Disassembly, Re-Engineering, Mobilization and Re-Assembly Journey of the First Lift Boat from Gulf of Mexico to the Caspian Sea

The Cheleken field offshore Turkmenistan is going through brown field development and challenges with retaining and enhancing production increase every day. Well Interventions are deemed to be a daily necessity to maintain production. Coiled Tubing, Wireline and other rigless interventions have been used directly on platforms resulting in occupying critical spaces, logistic and marine congestion (one Coiled Tubing Move comprises of over twenty lifts), structure integrity limitations, crane and lifting limitation, and a lot more. The need for a self-elevating platform arose and operator search for a proper one within the Caspian Sea ended with disappointments. This paper details the innovative and out of the box solution that was put in place to mobilize the first Lift Boat to the Caspian Sea. A lift boat was identified in the USA in the Gulf of Mexico which was underutilized after the pandemic and oil recession. The Class 230 specifications met the end user's requirements but the challenge was how to mobilize it to the Caspian. In addition, there were a handful of modifications that were requested for the Caspian operation that were not necessarily required in the Gulf. Mobilization of the lift boat must be carried out through the Volga-Don canal locking system which has a width of 57 feet 9 inch (maximum allowable beam for vessels is 56 feet 5 inches). The beam of the lift boat was 78 feet which is too wide to fit through the Volga-Don shipping canal. Hence, it was necessary to disassemble and transport the lift boat in sections. This paper describes the following: • Disassembly requirements necessary to prepare the lift boat for mobilization • The mobilization of the lift boat • • Installation of well service and intervention equipment • Technology and methodology adopted The reassembly requirements once the lift boat reached the shipyard at Caspian Sea The Lift boat was disassembled into three major sections for transportation: a) the center hull module b) the port wing module, and c) the starboard wing module. The wing modules, miscellaneous equipment and containers were loaded onto a barge and sea-fastened for transportation. The center hull module was wet towed to the shipyard located in the Caspian where the lift boat was reassembled, and the well service equipment was installed. The mobilization and assembly happened during the Covid-19 era, and the vessel was hit by Hurricane Ida which impacted the disassembly schedule. Challenges on mobilizing the personnel, equipment, machinery, port clearance, etc. were all extremely tough due to Covid-19. The paper will also cover technical implications on conducting this task by complying with the classification and flag state requirements as per Turkmenistan authority. The main lesson of the paper is the identification of gaps on mobilization and how the improved techniques can be utilized for executing the task on a fast-track manner. © 2023, Offshore Technology Conference.

War on waste: Challenges and experiences in COVID-19 waste management.

COVID-19 has posed formidable challenges including overwhelming bio-medical waste. Guidelines have been rapidly changing along with mounting pressure of waste generation. These challenges were managed by smart re-engineering of structure and processes for desired outcomes. Dedicated staff in PPE with appropriate training were deployed to collect waste using dedicated trolleys. A dedicated route plan was drawn with a dedicated lift meant for COVID-19. A new temporary holding area was created. Dedicated trucks with requisite labels were deployed to transport COVID-19 waste to CBWTF. Communication challenge was addressed through timely circulars, which were further reinforced and reiterated during various on-going training programs.Before the onset of COVID-19 pandemic Bio-Medical Waste generated was 1.93kg/Bed/Day and currently the quantum of COVID-19 biomedical waste generated is 7.76Kg/COVID Bed/Day. Daily COVID-19 waste generation data is maintained and uploaded in an android Application. Till date none of the worker handling COVID-19 waste has acquired Healthcare associated COVID-19 infection which reflects on the soundness of the new system and the infection control practices in the Institute. A responsive leadership harmonizing with a robust communication and training system has augmented timely re-engineering of structure and processes for better outcomes in the war on waste.

Management Tools for Process Mapping and Modeling in Assembly Industry

In a highly globalized world affected by economic policies and a latent COVID-19 pandemic, companies need to organize or reorganize to achieve efficient operations. The correct management of organizations has led their administrators to adopt resourceful management models that guide their activities towards fulfilling their objectives. Thus, management tools have been presented as an effective alternative to control processes and activities. According to a previous study, the main tools that allow process mapping and modeling are Business Process Management (BPM), Business Process Reengineering (BPR), and Event Process Chain (EPC). This article analyzes their characteristics based on compatibility and affinity with four case studies dedicated to the assembly industry using this previous study. In addition, the advantages and disadvantages of the three tools related to the possible adaptability in the four companies are studied. This work uses qualitative qualification matrices, which answer specific questions, determine the potential improvement of organizational management, and create a methodology for mapping and modeling processes. © 2023, The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG.

