Quality through Managed Improvement and Measurement (QMIM): Towards a Phased Development and Implementation of a Quality Management System for a Software Company

The paper describes results of a longitudinal study of developments in the area of software product and process quality improvement within a Hungarian software company, IQSOFT Ltd. This company has been active in this area since 1993, trying to build, introduce and maintain an efficiently working quality management system which, e.g., fulfils the ISO 9001 requirements, allows steady software process improvement and, at the same time, conforms to company's own needs. Over the last eight years five phases could be distinguished. Each phase is described shortly, following the same structure, namely: basic starting points, key problem areas, literature consulted, activities and design executed, reflections on what happened and why. The lessons resulting from the analysis of this case have been formulated in terms of guidelines. We feel that these are applicable to any low maturity software development organisation embarking on a product or process quality improvement endeavour. These guidelines are developed around a framework containing the basic issues of software production (project management, technical processes and products). The guidelines advocate a careful step-by-step development of definitions, quality characteristics, and metrics related to these objects while at the same time developing and introducing the associated process.     

A three-year longitudinal assessment of changes in office activities following the introduction of microcomputers into a multinational bank

A longitudinal assessment of the introduction of new office technologies into a multinational bank was conducted using both task diaries and semi-structured interviews. Task diaries were administered prior to the introduction of microcomputers, several months after the introduction and several years later. Semi-structured interviews were completed after the second task diary. The assessment provides evidence of how offices adapt to changing electronic tookits. The asssessment provides ergonomists with a usable list of taks activities and the effects on task variability of the adoption of microcomputers into the work routine. It shows that when support staff are asked to use a new computer they must choose what other tasks to cut back on, which has consequences for the overall work process. Overtime increased 170% after the introduction of the computer. In a culture where professional staff have high expectations of support staff this has consequences for working relationships in terms of perceptions of the computer's utility. Support staff and professional staff differ in perceptions of control, time-saving and ability to make corrections. The assessment demonstrates the importance of multiple measurement instruments in tracking the effects of technological change on the work process. In conclusion, it is noted that the introduction of new technologies into the office must be considered in the broader office context to avoid the unintended consequences often reported in other case studies.     

考虑水平隐蔽度影响的卵石周围水流结构分析

基于二维数值水槽,在高雷诺数Re=5×104~20×104条件下,从卵石在床面不同排列方式下单颗粒到多颗粒圆状卵石的位置及受力情况的角度出发,综合考虑水平与竖直两个方向定义的隐蔽度,颗粒起动采用滚动模式,结合水流结构,进一步探讨其起动规律,亦对沙卵石河床冲刷和粗化的研究提供基础。通过比较9种情况下阻力与升力的数值结果分析表明,水平隐蔽度对水动力因素亦有较大影响,阻力系数随着相对水平隐蔽度的增大先减小后增大,经综合考虑其更符合真实情况,最后对附近作用区域涡量分布的影响进行了讨论。     

Application of signal processing techniques to the detection of tip vortex cavitation noise in marine propeller

The tip vortex cavitation and its relevant noise has been the subject of extensive researches up to now. In most cases of experimental approaches, the accurate and objective decision of cavitation inception is primary, which is the main topic of this paper. Although the conventional power spectrum is normally adopted as a signal processing tool for the analysis of cavitation noise, a faithful exploration cannot be made especially for the cavitation inception. Alternatively, the periodic occurrence of bursting noise induced from tip vortex cavitation gives a diagnostic proof that the repeating frequency of the bursting contents can be exploited as an indication of the inception. This study, hence, employed the Short-Time Fourier Transform (STFT) analysis and the Detection of Envelope Modulation On Noise (DEMON) spectrum analysis, both which are appropriate for finding such a repeating frequency. Through the acoustical measurement in a water tunnel, the two signal processing techniques show a satisfactory result in detecting the inception of tip vortex cavitation.     

