Operations Research, Systems Engineering and Industrial Engineering Commons^™

Process Modelling Support For The Conceptual Modelling Phase Of A Simulation Project, Cathal Heavey, John Ryan

Conference papers

While many developments have taken place around supporting the model coding task of simulation, there are few tools available to assist in the conceptual modelling phase. Several authors have reported the advantages of using process modelling tools in the early phases of a simulation project.

This paper provides an overview of process modelling tools in relation to their support for simulation, categorizing the tools into formal method and descriptive methods. A conclusion from this review is that none of the tools available adequately support the requirements gathering phase of simulation. This is not surprising as none of the process modelling …

Reverse Decision Making And Goal Attainment A Proof Of Concept As A New Approach To The Decision Making Process Under Uncertainty, Shitalkumar S. Sabne

Engineering Management & Systems Engineering Theses & Dissertations

Decision making occurs when one must choose among alternatives. However, in uncertain environments where problems are complex and decision makers lack complete knowledge of the situation as well as decision alternatives, it's not possible for them to select an optimal decision outcome by 'Traditional Decision Approaches'. At present Reverse Decision Making is the central, although new and unproved, approach of Old Dominion University's Engineering Management and Systems Engineering research on decision making process for uncertain and complex situations. Even though research in decision making spans over one hundred years, there are still important problems which remain to be addressed.

There …

An Empirical Investigation Into The Relationships Between Emotional Intelligence, Use Of Knowledge Transfer Methods, And Project Performance, Brent Michael Decker

Engineering Management & Systems Engineering Theses & Dissertations

Increasingly, the use of project teams is becoming commonplace within organizations as the primary means to accomplish complex tasks. While the literature has long acknowledged that the knowledge transfer process is a key component in achieving organizational success and ultimately sustaining a competitive advantage, very little has been written that specifically examines the knowledge transfer process at the project team level. In an attempt to increase the understanding of knowledge transfer processes at the project team level, the effect that a relatively new construct, termed emotional intelligence, has on the use of knowledge transfer methods is examined. The relationships between …

An Adaptive Tabu Search Heuristic For The Location Routing Pickup And Delivery Problem With Time Windows With A Theater Distribution Application, Robert E. Burks Jr.

Theses and Dissertations

The time constrained pickup and delivery problem (PDPTW) is a problem of finding a set of routes for a fleet of vehicles in order to satisfy a set of transportation requests. Each request represents a user-specified pickup and delivery location. The PDPTW may be used to model many problems in logistics and public transportation. The location routing problem (LRP) is an extension of the vehicle routing problem where the solution identifies the optimal location of the depots and provides the vehicle schedules and distribution routes. This dissertation seeks to blend the PDPTW and LRP areas of research and formulate a …

Modeling A Reparable Supply Chain And Applying Cpfr Concepts, Sandra A. Mayhall

Theses and Dissertations

The Air Force supply chain includes parts required to build, fix, or maintain aircraft delivered to the warfighter to carry out missions. Industry has shown that following Collaborative Planning, Forecasting, and Replenishment (CPFR) concepts, particularly reducing inventory through accurate demand forecasts, has increased profits in part by lowering the holding costs of inventory and increasing sales. This is analogous to the Air Force increasing aircraft availability. There is scant evidence that demand forecasts generated at any level in the Air Force are shared with the intent of coordinating replenishment. This thesis uses a simple discrete-event stochastic simulation model to show …

User Friendly Computer Software For Construction Projects Delay Analysis, Kamel Ahmed Salem El Sayed

Archived Theses and Dissertations

Construction industry around the world is facing a huge revolution in terms of number of executed projects. Projects are no longer simple ones managed by few persons. Commercial buildings, high rise towers and bridges are being built everywhere. The majority of these projects are complex ones that face a lot of obstacles. Delays are one of the major obstacles that construction projects face and are very likely to occur. Generally, claims are the result of any delay in the construction progress. To be able to analyze the claim and assign the responsibility, the analyst has to perform a delay analysis. …

Crisis Management In Projects, Senol Nazikkol

Engineering Management & Systems Engineering Theses & Dissertations

The objective of this investigation is to identify the processes, benefits and important tools of crisis management in projects. Crisis management is a system that helps managers to prevent and overcome crises. In this research, a general review about crisis, crisis management processes and tools are discussed. The research was done by using the information in the literature and expert judgment. This paper can be used by academics as a foundation for further research and development in the area of crisis management in projects. Managers of projects can use this study for improving their projects and project-based organizations' crisis management …

