Operations Research, Systems Engineering and Industrial Engineering Commons^™

Towards A Taxonomy Of Challenges In An Integrated It Governance Framework Implementation, Mathew Nicho, Suadad Muamaar

Journal of International Technology and Information Management

The rapid adoption of IT governance (ITG) frameworks in organizations worldwide, along with the subsequent need to select and integrate overlapping ITG frameworks has presented practitioners with challenges in choice and integration of frameworks. In this respect, the purpose of this study was to explore the ITG frameworks integration (ITGFI) challenges faced by organizations worldwide; develop and test a theory-based integrated ITG challenges (IIC) taxonomy model created from extant literature; and validate and compare these with those empirically extracted from three case studies in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The results present the audience with a taxonomy of a prioritized …

Comparative Empirical Analysis On Computer Software Piracy Behaviors Between China And The United States: An Exploratory Study, Xiang Fang, Sooun Lee

Journal of International Technology and Information Management

Using the data collected from several universities in China and the United States, which have drastically different piracy rates, economic development stages, income levels, and national cultures, this study aims to identify which demographic factors affect software piracy significantly. Totally, the dataset includes 600 valid responses. Multivariate data analysis, supported by Multivariate Analysis of Variance and Turkey’s test, reveals that among various factors, country difference and gender most significantly influence software piracy. In addition, this study offers recommendations on how to curb software piracy effectively.

An Advanced Tabu Search Approach To The Dynamic Airlift Loading Problem, August G. Roesener, J. Wesley Barnes

Faculty Publications

This research effort presents a tabu search algorithm to solve the dynamic airlift loading problem. Given a set of palletized cargo items which require transportation from an aerial port of embarkation to an aerial port of debarkation within a pre-specified time frame, the dynamic airlift loading problem seeks to partition the pallets into aircraft loads, select an efficient and effective subset of aircraft from available aircraft, and assign the pallets to allowable positions on those aircraft. The dynamic airlift loading problem differs from many partitioning and packing problems described in the literature because, in addition to spatial constraints, factors such …

Improving Reliability Of Medical Device Tracking Using Unique Device Identification, John A. Bonfanti

Industrial Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

The term “disruptive innovation” has been the buzzword of industries looking to create technological advancements in their respective fields ever since the term was first coined in 1995. In order to invest in the future of the industry, companies are beginning to focus on new, innovative ideas that come into the market as a low-cost alternative to the sustaining innovations currently in place. Similar business-models can be seen in the healthcare industry, as physicians look to disruptive innovations to provide methods of diagnosis and treatment that are easier to perform and maintain. Companies, from medical device manufacturers to the hospitals …

Developing A Logistics Risk Assessment Tool, Daniel C. Fritsche

Industrial Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

Economies around the world have thrived in the wake of the development and keen understanding of effective supply chain management practices. As a result, organizations have become more dependent on other organizations to move their products and services to completion due to complex sourcing and shipping arrangements that have precipitated from the formation of sophisticated supply chains. A supply chain is in general a flow of products or services. When this flow is disrupted or halted, disastrous consequences can ensue. In the worst cases, such as with a disaster relief organization like the American Red Cross, disruptions in supply chains …

Modeling Supply Chain Resiliency, Jeff A. Hazel

Industrial Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

Engineered Resilient Systems (ERS) is a Department of Defense (DoD) program focusing on the effective and efficient design and development of complex engineered systems throughout their life cycle. There is a growing literature with qualitative definitions of resilience and quantitative models for systems with one performance measure. This paper uses a quantitative resilience framework (the Framework for ERS) that includes system design options, reliability, threats, vulnerabilities, responses, and consequences assessed in multiple system performance measures. The framework assists in establishing a model for any system to evaluate resiliency. This paper applies this framework using Multiple Objective Decision Analysis (MODA) to …

The Agricultural Growth And Malting Production Of Barley Grains In Northeast Tennessee And Southwest Virginia, Mark Evans Patton Mr.

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to explore the history and production processes of beer and examines the components that contribute to its brewing. The narrative will provide a timeline of the processes that are required to create the product of beer beginning with the agricultural products and following the brewing processes that result in beer as the finished product. I will also examine the business of agriculture and grain processing and will provide some historical perspectives of grain, beer, and malting. I will also consider whether the growing, processing, and malting of grains in the East Tennessee and Southwest …

The Impact Of Learning Curve Model Selection And Criteria For Cost Estimation Accuracy In The Dod, Candace Honious, Brandon Johnson, John J. Elshaw, A. B. Badiru

Faculty Publications

The first part of this manuscript examines the impact of configuration changes to the learning curve when implemented during production. This research is a study on the impact to the learning curve slope when production is continuous but a configuration change occurs. Analysis discovered the learning curve slope after a configuration change is different from the stable learning curve slope pre-configuration change. The newly configured units were statistically different from previous units. This supports that the new configuration should be estimated with a new learning curve equation. The research also discovered the post-configuration slope is always steeper than the stable …

Designing A Mobile Space Habitat Analog, Victor Kitmanyen, Matthew Burkhard, Timothy Disher

Human Factors and Applied Psychology Student Conference

No abstract provided.

