Operations Research, Systems Engineering and Industrial Engineering Commons^™

Asem 4.0/5.0 - Evolving The Engineering Management Profession Through Industry 4.0/5.0 Collaborative Networks, T. Steven Cotter, Faisal Mahmud, Ziniya Zahedi

Engineering Management & Systems Engineering Faculty Publications

The American Society for Engineering Management was created and matured under Industry 3.0 automation. The emergence of Industry 4.0 and 5.0 are forcing all organizational sectors to rethink their long-term strategy with respect to emerging horizontal/vertical cyber-physical systems integration. This leaves open the question of the directions in which ASEM should evolve into the 21st century. This paper reports an initial mapping of Industry 4.0 and 5.0 technologies and initiatives as goal-oriented, long-term strategic collaborative networks. The research method began with the Boston Consulting Group nine technologies of Industry 4.0 (2015) and the Industry 5.0 technologies within its human-centric, sustainability, …

Project Control System (Pcs) Implementation In Engineering And Construction Projects: An Empirical Study In Saudi's Petroleum And Chemical Industry, Sahar Jawad, Ann Ledwith, Rashid Khan

School of Cybersecurity Faculty Publications

Purpose

There is growing recognition that effective project control systems (PCS) are critical to the success of projects. The relationship between the individual elements of PCS and successfully achieving project objectives has yet to be explored. This research investigates the enablers and barriers that influence the elements of PCS success and drive project objectives.

Design/methodology/approach

This study adopts a mixed approach of descriptive analysis and regression models to explore the impact of six PCS elements on project outcomes. Petroleum and chemical projects in Saudi Arabia were selected as a case study to validate the research model.

Findings

Data from a …

The Impact Of Social Media On Charitable Giving For Nonprofit Organization, Namchul Shin

Journal of International Technology and Information Management

Research has extensively studied nonprofit organizations’ use of social media for communications and interactions with supporters. However, there has been limited research examining the impact of social media on charitable giving. This research attempts to address the gap by empirically examining the relationship between the use of social media and charitable giving for nonprofit organizations. We employ a data set of the Nonprofit Times’ top 100 nonprofits ranked by total revenue for the empirical analysis. As measures for social media traction, i.e., how extensively nonprofits draw supporters on their social media sites, we use Facebook Likes, Twitter Followers, and Instagram …

How Does Digitalisation Transform Business Models In Ropax Ports? A Multi-Site Study Of Port Authorities, Yiran Chen, Anastasia Tsvetkova, Kristel Edelman, Irina Wahlström, Marikka Heikkila, Magnus Hellström

Journal of International Technology and Information Management

This article investigates the relationship between digitalisation and business model changes in RoPax ports. The study is based on six RoPax ports in Northern Europe, examining their digitalisation efforts and the resulting changes in their business models, leading to further digital transformation. The paper offers insights by reviewing relevant literature on digitalisation’s role in business model innovation and its application in ports. The findings reveal that digitalisation supports relevant business model changes concerning port operation integration within logistics chains, communication, documentation flow, and cargo flow optimisation. However, exploring digitalisation’s potential for diversifying value propositions is still limited. Most digitalisation efforts …

Key Issues Of Predictive Analytics Implementation: A Sociotechnical Perspective, Leida Chen, Ravi Nath, Nevina Rocco

Journal of International Technology and Information Management

Developing an effective business analytics function within a company has become a crucial component to an organization’s competitive advantage today. Predictive analytics enables an organization to make proactive, data-driven decisions. While companies are increasing their investments in data and analytics technologies, little research effort has been devoted to understanding how to best convert analytics assets into positive business performance. This issue can be best studied from the socio-technical perspective to gain a holistic understanding of the key factors relevant to implementing predictive analytics. Based upon information from structured interviews with information technology and analytics executives of 11 organizations across the …

Activities Tailoring Within Agile Scrum Roles: A Case Of Nigerian Healthcare Information Systems Development, Yazidu Salihu, Julian Bass, Gloria Iyawa

