This study proposes a comprehensive improvement and control plan for customer service operations, leveraging queueing theory and process analysis to identify and address system inefficiencies. Through statistical analysis, the current operational state is assessed, followed by the simulation of service processes to model the system's behavior. The simulation enables the evaluation of various improvement strategies aimed at enhancing service efficiency and boosting productivity. Among the strategies explored, key actions focus on stabilizing the customer service processes to optimize performance and satisfaction

Renewable energy deployment has accelerated globally in recent years, with renewables accounting for 29% of global electricity generation by 2024. In this context, Ecuador has significantly expanded its renewable capacity, relying predominantly on hydropower, which represented 70% of total electricity generation in 2024. Installed capacity increased from 1707 MW in 2000 to 5371 MW in 2024. This study addresses a research gap by integrating climate scenario analysis with long-term energy system modeling, evaluating the viability of Ecuador’s hydropower sector under four Representative Concentration Pathway scenarios through 2060 using the TIMES platform. The results project reductions in hydropower generation of 22%, 19%, and 15% under RCP 8.5, RCP 6.0, and RCP 4.5, respectively, with a modest increase of 1.4% under RCP 2.6, driven by changes in water availability. Overall, an average decline of approximately 14% is projected by 2060. These findings indicate that reductions in hydropower generation may compromise system reliability in hydro-dependent systems such as Ecuador. While the quantified impacts are specific to the national context, the relationship between climate variability, capacity factors, and electricity generation provides insights relevant for other regions with similar hydropower dependence. The study highlights the need to integrate climate projections into future energy planning.

El objetivo de este estudio fue mejorar y controlar el proceso de atención al cliente en un centro de servicio, mediante un análisis de modelos de colas, con el fin de reducir los tiempos de espera, mejorar el nivel de servicio y aumentar la productividad. Para ello, se empleó un análisis detallado de las líneas de espera, evaluando los tiempos de espera y atención, así como el nivel de servicio del sistema. Posteriormente, se implementó una simulación de procesos utilizando el software JAAMSIM® para representar el sistema y evaluar diversas estrategias de mejora. Los resultados mostraron que el sistema de atención presentaba deficiencias significativas, con tiempos de espera que variaban entre 5 y 56 minutos y un nivel de servicio inferior al 40%. Tras aplicar las estrategias de mejora, como la corrección de inestabilidad en los procesos y la mejora en la gestión de los recursos humanos, se logró reducir el tiempo de espera en un 55% y la longitud de las colas en un 72%. Además, la productividad aumentó en un 7,76%. Las conclusiones indican que la estandarización de los procesos y una adecuada gestión de los recursos humanos permiten mejorar significativamente la eficiencia del servicio, reduciendo los tiempos de espera, incrementando la productividad y optimizando los costos operativos.

Plastic waste management remains a significant environmental and economic challenge in developing countries, where insufficient recovery infrastructure hinders the transition toward sustainability. This study evaluates the industrialization of post-consumer plastics in Ecuador under the 2020 Law on Reuse and Reduction of Single-Use Plastics. Official 2024 datasets were quantitatively analyzed to calculate national indicators of per capita plastic waste generation, estimated annual plastic waste generation, and the plastic recovery index. The results show that Ecuador recovered and industrialized 106,145 tons of post-consumer plastics in 2024, achieving a recovery rate of 16%, which positions the country among the top performers in Latin America; however, direct comparisons with global recycling estimates should be interpreted cautiously. Per capita plastic waste generation reached 37.13 kg cap⁻¹ yr⁻¹, yet approximately 664,633 t yr⁻¹ of plastic waste are generated annually, representing a substantial potential risk of environmental leakage if not adequately managed, recovered, or valorized. Although Ecuador demonstrates measurable progress toward implementing the circular economy, persistent gaps in data standardization, source segregation of waste, and policy enforcement limit further advancement. Strengthening institutional coordination, market incentives, and public participation is essential to accelerate a more sustainable and circular plastics system.

Designing and implementing a preventive maintenance plan in the Ecuadorian mining industry requires systematic methodologies to reduce failures in crushing and grinding machines, improving operational availability and productivity. The main problem identified is reliance on corrective maintenance, with no historical failure records, which causes unexpected shutdowns. This study applies the FMEA (Failure Mode and Effects Analysis) methodology to evaluate the criticality of equipment using the Risk Priority Number (NPR), complemented with the Weibull distribution to model useful lifetimes. Key equipment such as the ball mill and jaw crusher at a mining beneficiation plant were analyzed. The results indicate that 25% of the subcomponents have NPR > 300 (unacceptable risk), mainly concentrated in structural elements subjected to severe operating conditions. A scenario analysis based on the fitted Weibull models and on reductions reported in the literature projects that implementation of the proposed preventive plan would reduce unplanned shutdowns by 40–50%, raising operational availability from the current 73% to approximately 90%; these figures are model-based projections and not post-implementation measurements. Weibull integration provides a robust statistical framework for the transition from reactive maintenance to predictive schemes, optimizing intervention intervals and extending the life of critical assets.