Academic literature on the topic 'Problem structuring proce'

The eggplant is a short shelf-life vegetable whose export in Mexico generates significant incomes for horticultural companies. However, when the market’s price is down, or its quality does not fulfill the market’s requirements, eggplant is not exported, and demand is low in the domestic market. This situation generates financial problems for companies, unemployment for people, and environmental problems, among others. To reduce eggplant loss is necessary to understand the elements around the issue, structure the problem, and generate solution alternatives. In this work, the Value-Focused Thinking (VFT) methodology was applied in a horticultural farm in Sinaloa, Mexico, to obtain values from a decision-maker to structure the eggplant loss problem, objectives of the farm and generate solution alternatives. This article presents a structured problem about eggplant loss, which includes one strategic objective, five fundamental objectives, and nine means-ends objectives as well as twenty-seven solution alternatives such as applying protected agriculture technology, selling waste as food for livestock and designing a new product based on eggplant. Through the results of the application of VFT methodology, the decision-maker had a better understanding of the eggplant loss problem and its value, which is going to be reflected in benefits for the horticultural farm. Keywords: Eggplant loss, problem structuring, creating alternatives, value-focused thinking. JEL classification: D46, D81 Received: 10/06/2020. Accepted: 06/11/2020. Published: 01/12/2020

Salt is a strategic commodity that needs to be maintained. The salt problem has not resolved, so it is necessary to find the right solution for salt development. The study was carried out in Sampang Regency as a salt-producing area which was proposed for salt approval and formulated a policy for salt development. The research method used is the DPSIR method (Driving Power /; Pressure; State; Impact; Response). The main problems with developing salt are the impartiality of local salt prices, the supply chain system, changes in pond function, climate uncertainty, and inadequate infrastructure. Efforts must be made to develop salt are the modernization of the production process, controlled of salt price regulations, market search, improvement of human resources and structuring of supporting facilities for salt production should be carried out.

Abstract The study focuses on the identification of the relationship between the learning style and mental representation of curriculum content. The research problem identifies the relationship between the learning style factors - responsibility and task structuring and the selected categories of curriculum content representation - consistency and the quality of hierarchy identified through mind mapping. For the purposes of the research, we used the LSI Questionnaire by R. Dunn, K. Dunn and G. E. Price, a mind mapping test and chi-square statistics were used for the evaluation of research findings. The research sample consisted of 115 respondents. By means of analysis, we found out that a learning style in the observed factors of responsibility and task structuring does not influence students’ mental representation of the curriculum content.

The company's ability to offer competitive products to the market on time is a key success factor, and more and more modern Russian managers are successfully implementing integrated approaches to the formation and management of competitiveness at all stages of the life cycle. However, at the moment, both in business practice and in the economic literature, there is no single approach to the definition of the concept of "competitiveness", a single methodology for evaluation has not been developed. The conducted content analysis allowed us to identify the unconditional properties of competitive products – the ability to surpass the competitor's products in terms of price and nonprice parameters and simultaneously meet the leading and currently relevant consumer needs at each stage of the product life cycle. When implementing the competitiveness assessment procedure, it is necessary to pay attention to the regulation of all the main stages, depending on the objectives of the assessment. Taking into account the characteristics of the product, the researcher needs to solve a number of ambiguous questions: to form a base for comparison, to choose the comparison parameters, and the evaluation method. The article identifies the risks that can distort the results of the study, highlights the key shortcomings of the most common assessment methods. As promising methods, the author suggests adapting the method of analyzing hierarchies, functionalcost analysis, and structuring quality functions.

The purpose of the article is to study the specifics of creating, promoting products and ecology control of quality in the practice of domestic enterprises, as well as forming recommendations for improving the quality system of environmental management to improve product competitiveness in modern conditions. In the process of research, system analysis, economic analysis, ecology analysis and synthesis, statistical and analytical methods, generalization, systematization, structuring were used. It is revealed that the increasing competition, the diversity of the same goods in the same price segment directs enterprises to search for new ways to create additional competitive advantages aimed at winning customer loyalty. The current situation requires quality management at all stages of the promotion of food to the consumer – from the production of agricultural products, their processing, transportation and storage to the sale to the public. The article studied practical experience. Problems were identified, theoretical and methodological aspects of the subject of research were investigated, on the basis of which scientific, methodological and practical guidelines were developed for structuring the system of product quality ecology management, choosing directions for improving the management of enterprise competitiveness through improving product quality.

Beyond the ecosystem benefits of diversification through wheat–pea intercropping, this review analyzes the barriers and levers to its adoption and diffusion. The present review shows that structuring the value chain around the products of this innovative cropping system faces a set of technical (i.e., varietal selection, phytosanitary issue control, crop management sequence, collection management, and storage), economic (i.e., cost, price, market opportunities, and contracting), and public policy (i.e., subsidies for ecosystem services provided by intercropping) obstacles that contribute to its slow adoption and dissemination in Europe. However, the value chain resulting from the wheat–pea intercropping system has levers to be exploited at all levels, particularly in terms of its competitive advantages, ecosystem benefits, and superior product quality. The results of this review help to identify priorities that actors of the value chain can address to better focus their efforts on significant problems and solutions that can accelerate the adoption and dissemination of this agroecological system.

During the last decades, IT Outsourcing gained considerable management attention and is considered a strategic decision used to promote success on its variable dimensions, like: cost reduction, quality improvement, access to new technologies, among others. The existing literature presents many studies on IT Outsourcing. However, there are few studies from the provider's perspective. Therefore, the objective is to focus on providers' critical success factors and their relationships in IT Outsourcing contracts. To analyse this subject a qualitative approach based on cognitive mapping process was applied. Cognitive or causal maps are widely employed in problem-structuring, since they permit a rich representation of ideas, through the modelling of a complex network of actions. This approach is innovative compared to the traditional quantitative methods used. As a result, they were able to map a network of means and ends and in parallel were found new success factors like service standardization, price flexibility, cost management and service catalogue, which allowed obtaining new insights into the structure of today's IT Outsourcing contracts.

Aim: The article examines the relationship between new psychoactive drugs and segregation in one city (Miskolc), showing the mechanism of its effects. The study indicates that deprived social milieu, poverty, and hopelessness are excellent breeding grounds for this new form of drug crime by structuring drug crime into a crime involving new psychoactive substances (NPS), affordable for the poorer classes, and classic drugs.Methodology: Given the purpose of the research, the study was based primarily on literature and historical data, a review of legal sources, and an analysis of police headquarters case statistics and CSO data. The regulatory efforts of urban decision-makers to address the problem have also been analyzed. With regard to the purpose of the research, the study was based primarily on literature and historical data, a review of legal sources, and analysis of police headquarters case statistics and CSO data. The regulatory efforts made by city policymakers to address the problem were also analyzed.Findings: New psychoactive drugs target slums, thus structuring the drug market. The poor have easy access to NPS, while the wealthier classes turn to classic drugs (cocaine, MDMA, etc.). The presence of NPS in a given area alters the crime trend and perpetuates underdevelopment. In the long term, it slows down improvement. Law enforcement and judicial instruments are not sufficient to address and reduce it. In addition, the law threatens to lower penalties for dealing in NPS so that even the risk premium is not built into the price of such substances, ensuring easy access for the impoverished. Meanwhile, such chemicals' health and social dangers are at least if not higher than those of traditional drugs.Value: The results may be helpful for city policymakers, crime prevention professionals, and police management. The study has the potential to inform the broader scientific community about the complex dangers of NPS. The study can be an essential starting point for further research into new phenomena of drug crime and the extent of health and social harm associated with new psychoactive substances. As well as to develop new methods and criminological recommendations for law enforcement.

Purpose: This article presentes the results of an in-depth and contextualized study on the problems in the commercialization of glass containers sent to the selective collection system of the city of Londrina-PR, Brazil.Design: The methodological strategy was the triangulation of sources of evidence desiring to understand the situational characteristics, as well as the operational and environmental challenges faced by the local actors involved, especially the cooperatives. Quantitative and qualitative study case using primary and secondary data collection from multistakeholders.Findings: The data collected here allow us to conclude that vitreous materials have demonstrated difficult commercialization processes and are among those materials that are economically less interesting for cooperatives, intensifying the high social fragility of cooperates.Practical implications: The search for solutions to environmental and economic problems caused by the high generation of municipal solid waste in Brazil still have strong deficiencies in methodologies and technologies. Social implications: How the reverse logistics of vitreous packaging is operationalized has increased public financing with this type of material, since the sales price obtained by waste pickers does not corroborate the economic support of cooperative enterprises.Originality/value: This study allows to advance in the explanation and description of the way of structuring the reverse chain of vitreous packaging, especially in medium-sized municipalities in the inland.Keywords: post-consumption; packaging; glass; recycling; selective collection

La structuration laser femtoseconde en trois dimensions rencontre un intérêt grandissant du fait de sa facilité de mise en œuvre et des nombreuses applications qu’elle peut couvrir dans le domaine des composants photoniques. Des structures telles que des guides d’onde, des réseaux de diffraction, des mémoires optiques ou des cristaux photoniques peuvent être fabriquées grâce à cette technique. Son emploi sur des verres oxydes est prometteur car ces derniers présentent des avantages certains ; ils sont très résistants au flux et au vieillissement, leur composition chimique peut être changée facilement afin de s’adapter à un cahier des charges précis. On les retrouve déjà dans les amplificateurs Raman, les fibres optiques, les lasers à fibres, etc… Le travail de cette thèse s’articule autour de deux grands axes. Le premier axe consiste à caractériser les propriétés optiques linéaires et non-linéaires de matériaux vitreux massifs afin d’optimiser leur composition en vue d’une application particulière. Dans ce contexte, les propriétés optiques non-linéaires, leurs origines physiques (électronique et nucléaire) ainsi que leurs temps de réponse caractéristiques (de quelques femtosecondes à quelques centaines de picosecondes) sont décrits dans le cadre de l’approximation de Born-Oppenheimer. Ainsi, la silice fondue et plusieurs verres sodo-borophosphates contenant différentes concentrations en oxyde de niobium ont été étudiés. Les résultats montrent que les propriétés optiques non-linéaires dans la silice fondue sont majoritairement d’origine électronique, alors que dans les verres sodo-borophosphates, la contribution d’origine nucléaire peut devenir prépondérante lorsque la concentration en oxyde de niobium dépasse 30%. Le second axe s’articule autour de la structuration des matériaux. Trois échantillons commerciaux de silice fondue présentant des conditions de fabrication différentes (donc des taux d’impuretés distincts) et irradiés avec un laser femtoseconde proche infrarouge ont été étudiés. Les défauts induits par laser ont été identifiés au moyen de plusieurs techniques de spectroscopie. Elles ont montré la formation de centres colorés ainsi qu’une densification au niveau de la zone irradiée. Leurs propriétés optiques linéaire (indice de réfraction) et non-linéaire (susceptibilité du troisième ordre) ont été mesurées. De plus, la structuration de la silice fondue à l’échelle sub-micrométrique sous forme de « nano-réseaux » est observée et la biréfringence de forme induite par ces structures est discutée. En plus des échantillons de silice fondue, plusieurs verres oxydes présentant des compositions chimiques très distinctes ont été étudiés. Un verre sodo-borophosphate contenant de l’oxyde de niobium exhibe des micro-craquelures et des nano-crystallites après irradiation. Un verre silicate contenant ou non de l’argent dévoile des structures en anneau fluorescentes ou en « nano-réseaux ». Un verre zinc phosphate contenant de l’argent présente lui aussi des structures en anneau fluorescentes, d’une taille de l’ordre de 80 nm, bien inférieure à la limite de diffraction. Des techniques pompe-sonde sous microscope ont été mises en œuvre sur ce dernier verre pour étudier l’interaction laser-verre. Le mécanisme d’absorption de l’énergie lumineuse pour ce verre est l’absorption à quatre photons. La densité d’électrons libres générée est de l’ordre de 1017 cm-3, ce qui permet de conclure qu’un gaz d’électrons plutôt qu’un plasma se forme pendant l’irradiation laser
Three-dimensional femtosecond laser structuring has a growing interest because of its ease of implementation and the numerous possible applications in the domain of photonic components. Structures such as waveguides, diffraction gratings, optical memories or photonic crystals can be fabricated thanks to this technique. Its use with oxide glasses is promising because of several advantages; they are resistant to flux and ageing, their chemical composition can easily be changed to fit the well-defined requirements of an application. They can already be found in Raman amplifiers, optical fibers, fiber lasers, and other devices. This thesis is based on two axes. The first axis consists in characterizing the linear and nonlinear optical properties of bulk vitreous materials in order to optimize their composition with a particular application in view. Within this context, the nonlinear optical properties, their physical origins (electronic and nuclear) as well as their characteristic response times (from a few femtoseconds to a few hundreds of picoseconds) are described within the Born-Oppenheimer approximation. Fused silica and several sodium-borophosphate glasses containing different concentrations in niobium oxide have been studied. Results show that the nonlinear optical properties of fused silica are mainly from electronic origin, whereas in the sodium-borophosphate glasses, the contribution from nuclear origin becomes predominant when the concentration of niobium oxide exceeds 30%. The second axis is based on the structuring of materials. Three commercially available fused silica samples presenting different fabrication conditions (therefore distinct impurity levels) and irradiated with a near infrared femtosecond laser have been studied. The laser induced defects have been identified by means of several spectroscopic techniques. They show the formation of color centers as well as a densification inside the irradiated area. Their linear refractive index and nonlinear third-order susceptibility properties have been measured. Moreover, the structuring of fused silica at the subwavelength scale into “nanogratings” is observed and the form of birefringence induced by these structures is discussed. In addition to the fused silica samples, several oxide glasses presenting very distinct chemical compositions have been studied. A sodium-borophosphate glass containing niobium oxide exhibits micro-cracks and nano-crystallites following irradiation. A silicate glass with or without a silver component reveals fluorescent rings or “nanograting” structures. A zinc phosphate glass containing silver also presents fluorescent ring structures, with a size of the order of 80 nm, well below the diffraction limit. Pump-probe microscope techniques have been performed on this glass to investigate the laser-glass interaction. The absorption mechanism is determined to be four-photon absorption. The generated free electron density is ~ 1017 cm-3, which suggests the conclusion that an electron gas rather than a plasma is formed during the laser irradiation

We study two data structuring problems under the bit probe model: the dynamic predecessor problem and integer representation in a manner supporting basic updates in as few bit operations as possible. The model of computation considered in this paper is the bit probe model. In this model, the complexity measure counts only the bitwise accesses to the data structure. The model ignores the cost of computation. As a result, the bit probe complexity of a data structuring problem can be considered as a fundamental measure of the problem. Lower bounds derived by this model are valid as lower bounds for any realistic, sequential model of computation. Furthermore, some of the problems are more suitable for study in this model as they can be solved using less than $w$ bit probes where $w$ is the size of a computer word. The predecessor problem is one of the fundamental problems in computer science with numerous applications and has been studied for several decades. We study the colored predecessor problem, a variation of the predecessor problem, in which each element is associated with a symbol from a finite alphabet or color. The problem is to store a subset $S$ of size $n,$ from a finite universe $U$ so that to support efficient insertion, deletion and queries to determine the color of the largest value in $S$ which is not larger than $x,$ for a given $x \in U.$ We present a data structure for the problem that requires $O(k \sqrt[k]{{\log U} \over {\log \log U}})$ bit probes for the query and $O(k^2 {{\log U} \over {\log \log U}})$ bit probes for the update operations, where $U$ is the universe size and $k$ is positive constant. We also show that the results on the colored predecessor problem can be used to solve some other related problems such as existential range query, dynamic prefix sum, segment representative, connectivity problems, etc. The second structure considered is for integer representation. We examine the problem of integer representation in a nearly minimal number of bits so that increment and decrement (and indeed addition and subtraction) can be performed using few bit inspections and fewer bit changes. In particular, we prove a new lower bound of $\Omega(\sqrt{n})$ for the increment and decrement operation, where $n$ is the minimum number of bits required to represent the number. We present several efficient data structures to represent integers that use a logarithmic number of bit inspections and a constant number of bit changes per operation.

To write about the sea in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries was to do so against a vast accretion of past deeds, patterns of thought, and particularly modes of expression, many of which had begun to feel not just settled but exhausted. All at Sea takes up this circumstance, showing how prose writers in this period grappled with the super-conventionalized nature of the sea as a setting, as a shaper of plot and character, as a structuring motif, and as a source of metaphor. But while writing about the sea required careful negotiation of multiple and sometimes conflicting associations, the sea’s multiplicity and freight function not just as impediments to thought or expression but as sources of intellectual and expressive possibilities. The book examines a provocatively diverse group of key authors spanning from the 1830s to the 1930s. The discussion treats both writers inextricably associated with the sea (Frederick Marryat, Joseph Conrad) and those whose works are less obviously marine, such as Charlotte Brontë, Charles Dickens, George Eliot, William Makepeace Thackeray, and Virginia Woolf. What these writers share, among other things, is that they simultaneously register and turn to account the difficulties that attend writing about, and writing with, the sea. In the process, their sea-writing sheds new light on the value of marginalized representational techniques including repetition, cliché, and imprecision.

A large proportion of students who enroll for postgraduate degrees never finish their studies, with non-completion rates yielding 30% for a sample size of 2000 students. A number of empirical studies have been conducted indicating the possible factors for the non-completion rate. This chapter briefly highlights such factors and proposes a possible solution to increase the number of successful studies using relevant philosophies and problem-solving to build insight in determining IS/IT solutions and innovations. A research methodology is suggested to enable data capturing aligned to research objectives and organise sub-problem solving effectively. The process of finding information, determining if it is relevant, and then relating it to existing keywords and topics can be facilitated by using a spreadsheet as a data generation method. The outcome may lead to a research proposal and study to investigate the problem identified, search for possible solutions, and prove/disprove the validity of the suggested solutions.

This chapter assesses how advances in artificial intelligence (AI) can help us address the biggest global challenges we face today. Psychology research has painted a pessimistic picture of human decision-making in recent decades: documenting a whole host of biases and irrationalities people are prone to. We find it difficult to be motivated by long-term, abstract, or statistical considerations; many global challenges are far too complex for a human brain to understand in its entirety; and we cannot predict far into the future with any degree of certainty. At the same time, advances in AI are receiving increasing amounts of attention, raising the question: might we be able to leverage these AI developments to improve human decision-making on the problems that matter most for humanity’s future? If so, how? Thinking about AI more as supporting and complementing human decisions, than as replacing them, we might find that what we most need is quite far from the most sophisticated machine learning capabilities that are the subject of hype and research attention today. For many important real-world problems, what is most needed is not necessarily better computer vision or natural language processing but simpler ways to do large-scale data analysis, and practical tools for structuring reasoning and decision-making.

The effectiveness of ultra-short pulsed laser radiation for high-precision material processing and surface micro-modification, owing to the minimal thermal and mechanical damage, has been shown. Micro/Nano structuring of thin films is gaining widespread importance owing to ever-increasing applications in a variety of fields. The present study details femtosecond laser interaction with ultra thin metallic films at the micro and nano scales. Results of Microablation studies, carried out with an 800nm wavelength, 80fs pulse duration, femtosecond laser focused tightly using a long working distance objective lens, are discussed. A parametric study of single shot ablation and subsequent atomic force microscope characterization of the ablation craters is presented. The formation of elevated convex hillock structures at low laser pulse energies and considerable delamination at higher energies evinces a stress driven modification mechanism. Further, nanostructuring results on thin films carried out with femtosecond laser in conjunction with an atomic force microscope are presented. Various nanofeatures were machined with high spatial resolution (∼10–12nm), flexibility and repeatability by utilizing the local field enhancement in the near-field of the scanning probe tip irradiated with the laser beam. Attempting to understand the modification mechanism and the physics involved, numerical simulation studies were performed to evaluate the field enhancement underneath the tip and the ‘femtosecond laser–thin film’ interaction dynamics in general. Possible applications of thin film structuring may be in the areas of high-resolution nanolithography, controlled nanodeposition, ultra high-density data storage, high-resolution mask production and repair, nanoelectronics, nanophotonics and various nanobiotechnology related applications.

Risk management is the subject of increasing attention in recent years. In the US, when Federal funds are committed to projects, risk management is a required programmatic activity. Even when it is not mandated by law or regulation, risk management is prudent for expensive, long-duration projects. Frequently, risk management is based on a risk register, and often captures as a list of typical problems with design and construction that a contractor has experienced. Risk registers vary in quality and usefulness. Some contractor submissions appear to be more “pro-forma” documents, while more useful risk registers will include anticipated risks tailored to the complexity of the scope of work and the contractor’s anticipated solution. This qualitative approach can develop a reasonable view of key risks and work to mitigate them. Recent experience at Arup has shown that this approach, while valuable as an initial approach, is limited by its quantitative nature. This paper will explore some of the key lessons learned and emerging practices that have been successfully used in recent work in detail. Key topics include: • While the essential elements of risk management apply across a wide range of markets, the planning and construction of risk management for due diligence, privately funded and partnership funded (both government and PPP) projects require different emphases and tailored approaches. • Appropriate risk structuring is required to identify key project risks that may be unrelated or marginally related to design and construction. Developing clear and effective ancillary risk statements (e.g., for marketing, finance, permitting and regulatory requirements) is important to successful risk management. • Where partnering is used for funding, there is a greater need for clarity and good communication. Planning documents require special consideration to minimize difficulties. Planning documents also need to be efficient and effective. • Large, sometimes geographically diverse, teams benefit from alternative approaches to risk workshops. • Large, expensive and long duration projects benefit by shifting risk analysis toward a more quantitative approach. Modeling techniques such as Monte Carlo simulation require special software (@Risk or Primavera) and sound input. Analyses that move risk statements from the essentially qualitative (such as severity of 4 and likelihood of 3) to agreed quantitative inputs are important. • Cost and schedule contingency are key concerns for funding agencies, whether in-house or external. The underlying structure for effectively constructing contingency depends on the contracting structure, sequencing of work, unit price allowances and other factors, in addition to the analysis of the contingency requirements of technical and other specific risks. • Special analyses for items of particular concern, for instance, the adequacy of escalation allowances or geotechnical risks, can also be helpful, particularly in the context of emerging technologies such as HSR. Risk management is coming of age, and is more than a risk register. Projects benefit from a more qualitative approach. Not every technique applies to every project, of course, but most projects, small and large, can benefit from a more structured, quantitative approach to risk management.