Journal of International Technology and Information Management

Developing quality agile healthcare information systems requires understanding regulatory compliance and evolving healthcare needs through activities tailored within agile scrum roles. Agile scrum, a widely adopted philosophy, offers significant advantages in managing software development processes. This research explores how activities within the agile scrum roles are tailored to agile healthcare information systems development within the Nigerian context. This study adopted a qualitative case study methodology and interviewed 12 agile practitioners developing healthcare information systems within Nigeria using semi-structured open-ended interview guide questions. The practitioners were selected based on a snowballing process, a sunset of purposive sampling techniques from our network …

What Can We Learn From A Co-Creation Journey For A Quick Scan Digital Transformation Maturity Assessment Tool For Development Ngos?, Anand Sheombar

Journal of International Technology and Information Management

This paper describes the approach and lessons learned from a co-creation process with Dutch development NGOs to create a practical and easy-to-use assessment tool for practitioners to assess the organisation's maturity level of digital transformation. For this study, we applied a design science research methodology, specifically a six-step co-creation approach suitable for developing maturity models. The digital maturity assessment tool (quick scan) created is a domain- specific digital transformation maturity tool for development NGOs rather than a generally applicable tool. This artefact was evaluated using an eight-point Requirements framework for the development of digital maturity assessment tools. By developing a …

Milk Collection Problem: Integrating The Traveling Salesman And Set Covering Problem - A Case Study In West Virginia, Usa, Md Rabiul Hasan

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Route determination for perishable products is complex due to its unique characteristics, such as limited shelf-life regulatory requirements, or possibility of getting damaged. This research investigates a novel problem of collecting raw milk from a rural network of dairy farms. The research problem is grounded in a real scenario of milk collection in West Virginia, USA. The milk in this scenario is produced by small farms incapable of realizing transportation economies of density out in mostly rural areas throughout the state. Maximum coverage area and milk processing overhead costs are used to identify suitable locations for intermediate milk collection centers …

A Multi-Objective Stochastic Programming Model For Resilient And Sustainable Supply Chains Under Uncertainty, Mohammad H. Majdfaghihi

Dissertations

Supply chain resilience (SCRES) and sustainable supply chain management (SSCM) have garnered significant attention in the field of Supply Chain Management (SCM) science. This heightened interest is largely attributable to the increasing frequency and severity of uncertainty and disruptions in global supply chains. Resilience is a beneficial approach to managing uncertainties and preparing for and mitigating the adverse consequences of Supply Chain (SC) disruptions. Sustainability is a key concept in SCM, driven by governmental regulations and heightened stakeholder and customer concerns for environmental and societal well-being. Studies on SCRES have traditionally focused on preparing for and reacting to disruptions and …

Towards Agile Academia: An Approach To Scientific Paper Writing Inspired By Software Engineering, Tyler Procko

Doctoral Dissertations and Master's Theses

The construction of scientific papers is performed in service of the greater scientific community. This iterative process is, in effect, an academic economy, where all members benefit from well-written papers. However, many published scientific papers are poorly written; they often lack sufficient detail to allow replication, there is improper usage of citations or a lack of regard to relevant work, reporting is vague or without linked empirical data to allow verification, figures do not correspond to text or are non-sensical, literary elements, e.g., bulleted lists, are used ineffectively, formatting renders certain sections unreadable, and grammatical errors abound. The issues of …

Lean Six Sigma Body Of Knowledge For Healthcare Industry Administrators: Implementation Of Lessons Learned In Applied Engineering, Mohammed Ali

Technology Faculty Publications and Presentations

The purpose of this paper is to propose a Lean Six Sigma (LSS) course curriculum for healthcare administration and management majors. It identifies the relevant opportunities and challenges for the application of LSS within the healthcare industry. The paper also discusses the cultural changes necessary to provide an appropriate climate for its long-term success. This work contains a comprehensive description of the body of knowledge in LSS, which were successful in applied engineering. Additionally, the paper describes how LSS may be applied in the hospital setting to improve processes in patient-care services. Upon successful completion of the course, the healthcare …

Network Vulnerability Identification For The Material Routing Problem, Carson G. Long

Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation considers the importance of identifying spatiotemporal vulnerabilities in ground distribution networks and uses operations research methods to formulate models that allow military logistic planners to implement prevention and mitigation measures regarding the routing of personnel, equipment, and supplies in contested Areas of Responsibility (AOR). For optimization models relating to identifying spatiotemporal network vulnerabilities in distribution networks, this work leverages game theory, mixed-integer programming, multi-objective optimization, and metaheuristics to inform mitigation measures for shipment routing. This research has three related components: the first component develops a multi-objective mathematical program to identify spatiotemporal vulnerabilities via myopic heuristic identification, in combination …

