Abstract
This paper presents an innovative approach in supporting the operation of complex equipment. The concept was developed in the context of the KoBaS project (Knowledge Based Customized Services for Traditional Manufacturing Sectors Provided by a Network of High Tech SMEs) whose main objectives are the development of new knowledge based tools for an intelligent use and management of more sophisticated manufacturing machines; and the creation of an innovative extended network of high-tech SMEs for use, customize, support and make business out of the new development tools. As a concrete example the paper presents a KoBaS solution based on the machine Maintenance. This solution allows one to know the machine condition, to detect and diagnose machine failures, to manage ordinary and extraordinary maintenance plans and maintenance work orders and to provide training support for maintenance interventions.

Abstract
In recent years, the pharmaceutical sector has gone through deep changes, partially due to the ageing of the population and to the increasing of costs in health care services. With margins that are getting lower and lower, the drug distribution problem to pharmacies has become much more important, particularly in large metropolitan areas. As pharmacies demand shorter delivery times, vehicle routing and scheduling problems become harder for distributors. It is recognized that the traditional system based on fixed routes does not fulfil the expectations of pharmacies and may, in some cases, be quite inefficient for distributiors. In this work, a case study has been carried out and a change of the traditional approach is proposed, by adopting a system of variable routes that are dynamically designed, based on orders that are constantly arriving along the day. A dynamic algorithm is therefore proposed, meant to be run several times a day. It has four phases: first, a clustering of the orders is performed; second, potential routes are constructed; third, a route is selected for operation; and finally, that route is subject to an improvement process. The selection of the next route to be launched may be postponed in order to take advantage of subsequent information. The algorithm has been tested in the case study, by simulating one week of operation, and by comparing the results with the plan produced by the traditional way. © Springer-Verlag 2006.

Abstract
In the 2005 Portuguese Parliament General Elections there were non-valid experiments of e-voting at five voting places and also through the Internet. Faculdade de Engenharia da Universidade do Porto audited such experiments. Relevant security, transparency, usability and accessibility evaluation criteria and sub-criteria were defined, and an auditing procedure based on AHP was established. This paper shortly presents the methodology used, the four e-voting systems and the main results of the overall experiment. The systems could be used successfully and were extremely popular with voters. However, more information to the citizens and to the officials involved in the e-voting process would be required for a valid election. The systems also need to be improved, for instance, to make sure that the number of votes electronically cast is the same as the number of voters that were validated and actually registered to vote at any particular site on the Election Day.

Abstract
The present paper focuses on the topic of Communities & Networks but it also covers some issues on Collaborative Enterprises, Collaborative Processes & Workspaces, and Business to Business Networks. It is based mainly on the Collective project Know Construct (COLL-CT-2004-500276) starting in March 2005. The project aims to develop a common internet-based platform for SMEs from the construction sector to provide an effective combination of two general functionalities: an innovative decision making support system regarding the products characteristics, applications and other consultancy services for SMEs' customers applying the 'web enabled dialogue', and a system for SMEs to support an advanced form of co-operation through the creation of Knowledge Communities of SMEs in Construction Industry. The system supports the integration, management and reuse of the area specific knowledge via a common knowledge base. The system is intended to be used within the Associations to collect and exchange the business area specific knowledge among the members (SMEs) in a form of essential expertise, reachable anywhere, at any time. © 2006 IEEE.

Abstract
This paper presents a case in the development of a knowledge community support system in the context of an industrial association group in the construction sector. This system is a result of the Know-Construct project which aims at providing association sponsored SME communities of the construction sector with a sophisticated information management platform and community building tools for knowledge sharing. The paper begins by characterizing the so-called construction industry knowledge community. The Know-Construct system concept and the its general architecture are described, focusing on the semantic resources, in particular the ontologies structure. The final part of the paper depicts the approach to the actual introduction of the system in the community. An action-research approach was planned to obtain research results regarding the social acceptance of semantic resources such as the ontologies and technical classifications used in system.

Abstract
The main objective of this paper is to contribute to the understanding of the of Business Process Modelling field focusing on the definition of the Inter-Organizational Business Processes from both a high-level modelling perspective and a technological one. We used a conceptual maps' approach in order to clarify all the fundamental concepts that surround these two fields. We will present the two conceptual maps we have achieved through the help of a web-based tool for corpus linguistics and knowledge engineering named Corpografo and using the IHMC Cmaps Toolsfor the design of the Conceptual maps.