Search Results (44)

Eco-labels can support sustainable tourism, but their credibility depends on more than visible environmental practices. Hotels also need internal processes for planning, implementation, monitoring, review, and continual improvement. This study assessed eco-label process maturity in hotels in the Western Balkans Six region. The analysis included 625 hotels from Serbia, Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, North Macedonia, and Montenegro. A 116-item questionnaire was developed and structured according to the Plan-Do-Check-Act cycle. The items were grouped into 14 subcategories and four PDCA phases. The Eco-Label Process Maturity Index was calculated for each hotel. The mean maturity index was 39.76%, and the median value was 32.76%. In total, 59.84% of hotels were classified at Level 1 or Level 2, which indicates non-systematic or basic eco-label-related processes. The DO phase had the highest mean score, while CHECK and ACT had the lowest scores. Certified hotels had significantly higher maturity than non-certified hotels. Larger and higher-category hotels also had higher maturity scores. Differences among WB6 economies were statistically significant, but the effect size was small. PLAN, DO, CHECK, and ACT scores were positively correlated. Full article

AI-driven digitalisation transforms how organisations process personal data and introduces risks that traditional Data Protection Impact Assessment (DPIA) frameworks cannot adequately address. Automated decision-making and large-scale processing in AI, IoT, big data analytics, and blockchain environments create privacy concerns beyond the scope of existing DPIA methodologies. The EU AI Act extends this scope through the Fundamental Rights Impact Assessment (FRIA) under Article 27, which links data protection obligations to broader fundamental rights governance. This study addresses these gaps through a two-phase research design. Phase 1 conducts a systematic literature review of 25 studies and applies framework analysis to identify DPIA implementation challenges across four categories: legal and regulatory, risk assessment, scope, and complexity. AI-specific challenges appear across all four categories. Phase 2 develops a governance framework built on the Plan-Do-Check-Act (PDCA) cycle and organised through a four-level hierarchy of Lifecycle Phase, Risk Management Domain, Control Objective, and Operational Activity. The framework translates relevant requirements of ISO 31000:2018, ISO/IEC 27701:2025, and ISO/IEC 29134:2023 into traceable activities and encompasses algorithmic fairness and socio-ethical impacts. The actionable DPIA framework supports compliance with the GDPR, the EU AI Act and the three ISO standards and will be of interest to company practitioners and other researchers investigating the theoretical and practice-based aspects of digitalisation and data privacy. Full article

Successful project delivery largely depends on effective progress management to ensure schedule reliability and resource efficiency. Conventional manual and paper-based approaches remain inefficient and error-prone, often causing fragmented data and poor collaboration among stakeholders. To overcome these limitations, this study proposes a computer vision–blockchain integrated framework for closed-loop construction progress management within the Plan–Do–Check–Act (PDCA) cycle. This system supports an automated, end-to-end workflow in which UAV-captured images are processed by a computer vision model, digitally signed, and verified on a blockchain ledger, triggering smart contract-based schedule deviation alerts to relevant stakeholders. An enhanced digital signature scheme ensures data integrity during off-chain and on-chain transitions, while self-executing smart contracts coordinate schedule submissions, progress reporting, and deviation detection. Implemented on Hyperledger Fabric and validated through a case study, the framework demonstrates transparent data flow and strong performance in detection accuracy, latency, and throughput. By shifting progress management from passive reporting toward proactive control, this study provides a replicable, transparent, and tamper-resistant solution for multi-stakeholder construction progress governance. Full article

Decarbonizing the building sector requires integrating on-site renewable generation with systematic energy management. Among the most widely adopted alternatives are photovoltaic (PV) systems in buildings; however, they are often implemented as a standalone technological intervention (size–install–estimate savings), without being formally incorporated into an Energy Management System (EnMS) aimed at continuous improvement. In this context, this research addresses this gap through an integrated methodological framework aligned with ISO 50001, in which PV is explicitly included in energy performance management through energy review, the definition of an Energy Baseline (EnB), and the monitoring of Energy Performance Indicators (EnPIs) within the PDCA cycle. The approach articulates the analytical sizing of the PV system based on electricity demand and solar resources; its validation through simulation to ensure operational consistency and a technical, economic, and environmental assessment that translates PV generation into a verifiable reduction in energy imported from the grid and, consequently, into traceable improvements in EnPI under an audit-compatible scheme. The methodology is demonstrated in a multi-family building in Chorrillos, Lima (Peru), where a 14.5 kWp rooftop PV system (25 modules of 580 Wp) is designed to maximize self-consumption during daylight hours. The results show technical performance consistent with the demand profile, economic viability under the conditions of the case, and environmental benefits from replacing grid electricity, along with offsets associated mainly with the manufacture of PV components. The residual gap between the Post-PV EnPIs and the ISO 50001 target confirms that PV integration is a necessary but not sufficient first-cycle action within a comprehensive building decarbonization strategy, with demand-side management and envelope improvements identified as subsequent PDCA cycle priorities. In summary, the central contribution is not the PV sizing itself, but its operational and traceable integration within ISO 50001, making PV a quantifiable, verifiable, and scalable energy improvement action for residential buildings in emerging economies. Full article