The Application of Business Process Re-engineering at a Fashion Retailer: A Case Study

To remain competitive in a highly internationalised market, clothing retailers continuously face challenges related to sales output. With the introduction of online retailers, especially during the Covid period, consumers are able to shop from the comfort of their homes. This means that retailers are required to fulfil orders within a very short space of time, which has cost, quality and delivery implications. This research study focuses on the application of business process reengineering at a manufacturing facility, to determine the current challenges. The objective of the research is to investigate the causes of defects and delays from pre-production and online production, and to make recommendations for improving customer delivery. Data were gathered using a qualitative approach through a case study methodology, to gain insight into the fundamental causes of inefficiency in this sector. © 2022 IEEE.

Exogenous Shocks and Business Process Management

Business process management (BPM) drives corporate success through effective and efficient processes. In recent decades, knowledge has been accumulated regarding the identification, discovery, analysis, design, implementation, and monitoring of business processes. This includes methods and tools for tackling various kinds of process change such as continuous process improvement, process reengineering, process innovation, and process drift. However, exogenous shocks, which lead to unintentional and radical process change, have been neglected in BPM research although they severely affect an organization’s context, strategy, and business processes. This research note conceptualizes the interplay of exogenous shocks and BPM in terms of the effects that such shocks can have on organizations’ overall process performance over time. On this foundation, related challenges and opportunities for BPM via several rounds of idea generation and consolidation within a diverse team of BPM scholars are identified. The paper discusses findings in light of extant literature from BPM and related disciplines, as well as present avenues for future (BPM) research to invigorate the academic discourse on the topic.

A Business Process Reengineering of the Surgical Path through Lean Technique: The Real Case Study of a Midsize Italian Hospital

This period of pandemic has had important consequences on the flow and the entire organization of any hospital. In particular, the number of accesses to the emergency room has increased, with the consequent urgent need to reorgani ze it quickly. The model proposed in this paper allows to respond to these needs by freeing not only shifts of nursing staff but also surgical staff. This workforce can then be relocated in the emergency room or of the intensive care unit who are in fact at the forefront of emergency management. The aim of this study conducted by the authors is to analyze, inside the context of a midsize Italian hospital, the actual organization model, and then to approach it by Business Process Reengineering (BPR) methodology with the goal to propose a KPI management system that evaluates the efficiency of the whole surgical path. The second objective of the study is to verify if the Operating Rooms (ORs) are properly sized to cover the surgical workload or if it would be necessary to build new ORs (answer to this question is the project mandate by Surgical Wards Chiefs). The last objective is to implement a flexible to cope with emergency situations such as a pandemic. The main result is the approximate maintenance of surgical annual activity (8169 vs 7889). The fewer resources required can be reallocated to deal with emergencies such as the current COVID-19 pandemic. In fact, the surgical shifts decreased during the test case from 464 versus 365 (-15,32%). The rooms’ utilization coefficient rose from 41% to over 52%, whereas the surgeons’ utilization coefficient rose to 61% (with values over 68% for parallel shifts). The results achieved demonstrate that improving efficiency of surgical processes is feasible and a systematic approach allows to respond to new global health challenges. © 2022, AIDI - Italian Association of Industrial Operations Professors. All rights reserved.

GLOBALIZING TALENT OPERATIONS AT TDK CORPORATION

TDK Corporation, a well-known multinational electronics company that originated in Japan, has gone through a major business change - moving from household electronics to digital technology and components for mobile devices and industrial automation. The company also produces electronic materials, electronic components, recording and data storage media. There is no question that we live in a rapidly changing, unpredictable, and uncertain world where agility reflects a firm's set of capabilities to prosper and thrive in an unpredictable and rapidly changing environment (Vinodh et al. 2012). This paper examines how TDK re-engineered its talent operations to support its business model change during the Covid. The primary goal of this paper is to show how organizations that focus on value creation, dynamic capabilities, and strategic change may benefit from internal communications. As a secondary aim, this paper aims to show how efficient and successful communication support cultural alignment, increased employee engagement, and cultural confidence in the context of remote working and alternative employment conditions.

