Operations Research, Systems Engineering and Industrial Engineering Commons^™

Patterns Of War Termination: A Statistical Approach, Paul D. Robinson Ii

Theses and Dissertations

This research uses an advanced statistical technique to expand upon the current understanding of war termination. Specifically, this thesis addressed questions concerning the most relevant factors toward predicting both the outcomes of interstate wars and the winners of intrastate and extra-systemic wars, within the limitations of the available data. Open-source war data from the Correlates of War Project was analyzed using both binary and multinomial logistic regression techniques. While the Correlates of War Project did not necessarily focus its data collection efforts on those variables historically associated with war termination, it did provide a sufficient number of variables with which …

Indentifying And Assessing Effective Mechanisms For Technology Transfer, Michael A. Romero

Theses and Dissertations

The ability to shift knowledge and resources from federal laboratories to industrial and academic partners and vice versa is the primary reason that technology transfer (T²) exists today. Without the cooperation of federal, state, and private agencies working together to resolve today’s technology quandaries, a lot of the breakthroughs experienced today would not exist. This research was focused on uncovering which mechanisms are utilized by scientists and engineers. The research entails uncovering both official and unofficial mechanisms and ascertaining why some methods are preferred over others. It is also a secondary focus, to determine which barriers are impeding …

The Chaos Of Katrina: A Nonlinear Analysis Of Federal Logistics Support During Hurricane Katrina Relief Operations, Gerald W. Morris Jr.

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis presents a case study of federal logistics support during Hurricane Katrina disaster relief operations. Data from federal contracts covering the first 10 weeks of Katrina are used to measure federal logistics activity. The study investigates whether chaos theory, part of complexity science, can extract information from Katrina contracting data to help managers make better logistics decisions during disaster relief operations. The study uses three analytical techniques: embedding, fitting the data to a logistic equation, and plotting the limit-cycle. Embedding and fitting a logistic equation to the data were used to test for deterministic chaos. The logistic equation and …

Prioritizing Satellite Payload Selection Via Optimization, Benjamin S. Kallemyn

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis develops optimization models for prioritizing payloads for inclusion on satellite buses with volume, power, weight and budget constraints. The first model considers a single satellite launch for which the budget is uncertain and constellation requirements are not considered. Subsequently, we include constellation requirements and provide a more enhanced model. Both single-launch models provide a prioritized list of payloads to include on the launch before the budget is realized. The single-launch models are subsequently extended to a sequence of multiple launches in two cases, both of which incorporate an explicit dependence on the constellation composition at each launch epoch. …

Automatic Target Recognition User Interface Tool, David A. Kerns

Theses and Dissertations

A computer tool to aid in selecting the best Automatic Target Recognition (ATR) algorithm is developed. The program considers many quantifiers, accepts user-defined parameters, allows for changes in the operational environment and presents results in a meaningful way. It is written for Microsoft Excel. An ATR algorithm assigns a class label to a recognized target. General designations can include "Friend" and "Foe." The error of designating "Friend" as "Foe" as well as "Foe" as "Friend" comes with a high cost. Studying each algorithm's error can minimize this cost. Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) curves provide only information on the probabilities given …

Ranking Maintenance Strategies From The Point Of View Of Lean Thinking: Group Decision Making Model By Using Borda Method, Mehdi Jafarian, Kamran Shahanaghi, Aliakbar Faegh, Majid Samsami

Mehdi Jafarian

The selection of maintenance strategies is a typical multiple criteria decision-making (MCDM) problem. There have been taken different maintenance strategies in order to obtaining optimistic maintenance strategy. In this paper we aim to rank different maintenance strategies from the point of view of lean thinking. After obtaining information from experts whose expertness is in field of maintenance, in order to ranking these strategies we form a group decision making model and solve this model by using Borda method. Finally we analyze its results

