Aihearkisto: Articles in English

Toxicity effects of copper and chromium on mortality and growth of Artemia Salina

2.6.2017Articles in English, Kiertotalouden ratkaisut, LAMK ProLAMKpub

Sometimes it can be difficult to quantify the environmental damage caused by uncontrolled and non-regulated waste discharging. That is why since some years before have begun to appear the ecotoxicological tests with Artemia Salina. The aim of this kind of tests is determine the toxicity of the samples to analyse, relating it with the mortality of these organisms.

Authors: Nuria Mengibar Guerrero and Mervi Pulkkinen

Introduction

Artemia Salina is a kind of crustacean, which lives in salt water. This species it has probably not changed in 100 million years so it is considered one of the oldest species in the world. Their simple organism (they only have head, chest and abdomen) and its primitive nervous system make them suitable for toxicological tests since the damage caused to the animal is small or practically non-existent. Also some studies have demonstrated that Artemia Salina is sensitive to a wide range of heavy metals such as copper, zinc, chromium, cadmium or mercury making them perfect for quantifying the environmental damage caused by these harmful substances that are present in wastes of many industries or by products.

This study has analyzed the toxicity effects of copper and chromium on mortality and growth of Artemia Salina. In the case of copper it is known that it can bind directly to cellular structures and therefore interfere in the physiological functions of the organism tested. On the other hand, chromium is one of the most toxic heavy metals today and it could be present in two forms: Trivalent or Hexavalent chromium.

To prove and confirm this toxicity, three bottom ash samples provided by an energy plant in Lahti have been analyzed. Before doing the ecotoxicological tests, these three samples have been subjected to a batch test.

Material and methods

Artemia Salina eggs remain inactive until they find the necessary environmental conditions for their growth. Once these eggs find the proper conditions it takes at least 24 hours before the first nauplii appears, but they do not reach adulthood until after approximately 20-30 days.

Artemia Salina has to be cultivated before performing the test and for that it has been used JBL Artemio pur eggs and JBL Artemio salt. Three containers have been prepared with one liter of this salt solution and 5 spoonfuls of pure Artemia Salina eggs. After three days the first nauplii begin to appear. For that the growth of the brine shrimps will be possible, the containers should be kept at approximately 25 °C and the salt solution must be mixed gently from time to time. Also, if it is needed, more salt solution could be prepared and added the second or third day of life of Artemia Salina with the objective of keep the organism well nourished. Once they are grown, a cell plate is filled with 10 Artemia Salina in each cell, salt solution and the leachant solution obtained in the batch test (Table 1). To check how the age of Artemia Salina affects the test, the samples have been analysed three times in the same conditions but with Artemia Salina of different ages. Another variable that has been tested is the concentration of the leachant solution.

TABLE 1. Planning of the ecotoxicological test. Amount of leachant and salt solution

To compare the concentration of harmful substances with mortality, the concentrations of chromium and copper were estimated by a photometer in both solution of first leaching step and solution of second leaching step.

Results and discussion

After doing six tests (three for the first leachant solution and three for the second leachant solution) at different concentrations of the pollutant solutions, all the result that have been obtained are shown below in the form of different graphs (Figures 1 and 2).

Figure 1 (showing the amount of live Artemia Salina as a function of time testing sample 1) has been chosen as representative of the tests performed for the three samples. On the first day (color blue), Artemia Salina lasted 7 hours before dying, while on the third day of life (color red), following the same conditions of concentration, they lasted 4 hours this indicates that a higher age of the organism, there is less resistance to toxics.

FIGURE 1. Representation of the amount of live Artemia Salina as a function of time when sample 1 is being tested

On the other hand, in Figure 2 the percent of mortality in the minute 120 of the test is compared with the concentrations of copper and chromium present in each cell. As can be seen the mortality in cells 4, 5 and 6 (sample 2) is higher than in the others, indicating that because of a higher toxicity of the sample, the invertebrate organism dies in a shorter time. If the three graphs are compared, it can be seen that the three trend lines follow practically the same form. This is because the mortality of the Artemias Salina is directly proportional to the concentrations of the harmful substances present in the sample.

