bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Solving Multicommodity Flow Problems with a Primal Embedded Network Simplex Algorithm
Authors: McBride Richard D. , Mamer John W.
Published: October 2008

This article describes the authors’ experience solving large multicommodity flow problems with an embedded network simplex algorithm augmented with a fast-start heuristic for choosing an initial basis. The heuristic makes successive capacity allocations in an attempt to find a feasible initial basis. Our implementation of the heuristic makes use of piece-wise linear convex costs. The efficacy of our heuristic, and of the embedded network simplex method, is demonstrated on large publicly available multicommodity flow problems. Comparisons with other published computational results are given.
Finding a Useful Subset of Constraints for Analysis in an Infeasible Linear Program
Authors: Chinneck John W.
Published: October 2008

Infeasibility is often encountered during the process of initial model formulation or reformulation, and it can be extremely difficult to diagnose the cause, especially in large linear programs. While explanation of the error is the domain of humans or artificially intelligent assistants, algorithmic assistance is available to isolate the infeasibility to a subset of the constraints, which helps speed the diagnosis. The isolation should be infeasible, of course, and should not contain any constraints which do not contribute to the infeasibility. Algorithms for finding such irreducible inconsistent systems (IISs) of constraints have been proposed, implemented, and tested in recent years. Experience with IISs shows that a further property of the isolation is highly desirable for easing diagnosis: the isolation should contain as few model rows as possible. This article addresses the problem of finding IISs having few rows in infeasible linear programs. Theory is developed, then implemented and tested on a range of problems using a modified version of MINOS 5.4 called MINOS(IIS).
A Parallel Implementation of the GTH Algorithm
Authors: Cohen David M. , Heyman Daniel P. , Rabinovitch Asya , Brown Danit
Published: October 2008

The Grassmann–Taksar–Heyman algorithm is a direct algorithm for computing the steady-state distribution of an finite irreducible Markov chain. We describe our experience in implementing this algorithm on a single-instruction multiple-data parallel processor computer. Our main conclusions are that a lower-level language has a performance advantage compared to Fortran, and that data storage is the limiting factor that determines the largest problem that can be solved. As a consequence, we devote considerable attention to storing a block tridiagonal transition matrix.
Feature Article—Genetic Algorithms for the Operations Researcher
Authors: Reeves Colin R.
Published: October 2008

Genetic algorithms have become increasingly popular as a means of solving hard combinatorial optimization problems of the type familiar in operations research. This feature article will consider what genetic algorithms have achieved in this area, discuss some of the factors that influence their success or failure, and offer a guide for operations researchers who want to get the best out of them.
Commentary—Developing Fitter Genetic Algorithms
Authors: Ahuja Ravindra K. , Orlin James B.
Published: October 2008

The feature article by Reeves presents an excellent survey of genetic algorithms (GAs). It covers the history of GAs and the application of GAs to combinatorial problems, while providing useful background and a balanced operations research (OR) perspective. In this commentary, we hope to complement the survey by focusing on some aspects of GAs that Reeves did not have an opportunity to comment on in depth.
Placing Text Labels on Maps and Diagrams using Genetic Algorithms with Masking
Authors: Verner Oleg V. , Wainwright Roger L. , Schoenefeld Dale A.
Published: October 2008

Cartographic label placement is one of the most time-consuming tasks in the production of high quality maps and other high quality graphical displays. It is essential that text labels used to identify various features and objects be placed in a clear and unobscured manner. In this article we are concerned with the placement of labels for point features. Specifically, the point feature label placement (PFLP) problem is the problem of placing text labels to point features on a map, graph, or diagram in such a manner so as to maximize legibility. The PFLP problem has been shown to be NP-hard. We propose a heuristic method for the PFLP problem based on genetic algorithms (GA), an adaptive, robust, search and optimization technique based on the principles of natural genetics and survival of the fittest. In particular we emphasize the notion of masking to preserve optimal subsequences in chromosomes and prevent their disruption during crossover and mutation. We ran our algorithms on randomly placed point features in a region, and on datasets from various regions of the USA map with great success. Our GA Implementation with masking solved each of the test cases extremely well, and proved to be an excellent heuristic for solving the PFLP problem. Furthermore, our GA with masking performed significantly better than other PFLP algorithms from the literature.
A Branch and Cut Approach for Workload Smoothing on Assembly Lines
Authors: Pinnoi Anulark , Wilhelm Wilbert F.
Published: October 2008

This article presents a strong cutting plane method implemented by branch and cut to solve the assembly line workload smoothing problem which minimizes the maximum idle time for a specified number of stations to balance workloads assigned to all stations. The approach exploits a problem formulation that embeds the assembly line-balancing polytope. Thus, inequalities that are known to be valid for the line-balancing polytope are also valid for workload smoothing. This article describes an approach for implementing a strong cutting plane method that employs such valid inequalities, including separation algorithms. Preprocessing methods are described to decompose and reduce a precedence graph as well as to estimate bounds on parameters that are involved in valid inequalities. Finally, computational experience that evaluates the efficacy of the approach is presented.
Optimal Resource Assignment of Preemptive Periodic Tasks on Multiple Processors
Authors: Kijowski B. A. , Palekar U. S.
Published: October 2008

