| 1. |
- Ferreira, Carla, 1982
(författare)
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Digital transformation of a manufacturing firm: A matter of combining resources and strategizing in business networks
- 2023
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Licentiatavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Manufacturing firms are gradually undergoing digital transformation through starting to implement new digital technologies, and creating new offerings to meet customer needs. As no business is an island, the process of creating new digital offerings and selling these to customers involves collaboration with other actors. These actors need to develop and combine resources to successfully create value in the business network. Under these circumstances, manufacturing firms develop strategic actions to access and combine such resources. The purpose of this thesis is to understand resource combining and strategizing in business networks, as part of the process of digital transformation, from the perspective of a focal manufacturing firm interacting with customers and suppliers. This thesis relies on the Industrial Network Approach (INA), and more specifically literature on resources and strategizing, to study business relationships with regard to digital transformation and reveal the nuances and effects of characteristics of digital resources during resource combining and value creation. A single case study of a manufacturing firm undergoing the process of digital transformation, and its related business network, was conducted. By applying the case study method, details about different business relationships within the context of digital transformation were captured and analysed. The findings of this thesis show that a focal firm needs to take a variety of strategic actions when interacting with other actors, creating and consolidating elements of the business relationships. Focal firms also strive to access and combine key digital and non-digital resources. As a result of this resource combining, value can be created in the forms of flexibility, efficiency, novelty and functioning digital solutions. This thesis advances the understanding of the interplay between creating/consolidating elements of business relationships to access and combine digital resources during the process of digital transformation. Based on the intrinsic characteristics of digital resources, the forms of resource combining provided in this study offer a perspective on the opportunities, values and challenges that digitalisation presents in the ever-evolving digital business landscape.
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| 2. |
- Ferreira, Carla, 1982, et al.
(författare)
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Exploring the impact from digitalization on business relationships in welding manufacturing
- 2020
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Konferensbidrag (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Digitalization has a vast impact on industry in terms of firm strategies and business models (Jocevski, et al., 2020). The aim of the paper is to explore digitalization’s impact on a firm’s business relationships and networks, including both existing supplier and customer relationships and development of new ones. The content of current relationships is explored in terms of shared activities, resources and actor interaction. The paper is based on a case study of BETA, an industrial firm and manufacturer of welding equipment and consumables. BETA is currently developing and implementing digital technologies in their products and services. This digitalization journey does not only impact their internal process but also their business relationships. It might in turn lead to new business relationships. BETA is currently offering digital solutions to its customers, the so-called BETA Digital Solutions. Their prototype of the digital cloud platform was launched in 2018. Shortly after that, the commercialization started. By using cloud platform and IoT, BETA promises to its customers maximization of their welding productivity, quality consistence, downtime reduction, and real time information about energy and wire consumption. BETA has been working to expand its digital solutions portfolio and platform functionalities. Results of the paper regard learning points from the digitalization journey and describe the various practiced digitalized offerings and business models of BETA. The results build on the framework by Pagani & Pardo (2017) and preliminary include identification of key interfaces in business relationships in context of digitalization. As it is now and planning for next steps, on the customer side, BETA has been commercializing few digital solutions, while more advanced service offerings, with some with degrees of circularity, are still in the BETA’s roadmap and their business models are still under development. BETA’s plan is to implement a pilot/proof in a near future for these advanced service offerings and business models, in collaboration with customers. Regarding the supplier side, BETA sees the importance of supply chain management and works continuously with their current suppliers as well as develops contacts with new suppliers for digitalization solutions.
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| 3. |
- Ferreira, Carla S. S., 1982-, et al.
(författare)
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Groundwater quality in the vicinity of a dumpsite in Lagos metropolis, Nigeria
- 2023
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Ingår i: Geography and Sustainability. - : Elsevier BV. - 2096-7438 .- 2666-6839. ; 4:4, s. 379-390
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Inappropriate management of municipal solid waste dumpsites is a major cause of groundwater contamination in developing countries, but the extent of the problem is not known. This study investigated groundwater quality in the vicinity of Olusosun dumpsite in Lagos, Nigeria, the most populous city in sub-Saharan Africa. During 2020, monthly groundwater samples were collected in 17 wells and boreholes used as drinking water sources, and analysed for 20 physico-chemical parameters. Differences between sites and seasons were statistically assessed, together with changes in water quality index (WQI). The results indicated that heavy metals (Pb2+, Ni+, Mn2+, Fe2+, Cr6+), cations (Ca2+, Mg2+, K+), total hardness and pH were the main parameters impairing water quality. Drinking water quality standards from both the World Health Organization and Nigeria government were exceeded more often in the wet season than in the dry season. Some groundwater properties were negatively correlated with distance to dumpsite (e.g., Fe2+, Pb2+, NO3−). Significant differences between sites were identified, but with no clear spatial trend. WQI varied from excellent (6%–24% of the sites over the study period) to unsuitable for drinking water purposes (12%–18%), with good quality prevailing at most sites (35%–47%). Although groundwater quality declined at 24% of the sites over 2020, the results indicated improvements compared with previous decades. Remediation strategies must be implemented to safeguard public health and the sustainability of water resources.
