bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Commentary—Practical Parallel Discrete Event Simulation
Authors: Unger Brian W. , Cleary John G.
Published: October 2008

The feature article addresses issues that are now of crucial importance to this field. Model development for efficient parallel execution is too difficult. Our initial goal at Jade was to create a parallel simulation environment that could be used to solve a wide variety of practical problems. Fujimoto's paper outlines many of the reasons why we have not yet achieved this goal.

Our experience at Jade supports Fujimoto's statement that it typically takes “highly skilled experts” to develop models for real applications that can achieve significant speedup due to parallelism. Most of the reasons he presents for this unfortunate situation also agree with our experience. However, we believe there are some important differences in how these difficulties can be addressed.

An approach to the design of efficient parallel models is sketched below. This discussion identifies four key indicators of performance and suggests adding one more silver bullet to Fujimoto's list: tools that support the incremental development of efficient models.

INFORMS Journal on Computing, ISSN 1091-9856, was published as ORSA Journal on Computing from 1989 to 1995 under ISSN 0899-1499.
Genetic Algorithms for Combinatorial Optimization: The Assemble Line Balancing Problem
Authors: Anderson Edward J. , Ferris Michael C.
Published: October 2008

Genetic algorithms are one example of the use of a random element within an algorithm for combinatorial optimization. We consider the application of the genetic algorithm to a particular problem, the Assembly Line Balancing Problem. A general description of genetic algorithms is given, and their specialized use on our test-bed problems is discussed. We carry out extensive computational testing to find appropriate values for the various parameters associated with this genetic algorithm. These experiments underscore the importance of the correct choice of a scaling parameter and mutation rate to ensure the good performance of a genetic algorithm. We also describe a parallel implementation of the genetic algorithm and give some comparisons between the parallel and serial implementations. Both versions of the algorithm are shown to be effective in producing good solutions for problems of this type (with appropriately chosen parameters).

INFORMS Journal on Computing, ISSN 1091-9856, was published as ORSA Journal on Computing from 1989 to 1995 under ISSN 0899-1499.
Scheduling n Independent Jobs on m Uniform Machines with both Flowtime and Makespan Objectives: A Parametric Analysis
Authors: McCormick S. Thomas , Pinedo Michael L.
Published: October 2008

We consider the problem of scheduling n jobs without precedence constraints on m uniform machines (i.e., the machines are identical except for speed), with preemptions allowed at no cost. We are interested in generating the entire tradeoff curve of schedules which are Pareto-optimal (undominated) for the flowtime and makespan objectives. To achieve this, we first develop an O(mn) algorithm that produces a schedule with minimum flowtime, subject to a fixed makespan deadline. This algorithm alternates between the Shortest Processing Time on Fastest Machine (SPT-FM) rule and the Longest Remaining Processing Time on Fastest Machine (LRPT-FM) rule. We then investigate how the behavior of the algorithm changes as the deadline is varied parametrically. Our knowledge of the structure of optimal schedules allows us to characterize breakpoints on the (piecewise linear) tradeoff curve, and then to compute all of the O(mn) breakpoints in O(m3n) time. Our analysis yields various useful sensitivity results as a by-product.

INFORMS Journal on Computing, ISSN 1091-9856, was published as ORSA Journal on Computing from 1989 to 1995 under ISSN 0899-1499.
Job Shop Scheduling by Local Search
Authors: Vaessens R. J. M. , Aarts E. H. L. , Lenstra J. K.
Published: October 2008

We survey solution methods for the job shop scheduling problem with an emphasis on local search. Both deterministic and randomized local search methods as well as the proposed neighborhoods are discussed. We compare the computational performance of the various methods in terms of their effectiveness and efficiency on a standard set of problem instances.
Commentary—What Are Genetic Algorithms Good at?
Authors: Ross Peter
Published: October 2008

Colin Reeves has done an excellent job of surveying the basic concepts and applications of genetic algorithms (GAs) in the area of operations research. GAs do have a tremendous appeal, based as they are on the metaphor of Darwinian evolution and Herbert Spencer's famous phrase, “survival of the fittest”—surely one of the most widely expounded scientific notions ever. GAs have sometimes been portrayed as being solely a form of a knowledge-poor optimization technique. The are not general-purpose optimizers but they are very diverse and problem-specific. GAs should be rather viewed as metaheuristic with a distinctive feature to employ crossover. Cases when GAs might be appropriate and some key issues are discussed.
Evaluating a New Market: A Forecasting System for Nonimpact Computer Printers
Authors: Oren Shmuel S. , Rothkopf Michael H. , Smallwood Richard D.
Published: October 2008

