Global Perspective for Competitive Enterprise, Economy and Ecology addresses the general theme of the Concurrent Engineering (CE) 2009 Conference – the need for global advancements in the areas of competitive enterprise, economy and ecology. The proceedings contain 84 papers, which vary from the theoretical and conceptual to the practical and industrial. The content of this volume reflects the genuine variety of issues related to current CE methods and phenomena. Global Perspective for Competitive Enterprise, Economy and Ecology will therefore enable researchers, industry practitioners, postgraduate students and advanced undergraduates to build their own view of the inherent problems and methods in CE.

Many fields are beginning to implement developing practices that prove to be more efficient and environmentally friendly compared to traditional practices. This holds true for the realm of business, as organizations are redesigning their operations through the incorporation of sustainable methods. Research is needed on the specific techniques companies are using to promote efficiency and improved effectiveness using sustainability. Handbook of Research on Sustainable Supply Chain Management for the Global Economy is an essential reference source that discusses the incorporation of sustainability in various facets of business management. Featuring research on topics such as disruptive logistics, production planning, and renewable energy sources, this book is ideally designed for researchers, practitioners, students, managers, policymakers, academicians, economists, scholars, and educators seeking coverage on sustainable practices in supply chains to ensure a cleaner environment.

This book explores several branches of the social sciences and their perspectives regarding their relations with decision-making processes: computer science, education, linguistics, sociology, and management. The decision-making process in social contexts is based on the analysis of sound alternatives using evaluative criteria. Therefore, this process is one that can be rational or irrational, and can be based on knowledge and/or beliefs. A decision-making process always produces a final decision, which may or may not imply prompt action, and increases the chances of choosing the best possible alternative. The book is divided into four main parts. The concepts covered in the first part, on computer science, explore how the rise of algorithms and the growth in computing power over the years can influence decision-making processes. In the second part, some traditional and innovative ideas and methods used in education are presented: compulsory schooling, inclusive schools, higher education, etc. In turn, the third part focuses on linguistics aspects, and examines how progress is manifested in language. The fourth part, on sociology, explores how society can be influenced by social norms, human interactions, culture, and religion. Management, regarded as a science of the decision-making process, is explored in the last part of this book. Selected organizations’ strategies, objectives and resources are presented, e.g., human resources, financial resources, and technological resources. The book gathers and presents, in a concise format, a broad range of aspects regarding the decision-making process in social contexts, making it a valuable and unique resource for the scientific community.

"This book explores the recent advancements in the areas of lean production, management, and the system and layout design for manufacturing environments, capturing the building blocks of lean transformation on a shop floor level"--

A circular economy is an alternative to a traditional linear economy (make, use, dispose) in which we keep resources in use for as long as possible, extract the maximum value from them whilst in use, then recover and regenerate products and materials at the end of each service life. Circular economy (CE) is important towards sustainable development, resources circulation and conservation, involving closing of material loops and cascading used resources, to prevent waste occurrence, and transforming the resulting residual streams into new (secondary) resources. Strategies and legislative framework for waste management are important steps for development of a more CE where resource efficiency becomes the key driver for both economic growth and environmental protections. A few countries achieved good results implementing CE as a replacement of the linear economy. Resource managers and planners should thoroughly identify factors to implement CE for societal benefits. This book presents how resource consumption is minimized with rational use based on 3Rs, legislative framework and government supports towards implementing CE initiatives, example of best practices, future plans and targets in different countries those are helpful for researchers, planners and implementers.