Mihai Dragomir

The article proposes an exploratory approach that combines literature-based analysis of digital transformation and competitiveness in battery manufacturing ecosystems with survey evidence collected from Romanian companies operating in technology-related sectors. The empirical approach described provides indirect ecosystem-level evidence from Romanian firms potentially relevant to future battery value chains, as full-fledged manufacturers only now entering the strategic horizon. The study is founded on the need for companies to achieve a consistent and committed transformation that goes beyond adopting and integrating various digital technologies, reaching aspects related to production facilities, human–machine integration, and smart governance approaches. The objective of the research is to study the mutual impacts between facilities and processes on one hand, and technology on the other hand, in achieving competitiveness and sustainability for battery manufacturing ecosystems. In this regard, the paper investigates organizational capabilities, workforce adaptability, and digital technology deployment as enabling factors for a successful digital transformation. The results point to an improvement potential that may contribute to the resilience of the emerging battery industry under challenging conditions, while preparing for sector expansion brought about by developing electromobility and renewable energy options. The framework developed customizes general digital transformation capabilities into battery-manufacturing-specific requirements such as traceability, circularity, regulatory readiness, user safety, and ecosystem interconnectivity.

Hybrid IT infrastructures, which combine on-premises systems with public and private cloud resources, provide organizations with increased operational flexibility, scalability, and opportunities for innovation. However, these advantages are accompanied by significant cost-management challenges that are often complex and difficult to predict. Different pricing models across cloud providers, typically based on variable, consumption-driven billing, can lead to budget volatility due to costs associated with computing, storage, data transfer, and additional managed services. In particular, data transfers between regions, across different cloud platforms, or between cloud and on-premises environments can generate substantial and frequently underestimated expenses. Another major challenge is inefficient resource utilization. Over-provisioning resources to ensure performance and availability often results in unnecessary spending, while poorly defined or uncontrolled dynamic scaling policies may cause unexpected cost increases. In multi-cloud environments, these issues are further amplified by the lack of centralized cost visibility, difficulties in attributing expenses to specific applications or business units, and the need to comply with regulatory, security, and governance requirements. To effectively mitigate these financial risks, organizations must adopt integrated financial governance approaches, such as FinOps, supported by continuous cost monitoring, detailed usage analysis, and proactive resource optimization. Establishing clear policies for scaling, lifecycle management, and workload placement is essential. Ultimately, the success of hybrid cloud adoption depends on achieving a balance between performance, flexibility, and economic efficiency, enabling organizations to fully leverage hybrid environments while maintaining predictable, transparent, and sustainable IT expenditures.

The V-Model is widely used in safety-critical engineering; however, its application to rapid prototyping remains challenging due to limited integration between lifecycle governance and executable validation workflows. This paper addresses end-to-end mechatronic ECU development through the general objective of designing an integrated, prototyping-oriented software platform that operationalizes a V-Model-based rapid prototyping lifecycle with explicit, process-level traceability. Four specific objectives structure the contribution. First, bibliometric analyses of the keywords “V-Model” and “Rapid Prototyping Platforms,” conducted using the Web of Science database and VOSviewer, highlight the limited integration of structured lifecycle approaches with practical prototyping workflows. Second, the V-Model is adapted for mechatronic ECU development by introducing domain-specific decomposition and a dependency-driven testing sequence. Third, the BIOComProP (Basic Input Output Communication Protocol Platform)—comprising reusable ECU firmware, PC based test software, and a dedicated request–response communication protocol—is developed, and its testing capabilities are mapped to V-Model phases. Finally, a logic-based workflow is defined to translate patent derived requirements into executable development and validation steps. The results demonstrate staged verification aligned with technical dependencies, structured traceability across development activities, and firmware reuse across multiple prototypes, offering a coherent and reproducible approach for rapid prototyping of mechatronic ECU systems without relying on heavyweight MBSE or ALM toolchains.

The article explores the current state of circular economy adoption in Romanian small and medium-sized companies and their conceptualization of organizational excellence through the lens of environmental concerns. A survey of 52 companies from diverse sectors was conducted by means of a questionnaire, and the results obtained were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics (correlation analysis, ANOVA, and variance testing). The results indicate a growing body of knowledge and best practices that, at the company level, are evolving beyond a focus on material and process efficiency and toward an emerging understanding of environmental excellence, with positive interest ranging between 40% and 86%. Also, respondents recognize strong complementarities between circularity, sustainability, and organizational excellence. The need for an advanced systemic strategy, support policies, resource management, and stakeholder engagement is highlighted as the path toward achieving sustainability goals in conjunction with market success and not in spite of it.

The article explores the current state of circular economy adoption in Romanian small and medium-sized companies and their conceptualization regarding organizational excellence through the lens of environmental concerns. A survey of 52 companies from diverse sectors is conducted by means of a questionnaire and the results obtained are analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics (correlation analysis, ANOVA, and variance testing). The results obtained indicate a growing body of knowledge and best practices that at company level are starting to evolve past the material and pro-cess efficiency preoccupations and towards an incipient understanding of environ-mental excellence, with positive interest ranging between 40% and 86%. Also, re-spondents recognize strong complementarities between circularity, sustainability, and organizational excellence. The need for an advanced systemic strategy, support policies, resource management, and stakeholder engagement is highlighted as the path towards achieving sustainability goals in conjunction with market success and not in spite of it.

This paper investigates methods for optimizing the quality management system in an auto paint shop in Sibiu County, with the main theme being defect reduction and operational efficiency improvement. The research focuses on identifying problems caused by human errors, the lack of clear quality standards, and an inadequate process monitoring system, which lead to frequent defects and negative monetary impact. The key message conveyed is that, by adopting modern methodologies such as “zero defects” and “Kaizen,” the paint shop can achieve a higher level of performance and customer satisfaction. The paper’s aim is to propose a pragmatic framework for implementing an integrated quality management system, contributing to the long-term viability of the business. The research questions address how the implementation of these systems can influence cost reduction, quality improvement, and increased competitiveness. The research design is qualitative, based on an analysis of the existing situation, SWOT evaluation, and the proposal of concrete solutions. The paper details a comprehensive quality program, specific strategies, and measures, including the application of 5S principles. Expected results include a significant reduction in defects, streamlined execution times, and a notable increase in customer satisfaction, transforming the paint shop into a regional leader through operational excellence.

This paper addresses the challenge of ensuring quality control for electronic control units (ECUs) in the automotive industry. Traditional hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) systems, used for software quality assurance, are costly and not always readily available, leading to potential delays in software verification and release. This paper investigates the factors causing these delays and proposes process task workflow optimization using a hybrid testing approach. This approach allows software developers to conduct early integration and system testing for embedded software, complementing the formal validation stage. To support this, the paper presents a novel piece of test equipment called TestBench, which utilizes inexpensive embedded hardware like the Arduino Mega2560, which can carry out the fundamental tasks needed to test the ECU. TestBench enables local testing, remote accessibility, and the monitoring of key parameters, including voltage current consumption, and the communication bus. It also facilitates fault injection for the evaluation of communication protocol robustness. By enabling earlier and more frequent testing, TestBench aims to enhance the quality of software developer outputs and the overall quality of ECU-embedded software. The system has the potential to significantly improve the testing process, making advanced testing capabilities more accessible and cost-effective for engineering teams and educational institutions.