Development projects that span different disciplines and groups often face problems in establishing a shared understanding of the project's purpose, deliverables, and direction. Creating Shared Understanding in Product Development Teams: How to 'Build the Beginning' uses research-based cases from TC Electronic, The Red Cross, Daimler AG, and Copenhagen Living Lab to demonstrate one approach to this problem complex. It shows how prototyping specific physical artifacts can function as drivers and focal points for creating the much needed shared understanding. Encompassing both the participant's and the facilitator's point of view, Creating Shared Understanding in Product Development Teams: How to 'Build the Beginning' provides both practical examples and theoretical explanation for the process of creating shared understanding. This book provides a toolbox and a practical guide for planning, executing, and facilitating workshops. The result is a clear outline of how to facilitate the creation of physical artifacts that enables and stimulates communication between team members, users, and stakeholders in order to create shared understanding of projects

Holistic Engineering Education: Beyond Technology is a compilation of coordinated and focused essays from world leaders in the engineering profession who are dedicated to a transformation of engineering education and practice. The contributors define a new and holistic approach to education and practice that captures the creativity, interdisciplinarity, complexity, and adaptability required for the profession to grow and truly serve global needs. With few exceptions today, engineering students and professionals continue to receive a traditional, technically-based education and training using curriculum models developed for early 20th century manufacturing and machining. While this educational paradigm has served engineering well, helping engineers create awe-inspiring machines and technologies for society, the coursework and expectations of most engineering programs eschew breadth and intellectual exploration to focus on consistent technological precision and study. Why this dichotomy?

While engineering will always need precise technological skill, the 21st century innovation economy demands a new professional perspective that recognizes the value of complex systems thinking, cross-disciplinary collaborations, economic and environmental impacts (sustainability), and effective communication to global and community leaders, thus enabling engineers to consider "the whole patient" of society's needs. The goal of this book is to inspire, lead, and guide this critically needed transformation of engineering education.

"Holistic Engineering Education: Beyond Technology points the way to a transformation of engineering education and practice that will be sufficiently robust, flexible, and systems-oriented to meet the grand challenges of the 21st century with their ever-increasing scale, complexity, and transdisciplinary nature."

-- Charles Vest, President, National Academy of Engineering; President Emeritus, MIT
"This collection of essays provides compelling arguments for the need of an engineering education that prepares engineers for the problems of the 21st century. Following the National Academy s report on the Engineer of 2020, this book brings together experts who make the case for an engineering profession that looks beyond developing just cool technologies and more into creating solutions that can address important problems to benefit real people."

-- Linda Katehi, Chancellor, University of California at Davis

"This superb volume offers a provocative portrait of the exciting future of engineering education A dramatically new form of engineering education is needed that recognizes this field as a liberal art, as a profession that combines equal parts technical rigor and creative design The authors challenge the next generation to engineering educators to imagine, think and act in new ways. "

-- Lee S. Shulman, President Emeritus, The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching and Charles E. Ducommun Professor of Education Emeritus, Stanford University"

This book discusses the revolution of cycles and rhythms that is expected to take place in different branches of science and engineering in the 21st century, with a focus on communication and information processing. It presents high-quality papers in vibration sciences, rhythms and oscillations, neurosciences, mathematical sciences, and communication. It includes major topics in engineering and structural mechanics, computer sciences, biophysics and biomathematics, as well as other related fields. Offering valuable insights, it also inspires researchers to work in these fields. The papers included in this book were presented at the 1st International Conference on Engineering Vibration, Communication and Information Processing (ICoEVCI-2018), India.

At the dawn of the 21st century, computational stochastic dynamics is an emerging research frontier. This book focuses on advanced computational methods and software tools which can highly assist in tackling complex problems in stochastic dynamic/seismic analysis and design of structures. The book is primarily intended for researchers and post-graduate students in the fields of computational mechanics and stochastic structural dynamics. Nevertheless, practice engineers as well could benefit from it as most code provisions tend to incorporate probabilistic concepts in the analysis and design of structures. The book addresses mathematical and numerical issues in stochastic structural dynamics and connects them to real-world applications. It consists of 16 chapters dealing with recent advances in a wide range of related topics (dynamic response variability and reliability of stochastic systems, risk assessment, stochastic simulation of earthquake ground motions, efficient solvers for the analysis of stochastic systems, dynamic stability, stochastic modelling of heterogeneous materials). Numerical examples demonstrating the significance of the proposed methods are presented in each chapter.

