexity – among them the dynamics of supply chains. Models typically fall into two broad categories: mental and formal models. Supply chains are complex systems, which may exhibit complex behaviour patterns. Decisions and policies within organizational systems are the causes of many problems, among them undesirable oscillations and other problematic patterns of the parameters of interest. A system is a grouping of parts that work together for a purpose. Hence, the systems dynamics methodology is an adequate approach to deal with fuel supply chain management. A model was developed that helps manage marine gasoil supply chains in the context of the navy.

Pomorstvo, Dec 21, 2020

The 21 st century endeavour bring new challenges for the maritime industry. The challenges facing... more The 21 st century endeavour bring new challenges for the maritime industry. The challenges facing the professionals within the industry are multifaceted and complex due to globalization, cross-cultural interrelationships, and technological change that are permeating the maritime industry. The aim of this article is to contribute to better understanding the problem of developing the future maritime industry professional, filling the existing gap between education and training programmes, while integrating the 21 st century professional skills. The contents of a comprehensive education and training programme shall be proposed within a knowledge triangle encompassing academia, the industry and relevant authority or regulatory institutions, so all interested parties' "voices" will be considered. Besides raising awareness for the educational and training challenges ahead, more effective teaching methods are suggested in order to meet the needs, particularly supporting double loop learning, together with a pragmatic proposal for a realistic programme at master's level. The proposed programme is based on the EU MarLEM project, which aims towards the development of the 21 st century maritime industry professional, focusing on logistics, engineering and management contents.

International journal of industrial engineering and management, Sep 30, 2021

Global competition and public awareness drive organizations to improve their management processes... more Global competition and public awareness drive organizations to improve their management processes, including those related to logistics and warehousing. With the aim of improving the efficiency and safety of the food warehousing processes, an analysis of the warehouse layouts and storage areas layouts was carried out. Through the reorganization of the space and the review of storage policy, a practical proposal was made. To obtain more efficiency, an improved equation for the calculation of the distances travelled within the warehouse was defined. The implementation of the proposed improvements provides efficiency to warehousing, taking the Navy food central warehouse as a real case study.

Tourism is one of the activities with high benefits on the development and for many regions, enab... more Tourism is one of the activities with high benefits on the development and for many regions, enabling the integration of local populations and economies. In our natural laboratory, the Azores Island of São Miguel, an important share of tourists identifies adventure, leisure and touch with nature, as the main reasons for the visit. The use of footpaths can contribute to the satisfaction of tourists, promoting tourism and the region's development during their movements on the tourism network, tourists appreciate different types of attractions and need the support of a set of facilities. Tourist decisions aren't always done in a rational way, emotions add even more complexity to the human decision process. The movement of tourists within a destination depends on factors related to tourist characteristics, like the time budgets, preferences or destination knowledge, and destination features related to attractions characteristics or accessibility level. The existence of a mathematical model that incorporates the main factors that explain the movement of independent tourists within a destination, in a dynamic way, will make possible the creation of an adaptable software tool. This tool will meet the specific needs of tourists, allowing the use of the network in an optimal way by the different tourist profiles, and the needs of regional government and business, allowing better decisions and the offer of relevant tourism products. This article is based on the authors' previous research and identifies the relevance of tourism for regional development, finds the main tourists' mobility criteria on the study territory, using as main support the footpath network, recognises the necessary modelling process and develops the foundation for the building of the mathematical model that explains the movement of tourists within the destination, making possible a future adaptable software tool.

Dirección y Organización

El almacenamiento añade flexibilidad y costes a las cadenas de suministro. El objetivo de este es... more El almacenamiento añade flexibilidad y costes a las cadenas de suministro. El objetivo de este estudio es minimizar los costes de almacenamiento. Esto se logra mediante la evaluación de los flujos de materiales dentro del almacén, derivados de las políticas y operaciones realizadas. una propuesta concreta de modificación de la ubicación de los artículos existentes y un modelo de distribución para un nuevo almacén, sugieren mejoras relevantes basadas en la simulación de las tasas de manipulación. La cuantificación y validación del potencial de mejora se basan en el cálculo de la distancia total recorrida por los materiales dentro del almacén.