Operations Research, Systems Engineering and Industrial Engineering Commons^™

The Business Case For Industrial Safety: Revealing The Comprehensive Value Of Ergonomic Investments For Manufacturing Enterprises In Industry 4.0, Shane Stan

Honors Program: Senior Projects (Public)

How can today’s manufacturing enterprises construct, implement, and optimize modern safety initiatives in a manner that will present maximum return on investment and facilitate enterprise growth? Furthermore, how can these manufacturers assure individual ergonomic investments become part of a larger strategy to facilitate organizational change in safety? This work addresses these questions by placing industrial ergonomics in a business improvement context which comprehensively presents the financial returns and growth opportunities poised by modern safety initiatives. Additionally, to further strengthen the business case for industrial safety, an ergonomic action planning framework is established to guide the creation of holistic safety programs …

Opportunities And Challenges For Rural Broadband Infrastructure Investment, Casey I. Canfield, Ona Egbue, Jacob Hale, Suzanna Long

Engineering Management and Systems Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Insufficient internet access is holding back local economies, reducing educational outcomes, and creating health disparities in rural areas of the U.S. At present, federal and state funding is available for rural broadband infrastructure deployment, but existing efforts have not invested in analytical work to maximize efficiency and minimize cost. In this study, we use a state-of-the-art matrix (SAM) to identify key challenges and opportunities facing rural broadband infrastructure from previous research and government reports. We focus on six themes: (1) technology, (2) hardware costs, (3) financing, (4) adoption, (5) regulatory/legal, and (6) management. We highlight key issues to be addressed …

Risk Awareness Enhancement Systems For Hazmat Transportation: Prototyping And Technology Evaluation, Jian Xue, Katherine Linville, Yu Li, Pranav Nitin Godse, Suzanna Long, Ruwen Qin

Engineering Management and Systems Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Workers of hazardous material (hazmat) transportation have a higher chance than other workers to be exposed to various risks in their workplace. Assisting them to safely operate in their workplace in a near real-time manner is in particular need. This paper presents a study of designing, prototyping and developing feedback systems to help increase the risk awareness of workers in the loading and uploading phases of hazmat transportation. The first system was prototyped on an Arduino board, serving as the reference for system development. Then, the second system, named a Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) beacon based system, was designed as …

A Mixed Method Study Of Infrastructure Resilience Education And Instruction, John Richards, Suzanna Long

Engineering Management and Systems Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

As the frequency and severity of natural and man-made disasters increases, the importance of improving the resilience of complex infrastructure systems in an uncertain environment is increasingly critical. Proper training and education are key components to addressing this issue, but it is unclear how and where modeling under uncertainty, infrastructure systems management, and resilient systems are integrated into the standard undergraduate and graduate engineering management curriculum. This research uses a mixed method to determine whether and at what level engineering managers receive instruction regarding the implementation of tools and techniques to improve infrastructure resilience. A review of current courses and …

Flood Management Deep Learning Model Inputs: A Review Of Necessary Data And Predictive Tools, Jacob Hale, Suzanna Long, Steven Corns, Tom Shoberg

Engineering Management and Systems Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Current flood management models are often hampered by the lack of robust predictive analytics, as well as incomplete datasets for river basins prone to heavy flooding. This research uses a State-of-the-Art matrix (SAM) analysis and integrative literature review to categorize existing models by method and scope, then determines opportunities for integrating deep learning techniques to expand predictive capability. Trends in the SAM analysis are then used to determine geospatial characteristics of the region that can contribute to flash flood scenarios, as well as develop inputs for future modeling efforts. Preliminary progress on the selection of one urban and one rural …

Prioritizing Strategic Cyberspace Lethality, Andrew J. Schoka

Military Cyber Affairs

The primary concern of United States national security policy, as detailed in the 2018 National Defense Strategy, has shifted from asymmetrical counter-insurgency operations to countering inter-state strategic competition by rogue regimes and revisionist powers. This doctrinal shift has prompted an increased emphasis on military lethality, particularly in strategic-level cyberspace operations intended to counter open challenges to the global security environment and United States preeminence. Drawing from the theory of constraints in industrial engineering and Bayesian search theory in operations research, this paper identifies the key organizational constraints that hinder the lethality of the Department of Defense’s strategic-level cyberspace operations units …

Data-Driven Predictive Maintenance Scheduling Policies For Railways, Pedro Cesar Lopes Gerum, Ayca Altay, Melike Baykal-Gürsoy