In this article we examine the problem of preemptively scheduling periodically occurring tasks on a system of parallel processors so as to maximize a linear function of the tasks completed. We show that polynomial time solutions exist for all the no-deadline problems, derive an O(n log n) algorithm for the preemptive parallel processor problem, and include results for minimization of number of processors and maximization of flexibility for handling additional tasks. We present lower and upper bounds on the number of preemptions. We show that all optimization problems with either arbitrary or next-request deadlines are NP-hard.
A Reactive Tabu Search Metaheuristic for the Vehicle Routing Problem with Time Windows
Authors: Chiang Wen-Chyuan , Russell Robert A.
Published: October 2008

This article develops a reactive tabu search metaheuristic for the vehicle routing and scheduling problem with time window constraints. Reactive tabu search dynamically varies the size of the list of forbidden moves to avoid cycles as well as an overly constrained search path. Intensification and diversification strategies are examined as ways to achieve higher quality solutions. The λ-interchange mechanism of Osman is used as the neighborhood structure for the search process. Computational results on test problems from the literature as well as large-scale real-world problems are reported. The metaheuristic achieves solutions that compare favorably with previously reported results.
Vector Quantization for Arbitrary Distance Function Estimation
Authors: Altınel İ. Kuban , Oommen John , Aras Necati
Published: October 2008

In this article we apply the concepts of vector quantization for the evaluation of arbitrary distance functions—a problem which has important applications in logistics and location analysis. The input to our problem is the set of coordinates of a large number of nodes whose internode arbitrary “distances” have to be estimated. To render the problem interesting, nontrivial and realistic, we assume that the explicit form of this distance function is both unknown and uncomputable. Unlike traditional operations research methods, which compute aggregate parameters of functional estimators according to certain goodness-of-fit criteria, we have utilized vector quantization principles to first adaptively polarize the nodes into subregions. Subsequently, the parameters characterizing the subregions are learned by using a variety of methods (including, for academic purposes a vector quantization strategy in the metadomain). The algorithms have been rigorously tested for the actual roadtravel distances involving cities in Turkey. The results obtained are not only conclusive, but also the best currently available from any single or hybrid strategy.
News and Reports
Authors: Bucatinsky Julio
Published: October 2008

News and Reports is a new feature of THE BULLETIN of TIMS. It will regularly carry news about significant activities taking place in the management science profession, such as new research, new funds allocated to on-going projects, new academic offerings and studies, new theories, new applications, and so on.
Perspectives on MS Applications—All Around the Model
Authors: Shycon Harvey N.
Published: October 2008

When it was requested that I undertake the job of writing this column, it was suggested that I address the problem of successful implementation of management science analysis in real situations. I shall try to bring to bear the several different perspectives of my own business career as an independent consultant, as a partner in a major consulting firm, as a senior manager within a smaller firm, and as a quasi-academician. This is a tall order, but I shall try to fill it.
Perspectives on MS Applications—All Around the Model
Authors: Shycon Harvey N.
Published: October 2008

The primary objective of this column, as I indicated in the November issue of THE BULLETIN, is to address the problem of successful implementation of management science analysis. Two factors which have to be present in some major degree in every successful implementation of management science are: first, a management which has a good general knowledge of management science, its objectives, and its methods, and which demonstrates a high degree of interest in how the techniques are applied in specific cases; and second, application of the techniques as a team effort with members of management frequently participating in team meetings, providing judgmental inputs, and participating in discussion of difficult problem areas. I call this the “inter-participative” project team.
On the Multiplicative Structure of Information Storage and Access Systems
Authors: Dolby J. L. , Resnikoff H. L.
Published: October 2008

The “information explosion” is a continuing crisis to which most of us have developed a tolerable degree of accomodation. It is not a new problem nor is it likely to ease in the foreseeable future. In this note we describe the structure of information storage and access mechanisms that governs attempts to effectively control and use the ever-growing archives constituted by libraries, company reports, government documents, business correspondence, and so forth. Most of the examples to be presented below refer to library information collections for which it is relatively easy to assemble reliable statistical evidence, but the structural model that this evidence supports is of perfectly general applicability.
The Politics of Management Science
Authors: Starr Martin K.
Published: October 2008

The use of psychological attributes to explain consumer behavior has proved helpful. Perhaps it should influence the study of managers and their associates. Thus, implementation problems can be examined in terms of the interacting life styles of managers and management scientists. This viewpoint provides some interesting perspectives. Not facetiously, we might learn something about carrying a project through to completion by studying various categories of attitudes. In such terms, we could attempt to relate and match the mind of the management scientist (called the model builder) with that of the manager. Many appealing possibilities are found in the literature.
Chapter and College News—Proposed New College on the Management of Technological Change
Authors: Gold Bela , Eilon Samuel , Jeckovich Stephen
Published: October 2008

All those interested in becoming members of a proposed new College on the Management of Technological Change are invited to send a card to the undersigned.

