Operations and Supply Chain Management Commons^™

Six Sigma And Lean Approach For Enhanced Process Value Chain, Maryam Zulfiqar

International Conference on Lean Six Sigma

Abstract

This research highlight the different aspects of implementing lean and six-sigma approach, their contrasting features and integration in manufacturing organizations. Qualitative research method has been used to conduct this research as the defined period of time for the research was limited. This method was pertinent for the deep analysis of literature and case studies of concerned approaches. It helped to conduct the research in a subjective manner. The use of secondary data saved time from preparing the questionnaires or surveys also the ethical approval from the University of the West of Scotland was not required. Descriptive feature of qualitative …

The Revenue Operations (Revops) Framework: A Qualitative Study Of Industry Practitioners., Oliviero Mottola

Dissertations and Theses

In recent years Revenue Operations or RevOps has emerged in professional circles as a new approach to manage Sales, Marketing and Customer Success teams in the context of b2b sales. In practitioner circles, RevOps definitions range from the increased collaboration of the three job functions to an all-out creation of job function within organizations. While the subject of interdepartmental alignment has been covered extensively in academia (albeit not exhaustively), RevOps as a term and set of practices has received no attention and industry practitioners struggle to find a unified set of best practices that isn’t coming from organizations trying to …

Examining The Influence Of Source Dependence On Supplier Performance In The Usaf Organic Supply Chain, Thomas A. Counter

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to examine the U.S. Air Force's dependence toward sole sourcing and how that influences procurement outcomes in terms of supplier performance. This research used linear regression to explain the effect of source dependence and supplier size on performance categories for 326 suppliers. The five supplier performance categories in the study included timeliness, cost control, quality, business relations, and regulatory compliance. The research found that the USAFs dependence on sole sourcing had a small but statistically significant influence on all five aspects of supplier performance, with timeliness being the most adversely impacted.

Developing A Basic Formal Supply Chain Ontology To Improve Communication And Interoperability, David Morrow

Theses and Dissertations

Information is crucial to supply chain performance because it is used to make decisions and trigger actions. Organizations across world-class supply chains increasingly use information technology to analyze and process supply chain data. However, supply chain management lacks a common language, making information exchange difficult. An ontology can provide a standardized framework that organizes a given knowledge domain. This research proposes a common language for developing a supply chain ontology that can be built into a basic formal ontology understood by both humans and computers. According to current research, an established and widely used supply chain framework is a good …

Inventory Locating With Quuppa: The Design And Development Of A Real-Time Process Monitoring Web Application Solution, Dylan C. Moreland, Trevor J. Howell, John W. Takiff, Patrick S. Dillon, Theo E. Fritz, William K. Mcintyre

Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering

Viasat, Inc. requires precise inventory tracking at their production facility in San Diego, CA. Viasat has installed the Quuppa indoor real-time locating system (RTLS), which it uses to track the real-time position of high-value work-in-process items. In its current state, the system only displays in-the-moment location information, with no available functionality for storing historical data for review, analysis, or visualization. In addition, the data displayed is noisy and prone to significant random error. This paper provides an overview of RTLS methods and technologies, assesses alternative solutions to Viasat’s issue, demonstrates our RTLS integrated web app solution, analyzes its impact, and …

Modeling And Solving The Outsourcing Risk Management Problem In Multi-Echelon Supply Chains, Arian A. Nahangi

Master's Theses

Worldwide globalization has made supply chains more vulnerable to risk factors, increasing the associated costs of outsourcing goods. Outsourcing is highly beneficial for any company that values building upon its core competencies, but the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic and other crises have exposed significant vulnerabilities within supply chains. These disruptions forced a shift in the production of goods from outsourcing to domestic methods.