Supply Chain Management

Inspection and maintenance activities are essential to preserving safety and cost-effectiveness in railways. However, the stochastic nature of railway defect occurrence is usually ignored in literature; instead, defect stochasticity is considered independently of maintenance scheduling. This study presents a new approach to predict rail and geometry defects that relies on easy-to-obtain data and integrates prediction with inspection and maintenance scheduling activities. In the proposed approach, a novel use of risk-averse and hybrid prediction methodology controls the underestimation of defects. Then, a discounted Markov decision process model utilizes these predictions to determine optimal inspection and maintenance scheduling policies. Furthermore, in the …

Adaptive Randomized Rounding In The Big Parsimony Problem, Sangho Shim, Sunil Chopra, Eunseok Kim

Annual Symposium on Biomathematics and Ecology Education and Research

No abstract provided.

The Impact Of Executing A Warehouse Management System Change: A Case Study, Nicholas J. Cross

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

The increased demand on distribution centers to provide quicker turnarounds from receiving to shipping while maintaining precise inventory accuracies is spurring the acquisition of a warehouse management system (WMS) to improve operations and increase efficiency. With the rapid expansion of WMS technology, it seems inevitable that warehouses will outgrow inefficient operational processes and switch to a system that can accommodate rapid development. Research has explained the financial burdens and benefits of acquiring a WMS, but there’s been minimal research describing the impacts of the actual implementation. This study took place within a 600,000 sq. ft. fulfillment center and focused on …

Generalized Relay Network Design And Collaborative Dispatching In Truckload Transportation, Amin Ziaeifar

Operations Research and Engineering Management Theses and Dissertations

The truckload industry faces a serious problem of high driver shortage and turnover rate which is typically around 100\%. Among the major causes of this problem are extended on-the-road times where drivers handle several truckload pickup and deliveries successively; non-regular schedules and get-home rates; and low utilization of drivers dedicated time. These are by-and-large consequences of the driver-to-load dispatching method, which is based on point-to-point dispatching or direct shipment from origin-to-destination, commonly employed in the industry. In this dissertation, we consider an alternative dispatching method that necessitates careful design of an underlying network. In this scheme, a truckload on its …

Computational Analysis Of Antipode Algorithms For The Output Feedback Hopf Algebra, Lance Berlin

Electrical & Computer Engineering Theses & Dissertations

The feedback interconnection of two systems written in terms of Chen-Fliess series can be described explicitly in terms of the antipode of the output feedback Hopf algebra. At present, there are three known computational approaches to calculating this antipode: the left coproduct method, the right coproduct method, and the derivation method. Each of these algorithms is defined recursively, and thus becomes computationally expensive quite quickly. This motivates the need for a more complete understanding of the algorithmic complexity of these methods, as well as the development of new approaches for determining the Hopf algebra antipode. The main goals of this …

A Comparison Of Multi-Attribute Utility Theory, The Analytic Hierarchy Process, The Analytic Network Process, And New Hybrid Approaches For A Case Study Involving Radon, Jesse Ray Toepfer

Engineering Management & Systems Engineering Theses & Dissertations

This dissertation focuses on the use of three new combinational hybrid approaches to solve a rational decision problem. Even though Multi-Attribute Utility Theory (MAUT) and the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP), and the Analytic Network Process (ANP), are all long established theories, their practical applications continue to grow and generate new knowledge. As a case study approach, there exists a knowledge gap concerning the use of these MCDM methods in the area of environmental remediation, and more especially, in situations that involve radioactive materials. From this, and as borne out by the literature review discussed herein, a problem statement is thus …

Paints-R-Us Term Project, Tyler Campbell, Skye Gilbreth, Michael Oluwole, Elijah Raffo, Brad Unruh

Engineering and Technology Management Student Projects

This project will consider a linear product mix optimization problem for a fictional paint company, Paints-R-Us. Paints-R-Us is a wholesale paint manufacturer located in the Pacific Northwest. The Global Production Manager, Steve Brush, has been tasked with maximizing Paints-R-Us’s profit in the upcoming quarter. Steve Brush oversees the global production plan, and in collaboration with the production planners will develop a production plan which optimizes the profits that Paints-R-Us can create in the quarter accounting for the following criteria:

• Demand in the given quarter for each of the 5 paint types that Paints-R-Us produces • The warehousing storage capacity …

Process Reengineering And Optimization In Healthcare For Treating The Uninsured, Farnaz Nourbakhsh