FIGURE 2. Representation of the percent of mortality in the minute 120 of the test compared with the concentrations of copper and chromium present in each cell

The chromium and the copper are accumulated by diffusion in the Artemia Salina. These substances penetrate through the cell membrane (a very fine skin, which makes them especially sensitive to toxics) of Artemia Salina following the Fick’s laws of diffusion (diffusion is the movement of a substance from a region of high concentration to a region of low concentration) and causing damage and different alterations in these organisms, ranging from difficulties in mobility to death.

Finally the results obtained from the toxicological analysis of the leachant solution of the second step of the batch test do not differ significantly from those obtained in the first part. The only difference is that in this second part, the concentrations of chromium and copper present in the samples are smaller and therefore the life of the tested animals is longer than in the first ecotoxicological test. They can live between 24 and 12 hours depending on their age.

Conclusions

It has been proven that the ecotoxicological test with Artemia Salina is a good method to determine the toxicity of a sample. Furthermore the test confirms that sample number 2 is the most toxic. Also the test provides evidences that variables such as the sample concentration or the age of the organism tested are directly proportional to the mortality of Artemia Salina and therefore must be taken into account when this type of ecotoxicological analysis are carried out.

References

Mengibar Guerrero, N. 2017. Utilization of concrete and ash waste in geotechnical construction – Legislation, methods and analysis requirements in Finland and Spain. [Online document]. Bachelor’s thesis in Environmental Technology. Lahti University of Applied Sciences, Faculty of Technology. Lahti. [Cited 2 June 2017]. Available at: http://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-2017053011100

Authors

Nuria Mengibar Guerrero is an exchange student from Polytechnic University of Catalunya, Barcelona (UPC) in Lahti University of Applied Sciences (Lahti UAS).

Mervi Pulkkinen is a senior lecturer in the Faculty of Technology of Lahti UAS.

Published 2.6.2017

Article picture of Artemia Salina by Xavier 2010: https://www.flickr.com/photos/xavipat/4451152486.

How to avoid relationships dissolution between sellers and buyers?

29.5.2017Articles in English, LAMK Pro, YrittäjyysLAMKpub

The sphere of marketing has experienced dramatic changes. Nowadays marketing varies remarkably from marketing of 50 years ago. Starting from customer marketing in 1950s and followed by industrial marketing, non-profit and service marketing, relationship marketing finally took its place in 1990s. In the following article the main factors that affect seller-buyer relationships as well as factors that cause relationships dissolution between the two parties are discussed. Moreover, recommendations how and why to maintain long-term relationships are given.

Authors: Anastasiia Krokhina and Minna Porasmaa

Definition of relationship marketing

Relationship marketing (RM) represents the new phase in marketing world. Coming from transactional marketing with attention to actual purchases, relationship marketing went one step further. In relationship marketing world, special attention is paid to end users. (Krokhina 2017.) In other words, the customer is the starting point of all operations. Therefore, utilizing RM strategies companies try to build reliable and long-term seller-buyer relationships. Instead of searching for new customers, companies try to listen to the opinions of their customers and to satisfy them. (Buttle 1996, 1-28.)

Dissolution

Dissolution represents the end of seller-buyer relationships. According to Dwyer, Schurr and Oh (1987), not all the relationships lead to mutual interdependence and trust. Furthermore, even well-established relationships might break up due to different reasons. These reasons may vary a lot from one situation to another. However, there are several important aspects to pay attention to in order to avoid relationships dissolution.

