Operational Research Commons^™

Healthcare System-Use Behavior: A Systematic Review Of Its Determinants, Jiming Wu

Journal of International Technology and Information Management

To understand patient and physician behavior, researchers have investigated the determinants of using healthcare information systems. Although this stream of research has produced important findings, it has yet to appreciably advance our understanding of system-use behavior in healthcare. To fill this gap, the current paper employs a systematic review to synthesize past research, reveal the key determinants of healthcare system usage, and illuminate a deeper understanding of the topic. This study thus helps healthcare researchers expand their baseline knowledge of these core determinants and conduct more fruitful future research on system-use behavior in healthcare.

The Influence Of Operational Resources And Activities On Indirect Personnel Costs: A Multilevel Modeling Approach, Bradley C. Boehmke, Alan W. Johnson, Edward D. White, Jeffery D. Weir, Mark A. Gallagher

Faculty Publications

Indirect activities often represent an underemphasized, yet significant, contributing source of costs for organizations. In order to manage indirect costs, organizations must understand how these costs behave relative to changes in operational resources and activities. This is of particular interest to the Air Force and its sister services, because recent and projected reductions in defense spending are forcing reductions in their operational variables, and insufficient research exists to help them understand how this may influence indirect costs. Furthermore, although academic research on indirect costs has advanced the knowledge behind the modeling and behavior of indirect costs, significant gaps in the …

Modeling Information Reliability And Maintenance: A Systematic Literature Review, Daysi A. Guerra Garcia

Industrial Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

Operating a business efficiently depends on effective everyday decision-making. In turn, those decisions are influenced by the quality of data used in the decision-making process, and maintaining good data quality becomes more challenging as a business expands. Protecting the quality of the data and the information it generates is a challenge faced by many companies across all industrial sectors. As companies begin to use data from these large data bases they will need to begin to develop strategies for maintaining and assessing the reliability of the information they generate using this data. A considerable amount of literature exists on data …

Spare Parts On Demand Using Additive Manufacturing : A Simulation Model For Cost Evaluation., Stefan Jedeck

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Little is known about the impact of additive manufacturing in the spare part supply chain. A few studies are available, but they focus on specific parts and their applications only. A general model, which can be adapted to different applications, is nonexistent. This dissertation proposes a decision making framework that enables an interested practitioner/manager to decide whether using additive manufacturing to make spare parts on demand is economical when compared to conventional warehousing strategy. The framework consists of two major components: a general discrete event simulation model and a process of designing a wide range of simulation scenarios. The goal …

Predicting Public Bicycle Adoption Using The Technology Acceptance Model, Benjamin T. Hazen, Robert E. Overstreet, Yacan Wang

Faculty Publications

Bicycle sharing programs provide a sustainable mode of urban transportation. Although cities across the globe have developed these systems for their citizens and visitors, usage rates are not as high as anticipated. This research uses the technology acceptance model as the basis to understand one’s intention to adopt bicycle sharing programs. Using survey data derived from 421 participants in Beijing, China, the proposed covariance-based structural equation model consisting of perceived quality, perceived convenience, and perceived value is found to predict 50.5% of the variance in adoption intention. The findings of this research contribute to theory and practice in the burgeoning …

An Approach For The Development Of Complex Systems Archetypes, Walter Lee Akers

Engineering Management & Systems Engineering Theses & Dissertations

The purpose of this research is to explore the principles and concepts of systems theory in pursuit of a collection of complex systems archetypes that can be used for system exploration and diagnostics. The study begins with an examination of the archetypes and classification systems that already exist in the domain of systems theory. This review includes a critique of their purpose, structure, and general applicability. The research then develops and employs a new approach to grounded theory, using a visual coding model to explore the origins, relationships, and meanings of the principles of systems theory. The goal of the …

Grabbing The Air Force By The Tail: Applying Strategic Cost Analytics To Understand And Manage Indirect Cost Behavior, Bradley C. Boehmke

Theses and Dissertations

Recent and projected reductions in defense spending are forcing the military services to develop systematic approaches to identify cost reduction opportunities and better manage financial resources. In response, the Air Force along with her sister services are developing strategic approaches to reduce front-line mission resources, commonly referred to as the Tooth . However, an underemphasized contributing source of costs are mission support activities, commonly referred to as the Tail . With the tail historically representing a sizable portion of the annual Air Force budget, strategically managing cost behavior of these indirect activities has the opportunity to generate significant cost reductions. …

Effect Of The Construction Of Ftz Upon The Development Of Shanghai International Shipping Center, Yun Zhou

World Maritime University Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Research On Xiamen Port Network Layout From The Perspective Of Harbors And Inland Ports Linked Development, Yijun Zheng

World Maritime University Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Preventive Maintenance Decision Modeling In Health And Service Systems, Mahboubeh Madadi

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation focuses on the preventive maintenance decision modeling in healthcare and service systems. In the first part of this dissertation, some issues in preventive health decisions for breast cancer are addressed, and in the second part, the required characteristics for preventive maintenance of an unreliable queuing system are derived.