The basic objective of the College would be to provide an organized focus within TIMS to encourage the development, presentation, and discussion of concepts, measures, and analytical models as well as empirical studies concerned with managerial aspects of technological changes, including: (a) the evaluation of innovational proposals at successive stages of development, (b) the determinants of adoption decisions as well as of diffusion rates, (c) the appraisal of short- and long-term economic and social effects of various kinds of technologically-rooted innovations, (d) approaches to forecasting and guiding future technological advances, (e) the integration of technological development programs into broader corporate and governmental policies.
The Role of the Professional in Operations Research and Management Science
Authors: Feeney George J.
Published: October 2008

The professional in operations research and management science has the thankless task of constructing a bridge between two virtually disjoint activities: science and management. To understand the nature of the problem faced by the professional, we must examine the two principal factors underlying this disjunction of the two activities: the irrelevance of science (from the point of view of management) and the irreverence of management (from the point of view of science).
Potential Contributions of Management Science to the Public Sector
Authors: Wakelin James H.
Published: October 2008

In a recent speech, Dr. Edward E. David, Jr., the U.S. President's Science Advisor, cited several examples of the successful cooperation of nations to advance, share, and apply technology to their common problems without restricting any nation's ability to compete for markets with the products of that technology. He stressed, for one example, the application of communications satellites for global point-to-point communication and, for another, sharing of computer software. I was impressed by both cases. They should serve as precedents for accelerating technological cooperation across national boundaries. Government policies concerning complicated matters require much stronger, more direct, and earlier assistance from the management science community. This is true whether we are talking about foreign trade, economic development, the management of technology, caring for our natural resources, or any other of a score of issues. Increasingly, therefore, we should be taking a management science approach as we determine how to select our national and international choices and priorities.
Information Systems in Management Science—A Prospectus for Future Columns
Authors: Stern Harry
Published: October 2008

THE BULLETIN has recently taken on a new form. It was expanded to include articles and columns concerned with the operational problems in using Management Science. The move of this column from Management Science, where it was first published in 1967, prompted me to review its contents and plan a change in its format.

I find the columns have followed no pre-set pattern. When unsolicited material was available, it was used, and other topics were selected on the basis of interest to me. Although much of the material still seems relevant, this style leaves some topics undiscussed while others are beaten to death. It also makes it difficult to solicit material.

Below are listed a number of topics which will be discussed in later columns. By publishing this list, I have put myself under an obligation to write on a wider range of topics, while giving the reader an opportunity to write on any of the subjects which interest him, as well as to add to the list of potential topics.
Perspectives on MS Applications—All Around the Model
Authors: Shycon Harvey N.
Published: October 2008

In order to document typical applications of management science to a variety of problem areas and in a variety of industrial organizations, I have examined a number of large-scale projects performed for major corporations over the past ten-year period. I have categorized each project by the three methods of team organization, developed a measure of project success, and indicated the cost to perform the analysis.
Management Science Roundup
Authors: Bucatinsky Julio
Published: October 2008

We have in Management Science an outstanding scientific journal. Our members can read it and be proud of it. We now must make INTERFACES, and particularly the Management Science Roundup section, a vehicle to abandon our defensive position when it comes to communicating with management.

Management Science Roundup is particularly interested in letting people know what it is really like to be out there using a management science approach to solve or help solve management problems in industry, government, education, and society in general. From this point of view, ingenuity, salesmanship, and insight into problem definition are as important as the particular methodology used in solving a given problem.

In this issue:

—“Special: (1) A systems approach to plant expansion—Rosen, (2) Letters to the editor”;

—“Bulletin Board: (1) TIMS meetings, (2) Other meetings/symposia, (3) Summer courses, (4) Personal notes, (5) Notices”;

—“Deadlines for future issues of INTERFACES”.
The Use of Management Science to Support a Multimillion Dollar Precedent-Setting Government Contract Litigation
Authors: Nahmias Steven
Published: October 2008

This paper describes the analysis of relevant data presented by this writer at a hearing conducted before the Armed Services Board of Contract Appeals involving an appeal of the Ingalls Shipbuilding Division of Litton Industries. The appeal concerned contracts awarded to Litton by the U.S. Navy to build four nuclear submarines and the subsequent impact of changes and delays to these contracts on other shipyard operations. Behind this appeal is the fundamental question of whether or not the government is required to assume liability and reimburse the contractor for additional costs incurred due to “ripple effects” of contract changes on other shipyard operations.
A Simulation Model to Aid Decision Making in a Campaign to Eradicate Brucellosis from Cattle
Authors: Beck A. C. , Valentine L. W.
Published: October 2008