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| 4. |
- Ferreira, Carla, 1982, et al.
(författare)
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Supplier interfaces in digital transformation: an exploratory case study of a manufacturing firm and IoT suppliers
- 2023
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Ingår i: Journal of Business and Industrial Marketing. - 0885-8624. ; 38:6, s. 1332-1344
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to characterize the interfaces between manufacturing companies and the Internet of Things (IoT) suppliers involved in their digital servitization. Design/methodology/approach: This paper builds on an explorative case study of a manufacturing firm and its IoT suppliers. This paper relies on the Industrial Network Approach to study interfaces between buying firms and their suppliers. Findings: This paper identifies three distinct types of supplier interfaces: connected, digital and digital-physical. They all contain technical resource interfaces with additional organizational and/or technical complexities that need to be managed. Connectivity, an Agile approach to software development and strong technical dependence emerged as key factors that impact the interactions between manufacturing firms and IoT suppliers and how their resources are combined. Practical implications: This paper offers managerial implications regarding the importance of internal organization (such as appropriate cross-functional teams) to manage the dynamics of collaborations required by digital technologies, maintain interactions with IoT suppliers and identify and manage interdependences between IoT suppliers. Building close relationships with suppliers of crucial infrastructure (e.g. IoT cloud platform and data security systems) can also be beneficial for manufacturing firms to reduce risks. Finally, attention should be given to IoT technology strategy, which impacts both digital and digital-physical supplier interfaces. Originality/value: In digital servitization, manufacturing firms are heavily reliant on external resources for IoT technology. Despite this, few studies have investigated the characteristics of their interfaces with IoT suppliers, how these can be managed and how resources are combined.
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| 5. |
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| 6. |
- Han, Yi, et al.
(författare)
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Soil erodibility for water and wind erosion and its relationship to vegetation and soil properties in China's drylands
- 2023
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Ingår i: Science of the Total Environment. - 0048-9697 .- 1879-1026. ; 903
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Drylands with fragile socio-ecological systems are vulnerable to soil erosion. China's drylands face the dual threat of water (WAE) and wind erosion (WIE). To mitigate soil erosion in drylands, China has implemented numerous ecological restoration measures. However, whether vegetation and soil have different effects on soil erodibility for water erosion (soil erodibility, K) and wind erosion (soil erodible fraction, EF) in drylands is unclear, hindering decision makers to develop suitable ecological restoration strategies. Here, we conducted a large-scale belt transect survey to explore the spatial variation of K and EF in China's drylands, and examined the linear and nolinear effects of aridity (aridity index), vegetation (fractional vegetation cover and below-ground biomass), and soil properties (bulk density, total nitrogen, and total phosphorus) on K and EF. The results showed in China's drylands that the K ranges from 0.02 to 0.07, with high values recorded in the northern Loess Plateau and the eastern Inner Mongolia Plateau. The EF ranges from 0.26 to 0.98, and shows longitudinal zonation with higher values in the east and lower values in the west. Aridity has a negative linear effect on K and an inverse U-shaped nonlinear effect on EF. Aridity can affect K and EF by suppressing vegetation growth and disrupting soil properties. However, K and EF had different responses to some vegetation and soil variables. K and EF had opposite relationships with soil bulk density, and EF was significantly affected by fractional vegetation cover, while K was not. Overall, the effects of aridity and soil properties on soil erodibility were more pronounced than those from vegetation, whose effect on soil erodibility was limited. This study provides relevant information to support reducing soil water and wind erosion by highlighting the hotspot areas of soil erodibility, relevant for implementing vegetation restoration and soil conservation measures in drylands.
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| 7. |
- Khormizi, Hadi Zare, et al.
(författare)
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Proof of evidence of changes in global terrestrial biomes using historic and recent NDVI time series
- 2023
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Ingår i: Heliyon. - : Elsevier BV. - 2405-8440. ; 9:8
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Climate change affects plant dynamics and functioning of terrestrial ecosystems. This study aims to investigate temporal changes in global vegetation coverage and biomes during the past three decades. We compared historic annual NDVI time series (1982, 1983, 1984 and 1985) with recent ones (2015, 2016, 2017 and 2018), captured from NOAA-AVHRR satellite observations. To correct the NDVI time series for missing data and outliers, we applied the Harmonic Analysis of Time Series (HANTS) algorithm. The NDVI time series were decomposed in their significant amplitude and phase given their periodic fluctuation, except for ever green vegetation. Our findings show that the average NDVI values in most biomes have increased significantly (F-value<0.01) by 0.05 ndvi units over during the past three decades, except in tundra, and deserts and xeric shrublands. The highest rates of change in the harmonic components were observed in the northern hemisphere, mainly above 30° latitude. Worldwide, the mean annual phase reduced by 9° corresponding to a 9 days shift in the beginning of the growing season. Annual phases in the recent time series reduced significantly as compared to the historic time series in the five major global biomes: by 14.1, 14.8, 10.6, 9.5, and 22.8 days in boreal forests/taiga; Mediterranean forests, woodlands, and scrubs; temperate conifer forests; temperate grasslands, savannas, and shrublands; and deserts, and xeric shrublands, respectively. In tropical and subtropical biomes, however, changes in the annual phase of vegetation coverage were not statistically significant. The decrease in the level of phases and acceleration of growth and changes in plant phenology indicate the increase in temperature and climate changes of the planet.
