Abstract
In this paper, we address the irregular strip packing problem (or nesting problem) where irregular shapes have to be placed on strips representing a piece of material whose width is constant and length is virtually unlimited. We explore a constructive heuristic that relies on the use of graphical processing units to accelerate the computation of different geometrical operations. The heuristic relies on static selection processes, which assume that a sequence of pieces to be placed is defined a priori. Here, the emphasis is put on the analysis of the impact of these sequences on the global performance of the solution algorithm. Computational results on benchmark datasets are provided to support this analysis, and guide the selection of the most promising methods to generate these sequences.

Abstract
Lightweight ontologies are increasingly used by domain experts in a variety of activities. The development of these knowledge representation artefacts carries the challenge of the proper conceptualisation of the considered reality/situation. In particular, the elicitation of conceptual relations is widely acknowledged in the literature as being the most difficult part of the process. This paper proposes a technique to support domain experts in the elicitation of conceptual relations in the development of lightweight ontologies by providing the means to develop and ascertain the consistency of the produced conceptualisation results towards its reusability. Its innovation comes from the development of a reference model for the conceptual relations elicitation.

Abstract
Project-based organizations have characteristics that raise additional barriers to information management, knowledge sharing, and to organizational learning. The main causes of this are inadequate information architectures and governance, poor collaborative culture, and lack of organization-wide information management strategies. This chapter presents a comprehensive basis to understand the information and knowledge-sharing practices in PBO, as well as the methods and tools that information professionals and project managers should have in mind when performing their tasks. For that, literatures are reviewed focusing on the explanation of the processes of knowledge creation and sharing leading to organizational learning. The main conclusion is that a knowledge-sharing strategy in a PBO should include a set of mechanisms that address a customized mix of the codification and personalization dimensions and that strategies for collaborative information management should be used as enablers for embedding knowledge sharing within the organizational practices and culture.

Abstract
This thesis aims at contributing with new research at the intersection of the research fields of information management and supply chain risk management. Information is a fundamental element for an effective risk management in supply networks. In spite of this, research on how to use internal and external information for risk management decisions in supply networks is scarce. Therefore, this thesis main goal is to characterize information models used in supply networks and the supply chain risk management process in order to propose an aggregated model of internal and external information for risk management decision support in supply networks. This work is based on the Design Science paradigm, which will be applied through several research methods: systematic literature review to analyse the current state of the art on information management in supply networks; field research to analyse the influence of different information organisation models in the process of supply chain risk management and to develop an information model based (artifact); and action research to implement the artifact for the definition of risk mitigation strategies in aeronautic supply networks.

Abstract
In today's business, consumers are challenging manufacturers by increasingly demanding low volumes of innovative, fashionable and inexpensive products; adopting high quality standards; responding in smaller intervals of time, and with high configurability and parameterization. This omnipresent scenario poses challenging opportunities for collaborative networked organizations. The present paper addresses the main collaborative business processes tailored for responsiveness and efficient use of knowledge on customized manufacturing environments through a lean-based framework proposal for collaborative networks inspired in the Set-Based Concurrent Engineering (SBCE) methodology. In particular this work describes the ongoing implementation of the proposed concepts through a web-based collaborative portal.

Abstract
The problem of selecting suppliers/partners is a crucial and important part in the process of decision making for companies that intend to perform competitively in their area of activity. The selection of supplier/partner is a time and resource-consuming task that involves data collection and a careful analysis of the factors that can positively or negatively influence the choice. Nevertheless it is a critical process that affects significantly the operational performance of each company. In this work, trough the literature review, there were identified five broad suppliers selection criteria: Quality, Financial, Synergies, Cost, and Production System. Within these criteria, it was also included five sub-criteria. Thereafter, a survey was elaborated and companies were contacted in order to answer which factors have more relevance in their decisions to choose the suppliers. Interpreted the results and processed the data, it was adopted a model of linear weighting to reflect the importance of each factor. The model has a hierarchical structure and can be applied with the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) method or Simple Multi-Attribute Rating Technique (SMART). The result of the research undertaken by the authors is a reference model that represents a decision making support for the suppliers/partners selection process.