Operations Research and Engineering Management Theses and Dissertations

Uninsured patients suffering from chronic diseases may have access to medical treatment under federal law, EMTALA, only after being evaluated as in'emergent, life-threatening condition' in the emergency room (ER). These patients seek regular treatment typically at the ER of county hospitals throughout the nation. In the case of End Stage Renal Disease (ESRD), uninsured patients needing recurring dialysis receive the treatment conditional on a screening assessment in the ER. Unfortunately, depending on the screening outcome, some of these patients may not qualify for immediate treatment, and hence, may be rejected service under the existing treatment protocol. This practice is known …

Insulation Sensitivity Analysis For An Optimized Fabric Shelter Off-Grid Hybrid Energy System, Jay F. Pearson, Torrey J. Wagner, Steven Schuldt

Faculty Publications

During military and disaster relief operations, connecting to an established electrical grid is rarely an option. In these situations, camps consisting of poorly insulated fabric shelters are predominantly powered by inefficient diesel generators that require frequent fuel resupply. In order to reduce the fuel demand of these generators, camps may utilize photovoltaic-battery systems. This paper presents an innovative cost-performance model capable of optimizing solar array size, battery backup system, and shelter insulation type to minimize the operating cost of powering a single fabric shelter. Model performance was evaluated using one year of insolation, weather and energy requirement data from a …

Air Force Space Programs: Comparing Estimates To Final Development Budgets, Christopher Elworth, Edward D. White, Jonathan D. Ritschel, Gregory E. Brown

Faculty Publications

This article analyzes how development budget estimates, as reported in the Selected Acquisition Reports, change over time for primarily Air Force space programs. Government acquisition policy emphasizes the importance of developing an accurate point estimate for programs to ensure program budget efficiency; however, statistics imply space programs tend to underspend at the beginning of the program and to overspend at the end of Initial Operational Capability. This suggests new phasing methods that reflect the unique needs of space and perhaps other developmental-type programs by allocating more of the budget in later years rather than at the beginning of the program, …

Identifying And Quantifying Personnel Skills Gaps, Martin Joseph Mckenney

Engineering Management & Systems Engineering Theses & Dissertations

One of the issues organizations face is identifying the required skills needed for a position and then evaluating whether their personnel have these skills or if there is a “skills gap”. The skills gap is the distance between the position requirements and the skills currently possessed by the worker in that position. While multiple models have been created over the years to address facets of the problem, none of them provide a comprehensive framework to clearly identify the required skills and worker qualifications and then evaluate the degree of similarity. A composite skills gap model has been developed using the …

Identifying Relationships Of Interest In Complex Environments By Using Channel Theory, Andreas Bildstein, Junkang Feng

Communications of the IIMA

Complex environments show a high degree of dynamics caused by vital interactions between objects within those environments and alterations through which the set of objects and their characteristics within those environments go over time. Within this work, we show that we can tame the level of complexity in dynamic environments by identifying ‘relationships of interest’ between objects in such environments. To this end, we apply the theory of Information Flow, also known as Channel Theory, to the application area of smart manufacturing. We enhance the way how the Channel Theory has been applied so far by using an …

Systems Approach To Evaluating Mih-Cp (Mobile Integrated Healthcare – Community Paramedicine): A Case Study Of East Baton Rouge Parish (Ebrp) Emergency Medical Services (Ems) Community Paramedicine Program Initiative, Oluwakemi Aiyedun

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

This study applied a holistic method of healthcare program assessment, known as systems approach, to evaluate the efficacy of the East Baton Rouge Parish (EBRP) EMS Community-integrated Health Program (CIHP). The author developed assessment metrics following the Quadruple Aim Framework: IHI (Institute for Healthcare Improvement) Triple Aim + Provider Experience.

Results showed that the CP program in this study delivers high ratings on patient experience and provided a 51% return on investment (ROI) through reduced emergency service utilization, ED visits and inpatient hospital admissions. However, findings did not demonstrate meaningful improvement in patients’ health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and self-efficacy …

Analyzing Failure Classifications For Patterns And Trends, Casey Eaton, Amanda Banks

Von Braun Symposium Student Posters

No abstract provided.

Application Of Acquisition Theory, Elizabeth Rose Cavin, Hillary Palmer, Paul Collopy

Von Braun Symposium Student Posters

No abstract provided.

An Investigation Of Nasa Affordability Culture And Implications On Engineering Management, Jonathon Sullivan, Christopher White

Von Braun Symposium Student Posters

No abstract provided.