National bovine brucellosis eradication campaigns are currently planned or in progress in several countries of the world. Planning for such campaigns often requires decision making in an environment of uncertainty and institutional constraints. This paper describes the development, adoption, and application of a simulation model which is assisting campaign decision makers in New South Wales, Australia.
OR/MS in Cultural Pluralism
Authors: Eto Hajime
Published: October 2008

The nationality and internationality of OR/MS are discussed, and some cross-cultural comparison is made especially for urban problems, customer service, corporate systems, and decision behavior.
Four Views on Problem Structuring
Authors: Pidd M. , Woolley R. N.
Published: October 2008

Over the last year or so, we have been attempting to carry out naive research on OR/MS groups. We were a little concerned that though most educational programs do (in the United Kingdom at least) attempt to teach problem structuring, most of this effort was based on little or no systematic knowledge. That is, there seems to be a dearth of empirical research from which lessons could be learned. We found quite a few of the grand old men of OR reflecting on their own experience, but little or no comparative examination of current practice. So we decided to go out and look to see if a rigorous study would be feasible and worthwhile.

In addition to our empirical work, we took the time to search through the OR/MS literature to see what could be found therein. The product of that search is reported more fully in another paper [Woolley, R. N., M. Pidd. 1978. Problem structuring in operational research: A review of the literature. Working Paper No. 111, University of Aston Management Centre.]. We thought that readers of Interfaces might be interested in seeing the pattern which we found emerging from the literature.
The Role of Management Science in Office Automation
Authors: Meyer N. Dean
Published: October 2008

The fields of Management Science and office automation have a great deal in common: both attempt to make new business techniques and procedures useful to the business community; both find themselves delivering computer-based tools to professionals; both are altering the information handling capabilities of their user organizations; and both recognize large gaps between the potential of their technologies and the realities of their utilization. In fact, thoughtful office automation professionals include Management Science techniques among the tools they may implement in the service of user managers; i.e., they view Management Science as a “subset” of office automation. To the extent that office automation professionals structure previously unstructured information processes in the organization, their role appears very similar to common definitions of the function of Management Science. Coming from the office automation perspective, I would propose to the Management Science community that our roles do indeed overlap but are not competitive. On the contrary, very close collaboration is necessary for both communities to achieve their respective and related goals.
Problems of Quantitative Models in Large Management Information Systems
Authors: Rosenman Bernard B.
Published: October 2008

Ackoff says that “Managers are not confronted with problems that are independent of each other, but with dynamic situations that consist of complex systems of changing problems that interact with each other …” He calls these “messes” [Ackoff, Russell L. 1979. The future of operational research is past. J. Oper. Res. Soc. 30 (2) 93–104.]. We in Operations Research know this. Yet we continue to insert our optimizing and decision-aiding models into large, dynamic, ill-mannered systems, knowing all the while that their effects will be disturbed and perhaps even partially obscured by events in the larger system that are outside the models' scope. Why do we do so? My own experience may serve to illuminate our motivation.
Winning is Not Everything: The Midlife Crisis of Operations Research
Authors: Fiksel Joseph
Published: October 2008

Our profession has achieved success and recognition, but we are reaching a midlife crisis of stagnation and introspection. We have an opportunity for a new beginning, a revival of the spirit of discovery that characterized the early days of OR. Winning is no longer enough; we need to reexamine the rules of the contest.
Facility Location Analysis is Just the Beginning (If you Do It Right)
Authors: Geoffrion Arthur M. , Powers Richard F.
Published: October 2008

The question How many warehouses should we have: is deceptively simple because a proper answer requires answering, at the same time, a host of interdependent questions. We think that this calls for a comprehensive distribution planning model with optimization capability. Such a managerial tool can be used to deal not only with warehouse location questions, but also with a variety of additional management questions. With this approach, the seed provided by the facility location issue can hear fruit of added utility far beyond original expectations.

The authors' experience is that this full potential is seldom achieved in practice without deliberate efforts to remove the block caused by the usual narrow focus on “just” locating facilities.
The Metaphysics of Design: A Simon-Churchman “Debate”
Authors: Ulrich Werner
Published: October 2008

Management of complexity is the hallmark of good Management Science, if Management Science is understood in the wider sense intended by its founding fathers. In Herbert A. Simon, Management Science has recently acquired Nobel-prize status for its contribution to the understanding of complexity in decision-making and problem-solving processes. On this occasion we should reflect upon just how much our understanding of complexity is still limited by our own preconceptions about the nature of complexity. In what ways is the model of complexity we now use, and to which Herbert Simon has given its most elegant formulation in his paper, “The Architecture of Complexity” [Herbert A. Simon. 1962. The architecture of complexity. Proceedings of the American Philosophical Society 106 (6) 467–482.], likely to appear naive to the next generation of Management Scientists and planners? What does it mean to deal rationally with complexity in defining real-world problems? A fictitious debate between Herbert Simon and another outstanding philosopher of Management Science, C. West Churchman, may provide the material and the necessary critical distance for overseeing the root of the issue.
The Fifth Column—On Columnists and Other Good People
Authors: Woolsey Gene
Published: October 2008