Support professionals in organizational domains—encompassing information technology, administrative services, human resources, and records and archives management (RAM)—confront enduring obstacles, including peripheral status, interdisciplinary coordination imperatives, and standards proliferation. This conceptual synthesis investigates how congruence with Management System Standards (MSSs) can alleviate these predicaments by advancing system-level integration across support areas. Rooted in General Systems Theory, the inquiry scrutinizes ISO standards from pivotal technical committees and 2024 ISO Survey adoption metrics. It accentuates the voluminous standards burdening support functions and the attendant systemic complexity. The communal Plan–Do–Check–Act (PDCA) cycle and High-Level Structure (HLS) of MSSs are framed as unifying instruments that diminish fragmentation and augment coherence. Employing RAM as the principal exemplar, the examination discloses constrained alignment with overarching MSSs despite vigorous global embrace of standards like ISO 9001, ISO 14001, and ISO/IEC 27001. A succinct conceptual model is advanced to depict how PDCA and HLS can interlink support subsystems with organizational objectives. The study underscores strategic harmonization to amplify the prominence of underappreciated support roles, with ramifications for information technology (IT), human resources (HR), and administrative services. Recommendations are proffered for standards developers, practitioners, and professional associations, as well as educators, complemented by avenues for future empirical scholarship. Full article

Infrastructure projects of significant scale face persistent challenges in data coordination, scheduling, and cost control. Although individual digital tools are widely adopted in the construction sector, empirical evidence on their coherent systemic integration within a unified management cycle remains limited. This explanatory case study addresses that gap by examining Section 3 of the Sibiu–Făgăraș Motorway (17.61 km, 27 structures) in Romania—an ongoing TEN-T project. Evidence was collected during the active construction phase (January 2022–December 2024) from Common Data Environment (CDE) logs, BIM/BrIM model outputs, drone photogrammetry datasets, schedule and payment records, and Business Intelligence (BI) dashboards. The study demonstrates how six digital applications—CDE, model-based fabrication (LOD 400), 3D coordination, 4D/5D simulation, reality capture, and BI dashboards—were operationalized as a closed-loop Plan–Do–Check–Act (PDCA) cycle, functioning as a human-in-the-loop digital twin for project delivery. Illustrative operational indicators observed during implementation include an estimated 20% reduction in coordination-related RFIs, a 15% reduction in steel fabrication material waste, a reduction in payment validation cycle time from 15 days to approximately 2 days, and a 40% improvement in cash flow stability through data-driven activity re-sequencing. These findings suggest that systemic digital integration, rather than isolated tool adoption, supports more proactive and sustainability-aligned infrastructure project control. Full article

Outcome-Based Engineering Education (OBEE), a performance-driven approach at the forefront of curriculum design, offers a reliable and scalable framework for reforming engineering education. This research examines the industrial and logistics engineering major at the National School of Applied Sciences of Marrakesh as a case study to develop and implement a new hybrid model that merges the OBEE approach and Lean Management principles and methods through five layers. This paper presents the second and third layers of the Lean-OBEE architecture: the Target layer and Assessment layer, respectively. The target layer employs Hoshin Kanri’s X-Matrix in the OBEE process as a Lean strategic planning tool for visual and efficient management of the educational outcomes. Teachers and academic staff used the X-Matrix to monitor the unfolding of strategic educational objectives and progress throughout the course and curriculum. The assessment layer integrates a set of Lean principles, including PDCA (Plan-Do-Check-Act) cycles, Poka-Yoke, Flow, Muri, Standard Work, Takt Time, and Collective Intelligence, to design and assess the course session. The findings of this study provide preliminary evidence that the proposed Lean-OBEE model supports the development of sustainable engineering education by continuously improving the relevance and efficiency of the curriculum and teaching practices to meet the dynamic needs of industry and all stakeholders. This study serves as a practical reference for achieving the stated outcomes. Full article