This paper considers a multi-echelon supply chain model with global and domestic raw material suppliers, manufacturing plants, warehouses, and markets. All levels within the supply chain network are evaluated from a holistic perspective, calculating a total …

Multi-Period Lot-Sizing With Supplier Selection: Structural Results, Complexity And Algorithms, Meichun Lin, Woonghee Tim Huh, Guohua Wan

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

We consider a multi-period lot-sizing problem with multiple products and multiple suppliers. Demand is deterministic and time-varying. The objective is to determine order quantities to minimize the total cost over a finite planning horizon. This problem is strongly NP-hard. For a special case, we extend the classical zero-inventory-ordering principle and solve it by dynamic programming. Based on this new extension, we also develop a heuristic algorithm for the general problem and computationally show that it works well.

Integration Of Blockchain Technology Into Supply Network For Resilient And Efficient Acquisition [Video], Adrian Gheorghe, Farinaz Sabz Ali Pour, Unal Tatar, Omer Faruk Keskin, Cornel Vintila, Laura Manciu

Engineering Management & Systems Engineering Faculty Publications

In the modern acquisition, it is unrealistic to consider single entities as producing and delivering a product independently. Acquisitions usually take place through supply networks. Resiliency, efficiency, and effectiveness of supply networks directly contribute to the acquisition system's resiliency, efficiency, and effectiveness. All the involved firms form a part of a supply network essential to producing the product or service. The decision-makers have to look for new methodologies for supply chain management. Blockchain technology introduces new methods of decentralization and delegation of services, which can transform supply chains and result in a more resilient, efficient, and effective supply chain. This …

Rethink Everything 2: Markets, Globalization, Development, Nikhilesh Dholakia, Deniz Atik

Markets, Globalization & Development Review

No abstract provided.

Cross Domain Iw Threats To Sof Maritime Missions: Implications For U.S. Sof, Gary C. Kessler, Diane M. Zorri

Publications

As cyber vulnerabilities proliferate with the expansion of connected devices, wherein security is often forsaken for ease of use, Special Operations Forces (SOF) cannot escape the obvious, massive risk that they are assuming by incorporating emerging technologies into their toolkits. This is especially true in the maritime sector where SOF operates nearshore in littoral zones. As SOF—in support to the U.S. Navy— increasingly operate in these contested maritime environments, they will gradually encounter more hostile actors looking to exploit digital vulnerabilities. As such, this monograph comes at a perfect time as the world becomes more interconnected but also more vulnerable.

Urban Consolidation Center Or Peer-To-Peer Platform? The Solution To Urban Last-Mile Delivery, Qiyuan Deng, Xin Fang, Yun Fong Lim

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

The growing population in cities and booming e-commerce activities create huge demand for urban last-mile delivery, exerting intense pressure on the cities' well-being. To keep congestion and pollution under control, a consolidator can operate an urban consolidation center (UCC) to bundle shipments from multiple carriers before the last-mile delivery. Alternatively, the consolidator can operate a peer-to-peer platform for the carriers to share delivery capacity. We provide guidance for the consolidator to choose between these two business models by comparative analysis. We capture the interactions between the consolidator and carriers using a game-theoretical framework. Under each business model, the consolidator first …

Sharing Airspace: Simulation Of Commercial Space Horizontal Launch Impacts On Airlines And Finding Solutions, Janet K. Tinoco, Chunyan Yu, Rodrigo Firmo, Carlos Alberto Castro, Mohammad Moallemi, Ryan Babb

Publications

Commercial space transportation is becoming more affordable and accessible. Consequently, we expect to see significant expansion of commercial space launch activities in the coming decade. As space vehicles travel through airspace during the launch and re-entry stages, they potentially disrupt the regular operations of traditional users. This paper estimates the potential economic and operational impacts of commercial space horizontal launch activities on airlines under various launch scenarios using predictive fast-time simulation modeling, focusing on Cecil Air and Space Port in Jacksonville (Florida) and the rules governing the national airspace system (NAS) in the United States. Our results indicate that the …

A Survey Of The Strategic Alternate Sourcing Program Offices Management Of United States Air Force Diminishing Manufacturing Sources And Material Shortages Subject Matter Experts, David E. Portée

