Journal of Industrial Integration and Management

Connected products generate data that are being seen as a key source of competitive advantage, and the management and processing of that data are generating new challenges in the industrial environment. This paper proposes a conceptual framework and preliminary findings to go deeper into a bibliometric analysis around the idea of artificial intelligence and machine learning (AI/ML) as a tool for the optimization of processes within the Industry 4.0 model. Methodologically, a technological mapping was carried out through an exercise on Scopus indexed database, the results of which were analyzed using bibliometric indicators. The bibliometric study is completed with a screening of relevant papers searching for linking among the industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) or Internet of Things (IoT), IA/ML and process optimization. Finally, this paper gives information about the state-of-the-art AI/ML applied to the optimization of industrial processes and presents a novel Canadian startup that has a business model that aims to make AI/ML easy to use in the industrial world towards a lean processes strategy.

Transdisciplinary (TD) working is claimed to be critical to meet future societal needs, with engineers being at the core to provide solutions to these challenges. However, there is little available that enables one to assess whether they or their team have the competencies required. Within this paper, we propose a self-assessment framework to ascertain whether design engineers have the competencies which enable TD working. We describe how the competencies were identified using a systematic literature review (SLR), we then describe how we utilized coded decision trees to classify which disciplinary level a particular competency can enable. In total, 76 competencies were classified; the results of the analysis show 20 of these displaying TD attributes as defined by Jantsch. The novelty of the approach is as follows: (1) In this paper, we propose a novel way to map the identified competencies against the levels of Jantsch’s hierarchical framework. (2) The proposed framework enables self-assessment of individual or team competencies to assess whether they have the competencies which enable TD working. (3) It enables a move towards incorporating TD practices in engineering projects.

In the last decade, the construction industry in Egypt has been booming, and many mega projects are under construction. The lack of awareness of the construction industry’s impact on climate change could be very harmful in terms of CO₂ emission, water and soil pollution, etc. This paper aims to explore the critical factors in the Egyptian construction industry that contributes to climate change. Moreover, given the shared features between the construction industry in Egypt and those in other countries, this research could also shed light on the general impacts of the construction industry on the various aspects of climate change. So, to achieve this aim, an intensive literature review was carried out to identify various factors contributing to climate change within the construction industry. This is followed by conducting 11 interviews with construction experts to explore any further factors throughout the lifecycle of a construction project. The identified factors from the literature review and the interviews were used to design a questionnaire survey to collect construction professionals’ opinions on the impact of these factors on climate change in Egypt. 48 valid responses were received. The collected data were statistically analyzed to rank and determine the criticality level of these factors. The results revealed that the most significant factors influencing climate change are the impact of industrial construction on climate change, the use of primary renewable energy as raw materials during the construction and use phases, and the effect of heavy civil and highway construction on climate change. The results also show that managing these factors requires considerable awareness and proactive actions during the project life cycle and pre-construction stage. The findings could inform decision-makers and construction professionals to raise awareness and make informed decisions to handle these key factors and minimize their potential contribution to climate change. Therefore, it can be recommended that construction clients may involve a climate change management plan as a requirement of tender documents.

Teamwork visualization is a promising method for improving situational awareness, enhancing teamwork reflexivity, monitoring and intervening teams, and analyzing team processes. This paper aims to introduce a new method of teamwork visualization specifically for team reflection. Our method detects a time span where the communication pattern is stable and visualizes time-to-time changes of communication pattern with related features over teamwork in a small group. We applied our method to the teamwork of four teams in an idea generation workshop and checked whether our visualization could visualize meaningful characteristics of teamwork in terms of within-team and between-team differences. We summarize the practical and theoretical contributions and limitations of our study.

The study’s aim is to compare qualitative and quantitative tools used to measure the effectiveness of innovation activities in an enterprise. The techniques examined in the study are the balanced scorecard, multilevel clustering, world indices or descriptive statistics, mixed approach, and statistical method. The research found that the balanced scorecard was the most cost-effective for measuring the business efficiency within an enterprise. Multilevel clustering and world indices/descriptive statistics can be applied to developed markets and businesses with sustainable entrepreneurial orientation. The results can be used by top-level managers to assess innovation performance and make informed decisions regarding the innovation-related policy.

Healthcare 4.0 (H4.0) is the term corresponding to Industry 4.0 (I4.0). Like other industries, the healthcare industry has also gone through several technological changes and got nourished with them. The health care system of many countries is not mature enough to swiftly transform from its current state to the H4.0 state. Even the matured healthcare systems are facing several challenges while adopting H4.0 practices. The implementation of H4.0 has many challenges (or barriers) to be overcome. This paper has attempted to understand and analyze the challenges that the current Indian hospital management system faces while implementing H4.0. This study uses an integrated approach to the decision-making process to understand the importance of these barriers from the perspective of the Indian health care system. With the help of the Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP), Interpretative Structural Modeling (ISM) and MICMAC analysis, the paper has mapped the importance of barriers which need to be overcome for to make implementation of H4.0 possible.

Electric vehicle (EV) market in Thailand is still limited due to lack of government support, lack of charging infrastructure, lack of EV knowledge and skills, high vehicle prices, and limited battery capacities. This research examines and ranks factors influencing EV manufacturing and purchasing in Thailand utilizing the analytic hierarchy process (AHP) method. Six factors with 14 sub-factors form the manufacturers’ hierarchy model. Four factors with 25 sub-factors are, on the other hand, in the consumers’ hierarchy model. The data used in the analysis are gathered through interviews of EV experts and consumers. The results demonstrate that the Government Support factor is the most significant factor perceived by manufacturers, especially in terms of taxes and subsidies. Battery cost is also found an important concern in EV production. On the other hand, Individual Judgment and EV Performance factors are the two most significant factors from consumers’ perspectives. The focus should be on the vehicle price and battery issues, with specific consideration to driving range and charging time. Consumers also request the government to provide adequate charging stations to facilitate the use of EVs. The government may promote the EV market through a number of subsidies and tax reduction campaigns. Engineering and production managers may, on the other hand, focus on technical issues of battery performance to increase driving ranges and decrease charging time to attract more EV consumers.