According to Demers (2016), there are 10 reasons why customers break up seller-buyer relationship. As presented in Figure 1, the most common reasons are closely linked with the price of the services/products, the value the customers gain, the attitude towards them and competition. Regarding prices, some companies may originally try to attract the customers with a temporary decline in prices, and once customers are gained they raise up the prices. This is an example of a so-called price trap. Many buyers fall into such traps and decide to break up relationships afterwards. Another reason addresses the problem of received value. All in all, both sides of interaction start the relationships keeping in mind the value that they might gain. Therefore, in case the customers do not receive the expected benefits, the dissolution is very likely to occur.

Figure 1. Reasons of dissolution (Demers 2016)

One more important reason is the sellers’ attitude towards the customers. In any kind of situation, even the most unexpected and unpleasant, sellers and buyers should stay calm and be respectful. Sometimes one minor situation might break up even long-term relationships. Finally, competition also plays an important role when it comes to dissolution problems. Customers have the freedom of choice and they might decide to try something new of other companies or even switch to another company on a permanent basis.

Summing up, there are a lot of cases that may cause a break up of relationships. Moreover, reasons of dissolution vary a lot from minor to very serious problems. This raises a question: What can be done to save the relationships from dissolution?

Ways of Avoiding Dissolution

It is crucially important to understand your customers. Having an image of what your customers are like and what they want, helps to treat them respectively. Moreover, different customers bring different value to companies. (Kong 2006.) Some of them often make small purchases, whereas others rarely buy something, but in case they do, it is something expensive. Thus, they all bring value to companies but the value varies in time spans, amount and frequency.

By understanding your customers it is easier to avoid break ups of relationships. However, there are a few more important issues to take into consideration.

The first thing to be paid attention to is customer satisfaction. The fact of keeping customers unsatisfied with prices/products/services is the most probable cause of relationships dissolution. (Egan 2011, 127-137.) Customer satisfaction depends on customers’ expectation. For example, if the quality of service they get is higher than what they expect or on the same level, then they are satisfied. On contrary, if the quality is worse rather than what is expected, the customers remain unsatisfied. Thus, a way to avoid dissolution of relationships is to care about and to be interested in your customers and their satisfaction when you execute your activities.

The second advice how to avoid the break up of relationships is getting closer and personal with your customers. Having emotional connections people tend to trust each other more. Furthermore, getting personal with customers bring the relationships to a new level. (Malone 2015.) It means that the purchase is no longer just an exchange of goods and money but it is also complemented by positive emotions. People are willing to come to such a place over and over again. Moreover, it is much harder to leave something you got used to and have personal linkage to – you would rather try to solve any potential problem.

The third recommendation is to organize loyalty programs. In order to be committed to a company, a customer should understand the benefits s/he will get. However, the same benefits are not enough to keep customers for a long time. Loyalty programs help a lot in maintaining reliable, long-lasting seller-buyer relationships. (Butscher 2002, 31-50.) In addition, loyalty programs make customers feel special. That is what needed in order to keep the customers and to maintain the competitive edge over the competing companies.

To sum up, relationship marketing deals with creating value for customers and receiving value in return for a long period of time. Even though RM is fully focused on customers, sometimes seller-buyer relationships might lead to a dissolution stage at some point of the relationships. Moreover, there are a number of reasons for this. However, it does not mean that the break up of relationships is unavoidable. Listening to customers and working with them in cooperation helps to avoid dissolution.

References

Butscher, S. 2002. Customer Loyalty. Programs and Clubs. 2^nd edition. Aldershot: Gower Publishing Limited.

Buttle, F. 1996. Relationship marketing. Theory and practice. London: Paul Chapman Publishing Ltd.

Demers, J. 2016. The Most Common 10 Reasons Clients Leave. Entrepreneur. [Electronic magazine]. [Cited 10 May 2017]. Available at: https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/272978

Dwyer, R., Schurr, P., Oh, S. 1987. Developing Buyer-Seller Relationships. New York: American Marketing Association.