Lean Manufacturing Approach To Increase Packaging Efficiency, Lina Gozali, Irsandy Kurniawan, Aldo Salim, Iveline Anne Marie, Benny Tjahjono, Yun Chia Liang, Aldy Gunawan, Nnovia Hardjo Sie, Yuliani Suseno

Research Collection School Of Computing and Information Systems

The company upon which this paper is based engages in flexible packaging production, especially pharmaceutical products with guaranteed quality, trusted by consumers. Its production process includes printing, laminating, and assembling processes. Production activities are done manually and automatically using machines, so various types of waste are often found in these processes, making the level of plant efficiency nonoptimal. This study aims to identify wastes occurring in the production process, especially the production of pollycelonium with three colour variants as the highest demand product, by applying lean manufacturing concepts. The Current Value Stream Mapping (CVSM) used to map the production process …

A Case For An Independent Cyber Force, Ian C. Heffron, Mark Reith, James W. Dean

Faculty Publications

Although cyberspace is considered the newest warfighting domain, military analysts and scholars have opined the United States remains woefully behind its peers in cyberspace and have called for the creation of a separate cyber service component. Yet a cohesive and robust discussion on this topic has yet to emerge. This article proposes a general framework that builds on the Joint doctrine, organization, training, materiel, leadership and education, personnel, facilities, and policy (DOTMLPF-P) analysis to address questions of sufficiency and necessity. Such analysis reveals DoD cyber operations do not maximize the United States’ ability to fight a cyber war, especially when …

Cost Estimation Trends For Major Defense Acquisition Programs, Sammantha Jones, Edward D. White, Jonathan D. Ritschel, Shawn M. Valentine

Faculty Publications

The authors use both descriptive and inferential techniques to investigate average and standard deviation trends in cost estimates for major defense acquisition programs (MDAPs) grouped into decades from the 1970s to 2010s. For total program-cost-growth factors (CGFs), the 2010s exhibited lower CGFs compared to the 1990s. For the program-acquisition-unit cost (PAUC) CGFs, the 2010s appear lower than the 1990s and borderline lower than the 1970s. A statistically significant decreasing trend in the standard deviations of total program CGFs throughout the decades was identified. This lowering variability trend also appeared for PAUC CGFs from the 1980s onward. This finding appears to …

Inventory-Responsive Donor-Management Policy: A Tandem Queueing Network Model, Taozeng Zhu, Nicholas Teck Boon Yeo, Sarah Yini Gao, Gar Goei Loke

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

Problem definition: In the blood-donor-management problem, the blood bank incentivizes donors to donate, given blood inventory levels. We propose a model to optimize such incentivization schemes under the context of random demand, blood perishability, observation period between donations, and variability in donor arrivals and dropouts. Methodology/results: We propose an optimization model that simultaneously accounts for the dynamics in the blood inventory and the donor’s donation process, as a coupled queueing network. We adopt the Pipeline Queue paradigm, which leads us to a tractable convex reformulation. The coupled setting requires new methodologies to be developed upon the existing Pipeline Queue framework. …

Portfolio Optimization Using Value Focused Thinking, Tyler Martin

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis explores the application of Value Focused Thinking (VFT) and multi-objective portfolio optimization to create a well-aligned portfolio for an organization faced with over 50 alternatives and limited funding. A novel technique is proposed to develop an optimized portfolio based on VFT scores, utilizing heuristic approaches like evolutionary algorithms. The research outcomes include an optimized portfolio, the total value evaluation of alternatives, and a sensitivity analysis. The new approach outperforms the organization’s previous method, resulting in a portfolio that better addresses the organization’s core values and objectives, scoring 21.21% higher.