The impact of a computerized conferencing system on the productivity of scientific research communities

Researchers and practitioners in the field of information and communication technologies (ICT) have for a while been embracing the concepts of user and consumer experience as well as emotions in design, encouraging the industry to emphasise hedonic and symbolic qualities of products and services, over and beyond their utilitarian characteristics. However, the idea that mobile phone users, for instance, seek increasingly experience-rich, personalised products can not be taken for granted. Therefore, it is valuable to investigate the degree to which users really share designers' increasingly socio-emotional stances. The presented longitudinal study investigated users' mobile phone-related product meaning, particularly its development from 2004 to 2008. Product meaning was conceptualised in terms of an affective-cognizant choice mode dimension complemented by items capturing utilitarian, hedonic, and symbolic facets of the construct. The findings provide grounds for raising an important discussion about a possible pragmatic shift in product meaning, away from emotional and holistic, towards piecemeal and rational valuation. This would obviously challenge current design maxims. Linking these results to users' personality and mobile phone ownership history, subgroups with notably dissimilar product meaning development could be distinguished mainly with regard to levels of neuroticism, extraversion and brand loyalty – however, not gender.     

An elaboration likelihood model based longitudinal analysis of attitude change during the process of IT acceptance via education program

The principal objective of this study was to gain insight into attitude changes occurring during IT acceptance from the perspective of elaboration likelihood model (ELM). In particular, the primary target of this study was the process of IT acceptance through an education program. Although the Internet and computers are now quite ubiquitous, and thus many people can come to an acceptance of IT organically – including acceptance of such products as new released online services or software, some software – most notably programming languages and spreadsheets – may require education programs, and the efficacy of that education may determine the rate of acceptance. Thus, education programs for such IT may be regarded as not only teaching and training how to use the product from a technical standpoint, but also as a process by which program participants are persuaded to have a positive attitude towards accepting the new IT. This study adopted an ELM based longitudinal approach to capture the changes in the roles of persuasion routes and attitude during IT acceptance – in this case, the education program. To validate empirically the suggested model, junior students majoring in business administration, all of whom were taking an Excel class, were surveyed twice – just after mid-term and just after their final exam. These data were analysed via partial least-square method to deduce some possible implications. Our results supported all the hypotheses put forward.     

提高两类不同折射率粒子的俘获效应

通过调节双环型涡旋偏振光的截断参数,可分别得到中心强度较大且变化梯度大的三维亮斑和面积较小而且被均匀分布的亮场包围的三维暗斑.利用亮斑俘获折射率较大的瑞利粒子,使得俘获系数提高,达到717;利用暗斑俘获折射率较小的粒子,俘获系数也明显提高,为1 150.     

A modeling method of microburst based on multiple vortex ring

Microburst is a special kind of low-level wind shear, which may do great damage to aircrafts. Modelling of a microburst is significant for flight simulations. In this paper we adopt multiple vortex ring principle to model microburst and propose a new parameter selection method of multiple vortex ring model. We treat the parameters selection as an optimization problem, and introduce the differential evolution algorithm into it. A nested differential evolution algorithm is proposed to complete the two optimization process, objective optimization and intermediate optimization. The simulation results show that this method can flexibly generate microburst with any maximum wind velocity.     

尾板对重型载货汽车尾部流场的影响

为了降低风的阻力,对某牵引式重型载货汽车加装了4种不同形式和尺寸的尾板。并采用数值仿真的方法分析了尾板对流场的影响,探索了风阻产生机理和降低原因。仿真工况模拟正常车辆行驶速度25m/s,未考虑侧风影响。计算结果表明:安装4种尾板后风阻系数均有降低,降幅最大为2.8%,获得了较满意的降阻效果。对比分析了4种方案的整车气动阻力系数、流速分布及总压为零等值面的计算结果。研究发现:尾板对车身周围气流的影响集中在货箱尾部,改变了尾流中原有的环形漩涡结构,从而降低了风阻。     

努尔加水库台阶式溢洪道水力特性的研究

本文主要介绍努尔加水库台阶式溢洪道的试验研究成果。通过模型试验,对单宽流量在24.17—118m3/s.m的台阶式溢洪道的台阶坡度,高度和水力特性认识更加深入。试验表明坡度较陡,单宽流量较小的情况下消能效果最好。研究工作对大单宽流量台阶溢洪道的推广应用具有较高的参考价值。