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Full-Text Articles in Operations Research, Systems Engineering and Industrial Engineering
Improving Health Care Quality And Safety: The Development And Assessment Of Laparoscopic Surgery Instrumentation, Practices And Procedures, Bernadette Mccrory
Improving Health Care Quality And Safety: The Development And Assessment Of Laparoscopic Surgery Instrumentation, Practices And Procedures, Bernadette Mccrory
Department of Mechanical and Materials Engineering: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research
Adverse events due to medical errors are a leading cause of death in the United States exceeding the mortality rates of motor vehicle accidents, breast cancer and AIDS. Improvements can and should be made to reduce the rates of preventable surgical errors since they account for nearly half of all adverse events within hospitals. Although minimally invasive surgery has proven patient benefits such as reduced postoperative pain and hospital stay, its operative environment imposes substantial physical and cognitive strain on the surgeon increasing the risk of error. In order to mitigate errors and protect patients, a multidisciplinary approach was taken …
Course Portfolio - Discrete Event Simulation, Paul Savory
Course Portfolio - Discrete Event Simulation, Paul Savory
Department of Industrial and Management Systems Engineering: Faculty Publications
This course portfolio, written by Dr. Paul Savory, provides an overview of his Discrete Event Simulation course at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. It offers an overview of the course goals, a summary of the classroom activities for achieving them, and a detailed assessment of student learning. He highlights his introduction of the simul8 programming environment to his students. In addition to exploring his students’ learning, Dr. Savory also explores different approaches for documenting his teaching by including multimedia clips (video and audio), uses graphs, uses color, and incorporates images. The resulting portfolio is one that can be reviewed, shared, and …
Details And Description Of Operations Research, Paul Savory
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.
A Template-Based Conceptual Modeling Infrastructure For Simulation Of Physical Security Systems, Ashu Guru, Paul Savory
A Template-Based Conceptual Modeling Infrastructure For Simulation Of Physical Security Systems, Ashu Guru, Paul Savory
Department of Industrial and Management Systems Engineering: Faculty Publications
Although simulation is one of the most innovative and cost-effective tools for modeling and analyzing a system, simulation studies often fail to provide any useful results. One reason is attributed to the fact that model formulation depends on the skills of the analyst. This paper describes a research to develop a conceptual modeling infrastructure to assist a simulation analyst in specifying components for studying physical security systems. The modeling framework has been programmed as an internet-based web application. Using the application, the successful development and implementation of a physical security simulation model will be aided by a defined scientific methodology …
A Template-Based Conceptual Modeling Infrastructure For Simulation Of Physical Security Systems, Paul Savory
A Template-Based Conceptual Modeling Infrastructure For Simulation Of Physical Security Systems, Paul Savory
Department of Industrial and Management Systems Engineering: Faculty Publications
Although simulation is one of the most innovative and cost-effective tools for modeling and analyzing a system, simulation studies often fail to provide any useful results. One reason is attributed to the fact that model formulation depends on the skills of the analyst. This paper describes a research to develop a conceptual modeling infrastructure to assist a simulation analyst in specifying components for studying physical security systems. The modeling framework has been programmed as an internet-based web application. Using the application, the successful development and implementation of a physical security simulation model will be aided by a defined scientific methodology …
Combining Activity-Based Costing With The Simulation Of A Cellular Manufacturing System, Paul Savory, Robert Williams, Rodney Rassmuseun
Combining Activity-Based Costing With The Simulation Of A Cellular Manufacturing System, Paul Savory, Robert Williams, Rodney Rassmuseun
Department of Industrial and Management Systems Engineering: Faculty Publications
This paper presents an integrated simulation and activity-based management approach for determining the best sequencing scheme for processing a part family through a manufacturing cell. The integration is illustrated on a loop or U-shaped manufacturing cell and a part family consisting of four part types (A, B, C, and D). Production requirements for the cell demand that part batches be processed one type at a time. For example, all part A’s are processed until weekly demand is met, then part B’s, etc. The objective of this example is to determine the best part sequence (e.g., ABCD, DCBA or CABD). In …
Combining Activity-Based Costing With The Simulation Of A Cellular Manufacturing System, Paul Savory, Robert Williams, Rodney Rassmuseun