Egan, J. 2011. Relationship Marketing. Exploring Relational Strategies in Marketing. 4^th Edition. [Electronic book]. Harlow: Pearson Education Limitied. [Cited 13 May 2017]. Available at: http://www.ssnpstudents.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/Relationship-MaRketing.pdf

Krokhina, A. 2017. Relationship Marketing. Developing Seller-Buyer Relationships. [Online document]. Bachelor’s thesis. Lahti University of Applied Sciences, Faculty of Business and Hospitality Management. Lahti. [Cited 7 May 2017]. Available at: http://theseus.fi/bitstream/handle/10024/125389/Krokhina_Anastasiia.pdf?sequence=2

Kong, C., M. 2006. Relationship Marketing in a Globalised World. Kuala Lampur: Utusan Publications & Distributors SDN BHD.

Malone, C. 2015. It is time to get personal with your customers again. Fidelum Partners. [Cited 14 May 2017]. Available at: https://fidelum.com/insights/its-time-to-get-personal-with-your-customers-again/

Authors

Anastasiia Krokhina has studied International Business at Lahti University of Applied Sciences and will graduate and receive a BBA degree in the end of May 2017.

DSc. (Econ. And Bus. Adm.) Minna Porasmaa works as a Senior Lecturer at Lahti University of Applied Sciences, Faculty of Business and Hospitality Management.

Published 29.5.2017

How to create supercoders

24.5.2017Articles in English, LAMK Pro, Uudistava oppiminenLAMKpub

Recently Talouselämä reported that the programmer shortage has reached a point where the top coders can expect salaries around 15 000 euros a month. That might seem ludicrous since the average software engineer salary in Finland is 43 000 per year or less than quarter of the top programmers, but at the same time, there are reasons for the disparity, because the best people in the field are actually that much more productive. So, how does one become a supercoder?

Author: Aki Vainio

What is a supercoder?

The disparity between 180 000 (Muukkonen 2017) top salary and 43 000 (DAXX 2016) average a year is huge, but there are reasons for this. Despite difficulties in actually quantifying this, the common wisdom is that the best performing programmers are around ten times more productive than the average ones (for example McConnell 2011). Taking this difference into account, as well as savings in coordination, management, workspace, equipment, and so forth, it is understandable that certain programmers are better paid than others are.

As programming is not manual labor, you can achieve these differences through various means. The best programmers are not only people who can type fast. They have intuitive knowledge of how to structure their code so that it is maintainable, they can do more with less code and they write less bugs. Not only that, but they have an eye on how to maximize value of their work by doing the right things.

How to become an expert?

The myth of 10 000 hours of training is widely quoted, but also widely criticized (for example Baer 2014). The main problem with the rule is that it simplifies the concept too much. Instead of just spending the time, it is preferable to approach this through so-called deliberate practice (Ericsson 2000).

Deliberate practice is, simply put, practicing with a clear goal. You can deliberately learn sub-skills that make up an overall skill. To help with this, you can either come up with exercises yourself or rely on ones designed by others.

If possible, you also should not try to become an expert alone. While the learning pyramid is one of those concepts that are often criticized (Willingham 2013), the target of the criticism isn’t the idea itself, but rather the percentages involved. According to the pyramid, the retention rate is 5% for lectures, but 90% for what we teach others. This is extreme and the percentages definitely are not correct (Thalheimer 2006), but the order of the methods is at least roughly so.

Image 1: The Learning Pyramid. Note that even the creator does not stand behind this (Kuropatwa 2007).

Learning to become a supercoder

This is not a simple question. There a lot of question marks here, because both the field of software productivity and learning methods suffer from an influx of myths, misinformation and over interpretation of various results.

If there is one thing working for us, it is that creating a certain kind of feedback loop is easy. When creating code, you can always test it easily and repeatedly, in order to see whether what you did was correct. Anyone with access to a computer can do this. By being able to analyze the defects, you can achieve deeper understanding of how the different parts of the code function together.