Adherence to cancer screening is the first issue that is addressed in this dissertation. Women’s adherence or compliance with mammography screening remained low in the recent years. In this dissertation, we first develop a design-based logistic regression model to quantify the probability of adherence to screening schedules based on women’s …

Meta-Raps Hybridization With Machine Learning Algorithms, Fatemah Al-Duoli

Engineering Management & Systems Engineering Theses & Dissertations

This dissertation focuses on advancing the Metaheuristic for Randomized Priority Search algorithm, known as Meta-RaPS, by integrating it with machine learning algorithms. Introducing a new metaheuristic algorithm starts with demonstrating its performance. This is accomplished by using the new algorithm to solve various combinatorial optimization problems in their basic form. The next stage focuses on advancing the new algorithm by strengthening its relatively weaker characteristics. In the third traditional stage, the algorithms are exercised in solving more complex optimization problems. In the case of effective algorithms, the second and third stages can occur in parallel as researchers are eager to …

Systems Theory-Based Construct For Identifying Metasystem Pathologies For Complex System Governance, Polinpapilinho F. Katina

Engineering Management & Systems Engineering Theses & Dissertations

The purpose of this research was to develop a systems theory-based construct for metasystem pathologies identification in support of the problem formulation phase of systems-based methodologies using an inductive research design. Problem formulation has been identified as one of the most critical stages in complex system development since it influences later stages in complex system understanding. In modern society where the operating landscape is characteristically ambiguous, mired by complexity, emergence. interdependence, and uncertainty, the concept of problem formulation is used to ensure right issues affecting complex systems surface and addressed to meet expected system performance and viability. In this research, …

An Adaptive Large Neighborhood Search Heuristic For The Inventory Routing Problem With Time Windows, Mina Hadianniasar

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This research addresses an integrated distribution and inventory control problem which is faced by a large retail chain in the United States. In their current distribution network, a direct shipping policy is used to keep stores stocked with products. The shipping policy specifies that a dedicated trailer should be sent from the warehouse to a store when the trailer is full or after five business days, whichever comes first. Stores can only receive deliveries during a window of time (6 am to 6 pm). The retail chain is seeking more efficient alternatives to this policy, as measured by total transportation, …

A Framework To Simplify The Choice Of Alternative Analysis And Selection Methods, James Paul Lewis Holzgrefe

Engineering Management & Systems Engineering Theses & Dissertations

This dissertation contributes a framework for analysts and engineering managers to investigate and choose alternative analysis and selection methods based upon their problem and its context. It began as an investigation into the alternative analysis and selection methods used in military planning. The existing military methods were inconsistent, violated the decision science body of knowledge, and provided no guidance to the practitioner on matching methods to problems. These challenges made it necessary to conduct this investigation.

This research used a three-phase mixed methods approach. The first phase applied the general inductive method to the decision making body of knowledge to …

Analysis Of Portable Charging Systems For Mobile Devices Utilizing Today's Technology, Dylan Ashley

Electrical Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

With the progression of technological advances, electronic devices are becoming increasingly smaller while simultaneously becoming increasing powerful. Consumer demand for a cheaper, longer lasting battery life challenges today’s engineers to continually develop a battery and its circuitry with increasing efficiency without compromising performance. Developing an affordable, efficient external battery pack has been the marketable solution, but the question is whether or not the existing external battery packs available are meeting the wants and desires of the end consumer. The answer is partially in that my research confirms that the current solution is not ideal; however, efficiency has been increased as …

Maritime Transportation Research Bank, Valeria A. Remon Perez

Industrial Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

The maritime transportation system is an important component of the United States’ (U.S.) economy, from commerce activities to freight movement to disaster’ relief. The annual impact of the maritime transportation system on the U.S. national economy is reported as approximately $649 billion of the total U.S. gross domestic product (U.S. Department of Transportation Maritime Administration, n.d.). This impact is attributed to activities related to the movement of goods and people. Indeed, the maritime transportation system plays an important role in international trade by transporting goods such as coal and farm products, which are common commodities for foreign and domestic commerce …

Design, Programming, And User-Experience, Kaila G. Manca

Honors Scholar Theses

This thesis is a culmination of my individualized major in Human-Computer Interaction. As such, it showcases my knowledge of design, computer engineering, user-experience research, and puts into practice my background in psychology, com- munications, and neuroscience.

I provided full-service design and development for a web application to be used by the Digital Media and Design Department and their students.This process involved several iterations of user-experience research, testing, concepting, branding and strategy, ideation, and design. It lead to two products.

The first product is full-scale development and optimization of the web appli- cation.The web application adheres to best practices. It was …

Inventory Management And Control "For A Cause", John Michael Miller

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Companies today are changing the culture of business and beginning to involve more than just labor and money in overall decisions. Just as sustainability issues and humanitarian logistics are gaining popularity, so is the idea of using business to make a difference on society in addition to making a profit. As companies position themselves across the globe to make an impact, they employ people in third-world environments that create uncertainties on both the supply and demand sides. Also, the idea of strategically planning work with the goal of minimizing costs has been replaced by companies wanting to give more work …

Using The Triple Bottom Line To Select Sustainable Suppliers For A Major Oil And Gas Company, Pandarinath Adarsh Sunkari

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Companies have primarily been focusing on the financial bottom line i.e., on increasing profits by increasing revenues and reducing costs. With high energy usage and environmental change posing threats to the environment and business operations, companies are now considering sustainability. Since some global suppliers have low cost labor, Social well-being and human development has also emerged as major goals of a company performing global operations. Focusing on these three goals is termed the "Triple Bottom Line" (TBL). We study and explore the TBL benefits that could be realized by an oil and gas company by focusing on sustainable suppliers. A …

Modeling Expected Travel Distances For A Common Warehouse Design With Multiple Docks, Mahmut Tutam

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This thesis develops expected travel distance expressions for both single- and dual-command operations in a unit-load warehouse design with multiple docks. Storage racks are aligned perpendicular to the wall containing docks. Results are presented for continuous and discrete formulations. Because of the importance of how docks are located on a wall, different dock locations are investigated, including uniformly distributed docks along one wall, specified distances between adjacent docks located symmetrically about the mid-point of a warehouse wall, and any distribution of locations along one wall. Among the results obtained, we find that the width-to-depth ratio of the storage area (commonly …