Operations Research, Systems Engineering and Industrial Engineering Commons^™

Enterprise Resource Planning Survey Of Korean Manufacturing Firms, Lee Taehyung, Young Moon, Lee Heeseok

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering - All Scholarship

Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems are packaged software designed to integrate and optimise the business processes of an enterprise. The ERP systems have been embraced by industry as a de facto solution to integrate their business functions. The adoption of the ERP concept is a truly global phenomenon. This paper reports a recently completed survey study on Korean manufacturing firms. The study used the same survey questionnaires used in two previous surveys done on US and Swedish manufacturing firms. Our objective is to determine the extent of adoption of the ERP system in the Korean manufacturing firms, their motivations, implementation …

Analyzing Faulty Knowledge Systems In Project-Based Environments: An Empirical Investigation In A R&D Organization, Rafael E. Landaeta, Cesar Ariel Pinto, Timothy G. Kotnour, William R. Peterson

Engineering Management & Systems Engineering Faculty Publications

This investigation contributes a framework of the relationships among the faulty elements of a knowledge system in a project-based organization. The framework was developed during an applied research project at a R&D organization. A knowledge system can be defined as a series of inputs, processes, and outputs that interact with each other with the purpose of enhance the performance and capabilities of an organization or work unit through knowledge. The framework was developed using literature, our experience as applied researchers, and data collected from members of a R&D organization. Data was collected through a survey, interviews, and group meetings. The …

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.

Employee Commitment And Turnover: Literature And Data Analysis Of Correlations, Jean-Paul M. Arnaout, Gamze Karayaz, Andres Sousa-Poza

Engineering Management & Systems Engineering Faculty Publications

Due to the current turbulent environment, companies had to evolve form their traditional rigid structures to flexible and efficient ones, in order to better adapt to the continuous changes in the environment. New practices have emerged in the workplace, particularly the large layoffs of employees due to budget cuts, leading to an increase in the organizations' turnover. Thus, in today's world, a company is subject to high turnovers at any time of its life cycle; a suggested approach for reducing this turnover is through the improvement of organizational commitment. This paper addresses the following question: "Do all forms of employee …

Multiagent Teamwork: Hybrid Approaches, Praveen Paruchuri, Emma Bowring, Ranjit Nair, Jonathan Pearce, Nathan Schurr, Milind Tambe, Pradeep Varakantham

Research Collection School Of Computing and Information Systems

Today within the multiagent community, we see at least four competing methods to building multiagent systems: beliefdesireintention (BDI), distributed constraint optimization (DCOP), distributed POMDPs, and auctions or game-theoretic methods. While there is exciting progress within each approach, there is a lack of cross-cutting research. This article highlights the various hybrid techniques for multiagent teamwork developed by the teamcore group. In particular, for the past decade, the TEAMCORE research group has focused on building agent teams in complex, dynamic domains. While our early work was inspired by BDI, we will present an overview of recent research that uses DCOPs and distributed …

A Dyadic Composition To Foster Virtual Team Effectiveness: An Experimental Study, Gamze Karayaz

Engineering Management & Systems Engineering Theses & Dissertations

The importance of effectiveness for virtual teamwork continues to gain momentum as technology and globalization of work accelerate. The implementation of virtual teams provides one approach to enhance competitiveness, overcoming the disadvantages of space and time differences through collaborative technologies. The influence of structure to virtual team performance has not been clearly established in the literature. The purpose of this research study was to investigate the effectiveness of a dyad structured approach for virtual teams using a quasi-experimental research design.

This research investigated four questions related to the influence of structure on virtual team effectiveness related to task performance, communication …

Conceptual Simulation Modeling For Regional Distribution Center Systems, Kitti Setavoraphan

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study focuses on the simulation modeling of warehousing operations commonly seen at general merchandize distribution centers. The key operational processes and modeling requirements related were identified and analyzed through a pattern and knowledge-based approach to capture the structural and behavioral characteristics of general distribution centers to support simulation study for performance evaluation and process improvement. Robust representations and patterns were developed to represent the elements and logic of the simulation models for these processes to facilitate efficient and effective construction of models. The issues of conceptual modeling such as synthesis, abstraction, decomposition, and specialization were addressed.

