Business Commons^™

On Mx / G(M/H)/1 Retrial System With Vacation: Service Helpline Performance Measurement, Wee Meng Yeo, Xue Ming Yuan, Mei Wan Joyce Low

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

This paper analyzes an unreliable Mx/ G(M/ H) / 1 retrial system which models a class of practices in m-commerce industry where services are rendered in-situ. We present the closed-form expressions for the important performance indicators of the system, and derive the optimal vacation policies for minimizing the average waiting time of orbiting customers. Under the long run average cost, it turns out that the optimal vacation policy for the server is either single or multiple vacation policy. Numerical experiments are conducted to examine the effect of vacation policy on the queue length and busy period of the system.

An Information Theoretic Investigation Of Complex Adaptive Supply Networks With Organizational Topologies, Joshua V. Rodewald

Theses and Dissertations

Supply networks exist throughout society in manufacturing and knowledge-intensive industries as well as many service industries. Organizations have been noted to behave as complex adaptive systems or information supply networks with both formal and informal structures. Thoroughly understanding supply network structure and behavior are critical to managing such organizations effectively, but their properties of complex adaptive systems make them more difficult to analyze and assess, forcing researchers to rely on unrealistic data or assumptions of behavior. This research proposes an information theoretic methodology to discover such complex network structures and dynamics while overcoming the difficulties historically associated with their study. …

Isscm Newsletter, Volume 15, December 20, 2016, Raj Soin College Of Business, Wright State University

ISSCM Newsletters

An eight page newsletter from the Department of Information Systems and Supply Chain Management in the Raj Soin College of Business at Wright State University.

Appointment Sequencing: Why The Smallest-Variance-First Rule May Not Be Optimal, Qingxia Kong, Chung-Yee Lee, Chung-Piaw Teo, Zhichao Zheng

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

We study the design of a healthcare appointment system with a single physician and a group of patients whose service durations are stochastic. The challenge is to find the optimal arrival sequence for a group of mixed patients such that the expected total cost of patient waiting time and physician overtime is minimized. While numerous simulation studies report that sequencing patients by increasing order of variance of service duration (Smallest-Variance-First or SVF rule) performs extremely well in many environments, analytical results on optimal sequencing are known only for two patients. In this paper, we shed light on why it is …

Mid-Level Procurement Manager Leader Development: A Collective Case Study, Douglas Veatch

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The development of high-performing employees with the potential to assume leadership roles remains a vital exercise for organizations. Public and private sector organizations of all sizes have implemented programs focused on developing the next generation of leaders. The researcher explored the issue of how a national service industry organization is experiencing varied levels of success of leader development in the case of geographically dispersed mid-level procurement managers in the trucking logistics group. Guided by elements of successful leader development programs, the purpose of this collective qualitative case study was to discover the common issues and factors that lead to success …

Predicting The Performance Of Queues: A Data Analytic Approach, Kum Khiong Yang, Cayirli Tugba, Mei Wan Low

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

Existing models of multi-server queues with system transience and non-standard assumptions are either too complex or restricted in their assumptions to be used broadly in practice. This paper proposes using data analytics, combining computer simulation to generate the data and an advanced non-linear regression technique called the Alternating Conditional Expectation (ACE) to construct a set of easy-to-use equations to predict the performance of queues with a scheduled start and end time. Our results show that the equations can accurately predict the queue performance as a function of the number of servers, mean arrival load, session length and service time variability. …

Isscm Newsletter, Volume 14, November 15, 2016, Raj Soin College Of Business, Wright State University

ISSCM Newsletters

An eleven page newsletter from the Department of Information Systems and Supply Chain Management in the Raj Soin College of Business at Wright State University.