You may have noticed an omission in this issue of Interfaces, if you are an omission-noticer; no columns except the BOOK REVIEWS. With the bimonthly format, we will be including columns primarily in the February, June, and October issues. There have been several changes in personnel as well; with the retirement of Raj Nigam as Practice Editor, the PRACTICE column also retired. Julio Bucatinsky has relinquished the MANAGEMENT SCIENCE ROUNDUP column, for which Dave Alberts contributed “News and Reports” and Jim Morgan prepared the “Seen Elsewhere.” Jim Morgan will continue with SEEN ELSEWHERE as a separate column, and Eraser Dunford joins us as editor of MANAGEMENT SCIENCE ROUNDUP, which is actively soliciting news and reports from correspondents, old and new, around the globe. Thanks and farewell to the departees; welcome aboard to the newcomers.
Corporate Planning Using Simulation
Authors: de Kluyver Cornelis A. , McNally Graeme M.
Published: October 2008

This article reports the development and implementation of a corporate simulation model for Canterbury Timber Products Ltd., a medium-sized New Zealand company producing a variety of medium density wood-board products for both domestic and export markets. Issues relevant to the development and implementation of the model are discussed, and benefits emanating from improved planning are identified.
Applications Reviews
Authors: Millen Roger N. , Hall John R.
Published: October 2008

Review of the latest contributions from Operations Research and Policy Analysis.
Seen Elsewhere
Authors: Morgan J. I.
Published: October 2008

Digests presented:

—RECONCILING MANAGEMENT THEORY WITH MANAGEMENT PRACTICE (Business Horizons, February 1977, Vol. 20, No. 1, pp. 38–47) by Stephen P. Robbins (Concordia University).

—DECISION MAKING TYPE I AND TYPE II ERROR ANALYSIS (California Management Review, Fall 1977, Vol. XX, No. 1, pp. 81–83), by Philip D. Olson (University of Idaho).

—UTILITIES USING MODELING FOR MARKET STRATEGIES (Computer World, June 12, 1978, Vol. XII, No. 24, p. 32), by Marcia Blumenthal.

—IMPROVING THE EFFECTIVENESS OF CORPORATE PLANNING (Business Horizons, October 1978, Vol. 21, No. 5, pp. 49–60), by James R. Emshoff (Wharton Applied Research Center) and Ian I. Mitroff (University of Pittsburgh).
Management Science Process—On the Death of Theory Y
Authors: Graham Robert J.
Published: October 2008

In the February 1978 issue of Interfaces. Walter Nord published an essay in Bye Wynne's “Behavioral Science” column defining some of the problems that arise when attempting to instill Theory Y assumptions in a non-Theory-Y world.

The moral for Management Science process seems clear. Management Scientists are often a breed apart and, as such, do not fit the normal corporate image nor respond to the normal corporate incentives. This could make the group seem strange to outsiders and possibly subject to investigation or ridicule by the more standard corporate types. The manager of a project team should thus try to determine if such a problem exists. If it is the case, it would seem important for the project manager to educate the detractors on the fine points of running a Management Science project. Perhaps if they understood, the criticisms will decrease and then pave the way for smoother project work and implementation.
The Fifth Column—Neither a Borrower Nor a Lender be or the Bank Shot Revisited
Authors: Woolsey Gene
Published: October 2008

The subject of this essay is a problem that a particular banking chain had had the highest level of defaults on car loans in state history during the previous year. They were, naturally, concerned with knowing exactly what had caused this exorbitant loss to make jolly sure that it was not repeated. This sticky problem was shortly thereafter handed to the OR/MS grüppe, and subsequently to the lady asking the question about it. What was clearly needed was some kind of a model that would better accomplish the screening necessary for auto loans than the one they had now. Unfortunately, for a better model you need better data as to why the defaulters defaulted. However, the state legislature, in its infinite wisdom, had recently passed a law that treated such questions from a lending agency to a deadbeat as harassment. To say that this law was enforced with vigor was putting it mildly. Rapidly, banks informed their loan departments that no conversation could be initiated between a bank employee and a defaulter without express approval of a bank officer.