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| 8. |
- Liu, Yue, et al.
(författare)
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The role of nature reserves in conservation effectiveness of ecosystem services in China
- 2023
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Ingår i: Journal of Environmental Management. - 0301-4797 .- 1095-8630. ; 342
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Establishing nature reserves (NRs) is a common method to avoid biodiversity loss and degradation of ecosystem services (ESs). The evaluation of ESs in NRs and the exploration of associated influencing factors are the basis for improving ESs and management. However, the ES effectiveness of NRs over time remains questionable, namely due to the heterogeneity of landscape characteristics inside and outside of NRs. This study (i) quantifies the role of 75 NRs in China in maintaining ESs (i.e., net primary production (NPP), soil conservation, sandstorm pre-vention and water yield) from 2000 to 2020, (ii) reveals the trade-offs/synergies, and (iii) identifies the main influencing factors of the ES effectiveness of NRs. The results show that more than 80% of NRs had positive ES effectiveness, which was greater in older NRs. For different ESs, effectiveness over time increases for NPP (E_NPP), soil conservation (E_SC) and sandstorm prevention (E_SP) but declines for water yield (E_WY). There is a clear synergistic relationship between E_NPP and E_SC. Moreover, the effectiveness of ESs is closely correlated with elevation, precipitation, and perimeter area ratio. Our findings can provide important information to support site selection and management of reserves to improve the delivery of critical ecosystem services.
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| 9. |
- Mansourmoghaddam, Mohammad, et al.
(författare)
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Modeling and Estimating the Land Surface Temperature (LST) Using Remote Sensing and Machine Learning (Case Study: Yazd, Iran)
- 2024
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Ingår i: Remote Sensing. - 2072-4292. ; 16:3
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The pressing issue of global warming is particularly evident in urban areas, where urban thermal islands amplify the warming effect. Understanding land surface temperature (LST) changes is crucial in mitigating and adapting to the effect of urban heat islands, and ultimately addressing the broader challenge of global warming. This study estimates LST in the city of Yazd, Iran, where field and high-resolution thermal image data are scarce. LST is assessed through surface parameters (indices) available from Landsat-8 satellite images for two contrasting seasons—winter and summer of 2019 and 2020, and then it is estimated for 2021. The LST is modeled using six machine learning algorithms implemented in R software (version 4.0.2). The accuracy of the models is measured using root mean square error (RMSE), mean absolute error (MAE), root mean square logarithmic error (RMSLE), and mean and standard deviation of the different performance indicators. The results show that the gradient boosting model (GBM) machine learning algorithm is the most accurate in estimating LST. The albedo and NDVI are the surface features with the greatest impact on LST for both the summer (with 80.3% and 11.27% of importance) and winter (with 72.74% and 17.21% of importance). The estimated LST for 2021 showed acceptable accuracy for both seasons. The GBM models for each of the seasons are useful for modeling and estimating the LST based on surface parameters using machine learning, and to support decision-making related to spatial variations in urban surface temperatures. The method developed can help to better understand the urban heat island effect and ultimately support mitigation strategies to improve human well-being and enhance resilience to climate change.
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| 10. |
- Panahi, Mahdi, et al.
(författare)
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A Country Wide Evaluation of Sweden's Spatial Flood Modeling With Optimized Convolutional Neural Network Algorithms
- 2023
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Ingår i: Earth's Future. - : American Geophysical Union (AGU). - 2328-4277. ; 11:11
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Flooding is one of the most serious and frequent natural hazards affecting human life, property, and the environment. This study develops and tests a deep learning approach for large-scale spatial flood modeling, using Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) and optimized versions combined with the Gray Wolf Optimizer (GWO) or the Imperialist Competitive Algorithm (ICA). With Sweden as an application case for nation-wide flood susceptibility mapping, this modeling approach considers ten geo-environmental input factors (slope, elevation, aspect, plan curvature, length of slope, topographic wetness index, distance from river, distance from wetland, rainfall, and land use). The GWO and ICA optimization improves model prediction by 12% and 8%, respectively, compared with the standalone CNN model performance. The results show 40% of the land area, 45% of the railroad, and 43% of the road network of Sweden to have high or very high flood susceptibility. They also show the aspect to have the highest input factor impact on flood susceptibility prediction while, for example, rainfall ranks only seven of the total 10 considered geo-environmental input factors. In general, accurate nation-wide flood susceptibility prediction is essential for guiding flood management and mitigation efforts. This study's approach to such prediction has emerged as well-performing and cost-effective for the case of Sweden, calling for further application and testing in other world regions.
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