On the other hand, testing for good structure of the code, maintainability or other less tangible characteristics is much more difficult. In certain cases, you can find help, such as Project Euler (2001), which publishes complex mathematical problems frequently, which users can try to solve. The feedback there comes in two forms: you need to be able to solve the problem and your program needs to find the solution in less than a minute. This latter requirement requires understanding of many different concepts in programming to be able to achieve it. Of course, the highly mathematical nature of the site often serves to discourage people from using it.

Agile software development methodologies have brought their own learning methods along with them. Developers work in teams and often program in pairs to enhance learning. When you see what your pair or team member does and you can discuss their rationales for doing so, the members of the teams teach each other as a natural part of the process. You can replicate this by finding other people with similar goals and work together in order to achieve them.

It’s helpful to find a project that can keep you interested. Many of the better programmers started by creating their own games or modifying existing ones, for example. Others have hobbies they can digitalize to a certain degree. By finding ways to make the software better, one step at a time, will be quite helpful, but it is important to break the problem down into small parts that are easier to handle.

In general, it’s important to remember that although you are learning by using certain technologies, those technologies will become obsolete. Therefore, you should emphasize learning the underlying thinking behind programming paradigms and the ability to adopt new technologies, than to learn a currently fashionable programming language or tool.

References

Baer, D. 2014. New Study Destroys Malcolm Gladwell’s 10,000 Hour Rule. Business Insider. [Electronic newspaper]. [Cited 22 May 2017]. Available at: www.businessinsider.com/new-study-destroys-malcolm-gladwells-10000-rule-2014-7

DAXX. 2016. IT Salaries: Which Is the Highest-Paying Country for a Software Developer? [Cited 22 May 2017]. Available at: https://www.daxx.com/article/it-salaries-software-developer-trends-2016-2017

Ericsson, A. 2000. Expert Performance and Deliberate Practice. [Cited 22 May 2017]. Available at: https://psy.fsu.edu/faculty/ericssonk/ericsson.exp.perf.html

Kuropatwa, D. 2007. The Learning Pyramid. [Cited 22 May 2017]. Available at: https://www.flickr.com/photos/dkuropatwa/2097911609/

McConnell, S. 2011. Origins of 10X – How Valid is the Underlying Research?. [Cited 22 May 2017]. Available at: http://www.construx.com/10x_Software_Development/Origins_of_10X_%E2%80%93_How_Valid_is_the_Underlying_Research_/

Muukkonen, H. 2017. Koodaripula iski Suomeen – palkat jopa 15 000 euroa kuussa. Talouselämä. [Electronic newspaper]. [Cited 22 May 2017]. Available at: http://www.talouselama.fi/uutiset/koodaripula-iski-suomeen-palkat-jopa-15-000-euroa-kuussa-6646542

Project Euler. 2001. [Cited 22 May 2017]. Available at: https://projecteuler.net/

Thalheimer, W. 2006. People remember 10%, 20%… Oh Really? [Cited 22 May 2017]. Available at: http://www.willatworklearning.com/2006/10/people_remember.html

Willingham, D. 2013. Why the ‘learning pyramid’ is wrong. Washington Post. [Electronic newspaper]. [Cited 22 May 2017]. Available at: https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/answer-sheet/wp/2013/03/06/why-the-learning-pyramid-is-wrong/

Author

Aki Vainio teaches information technology at LAMK. He has put a lot of thought into whether he can call himself a supercoder and has solved 52 of the 604 problems on Project Euler.

Published 24.5.2017

Business model for Memory Bites, an innovative solution to memory disorders

31.3.2017Articles in English, Hyvinvointi ja uudistava kasvu, LAMK RDI JournalLAMKpub

SuperApp and other partners conduct a project called Memory Bites, a game concept to help seniors in delaying memory related problems. This article aims to build a business model for Memory Bites. The article discusses the need of Memory Bites and proposes a business model.