Theses and Dissertations

The office designated by the Air Force to be DMSMS subject expert program office is known as the Strategic Alternate Sourcing Program Office (SASPO). Aided by the USAF Program Offices and DMSMS Subject Matter Experts, the SASPO is responsible for sourcing DMSMS resolutions as well as the organizing, training, and equipping of the Program Offices DMSMS Programs. Using quantitative research, this study conducts a survey, with the USAF Program Offices as the unit of analysis, to gain insight as to where the SASPO is doing well and where gaps exist in their program management. The analysis and conclusion identify where …

The Obstacles To The Modernization Of Common Support Equipment, J. Erik Ritschard

Theses and Dissertations

The current fleet of Common Support Equipment (CSE) is faced with a $2B funding disconnect that threatens 9 of the 12 USAF Core Functions. This research identifies the barriers to efforts to modernize CSE across the sustainment, acquisition, and maintenance communities. Using a qualitative, grounded theory methodology, the responses are explored of interviewed Support Equipment managers responsible for the sustainment and modernization of CSE. Significant barriers to current modernization efforts were exposed, resulting in expensive, duplicative, and unreliable equipment; concluding that the AF must change the way CSE is administrated, funded, and culturally understood to prevent future mission degradation.

Predicting F-16 Cause Code H Micap Hours Using Jmp Regression Analysis, Scott E. Carr

Theses and Dissertations

Emergency demands for aircraft parts, MICAPs (Mission Impaired Capability Awaiting Parts) are one of the leading issues affecting mission capability supply rates for fighter aircraft. Cause code H MICAPS, those with a known demand level, but no supply available, are particularly troublesome and difficult to resolve. These MICAPS are due to failures by the supply chain to replenish stock levels within acceptable time limits. Numerous studies have identified a clear need for proactive measures to reduce MICAP hours. This would significantly improve aircraft availability. This study uses regression analysis implemented in JMP software to build models with a goal of …

Resilient Maintenance Infrastructure: Dynamic Repair Network Designs To Effectively Manage Supply Chain Disruptions, David W. Wallace Iii

Theses and Dissertations

Supply chains are facing numerous changes contributing to their increase in complexity and vulnerability to disruptions. Subsequently, decision-makers lack a transparent, generalizable tool to quantify supply chain resilience and assess additional resilience investments. This research facilitates a more profound understanding of the intricacies and interrelation of supply chain nodes and constructs. It integrates the Area under the Curve (AUC) metric to quantify performance or any organizational measure of competitive advantage amid a disruption. Due to its structural resemblance to various organizational platforms, the subset United States Air Force (USAF) F-16 engine repair and supply network is modeled employing discrete-event simulation. …

Resupply Operations Of A Dispersed Infantry Brigade Combat Team Using Approximate Dynamic Programming, Camero K. Song

Theses and Dissertations

Military sustainment planners must consider the effective employment of Cargo Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (CUAVs) into resupply operations under austere threat conditions. Viewed as an inventory routing problem, the complexities of resupplying dislocated Forward Operating Bases (FOBs) under dangerous and dynamic conditions warrant additional features to the baseline problem. This research models a military stochastic inventory routing problem with multiple routing (MIL SIRP- MR) as a Markov decision process (MDP) model and provides high-quality policy solutions using a combination of approximate dynamic programming and ordinal optimization techniques.

Managing Quality In Aviation Projects, James W. Marion, Tracey M. Richardson, Vittal Anantatmula

Publications

From aircraft manufacturing, product customization, aircraft maintenance, and aircraft launch and recovery, project management is threaded through all aspects of aviation. Given the supreme importance of quality to every aircraft manufacturer, airline, and passenger, it would be expected that quality management, within the context of project management, would be a construct that is clearly defined. The aim of this mixed-methods research seeks to understand how quality is managed and assured in aviation projects, whether or not the current quality management framework is applicable to the aviation industry, and how quality should ultimately be managed in aviation projects. The results of …

Risk Management Decision Making For Security And Trust In Hardware Supply Chains, Zachary A. Collier, Thomas L. Polmateer, James H. Lambert