In 1975, Xerox put on “hold” and nearly cancelled the development of a high speed xerographic-scanning laser computer printer because prior market research had failed to demonstrate that the company could profitably market such a product. A team composed of Management Scientists, market researchers, and product planners designed and implemented a market-research-based forecasting system for high-speed computer printers. The forecasting system models the behavior of each market research respondent with respect to choice of computer printers. It predicts his choices from among sets of alternatives and his usage levels of the selected products. The system then uses product marketing scenarios to construct a dynamic version of these predictions and produces detailed forecasts of product populations and usage over time.

Use of this system produced a credible analysis of the market; based on this analysis, Xerox decided to develop, announce, and manufacture the 9700 Electronic Printing System. The forecasting system was also used to design pricing and other marketing strategies for the new product. The 9700 is now an extremely successful product that is projected to produce billions of dollars of revenue for Xerox. The forecasting system has set a new company standard for evaluating new markets. It is influencing the design of other market-research-based forecasting systems and improving the overall quality of new product planning.
A Coal Unloader: A Finite Queueing System with Breakdowns
Authors: Chelst Kenneth , Tilles Andrea Zundell , Pipis J. S.
Published: October 2008

The Detroit Edison Company owns and operates the coal-fired Monroe Power Plant. Coal is generally brought by train to the plant from mines in nearby states and is unloaded by a single unloader system. There were difficulties in meeting the plant's coal needs with the existing rail transport system. Management observed frequent queues of trains at the unloader system which they attributed to breakdowns of the unloader system. A queueing model was developed to explore the impact on the system of unloader breakdowns and the potential benefits associated with adding a second unloader system. The model was also used to study the relationship between the number of trains, coal throughput, and queueing delays.
The Application of a Graph Coloring Method to an Examination Scheduling Problem
Authors: Mehta Nirbhay K.
Published: October 2008

This paper describes the application of a vertex coloring procedure to a real life examination scheduling problem. The accessories used in deriving and compressing the schedule and in rearranging the time frames to make the solution acceptable for the spring semester of 1980 are described.
Information Systems in Management Science—Decision Support Systems, Computer Literacy, and Electronic Models
Authors: Vazsonyi Andrew
Published: October 2008

In the November 1978 issue of Interfaces, the author wrote a column on decision support systems. Much has happened since then and the author shares some of his ideas. Sections presented are:

—Seven vignettes related to DSS

—What is DSS?

—OR/MS methodology: The scientific method

—Electronic models

—The future.
Microcomputers
Authors: Brennan J. J. , Molloy Michael K.
Published: October 2008

The precise number of microcomputers marketed and sold to date is unknown. However, since their advent in the mid 1970's, the combined annual sales by all manufacturers is nearing or exceeds one million units.

Without question, microcomputers have been widely accepted in a startlingly short period of time because of their low unit cost, low for both systems and software. This does not mean that microcomputers are currently a cost-effective way to replace existing machines, although they may be in some specific situations. Rather, their cost constitutes a low threshold, the point at which owning or using a computer becomes viable for an individual. This threshold is important to both the business and personal user and has changed workstation computation from concept to reality.
The Ombudsman: Learner Responsibility in Management Education, or Ventures into Forbidden Research
Authors: Armstrong J. Scott
Published: October 2008

Formal education can be improved by transferring responsibility from the teacher to the learner. A simple approach to this is the time contract. Time contracts have been used successfully in nine quasi-experiments but, despite these successes, some educators see this as subversive research.
A Modeling Framework for Planning and Control of Production in Discrete Parts Manufacturing and Assembly Systems
Authors: Maxwell William , Muckstadt John A. , Thomas L. Joseph , Vander Eecken Jacques
Published: October 2008