Least Squares Approximation To The Distribution Of Project Completion Times With Gaussian Uncertainty, Zhichao Zheng, Karthik Natarajan, Chung-Piaw Teo

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

This paper is motivated by the following question: How to construct good approximation for the distribution of the solution value to linear optimization problem when the random objective coefficients follow a multivariate normal distribution? Using Stein’s Identity, we show that the least squares normal approximation of the random optimal value can be computed by estimating the persistency values of the corresponding optimization problem. We further extend our method to construct a least squares quadratic estimator to improve the accuracy of the approximation; in particular, to capture the skewness of the objective. Computational studies show that the new approach provides more …

Service Learning Project For Promoting Student Engagement: Takeaway And Results From A Sustainability Survey Project, Balaji Janamanchi

Southwestern Business Administration Teaching Conference

Student engagement has received a lot of attention in recent times in higher education from all stakeholders. Many academic institutions are purposely promoting the initiatives that are reputed to promote student engagement in academic settings which include Service Learning (SL) initiatives. My presentation is about a service learning project that I implemented in my POM class in fall 2015 and spring 2016 semesters and my findings and takeaways from this project.

Mentoring Undergraduate Research In Education And Business: Transformation In Global And Local Communities, Hulya Julie Yazici, Tunde Szecsi

Florida Statewide Symposium: Best Practices in Undergraduate Research

The purpose of this presentation is to highlight avenues toward undergraduate scholarship in education and business. The common theme of these initiatives is the transformative learning which students experienced in local and global communities. In education, the examples include a course-embedded action research with community service, and autoethnography in which students analyzed their experiences abroad to uncover the process of transformation. In business, students worked on a semester long project in quality management collaborating with a local health equipment manufacturer. The systematic guidance of the business and continuous feedback of the instruction, resulted in full transformation of student learning.

Internet Diffusion And Adoption In Cuba, Randi L. Priluck

Atlantic Marketing Journal

The purpose of this paper is to examine Internet adoption at a time of increasing change for the Cuban marketplace. As the Cuban economy begins to open to new business formats one key driver of economic will be access to communications networks. This paper explores the penetration of Internet connectivity in Cuba as relations with the United States thaw. The theories of diffusion of innovations, cultural dimensions of adoption and market and political realities are employed to better understand the pace of Internet adoption as the Cuban economy continues to develop.

College Students Use Social Networking Sites For Sharing With Friends, But Guess Who Else Is Looking?, Elizabeth C. Alexander, Fred Mader, Deanna Mader

Atlantic Marketing Journal

Abstract - Jobvite, a recruiting platform for the social web, reports from their annual 2012 survey of recruiters that 92% of U.S. companies are using social networking sites (SNS) for hiring purposes (Jobvit, 2012). Career Builder reported in 2009 that 45% of employers were using SNS to screen and research applicants (CareerBuilder, 2009). It is important that faculty and support staff working to place students, and the students themselves, understand the developments and practices in the use of social networking sites for job search and recruiting and the best methods, as well as detriments when marketing themselves. This study examines …

Using Focus Groups And Correspondence Analysis To Explore The Relationship Between Millennials’ Online Behavior And Their Opinions Of Online Reviews, James E. Stoddard, Michael Dotson, Neel Das

Atlantic Marketing Journal

This paper explores the relationship between millennials’ online behavior and their opinions of online reviews via the use of focus groups and correspondence analysis. The proposition was that millennials’ online behavior (including search behavior) is likely to have an effect on how they view online reviews. The correspondence analysis results suggest that millennials who spend more time online peruse a greater number of products. Further, relationships were found between millennials’ time online and factors influencing review trustworthiness as well as millennials’ time online and factors affecting review memorability. It is noteworthy to suggest that focus group analysis can be enhanced …

Optimality Of The Fastest Available Server Policy, William P. Millhiser, Charu Sinha, Matthew J. Sobel

Business Faculty Articles and Research

We give sufficient conditions under which a policy that assigns customers to the Fastest Available Server, labelled FAS, is optimal in queueing models with multiple independent Poisson arrival processes and heterogeneous parallel exponential servers. The criterion is to minimize the long-run average cost per unit time. We obtain results for loss models and for queueing systems with a finite-capacity or infinite-capacity buffer under a head-of-the-line priority scheme. The results depend on cost assumptions, so we analyze the robustness of the cost structure and present counter-examples to illustrate when FAS is not optimal.