Backhaul Profit Maximization Problem Instances, Yuanyuan Dong, Yulan Bai, Eli V. Olinick, Andrew Junfang Yu

Operations Research and Engineering Management

This archive contains data for the problem instances described in the technical report "An Empirical Study of Mixed Integer Programming Formulations of the Backhaul Profit Maximization Problem" by Yulan Bai and Eli V. Olinick.

An Empirical Study Of Mixed Integer Programming Formulations Of The Backhaul Profit Maximization Problem, Yulan Bai, Eli V. Olinick

Operations Research and Engineering Management

Solving an instance of the Backhaul Profit Maximization Problem (BPMP) requires simultaneously solving two problems: (1) determining how to route an empty delivery vehicle back from its current location to its depot by a scheduled arrival time, and (2) selecting a profit-maximizing subset of delivery requests between various locations on the route subject to the vehicle's capacity. We propose and test a series of enhancements to the node-arc and triples mixed integer programming formulations of BPMP found in the literature and develop a multi-criteria Composite Index Method (CIM) to evaluate the results. We find that CPLEX takes 5 to 34 …

Operational Decision Making Under Uncertainty: Inferential, Sequential, And Adversarial Approaches, Andrew J. Keith

Theses and Dissertations

Modern security threats are characterized by a stochastic, dynamic, partially observable, and ambiguous operational environment. This dissertation addresses such complex security threats using operations research techniques for decision making under uncertainty in operations planning, analysis, and assessment. First, this research develops a new method for robust queue inference with partially observable, stochastic arrival and departure times, motivated by cybersecurity and terrorism applications. In the dynamic setting, this work develops a new variant of Markov decision processes and an algorithm for robust information collection in dynamic, partially observable and ambiguous environments, with an application to a cybersecurity detection problem. In the …

Systemic Risk In Financial Networks, Tathagata Banerjee

McKelvey School of Engineering Graduate Student Theses & Dissertations

In this dissertation, I have used the network model based approach to study systemic risk in financial networks. In particular, I have worked on generalized extensions of the Eisenberg--Noe [2001] framework to account for realistic financial situations viz. pricing of corporate debt while accounting for network effects, asset liquidation mechanisms during fire sales, dynamic clearing and impact of contingent payments such as insurance and credit default swaps. First, I present formulas for the valuation of debt and equity of firms in a financial network under comonotonic endowments. I demonstrate that the comonotonic setting provides a lower bound to the price …

Design And Validation Of A Modular Instrument To Measure Torque And Energy Consumption In Industrial Operations, Mary De La Cruz, Ramiro Gonzalez, Jesus A. Gomez, Atilano Mendoza, Javier A. Ortega

Mechanical Engineering Faculty Publications

A modular torque measuring instrument capable of performing tapping torque tests (TTT) according to the ASTM D-5619 standard was designed, developed, and validated. With this new instrument, the performance of different lubricants can be evaluated in terms of frictional torque and energy consumption during tapping processes. This instrument can adapt onto any conventional milling machine or CNC machine and operate under various machining operations such as tapping, drilling, and other processes. To validate the design and performance of this new device, three commercially available lubricants were evaluated. From the three tested conditions, the results showed good repeatability, with consistent results …

Kidney-Related Operations Research: A Review, Mahdi Fathi, Marzieh Khakifirooz

BCoE Publications

Operations research and optimization in healthcare and disease modeling have received significant attention in the last three decades. This article surveys several perspectives of operations research techniques in kidney disease, such as graph theory, queueing theory, Markov chain, and phase-type distribution (PTD). The kidney-related problems include kidney exchange problem, the modeling of kidney disease progression, kidney transplantation, and the complex relationship between chronic kidney disease (gradual loss of kidney function over time) and acute kidney injury (sudden episode of kidney failure in a few hours or a few days). Each section is summarized by some discussion regarding the limitation of …

Extreme-Point Tabu Search Heuristics For Fixed-Charge Generalized Network Problems, Angelika Leskovskaya

Operations Research and Engineering Management Theses and Dissertations

While researchers have studied generalized network flow problems extensively, the powerful addition of fixed charges on arcs has received scant attention. This work describes network-simplex-based algorithms that efficiently exploit the quasi-tree basis structure of the problem relaxations, proposes heuristics that utilize a candidate list, a tabu search with short and intermediate term memories to do the local search, a diversification approach to solve fixed-charge transportation problems, as well as a dynamic linearization of objective function extension for the transshipment fixed-charge generalized problems. Computational testings for both heuristics demonstrate their effectiveness in terms of speed and quality of solutions to these …

Preface, Cihan H. Dagli, Gursel A. Suer

Engineering Management and Systems Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

No abstract provided.