The MCPC 2014 is a multi-track conference featuring a combination of high profile keynotes with expert talks, panel discussions, paper sessions, workshops, receptions, and much more. While it is devoted to sharing and discussing the latest research in the field, the MCPC conference has a strong focus on real life applications. Since its beginning, the MCPC conference has had an equal share of participants, practitioners and academics/researchers. This makes the MCPC conference truly unique among many conferences. It strives to connect MCPC thinkers, first movers, entrepreneurs, technology developers, and researchers with people applying these strategies in practice. Twenty years ago Mass Customization was acknowledged as the "New Frontier in Business Competition". Ever since, industry has been applying the concept and researchers have developed the topic into a well-established research area and businesses have formed new strategies. More knowledge, methods and technologies are available now than ever before. Along with general Mass Customization topics, this conference addresses Mass Customization from a historical perspective, looking at both mass customization in the past 20 years and towards the new frontiers in the 20 years to come. This book presents the latest research from the worldwide MCPC community bringing together the new thoughts and results from various disciplines within the field.

Dielectric Polymer Nanocomposites provides the first in-depth discussion of nano-dielectrics, an emerging and fast moving topic in electrical insulation. The text begins with an overview of the background, principles and promise of nanodielectrics, followed by a discussion of the processing of nanocomposites and then proceeds with special considerations of clay based processes, mechanical, thermal and electric properties and surface properties as well as erosion resistance. Carbon nanotubes are discussed as a means of creation of non linear conductivity, the text concludes with a industrial applications perspective.

This book presents selected examples of digitalization in the age of digital change. It is divided into two sections: "Digital Innovation," which features new technologies that stimulate and enable new business opportunities; and "Digital Business Transformation," comprising business and management concepts that employ specific technological solutions for their practical implementation. Combining new insights from research, teaching and management, including digital transformation, e-business, knowledge representation, human-computer interaction, and business optimization, the book highlights the breadth of research as well as its meaningful and relevant transfer into practice. It is intended for academics seeking inspiration, as well as for leaders wanting to tap the potential of the latest trends to take society and their business to the next level.

- Offers a factual in-depth analysis of the VFH market, without bias, to inform the practitioner and seeks to provoke further discussion amongst the academic community. - Illuminates the current situation surrounding the for-hire industry, and its dominance by a few large players such as Uber, Lyft and Didi Chuxing, and offers insights into the future of this fast-moving sector. - A unique examination conducted by renowned experts, relevant to all global markets.

Over the years I have worked with or consulted for many managers throughout the world at all levels of industry and government. I have seen who succeeded, achieved goals, and made progress, and who failed or crashed. I have studied their methods of operation and their decision-making approach, as well as the range of people involved in the decision-making. I similarly personally managed large industrial and service organizations and their operations, and found that to succeed and have a content team of collaborators, decision-making had to be joint and delegated to the lowest competent and informed level. Using this approach not only improved the performance of the organization or firm, but also resulted in a more content, professional, cooperative, happy, and competent workforce. In general, people like to assume responsibility, particularly of functions with which they are intimately familiar. They enjoy the role of de- sion-maker and the use of their knowledge and experience in guiding their and related work. Delegation of decision-making not only infuses pride and conte- ment but also assures more informed, timely, and effective implementation of de- sions. It also adds to worker training and education as workers inquire, develop information and use of their own experience in improving their decision-making. Worker pride and feeling of control and involvement lead to contentment and s- isfaction which, in return, pays dividends in worker productivity, morale, retention, and resulting low turnover.

"Logistics" is the ideal book for Bachelor students of logistics, providing a solid foundation as well as a practical guide. In modular and clear form, it explains key concepts, principles, and practices of logistics. Learning objectives as well as several case studies are integrated into each chapter.