A modeling framework for production control, consisting of three phases, has several advantages over current MRP systems. The types of problems that exist in practice, currently available systems, and other literature in the area are also discussed.
Planning the Netherlands' Water Resources
Authors: Goeller Bruce F. , Abraham S. C. , Abrahamse A. F. , Bigelow J. H. , Bolten J. G. , de Ferranti D. M. , De Haven J. C. , Goeller B. F. , Jaquette D. L. , Katz N. A. , Kirkwood T. F. , Petruschell R. L. , Repnau T. , Stucker J. P. , Walker W. E. , Wegner L. H. , Pulles J. W. , Dorsman W. A. , Groen H. , Sprong T. A. , van de Watering B. G. M. , Veen M. A. , Baan P. , Baarse G. , van Beek E. , Dijkman J. P. M. , van Gameren J. , Los F. J. , Koenis J. , Miedema G. , Smits J. G. C. , de Rooij N. M.
Published: October 2008

A comprehensive, integrated system of 50 models was developed to evaluate policies that include mixes of building new facilities and changing operating rules to improve water supply, as well as adjusting prices and regulations to reduce demands. Analysis performed with the system resulted in a new national water management policy, saving hundreds of millions of dollars in investment expenditures and reducing agricultural damage by about $15 million per year, while decreasing thermal and algae pollution. The methodology was adopted by the Dutch government and has been used to train water resource planners from many nations.
Improving Utilization of Air Force Cargo Aircraft
Authors: Cochard Douglas D. , Yost Kirk A.
Published: October 2008

The Deployable Mobility Execution System (DMES) was developed for the US Air Force to improve aircraft utilization and responsiveness in airlift operations. The model uses a modified cutting stock heuristic to generate feasible cargo loads, which the planner can modify using detailed interactive graphics. The system runs on a small, off-the-shelf microcomputer which can be operated at remote sites. In three tests during military exercises, the system reduced load-planning man-hours by 90 percent and increased airlift utilization by 10 percent. During the Grenada rescue operation in October 1983, the system saved over $2.5 million in flying-hour costs and provided timely planning. Projected annual savings for peacetime exercises are estimated to exceed $20 million. More importantly, DMES significantly improves airlift support of combat operations.
Lot-Sizing and Lead-time Performance in a Manufacturing Cell
Authors: Karmarkar Uday S. , Kekre Sham , Kekre Sunder , Freeman Susan
Published: October 2008

Many complex multi-item manufacturing shops have high levels of work-in-process because of queueing delays at machines and consequently long manufacturing lead times. These delays are directly related to lot sizes. Two alternative approaches applied to modeling a manufacturing cell—simulation and a novel analytical lot-sizing model (Q-LOTS)—provide very similar results and validate the analytical model.
Computer Integrated Flexible Manufacturing: Organizational, Economic, and Strategic Implications
Authors: Goldhar Joel D. , Jelinek Mariann
Published: October 2008

Computers and communications technology in manufacturing fundamentally change the nature of the factory. Because capabilities and constraints are changed, organization and management must also change. Assumptions underlying manufacturing's shift from economies of scale to economies of scope. The central organizing concept changes from materials flow to information flow. With this new perspective, business strategy and the mission of the firm must also change. Above all, the focus on information forces us to conceptualize anew what characteristics are desirable for advanced factories, for organizations to operate them, and for management thinking.
Payoff Matrices Pay Off at Hallmark
Authors: Barron F. Hutton
Published: October 2008

The “newsboy” model, expressed as a payoff matrix, enables inventory control managers to incorporate three important contingencies—demand uncertainty, salvage value, and shortage cost—in determining run size or purchase quantity. To use this model, managers had to learn to provide subjective probability distributions of demand as well as model formulation, model solution, and sensitivity analysis. Parallel analyses (business as usual versus the model) demonstrated higher profits for model-based decisions. In several product areas, model-based decisions are now business as usual.
A Simple Ballistic-Missile-Defense Model to Help Decision Makers
Authors: Hoyt Harry C.
Published: October 2008

Often a simple model is sufficient for presenting the essential features of a situation or system to decision makers. Information can be integrated to show the whole picture and to identify trade-offs that will dominate during system and component design. A simple model of a ballistic-missile-defense (BMD) system can be used in this way and can also be used as a straightforward introduction to the subject.
Coordinating the Energy Generation of the Brazilian National Hydrothermal Electrical Generating System
Authors: Terry L. A. , Pereira M. V. F. , Araripe Neto T. A. , Silva L. F. C. A. , Sales P. R. H.
Published: October 2008

