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Information mobility and re-production Mika Liao, Chetan K.S, Gil Nachmany, Aditya Pawar

Industrial Design Engineering TUDelft

Landbergstraat 15 NL 2628 CE Delft The Netherlands

ABSTRACT

This paper proposes a product service system (PSS) that attempts to create a sustainable enterprise by facilitating the functions of existing systems at TUDelft, Netherlands. The design anticipates the needs and opportunities that the Mekelpark project at the TUDelft could give rise to and caters to them.

The systems that have been integrated by the PSS enterprise include – mobility of books from the library, procurement & circulation of readers, printing and copying services. Additional to the PSS a few recommendations are given to make the campus more sustainable, for example a provision for a centralized printing facility at the TUDelft.

The paper states the project methodology and analysis of the existing systems, leading to identification of needs and opportunities. Described next are the components of the designed PSS and its business development process. The paper concludes by assessing the PSS on sustainable quality in terms of the business-economic, the environmental and the social aspects.

Keywords

Product service system, mobility solutions, sustainable campus. Mekelpark, TUDelft.

1. INTRODUCTION Any change in a system, even with best intentions affects other subsystems or supporting systems. This in turn has consequences on the behavior of people in the way they use and interact with the whole system. In this paper we are dealing with the changes pertaining to transportation/mobility and infrastructure in TU Delft campus as a consequence of the Mekelweg Project.

Mekelpark is proposed to be the new heart of the TU Delft campus. Mekelweg and its surroundings are being transformed into a car-free zone. It is proposed to run the new tram line (No. 19) through the park. The park would feature an undulating landscape with avenues of trees and a facelift to the faculties such that their forecourts blend with it.

The Mekelpark project would significantly influence the mobility of people and material within the TUDelft campus. The transformation of Mekelweg into

Mekelpark will not only beautify the campus environment, but also demand more responsible behavior from the people involved (student, staff, maintenance etc).

This project attempts to identify mobility related problems that already exists or might arise in TU Delft campus with the implementation of Mekelpark project. The identified issues are evaluated for its severity by interviewing the involved stakeholders. Finally one of the issues is shortlisted and a solution based on a product service combination proposed.

2. PROJECT APPROACH AND METHOD The project began with problem identification in the area of mobility within the TU Delft campus. Possible problems and needs were identified through an internal brainstorm session. This was followed by data-collection in the form of observation at faculties and interviews with the stakeholders, with the aim of verifying our initial assumptions on problems and/or needs. This gave us a clearer picture of the existing scenario on campus, and severity of each identified problem. System-maps were developed for some of the shortlisted problems/needs in the TU Delft campus. This helped us to analyze and understand the involved stakeholders and the interactions involved between them. Some of the problems were later grouped together based on the similarities and possibilities of one common feasible solution proposed. The design process began with the formulation of needs and requirements for the new product service system. A system map based on the listed needs and requirements was developed. This new system map was developed in a way that it could be integrated with the existing system infrastructure, with minimum intervention or modification. A financial flow model was also developed to understand how the new product service system can become a successful and sustainable business. The new proposed PSS design was later rated from a sustainability point of view using sustainability radars.

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3. ANALYSIS The brainstorming session yielded an exhaustive list of mobility related problems, needs and opportunities that already exist or that might arise after the implementation of Mekelpark project. Some of them were:

• Shopping solution for student housing (mostly a weekend activity)

• General commuting services in campus (mostly a weekday activity)

• Mobility solutions for social recreation (by car and bikes)

• Transport service from Schiphol to TUDelft

• Bi-cycle parking and repair facilities

• Waste and garbage management

• Food delivery and catering services

• Library book circulation

• Delivery of readers, books and other print materials

• Mobility service for the disabled

We conducted a series of interviews with students and staff regarding their problems and needs with regards to the above listed issues.

After a analysis of all the feedback we received from the initial data collection process, we rejected a few of the options. For example the idea for a catering service was dropped as the services offered by Sodexo (at TUDelft) were already highly subsidized and any intervention would simply add to the costs without the PSS getting back enough returns.

The area of intervention finally chosen was the need for maximum library utilization and better printing services. This was based on a vision to better utilize these services in a more efficient yet sustainable manner.

