Sustainability, as well as the sustainable use of resources and related issues, has inspired a long-lasting and lively debate among scholars of different disciplines. Due to under-investigation of several of the sustainability-related challenges, this paper aims to better understand the system dynamics that, supported by some digital enablers (e.g., digital technologies and platforms), boost the sustainability of complex service systems such as healthcare. To this end, the theoretical meta-model of interaction types, which inspired the prototype digital platform dedicated to the online delivery of health-related services, is presented. Moreover, some healthcare usage scenarios, based on the prototype’s functions, are analysed and discussed. This allows understanding of how important the role of technologies and, in particular, digital platforms, are in empowering actors and in making them willing to interact, and share their own resources in continually new ways. This paves the way for ongoing value co-creation, which is essential for healthcare system sustainability.
We derived a promising approach to reducing the energy consumption necessary in manufacturing processes from the combination of management methodologies and Industry 4.0 technologies. Based on a literature review and experts’ opinions, this work contributes to the efficient use of energy in batch production processes combining the analysis of the overall equipment effectiveness with the study of variables managed by cyber-physical production systems. Starting from the analysis of loss cause identification, we propose a method that obtains quantitative data about energy losses during the execution of batch processes. The contributions of this research include the acquisition of precise information about energy losses and the improvement of value co-creation practices so that energy consumption can be reduced in manufacturing processes. Decision-makers can use the findings to start a virtuous process aiming at carbon footprint and energy costs reductions while ensuring production goals are met.
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