An Application of MACRAME to Support Communication and Decisions in a Multi-Unit Project

Abstract

Researchers from the Politecnico di Torino working in different fields and a start-up company from the internal incubator decided to join together in a collective project to produce an innovative light aircraft that would utilize hydrogen as fuel. Several decisions have had to be made, above all in relation to the hydrogen fuel cells that have to be used (dimensions, number, supplier,...) and to the electric propulsion engine that has to be combined with the cells as there was no engine on the market with the adequate characteristics. The consequences of these decisions (and of others, in relation to the electronic devices and the automatic control systems), in terms of times, costs and risks, have had to be analysed in the project context, where units with different expertise and language were involved. The paper proposes a methodological approach to identify and face uncertainties and complexities pertaining to this multiunit project through a shared vision of the problems and a structured and evolving problem formulation that has been developed to support communication, coordination and decision-making. It explains how some tools have been integrated in this application and used to elaborate and represent alternative decisions, to collectively evaluate and choose and to create a communication space for the project.

A video-based assessment of likeability and usability in a play application of robots for children

“…This analysis and evaluation approach can be considered as a methodological proposal that could be useful for similar situations, in which different non-quantitative elements of knowledge have to be structured and used to facilitate decision and action. This methodological approach has been used in several contexts (Norese, 2011; Norese et al , 2015). In this case, it was tested to verify or improve the quality of the previous requirements, to use them in the design process and to propose a new analysis framework for the HRI research field, when social robots have the purpose of promoting the social engagement of children.…”

Integration of Problem Structuring Methods

“…Techniques such as the Delphi method (Dalkey, 1967;Kabir & Hasin, 2013;Wang, Lee, Peng, & Wu, 2013;Meijering, Tobi, van den Brink, Morris, & Bruns, 2015), the Nominal Group Technique (Delbecq & VandeVen, 1971;Lago et al, 2007) and SODA (Strategic Options Development and Analysis) (Eden, 1989;Rouwette, Bastings, & Blokker, 2011;Georgiou, 2012) have been shown to be useful for communication, allowing a group of individuals, as a whole, to deal with a complex problem and helping groups to make decisions. Several other techniques, such as Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats (SWOT) Analysis (Armstrong, 1982;Hill & Westbrook, 1997;Yuan, Guang, Wang, Li, & Skibniewski, 2012;Ramooshjan, Sobhanallahi, & Khamseh, 2014), Contingent valuation (Hausman, 1993;Nunes, 2002;Gunduz &Torsney, 2006) and Conjoint analysis (Green & Srinivasan, 1978;Selka, Baier, & Brusch, 2012;Halme & Kallio, 2014), Soft System Methodology (Checkland, 1989;Winter, 2006;Pereira, Montevechi, Miranda, & Friend, 2015), Multiple ACtor RepresentAtion ModElling (MACRAME) (Norese, 1995;Buffa, Marzano, & Norese, 1996;Norese, 2011;Norese & Salassa, 2014) and Community Impact Analysis (Lichfield, 1993;Lichfield, 1996;Lichfield, 2009;Lami & Beccuti, 2010), are more useful when the conceptual phase of the project cannot include actors who are prepared to work as a team to analyse and resolve problems. Moreover, some of these techniques adopt a system approach and can propose a detailed stakeholder analysis and a rich analysis of the situation from the actors' points of view.…”