Re-Engineering of Undergraduate Analogue Electronics Laboratories during Covid-19

The coronavirus pandemic that spread throughout the world during 2020 and 2021 caused enormous upheavals in workplaces and educational settings. Most educational establishments were forced to rapidly switch to online methods of course delivery and student assessment, which presented a challenge to programmes with practical laboratories and project-based learning. This paper presents the approaches that were taken to mitigate the effects of Covid-19 on the practical laboratories for two analogue circuit design modules at University College Cork (UCC). The practical learning outcomes for these modules were facilitated by use of ADALM2000 Active Learning Modules combined with small modifications to make the best use of the kits. © 2022 IEEE.

Guest editorial: KPIs to help develop the next normal in construction practice, teaching-learning and research

[...]this special issue contributes to priming the construction industry for the next normal by re-examining the emerging needs for reengineering or developing novel and more relevant key performance indicators (KPIs) to better measure the performance of construction projects, online teaching-learning and research following vast digital and other transformations triggered, if not accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic. [...]virtual FAT (vFAT) became a popular substitute for physical FAT. The paper showed construction digitisation such as VR, augmented reality (AR) and building information modelling (BIM) is highly cooperative as it can easily be made available for online learning. [...]the findings support construction educators to use online-based VR learning to promote efficient teaching of design buildability to students. The research papers cover findings related to a wide range of countries such as India, Malaysia, New Zealand, South Africa, Sri Lanka and USA, and the authors of the papers also represent several different institutions within or across countries. [...]this special issue provides a snapshot of various KPIs and metrics proposed for the next normal in construction, considering different contextual factors experienced by various different geographical regions across the world.

RE-engineered factory acceptance testing under the new normal

Purpose>Factory acceptance testing (FAT) in the construction industry has been severely hampered due to restrictions in cross-border travel resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic. Consequently, virtual FAT (vFAT) became a popular substitute for physical FAT. However, the credibility of vFAT is being questioned because it was adopted without much scrutiny. Hence, this study is aimed at investigating vFATs and re-engineering the FAT process to suit an effective vFAT environment.Design/methodology/approach>A comprehensive literature search on FAT procedures was followed by two stages of expert interviews with eight leading subject experts and a case study. The findings were analysed using code-based content analysis on NVivo software.Findings>Strengths of vFATs include “reduction in cost and time consumed”, “flexibility for more participants” and “faster orders”. Most emphasized weaknesses include “lack of reliability” and “lack of technology transfer”. vFAT has mostly increased test reliability by “improving accessibility” and has decreased reliability by “restricting physical touch and feel observation of the equipment”. A four-step vFAT process was developed with a noteworthy additional step called “Pre-FAT Meeting”.Research limitations/implications>The scope of this study is limited to the Sri Lankan construction industry. Expansion of the geographical area of focus is recommended for future studies.Originality/value>The findings of this study unveil a vFAT process, which is timely and beneficial for construction practitioners to optimize and enhance the effectiveness of vFATs which are currently conducted in a disarranged manner.

Low-cost CPAP device for patients with COVID-19

The increase in COVID-19 infections due to the appearance of new variants causes serious health problems in the population. Although the majority of those infected have no symptoms, approximately 19% will require oxygen therapy for respiratory support, either by invasive or non-invasive ventilation. The high costs of this equipment mean that hospitals in developing countries have a limited supply of such equipment. Therefore, this paper presents the redesign, simulation, fabrication, and evaluation of a CPAP device that was developed in Europe but has now been replicated in Latin America. It starts with the analysis of the device’s original design and through exploratory techniques and computer simulation the materials, parts, and assembly are determined. Functional tests validate that a prototype similar to the original was obtained that will provide noninvasive positive air pressure that keeps patients' airways open. © 2022 IEEE Computer Society. All rights reserved.

Re-engineering the Cypriot General Healthcare System for Syndemics.