Reducing Uncertainty In Effects-Based Operations, Wilburn B. Mclamb

Theses and Dissertations

Known as the fog of war, uncertainty has been prevalent in the conduct of military operations throughout human history. Intelligence collection efforts are tasked to reduce this uncertainty through the collection of information. Utilizing Shannon's entropy as a measure of the expected information gain due to an intelligence collection effort, a methodology is developed to prioritize and allocate intelligence assets in an efficient manner. Incorporated in this methodology are target priority and the requirement to reassess dynamic targets. The application area for the methodology is Effects-Based Operations. A generalized state model is developed to conduct adversary system-of-systems analysis. This model …

Modeling Network Centric Warfare (Ncw) With The System Effectiveness Analysis Simulation (Seas), Jason B. Honabarger

Theses and Dissertations

Significant technological advances over the past few decades have fueled the continual and rapid development of an information-based world. Network Centric Warfare (NCW) has become the buzzword of the young millennium within the Department of Defense (DoD) and is quickly becoming a popularly shared vision and rallying cry for force transformation among United States military leaders. An essential element in fully implementing this network-centric way of thinking is to develop useful measures to help gauge the effectiveness and efficiency of both our military networks and our strategic NCW doctrine. The goal of this research is first to provide a comprehensive …

Using Agent-Based Modeling To Search For Elusive Hiding Targets, Jeffrey E. Rucker

Theses and Dissertations

The SCUD hunt problem that emerged during Operation Desert Storm has become a source of great interest to major commands like Air Combat Command. One of the metrics used to measure the effectiveness of our operations in a SCUD hunt is time to detect and target. We use the agent-based System Effectiveness and Analysis Simulation (SEAS) to provide a simulation environment in which all the elements of a SCUD hunt mission can adequately be modeled. Our Blue Force agents are modeled as multirole fighters, satellites and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) with various sensor capabilities. The Red Force agents are modeled …

Analysis Of Patient Information: An Empirical Modeling Approach, Tony A. Murphy

Theses and Dissertations

With rising costs and increasing complexities, many hospitals seek to better understand the intricate details of their operations. Increasingly, these organizations have a strong desire to accurately predict the resources required to effectively treat their patient load. This research investigates patient length-of-stay in a hospital neurological unit using an empirical modeling approach. Factors significantly affecting patient length of stay were identified and used to construct a regression model. The predictive model provides hospital decision makers with a compact tool to input what-if scenarios and predict future patient treatment lengths, thus, allowing the hospital to properly allocate resources.

A Methodology For Performing Effects-Based Assessments, Benjamin A. Thoele

Theses and Dissertations

In order to bring the doctrine of Effects-Based Operations (EBO) into a fully operational capability, Effects-Based Assessment (EBA) must provide relevant insight to the commander and his planning staff. Assessments of an effects-based plan and execution must include an assessment of the effects of a campaign on the enemy in addition to an assessment of the accomplishment of friendly actions taken to achieve the desired effects. Determining the effects of a campaign requires an analysis of the dynamics of the enemy systems. EBA must be able to recognize the states of the enemy's systems as the system states change over …

Optimization Of A Multi-Echelon Repair System Via Generalized Pattern Search With Ranking And Selection: A Computational Study, Derek D. Tharaldson

Theses and Dissertations

With increasing developments in computer technology and available software, simulation is becoming a widely used tool to model, analyze, and improve a real world system or process. However, simulation in itself is not an optimization approach. Common optimization procedures require either an explicit mathematical formulation or numerous function evaluations at improving iterative points. Mathematical formulation is generally impossible for problems where simulation is relevant, which are characteristically the types of problems that arise in practical applications. Further complicating matters is the variability in the simulation response which can cause problems in iterative techniques using the simulation model as a function …

Discrete Event Simulation Model Of The Ground Maintenance Operations Cycle Of A Reusable Launch Vehicle, John T. Pope Iii

Theses and Dissertations

The Air Force uses a family of expendable launch vehicles to meet its spacelift needs. Unfortunately, this method is not responsive: months of preparation are typically required and launch costs are high. Consequently, the Air Force seeks a reusable military launch vehicle that can be launched inexpensively and quickly regenerated between flights. Air Force Research Laboratory personnel desire a tool to help evaluate candidate designs and perform tradeoff studies necessary to acquire a launch vehicle that will achieve Air Force goals. The objective of this research was first to develop a conceptual model of maintenance operations needed to regenerate a …

A Discrete Event Simulation Model For Evaluating Air Force Reusable Military Launch Vehicle Prelaunch Operations, Adam T. Stiegelmeier

