/pdf/research-design-qualitative-quantitative-and-mixed-methods-1m92m1x5gg.pdf

Research Design: Qualitative, Quantitative, and Mixed Methods Approaches

Sustainability assessment is being increasingly viewed as an important tool to aid in the shift towards sustainability. However, this is a new and evolving concept and there remain very few examples of effective sustainability assessment processes implemented anywhere in the world. Sustainability assessment is often described as a process by which the implications of an initiative on sustainability are evaluated, where the initiative can be a proposed or existing policy, plan, programme, project, piece of legislation, or a current practice or activity. However, this generic definition covers a broad range of different processes, many of which have been described in the literature as 'sustainability assessment'. This article seeks to provide some clarification by reflecting on the different approaches described in the literature as being forms of sustainability assessment, and evaluating them in terms of their potential contributions to sustainability. Many of these are actually examples of 'integrated assessment', derived from environmental impact assessment (EIA) and strategic environmental assessment (SEA), but which have been extended to incorporate social and economic considerations as well as environmental ones, reflecting a 'triple bottom line' (TBL) approach to sustainability. These integrated assessment processes typically either seek to minimise 'unsustainability', or to achieve TBL objectives. Both aims may, or may not, result in sustainable practice. We present an alternative conception of sustainability assessment, with the more ambitious aim of seeking to determine whether or not an initiative is actually sustainable. We term such processes 'assessment for sustainability'. 'Assessment for sustainability' firstly requires that the concept of sustainability be well-defined. The article compares TBL approaches and principles-based approaches to developing such sustainability criteria, concluding that the latter are more appropriate, since they avoid many of the inherent limitations of the triple-bottom-line as a conception of sustainability.

Conceptualising sustainability assessment

This was the first book in English on total productive maintenance (TPM) - a system which has been shown to reduce breakdowns to almost zero and increase worker productivity by as much as 150 percent.

Introduction to TPM : total productive maintenance

Industry 4.0 and the human factor – A systems framework and analysis methodology for successful development

http://publications.lib.chalmers.se/records/fulltext/214181/local_214181.pdf

Energy management in production: A novel method to develop key performance indicators for improving energy efficiency

https://research.chalmers.se/publication/510875/file/510875_Fulltext.pdf

A framework for operative and social sustainability functionalities in Human-Centric Cyber-Physical Production Systems

This paper aims to explore how learning about Circular Economy (CE) may be facilitated through the use of the serious game In the Loop. Despite the growing literature base related to CE, academic reflection on education for a CE is currently limited. In the Loop was developed to provide an experiential learning situation for educating about material criticality and CE. This study reflects on the use of the game with engineering students pursuing higher education. Seventy-one reflections, written after students played the game, were qualitatively coded through the use of a-priori coding. This paper presents the findings from analysis of four themes: Gameplay, Systems Thinking, Material Criticality, and Realism/Real World Connection. Use of the game encouraged students to think holistically and reflect on material criticality. Students highlighted the importance of adopting strategies, including CE concepts, to address resource challenges, with many reflecting on how their own actions and abilities could play a role. Moreover, the study suggests In the Loop has broader relevance than engineering education alone and appears to confirm previous research on the benefits of using games to facilitate systems thinking.

'All they do is win': Lessons learned from use of a serious game for Circular Economy education

Better monitoring and control of energy consumption and effective use of performance indicators are of utmost important for achieving improved energy efficiency performance in manufacturing for current and future enterprises. This paper aims at analyzing the current state of the art on energy related production performance indicators to derive research gaps and industrial needs in the area. The research has been conducted as preliminary step before a comprehensive effort in which the authors suggest a new methodology to develop energy related key performance indicators. Therefore, the study resulted in a clearer understanding and synthesis of the research field, gaps in scientific literature and industrial needs, hence guiding further research.

/pdf/energy-related-key-performance-indicators-state-of-the-art-2z8uo7e5m8.pdf

Energy Related Key Performance Indicators - State of the Art, Gaps and Industrial Needs

https://research.chalmers.se/publication/521561/file/521561_Fulltext.pdf

Ilaria Giovanna Barletta

Papers

Energy management in production: A novel method to develop key performance indicators for improving energy efficiency

A framework for operative and social sustainability functionalities in Human-Centric Cyber-Physical Production Systems

'All they do is win': Lessons learned from use of a serious game for Circular Economy education

Energy Related Key Performance Indicators - State of the Art, Gaps and Industrial Needs

Organisational sustainability readiness: A model and assessment tool for manufacturing companies