To date in Cyprus, there is no dedicated "Quality Improvement" body or Public Health authority. The long-awaited general healthcare system (known as GeSy or GHS) has been completed, mid-stream of the COVID-19 pandemic. A recently proposed resilience plan in response to the lessons learnt from the pandemic was put forward by the Government of the Republic of Cyprus to strengthen the capacity of the GHS and support public health defense. The negotiator of GeSy and Health Minister 2015-2018 also provided his view that the health system needs a holistic transformation of service provision. Recognizing failures and thinking from a syndemogenesis perspective how the envisioned patient-centric healthcare delivery can be achieved, we propose that the public health response could also be linked to a politico-economic one in shielding GeSy. We make such case for a syndemic strategy (simultaneous management of COVID-19 and pre-existing epidemics on the island) and the development of the five-district model where each main district hospital is to complement the activities of the GHS through developing: 1. A training Center for training and sharing of best practices for COVID-19 and other public emergencies. 2. A public health body. 3. A quality improvement institute. 4. A commissioning center on planning and streamlining healthcare services. 5. A clinical trial platform. The rationale is based on the management literature and use of existing resources and capabilities for transforming the GeSy and generating value.

Drug re-engineering and repurposing: A significant and rapid approach to tuberculosis drug discovery.

The prevalence of tuberculosis (TB) remains the leading cause of death from a single infectious agent, ranking it above all other contagious diseases. The problem to tackle this disease seems to become even worse due to the outbreak of SARS-CoV-2. Further, the complications related to drug-resistant TB, prolonged treatment regimens, and synergy between TB and HIV are significant drawbacks. There are several drugs to treat TB, but there is still no rapid and accurate treatment available. Intensive research is, therefore, necessary to discover newer molecular analogs that can probably eliminate this disease within a short span. An increase in efficacy can be achieved through re-engineering old TB-drug families and repurposing known drugs. These two approaches have led to the production of newer classes of compounds with novel mechanisms to treat multidrug-resistant strains. With respect to this context, we discuss structural aspects of developing new anti-TB drugs as well as examine advances in TB drug discovery. It was found that the fluoroquinolone, oxazolidinone, and nitroimidazole classes of compounds have greater potential to be further explored for TB drug development. Most of the TB drug candidates in the clinical phase are modified versions of these classes of compounds. Therefore, here we anticipate that modification or repurposing of these classes of compounds has a higher probability to reach the clinical phase of drug development. The information provided will pave the way for researchers to design and identify newer molecular analogs for TB drug development and also broaden the scope of exploring future-generation potent, yet safer anti-TB drugs.

Business Process Improvement in Distributor Company to Increase The Timeliness of Delivery

Pandemic Covid-19 has had an impact not only on health aspects but also on the economy of Indonesia, both from demand and supply. Problems in Indonesia's government, such as the lack of medical equipment and supporting facilities in handling Covid-19 pandemics, have triggered the need for a sudden (urgent/emergency). On the other hand, there are still many distributor companies that have no experience in handling emergencies. One of the impacts is the delivery of goods that are not on time /late. To solve the problem, this study aims to get a process business in a distributor company with more effective and efficient processes by involving intercompany to increase the timeliness of delivery to customers. We propose using BPR (Business Process Reengineering) and simulation to model and analyze the current process and redesign the repair process. The results were obtained, with the average procurement of goods decreased by 46%. © 2022 IEEE.

Repatriated Migrants in Re-engineering Supply Chain of Agricultural Produce of Rural Odisha

Agricultural produce does not get the apt recognition so far as the pricing and match between the supply and demand forces of it are concerned. In fact, the supply chain of the agricultural produce in India, particularly in the state of Odisha, is very weak. The supply chain of agricultural produce, i.e. the flow of agricultural produce from the farmers to the end-users, i.e. consumers, is not a smooth one for which the farmers receive a very less price, whereas the consumers pay exorbitant prices for the agricultural produce. Sometimes, the farmers fail to sell their produce owing to the unavailability of buyers, particularly for perishable produce during harvesting season. It happens for two things: (1) because the supply chain of agricultural produce is not scientific, and (2) because the farmers don’t have enough man-hours during harvesting season to sell their products directly to the consumers in the local markets. However, the insertion of some productive manpower in the existing supply chain of the agricultural produce may solve the purpose. The current pandemic owing to Covid-19 has caused an inflow of out-migrant people to their native places, i.e. repatriated migrants or returnee migrants. Since those returnee migrants are having the threat of life in migrated place for the on-going pandemic, their inclusion in the supply chain of agricultural produce may solve the problems of pricing and mismatch of demand and supply forces of agricultural produce. Against this backdrop, this paper is to design a framework to make use of the repatriated migrants in upgrading the supply chain of the agricultural produce. The methodology adopted for this paper is content analysis from the existing literature and secondary data. © 2022, The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd.