Theses and Dissertations

As the control and exploitation of space becomes more important to the United States military, a responsive spacelift capability will become essential. Responsive spacelift could be defined as the ability to launch a vehicle within hours or days from the time a launch order is given, instead of the weeks or months it takes currently. As the Air Force contemplates moving toward a reusable military launch vehicle (RMLV) capability, it faces key design and ground processing decisions that will affect the vehicle regeneration timeline. This thesis develops a computer simulation model that mimics RMLV prelaunch operations-those activities that take place …

Combining Quality Of Service And Topology Control In Directional Hybrid Wireless Networks, Michael C. Erwin

Theses and Dissertations

Recent advancements in information and communications technology are changing the information environment in both quantitative and qualitative measures. The developments in directional wireless capabilities necessitate the ability to model these new capabilities, especially in dynamic environments typical of military combat operations. This thesis establishes a foundation for the definition and consideration of the unique network characteristics and requirements introduced by this novel instance of the Network Design Problem (NDP). Developed are a Mixed-Integer Linear Program (MILP) formulation and two heuristic strategies for solving the NDP. A third solution strategy using the MILP formulation with a degree-constrained Minimum Spanning Tree starting …

A Risk Assessment Methodology For Divesting Military Capabilities To Allied Nations, Jason A. Gastelum

Theses and Dissertations

The United States spent over $400 billion dollars on national defense in 2005. Even with support for the war on terrorism still strong, it is doubtful that the U.S. can sustain such a level of defense investment. One strategy to offset the increasing burden of defense spending is to divest the procurement and/or sustainment of individual defense capabilities to allied nations. The decision to divest any capability, however, introduces risk. This thesis presents a methodology to quantify the risk of the decision to divest a military capability to an allied nation, where risk is defined as the set of risk …

Modeling Urban Warfare: Joint Semi-Automated Forces In Urban Resolve, Alexander B. Anastasiou

Theses and Dissertations

The United States military is performing operations in urban environments with increasing frequency. Current Department of Defense doctrine is poorly suited to train and equip today's warriors with the tools and experience necessary to fight and win in modern sprawling cities. In order to "close the gap," the U.S. Joint Forces Command's Joint Experimentation Directorate led an effort to run a massively distributed simulation of a synthetic urban environment utilizing human-in-the-loop operators called URBAN RESOLVE. The synthetic environment simulated the city of Jakarta with over 1,000,000 buildings and structures and over 120,000 civilian entities. A Red force retreated into the …

An Epidemiological Approach To Terrorism, Kjirstin A. Bentson

Theses and Dissertations

There are many types of models for counterterrorism, explaining different problems that the military faces in the fight against terrorism. This thesis proposes that one of the fundamental assumptions underlying existing models of counterterrorism is that the struggle with terrorists can be understood as a war in the traditional sense of the term. We propose to rethink the struggle against terrorism as a fight against an infection. The epidemic of terrorist ideology within part of the world is a result, from this perspective, of the infectiousness of that ideology. Using the insights of the field of the epidemiology of ideas, …

Optimal Periodic Inspection Of A Stochastically Degrading System, Timothy B. Booher

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis develops and analyzes a procedure to determine the optimal inspection interval that maximizes the limiting average availability of a stochastically degrading component operating in a randomly evolving environment. The component is inspected periodically, and if the total observed cumulative degradation exceeds a fixed threshold value, the component is instantly replaced with a new, statistically identical component. Degradation is due to a combination of continuous wear caused by the component's random operating environment, as well as damage due to randomly occurring shocks of random magnitude. In order to compute an optimal inspection interval and corresponding limiting average availability, a …

Optimizing Mean Mission Duration For Multiple-Payload Satellites, John A. Flory

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis addresses the problem of optimally selecting and specifying satellite payloads for inclusion on a satellite bus to be launched into a constellation. The objective is to select and specify payloads so that the total lifetime utility of the constellation is maximized. The satellite bus is limited by finite power, weight, volume, and cost constraints. This problem is modeled as a classical knapsack problem in one and multiple dimensions, and dynamic programming and binary integer programming formulations are provided to solve the problem. Due to the computational complexity of the problem, the solution techniques include exact methods as well …

Classification Characteristics Of Carbon Nanotube Polymer Composite Chemical Vapor Detectors, Huynh A. Hinshaw

Theses and Dissertations

The first step in combating a chemical weapons threat is contamination avoidance. This is accomplished by the detection and identification of chemical agents. The Air Force has several instruments to detect chemical vapors, but is always looking for lighter, faster, and more accurate technology for a better capability. This research is focused on using carbon nanotube polymer composite sensors for chemical detection. More specifically, models are developed to classify three sets of sensor data according to vapor using various multivariate techniques. Also, prediction models of a mixed sensor output are developed using neural networks and regression analysis. The classifiers developed …