An Introduction To Maintenance, Kamran Shahanaghi, Mehdi Jafarian

Mehdi Jafarian

در فضای رقابتی امروز، بنگاه‏های اقتصادی در تلاشی مستمر برای دستیابی به کیفیت بالا، هزینه پایین، افزایش سرعت در ارائه کالا و خدمات و ... می‏باشند. بنابراین دستیابی به اهداف فوق را می‏توان در زمره مهمترین دغدغه‏های مدیران امروزی قلمداد نمود. نگهداری و تعمیرات نیز به عنوان یکی از مهمترین فرآیندهای یک بنگاه اقتصادی از این قاعده مستثنا نبوده و در زیر ذره بین مدیران و کارشناسان قرار گرفته است. در این مقاله سعی نویسندگان بر این بوده است تا برخی از مهمترین جنبه‏های پژوهشی مطرح در این حوزه را عنوان نمایند.

Optimization Models For The Single Machine Scheduling Problem With A Single Flexible Maintenance Activity And Stochastic Maintenance Activities Time, Kamran Shahanaghi, Azizolah Jafari, Mehdi Jafarian, Hamid Babaei, Hojat Mehrazmay, Majid Beikverdi, Ahmad Yazdian

Mehdi Jafarian

In this paper, modeling and solving of a single machine scheduling problem with a single flexible maintenance activity and stochastic maintenance activities time was considered. Also it assumes that the all activities are resumable. Chen solved and investigate complexity of this problem without probabilistic condition by Mixed binary integer programming (BIP) so we solving this problem with considering stochastic programming concepts. An example has investigated at the end chapter to show actual consequences by Lingo.

The Optimization Of The Threshold For The Preventive Maintenance Actions In A Condition-Based Maintenance Program Via Dynamic Programming Approach, Mehdi Jafarian, Majid Beikverdi, Kamran Shahanaghi, Zeinab Nezhadbiglari

Mehdi Jafarian

The last step of a condition based maintenance (CBM) program is maintenance decision-making. This step is the most important and the most critical stage of maintenance for executive personnel and management whom work on taking maintenance actions. This decision making would be done according to certain criteria such as risk, cost, reliability and availability. This paper considered a dynamic programming model to optimization of the threshold for the preventive maintenance actions in a condition-based maintenance program. The basis of this modeling is the average cost of maintenance actions, failures and exchanges. In this paper, we improved the memory of the …

Cbm With Economic Decision Making: A New Modelling By Markov Chain, Kamran Shahanaghi, Mehdi Jafarian

Mehdi Jafarian

فعالیت های نگهداری و تعمیرات در هر بنگاه اقتصادی از یک سو سبب کاهش هزینه های ناشی از عدم فعالیت دستگاه ها، هزینه های تعمیرات و سود از دست رفته، شده و از سوی دیگر به عنوان فعالیتی هزینه بر، هزینه های گاها سنگینی را به سازمان وارد می¬سازد. از این رو توسعه سیاست های نگهداری و تعمیرات و بهینه سازی هر یک از این سیاست ها، عاملی مهم در کاهش هزینه های سازمان خواهد بود. در این میان فرآیند نگهداری و تعمیرات مبتنی بر شرایط، به عنوان یکی از کاراترین سیاست¬های نگهداری و تعمیرات، با حذف فعالیت های نگهداری …

Details And Description Of Operations Research, Paul Savory

Industrial and Management Systems Engineering: Reports

The ambiguous term operations research was coined during World War II. A frequent substitute is management science. Operations research is a scientific approach to analyzing problems and making decisions. It uses mathematics and mathematical modeling on computers to forecast the implications of various choices and zero in on the best alternatives. This content paper provides an overview of operations research. It highlights operations research problems, methods for solving problems, different areas of operations research, and example problems.