Routing Battery-Constrained Delivery Drones In A Depot Network: A Business Model And Its Optimization-Simulation Assessment, Yanchao Liu

Industrial and Systems Engineering Faculty Research Publications

This paper proposes a novel business model for on-demand package shipment services using drones, and evaluates different modeling and solution approaches for the drone routing problem that underpins the service operation. In the proposed service, customers’ shipment orders of arbitrary origins and destinations, payload weights and bid values are collected every five minutes, and available drones from multiple depots are then dispatched to fulfill a subset of these orders in a way to maximize profit. A drone path starts from a depot, serves one or more customer orders in sequence, and ends at a depot for battery recharging, which incurs …

Trace Dna Detection Using Diamond Dye: A Recovery Technique To Yield More Dna, Leah Davis

Master's Theses

This study aspires to find a new screening approach to trace DNA recovery techniques to yield a higher quantity of trace DNA from larger items of evidence. It takes the path of visualizing trace DNA on items of evidence with potential DNA so analysts can swab a more localized area rather than attempting to recover trace DNA through the general swabbing technique currently used for trace DNA recovery. The first and second parts consisted of observing trace DNA interaction with Diamond Dye on porous and non-porous surfaces.

The third part involved applying the Diamond Dye solution by spraying it onto …

Rattus Norvegicus As A Biological Detector Of Clandestine Remains And The Use Of Ultrasonic Vocalizations As A Locating Mechanism, Gabrielle M. Johnston

Master's Theses

In investigations, locating missing persons and clandestine remains are imperative. One way that first responder and police agencies can search for the remains is by using cadaver dogs as biological detectors. Cadaver dogs are typically used due to their olfactory sensitivity and ability to detect low concentrations of volatile organic compounds produced by biological remains. Cadaver dogs are typically chosen for their stamina, agility, and olfactory sensitivity. However, what is not taken into account often is the size of the animal and the expense of maintaining and training the animal. Cadaver dogs are typically large breeds that cannot fit in …

Human Psychology Factors Influencing Agile Team Autonomy In Post-Pandemic Remote Software Organizations, Ravikiran Kalluri

Engineering Management & Systems Engineering Theses & Dissertations

Agile project management methods are gaining in popularity in the software industry as software development teams are being asked to be adaptive to market needs and resilient to change and uncertainty. With increasing market uncertainty, global competition, and time-to-market pressure, it is becoming a challenge to develop an innovative product and deliver it on-time without the opportunity that comes from team autonomy to experiment and learn from failures in a remote workplace. To resolve this challenge, it is critical to understand the myriad human psychological factors in play that influence Agile team autonomy in a remote work environment.

The role …

Improving Network Security For High Schools In Carolina, Southeastern, And South Central Conference, Eden Sampson

Campus Research Month

Cybersecurity is a very important factor that is often overlooked until one becomes a victim of hackers and viruses. One of the main institutions that are caught off guard by cyber issues are high schools. Adventist high schools often fall into this issue as well. It is very dangerous because of the sensitive information handled on school networks as well as the financial loss that cyber security attacks may cause. Moreover, just a few Adventist high schools have IT staff who are qualified to protect the school from cyberattacks or to help with recovery. Therefore, our contribution is to create …

The Impact Of Case Management Intervention For Insured Asthma Patients In Louisiana, An Empirical Study, Mohamed Mohamed Ohaiba

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Asthma is a chronic condition whose symptoms are managed/prevented using medication and interventions. The overarching objective of this study was to evaluate the impact of patients' demographics on case management enrollment and healthcare utilization, as well as to develop machine learning models to predict high-cost patients.

To accomplish these goals, the Man-Whiteness test, the chi-squares test, logistic regression and odds ratios, and machine learning models were implemented. The average cost of the non-enrolled CM group was significantly higher than the enrolled group (p-value .0001). In addition, the non-enrolled groups had considerably more visits to the emergency department than the other …

The U.S. Army Officer-To-Unit Assignment Problem, Andrea L. Phillips

Theses and Dissertations

Every two to three years, U.S. Army officers must change duty stations, which entails a selection process based on preferences. Currently, officers are assigned to units using a stable-marriage algorithm. Two impracticalities occur within this process. First, officers are required to submit strictly ranked preferences, not allowing indifference among units. Second, the stable-marriage algorithm does not give flexibility to alternative priorities. This research focuses on two modifications to the current model. First, a mixed integer program is created that allows the user, U.S. Army Human Resources Command, to consider other priorities: unit preferences and maximum officer disappointment. Second, generated data …