Authors: Huy Bao and Torsti Rantapuska

Introduction

Social public expenditure to the aging population is now one of key concerns in the European Union (EU) countries. In 2012, the expenditure on pensions among the EU-28 was around 12.8% of the total GDP (Eurostat, 2013). This figure for Finland in was 13%, and it has increased steadily since 2011. The aging of the population is likely to result in the increase of memory related diseases. As the population ages, more citizens suffer from memory disease. For instance, 95,000 Finnish citizens suffer from at least moderate dementia, and around 30,000-35,000 citizens suffer from a mild memory disorder (Finnish Ministry of Social Affairs and Health 2013, 7).

Universities and software companies have started to focus on the problem by developing applications that may help delay memory disease and even improve memory. In cooperation with other universities and companies, Lahti University of Applied Sciences is organizing an international project to develop social games to train and diagnose memory-related problems. The project called Memory Bites is a game concept that helps players improve their memory health and delay memory-related problems for at least one year for people of 45 years and older.

The aim is to create a business model that the project team can use 1) to improve its business and strategies and 2) to attract capital. In addition, the created business model clarifies the value Memory Bites provides for its end users and the society as a whole. The presents article introduces the following topics: 1) the need to find a solution to memory disorders, 2) games can improve memory, 3) perspectives and opinions from potential Finnish end users, 4) an overview of Memory Bites, and 5) a business model proposal for Memory Bites.

The need for Memory Bytes

According to the Finnish Ministry of Social Affairs and Health (2013, 7), the number of Finnish citizens older than 65 accounted for 20.5% of the total population in 2015. The percentage of people aged 60 and over was 27.2. About 13,000 Finnish citizens suffer from a memory disease annually, and by 2020 about 130,000 of them are expected to have at least moderate dementia. Nonetheless, not only citizens who are over the working age have memory diseases. There are approximately 5,000-7,000 working-age citizens who have progressive memory diseases. 75% of patients who receive 24-care are diagnosed with a memory disorder, and in 2010 an average expense for each patient was €46,000 while home care services cost only €19,000 a year. The average cost of taking care of a person who suffers from dementia is €23,600 per year.

By delaying memory-related issues and maintaining the working ability of workforce for one additional year, the financial burden on the society is lightened significantly.

According to Dr. Tapani Frantsi from Susino Oy, it is possible to save €25,000 per year per person in health care costs related to maintaining working capability and to help continue working for one extra year, if memory diseases can be delayed. The cost saving is approximately from €175,000,000 to 250,000,000.

The percentage of smartphone users in Finland is 69% of the total population (Statistics Finland 2016). In 2014, 58% of the Finnish citizens in the 45-54 age group owned a smartphone and 49% of the citizens over 55 years of age (Deloitte 2014, 4). The seniors are relatively conservative in using a smartphone. They do not spend money on games. According to a survey conducted by Deloitte (2014), only 19% of citizens in the 45-54 age group played games, and only 5% had spent money on games.

Figure 1. The frequency of social network use among Finnish seniors Q1, 2015 (Statista 2016)

The above chart illustrates that almost all the respondents aged from 45 to 74 used social networks in the first quarter of 2015, and approximately 45% of them used social networks daily. Therefore, the relatively high number of smartphone ownership and the growing trend in Finland is good news for the Finnish companies that are developing digital solutions for seniors.

Games can improve memory

Recent studies show that brain training games have positive effects on brain health. They improve executive functions, processing speed, and working memory in both young adults and elderly people (Basak et al., 2008; Boot, Blakely & Simons, 2011; Akitsuki et al. in 2012; Hashizume et al. 2013). The beneficial effects of games on working memory among seniors has also been convincingly demonstrated (Basak et al., 2008; Al-Hashmi et al., 2013; José et al., 2016). The games applied to conduct these studies were Brain Age and Tetris, which were 1) specifically designed to keep the brain active, (2) handheld games, and (3) simple to play. Working memory showed significant improvement in the young adult group who played Brain Age. These results have made video game companies to become more attracted to training games, and more and more brain training games, such as Big Brain Academy and Brain Age, have been released.

