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Publications

Publications by CESE

2023

The Design of Digital Platform Ecosystem Supporting Circular Economy

Authors
Marantes, G; Soares, AL; Silva, HD;

Publication
IFIP Advances in Information and Communication Technology

Abstract
Circular Economy business models rely on complex data exchange between organizations, which require a supporting digital infrastructure facilitating the circularity-related processes. In a digital platform context, value is generated not by the underlying technologies but by its allied ecosystem: community, users, developers, and integrated applications. These ecosystems come with an intrinsically complex interorganisational structure often overlooked during the development phase, leading to low platform adoption and obsolete platforms in the mid to long-term. Developed through a combined action-research and design science research approach, we propose a framework to support the design and deployment of circular economy ecosystems from a sociotechnical perspective, including practices from the requirements engineering, circular innovation ecosystems and digital platforms literature. © 2023, IFIP International Federation for Information Processing.

2023

FIRMa: A Framework to Support the Requirements Management Process Based on Information Management Tools

Authors
Fagundes, PB; de Macedo, DDJ; Soares, AL;

Publication
MOBILE NETWORKS & APPLICATIONS

Abstract
Some of the fundamental activities of the software development process relate to the discipline of Requirements Engineering. Their objectives are to discover, analyze, document, verify and manage the requirements that will be part of the software. The requirements are the system's characteristics, which are identified based on information provided by users or experts in the field. The effective management of this information is essential to ensure that the system meets the needs of those who will use it. Considering that the requirements are information, we carried out research to propose a framework contemplating a set of tools used by the information management to assist the requirements management process's activities. This article aims to present the FIRMa - Framework based on Information Management to Requirements Management, and the results of an evaluation carried out by a group of eighteen specialists in Requirements Engineering, who gave their opinion about the tools contemplated by the framework, as well as defined steps and the guidelines elaborated for its use. The evaluation results showed that FIRMa could contribute to the requirements management process's activities and increase the project's chances of success.

2023

Information for a Better World: Normality, Virtuality, Physicality, Inclusivity

Authors
Sserwanga, I; Goulding, A; Moulaison-Sandy, H; Du, JT; Soares, AL; Hessami, V; Frank, RD;

Publication
Lecture Notes in Computer Science

Abstract

2023

Making Sense of Digital Twins: An Analytical Framework

Authors
Mendonça, FM; de Souza, JF; Soares, AL;

Publication
IFIP Advances in Information and Communication Technology

Abstract
Digital Twin (DT) is recognized as a key enabling technology of Industry 4.0 and 5.0 and can be used in collaborative networks formed to fulfillment of complex tasks of the manufacturing industry. In the last years, the variety and complexity of DTs have been significantly increasing with new technologies and smarter solutions. The current definition of DT, such as cognitive, hybrid, and others, embraces a wide range of solutions with different aspects. In this sense, this article discusses DT definitions and presents a five-dimensional analytical framework to classify the different proposals. Finally, to better understand the proposal, we analyzed 12 articles using the analytical framework. We argue this research may help researchers and practitioners to better understand digital twins and compare different solutions. © 2023, IFIP International Federation for Information Processing.

2023

Bat Algorithm for Discrete Optimization Problems: An Analysis

Authors
Sousa, B; Guerreiro, R; Santos, AS; Bastos, JA; Varela, LR; Brito, MF;

Publication
Lecture Notes in Mechanical Engineering

Abstract
In this article the application of the discrete version of the bat algorithm to flowshop scheduling problems is presented and compared with Simulated Annealing, Local Search, as well as versions of each that start from constructive heuristics (Palmer and CDS). Bat algorithm is a novel metaheuristic, developed for continuous problems that has shown exceptional results. This paper intends to assess its effectiveness and efficiency for discrete problems when compared with other optimization techniques, including Simulated Annealing and Local Search, whose results are already proven. First, it was developed a literature review about those algorithms, then they were implemented in VBA with Microsoft Excel. Once implemented, the parameterization was carried out, ensuring an adequate application of the algorithms before they can be compared. Then, the methods were applied for 30 normally distributed instances, in order to draw broader conclusions. Finally, a statistical evaluation was carried out and concluded the inferiority of the Local Search in relation to the metaheuristics and the superiority of the hybrid version of the Bat Algorithm with CDS in relation to Simulated Annealing, with significantly better solutions, in an equal computation time. © 2023, The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG.

2023

Firefly and Cuckoo Search Algorithm for Scheduling Problems: A Performance Analysis

Authors
Moreira, C; Costa, C; Santos, AS; Bastos, JA; Varela, LR; Brito, MF;

Publication
Lecture Notes in Mechanical Engineering

Abstract
Meta-heuristics are some of the best-known techniques to approach hard optimization problems, however, there are still questions about what makes some meta-heuristics better than others in a specific problem. This paper presents an analysis of the Firefly and Cuckoo Search Algorithm, such as others meta-heuristics. In order to assess the performance of the Firefly Algorithm and the Cuckoo Search Algorithm, they were compared with other well-known optimization techniques, such as Simulated Annealing and Local Search. Both meta-heuristics analysed in an in-depth computational study, reaching the conclusion that both techniques could be useful in Scheduling Problems and lead to satisfactory solutions quickly and efficiently. Moreover, the results of the analysis show that the Firefly Algorithm, despite having a high runtime, performs better than the other techniques. © 2023, The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG.

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