4. COMPONENTS OF THE SYSTEM

4.1 Library utilization: The Central library catered to different type of clients who had separate requirements. The main stakeholders within the TU Delft campus, utilising the book borrowing service are, students, researchers, teaching Staff and faculty libraries. The books available in the library can be requested for issue / borrowing through the internet. However, the books are picked up and returned manually by the students. The researchers usually request for a lot of books, which they have to collect from library and return themselves at a time. But the teaching staff and faculty libraries can place order for a lot of books at a time and they are usually delivered and picked up by a book delivery and return service using a motor vehicle. This facility is not available to all the users of the library. This seems to

discourage many of the students from frequently borrowing books and utilizing the library service effectively.

We came across many students who have not got their library card issued and some of them had not borrowed books more than couple of times. The fact that they have to walk or bike all the way to library to issue or return a book, especially when weather is bad is very discouraging. Many students admitted the fact that they were not punctual in returning the books and sometimes they did not collect the books they had requested online.

Figure 1. Existing library utilization system

4.2 Reader ordering system: Currently, Students place an order for readers for their courses online through the ‘black board’. The payment is also made online. The readers are delivered to their respective faculty within a week. Students can collect the readers from their respective faculty. Extra postal charges are levied, if the reader has to be delivered to any address other than the faculty. The readers are currently being printed at Leiden, Netherlands.

On talking to the students we stumbled up on the fact that, they usually try to purchase or borrow used readers from other students. However, sometimes the new readers have additional information, which have to be separately photo copied or printed.

There were many students’ who preferred the idea of re- circulating readers instead of buying new readers but they did not know how to get access, buy or borrow used readers. At present the recirculation of used readers is not organized or regulated.

In the later sections of the paper, it is proposed that the used readers can be donated or sold at cheap rates to the library and the students can issue them as regular books.

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Figure 2.Existing reader ordering system

4.2 Printing and Copying: It was noticed that students print a lot of the digital information for reading purpose. Also, Students frequently have the need to copy portions of library book that they borrow for future reference. The students can process printing (both black and white and colour) in their faculties and in the library. The photocopies of the books can be made in library or in faculty facilities (provided there are no copy write issues). The students pay a nominal charge for printing and making photo copies. But what is problematic is the wastage of papers, ink and overloading of machines and also increased waiting time due to paper jams and printer maintenance. The cumulative loss of resource and energy is anticipated to be significantly high.

Figure 3. Current printing and copying system

Currently, TU Delft has a total of 341 printers and copiers. All the faculties use NRG MP C2500 PS series of printers. The requirement of each machine is about 1680W. It is estimated that each machine is used for an average of 3 hours everyday. Therefore average power consumption is 5KWH per printer. The official sources estimate an average loss or wastage of 10 papers per printer everyday due to misprint, wrong print command, paper jam etc.

Thus, in the new proposed system, it is recommended that there be a central printing facility (inside the TUDelft, perhaps an extension of the library) that can be more efficient in tackling the before mentioned problems.

On interviewing the students (mainly in IO), some of the needs and requirements that surfaced were with regards to speciality printing. Students and staff want facilities that will enable them to get high quality prints on different quality and size of papers. There was evident need for a system that could support students with large quantity of prints and binding like in case of thesis reports.

5. PROBLEM IDENTIFICATION AND OPPORTUNITY The main problems identified upon analyzing the above three systems in TU Delft are:

1. There is a need to encourage more students to use the library services more frequently.

2. Lack of time and other conditions like bad weather discourage people from visiting the library.

3. Users do not return books on time. 4. Borrowing books for long durations of time

might create deficiency in the library stock. 5. Lack of regulated and organized recirculation

of used readers. 6. Wastage of paper in prints and photocopies 7. Need for speciality printing 8. Need for services for large quantity printing

within campus

Figure 4. Problems

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The problem definition: To design a Sustainable Mobility Concept that integrates the distribution of knowledge resources (books, journals, reports) and their Reproduction. Designed for TU Delft.

6. DESIGNING A NEW PSS The new PSS was designed to include the central library, printing system and reader printing system. The new system is designed around a logistic provider (but based on the already existing stock management and online ordering system). The logistic provider will be centrally placed in the system map as shown in figure 5.

The logistic provider will own their own hybrid delivery vehicles. The vehicles used would be human powered electric vehicles (HPV). The logistic provider will employ people to drive these vehicles through the campus in the route as shown in route map, figure 6. An employee from the logistic provider will be installed in the library to process the web requests made by the students and staff for books and photocopies. They will process the orders and schedule the trips and consignments to each delivery vehicle. The service providers will link the students, researchers and staff with the library and print house through the faculty service desks.