Assessing Resource Value And Relationships Between Objectives In Effects-Based Operations, Robert D. Jones

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this research was developing techniques to calculate the value of a resource within the context of campaign objectives, to identify competing objectives, and to identify conflicting objectives to improve a commander’s ability to allocate limited resources. A methodology was developed to express a campaign’s objective hierarchy in terms of a set of desired end states for the campaign’s system of systems. Value theory was used to identify the resource's value in terms of the direct and indirect effects that are produced to achieve the campaign’s objectives. Binding resource constraints within an integer program were used to identify …

A Multi-Pass Construction Heuristic For The Aggregated Airlift Problem, Stephen T. O'Leary

Theses and Dissertations

To support the capabilities for precision strike, close air support, intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance, air mobility and air refueling the Air Force has over 26,000 Airmen deployed from over 80 military installations to Forward Operating Locations (FOLs) in over 21 countries. This research creates a multi-pass construction heuristic to solve the aggregated airlift problem associated with the transportation of these 26,000 deployed Airmen. We are given a Time Phased Force Deployment Document (TPFDD) containing a list of personnel scheduled for deployment, their base of origin, Point of Debarkation (POD), FOL, and Required Delivery Date (RDD). The goal is to aggregate the …

Strategic Airlift En Route Analysis To Support The Global War On Terrorism Using A Value Focused Thinking Approach, Marykathryn W. Tharaldson

Theses and Dissertations

The Global War on Terrorism (GWOT) has yielded new challenges to the United States' strategic airlift infrastructure. The network of en-route airfields that serve as refueling and maintenance stops were designed primarily to service relatively static Cold War requirements. However, the GWOT has resulted in the need for an infrastructure that is responsive to a highly dynamic environment. This research uses a "value focused" methodology to identify en-route airfield locations that simultaneously maximize cargo throughput capability while possessing a high degree of adaptability to volatile cargo delivery requirements.

A Template-Based Data Specification Framework For Modeling Physical Security Systems, Ashu Guru, Paul Savory

Department of Industrial and Management Systems Engineering: Faculty Publications

Simulation studies often fail to provide any useful results due to its success being highly dependent on the skills of the analyst to understand a system and then correctly identify all the required data parameters and dependent variables. This paper describes a template-based framework to help identify and specify the components and data parameters for developing models of physical security systems. The layered framework consists of fifteen templates built on top of fourteen data primitives representing 119 data parameters. The modeling framework has been programmed as an internet-based web application and is simulation language independent. The usefulness of the framework …

Contratação E Investimento Em Capacidade De Geração Na Indústria De Energia Elétrica: Uma Abordagem Baseada Na Teoria De Jogos, Gladstone B. Alves

Gladstone B. Alves

No abstract provided.

Class Exercise For Assessing Abilities And Providing A Structure For A Course, Paul Savory

Industrial and Management Systems Engineering: Instructional Materials

I developed this class exercise to assess students abilities and to highlight the range of questions/issues that they will learn in my IMSE 440/840 (Discrete Event Computer Simulation) course. I draw a picture of the case scenario for students and explain the system’s operation to them. I then ask that they complete the questions regarding the system and/or how they would analyze it. Following class, I develop a summary of the range of student answers. At the next class session, I share the range of answers and share what my answers would be and how these questions/topics relate to what …

Process Modeling For Simulation, John Ryan, Cathal Heavey

Articles

This paper discusses shortfalls in relation to the requirements gathering phases of simulation. While many developments have taken place around supporting the model coding task of simulation, there are few tools available to assist in the requirements gathering phase. This is surprising as it has been reported by several researchers that the requirements phase can absorb twice as much resources as the coding phase. There are numerous process modeling tools available (over 100) that can and have been used to support the requirements phase of simulation. This paper provides a selective review of some of the most important in relation …

A Dyadic Composition To Foster Virtual Team Effectiveness: An Experimental Study, Gamze Karayaz

Engineering Management & Systems Engineering Theses & Dissertations

The importance of effectiveness for virtual teamwork continues to gain momentum as technology and globalization of work accelerate. The implementation of virtual teams provides one approach to enhance competitiveness, overcoming the disadvantages of space and time differences through collaborative technologies. The influence of structure to virtual team performance has not been clearly established in the literature. The purpose of this research study was to investigate the effectiveness of a dyad structured approach for virtual teams using a quasi-experimental research design.

This research investigated four questions related to the influence of structure on virtual team effectiveness related to task performance, communication …