Coordination of the operation of the large Brazilian multi-owned hydrothermal generating system, at the institutional level, was achieved through a pool structure in which all member utilities share the cost of operating the thermoelectric system. At the technical level, a stochastic dynamic programming model, SDP, determines the optimal allocation of hydro and thermal resources in the system. The SDP model was extensively validated by 18 electrical utilities and officially adopted by the pool in 1979. Comparisons with a previously adopted model projected expected savings of $87 million in five years, a 28 percent reduction in operating costs. Actual savings from 1979 to 1984 are about $260 million. The SDP model is also the focal point of a chain of generation expansion models, insuring that the probabilistic criteria used for planning and the operation of the Brazilian system are compatible.
Timetabling in Germany—A Survey
Authors: Junginger Werner
Published: October 2008

For about 25 years, attempts have been made to schedule classes and meetings (to timetable) by computer. In Germany, many programs have been developed, and during the last 12 years several programs for mainframe computers have been used on a large scale. During the last five years, more and more schools are using microcomputers to produce their timetables.
The Practical Side of Implementation Research
Authors: Ginzberg Michael J. , Schultz Randall L.
Published: October 2008

Research on the implementation of management science and information systems has been going on for the past 20 years, and articles describing it have appeared in this journal as well as others. The papers in this issue focus on how that research affects implementation practice. Three themes are highlighted: (1) things management can do to improve the chances of implementation success, (2) the effects of changing technology on implementation practice, and (3) changing views of the implementation process.
A Public Safety Merger in Grosse Pointe Park, Michigan—A Short and Sweet Study
Authors: Chelst Kenneth
Published: October 2008

The city of Grosse Pointe Park, Michigan planned to totally merge its police department and fire department, which also provided emergency medical services. Almost all personnel would be trained as both policemen and firefighters, and many as emergency medical technicians. The firefighters opposed the merger and forced a referendum. In 17 days, we documented the excellent current response times and found that a merger could reduce operating costs by as much as $100,000 per year, further reduce response times, increase patrol coverage, and add an additional detective.
Further Real Applications of Markov Decision Processes
Authors: White D. J.
Published: October 2008

This paper extends an earlier paper [White 1985] on real applications of Markov decision processes in which the results of the studies have been implemented, have had some influence on the actual decisions, or in which the analyses are based on real data.
Operations Research in Practice: A Longitudinal Study
Authors: Harpell John L. , Lane Michael S. , Mansour Ali H.
Published: October 2008

Three pairs of questionnaires were sent to Operations Research Society of America (ORSA) members at five-year intervals. According to the findings of the six questionnaires, operations research (OR) educators and practitioners see certain quantitative techniques as needed for a proper foundation in OR. Three stand out as consistently believed most important: statistics, linear programming, and simulation. Practitioners use and recommend a more diverse set of techniques than do educators.
On the Establishment of Standards for Comparing Algorithm Performance
Authors: Ignizio James P.
Published: October 2008

One of the most frustrating tasks encountered by the OR practitioner is that of attempting to select an existing algorithm for application to an immediate real world problem. For purposes of illustration only, consider the OR analyst who is faced with having to solve a large zero-one integer programming problem. Being a member of ORSA, TIMS, SIAM, and other organizations, he realizes that a considerable number of publications have been addressed to this topic and thus he might be able to use one of these to solve the problem at hand. This is sometimes his first mistake.

Let us assume that he has surveyed the literature and found “n” publications presenting algorithms which deal directly with his particular problem. At this point in his search he will begin to discover that the mere existence of pertinent algorithms in the literature is not nearly sufficient.
AT&T's Telemarketing Site Selection System Offers Customer Support
Authors: Spencer Thomas , Brigandi Anthony J. , Dargon Dennis R. , Sheehan Michael J.
Published: October 2008

Over 180,000 telemarketing centers in the United States employ over 2,000,000 people. Because of the rapid growth in the telemarketing industry, site location has become a critical problem. The National Technical Center came to Business Operations Analysis to develop a decision support system to help AT&T customers determine “good” locations for their telemarketing centers. The core of the system is a mixed integer programming model which minimizes labor, communications, and real-estate costs, while determining the optimal number, location of centers, and geographic regions to be served. In 1988, 46 AT&T customers made decisions on site locations swiftly and confidently, while committing to $375 million in annual network services and $31 million in equipment sales.
Using an Optimization Software to Lower Overall Electric Production Costs for Southern Company
Authors: Erwin S. R. , Griffith J. S. , Wood J. T. , Le K. D. , Day J. T. , Yin C. K.
Published: October 2008