Evaluation Of Time-Varying Availability In Multi-Echelon Inventory System With Combat Damage, Hoong Chuin Lau, Huawei Song

Research Collection School Of Computing and Information Systems

The models for multi-echelon inventory systems in existing literatures predominantly address failures due to reliability in peacetime. In wartime or even peacetime operational scenarios, unexpected combat damage can cause a large number of systems to be heavily damaged, to the extent that they become irreparable. In this paper, we study a multi-echelon spare parts support system under combat damage, discuss the replenishment policy and propose an approximate method to evaluate the time-varying system performance operational availability considering the effect of passivation. Experiments show our model works well and efficiently against simulation.

Exploiting Belief Bounds: Practical Pomdps For Personal Assistant Agents, Pradeep Varakantham, Rajiv Maheswaran, Milind Tambe

Research Collection School Of Computing and Information Systems

Agents or agent teams deployed to assist humans often face the challenges of monitoring the state of key processes in their environment (including the state of their human users themselves) and making periodic decisions based on such monitoring. POMDPs appear well suited to enable agents to address these challenges, given the uncertain environment and cost of actions, but optimal policy generation for POMDPs is computationally expensive. This paper introduces three key techniques to speedup POMDP policy generation that exploit the notion of progress or dynamics in personal assistant domains. Policy computation is restricted to the belief space polytope that remains …

A Case Study On Implementation Of Quality Function Deployment Into The Design Process Of A Small Job Shop, Benjamin A. Thomson

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The majority of research involving Quality Function Deployment (QFD) was focused on large consumer based companies and not small job shop business-to-business companies. This case study involved the implementation of QFD into the design process at Reynolds & Co., a small job shop in Terre Haute, IN. The specific objectives of the research were to find the QFD concepts that apply to the improvement of Reynolds & Co.'s (small job shop) design process. The next objective was to reduce the average design time associated with Reynolds & Co.'s design process. The final objective of this case study was to reduce …

Optimization Model For Base-Level Delivery Routes And Crew Scheduling, Young-Ho Cha

Theses and Dissertations

In the U.S. Air Force, a Logistic Readiness Squadron (LRS) provides material management, distribution, and oversight of contingency operations. Dispatchers in the LRS must quickly prepare schedules that meet the needs of their customers while dealing with real-world constraints, such as time windows, delivery priorities, and intermittent recurring missions. Currently, LRS vehicle operation elements are faced with a shortage of manpower and lack an efficient scheduling algorithm and tool. The purpose of this research is to enhance the dispatchers' capability to handle flexible situations and produce "good" schedules within current manpower restrictions. In this research, a new scheduling model and …

Air Force Jp-8 Fuel Distribution System: A Statistical Analysis To Determine Where And When To Sample, Eric J. Heath

Theses and Dissertations

The Air Force Petroleum Office at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio collects JP-8 sampling data, but this data doesn't undergo analysis to determine the health of the base-level JP-8 fuel distribution system. Commanders possess no known confidence level when assessing base-level fuel health. Therefore, the objective of this research is to assess Air Force base-level fuel sampling data to determine the base-level sampling point that ensures a quality and healthy product at the aircraft. Also, this research seeks to identify how often correlation sampling should take place. Sample test pass rates are analyzed from three locations, receipt, storage, and vehicles/aircraft, …

A Multiple-Case Analysis Of Lean Six Sigma Deployment And Implementation Strategies, Peter M. O'Rourke

Theses and Dissertations

Lean and Six Sigma are recent developments in continuous improvement methodology that have been popularized by several high-profile companies. The success and complementary nature of these methodologies has led to their combination into a single methodology, commonly called Lean Six Sigma or Lean Sigma. Although there is considerable literature available and many consultants involved with Lean Six Sigma, very little published research addresses the practical experiences of companies that have implemented Lean Six Sigma. The research question for this research is: How and why are certain private sector implementations of Lean Six Sigma successful or unsuccessful? The investigative questions further …

Assessing The Usefulness Of The Decision Framework For Identifying And Selecting Knowledge Management Projects, Kevin G. Budai

Theses and Dissertations

Knowledge management (KM) is becoming recognized as a valuable tool for the Department of Defense (DoD) in its effort to maintain a competitive, strategic advantage against its enemies in a new threat environment. Decision superiority is the ultimate end result and is only possible through the effective and efficient use of its chief key resource--knowledge. As the Air Force seeks to transform the way it does business the concept of knowledge management has made its way to the forefront of both the Air Force's Information Strategy and Information Resource Flight Plan. This research assesses the usefulness of a knowledge management …