Pre/Post Assessment Of Abilities, Paul Savory

Industrial and Management Systems Engineering: Instructional Materials

One approach to assess if students are learning in a course is to conduct a pre-test, post-test assessment of the course material. By comparing the two results, one can make an assessment of the knowledge learned in the course. For certain types of courses, it can be a challenge in defining an assessment instrument that measure student knowledge. This example is one I have developed for my IMSE 440/840 (Discrete Event Computer Simulation) course. Students are asked rate their ability for key course objectives defined on the course syllabus. I administer it on the first day of the course and …

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 …

Hazardous Materials Transportation: A Meta-Analysis Of State Level Policy And Regulations, David J. Pastika

Theses and Dissertations

Every day, over 800,000 hazmat transactions take place across the United States. This segment of transportation is expected to grow at a modest two percent a year for the foreseeable future but differences of regulations between the state and Federal level have been a growing concern for both the government and members of the hazmat industry. A patchwork of often inconsistent permits, registration requirements, and hazmat organizational structures at the state level often create barriers to the efficient means of commerce for hazmat carriers and shippers. This thesis explores the history of hazardous regulations since de-regulation of the trucking industry …

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 …

B2b E-Marketplaces In The Airline Industry: A Study On Process Drivers And Performance Indicators, Claudia-Maria Wagner, Bernd Huber, Edward Sweeney

Practitioner Journals

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 …

Requirements Gathering For Simulation, John Ryan, Cathal Heavey

Conference papers

This paper discusses the current shortfalls in support for the pre-coding phases of a discrete event simulation project. The paper then presents a process modelling technique, Simulation Activity Diagrams (SADs), developed to specifically support the initial requirements gathering phases of a simulation project. The paper concludes with an outline of proposed future developments to the modelling technique.

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 …

Applying System Dynamics To Confront Complex Decision Making In R&D Systems, Arash Golnam, Nader Ale Ebrahim

Nader Ale Ebrahim

Research and development has always played a strategically important role in the survival and the growth of technology-based firms. R&D is positively linked to company performance measures such as sales, productivity and shareholder returns and in addition to this, facing increased competition, as a result of globalization the viability of many established firms is based on the efficiency of their R&D activities. Similar to other business models, R&D systems are characterized by complex structure and dynamic behavior. It's often difficult to predict or trace the consequences of certain decisions due to the existence of delays, non-linearities and causal feedback inherent …

Establishment Of A System Operating Characteristic For Autonomous Wide Area Search Vehicles, Brian A. Kish

Theses and Dissertations

The optimal employment of autonomous search and destroy vehicles is addressed. The results apply to air, land, or water vehicles with 1, k, or infinite warheads. The specific scenarios considered involve an air vehicle searching a battle space for stationary targets in the presence of false targets. Encounters are modeled with uniform, Poisson, and normal distributions. Linear and circular search patterns are examined. All relevant parameters are extracted from intelligence information, the sensor performance specification, and the air vehicle performance specification. Analytic system effectiveness measures are derived using applied probability theory. The effectiveness measures derived in this dissertation handle time-varying …

Categorizing High Energy Laser Effects For The Joint Munitions Effectiveness Manual, James A. Markham

Theses and Dissertations

With the high risk and cost in fielding High Energy Laser (HEL) weapon systems, the development process must include computer simulation models of weapon system performance from the engineering level up to predicting the military worth of employing specific systems in a combat scenario. This research effort focuses on defining how to measure lethality for HEL weapons in an Advanced Tactical Laser (ATL) scenario. In order to create an effective measure for direct comparison between the emerging laser weapon system and existing conventionally delivered weapons, lase time in seconds is presented as a measure comparable to rounds required to cause …

Output Analysis And Comparison Of Deployment Models With Varying Fidelity, Matthew M. Gill

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis explores the changes in insights that result from using different types of models to assess the capability of deploying the Stryker Brigade within specific timeline goals. The thesis uses as its primary base a study conducted in 2002 by USTRANSCOM to evaluate the ability of Stryker to meet stated deployment timeline goals. Specifically, the author compares the outputs from four different models as they change over three different deployment scenarios and 10 different routes. The study investigates the relationships among the outputs of spreadsheet models, spreadsheet models with elements of variability added, and low- and high-level discrete-event simulations. …

A Qualitative Study Of Industry And Air Force Commodity Council Processes, Robert J. Irvine

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this research was to compare industry and Air Force commodity council processes. More specifically, this research used a survey to gather strategic sourcing philosophies and procedures (with respect to small business participation in procurement strategies) from successful industry firms. Industry source selection documentation, applicable government contracting guidelines, and a literature review of strategic sourcing materials were also reviewed. The current Air Force commodity council process and associated historical documents were then studied using a business process modeling tool. It was determined that the Air Force process differs from industry in how small business participation is addressed, the …