The electric utility business has traditionally been very capital-intensive. In the last 10 years, however, fuel costs have escalated at a faster rate than all other cost components. To minimize its fuel cost expenditures, Southern Company installed a comprehensive operational-planning software package to forecast system loads, optimally schedule thermal and hydro units, and estimate future prices of power transactions. The heart of the package is the Wescouger optimization program, designed by the Advanced System Technology division of ABB Power Systems, Inc. By using state-of-the-art dynamic programming and branch-and-bound techniques, Wescouger has helped Southern Company save over $140 million in fuel costs over the past seven years. Today, this optimization software is one of the key scheduling tools used at the control center in Birmingham to fulfill the pool's most important responsibility—to deliver electricity to customers in the most reliable and least costly manner.
A System for Analyzing Information to Manage the Quality-Control Process
Authors: Hosseini Jinoos , Fard Nasser S.
Published: October 2008

A total quality-control project for a farm equipment manufacturing company (Hay and Forage Industries) included the analysis, design, implementation, and personnel training for a system to manage quality-control process. Unlike conventional applications of statistical quality-control systems, which usually involve only a company's quality-control department, this system cuts across all organizational levels and affects every department in the company. The system can store, categorize, and analyze measured data about quality characteristics of hundreds of parts.
AIDS Impact on the Number of Intravenous Drug Users
Authors: Caulkins Jonathan P. , Kaplan Edward H.
Published: October 2008

For more than a decade the size of the intravenous (IV) drug-using population was relatively stable, but AIDS has changed that by increasing the exit rate and (probably) decreasing the recruitment rate. We created two mathematical models to make quantitative predictions about this change. The first is a simple descriptive model; the second takes a more detailed look at needle sharing. Both come to the same conclusion; barring other changes, AIDS will substantially reduce the number of IV drug users, perhaps by 50 percent or more. This implies that AIDS has changed the baseline against which one should measure the success of policies designed to reduce the number of IV drug users.
Management Science and Operations Research in the Republic of Korea
Authors: Tcha Dong-wan
Published: October 2008

The MS/OR movement in South Korea started in the mid '60s when the military made early efforts to utilize MS/OR. These efforts acted as a catalyst to encourage its application in public enterprises. In the mid '70s, large private business followed the public sector's lead by using MS/OR to streamline management practices. By the mid '80s, medium- and small-sized industries began to apply MS/OR techniques, aided by the spread of microcomputers.

Recognizing the importance of MS/OR as an efficient management tool for economic development, the government developed educational and training programs in MS/OR in the early '70s. For example, it established KAIST as the leading educational center in science and technology, including MS/OR. As the public interest in MS/OR increased and its role became more important, the Korean Operations Research Society further promoted MS/OR in Korea, playing a leading role in establishing the Association of Asian-Pacific Operational Research Societies. MS/OR has contributed greatly to the rapid economic development in Korea by meeting industry's need for efficient management tools.
Routing and Scheduling Coast Guard Buoy Tenders
Authors: Cline A. K. , King D. H. , Meyering J. M.
Published: October 2008

We applied a best-schedule heuristic for solving a large class of real-world routing and scheduling problems to the routing and scheduling of buoy maintenance in real time by the United States Coast Guard. The best schedule method reduces a routing and scheduling problem to a traveling salesman problem with non-Euclidean distances. The service windows for the activities are used to prune potential routes without calculating a detailed schedule or evaluating the cost function.
An Application of Decision Conferencing to strategic Planning for a Voluntary Organization
Authors: Quaddus M. A. , Atkinson D. J. , Levy M.
Published: October 2008