Figure 7 and 8 paint a scenario from the point of view of the users. The students and staff will place request for books and photocopies from the internet. Online they can check the earliest possible time of delivery of books and photocopies to their faculties. The logistic provider collects the consignments from the central library and delivery them to the faculty service desk. The books returned by the students and staff will be collected from the service desk and delivered back to the central library. It is also possible to incorporate a postbox at the service desk for incoming and outgoing books as seen in a number of libraries.

The students can place an online order for readers, printing graduation reports or other large quantity prints to the print house located within the TU Delft campus. When the orders are ready for dispatch from the print house, the logistic provider will collect the consignment from the print house and deliver them to the faculty service desk to be collected by the customers.

Figure 5. PSS

Figure 6. HPV route through the TUDelft

Figure 7. Ordering of books and copy of literature

Figure 8. Ordering of prints, readers, journals

7. BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT The new product service system will involve a logistic provider as discussed earlier. The logistic provider can be an external business venture. This business venture can find its initial capital investment mainly from private investors. TU Delft can also support the business venture through some initial investments.

The logistic service provider needs to invest mainly on procuring hybrid human powered electric vehicles for transporting books and other knowledge materials within the campus. The logistic provider will also need to recruit people for driving these vehicles and also support staff to be assigned their jobs at the library. These support staff will handle the requests for books

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and prints made by students and staff. They will support the library staff and will also be responsible for allocating route, scheduling trips and consignments for each delivery vehicle.

Initially this service will cater to the needs of students and staff by delivering books and photocopies from central library only. The pilot installation will involve 2 hybrid delivery vehicles which will do rounds around the TU Delft campus through all the faculties, by collecting and delivering library books at regularized timings. This pilot installation will help in stabilizing the system and helping the students and staff to get accustomed to this new way of book delivery and pickup system.

The second phase of the PSS installation will involve the print house, centrally located in TU Delft. The print house will be fully owned by TU Delft. It will be capable of processing large print orders, printing readers in-house and also handle speciality printing orders from student and staff. To make its business profitable and sustainable, it will also process print orders from clients outside the campus.

Apart from the above mentioned benefits the print house can act as a regulatory body when it comes to printing. It can regulate the printing by using ecofriendly inks and/or recycled paper. It can also print documents double sided by default if not requested otherwise. Wastage of paper due to wrong commands is avoided altogether. In all this facility can make the printing process much more sustainable.

In the second phase, the logistic service provider will add two more hybrid vehicles to their existing fleet of vehicles. These vehicles will be used to collect the readers, prints and graduation reports from the print house and deliver them to the respective faculties (faculty service desks).

Figure 9. Business Development

Apart from strategizing the business installation and development, it is also necessary to have a clear understanding of financial inflow and earning needed to keep the business healthy and profitable.

While trying to chalk out the money flow within the system, several models and funding resources arise. The first and most important aspect in this infrastructure

based product service system is the relatively high initial investment. Therefore, based on the environmental contribution and educational orientation of the offered system, the initial investment can be raised based on funding from governmental bodies and NGOs on one hand, while on the other hand franchisers can finance certain percentage of the initial investment based on contracts for long term services.

Based on the initial investment in infrastructure, additional development of the logistics setup (warehouse, HPV), library inventory management and print house establishment should be done. That will be done by TU Delft and the franchisers themselves, based on future profit from the offered services.

Figure 10. Human powered Vehicle (HPV) used in the PSS

Expanding the transportation service outside the TU Delft campus based on the given library and print house services, for the use of the local education system and business, can raise the profit or subsidize the cost for students. Therefore, three price levels can be offered to every given service - academic use of staff member or student, private use of staff member or student and external customers as local businesses.

In Addition to gain profit on one hand, and to minimize the environmental footprint, every service should be quantified, priced and debited. In the case of TU Delft’s staff, the academy should pay for the given service, while every staff member or academic body will have a limited quota. In all the other cases the customer will pay directly for the given service. The print house can extend its services to external clients for more business to gain returns for the high investments made. The logistic service providers can have external income source through advertisements and also by renting the hybrid vehicles for tourist recreation during weekends and holidays.

Regarding the printers it must be noted that few printers would always be available at the individual faculties’. But as a policy measure (on behalf of the TUDelft) it might be necessary to provide the prints through the print house cheaper than that at the faculties.