Groundwater management increasingly relies on participatory governance, yet most existing participatory frameworks lack mechanisms for iterative learning and continuous improvement and further lack structured operational indicators, systematic monitoring–feedback integration, and institutionalized mechanisms that embed participation within measurable governance cycles rather than treating it as a one-time procedural input. Conversely, Lean thinking, particularly the Plan–Do–Check–Act (PDCA)-based continuous improvement principles, offers systematic methods for feedback and adaptation, but remains underexplored in environmental governance contexts. This paper bridges these traditions by conceptualizing participatory groundwater governance as a continuous improvement system, thus aligning community participation with PDCA logic in order to enhance adaptive management and sustainability outcomes. This study introduces a novel conceptual synthesis that integrates Lean management principles into participatory groundwater governance. In the current research, a methodological framework is proposed for integrating Lean thinking, particularly the Plan–Do–Check–Act cycle, with participatory groundwater governance, thus producing a Lean–participatory groundwater governance (Lean–PGG) framework. To conceptualize the framework, a set of eight rubric-based indicators was developed from a literature matrix of 54 peer-reviewed case studies selected through predefined inclusion criteria and multi-stage screening procedures, in order to evaluate participation, governance readiness, tool application, data use, monitoring, learning, and institutionalization. Each variable indicator was then scored on a three-point scale and categorized into the PDCA maturity levels The findings suggest a consistent heuristic trend across cases, characterized by comparatively stronger performance in the planning and implementation stages. A clear majority of studies scored in the moderate-to-high range (≥2.5/3) for the Plan and Do dimensions, whereas only a limited proportion demonstrated structured Check mechanisms and fewer still exhibited institutionalized Act processes. This asymmetry indicates persistent gaps in the consolidation of evaluation and feedback within participatory groundwater governance systems. This Lean–PGG framework thus demonstrates how continuous improvement mechanisms, i.e., feedback loops, reflection, and adaptive standardization, can strengthen participatory groundwater governance. The proposed framework offers a replicable and practical model for integrating continuous improvement into environmental and groundwater governance, fostering adaptive management, resource efficiency, and sustainability outcomes. Full article

Sustainable development, with its three pillars (environmental, social, and governance, ESG), is crucial for human well-being. Climate change is occurring faster than expected. In 2015, 193 countries signed the United Nations’ Agenda 2030, which must be achieved by 2030 along with the 17 Sustainable Development Goals. In the PDCA (Plan, Do, Check, Act) cycle, the Check phase is crucial—sustainability reporting (SR) is essential. This article provides an overview of existing SR standards (SRSs) and their future development but does not conduct a systematic review of the relevant scientific literature on the application of SRSs. The information review methodology shows that SRSs are already well-developed in large companies. The different standards are described, including voluntary ISO (International Organization for Standardization) standards, the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) standards, the mandatory European Sustainability Reporting Standards (ESRS), and the International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS). National SRSs are often aligned with the IFRS Sustainability Disclosure Standards. Besides the corporate SRSs, public SRSs covering governmental and non-governmental institutions, universities, and associations are described. Public SRSs should be adapted to the needs of public institutions. Finally, the SRSs for individuals and communities is discussed to cover these important parts of humanity. The social and governance sustainability reports could be extended with annual personal or community Carbon or Ecological Footprint reports. Full article

This study aims to develop a tailored Quality Management System (QMS) model for SMEs in the food sector, acknowledging their limited resources, the complexity of existing quality standards, and the pressing need for a contextualized, practical framework. The research adopts the Framework for Analysis, Comparison, and Testing of Standards (FACTS), comprising three main stages: a systematic review of relevant literature, expert validation through panel discussions, and preliminary field testing involving selected food SMEs. The study proposes a seven-variable QMS model designed around the PDCA cycle. The variables include leadership, philosophy-based, strategic planning, customers, quality infrastructure, quality assurance, and performance assessment. Empirical findings suggest that the model aligns well with the operational realities and strategic needs of food SMEs. It is perceived as user-friendly, adaptable, and feasible for stepwise implementation, without requiring substantial investment or intensive external support. Validation through field implementation revealed strong acceptance among SME practitioners and stakeholders. The proposed model offers a practical roadmap for food SMEs to establish an internal quality system that is both adaptive to their unique contexts and measurable in its outcomes. Full article

Research laboratories in universities face a complex challenge: they must manage multiple projects, diverse teams, and tight deadlines, often with limited resources. While the business world has long used agile and quality management tools to navigate such complexity, these methods are surprisingly rare in academic research. In this study, we set out to bridge this gap. We implemented a combined management model, blending agile Scrum practices with proven quality tools like the Ishikawa diagram and PDCA cycle, within a pharmaceutical sciences research lab. Over a six-month period, we diagnosed key issues, created a structured action plan, and introduced an online platform to monitor progress continuously. Our approach led to a significant increase in productivity, with 65% of targeted articles being published or submitted and 75% of general lab activities completed. Perhaps just as importantly, communication improved dramatically, and the lab successfully met all its institutional deadlines. We conclude that this hybrid framework is not just a theoretical idea but a practical and powerful innovation. It provides a tangible blueprint for other research groups looking to enhance their productivity, streamline communication, and build a more adaptive and effective research culture in the face of academic complexity. Full article