Isscm, M.S. In Logistics & Scm Cohort, Fall 2016, Raj Soin College Of Business, Wright State University

ISSCM Master Cohort Posters

Poster of the Fall 2016 Cohort from the Master of Science in Logistics and Supply Chain Management Program.

Isscm, Master Of I.S. Cohort, Fall 2016, Raj Soin College Of Business, Wright State University

ISSCM Master Cohort Posters

Poster of the 2016 Cohort from the Master of Information Systems Program.

Tls Newsletter October/November 2016, Unf Transportation And Logistics Society

Transportation & Logistics Society Newsletter

Inside the Newsletter: UNF T & L Success Stories November 2nd. Upcoming Events. President's Corner. Get to Know Laurel Richardson, TLS Philanthropy Director. T & L Flagship Program Facility Tour to Dupuy Silo and Quality Lab. The Industry in Jacksonville, Florida. IANA Expo. Jaxport Breaking News. What Not to Miss This Fall: Lunch and Learn, Executive Spotlight, Hubbard House Drive.

The Impact Of Urban Sprawl On Journey To Work Times For Mass Transit And All Other Commuters In The United States: A Research Note, Thomas E. Lambert, Hokey Min, Kyle Dorriere

Faculty and Staff Scholarship

As government budgets get tighter, there has been considerable public outcry about the continued investment in public mass transit systems and their financial viability. Amid this outcry, a number of studies have been conducted to determine which factors influence the use and efficiency of publicly-funded mass transit systems. These factors include population density and less sprawl (or greater urban compactness). However, their impact on mass transit usage is somewhat contradictory in that the heavy concentration of populations in the urban area and greater compactness is believed to increase mass transit usage due to a bigger number of potential passengers. In …

Isscm Newsletter, Volume 13, September 28, 2016, Raj Soin College Of Business, Wright State University

ISSCM Newsletters

A ten page newsletter from the Department of Information Systems and Supply Chain Management in the Raj Soin College of Business at Wright State University.

Safe Operation And Accident Prevention At Container Terminals : A Case Study On Asyaport Container Terminal, Mert Akaman

World Maritime University Dissertations

No abstract provided.

The Trends And Problems In China's North To South Grain Logistics Integration. A Case Study Of Cofco & Cm Grain Exchange Co., Ming Liu

World Maritime University Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Improving The Nuclear Reform Implementation For Success, Allen Y. Agnes

Theses and Dissertations

This research identifies the method used for successful implementations. This method is critical to the nuclear enterprise as it will continually guide the program. Post-Cold War began an era of decline in the nuclear enterprise. Leaders were risk-averse in fear of being fired for making mistakes, the nuclear culture lost its experts, organizations were drawn to the conventional fight, and training lacked the priority necessary to rebuild the nuclear enterprise. In 2007 and 2008 two major incidents occurred, a necessary to bring focus and priority back to the nuclear enterprise. Several reports were accomplished to identify the issues and recommendations. …

The Influence Of Education And Experience Upon Contextual And Task Performance In Warehouse Operations, Allen R. Miller

Theses and Dissertations

Supply chain workers make observable, preventable errors while completing their assigned tasks in the shipping process. Previous research has indicated that individuals with a greater grasp of their work and better system knowledge are less likely to commit interpretation errors. We believe worker-performance may, likewise, be affected by an individuals knowledge of why and where they fit into a larger system defined as mission knowledge. To assess our research objectives, we conduct a controlled experiment with 100 workers in the Air Force supply career field to discern how mission clarity, that is, education, experience and subject characteristics affect pick and …

Applying Lean To The Ac-130 Maintenance Process For The Royal Saudi Air Force, Fisal A. Alzahrani

Theses and Dissertations

The ideas expressed in this research come from the researchers experiences working in the AC-130 maintenance squadron in the Royal Saudi Air Force. The AC-130 maintenance process is not currently being used as effectively as it could be to make AC-130 fully mission capable. That can be done by improving communication, reducing distances needed to move or transport anything during the maintenance process and by efficient use of the available qualified workforces, tools and equipment. Consideration is given to applying an existing management technique to the Royal Saudi Air Forces AC-130 Maintenance Squadrons. The selected technique is the Lean management …