The questioner summed up the difficulty very nicely when she stated the problem as follows: “The only way we can come up with a better loan-granting model is to know the reasons why the defaulters defaulted. The only way we can get the necessary information is to ask the defaulters; and the state has, in effect, forbidden us to ask them for it.”
Information Systems in Management Science—Bayesian Information Economics: An Evaluation
Authors: Kleijnen Jack P. C.
Published: October 2008

In the columns of this journal Vazsonyi has advocated the use of decision calculus in the economic evaluation of management information systems [Vazsonyi, A. 1976. The decision to inquire. Interfaces 7 (1, November) 73–80; Vazsonyi, A. 1978. Geometry of information systems. Part II. Interfaces 8 (2) 88–94.]. The reader may also know this calculus under such names as Bayesian Decision Analysis or Information Economics. The purpose of this contribution is to discuss the advantages and disadvantages of such an approach.
Reducing Travelling Costs and Player Fatigue in the National Basketball Association
Authors: Bean James C. , Birge John R.
Published: October 2008

The costs of the current National Basketball Association (NBA) schedule have had deleterious effects on the financial position of the league. The 22 teams travel an unnecessary number of airline miles, resulting in increased fatigue for the players and dollar losses to the owners. We have considered several optimization methods to lower the total number of passenger miles the league travels. We have succeeded in developing efficient schedules, by a combination of these techniques, for the 1978–1979 and 1979–1980 seasons. These schedules satisfy the league's constraints and would have led to savings of $757,000 or 20.4% over the NBA's current schedule. The NBA is considering our proposal to schedule the 1980–1981 and 1981–1982 seasons.
Buttercup's Advice: A Tale of Data Definition
Authors: Farwell David C.
Published: October 2008

One of the more significant problems facing the Management Scientist is the difference between the data required for a model and the data available from existing information systems. This is a particularly acute problem when one is cost-modeling government operations. Government general accounting systems are established to keep tabs on the obligation of monies appropriated and do not lend themselves to the definitional forms required for operations costing. To redefine this accounting data is a research task in itself which must be accomplished prior to model building. This is the story of one such effort; it shows that redefinition can be successfully accomplished, but that the research to normalize the data may very well account for the majority of the modeling task.
Book Reviews
Authors: Lowe T. J.
Published: October 2008

Jackson, John H. and Morgan, Cyril P., Organization Theory: A Macro Perspective for Management, Prentice Hall, Inc., 1978—reviewed by Alok K. Chakrabarti

Allen, Arnold O., Probability, Statistics, and Queueing Theory with Computer Science Applications, Academic Press, New York, 1978, 390 pp—reviewed by U. Narayan Bhat

Bazaraa, Mokhtar S. and Shetty, C. M., Nonlinear Programming, Theory and Algorithms, Wiley, 1979—reviewed by James E. Falk

Coyle, R. G., Management System Dynamics, John Wiley and Sons, 1977, xii + 463 pp—reviewed by Michael J. C. Martin

Fishman, George S., Principles of Discrete Event Simulation, John Wiley and Sons, Inc., New York, 1978, 514 pp—reviewed by Lee W. Schruben

Gupta, Madan N., Saridis, George N. and Gaines, Brian R. (Eds.), Fuzzy Automata and Decision Processes, North Holland, New York, 1977, 496 pp—reviewed by Steven Nahmias

Keen, Peter G. W. and Morton, Michael S. Scott, Decision Support Systems: An Organizational Perspective, Addison-Wesley, 1978, 264 pp—reviewed by John S. Rose

Kilmann, Ralph H., Social Systems Design-Normative Theory and the MAPS Design Technology, Elsevier North-Holland Inc., 52 Vanderbilt Avenue, New York, 1977, 317 pp—reviewed by Donald C. King and Ann C. Seror
Productivity, Work Force Availability, and Rational Production Scheduling
Authors: Sterpos Pietro
Published: October 2008

In this paper, we discuss a fairly typical production scheduling problem. After some considerations on the structure of the process, a new approach is presented. The scheduling system proposed aims at the maximization of productivity taking into account the daily fluctuations in the work force. Encouraging results are reported.
Perspectives on MS Applications: All Around the Model—Inbound Collection of Goods: The Reverse Distribution Problem
Authors: Schuldenfrei Robert L. , Shapiro Jon M.
Published: October 2008

Often the manufacturing firm is biased in its organization so that production, marketing, sales, and distribution are largely concerned with outbound. The size of this concentration is large when contrasted with perhaps purchasing, which might have total control of inbound. It is hard to argue that there is little glamour in the collection of materials necessary for production, yet it is often a large area of expense.

It is believed by the authors that this is about to change. The pressures of inflation, tight energy supplies, and the trend of higher costs of logistics will force managements who strive for success to look at both sides of the logistical equation. Physical collection will be just as important as physical distribution.
Selecting Business Targets in a Competitive Environment
Authors: Gerding R. Bruce , Morrison David D.
Published: October 2008

To improve the planning process in TRW's Defense and Space Systems Group, a target selection model was developed which selects the optimal group of business targets to be pursued in a specific planning period given a measure of target value and a set of resource constraints. The model can be used by operating management to evaluate, in a relative sense, the potential of a number of targets. It is based upon a good deal of common sense and is therefore very simple. By tracing through the computations, one can easily understand why certain favorite targets are not selected.
Maximizing Restitution for Erroneous Medical Payments When Auditing Samples
Authors: Heiner Karl W. , Whitby Owen
Published: October 2008