CONDITIONS AND FACTORS FOR ENERGY SUPPLY COMPANY BUSINESS PROCESS ORGANIZATION CONCERNING PAYMENT ACCEPTANCE

In the prevailing era, the most relevant issues seem to be the development of an adaptive policy of an energy sales company to ensure financial stability and sustainable development in the course of energy sales activities. This study continues the cycle of the author's general research devoted to the methodological issues of an adaptive policy development in relation to the key business processes of energy sales activities implemented by an energy sales company, the specifics of its work as a guaranteed energy (capacity) supplier, etc. The article examines the conditions and factors that determine the need to develop an adaptive system for an energy sales company to organize payment acceptance. When it comes to the business process organization for payment acceptance, energy retail companies need to take into account the conditions and factors that set the long-term trend in this area: changes in legislation, the strength of market competition and the trends of the payment acceptance market infrastructure, the ongoing coronavirus infection pandemic, and the ongoing technological change. Management decision-making should be based on the principles of economic feasibility and efficiency in conjunction with legal requirement compliance. Power supply companies need to use the conditions and factors highlighted in the study to build up competitive advantages in the field of payment acceptance organization, to maintain and develop their market position, which can only be done through an adaptation policy in this area. For the purpose of economic efficiency increase concerning organization payment acceptance business process, energy sales companies need to plan the indicators of the payment acceptance system, implement measures for their implementation (achieve target values), carry out the analysis of the achieved results and their reflection, which will ensure timely and reasonable acceptance of management decisions.

Lean Management Approach for Reengineering the Hospital Cardiology Consultation Process: A Report from AORN "A. Cardarelli" of Naples.

BACKGROUND: Consultations with specialists are essential for safe and high-quality care for all patients. Cardiology consultations, due to a progressive increase in cardiology comorbidities, are becoming more common in hospitals prior to any type of treatment. The appropriateness and correctness of the request, the waiting time for delivery and the duration of the visit are just a few of the elements that can affect the quality of the process. METHODS: In this work, a Lean approach and Telemedicine are used to optimize the cardiology consultancy process provided by the Cardiology Unit of "Antonio Cardarelli" Hospital of Naples (Italy), the largest hospital in the southern Italy. RESULTS: The application of corrective actions, with the introduction of portable devices and telemedicine, led to a reduction in the percentage of waiting for counseling from 29.6% to 18.3% and an increase in the number of patients treated. CONCLUSIONS: The peculiarity of the study is to apply an innovative methodology such as Lean Thinking in optimizing the cardiology consultancy process, currently little studied in literature, with benefits for both patients and medical staff.

Finance Beyond Transitions

[...]they can involve employees to help them manage the effects of transition as they provide the incoming administration with relevant risk-based scenarios for finance.1 Most importantly, leaders must develop a strategy, communicate often and early, make positive connections with incoming personnel and identify feasible options. Tools, such as intelligent automation, will help CFO organizations cost-effectively process financial information and incorporate financial, budget and performance data to inform decisions on strategy and operations. Potential risks may affect the CFO organization, but finance executives can mitigate risks and outcomes, as shown in Figure 3, with defined steps: * Communicate with critical stakeholders to keep them informed. * Drive operational improvements. * Manage risks related to internal controls and cybersecurity. * Prepare for talent disruptions and virtualization.3 Weave these principles into disaster recovery planning, activities and strategies for risk-based scenarios.

Management Tools for Process Mapping and Modeling in Assembly Industry

In a highly globalized world affected by economic policies and a latent COVID-19 pandemic, companies need to organize or reorganize to achieve efficient operations. The correct management of organizations has led their administrators to adopt resourceful management models that guide their activities towards fulfilling their objectives. Thus, management tools have been presented as an effective alternative to control processes and activities. According to a previous study, the main tools that allow process mapping and modeling are Business Process Management (BPM), Business Process Reengineering (BPR), and Event Process Chain (EPC). This article analyzes their characteristics based on compatibility and affinity with four case studies dedicated to the assembly industry using this previous study. In addition, the advantages and disadvantages of the three tools related to the possible adaptability in the four companies are studied. This work uses qualitative qualification matrices, which answer specific questions, determine the potential improvement of organizational management, and create a methodology for mapping and modeling processes. © 2022, The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG.