Operationalizing Sustainability

Pierre MASSOTTE, Pri. Docent, has long worked for IBM in Quality then Advanced Technologies, then as scientific director in EMEA Manufacturing, to improve European Manufacturing plants and Development Laboratories competitivity. Lately, he joined "Ecole des Mines d'Alès" as Deputy Director within the Nîmes EMA Laboratory. His research and development topics are related to complexity, self-organization, and issues on business competitiveness and sustainability in global companies. He is the co-author of several books in production systems management. He is now involved, as senior consultant, in various 'inclusive society' projects.Dr. Ing. Patrick CORSI is an international consultant specialized in breakthrough design innovation. After an engineering and managerial career in industry with IBM Corp., IBM France, SYSECA/THOMSON-CSF and a successful start-up in artificial intelligence, he was a Project Officer at the European Commission, specializing in R&D projects in advanced technologies. He is an ex-Associate Professor, a serial business books and eBooks author and a professional speaker, and an Asssociate Practitoiner with Mines ParisTech for implementing and fielding C-K design innovation theory for clients.

• Note to all Contributors xvNote to the Reader xviiList of Acronyms xxiIntroduction xxviiPart 1. Sustainability: Toward the Unification of Some Underlying Principles and Mechanisms 1Chapter 1. Toward a Sustainability Science 31.1. Introduction 31.2. What does unification mean? 41.3. Coming back to sustainability: how many “sustainabilities”? 71.4. Sustainability: what kind of unification? An integration issue? 101.5. What kind of paradigm do we have to integrate? 121.6. The issue and the implementation of a new dimension 141.6.1. Preamble: code of matter, power of laws and balance of powers 141.6.2. The addition of a new dimension: gimmick or necessity? 161.6.3. Integration of time and dynamics 171.6.4. Application 191.7. Extensions of the concept 201.7.1. Comments 201.7.2. Life sciences: power laws, evolution, life and death phenomena 211.7.3. The power laws 24Chapter 2. Sustainability in Complex Systems 292.1. Preamble: theories of interconnected systems 292.2. Analysis of feedback phenomena in an assembly manufacturing cell 302.2.1. Preliminary considerations 302.2.2. Case study 1: modeling the limitation of work in progress (WIP) by a threshold called “MAQ” 322.2.3. Case study 2: modeling the WIP through assignment rules 332.2.4. Case study 3: model building based on dynamic management of bottlenecks 342.2.5. Main comments 362.3. Application to complex systems: quantitative characteristics of a deterministic chaos 372.3.1. Introduction 372.3.2. Quantification of state variables in a production system 392.4. General considerations about interactions in networked organizations 392.5. Role of feedback in mimicry and ascendancy over others 412.6. Network theory: additional characteristics due to their new structure 432.6.1. Mycorrhization networks 462.7. Simplexification 472.8. Convergences in network theory 51Chapter 3. Extension: From Complexity to the Code of Thought 533.1. The code of thought: effects of cognition and psyche in global sustainability 533.2. Is sustainability the only technological and technocratic approach? 563.3. The three laws of sustainability: prediction and anticipation in complex systems 573.3.1. Is sustainability a consistent property of any complex system? 583.3.2. Sustainability is also the art of combining paradoxes 593.3.3. Adaptation of a manufacturing process: what is so important in planning and scheduling? 593.3.4. Predicting the future? Is it a necessity? 603.4. Consequence: toward a new dimension 633.5. Conclusion 643.6. Indicators for monitoring the EU sustainable development strategy 65Part 2. Operationalization: Methods, Techniques and Tools – the Need to Manage the Impact 69Chapter 4. From Context to Knowledge: Building Decision-making Systems 714.1. Introduction 714.1.1. In the back part of the brain, there is the cerebellum 724.1.2. In the temporal lobe of the cerebrum and limbic system 734.1.3. The frontal lobe of the cerebrum (frontal neocortex) 734.2. How about obtaining a sustainable knowledge? 744.2.1. The first question: how do we learn from experience? 744.2.2. The second question: how do we learn from experiences and develop a conceptual understanding? 754.2.3. The third question: how do we model a sustainable information and knowledge processing system? 