Information security is currently a key pillar of information protection in organizations and a fundamental element of functioning organizational strategy. The aim of this article is to analyze how the integration of an information security management system (ISMS) into the strategic management of an organization can influence its security culture and ability to implement new technologies. The study uses a conceptual approach based on the PDCA model and a comparative analysis of the available literature on ISMS, organizational culture, and digital transformation. The results of the study show that an effectively implemented ISMS can strengthen an organization’s resilience, increase the confidence of its stakeholders, and promote openness to adopting innovative solutions. It also points out that a developed security culture is a prerequisite for the proper and successful functioning of ISMS, especially in an environment of rapid technological change. The study offers recommendations for managers focused on integrating ISMS into strategic planning, strengthening security awareness, and continuously evaluating the maturity of security processes. Full article

Reducing energy consumption and improving energy efficiency are essential objectives in the productive sector to ensure economic growth and reduce emissions. However, some energy management models do not include tools such as the balanced scorecard (BSC) and energy-based key performance indicators (KPIs). These tools help organisations make decisions and support continuous improvement actions. To address this gap, this study developed a methodology to facilitate the implementation of an Energy Management System. Specifically, this system evaluates the energy performance of processes within the abrasives industry, using KPIs based on energy efficiency. The proposed model, based on the Deming Cycle (PDCA, Plan-Do-Check-Act), consists of three stages: first, profiling and planning; second, implementation and maintenance; and third, surveillance. To support these stages, the main KPIs of energy typology were determined using AHP. Following this, the KPIs were prioritised based on energy efficiency. The results indicate that the company’s highest priority is meeting international goals, followed by reducing production costs and avoiding energy-related penalties. The energy baseline developed through regression analysis yielded a coefficient of 0.7794 and a specific consumption of 0.0345 kWh per manufactured piece for electricity alone, which increases by 107.25% when all energy sources used in the process are included. Within this context, the key indicators for monitoring energy efficiency strategies were established, demonstrating that model-assisted energy management not only supports the identification of improvement opportunities and internal control of production parameters but also provides a robust framework for evaluating, measuring, reporting, and improving energy efficiency targets. Full article

Ensuring consistent quality and safety in agri-food processing is a strategic priority for firms seeking compliance with international standards such as ISO 9001 and ISO 22000. Traditional inspection practices in Ecuador’s food industry remain largely destructive, labor-intensive, and subjective, limiting real-time decision-making. This study developed a non-destructive, ISO-aligned framework for process-level quality control by integrating digital (RGB) imaging for surface-level inspection, hyperspectral imaging (HSI) for internal-quality prediction (e.g., moisture, firmness, and freshness), near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) for compositional and authenticity analysis, and deep learning (DL) models for automated classification of ripeness, maturity, and defects. Experimental results across four flagship commodities—bananas, cacao, coffee, and shrimp—achieved classification accuracies above 88% and ROC AUC values exceeding 0.90, confirming the robustness of AI-driven, multimodal (RGB–HSI–NIRS) inspection under semi-industrial conveyor conditions. Beyond technological performance, the findings demonstrate that digital inspection reinforces ISO principles of evidence-based decision-making, conformity verification, and traceability, thereby operationalizing the Plan–Do–Check–Act (PDCA) cycle at digital speed. The study contributes theoretically by advancing the conceptualization of Quality 4.0 as a socio-technical transformation that embeds AI-driven sensing and analytics within management standards, and practically by providing a roadmap for Ecuadorian SMEs to strengthen export competitiveness through automated, real-time, and auditable quality assurance. Full article

Second-life electric vehicle batteries (SLBs) represent a promising asset for enhancing grid flexibility and advancing circular economy objectives in the power sector. This paper proposes a conceptual trigger-based PDCA (Plan–Do–Check–Act) framework for the sustainable grid integration of SLBs, enabling adaptive operational control across diverse application scenarios. The framework combines lifecycle KPI monitoring, degradation and performance tracking, and economic feasibility assessment with trigger-driven dispatch logic. Technical, financial, and environmental indicators are systematically integrated into the four PDCA phases, providing a structured basis for adaptive management. To illustrate applicability, indicative KPI calculations are presented for three representative scenarios (HV Backup, RES Smoothing, and Frequency Regulation). These examples demonstrate how the framework supports scenario-based planning, performance evaluation, and decision-making under uncertainty. Compared with existing state-of-the-art approaches, which typically analyse technical or economic aspects in isolation, the proposed framework introduces a modular, multi-model architecture that aligns operational triggers with long-term sustainability goals. By embedding reuse-oriented strategies into an adaptive PDCA cycle, the study offers a clear and practical methodology for maximising SLB value while minimising degradation and environmental impacts. The framework provides a valuable reference framework for structured SLB deployment, supporting more resilient, cost-effective, and low-carbon energy systems. Full article