Abstract

Abstract
The Internet of Things has revolutionized the way we can think about sales and customer relationship management strategies. In this context, a view of the world where technology is embedded in practically all objects and physical spaces will be an expectable reality. This reality opens up unprecedented opportunities with regard to the levels of customization in the sales process, whether in virtual spaces or in physical spaces. However, IoT also poses enormous challenges in the field of security and in particular in the field of user privacy. In this context, this article, after analyzing some of the main challenges for IoT in the privacy domain and what impact the IoT may have in the business domain and in particular in the subdomains of sales and advertising, presents a conceptual model to support customer empowerment while citizen with regard to the definition and management of privacy policies concerns a context that may go beyond the boundaries of citizenship and be applied in scenarios without borders, whenever there is the possibility of defining policies and legislation above Country. © 2021, The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG.

Abstract

Abstract
This paper focuses on the identification of collaborative strategies and practices adopted by companies of the fashion industry in the management of customized offerings (both products and services) along their supply chain (SC). A multiple case study approach is applied and four companies (both medium and large) were interviewed. The cross-case analysis enabled mapping the cases following two dimensions: type of market asking for the customization (B2B vs. B2C) and scope of customization (products vs. services). The analysis highlights the practices and processes related to the customization, the enabling technologies adopted, and the actors involved by a focal company in the collaboration (both in upstream and downstream networks) to offer the product or service that meet customer needs.

Abstract
The innovation and digitalization of the industry is happening triggered by the Industry 4.0 and Industrial Internet-of-Things (IIoT) paradigm. Enterprises are following the trend of digital transformation and are fostering projects that enable a higher comprehension of I4.0 solutions to answer their needs. The IIoT platforms have been a central component for industrial systems architectures to enable interoperability and data flow within industrial settings. However, the digitalization process has all sorts of shortcomings associated to them, and in the SME's this transformation has been slow to none. In this work we showcase a proof of concept of an IIoT platform that intends to simplify the digitalization process in SME's, based on the Portuguese footwear industry cluster.

Abstract
In the current industrial revolution, additive manufacturing (AM) embodies a promising technology that can enhance the effectiveness, adaptability, and competitiveness of supply chains (SCs). Moreover, it facilitates the development of distributed SCs, thereby enhancing product availability, inventory levels, and lead time. However, the wide adoption of AM in industrial SCs creates various challenges, leading to new difficulties for SC design. In this context, this article proposes a new design approach to AM SCs using optimization methods. More specifically, the proposed approach, comprising the p-median and mixed-integer linear programming models, considers the decision of deploying productive resources (3-D printers) in specific locations of generic spare part SCs. The approach was evaluated in a real-world use case of an elevator maintenance service provider. The obtained results demonstrated the promising capabilities of the proposed design approach in managing the challenges arising from the forthcoming widespread use of 3-D printers in manufacturing SCs.