Abstract
Geostatistics has been successfully used to analyse and characterize the spatial variability of environmental properties. Besides providing estimated values at unsampled locations, geostatistics measures the accuracy of the estimate, which is a significant advantage over traditional methods used to assess pollution. This work uses universal block kriging to model and map the spatial distribution of salinity measurements gathered by an Autonomous Underwater Vehicle in a sea outfall monitoring campaign. The aim is to distinguish the effluent plume from the receiving waters, characterizing its spatial variability in the vicinity of the discharge and estimating dilution. The results demonstrate that geostatistical methodology can provide good estimates of the dispersion of effluents, which are valuable in assessing the environmental impact and managing sea outfalls. Moreover, since accurate measurements of the plume's dilution are rare, these studies may be very helpful in the future to validate dispersion models.

Abstract
Health information systems are becoming ubiquitous throughout healthcare delivery processes. Governments, enticed by the potential for improved patient care and cost reduction, are pushing for more integrated IT systems in healthcare. However, the successful adoption of these systems depends on the value they create as a service for healthcare professionals and how they support their activities. Following a call for more multidisciplinary research in health information systems and increased end-user participation in HIS development, this study presents a service perspective that considers users of health information systems (HIS) as active partners and co-creators of value, instead of passive recipients of the functionalities brought by these IT systems. From a service perspective we frame healthcare professionals as customers of HIS, and analyze how they can better support healthcare provision. We present an in-depth study of primary care professionals experience with the HIS of the Portuguese National Health Service. Experience was systematized using Customer Experience Modeling, a method that takes into account the holistic nature of experience. Results portray and evaluate HIS according to professionals' experience requirements. They also show a fragmented reality where HIS usefulness is being hampered by integration and performance issues. HIS design guidelines are also posited. © 2013 IEEE.

Abstract
The development and widespread market acceptance of recent technological devices, such as smart phones and tablets, poses new challenges and great opportunities for innovative service designs. In fact these devices no longer merely replicate the same functionalities in different contexts, they can also dynamically interact among themselves when in close proximity. Thus, this is a two-fold challenge for service designers, they must handle the additional points of contact between service providers and their customers independently, and also in combinations. In this paper we present the relevant concepts for designing multi-interface services, and also introduce the concept of dynamic service interfaces. We illustrate these dynamic service interfaces by presenting an application to the design of a new multimedia service. This service makes use of dynamic service interfaces to deliver an improved and innovative customer experience. © 2013 IEEE.

Abstract
Since the automotive industry is one of the most competitive markets, key players should be capable of evolving their management strategy from a reactive to proactive approach. This way, it is critical for this type of companies to explore a new performance management approach where an effective interaction between the strategic and operational layers should be achieved. In line with this vision, a framework is presented that helps stakeholders make decisions based on the ability to anticipate future performance behaviours. Using leading indicators as reference, the key idea is to structure and model the existing knowledge within a mathematical tool, in order to project the manufacturing system's behaviour into the future. In order to show the reliability and importance of this framework, this paper presents a research performed at an automotive plant. The aim is to model the factors affecting energy consumption and thus estimate the future behaviour in terms of sustainability issues.

Abstract
Due to the increasing globalization process and the current economic situation, the power has shifted from the producer to the costumer, forcing companies to become more aware of the market needs. In order to become more customer-oriented, companies have been enhancing their management capabilities by shifting from a functional oriented approach to a process centered strategy, where core inter-firms processes can be seamlessly monitored and controlled. Since it is not possible to manage a system if its performance cannot be measured continuously during its entire life cycle, it is necessary to explore flexible and agile performance measurement and management systems as they are important tools capable of supporting the achievement of the strategic goals on the operational side. In the recent years several research projects have developed techniques and tools that support the collaboration. However they are restricted to the business level. In order to achieve the goals with the best performance, innovative and appropriate process monitoring and control mechanisms are needed. Consequently, this research provides an innovative solution that facilitates not only the gathering of operational and strategic information but also the assessment of collaborative manufacturing processes behavior following a fuzzy approach. © Springer International Publishing Switzerland 2013.

Abstract
Currently, performance analysis on complex manufacturing systems is performed in an ad hoc way since the main objective is to verify if the strategy designed has been helping companies achieve their targets following a reactive approach. However, more and more companies are performing in competitive markets, forcing them to become more proactive than reactive. This way, a simple approach is no longer suitable for this type of companies, and a stronger and effective interaction between the strategic and operational layers is key. Therefore, this research proposes a framework composed of both qualitative and quantitative methods that allow decision-makers to better understand their production system. Moreover, using key leading indicators as reference, the idea is to provide companies with the ability to anticipate future performance behaviors based not only on the knowledge acquired, but also on a mathematical tool that will synthesize this knowledge and infer future performance behaviors. This paper explores a critical issue for contemporary industrial organizations and sustainability issues concerning energy consumption. In this scope, an important research was performed aiming at modeling and understanding the normal behavior of electricity consumption, as well as the factors affecting energy consumption in the painting line of an automotive plant. © Springer International Publishing Switzerland 2013.