In auditing of paid Medicaid claims, estimates of payments erroneously paid to providers are frequently based on statistical samples. When such procedures are used, hearing officers are often inclined to use the lower end of an interval estimate to determine restitution by a provider. In this paper, the advantages of estimating from large samples are weighed against the larger costs involved. A procedure for choosing a sample size that would maximize net recovery is proposed.
Behavioral Science—Wanted: A Process Model of Consultancy
Authors: Thakur Manab
Published: October 2008

This is a second-hand report of a consultancy which was carried out by Goochi Hiperman, DBA. His basic hypothesis was that without an effective manpower planning system (MPP), it would be impossible to sustain any organization development (OD) effort. It is difficult to ascertain whether the hypothesis was supported or not. This report is devoid of objectivity and is presented for consideration to those who suffer from the “planned change” syndrome.
The Hydro Configuration Modeling System: Its Application on the Ottawa River
Authors: Parker Lloyd , Farley Don W.
Published: October 2008

This paper describes the specific application of a generalized mathematical programming system called the Hydro Configuration Modeling System (HCMS) to the evaluation of alternative regulation policies on the Ottawa River System, one of the two major river systems upstream of Montreal. During 1976, HCMS was used to evaluate long-term hydroelectric energy production and flood damages resulting from each of eight major proposed variations from the current configuration of reservoirs and operating policies. As a result of these studies, several major recommendations were made and accepted by the federal-provincial committee responsible for the operation of the Ottawa River System.
Academic Planning Through the Goal Programming Model
Authors: Joiner Carl
Published: October 2008

A goal programming model of the planning process is developed for a large College of Business Administration. In addition to providing the customary budget requirements for goal attainment, concepts related to cost of a constraint, trade-off information, sensitivity profiles, and complete parametric changes are discussed.
Applications Reviews
Authors: Millen Roger N. , Hall John R.
Published: October 2008

Review of the latest contributions from Decision Sciences (AIDS), Management Science (TIMS), Management Science, MIS Quarterly (SMIS/MISRC), and MIS Quarterly.
Communicating Model Based Information for Energy Debates: Two Case Studies
Authors: Peck Stephen C.
Published: October 2008

Making modeling results useful for policy debates is difficult. This paper discusses two examples of how decision analysis was used to help communicate policy-relevant model-based analyses. In the first example a decision tree was used to define a set of scenarios associated with a moratorium on the construction of new nuclear generating capacity. In the second example an interactive computer program was written to help a group think through the implications of alternative nuclear R&D strategies.
The Fifth Column—The Computer that was Too Well Sold: A Toccata in Four Movements
Authors: Woolsey Gene
Published: October 2008

An essay about unexpected difficulties in upgrading software for a new model of mainframe computer manufactured by a large company, as well as logistic and business consequences of this transition process.
Seen Elsewhere
Authors: Morgan J. I.
Published: October 2008

Digests presented:

—MANAGEMENT PRACTICE AND RESEARCH—POLES APART (Business Horizons June 1977, Vol. 20, No. 3, pp. 23–29) by William G. Ryan (Indiana University).

—DECISION ANALYSIS IN RETROSPECT AND IMPLICATIONS FOR THE FUTURE (Managerial Planning May/June 1978, Vol. 26, No. 6, pp. 20–24), by V. M. Rao Tummala (University of Detroit).

—SYNTHETIC FUEL NO ANSWER, DP ENERGY ANALYSIS FUNDS (Computerworld June 12, 1978, Vol. 12, No. 24, p. 12), by Marcia Blumenthal.

—MODELS FOR PRICING DECISIONS (Journal of Marketing Research August 1978, Vol. XV, No. 3, pp. 413–428), by Kent B. Monroe (Virginia Polytechnic Institute) and Albert J. Della Bitta (University of Rhode Island).

—ON HOW TO DECIDE WITH TO DO (The Bell Journal of Economics Autumn 1978, Vol. 9, No. 2, pp. 494–507), by Herbert A. Simon (Carnegie-Mellon University).

—A HERETICAL VIEW OF MANAGEMENT “SCIENCE” (Fortune December 18, 1978, Vol. 98, No. 12, pp. 50–52), by Theodore Levitt (Harvard Business School).
A Resource Allocation Model for an Employability Planning System
Authors: Bandyopadhyay Jayanta K. , Sengupta Sailes K. , Bogh Renae K.
Published: October 2008

Two approaches have been considered in the optimal resource allocation model as applied to different CETA (Comprehensive Employment and Training Act) programs. The presence of random parameters (the fraction of time spent by a client in each of the training programs) in the problem makes it difficult to handle analytically. In the first approach, an appropriate probability distribution is found by statistical tests and used as a first approximation in a linear programming formulation. In the second approach, a search and simulation technique is employed, using solutions from the first approach as inputs.
Filling Out the Doughnuts; The Single Period Inventory Model in Corporate Pricing Policy
Authors: Pasternack Barry Alan
Published: October 2008

The single period inventory problem deals with goods which have a characteristically short shelf life or selling season. For this reason the inventory decision is simply how much to produce or stock in order to meet the demand of one selling period. While there are several areas of application which come to mind, perhaps the clearest example of this situation is in the newspaper industry. The problem here is to determine how many papers to supply a newsstand in order to optimize profitability. For this reason the single period inventory problem is oftentimes referred to as “The Newsboy Problem.”