764.3. Preliminary consideration: the nature of the problems encountered in test and diagnosis 774.3.1. The world of industry 784.3.2. Health and medical care 784.3.3. Consequences 804.4. Preamble: basic concepts for creating knowledge 804.4.1. Description of the basic reasoning techniques 804.4.2. Conventional collaborative techniques for creating knowledge 814.5. Retroduction and abduction 834.5.1. The retroduction technique 844.5.2. The abduction technique 864.6. Deduction and induction 874.6.1. The inductive reasoning technique 884.6.2. Linear characteristics and limitations of induction and deduction 894.7. The development of a relational reasoning graph 904.8. A complete integrated reasoning process 924.9. How can a computer analyze different types of reasoning? 944.9.1. Theorem proving by semantic techniques 954.9.2. Theorem proving by syntactical techniques 954.9.3. Theorem proving by grammatical techniques 964.10. Applications 964.10.1. Building the planning and scheduling involved in an industrial production system 974.10.2. Diagnosis or classification in qualitative processes (medical, system testing, etc.) 974.10.3. Comments 98Chapter 5. From Context to Knowledge: Basic Methodology Review 1015.1. Application of abduction and retroduction to create knowledge 1015.2. Analysis and synthesis as modeling process 1025.2.1. Fundamental analytic process 1025.2.2 Modeling process 1035.2.3. Abnormal or paranormal analysis and synthesis 1065.2.4. Application: the main influences due to basic emotions 1075.2.5. Comment 1085.3. Background on empirical results: integration principles 1095.3.1. Cyclical and hierarchical theories about theorizing; Heron and Kolb 1095.3.2. Complementary advice: how to get good knowledge? 1115.4. A review and comparison of some common approaches: TRIZ and C-K theory 1125.4.1. TRIZ is about design problem solving 1125.4.2. C-K is dealing with design innovation 1135.4.3. C-K INVENT: toward a methodology for transformational K 114Chapter 6. From Knowledge to Context and Back: The C-K Theory and Methodology 1176.1. Introduction 1176.2. A primer on C-K theory 1186.3. On the nature of the knowledge space 1206.4. On the nature of the concept space1206.5. Discussing the theory 1226.6. Some differentiating points and benefits of C-K theory 1236.7. On fielding C-K theory in organizations 1246.8. A summary on C-K theory 1246.9. A short glossary on C-K theory 1266.10. Links with knowledge management 1286.11. Example on a specific futuristic conceptual case: “a man who can travel through time” 1306.12. Methodological findings 130Part 3. Reformulating the Above Into Business Models and Solutions for New Growth and Applications 135Chapter 7. Principles and Methods for the Design and Development of Sustainable Systems 1377.1. Introduction 1377.2. How to go further? 1397.3. Examples of methods and learning related to complex adaptive systems 1407.3.1. Why and how to mix different theories? 1417.3.2. Errors and mistakes not to make 1427.4. First example: crisis management 1437.5. Second example: urban organizations 1447.5.1. A village infrastructure 1447.5.2. Urban networks 1467.6. Third example: education and career evolution 1487.7. A review of survival, resilience and sustainability concepts 1497.7.1. Definition of resilience 1507.7.2. Definition of sustainability 1517.7.3. Definition of reliability 1537.7.4. Structure and organization of the concepts 1547.8. Methodologies in sustainability 1557.8.1. Modeling a sustainable system 1567.8.2. Evaluation of the sustainability 1577.8.3. Causes of non-achieving sustainability 1587.9. Resilience: methodology 1627.9.1. Problem of attitude change 1627.9.2. Solving approaches 1647.9.3. Methods associated with structured scenarios 1657.9.4. Adaptive management in the Everglades and the Grand Canyon 1667.9.5. Living together and empathy 1677.10. Information system sustainability 1717.10.1. General approach to assess reliability and sustainability in a complex system 1717.10.2. Favoring a step-by-step approach 1727.10.3. Comments about sustainability assessment 1737.11. Application: managing the “skill mismatch” in a company 1777.11.1. Assumptions 1777.11.2. Methodological approach 1787.11.3. Model development and results 1807.12. Sustainability of the organizations in a company 1817.13. Conclusions 183Chapter 8. Toward the Mass Co-design: Why is Social Innovation so Attractive? 1898.1. Introduction 1898.2. How can we define innovation and social innovation? 1908.2.1. Innovation: main principles 1908.2.2. Social innovation: an evolution 1918.3. Sustainability: how can we position social innovation? 1938.4. Social innovation examples 1958.4.1. Application 1: research and development of future technologies 1958.4.2. Application 2: marketing and sales: “I think to you” 1978.4.3. Application 3: inclusivity and cognition 2008.4.4. Consequences 2018.5. A contextual change in society 2038.5.1. Networks are everywhere 2038.5.2. Advantages of the Web approach 2038.6. Basic concepts and mechanisms 2058.6.1. The social concept of a process: principle of emergence 2068.6.2. The social innovation process mechanism 2078.6.3. Social innovation: conditions for sustainable implementation 2098.7. The principle of circularity: a paradigm shift 2118.8. Generalization: how to turn back time 2128.9. Problems of technological evolution 2148.9.1. In nature, evolution is consistent with Moore’s law 2148.9.2. The limits of new technologies and sciences 2158.9.3. Application in industry: where are we going? 