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8. EVALUATION The product service enterprise is assessed using the sustainability radar. Figure 11 gives the PSS evaluation with respect to environmental sustainability, figure 12 for the socio- ethical sustainability and figure 13 gives its level of economical sustainability.

Environmental sustainability It can be seen that the system is more environment friendly when it comes to resource reduction and distribution reduction i.e. instead of all students moving from the central library to their faculty now a PSS does the rounds of the campus effectively providing them with the library service with equal consistency.

Also, it is seen that the books getting returned can be put back into circulation much faster. It has been observed that professors and students often keep book issued even though they need to refer to just one chapter. If a copy (in the form of a hard or soft copy) can be made for them of the desired section of the book, they would be willing to give back the book earlier. This is facilitated by the print house and the PSS.

Reduction of resources is also relevant regarding the re-circulation of the readers. This saves further printing costs and makes the readers available to students as per need basis.

In terms of waste minimization, the print house does better job of keeping it in check. Errors due to wrong commands, papers getting jammed, and cartridges running out of ink can be avoided. Further more printing in double sided default mode can help conserve some more paper.

The system life operation can also be seen to be improved as the books from the library can be in circulation for a longer time making optimizing their utilization.

In terms of toxic reduction, the HPV are human powered thus do not pollute the environment and are healthy for the drivers to run. The print house uses eco friendly inks thus reducing the harmful affects of the environment.

Socio Ethical Sustainability The PSS is strong in the sense of encouraging sustainable consumption; this can be seen the usage of better printing practices, re-circulation of readers, and the option of selective reproduction of books.

The service also empowers local usage of resources in terms of having a printing facility at the TUDelft campus itself which also becomes a money making enterprise in itself.

Regarding justice to stake holders and employement, mostly the students reap the benefits provide by the system. It is also possible for the students to get hired part time to run the HPVs.

Economical Sustainability It is seen that the PSS is strongest from the point of potential collaborations and added value to the customers.

Having the PSS in the TUDelft campus itself make it the only service that integrates otherwise isolated facilities. It is a added value for the users and it saves them time, makes books more accessible, increases the quality (specialized printing) and gives them pride as being part of a sustainable system and campus.

The PSS can potentially have alliances with the various city libraries. Rent out its HPV and offer its printing services to the public. This gets in extra income and makes the PSS more economically sustainable.

The PSS can be optimized of it offers a competitive price especially for the printing services. By way of profitability the PSS earns money by advertising and renting HPVs as well as getting a share from the TUDelft and copying/ printing.

The PSS assumes that for the academic context, paper use will prevail for a long time to come but it can be said to be threated by the trend of electronic data exchange. In that case the PSS might need to be adapted to provide the users with soft copies of reference material rather than hard copies.

In terms of the macro effect, the PSS earns revenue even after offereing cheaper prices just because it is able to reach a large enough number of students. But this could give rise to feasibility problems with economic impact.

Figure 11. Environmental sustainability

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Figure 12. Socio – Ethical sustainability

Figure 13. Economic sustainability

9. REFERENCES • Keskin D. et al, 2008, An analysis of public

use bicycle systems from a product service system perspective, Proceedings of the TMCE 2008.

• Mihyeon Jeon Christy, Amekudzi Adjo, Addressing Sustainability in Transportation Systems:Definitions, Indicators, and Metrics.

• Litman Todd, 2008, Developing Indicators For Comprehensive and Sustainable Transport Planning,” Transportation Research Record 2017, Transportation Research Board (www.trb.org), 2007, pp. 10-15.

• Integrating Sustainability into the Transportation Planning Process, Conference proceedings 37 (2004), Transportation research board of the National academies, Baltimore, Maryland.

• Wachs Martin, 2004, What Are the Challenges to Creating Sustainable Transportation? How Can Transportation Systems Become More Sustainable? Conference proceedings 37 (2004), Transportation research board of the National academies, Baltimore, Maryland.

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10. APPENDIX Given below are the diagrams used in the paper in a larger format.

Figure 1. Existing library utilization system

Figure 2.Existing reader ordering system

Figure 3. Current printing and copying system

Figure 5. Proposed PSS System

Figure 6. HPV route through the TUDelft

Figure 7. Ordering of books and copy of literature

Figure 8. Ordering of prints, readers, journals

Figure 9. Business Development

Figure 11. Environmental sustainability

Figure 12. Socio – Ethical sustainability

Figure 13. Economic sustainability