Renewable Energy Investment Planning And Policy Design, Alireza Ghalebani

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

In this dissertation, we leverage predictive and prescriptive analytics to develop decision support systems to promote the use of renewable energy in society. Since electricity from renewable energy sources is still relatively expensive, there are variety of financial incentive programs available in different regions. Our research focuses on financial incentive programs and tackles two main problem: 1) how to optimally design and control hybrid renewable energy systems for residential and commercial buildings given the capacity based and performance based incentives, and 2) how to develop a model-based system for policy makers for designing optimal financial incentive programs to promote investment …

Multi-Level Analytic Network Process Model To Mitigate Supply Chain Disruptions In Disaster Recovery Planning, Martina Ursula Kroener

Master's Theses

Over the past few decades, environmental changes have led to more frequent occurrences and greater intensities of natural disasters worldwide. In terms of globally connected supply chains, this has resulted in an enormous economical loss for corporations. Therefore, Business Continuity and Disaster Recovery (BC/DR) planning and management has become essential for businesses in order to protect their critical business flow. Yet there is a lack of systematic and transparent methodologies for companies to handle this problem.

Hence, this thesis introduces a novel approach to combine consecutive steps of the Disaster Recovery Planning (DRP) process within one application. The multi-criteria decision-making …

Determining The Degree Of The Routinization Of Additive Manufacturing In The Air Logistics Complexes, Candis A. Woods

Theses and Dissertations

Fiscal constraints have affected the USAF’s spending and sustainment of weapons systems that are being utilized beyond their programmed life cycle; therefore, it is imperative that processes be given the critical eye for improvement, innovative approaches, and/or best practice implementation. The AFSC, part of the AFMC, has embarked on a groundbreaking effort to transform operations and leverage industry best practices, while maintaining focus on warfighter support to create “The AFSC Way.” The AFSC Way is based on a shared leadership model that emphasizes speed, safety, and quality, which gives way to innovative ideas and new technologies in order to achieve …

Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (Uav) Operators’ Workload Reduction: The Effect Of 3d Audio On Operators’ Workload And Performance During Multi-Aircraft Control, Sungbin Kim

Theses and Dissertations

The importance and number of Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) operations are rapidly growing in both military and civilian applications. This growth has produced significant manpower issues, producing a desire that multiple aircraft are controlled by a single operator as opposed to the current model where one aircraft may require multiple operators. A potential issue is the need for an operator to monitor radio traffic for the call signs of multi-aircraft. An investigation of the use of 3D sound was undertaken to investigate whether an automatic parser, which preselected the spatial location of relevant versus irrelevant call signs, could aid UAV …

United States Air Force Officer Manpower Planning Problem Via Approximate Dynamic Programming, Amelia E. Bradshaw

Theses and Dissertations

The United States Air Force (USAF) is concerned with managing its officer corps to ensure sufficient personnel for mission readiness. Manpower planning for the USAF is a complex process which requires making decisions about accessions. Uncertainty about officer retention complicates such decisions. We formulate a Markov decision process model of the Air Force officer manpower planning problem (AFO-MPP) and utilize a least squares approximate policy iteration algorithm as an approximate dynamic programming (ADP) technique to attain solutions. Computational experiments are conducted on two AFO-MPP instances to compare the performance of the policy determined with the ADP algorithm to a benchmark …

Analysis Of Inpatient Hospital Staff Mental Workload By Means Of Discrete-Event Simulation, Erich W. Maxheimer

Theses and Dissertations

Many process improvement tools have been applied to the healthcare industry to improve safety and efficiency. However, nearly all of these tools have neglected to explicitly quantify mental workload of healthcare providers despite the consensus that it is related to human performance. This research uses the Improved Performance Research Integration Tool (IMPRINT), a discrete-event simulation (DES), to quantify mental workload. Specifically, this research examines staff members in an inpatient unit at the Wright-Patterson Medical Center to detect workload differences between staff, identify trends which lead to high workload demands, evaluate the influence of patient load on mental workload, and test …

A Simulation Model For Decision Support In Business Continuity Planning, Marissa Anne Mosunich

Master's Theses

Enterprises with a global supply network are at risk of lost revenue as a result of disruptive disasters at supplier locations. Various strategies exist for addressing this risk, and a variety of types of research has been done regarding the identification, assessment and response to the risk of disruption in a supply chain network.

