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Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods Commons™

Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®

2016

Jomon Aliyas Paul

Articles 1 - 4 of 4

Full-Text Articles in Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods

A Teaching Supplement On Sensitivity Analysis For Linear Programming In Undergraduate Business Programs (Forthcoming), Jomon Aliyas Paul, Leo Macdonald Dec 2015

A Teaching Supplement On Sensitivity Analysis For Linear Programming In Undergraduate Business Programs (Forthcoming), Jomon Aliyas Paul, Leo Macdonald

Jomon Aliyas Paul

Sensitivity analysis, a key linear programming (LP) concept, is often explained in text books using complex problem scenarios that students have difficulty relating to. Consequently, many students do not fully comprehend nor appreciate significance of shadow prices or range of optimality for objective coefficients. This adds to the challenges instructors face in promoting critical thinking, a key goal in operations research and management science courses. Limited student-faculty interactions further exacerbates the problem in online learning environments. These issues can be effectively addressed through use of simple real world examples for instruction, followed by discussion of insights and intuition behind results …

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Decision Support Tools For Competitive Usda Food Aid Bidding, Jomon Aliyas Paul, Xinfang (Jocelyn) Wang Dec 2015

Decision Support Tools For Competitive Usda Food Aid Bidding, Jomon Aliyas Paul, Xinfang (Jocelyn) Wang

Jomon Aliyas Paul

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) currently uses a bidding system to determine carriers and suppliers that would partner in providing food aid annually in response to global emergencies and famine. We mimic the USDA approach via a robust optimization model featuring box and ellipsoid uncertainty frameworks to account for uncertainties in demand, supplier and carrier bid prices. Through a case study utilizing historical invoice data, we demonstrate our model applicability in improving ocean carrier and food supplier bid pricing strategy and similar supply chain network optimization problems. Through a validation algorithm we demonstrate the value of our robust models.

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Location And Capacity Allocation Decisions To Mitigate The Impacts Of Unexpected Disasters, Jomon Aliyas Paul, Leo Macdonald Dec 2015

Location And Capacity Allocation Decisions To Mitigate The Impacts Of Unexpected Disasters, Jomon Aliyas Paul, Leo Macdonald

Jomon Aliyas Paul

This paper develops a stochastic modeling framework to determine the location and capacities of distribution centers for emergency stockpiles to improve preparedness in the event of a disaster for which there is little to no forewarning. The proposed framework is applicable to emergency planning that must incorporate multiple sources of uncertainty, including the timing and severity of a potential event, as well as the resulting impact, while taking into consideration both disaster and region specific characteristics. To demonstrate the modeling approach, we apply it to a region prone to earthquakes. The model incorporates various uncertainties such as facility damage and …

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A Stochastic Dynamic Programming Approach For Strategic National Stockpile Location-Allocation Planning For Improved Hurricane Preparedness, Jomon Aliyas Paul, Leo Macdonald Dec 2015

A Stochastic Dynamic Programming Approach For Strategic National Stockpile Location-Allocation Planning For Improved Hurricane Preparedness, Jomon Aliyas Paul, Leo Macdonald

Jomon Aliyas Paul

Applying historical hurricane data to model storm related uncertainty, this paper develops a stochastic optimization model to determine the stockpile location and capacities of medical supplies for improved disaster preparedness in the event of a hurricane. Our models incorporate facility damage and casualty losses, based upon their severity levels and remaining survivability time, as a function of time variant changes in hurricane conditions. To determine the optimal deployment time, we use an optimal stopping time framework to model the trade-offs between increasing costs and reduced uncertainty as the hurricane approaches landfall. Finally, aided by an innovative mixed integer programming model, …

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