2168.10. Evolution: application to cellular networks 2188.10.1. Extended environments 2188.10.2. Social networking 2198.11. Conclusions: the new sustainable environment 2208.11.1. Generalities 2208.11.2. Global process engineering 2218.11.3. Intelligence economy 222Chapter 9. On Integrating Innovation and CSR when Developing Sustainable Systems 2259.1. The new Smartphones: a tool for an inclusive society 2259.2. Innovation and corporate social responsibility (CSR) behaviors 2289.3. Integrating business objectives (CBO) and corporate social responsibility (SCR) 2309.3.1. Implementation comments 2309.4. Lessons gained from this study case: toward a citizen democracy 2349.5. Conclusion on crowd and social approaches 238Part 4. Reformulating Future Thinking: Processes and Applications 239Chapter 10. Sustainability Engineering and Holism: Thinking Conditions are a Must 24110.1. Introduction to holism 24110.1.1. What do we mean by holism? 24210.1.2. Application to decision and management systems 24310.2. Toward a holistic company 24410.3. Culture: on what positive factors can we rely? 24610.4. Sustainability: a framework 24910.5. Application: holonic industrial systems 25010.5.1. Definitions 25010.5.2. The design of a holonic manufacturing system (HMS) 25110.5.3. Holism: a contribution to a better sustainability 25310.6. Consequences 254Chapter 11. Sustainable Cognitive Engineering: Brain Modeling; Evolution of a Knowledge Base 25711.1. Introduction 25711.2. Sustainable cognition: definition and concepts 25811.3. Concepts and “slippage” needs: effects related to new generations 26011.4. Basic structure of our brain: a probabilistic approach 26111.4.1. Application to a human population: macro behavior and conditional probabilities 26211.4.2. Bayes theorem: a universal statistical concept 2642.4.3. Impact of the Bayes theorem on information system sustainability and decision theory 26511.5. Application and probabilistic reasoning in updating a knowledge base: a more sustainable model 26611.5.1. Two applications 26611.5.2. Complex reasoning: a question of plausibility and probabilistic estimates 26911.6. Sustainable cognition: brain structure, understanding micro-to-macro links 27111.7. More recent developments 27111.8. Detection of novelties through adaptive learning and fractal chaos approaches 27411.9. Neuro computing: new opportunities provided by quantum physics 27711.10. Applications 27911.11. Quantum physics: impact on future organizations 280Chapter 12. Brain and Cognitive Computing: Where Are We Headed? 28312.1. State of the art 28312.2. Achievements: is neuroscience able to explain how to perform sustained assumptions and studies? 28412.3. Artificial brain: evolution of the simulation models 28912.4. Examples of challenges to be well controlled 290Part 5. Towards an Approach to the Measurement of Sustainability and Competitivity 293Chapter 13. On Measuring Sustainability 29513.1. Introduction 29513.2. Some basic criteria specific to the new “Sustainable” era 29613.3. What are the nature and limits of the new paradigm, in terms of sustainability evolution? 29713.4. A reminder about competitivity and sustainability properties 29913.5. Synthesis: the present dimensions of a production system 30213.6. An under-assessed value: time 30513.7. Application and results 30713.7.1. Time is the source of streams and flows 30713.7.2. Time and power: some considerations about streams and throughputs 30813.7.3. Measurement of sustainability in a chaotic system: Lyapunov experiments 31013.7.4. Consequences at governance level to get a sustainable system 31213.8. Two new dimensions: thought and information within network theory 31313.8.1. From storytelling… 31413.8.2. … to “talking bullshit” 31513.8.3. An improved understanding of a “New World” complexity 31513.9. Synthesis: cognitive advances provided by the new exchange and communication tools 31613.9.1. The cognitive behaviors associated with this classification 31713.9.2. Synthesizing the cognitive advances 31913.10. Consequences and characteristics linked to a global network notion 32113.10.1. Generalizing the knowledge at organization level 32113.10.2. The behaviors associated with human beings’ psychological features 32213.11. Back to the code of matter: contributions to “Simultaneous Time” and “Network Theory” 32313.12. Application of quantum interactions 32613.13. Sustainability: how to widen the scope of competitiveness indicators? 32813.14. Conclusion 33013.15. Social interactions and massively multiplayer online role playing games 330General Conclusion 333Bibliography 355Index 375