This thesis establishes a decision model to support Business Continuity Planning at the first-tier supplier level. The decision model incorporates discrete-event simulation of supply chain networks (through Simio software), Monte Carlo simulation, and risk index optimization. After modeling disruption vulnerability in a supply chain network, costs …

Enhancing Students Learning And Assessment Through Positive Reinforcement, Philip Appiah-Kubi

Engineering Management and Systems Faculty Publications

Students’ understanding of class material, and knowledge retention are assessed through homework, exams, and a host of other methods. None of these forms of assessment is intrinsically paramount to the others; however, the benefits depend on how well they are used. A good assessment depends on the purpose and learning objectives, and one way of maximizing the benefits of assessment is to involve students in the assessment methodology. This paper evaluates the benefits of having students prepare some of the questions for their final exams. Generally, students put in more effort when they understand that they are in charge. Each …

Complex Adaptive Behavior: Pragmatic Idealism, Mustafa Canan, Andres Sousa-Poza

Engineering Management & Systems Engineering Faculty Publications

The introduction of new concepts is a driver of organizational evolution and transformation. A newly introduced concept can introduce new meaning that is disparate to existing understanding. A new concept may also be interpreted in multiple ways, thereby introducing several disparate meanings. The disparity is resolved through adaptation. The disparity introduces complex adaptive behavior to the organization, requiring suitable changes to its management and design. The development of corresponding doctrine for new concepts, and training for the organization's constituents become indispensable. In so doing, constituents can be involved in the adaptation process through direct participation, and thereby include the cognitive …

A Scalable Algorithm For Locating Distribution Centers On Real Road Networks, Saeed Ghanbartehrani, Jose D. Porter

14th IMHRC Proceedings (Karlsruhe, Germany – 2016)

The median problem is a type of network location problem that aims at finding a node with the total minimum demand weighted distance to a set of demand nodes in a weighted graph. In this research, an algorithm for solving the median problem on real road networks is proposed. The proposed algorithm, referred to as the multi-threaded Dijkstra’s (MTD) algorithm, is then used to optimally locate Wal-Mart distribution centers on the 28-million node road network of the United States with the objective of minimizing the total demand weighted transportation cost. The resulting optimal location configuration of Wal-Mart distribution centers improves …

Evaluating Transaction Pairing Strategies For Vehicle-Based High-Density Storage Systems, Debjit Roy, Harit Joshie

14th IMHRC Proceedings (Karlsruhe, Germany – 2016)

Vehicle-based storage and retrieval systems present an attractive choice for distribution center automation because it provides the flexibility in managing demand fluctuations without affecting transaction throughput times. In this research, we contend that while dual-command cycles can reduce the vehicle travel times for processing transactions, it may not be the best policy for reducing transaction throughput times when transactions arrive at random time instants. We develop stochastic models to test the transaction throughput time performance with multiple pairing strategies and present operational insights.

Continuous Approximation Of Multi Cycle Time For Multi Aisles Automated Storage And Retrieval Systems., Yassine Boudghene Stambouli, Latefa Ghomri

14th IMHRC Proceedings (Karlsruhe, Germany – 2016)

Knowing that, in an automated storage and retrieval system, the travel time of the storage/retrieval machine is an important parameter which affects the whole system performances, several works were dedicated to its evaluation and its modeling, in single, dual and multi command. These models were proposed for different configurations of AS/RS; such as unit load, multi-aisles and Mobile Racks. These models are based mainly on a discrete approach and the analytical expressions represent the system functioning exactly. In this paper we present a general approach for analytical modeling of multi command cycle time by giving particularly the modeling of the …

Outsourced Storage And Fulfillment Facility To Enhance The Service Capabilities Of Shopping Mall Tenants, Zachary Montreuil, Mike Ogle

14th IMHRC Proceedings (Karlsruhe, Germany – 2016)

This paper proposes development of an Inventory and Fulfillment Center (IFC) that will provide a new range of outsourced, centralized storage and services for shopping mall tenants. The paper describes the competitive issues faced by shopping mall tenants, the requirements and features of a centralized, outsourced storage and fulfillment facility, and development of an agent-based model in AnyLogic® to demonstrate the concept. The range of research and business challenges introduced by this new concept are also presented.

New Design Guidelines For In-Plant Milk-Run Systems, Thorsten Schmidt, Ingolf Meinhardt, Frank Schulze

14th IMHRC Proceedings (Karlsruhe, Germany – 2016)

Tugger trains became a popular means of supply in material handling intensive production systems. In contrast to forklift trucks they interlink a supermarket with multiple delivery locations along a transport route in a milk-run. But the efficiency gain (higher transport capacity, reduced labor costs) has its price: Compared to forklift trucks, planning and dimensioning of in-plant milk-run systems is more complicated. The paper discusses features and drawbacks of a recent standardization approach of the Association of German Engineers (VDI) and highlights the variety of technical restrictions which have to be considered when a milkrun system is designed. It shows, that …