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. …

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. …

Production Research In China, S. Chaudhry, S. Feng, H. Li, H. Sui, J. L. Zhang, Z Zhang, Li Xu

Information Technology & Decision Sciences Faculty Publications

(First paragraph) China is the world’s largest emerging economy. In recent years, China has moved to an increasingly market-oriented economy that opens to international trade and investment. At the same time, the popularity of China as a manufacturing base, assembling goods for sale worldwide is growing. In addition to global manufacturers who have built their own plants in China, many manufacturing companies are outsourcing production to Chinese subcontractors and branding the products with their own logos. In today’s China, production research is becoming more and more important; advanced production research becomes an important enabler to make its manufacturing industry competitive. …

Complex System Transformation: A System Of Systems Engineering (Sose) Perspective, Charles B. Keating, Andres Sousa-Poza, Samuel Kovacic

Engineering Management & Systems Engineering Faculty Publications

The purpose of this paper is to develop a perspective for complex system transformation from a System of Systems Engineering (SoSE) viewpoint. This is a first attempt to make explicit a SoSE viewpoint on complex system transformation. As such, the formulation is intended to escalate the dialog and integrate the current state of understanding with respect to the nature, utility, and implications of complex system transformation in SoSE terms. To achieve our purpose we will: (1) present a short introduction that provides an essential background for SoSE, (2) provide five fundamental systems concepts that underlie a SoSE perspective of complex …

Information View Of Organization, Bob Travica

Journal of International Technology and Information Management

This article proposes an information view of organization that brings the information systems field closer to organization theory. Although voluminous bodies of literature have been developed within each of these disciplines and links between them do exist, their mutual informing is still insufficient. The proposed view of organization is intended to help convey results of information systems research to organizational scholars, while broadening theoretical horizons of the former. This article discusses the premises, conceptual framework, examples, and preliminary evidence of the information view of organization.

Time Dimension For Business News In The Knowledge Warehouse, Pawel J. Kalczynski

Journal of International Technology and Information Management

This paper proposes a data structure to support the integration of business news and data in the knowledge warehouse using the Temporal Document Retrieval Model (TDRM). Temporal document retrieval takes into account the time context expressed as temporal phrases in the document content. The maintenance and scalability of the proposed data cluster is discussed. The results of temporal document retrieval experiments based on typical and ad-hoc time constraints, performed on a large corpus of business news are reported. The experiments showed that the instantaneous TDRM-based retrieval using the proposed cluster is possible with the currently available database technology and confirmed …

A Framework For Describing And Classifying Multicriteria Portfolio Selection Problems: An Object-Oriented Approach, Heinz Roland Weistroffer, Charles H. Smith

Journal of International Technology and Information Management

Many decisions require not a single solution alternative, but a set or portfolio of alternatives. For example, a business generally produces not a single product, but a portfolio of products, and a project is tackled not by a single individual, but by a team of individuals. Unfortunately, the portfolio selection problem has been largely neglected in the literature. Though many specific problem environments have been discussed using heuristic, ad hoc methods, no general methodology or theory has been developed. This paper proposes an object-oriented framework to provide a theoretical foundation for future research on the portfolio selection problem.

Uml Activity Diagram Semantics And Automated Gui Prototyping, Nancy Winniford Ashley, Timothy E. Meehan, Norman Carr

Journal of International Technology and Information Management

Extended Activity Semantics (XAS) is a notation which can be used with Unified Modeling Language (UML) activity diagrams to specify user interactions with a system and to automatically generate a prototype of the graphical user interface (GUI) that would be used in these interactions. XAS has been incorporated in a CASE tool, Guibot, which has been developed as a plug-in for Rational Rose, a leading UML tool. The notation and tool address a specific gap in UML – the inability to model user interaction.

