The challenge of implementation

The smart city aims to ease the city-related decision by facilitating its citizen with the appropriate information at the right place and at the right time. IoT-based systems provide a foundation for smartification of services by enabling person-to-object and object-to-object communications. However, there is a challenge in integrating the IoT in city services to make the city smart. This paper put forward an objective to identify and prioritise the challenges in the implementation of IoT in the smart city. IoT devices represent emerging decentralised computing era and have capability to communicate with other computing devices over a network. Ten challenges to IoT implementation in making cities smart were identified using literature review and expert’s opinion. Further, TOPSIS approach is used to analyse the identified challenges. The findings suggest that the major challenge is IoT interoperability, as companies are developing IoT solution independently by utilising different platforms which result in poor integration in the devices and data security issues. The companies need to develop an open-source platform to promote an interoperable framework. The study will help the practitioner and policy planner in realising the potential challenges in IoT implementation and easing the life of the citizen.

Sustainability reporting is getting more and more attention from companies and regulators. Companies need to respond to the expectations of their stakeholders by including the impacts of their business activities on the environment and society in their strategic and operative management systems, as well as decision making process and their system of external reporting. On the other hand, a number of regulatory bodies have worked and are still working on establishing guidelines and standards for sustainability reporting in order to achieve a higher level of harmonization throughout the world. On the basis of an overview and comparison of different sustainability reporting frameworks, guidelines and standards, we show the direction in the development of sustainability reporting regulation and practice in the last two decades. Our study points out to a growing number of companies that nowadays prepare sustainability reports using different frameworks, as well as to particular challenges in future implementation.

The Complexities of Obesity

Sampling strategies such as respondent-driven sampling (RDS) and time-location sampling (TLS) offer unique opportunities to access key populations such as men who have sex with men (MSM) and transgender women. Limited work has assessed implementation challenges of these methods. Overcoming implementation challenges can improve research quality and increase uptake of HIV services among key populations. Drawing from studies using RDS in Brazil and TLS in Peru, we summarize challenges encountered in the field and potential strategies to address them. In Brazil, study site selection, cash incentives, and seed selection challenged RDS implementation with MSM. In Peru, expansive geography, safety concerns, and time required for study participation complicated TLS implementation with MSM and transgender women. Formative research, meaningful participation of key populations across stages of research, and transparency in study design are needed to link HIV/AIDS research and practice. Addressing implementation challenges can close gaps in accessing services among those most burdened by the epidemic.

ES WIRD DER BAU DER RHEINBRUECKE IN BASEL, UEBER DIE DIE AUTOBAHN HAMBURG-FRANKFURT IN DIE SCHWEIZ GELEITET WIRD, BESCHRIEBEN. DIE BRUECKE WURDE IM FREIVORBAU UNTER ANWENDUNG DES VORSPANNVERFAHRENS BBRV HERGESTELLT. ES WIRD DAS BRUECKENSYSTEM KURZ DARGELEGT UND AUF DIE VORSPANNARBEITEN DETAILLIERT EINGEGANGEN, WOBEI ALLE VORGAENGE DER TEMPORAEREN VORSPANNUNG, DER LAENGS- UND QUERVORSPANNUNG IN ALLEN VORSPANNSTUFEN GESCHILDERT WERDEN. ES WURDEN INSGESAMT 480 T SPANNSTAHL IN 40 000 M KABEL VERBAUT. DIE GUTE ZUSAMMENARBEIT ALLER BETEILIGTEN FIRMEN WIRD HERVORGEHOBEN.(A).

Although new monitoring technologies (MT) supporting aging in place are continuously developed and introduced on the market, attempts to implement these technologies as an integrated part of elderly care often fail. According to the literature, the reason for that may be the prevailing technical focus applied during development and implementation of monitoring technologies in real settings. The aim of this paper was to investigate the socio-technical challenges that arise during implementation of monitoring technologies in elderly care. We used a qualitative case study and semi-structured interviews to investigate socio-technical (S/T) challenges in implementation of monitoring technologies generally and social alarms especially. Based on our findings we suggest a framework for classification of S/T challenges arising during implementation of monitoring technologies in elderly care and in this way this paper contributes to a better understanding of these challenges.

Calls have been made to look at the implementation of ICT at the small-scale level which involves technologies with low cost of adoption or in resource-poor regions. Hence, this study investigates the opportunities and the challenges involved in the implementation of ICT in a private hospital in a developing economy. A descriptive case study strategy was therefore adopted where data was collected through interviews, artefact and document observation. It was discovered that a Hospital Management Administration System (HAMS) has been introduced. In addition, the study identified some challenges in implementation. Lessons and recommendations for overcoming the challenges in the implementation of ICT in the hospital are discussed. The findings add to the existing knowledge bank of ICT adoption and implementation in the health sector specifically by a private hospital in a developing economy. This research is beneficial to government agencies responsible for the health sector.