CESUN Conference

Modern cyber-physical systems are enabled by electronic hardware and embedded systems. The security of these sub-components is a concern during the design and operational phases of cyber-physical system life cycles. Compromised electronics can result in mission-critical failures, unauthorized access, and other severe consequences. As systems become more complex and feature greater connectivity, system owners must make decisions regarding how to mitigate risks and ensure resilience and trust. This paper provides an overview of research efforts related to assessing and managing risks, resilience, and trust with an emphasis on electronic hardware and embedded systems. The research takes a decision-oriented perspective, drawing …

Identifying Sources Of Covid19 Pandemic Supply Chain Fragility, Clovia Hamilton

Technology & Society Faculty Publications

Supply chain management is in the industrial engineering management and operations management disciplines. It involves product procurement of raw materials, production, storage, distribution, wholesales, and retail sales. The COVID19 pandemic has the added challenge of healthcare service operations management. This paper is a bibliometric study of the COVID19 supply chain fragility problem. In February 2021, the United States’ President called for a review of the pandemic related supply chain for vaccines, personal protective equipment (PPE), medical equipment such as ventilators, and food. This study involves a search for references published between January 1, 2020 and April 30, 2021. It reveals …

Blockchain For A Resilient, Efficient, And Effective Supply Chain, Evidence From Cases, Adrian Gheorghe, Farinaz Sabz Ali Pour, Unal Tatar, Omer Faruk Keskin

Engineering Management & Systems Engineering Faculty Publications

In the modern acquisition, it is unrealistic to consider single entities as producing and delivering a product independently. Acquisitions usually take place through supply networks. Resiliency, efficiency, and effectiveness of supply networks directly contribute to the acquisition system's resiliency, efficiency, and effectiveness. All the involved firms form a part of a supply network essential to producing the product or service. The decision-makers have to look for new methodologies for supply chain management. Blockchain technology introduces new methods of decentralization and delegation of services, which can transform supply chains and result in a more resilient, efficient, and effective supply chain. This …

Developing An Artificial Intelligence Framework To Assess Shipbuilding And Repair Sub-Tier Supply Chains Risk, Rafael Diaz, Katherine Smith, Beatriz Acero, Francesco Longo, Antonio Padovano

VMASC Publications

The defense shipbuilding and repair industry is a labor-intensive sector that can be characterized by low-product volumes and high investments in which a large number of shared resources, technology, suppliers, and processes asynchronously converge into large construction projects. It is mainly organized by the execution of a complex combination of sequential and overlapping stages. While entities engaged in this large-scale endeavor are often knowledgeable about their first-tier suppliers, they usually do not have insight into the lower tiers suppliers. A sizable part of any supply chain disruption is attributable to instabilities in sub-tier suppliers. This research note conceptually delineates a …

Digital Twins For Manufacturing And Logistics Systems: Is Simulation Practice Ready?, Francesco Longo, Antonio Padovano, Letizia Nicoletti, Mohaiad Elbasheer, Rafael Diaz

VMASC Publications

This article provides a theoretical contribution to the state-of-the-art of digital twins for manufacturing and logistics systems. The primary goal of this paper is to draw attention to the gap between the theoretical framework of digital twins in manufacturing and supply chain and their practical implementation from a simulation modeling point of view. Therefore, highlighting the recent innovations in the simulation practice that could provide the basis for digital twins with high levels of data integration, automation, and smart capabilities. This study follows a comparative approach to analyzing theoretical and technical readiness for developing digital twins with high fidelity and …

Vind: A Blockchain-Enabled Supply Chain Provenance Framework For Energy Delivery Systems, Eranga Bandara, Sachin Shetty, Deepak Tosh, Xueping Liang

VMASC Publications

Enterprise-level energy delivery systems (EDSs) depend on different software or hardware vendors to achieve operational efficiency. Critical components of these systems are typically manufactured and integrated by overseas suppliers, which expands the attack surface to adversaries with additional opportunities to infiltrate into EDSs. Due to this reason, the risk management of the EDS supply chain is crucial to ensure that we are knowledgeable about the vulnerabilities in software and hardware components that comprise any critical part, quantifiable risk metrics to assess the severity and exploitability of the attack, and provide remediation solutions that can influence a prioritized mitigation plan. There …