Combining Activity-Based Costing With The Simulation Of A Cellular Manufacturing System, Paul Savory, Robert Williams, Rodney Rassmuseun
Department of Industrial and Management Systems Engineering: Faculty Publications
Discrete-event simulation is one of the most effective techniques for analyzing a manufacturing system. Unfortunately, little attention is given to using simulation models to estimate the economic impact of a proposed system configuration. This paper defines how activity-based costing (ABC) concepts can be incorporated into a discrete-event simulation model. Special emphasis is on demonstrating how decision making can be aided by having the simulation create a detailed “Bill of Activity” describing costs associated with manufacturing a part. The integration of ABC and simulation is illustrated by evaluating the impact of a proposed manufacturing cell configuration. The additional costing information aids …
A Web-Based Interface For Storing And Executing Simulation Models, Paul Savory
A Web-Based Interface For Storing And Executing Simulation Models, Paul Savory
Department of Industrial and Management Systems Engineering: Faculty Publications
The dominance of the Internet in the development of information and communication technology has made Web-based distributed solutions increasingly attractive. Apart from providing other services, the World Wide Web is being looked upon as an environment for hosting modeling and simulation applications. SIMAN is a simulation language that allows users to simulate discrete and continuous systems. In this research, a web-based interface or toolkit has been developed for storing and executing SIMAN simulation models over the Internet. This toolkit consists of a World Wide Web interface to SIMAN and a web-accessible database for storing user models. It provides users an …
A Web-Based Interface For Storing And Executing Simulation Model, Ashu Guru, Paul Savory, Robert Williams
A Web-Based Interface For Storing And Executing Simulation Model, Ashu Guru, Paul Savory, Robert Williams
Department of Industrial and Management Systems Engineering: Faculty Publications
The dominance of the Internet in the development ofinformation and communication technology has madeWeb-based distributed solutions increasingly attractive.Apart from providing other services, the World Wide Webis being looked upon as an environment for hostingmodeling and simulation applications. SIMAN is asimulation language that allows users to simulate discreteand continuous systems. In this research, a web-basedinterface or toolkit has been developed for storing andexecuting SIMAN simulation models over the Internet.This toolkit consists of a World Wide Web interface toSIMAN and a web-accessible database for storing usermodels. It provides users an easy-to-use environment fordeveloping text-based simulation models using the SIMANsimulation language. It also …
Simulation Modeling Presentations: The Life Cycle, Edward Yellig, Paul Savory
Simulation Modeling Presentations: The Life Cycle, Edward Yellig, Paul Savory
Department of Industrial and Management Systems Engineering: Faculty Publications
A typical large scale simulation modeling project spans many months and encompasses activities such as problem definition, data collection, model development, experimentation, and scenario analysis. During the life cycle of a simulation project, numerous presentations are made to many different types of audiences. The purpose of these presentations will vary from seeking project approval, requesting information, discussing simulation model features, verifying the model, validating the model, presenting the experimental results, and offering model conclusions. This paper will discuss presentation techniques we used during a year-long simulation-modeling project. We will highlight techniques used for defining the purpose of each presentation, identifying …
Road Rescue Implements A Continuous Process Improvement Framework, John Olson, Paul Savory
Road Rescue Implements A Continuous Process Improvement Framework, John Olson, Paul Savory
Department of Industrial and Management Systems Engineering: Faculty Publications
Continuous improvement programs traditionally focus on making small incremental improvements to a system. Unfortunately, their success can be limited due to the rapid changing environment within which most small companies operate. Improvement efforts should be flexible enough to capitalize on incremental and radical changes to a system. This paper presents a case analysis of how Road Rescue, an ambulance manufacturer, uses a continuous improvement framework to capitalize on both radical and incremental improvement opportunities. Results include a 10% increase in throughput, reduced cycle time of 44%, increased customer satisfaction, and higher quality.
Using Simulation To Derive Activity-Based Costing Estimates, Paul Savory, Robert Williams
Using Simulation To Derive Activity-Based Costing Estimates, Paul Savory, Robert Williams
Department of Industrial and Management Systems Engineering: Faculty Publications
This presentation showcases integrating activity based costing into the development of a SIMAN simulation of a manufacturing system.