Tls Newsletter September 2016, Unf Transportation And Logistics Society

Transportation & Logistics Society Newsletter

Inside the Newsletter: Come on Out to the TLS Boathouse Bash. Upcoming Events. President's Corner. Get to Know Beatrize Gomez, TLS Treasurer. Coggin Welcome Back Cookout. T & L Career Day: New Format. The Industry in Jacksonville, Florida. What Not to Miss This Fall.

Managing Emergency Department Crowding Through Improved Triaging And Resource Allocation, Kum Khiong Yang, Sean Shao Wei Lam, Joyce M. W. Low, Marcus Eng Hock Ong

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

Long waiting times in emergency departments (EDs) not only reduce patients’ perceived quality of care, but also increase crowding which can adversely affect patients’ outcomes. Waiting time has been found to affect patients’ outcomes and is closely associated with delays in the provision of ancillary services to ED patients by the diagnostic/treatment laboratories. The focus of this study is to improve the flow of ED patients by testing alternative triage processes and capacity of physicians, triage nurses and laboratories. Three alternative triage processes are examined for managing the flow of ED patients through shared and dedicated laboratories across different utilization …

First-Case Operating Room Delays: Patterns Across Urban Hospitals Of A Single Health Care System, Callie M. Cox Bauer, Danielle M. Greer, Kiley B. Vander Wyst, Scott A. Kamelle

Journal of Patient-Centered Research and Reviews

Purpose

Operating room delays decrease health care system efficiency and increase costs. To improve operating room efficiency in our system, we retrospectively investigated delay frequencies, causes and costs.

Methods

We studied all first-of-the-day nonemergent surgical cases performed at three high-volume urban hospitals of a large health system from July 2012 to November 2013. Times for patient flow from arrival to procedure start and documented reasons for delay were obtained from electronic medical records. Delay was defined as patient placement in the operating room later than scheduled surgery time. Effects of patient characteristics, late patient arrival to the hospital, number of …

Systemic Risk In Financial Networks, Peng-Chu Chen

Open Access Dissertations

This thesis extends the literature of systemic risk in financial networks in two directions.

First, we develop a majorization-based tool to compare financial networks in terms of systemic losses with a focus on the implications of liability concentration. Specifically, we quantify liability concentration by applying the majorization order to the liability matrix that captures the interconnectedness of banks in a financial network. We develop notions of balancing and unbalancing networks to bring out the qualitatively different implications of liability concentration on the system's loss profile. An empirical analysis of the network formed by the banking sectors of eight representative European …

Production Planning Using Evolving Demand Forecasts In The Automotive Industry, Hakan Yildiz, Scott Duhadway, Ram Narasimhan, Sriram Narayanan

Business Faculty Publications and Presentations

This paper considers an auto parts supplier who receives order release updates from its customers and revises its production plan for future periods on a weekly basis. The inaccuracy of the order releases causes significant costs in the form of premium expedited transportation, production overtime, and excess inventory. This setting provides a rich context for studying order release variance, because the supply chain has adopted a just-in-time (JIT) approach where ideal inventory levels are kept at zero. This leads to a high reliance on order release accuracy in order to manage production quantities. This paper presents an optimization model that …

The Influence Of The Electric Supply Industry On Economic Growth In Less Developed Countries, Edward Richard Bee

Dissertations

This study measures the impact that electrical outages have on manufacturing production in 135 less developed countries using stochastic frontier analysis and data from World Bank’s Investment Climate surveys. Outages of electricity, for firms with and without backup power sources, are the most frequently cited constraint on manufacturing growth in these surveys.

Outages are shown to reduce output below the production frontier by almost five percent in Africa and by a lower percentage in South Asia, Southeast Asia and the Middle East and North Africa. Production response to outages is quadratic in form. Outages also increase labor cost, reduce exports …