To conclude, it is scientifically proved that games with particular designs and features affect working memory, executive functions and processing speed. Thus, games, especially brain training games, can be considered as a simple, entertaining, and effective solution to memory related issues.

Perspectives and opinions from potential Finnish end users

Adults are also willing to adopt memory games. 70% of the respondents in our survey (10 Finnish citizens over 45 of age who own a smartphone) reported that they have felt a decline in their memory in recent years. Not all of them had experienced memory problems in daily life, but they revealed that they would need training or exercises in order to keep their brains sharp. The survey also revealed that if there were a game that could help improve its users’ memory and if the game were free, 80% of the respondents would try the game. The seniors in our interviews emphasized the simplicity of the game. If the game were simple enough, they would be willing to play the game from two to three times a week.

Overview of Memory Bites

The basic framework for the game with several fixed components and features has been established. The game would comprise three main elements: a front-end (games), database, and platform. The role of the game is to provide a channel to gather data from users for the platform, and the purpose of the platform is to analyze and diagnose users’ conditions. The database is the place to store data and the basis for analysis and diagnosis; it makes a difference between the database of memories and big data . The database also acts as user-generated content for the game. The diagnostic procedure will be implemented automatically followed geriatric professionals’ advice. There would be many game concepts that would be based on the available content. The diagram below describes the entire process.

Figure 2. The process of the platform (Huy 2016)

Business model proposal for Memory Bites

According to Johnson et al. (2008), a business model includes four elements: a customer value proposition, revenue streams, key processes, and key resources. In this article, the focus is on the customer value proposition and revenue streams.

Our survey and interviews provided the following two key finding: 1) the majority of the respondents have memory problems and, because of this, some have encountered difficulties in daily life; 2) the majority of the interviewees have not tried any brain training exercises. Therefore, they require brain training activities. Furthermore, simplicity and relaxation have to be prioritized.

Memory Bites will be available first in Finland. Because of the aging population and the high number of citizens suffering from memory disorders, Finland is a potential market where to start building and developing a customer base and brand.

The customer value of memory-improving games has been scientifically proven. Games can be considered as an economical, entertaining, and effective solution to prevent memory disorders. In addition, playing games can be good exercise in keeping the brain sharp. Below are the particular solutions and value that Memory Bites offers to its end users:

An economical, entertaining, and effective solution to prevent memory disorders: Memory Bites will be a simple and relaxing game that aims to help its players improve their memory and delay memory related problems. The game can also be used as a part of a treatment plan or procedure. Memory Bites will provide information about the condition of its users’ memory, thereby allowing timely treatment. Memory Bites will be available for free.
Mental exercise for the brain: as the human body, the mind also needs exercise. By playing Memory Bites, users can exercise their brains in order to keep them sharp.
Promoting social communication and reminiscing of one’s own life: The game will require users to interact with other people, especially with friends and relatives. Furthermore, there are several game concepts that will be based on content provided by users themselves, particularly content related to the users’ past such as pictures.

In addition to the value offered to end users, Memory Bites also brings value to the society. By delaying memory related issues and maintaining the working ability of the workforce for one additional year, the financial burden on the society is significantly lightened.