Internet Technology In 2010: The Issue Of Ipv6 Adoption In The U.S.A., Garry L. White, Jaymeen R. Shah, James R. Cook

Journal of International Technology and Information Management

Computer industry literature suggests that IPv4 Internet addresses are likely to have been depleted by the year 2010, and at least Asia and Europe will be using the new IPv6 Internet addresses. Literature also suggests that the U.S.A. is lagging behind Asia and Europe with the implementation of IPv6. Empirical data supporting the fact that the U.S.A. is lagging behind is not available in the literature. This paper presents the issues regarding IPv6, reasons why Asia and Europe are implementing IPv6, and why the U.S.A. is lagging behind. Empirical data is presented to support the literature’s suggestion that the U.S.A. …

A Critical Time For Ultra-Wide Band, Gary F. Templeton, Mark B. Schmidt

Journal of International Technology and Information Management

Ultra-wideband (UWB) is a promising class of high-speed wireless communications applications that is projected to significantly change local and wide area network architectures. This article describes the technology, its probable application areas, the environmental forces that are constraining and enabling commercialization, and the prospects for short-term growth for UWB services. Commercial sale and distribution of UWB products has been approved, and widespread sale is expected by 2007.

A Multi-Agent Approach For Solving Optimization Problems Involving Expensive Resources, Hoong Chuin Lau, H. Wang

Research Collection School Of Computing and Information Systems

In this paper, we propose a multi-agent approach for solving a class of optimization problems involving expensive resources, where monolithic local search schemes perform miserably. More specifically, we study the class of bin-packing problems. Under our proposed Fine-Grained Agent System scheme, rational agents work both collaboratively and selfishly based on local search and mimic physics-motivated systems. We apply our approach to a generalization of bin-packing - the Inventory Routing Problem with Time Windows - which is an important logistics problem, and demonstrate the efficiency and effectiveness of our approach.

Robust Temporal Constraint Networks, Hoong Chuin Lau, Thomas Ou, Melvyn Sim

Research Collection School Of Computing and Information Systems

In this paper, we propose the Robust Temporal Constraint Network (RTCN) model for simple temporal constraint networks where activity durations are bounded by random variables. The problem is to determine whether such temporal network can be executed with failure probability less than a given 0 ≤ E ≤ 1 for each possible instantiation of the random variables, and if so. how one might find a feasible schedule with each given instantiation. The advantage of our model is that one can vary the value of ∊ to control the level of conservativeness of the solution. We present a computationally tractable and …

Multi-National Project Team Communications And Cultural Influences, Morgan E. Henrie

Engineering Management & Systems Engineering Theses & Dissertations

This exploratory case study dissertation examined multinational project teams' communication satisfaction as influenced by the project team's cultural attribute of power distance. Utilizing a exploratory case study, semi-guided interview research approach, ordinal scale data and open-ended contextual based question responses was obtained. This data was gathered from United States---Russia and Canada---Angola multi-national, complex, high technology oil transportation project teams. Triangulation data gathering techniques were utilized to obtain empirical data from multiple sources of data and multiple data types. Subsequent data analyses combined descriptive statistical analysis, graphical analysis, cluster analysis, and content analysis techniques to derive a theoretical construct of multi-national …

Corrective Maintenance Optimization In An Air Force, Hoong Chuin Lau, K. Y. Neo, W. C. Wan

Research Collection School Of Computing and Information Systems

Successful military mission planning and execution depend critically on equipment serviceability and resupply. Due to the stochastic nature of demands, the forecast of optimal spares and resources needed to guarantee the level of serviceability is a complex problem, especially in a multi-echelon setting. In this paper, we propose a decision-support concept and software tool known as Corrective Maintenance Optimizer (CMO) that helps to optimize system availability, through proper allocation of spare parts, both strategically and operationally.

Two-Echelon Repairable Item Inventory System With Limited Repair Capacity Under Nonstationary Demands, Hoong Chuin Lau, Huawei Song

Research Collection School Of Computing and Information Systems

We study a repairable item inventory system under limited repair capacity and nonstationary Poisson demands, motivated by corrective maintenance of military equipment. Our goal is to minimize the cost of both spare and repair resource allocation. We propose an efficient analytical model that combines optimization modeling and queuing theory.

Logistics Network Design With Differentiated Delivery Lead Time: A Chemical Industry Case Study, Michelle Lee Fong Cheong, Rohit Bhatnagar, Stephen C. Graves

Research Collection School Of Computing and Information Systems

Most logistics network design models assume exogenous customer demand that is independent of the service time or level. This paper examines the benefits of segmenting demand according to lead-time sensitivity of customers. To capture lead-time sensitivity in the network design model, we use a facility grouping method to ensure that the different demand classes are satisfied on time. In addition, we perform a series of computational experiments to develop a set of managerial insights for the network design decision making process.