The Storage Replenishment Problem In Rectangular Warehouses, Haldun Sural, Claudia Archetti, Melih Celik

14th IMHRC Proceedings (Karlsruhe, Germany – 2016)

In warehouses, storage replenishment operations involve the transportation of items to capacitated item slots in forward storage area from reserve storage. These items are later picked from these slots as their demand arises. While order picking constitutes the majority of warehouse operating costs, replenishment operations might be as costly in warehouses where pick lists generally consist of only a few lines (e.g., order fulfillment warehouses). In this study, we consider the storage replenishment problem in a parallel-aisle warehouse, where replenishment and order picking operations are carried out in successive waves with time limits. The aim is to determine the item …

Performance Comparison Of Automated Warehouses Using Simulation, Nand Kishore Agrawal, Sunderesh S. Heragu, Chinnatat Methapatra

14th IMHRC Proceedings (Karlsruhe, Germany – 2016)

The purpose of this study is to compare the performance of two types of warehouses, both of which use autonomous vehicles (AVs). One warehouse uses movable racks (MR) for storing mini-loads, whereas the other uses fixed racks (FR). In general, warehouse automation not only increases the speed of the fulfillment process but also makes the picking process more accurate. We simulate three scenarios for the MR and FR systems using Simio. Four performance measures are considered for the comparison – the average order processing time (WR), the average utilization of AVs (U), the average order processing queue length (Nq) and …

Job Sequencing In A Miniload System, Lennart Baardman, Kees Jan Roodbergen

14th IMHRC Proceedings (Karlsruhe, Germany – 2016)

More and more warehouses shift towards the use of automated systems. One such system is a miniload system. In this system, a crane retrieves bins from their storage locations and brings the bins to the picking station, where a worker takes the requested products from the retrieved bins. After a product has been picked, the bin is put back by the crane in its original location. A buffer is present at the picking station to absorb fluctuations in speed between the picker and the crane. The problem of scheduling jobs in this system has received little attention in the literature. …

Dual-Tray Vertical Lift Modules For Fast Order Picking, Daria Battini, Martina Calzavara, Alessandro Persona, Fabio Sgarbossa

14th IMHRC Proceedings (Karlsruhe, Germany – 2016)

In the last years, new solutions for order picking systems have been developed both from industry and academics, especially for small items. They include innovative flexible automatic parts-to-picker systems and optimized picker-to-parts ones. One of these solutions consists in the use of Vertical Lift Modules (VLMs), a storage column in which small items are stored in extractable trays. In this paper, we study a new system composed by dual-tray VLMs where the operators perform picking and sorting activities. We propose several actions in order to improve the productivity of the entire system: 1) class based storage assignment of items inside …

Throughput Rate Of A Two-Worker Stochastic Bucket Brigade, Yossi Bukchin, Eran Hanany, Eugene Khmelnitsky

14th IMHRC Proceedings (Karlsruhe, Germany – 2016)

Work-sharing in production systems is a modern approach that improves throughput rate. Work is shifted between cross-trained workers in order to better balance the material now in the system. When a serial system is concerned, a common work-sharing approach is the Bucket-Brigade (BB), by which downstream workers sequentially take over items from adjacent upstream work- ers. When the workers are located from slowest-to-fastest and their speeds are deterministic, it is known that the line does not suffer from blockage or starvation, and achieves the maximal theoretical throughput rate (TR). Very little is known in the literature on stochastic self-balancing systems …

A Performance Measurement Framework And Solution Approach For The Integrated Facility Layout Problem With Uncertain Demand, Melih Celik, Begun Efeoglu, Haldun Sural

14th IMHRC Proceedings (Karlsruhe, Germany – 2016)

The integrated facility layout problem (IFLP) focuses on the simultaneous determination of the relative locations of multiple copies of capacitated equip- ment or machinery in a facility, as well as the material ow between these units. In this paper, we consider the IFLP in the existence of uncertain demand for the products of the facility. Motivated by the framework for next generation facility layouts by Benjaafar et al. (2002), we extend the approaches in the lit- erature for distributed facility layouts to the case of dynamic demand and the possibility of relayouts, and propose a heuristic solution approach to minimize …

Transport Items And Physical Internet Handling Boxes: A Comparison Framework Across Supply Chains, Eric Ballot, Benoit Montreuil

14th IMHRC Proceedings (Karlsruhe, Germany – 2016)

Pallets, cardboard boxes, and plastic crates are widely used tools to operate supply chains. As such they have many impacts on handling effort, shipment protection, transport mean utilization as well as repositioning and recycling efforts and they represent billions of assets spread all over the world. The historical and local origins of the designs and the sharing among many stakeholders do not ensure at all any kind of global optimization. The purpose of this paper is to define and explain a research effort to better measure and evaluate the efficiencies and inefficiencies for supply chain stakeholders for themselves and globally. …