Abortion training in family medicine residency programs

BackgroundThe aims of this study were to explore to explore the viewpoints of parents of children with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) and professionals regarding the implementation of screening programs for ASD, to explore the challenges of the implementation of a universal screening program for ASD in Iran from their viewpoints, and, to explore their recommendations to overcome the potential challenges.MethodThis qualitative study was conducted using an inductive content analysis, between June 2018 and December 2018, in East-Azerbaijan province of Iran. Data was collected through in-depth interviews and focus group discussions. The participants were purposively selected among two groups: representatives of health system and representatives of children with ASD. A sample of 32 parents and 30 professionals were recruited in this study.ResultsTotally, 9 main themes and 23 sub-themes were extracted in three main areas including: viewpoints of the participants about universal screening for ASD, challenges in implementation of the universal screening program, and participants’ recommendations about how to overcome the potential challenges. Main challenges in implementation of the universal screening program included: shortages of ASD screening tools, weakness of the health system, lack of coordination among the ASD service providers, and social and ethical issues.ConclusionThe parents and the professionals had different viewpoints about the implementation of ASD universal screening program in Iran. According to the professionals, there is not enough rational to implement ASD screening program for all children. However, the parents believed that universal screening program is inevitable, and it should be implemented in primary health centers during the early child-care visits. The results of this study open up unspoken issues that could help in initiating the screening program not only in Iran but also in other low- and middle-income countries as well.

PurposeIn some regions including the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) region where construction is one of the main industries, the implementation of BIM is still at a slow rate. This article attempts to know the current situation of BIM and explore the challenges in the BIM implementation in the GCC construction industry.Design/methodology/approachA mixed research approach that includes a systematic literature review and a survey questionnaire was adopted to achieve the aim of this research. For the systematic review, four main databases were search considering a period of 2010–2019 to identify the main challenges in the BIM implementation. A total of 39 different challenges from 47 documents were classified into four main categories. A structured questionnaire developed on these challenges was sent to 206 selected from the top construction organizations from all over the GCC region.FindingsA total of 39 different challenges from 47 documents were classified into four main categories. The respondents for the questionnaire were selected from the top construction organization from all over the GCC region. A large number of the respondents (69.79%) reported that their organizations are planning for BIM implementation in their future projects. The results show that top challenges fall under the main categories of “Organization”, “Technical”, “Government and Legal” and “Environment”.Research limitations/implicationsWhile the paper provides an overview of BIM in a global context, however, the dynamics and maturity of the construction industry in different regions are quite different from each other. Since the data collected in this research is from the GCC region, the results are more relevant to the GCC region.Practical implicationsThe finding of this research identifies the main challenges which GCC construction is facing in the implementation of BIM. The finding will, therefore, be useful for the key stakeholders to develop strategies to overcome these challenges and pave the road to take the advantages of BIM implementation in construction.Social implicationsThe BIM implementation in the GCC construction industry will not only improve the performance of the industry but will also open the doors for new opportunities and employment. The BIM implementation in construction will help the region to achieve Goal 9 (industrial innovation and improved infrastructure) of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.Originality/valueThe results of this study help to understand the overall situation including the challenges in the BIM implementation in the GCC construction industry. This study will be helpful for all the stakeholders to develop strategies for the effective implementation of BIM in the GCC construction industry.

There is a lack of appropriate, validated person-centred outcome measures (PCOM) for paediatric palliative care in the scientific literature, and as a result there is not a tool to drive and evaluate care of children and young people. In line with COnsensus-based Standards for the selection of health Measurement INstruments (COSMIN) guidance, an expert group was convened to elicit views on the domains/items to include in a PCOM, implementation challenges and requirements for use in routine care by practitioners. Data were content analysed. 36 UK-wide clinicians, advocates, and researchers participated. 1) Items included were: specific symptoms, education, play and social interaction, parental time for partner and other children, sex and intimacy, and sibling wellbeing. 2) Implementation challenges: supporting children and young people to engage meaningfully, that the instrument could be seen as a 'test' of parents' care quality, raising unrealistic expectations, proxy validity. 3) There is a need for clear administration and interpretation guidance and for data ownership/access to be agreed. This expert meeting addressed the initial step in COSMIN guidance, informing face validity and acceptability. It provides the information necessary for the first phase of tool development and informs potential use and implementation.

Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technology has received considerable attention from practitioners, driven by mandates from major retailers and the US Department of Defense. RFID technology promises numerous benefits in the supply chain, such as increased visibility, security and efficiency. Despite such attentions and the anticipated benefits, RFID is not well understood and many problems exist in the adoption and implementation of RFID. The purpose of this paper is to introduce RFID technology to practitioners and academicians by systematically reviewing the relevant literature, discussing how RFID systems work, their advantages, supply chain impacts, and the implementation challenges and the corresponding strategies, in a hope of providing guidance for practitioners in the implementation of RFID technology and offering a springboard for academicians to conduct future research in this area.

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