Abstract The working of the design process has been described as a process of mapping Functional Requirements into Design Parameters. The definitions of these two types of information appear to be based upon intuitive differences. It is posited that by generating an operational distinction between the attributes in these two information domains, useful information patterns can be described for use in the design process. The following distinction is observed: whereas Design Parameters are deemed to have meaning which is insensitive to context, Functional Requirements and attributes can only be assessed with reference to the operative context or environment within which the designed object exists. Functional attributes such as usability, manufacturability, serviceability, safety, and affordability are seen not as intrinsic properties of a designed object but rather as measures of the interaction between the designed object and the relevant context; for the attributes cited, it would be necessary to characterize in turn the user environment, the manufacturing infrastructure, the servicing facilities and skills, the operational/legal environment, and the economic situation. The distinction as outlined serves as a premise upon which a fundamental information structure can be based. The proposed structure involves the categorization of design information into not only the Function Domain and the Design Parameter domain but also embraces a third - contextual - domain identified herein as the Environment Domain. Operational definitions have been devised for each type of information. These definitions also point to the nature of the interactions between the three types of information which take place during the process of design. It is suggested that what is presented here is not a new design paradigm but rather a new way to describe in a clear and explicit fashion the information and information transactions which are known to constitute the design processes. As such, it is seen to be of particular value in design education. However, it may also prove to be useful in organizing information systems for concurrent design activities. This view of design information has emerged through efforts to improve the effectiveness of teaching both design and manufacturing courses as well as the desire to improve the management of graduate design projects. Additionally, it has been influenced through ongoing research and development in the design of specific mechanical systems. As such, it is firmly rooted in the practicalities of design and design teaching and is constantly being put to the tests of utility, practicality, and veracity. For example, assessment of the attribute “manufacturability” has led to a systematic structuring of knowledge and information about manufacturing infrastructure in a way which facilitates decision-making as well as explanation and justification of the decision-making process. Some progress is also being made in developing information patterns which embrace all three information domains by way of providing pre-packaged design solutions for well-established types of design problem. The “bolted-joint”, for example, represents an extremely common design element about which much can be determined analytically but about which many other functional aspects are less accessible. Manufacturability, serviceability, reliability are attributes which can be assessed when due consideration is given to context regarding manufacture, use, placement, etc. The use of this information structure has also been useful in examining various models of the design process whether along traditional problem-solving lines or using artificial intelligence oriented systems. This approach has been used in examining the design process at the graduate level but student feedback has been sufficiently strong to suggest that it would be useful at the undergraduate level. In particular, while the traditional approach to teaching design provides an “activity map”, the addition of an “information map” is seen to be highly complementary. The notion of the information map is also seen to be useful for the management of concurrent design endeavours. It would be expected to provide a picture of both communication pathways and indicate the nature of the communications required. For example, the attribute “affordability” will usually be of particular importance for most designed things. Assessment of this attribute requires knowledge of the marketplace as well as the cost of the article and its performance capability. The cost attribute will require knowledge of the manufacturability of the article and hence the capability of the manufacturing infrastructure. In this way diverse interests can be visibly linked. And of course the map need not be a static one but would be expected to reflect the dynamics of the design process. If the distinction between attribute types continues to prove a useful and valid one, the door is opened to a new generation of parameterized design within which not only geometric relationships are programmed but more fuzzily-defined functions are determined by propagation of information along function-oriented pathways. The language for communication between disparate role-players in the design process has far to grow but the form of the communication can start to take on shape. Finally, the proposed information map will provide an explicit history of a design project thereby facilitating such activities as design audits and accident investigations. Perhaps as important is the role of the information map in recording the knowledge of expert designers and the generation of case histories which more explicitly illustrate the role of specific pieces of information in the generation of design solutions.