Barriers To Electronic Records Management (Erm): An Exploratory Case Study Investigating Erm In The Deployed Environment During Operations Enduring Freedom And Iraqi Freedom, Brian G. Hobbs

Theses and Dissertations

Corporate and government organizations can use electronic records as an important strategic resource, if the records are managed properly. In addition to meeting legal requirements, electronic records can play a vital role in the management and operation of an organization's activities. Corporate America is facing challenges in managing electronic records, and so too is the U.S. Air Force (USAF). The deployed environment is particularly problematic for electronic records management (ERM). This research, thus, investigates ERM in the deployed environment to identify and characterize the barriers faced by USAF personnel who deployed to locations supporting Operations Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom. …

Analysis Of Online-Delaunay Navigation For Time Sensitive Targeting, David Chow

Theses and Dissertations

Given the drawbacks of leaving time-sensitive targeting (TST) strictly to humans, there is value to the investigation of alternative approaches to TST operations that employ autonomous systems. This paper accomplishes five things. First, it proposes a short-hop abbreviated routing paradigm (SHARP) - based on Delaunay triangulations (DT), ad-hoc communication, and autonomous control - for recognizing and engaging TSTs that, in theory, will improve upon persistence, the volume of influence, autonomy, range, and situational awareness. Second, it analyzes the minimum timeframe need by a strike (weapons enabled) aircraft to navigate to the location of a TST under SHARP. Third, it shows …

Optimal Maintenance For Stochastically Degrading Satellite Constellations, Timothy J. Cook

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis develops a methodology to determine an optimal policy for maintaining a satellite constellation that degrades over time. Previous work has developed a methodology to compute an optimal replacement policy for a satellite constellation in which satellites were viewed as binary entities, either operational or failed. This research extends the previous models by developing an optimal maintenance policy for satellite constellations in which each satellite may operate in a finite number of degraded states. The constellation is assumed to consist of a finite number of satellites, each with a finite number of functions with distinct failure mechanisms. Assuming each …

An Approach For Optimizing The On-Orbit Servicing Architecture For The Space-Based Radar Constellation, Michael L. Mcconnell

Theses and Dissertations

Satellite systems, once operational, are essentially a consumable item with no capacity to maintain, repair, or upgrade them while on-orbit. In order to avoid having to replace costly space assets, the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) and Air Force Space Command (AFSPC) are looking to developing programs to provide an on-orbit servicing capability for future satellite systems under development, such as the Space-Based Radar (SBR) system. DARPA and AFSPC are studying on-orbit servicing using the Orbital Express platform as part of an Analysis of Alternatives for the SBR program. Like their satellite clients, on-orbit servicing assets are expected to …

Passwords: A Survey On Usage And Policy, Kurt W. Martinson

Theses and Dissertations

Computer password use is on the rise. Passwords have become one of the primary authentication methods used today. It is because of their high use that organizations have started to place parameters on passwords. Are password restrictions a nuisance? What are some of the consequences that result as organizations place the burden of their computer security on passwords? This thesis analyzes the results of a survey instrument that was used to determine if individuals are using similar techniques or patterns when choosing or remembering their passwords. It also looks at how individuals feel about using passwords. In addition, the authors …

The Feasibility Of The U.S. Air Force Mandating The Exclusive Use And Purchase Of Forest Stewardship Council Certified Wood And Paper Containing 100% Post Consumer Content, Silinda Johnson

Theses and Dissertations

The Resource Conservation and Recovery Act required federal agencies to purchase products with the highest recovered content (or post-consumer content in the case of paper) as practicable. The Office of Federal Procurement Policy required all executive agencies to give preference in their procurement programs to products that conserve natural resources and protect the environment. These requirements necessitate that the Air Force consider purchasing 100% post-consumer content (PCC) paper and Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certified wood because of their environmentally preferable attributes. This study compared the availability, performance standards, and prices of 100% PCC paper to 30% PCC paper and FSC-certified …