It features chapters on Principles of Logistics; Logistics Systems; Transport Systems and Logistics Services; Warehousing, Handling and Picking Systems; Inventory, Stock and Provisioning Management; Logistics Network Planning; IT in Logistics; and Logistics Controlling. In addition, the second fully updated German edition has been extended by the chapters Logistics Infrastructure and Investment and Financing in Logistics.

"This book offers, in a very clear and concise manner, access to fundamental management topics of modern logistics. Well-chosen case studies serve to illustrate best practice solutions."

"Professor Peter Klaus, member of Logistics Hall of Fame "

"This new textbook facilitates a comprehensive and easy-to-grasp insight into the complex subject area of logistics. The authors have succeeded in presenting a good mix of theoretical foundation and practical application. Due to its clear structure and extensive range of topics, this book is highly suitable not only for students, but also for practitioners."

"Bernhard Simon, Managing Director, DACHSER GmbH & Co. KG""

We think we have scientific knowledge when we know the cause. (Aristotle, Posterior Analytics Book II, Part 11) About 12 years ago, when I was a graduate student, many people were concerned about my Ph. D. topic - investigating the effect of the complexity of procedu- lized tasks on the performance of human operators working in nuclear power plants. Although they agreed with the fact that procedures (especially emergency operating procedures) play a crucial role in securing the safety of nuclear power plants, it was amazing that most of them pointed out a very similar issue: "I cannot understand why operating personnel see any difficulty (or complexity) in condu- ing procedures, because all that they have to do is to follow a simple IF-THEN- ELSE rule as written. " Actually, this issue is closely related to one of the main questions I was recently asked, such as "Don't you think your work is too acad- ic to apply to actual procedures?" or "I guess we don't need to consider the c- plexity of procedures, because we can develop a good procedure using many pr- tical procedure writers' guidelines. Then what is the real contribution of your work?" I absolutely agree with the latter comment. Yes, we can develop a good pro- dure with the support of many practical and excellent guidelines.

Technology is taking us to a world where myriads of heavily networked devices interact with the physical world in multiple ways and at multiple scales, from the global Internet down to micro and nano devices. Many of these devices are highly mobile and must adapt to the surrounding environment in a totally unsupervised way.

A fundamental research challenge is the design of robust decentralized computing systems that are capable of operating under changing environments and noisy input, and yet exhibit the desired behavior and response time, under constraints such as energy consumption, size, and processing power.

Biological systems are able to handle many of these challenges with an elegance and efficiency still far beyond current human artifacts. The goal is to obtain methods on how to engineer technical systems, which have similar high stability and efficiency.

With this book, we present a comprehensive overview of the most promising research directions in the area of bio-inspired computing. According to the broad spectrum addressed by the different book chapters, a rich variety of biological principles and their application to ICT systems are presented.

Currently the notion of "sustainability" is used in an inflationary manner. Therefore the authors start with a definition which is stable to serve as an anchor for further research as well as for discussions among scientists, managers and politicians, ideally across different disciplines. The character of this book is purely conceptual. The argumentation is based on comparison of new and demanding requisites with existing models (process and network architectures in the field of logistics). Formerly neglected impacts on the environment will be included. Main features of a new approach will be developed which are capable to avoid these impacts and to align logistics with the requirements of sustainability. In order to make logistics sustainable large parts will have to be reinvented. The focus needs to be on decoupling transportation activities from economic growth rates.

This volume features papers from the 18th International Congress on Project Management and Engineering, held by the University of Zaragoza in collaboration with the Spanish Association of Project Management and Engineering (AEIPRO). It illustrates the state of the art in this emerging area. Readers will discover ways to increase the effectiveness of project engineering as well as the efficiency of project management. The papers, written by international researchers and professionals, cover civil engineering and urban planning, product and process engineering, environmental engineering, energy efficiency and renewable energies, rural development, safety, labor risks and ergonomics, and training in project engineering. Overall, this book contributes to the improvement of project engineering research and enhances the transfer of results to the job of project engineers and project managers around the world. It will appeal to all professionals in the field as well as researchers and teachers involved in the training of future professionals.