Air Force Cadet To Career Field Matching Problem, Ian P. Macdonald

Theses and Dissertations

This research examines the Cadet to Air Force Specialty Code (AFSC) Matching Problem (CAMP). Currently, the matching problem occurs annually at the Air Force Personnel Center (AFPC) using an integer program and value focused thinking approach. This paper presents a novel method to match cadets with AFSCs using a generalized structure of the Hospitals Residents problem with special emphasis on lower quotas. This paper also examines the United States Army Matching problem and compares it to the techniques and constraints applied to solve the CAMP. The research culminates in the presentation of three algorithms created to solve the CAMP and …

Rate Effects In Aircraft Learning Curves, Caleb J. Ahern

Theses and Dissertations

Across the Department of Defense (DoD), a wide variety of analytical tools are employed by cost analysts to estimate weapon system costs. One of the techniques widely employed by practitioners is the learning curve (LC). Although learning curves have been widely studied, using rate-adjustments or production rate effects (PRE), their usage have only intermittently been evaluated in place of using the traditional learning curve. Previous studies analyzing production rate found mixed results. This research aims to examine aircraft production data to determine if production rate model is preferrable in United States Air Force programs. Additionally, this PRE research seeks to …

The Future Of Enterprise Information Systems, Ali Sunyaev, Tobias Dehling, Susanne Strahringer, Li Da Xu, Martin Heinig, Michael Perscheid, Rainer Alt, Matti Rossi

Information Technology & Decision Sciences Faculty Publications

[First paragraph] Enterprise information systems (EIS) have been important enablers of crossfunctional processes within businesses since the 1990s. Often referred to as enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems, they were extended in line with electronic businesses to integrate with suppliers as well as customers. Today, EIS architectures comprise not only ERP, supply chain, and customer relationship management systems, but also business intelligence and analytics. Recently, the move towards decentralized technologies has created new perspectives for EIS. Information systems (IS) research has already addressed opportunities and challenges of these developments quite well, but what will be the pressing opportunities and challenges for …

Nonprofit Business And Management Challenges Encountered When Delivering Services And Fulfilling Organizational Missions, Becky A. Hammer

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Failure of nonprofit organizations (NPOs) causes negative impacts to community service users and the NPO workforce. Although the impact of NPO failure has been researched, a comprehensive understanding of business and organizational challenges from the NPO leaders’ perspective was not well documented. Learning more about these challenges may assist with understanding how to best support and solve them. The purpose of this qualitative single case study was to explore the business and management-related barriers and challenges NPO leaders encounter when delivering services and fulfilling organizational missions in the Greater Austin Metropolitan Statistical Area in Texas. The conceptual model included the …

Operationalizing A Culture For Successful Lean Transformations: A Framework And Model-Based Tools, Amir Najarzadeh Dr.

Theses and Dissertations--Manufacturing Systems Engineering

Lean manufacturing has been embraced by many companies as a business model to promote operational excellence. However, a high percentage of lean implementation attempts have failed; many organizations have not been able to sustain continuous improvements to achieve lean transformations. This failure is often attributed to the sole focus on the hard-side (tools) of lean, at the expense of the soft side (culture). The majority of research exploring the cultural dimensions of lean either aims to increase awareness about culture or addresses it only in a cursory manner. To bridge this gap this study aims to identify and assess the …

Creating Portfolio Management Concepts For Highly Agile And Innovative Government Research Programs Using Design Thinking And Learn Start Up Methodologies, Vanessa Aubuchon, Resit Unal, Pilar Pazos, Holly Handley, Cindy Daniels

Engineering Management & Systems Engineering Faculty Publications

Managing a research and development (R&D) portfolio presents numerous challenges, such as prioritizing research areas, remaining agile, strategic workforce planning, and measuring return on investment, impact, and innovation. One government R&D program is charged with producing a high degree of innovative, transformational breakthroughs in aviation technology. A practical, structured methodology for strategically prioritizing emerging aviation R&D in such an environment is lacking. The existing multi-criteria decision aid tools are primarily utilized at an enterprise level, take months to set up and collect data, require large teams of experts, are used on an infrequent basis, and are not conducive to a …