In this paper we describe an application of the single period inventory problem to another product which has an extremely short shelf life, donuts. The application of the model was not, however, made for the purpose of determining an optimal production plan. Rather, it was used to give the management of a highly decentralized chain of donut shops an indication as to how modifications in pricing structure could result in individual store managers making decisions which more closely paralleled the objectives of the firm. The model also gave an estimate of the increase in profitability which was possible from such modifications.
CPMS Papers Editor's Comment
Authors: Starr Martin K.
Published: October 2008

For Operations Researchers and Management Scientists to really make a difference in the way the world and its parts are managed, executives at every hierarchical level must be aware of what these decision sciences offer. We can learn by example, and the six 1980 CPMS prize-winning papers afford powerful examples of successful methods and attitudes whose combined value must be reckoned in billions of dollars.
Boxcars, Linear Programming, and the Sleeping Kitten
Authors: Brosch Lee C. , Buck Richard J. , Sparrow William H. , White James R.
Published: October 2008

The sleeping kitten is the corporate symbol of the Chessie System, made up of the Chesapeake and Ohio, Baltimore and Ohio, and Western Maryland railroads and their subsidiaries. It is the largest hauler of coal in the nation and a major transporter of merchandise freight. To maintain earning capacity, large amounts of money are invested annually in the purchase, building, and repair of freight cars (worth over $4 billion). Chessie's Management Science team developed a linear programming model of the freight car fleet to maximize long-term net discounted cash flow without exceeding the capacity of physical facilities available. The first projections of the model output increased contribution to profits of the Chessie fleet in 1978 by $2 million, while reducing the yearly budget for the mechanical department by $6 million. Continued use of the model has resulted in a $2.5 million improvement in employee productivity, as well as a $28 million increase in car sales.

Management accepted the recommendations from the model because (1) an immediate budget problem was solved, (2) each repair recommended was financially justified, and (3) the underlying assumptions and logic were quantified and comprehensible. The Mechanical Department now uses the model as the complete basis for its annual budget proposals, and management decisions to sell unused stock and build cars for sale have been facilitated.
The Art and Science of Mess Management
Authors: Ackoff Russell L.
Published: October 2008

The design-oriented planner has a major responsibility for providing inputs to the planning process, in organizing and guiding it, in educating those involved in it, in specifying the nature of the output that is required, in providing criteria by which the output can be evaluated, and in facilitating such evaluation. The design-oriented planner must be competent in the use of the methods, techniques, and tools of both the clinician and the researcher. He need not be as skilled in the use of their instruments as they are, but he must know them well enough to be able to use those who have these skills effectively. He must do more than this: he must know how to design and invent, and he must be able to encourage and facilitate the efforts of others to do so. He must be a generalist who is familiar with the capabilities and limitations of relevant specialists; he must be a humanist as well as a scientist; and he must be as much at home with art as he is with technology. Finally, he must be as concerned with the qualities of life as he is with its quantities.
A Midlife Crisis for Operations Research? New Fundamental Challenges for the Profession? Another View
Authors: Rowse John
Published: October 2008

In a recent article published in this journal, Fiksel [Fiksel, Joseph. 1980. Winning is not everything: The midlife crisis of operations research. Interfaces 10 (2) 106–107.] detects a midlife crisis in OR/MS. He perceives there to be two “fundamental challenges” facing the profession; the formulation of models embracing the “wholistic nature” of systems and the need to redirect problem-solving approaches toward “the evolving needs of society.” In addressing the second challenge the objective of “winning” is to be de-emphasized and other objectives stressed to a greater extent. I believe that arguments at odds with these sentiments are easily as persuasive or as plausible as those of Fiksel, and I would like to record several of these arguments.
Information Systems in Management Science—The Rise and Decline of a Mainframe: A Progress Report
Authors: Vazsonyi Andrew
Published: October 2008

An essay about gradual replacement of mainframe computers with minicomputers, especially in opportunities to work with small businesses.
Four Vice Presidents, Four Directors, and a Partridge in a Pear Tree
Authors: Davidson J. D.
Published: October 2008

Seventeen graduates of the Air Canada OR group are now in management positions. As of 1 September 1980, there are four Vice Presidents, one General Manager, one District Manager, two Directors, and nine Managers scattered throughout various functional areas. This record is unmatched in the airline industry, and it deserves some examination. Since the author is one of the 17, his viewpoint may be somewhat myopic and biased, but he has long since learned that scientific objectivity is a myth, anyway.