An Integrated Approach To Simulation And Activity-Based Costing For Evaluating Alternative Manufacturing Cell Designs, Robert Williams, Paul Savory, Rodney Rasmussen
An Integrated Approach To Simulation And Activity-Based Costing For Evaluating Alternative Manufacturing Cell Designs, Robert Williams, Paul Savory, Rodney Rasmussen
Department of Industrial and Management Systems Engineering: Faculty Publications
One effective technique for improving manufacturing efficiency involves the application of group technology part families and manufacturing cells. Selection of the best or optimum configuration of the manufacturing cell relies on the experience and judgment of the cell designer. This paper describes how activity-based costing (ABC) concepts can be integrated into a discrete-event simulation model and be used to evaluate manufacturing cell configurations. The output of the combined ABC simulation model provides a detailed “Bill of Activity” which allows the cell designer to consider costs as a critical factor in the cell design problem. Alternative cell configurations studied in this …
Simulating Queue Scheduling Policies For A Spacecraft Simulator, Paul Savory, Gene Saghi
Simulating Queue Scheduling Policies For A Spacecraft Simulator, Paul Savory, Gene Saghi
Department of Industrial and Management Systems Engineering: Faculty Publications
The mission of the Cassini spacecraft is a unique opportunity to gain insights into major scientific questions about Saturn, the creation of the solar system, and the conditions that led to life on Earth. In preparation for the launch, NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory developed a software simulator to emulate the hardware data-control system of the spacecraft. Its primary use is to validate and verify commands that will be transmitted to the spacecraft. To improve the performance of the simulator, we used the SIMAN simulation language to model numerous queue-scheduling policies. Implementation of the simulation results combined with a software-code redesign …
Cycle Time Estimation For Simulating A Tandem Queueing Systems Using Aggregation Techniques, Paul Savory, Gerald Mackulak
Cycle Time Estimation For Simulating A Tandem Queueing Systems Using Aggregation Techniques, Paul Savory, Gerald Mackulak
Department of Industrial and Management Systems Engineering: Faculty Publications
One approach to simulating a single-server tandem queuing system is to explicitly model each of the production stages. In this paper, we apply queueing theory, a recursive algorithm, and composite random number sampling to develop an equivalent aggregate representation consisting of only a single production stage. Preliminary test results indicate that the aggregation works well for estimating the mean and variability of the total cycle time.
Using Mathematica To Aid Simulation Analysis, Paul Savory
Using Mathematica To Aid Simulation Analysis, Paul Savory
Department of Industrial and Management Systems Engineering: Faculty Publications
As computer power has increased, so has the capability of software developers to write programs that assist people with time-consuming tasks. Mathematica is such a program. The objective of this paper is to demonstrate how Mathematica, a symbolic programming environment, can be used to aid simulation analysis. In addition to a general discussion of Mathematica’s uses, advantages, and disadvantages, several examples will be presented. The examples include using Mathematica for distribution fitting, queueing analysis, random number generation, and creating a surface plot for optimization.
Issues In Developing An Undergraduate Simulation Course, Paul Savory
Issues In Developing An Undergraduate Simulation Course, Paul Savory
Department of Industrial and Management Systems Engineering: Faculty Publications
Experience in developing an undergraduate simulation course is described. The course introduces the philosophies, principles, and methodologies for discrete-event simulation modeling. Strategy in choosing the course simulation software is discussed, plus important areas of teaching emphasis are highlighted.
A Robust Aggregation Approach To Simplification Of Manufacturing Flow Line Models, Paul Savory
A Robust Aggregation Approach To Simplification Of Manufacturing Flow Line Models, Paul Savory
Department of Industrial and Management Systems Engineering: Faculty Publications
One of the more difficult tasks facing a modeler in developing a simulation model of a discrete part manufacturing system is deciding at what level of abstraction to represent the resources of the system. For example, questions about plant capacity can be modeled with a simple model, whereas questions regarding the efficiency of different part scheduling rules can only be answered with a more detailed model. In developing a simulation model, most of the actual features of the system under study must be ignored and an abstraction must be developed. If done correctly, this idealization provides a useful approximation of …