The revenue stream is somewhat complicated. Memory Bites will be provided for free, so the game itself cannot generate revenue. Therefore, a multiple-revenue-stream strategy is applied. The following are the revenue stream proposals for Memory Bites:

Selling the data for medical centers / medical professionals: The game can gather data about the memory condition of its users, and this data can be commercialized by providing it for medical centers and/or experts. However, applying this method requires the users consent.
Selling / Licensing the game to medical centers or nursing homes with development and maintenance services: There could be a particular version of Memory Bites sold to medical centers or nursing homes. The game could then be used as a part of a treatment plan or procedure.
Licensing the game platform: SuperApp could license the game platform to another technology company or developers.
Partnership with mobile network operators or phone manufacturers: Smartphones come with many preinstalled applications from mobile network operators and third parties. For instance, in South Korea, a new Android phone is sold with an anti-virus application and LG Uplus (LG U+), a cellular carrier. Samsung, on the other hand, offers its Galaxy users premium third-party applications through Galaxy Gifts. This trend does not exist in Finland yet. However, if this method were applied, it could be effective because Memory Bites would be readily available when a user buys a new smartphone. Our survey revealed that the number of respondents who have not actively downloaded applications is relatively high and only 26% of the respondents keep themselves updated about new applications.
Providing advisory service: The core team of the Memory Bites project includes geriatric experts and doctors. Therefore, Memory Bites can provide users an advisory service on their condition.
Advertising: Advertising is still the most common way to monetize free applications. A well-designed advertisement not only makes users engaged but also brings in revenue. According to Unity’s case studies, video advertisements seem to be highly effective.

In addition to the customer value proposition and the profit formula, the business model proposal for Memory Bites also includes certain key resources and key processes. While the suggested key processes are indispensable activities involved in the process of developing and commercializing Memory Bites, the key resources are essential to deliver the customer value proposition. The key resources include both physical assets and intangible assets. The image below summarizes the business model proposal for Memory Bites.

Figure 3. Business model proposal for Memory Bites (Huy 2016)

Conclusion

In conclusion, the business model proposal for Memory Bites includes four essential elements, and the proposal can act as a framework when the project team starts writing a business plan and starts planning to launch Memory Bites. However, a more detailed and larger scale market and consumer behavior research is still needed. The effectiveness of the proposal can only be verified in a real business environment. Furthermore, the Memory Bites project team needs to update and comply with new regulations during the developing and the planning process. The focus should be on data protection of business processes and having the consent of users to collect and process data on their medical conditions.

References

Alzheimer Society of Finland, 2014. Memory disease & work-life – possible to combine?, Helsinki: Alzheimer Society of Finland – Muistiliitto.

Anguera J. A., Boccanfuso J., Rintoul J. L., Al-Hashimi O., Faraji F., Janowich J., et al., 2013. Video game training enhances cognitive control in older adults. Nature, Volume 501, p. 97–101.

Basak C., Boot WR., Voss MW. & Kramer AF., 2008. Can training in a real-time strategy video game attenuate cognitive decline in older adults? Psychol Aging, p. 23:765–777.

Deloitte, 2014. Mobile Consumer 2014: The Finnish Perspective, Helsinki: Deloitte.

European Commission, 2016. Eurostat. [Online]
Available at: http://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/tgm/table.do?tab=table&init=1&language=en&pcode=tps00103&plugin=1
[Accessed 24 September 2016].

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Authors

Huy Bao completed a Bachelor’s Degree programme at Lahti University of Applied Sciences and specialized in Business Information Technology. He received a scholarship from the Korean Ministry of Education during his exchange study period. He has gained programming experience in projects and worked as an IT Auditor at Ernst & Young. He is now looking for a job in programming or data analysis.

Torsti Rantapuska is a Principal Lecturer at Lahti University of Applied Sciences. He has been teaching Business Information Technology for over 30 years. His PhD dissertation deals with end-user application developers and organizational learning. He has published papers on software acquisition.

Published 31.3.2017

Reference to the publication

Bao, H. & Rantapuska, T. 2017. Business model for Memory Bites, an innovative solution to memory disorders. LAMK RDI Journal. [Electronic journal]. [Cited and date of citation]. Available at: http://www.lamkpub.fi/2017/03/31/business-model-for-memory-bites-an-innovative-solution-to-memory-disorders/