This book offers a platform for engineering educators who are interested in implementing a "creative ways of knowing" approach to presenting engineering concepts. The case studies in this book reveal how students learn through creative engagement that includes not only design and build activities, but also creative presentations of learning, such as composing songs, writing poems and short stories, painting and drawing, as well as designing animations and comics. Any engineering educator will find common ground with the authors, who are all experienced engineering and liberal arts professors, who have taken the step to include creative activities and outlets for students learning engineering.

Having a team that knows how to adapt and innovate quickly can make all the difference in these challenging and competitive times -- for your organization and you personally as a leader. Leaders as coaches are crucial for a true learning organization, and high-performance teams need and want their leader to coach -- not tell. But not just any kind of coaching! Coaching that is enabling and inspiring because it increases adaptiveness and creativity -- with each individual and the whole team -- so they achieve important goals together. That's what the Coaching Kata helps leaders to learn. Take a fresh look at this five-phase, dual-purpose coaching model, become the leader you always wanted to be, and your team needs you to be. This business novel will transform the way you see and lead your team.

Rapid evolution of trade, cultural and human relations provides the qualitative and quantitative enhancement of international collaborations, linking the countries with different economical and technological level. Delocalization of High-Tech industry inevitably leads to development of the material science and engineering researches in emergent countries, requiring transfer of know-how, restructuration of basic research and educational networks. This book presents the contributions of participants of the Advanced Research Workshop "Smart Materials for Energy, Communications and Security" (ARW SMECS; www.smecs.ferroix.net), organized in December 2007 in Marrakech in frame of the "NATO - Science for Peace" program. The objective of this event was the attempt to overview several hot topics of material physics related with problems of modern society: transformation and storage of energy, treatment and transmission of information, environmental security issues etc., with the focus of their implementation in Mediterranean Dialogue (MD) countries: Algeria, Egypt, Mauritania, Morocco and Tunisia. The workshop is an important stage in developing of the research network "Mediterranean Electronic Materials" - MEM (www.reseau-MEM.org), that has an objective to encourage the inter-Maghreb and Europe-Maghreb collaborative studies in the area of electroactive materials. Participants of the Advanced Research Workshop "Smart Materials for Energy, Communications and Security" , Marrakech, Morocco, December 2007 v vi PREFACE

This book gathers selected peer-reviewed papers from the 14th World Congress on Engineering Asset Management (WCEAM), which was held in Singapore on 28-31 July 2019, as well as papers presented during the 1st WCEAMOnline event which focused on the ramifications of Covid-19 on infrastructure systems. This book covers a wide range of topics in engineering asset management, including: asset management services provisioning; servitization; decision-making; asset management systems; industrial Internet of things; and vulnerability and resilience of infrastructure systems. The breadth and depth of these state-of-the-art, comprehensive proceedings make them an excellent resource for asset management practitioners, researchers and academics, as well as undergraduate and postgraduate students.

This volume identifies, discusses and addresses the wide array of ethical issues that have emerged for engineers due to the rise of a global economy. To date, there has been no systematic treatment of the particular challenges globalization poses for engineering ethics standards and education. This volume concentrates on precisely this challenge. Scholars and practitioners from diverse national and professional backgrounds discuss the ethical issues emerging from the inherent symbiotic relationship between the engineering profession and globalization. Through their discussions a deeper and more complete understanding of the precise ways in which globalization impacts the formulation and justification of ethical standards in engineering as well as the curriculum and pedagogy of engineering ethics education emerges. The world today is witnessing an unprecedented demand for engineers and other science and technology professionals with advanced degrees due to both the off-shoring of western jobs and the rapid development of non-Western countries. The current flow of technology and professionals is from the West to the rest of the world. Professional practices followed by Western (or Western-trained) engineers are often based on presuppositions which can be in fundamental disagreement with the viewpoints of non-Westerners. A successful engineering solution cannot be simply technically sound, but also must account for cultural, social and religious constraints. For these reasons, existing Western standards cannot simply be exported to other countries. Divided into two parts, Part I of the volume provides an overview of particular dimensions of globalization and the criteria that an adequate engineering ethics framework must satisfy in a globalized world. Part II of the volume considers pedagogical challenges and aims in engineering ethics education that is global in character.