Quantifying The Effects Of Aircraft Engine Upgrades On Operating And Support Costs, Bradford A. Myers, Edward D. White, Jonathan D. Ritschel, R. David Fass

Faculty Publications

For fixed wing aircraft within the U.S. Air Force, Operating and Support (O&S) costs encompass a large portion of total life cycle costs. O&S costs include fuel, maintenance, and engine upgrades. To the authors’ knowledge, no study to date has attempted to empirically quantify the realized effects of new aircraft engines on sustainment costs. Utilizing the Air Force Total Ownership Cost database, they focused on new engines appearing on the C-5s, C-130s, and C-135s. Although narrow in scope, results suggest newer engines have lower fuel costs. Maintenance costs for newer engines were not consistently higher or lower than the engines …

Conflict Resolution In A Multi-Level It-Enabled Outsourcing Network: A Structured Solution Approach, Shreekant Vijaykar, Mahesh Gupta Prof., Pradip Kumar Bhaumik Dr.

Journal of International Technology and Information Management

Using the case study of an Indian Technology and Outsourcing Service Provider, SmartKey (real but renamed company), a technology vendor to a global healthcare provider, this paper analyses offshore outsourcing issues using IT-enabled services to gain deeper insights needed to understand the core conflict and propose a well-reasoned solution approach. Reasoning, the conscious thought process leading to a well-justified decision, is an important managerial skill required for making dynamic decisions, resolving conflicts, and thereby developing human resources. This paper explores Goldratt’s Evaporating Clouds (ECs) as a systematic approach to reasoning in particular, and as a system for developing human resource …

Models And Solution Approaches For Integrated Student To School Assignment And School Bus Routing Problem Focusing On Special Needs Students, Azadeh Ansari

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This dissertation addresses the integrated problem of assigning students to schools and generating school bus routes particularly focusing on the special needs students is addressed. Special needs students generally require supplementary accommodations and must be picked up from and dropped off at their home addresses. This will increase the number of nodes in the network and therefore introduces additional complexities to the problems of assignment and routing for students. An integrated single objective mathematical model is first developed that simultaneously assigns the students to schools based on their needs and generates efficient bus routes to deliver the students to their …

Supply Chain Analysis To Determine E-Commerce Distribution Center Locations, Fatima Chebchoub

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Supply chain management is the key success for each business. Having a robust supply chain will help the business to improve service, quality, reduce the costs, improve the speed, and be more flexible. Organizations need to look at data and deploy plans to move the product from operation to logistics to manage a global chain. In this paper we will use E-Comm shipment data to identify the best locations to build a new distribution center (DC).

Investigation Of An Avionics Part Deficiencies In Royal Saudi Air Force Fleets, Nasser S. Alanazi

Theses and Dissertations

The Royal Saudi Air Force (RSAF) is experiencing a shortage in certain avionics parts due to a lack of reliability. This issue is causing a supply chain disturbance in the F1-15 fleet and the Hawk fleet. One of the factors behind this problem is the environmental effects in Saudi Arabia .The study will investigate and analyze the methods for the Improvement Cycle Processes and the Quality Management within the RSAF repair cycle. Finding show that, the discrepancies are rising during summer and fall time due to the environment change, Other finding were addressed in the study.

Aligning Performance Management Systems For Lasting Outcomes In Humanitarian Operations, Kalyn M. Howard

Theses and Dissertations

Logistics is dynamic, expansive, and critical to organizational success. While it is generally believed that effective logistics management is associated with positive performance outcomes, the links between organizational practice and performance are understudied. This dissertation leverages resource-based theory and organizational learning theory to examine organizational practice and performance in non-traditional logistics settings, with particular focus on military organizations and humanitarian operational settings. First, a meta-analytical study establishes generalizable associations between various operations management practices and performance outcomes. Then, this is applied to dynamic humanitarian logistics settings, exploring how practitioners perceive practice and performance, and how this is reported and documented …