Decision conferencing is a process for solving strategic decision problems in which the owners of the problem get together for discussions that are facilitated by an analyst, a facilitator, and information technologies that perform multiattribute computer modeling and various sensitivity analyses. The purpose is to create shared understanding and gain commitment to action. The Independent Living Center, a voluntary organization from Western Australia, used the decision conferencing approach to develop its strategic plan. Eleven top executives participated in a decision conference in the planning and decision domain (PADD), a specially designed facility at Curtin University of Technology, Perth, Australia. They identified a future direction quickly and developed a plan for implementation of the strategic plan.
20/30 Hindsight: Forecasting the Impact of Nonimpact Printers—An Update
Authors: Rothkopf Michael H.
Published: October 2008

The author gives a retrospective about the work he and his coworkers had done about 1980 in support of Xerox's decision to enter the high-speed computer laser printer market.
Simulation Project Characteristics in Industrial Settings
Authors: Cochran Jeffery K. , Mackulak Gerald T. , Savory Paul A.
Published: October 2008

In a survey of practitioners of discrete-event simulation from industry and research institutes who “build models for money,” we asked about project goals, user backgrounds and training, organizational types and activities, software and hardware choices, modeling team composition, and effort allocation within a modeling project. We found that (1) only about half of the practitioners have three or more years experience, (2) many academics feel strongly affiliated with their industry clients rather than with their university employers, (3) shop-floor supervisors rarely lead simulation projects, even though their knowledge of the system may be unparalleled, (4)simulation models are generally described as unique custom models, yet practitioners indicate that they commonly build similar models, (5) although simulators (parameter-driven simulation environments that require no user coding) are now available, few respondents indicate using any simulators for simulation projects.
Ranking College Football Teams: A Neural Network Approach
Authors: Wilson Rick L.
Published: October 2008

During the past decade, almost all NCAA Division 1-A college football seasons have ended in controversy. This occurs because it is the only collegiate sport in which a national champion is not determined on the playing field. At present, two bias-ridden opinion polls are used to name the champion, and existing computer-based models provide questionable results or use methods that are not publicly known (or both!). I have developed an improved method of determining a fair ranking of college football teams using neural networks. The recent 1993 football season serves as an example. The analysis shows that Florida State and Nebraska were properly matched in the Orange Bowl to determine the national champion in 1993 and that Notre Dame had no valid claim for being named the national champion, and it illustrates flaws in existing computer-based ranking models.
From CAN-Q to MPX: Evolution of Queuing Software for Manufacturing
Authors: Suri Rajan , Diehl Gregory W. W. , de Treville Suzanne , Tomsicek Michael J.
Published: October 2008

The use of queuing software in manufacturing has been limited but is now growing rapidly. The application of queuing analysis to manufacturing is based on queuing network theory, which began in the 1950s. For 20 years the computer-communications community made most of the advances and applications. In the 1970s, researchers found applications to a class of automated systems called flexible manufacturing systems. They demonstrated the advantages of queuing analysis over other techniques, but the use of queuing models in manufacturing remained limited. The 1980s brought new solutions for the models based on node-decomposition methods. A shift in manufacturing strategy from cost reduction to lead-time reduction boosted the applicability of queuing models: the theory allowed analysis of more general systems, and the waiting time analysis was central to lead-time reduction. Queuing software is now used by industrial analysts, managers, and educators. Close contact between researchers and industrial users has been critical to the growth in use of the software. Emphasis on such contact, along with better linkages to operational systems, will ensure continued growth of manufacturing applications of queuing software.
Spreadsheets and OR/MS Models: An End-User Perspective
Authors: Leon Linda , Przasnyski Zbigniew , Seal Kala Chand
Published: October 2008

In 1986, Bodily stated that practitioners could use spreadsheets to model management science/operations research (OR/MS) problems. We surveyed OR practitioners to determine the extent of implementation of these OR/MS problems in a spreadsheet environment and found that end users are solving OR/MS problems using spreadsheets across many functional areas of business, though in varying degrees. Some areas show higher use than others and spreadsheet models are being used to implement various OR tools in a pattern very similar to their use in the nonspreadsheet environment.
Why Benefit-Cost Analysis Is Widely Disregarded and What to Do About It
Authors: Dorfman Robert
Published: October 2008

Three prominent shortcomings of benefit-cost analysis as currently practiced are (1) it does not identify the population segments whom the proposed measure benefits or harms, (2) it attempts to reduce all comparisons to a single dimension, generally dollars and cents, and (3) it conceals the degree of inaccuracy or uncertainty in its estimates.

These defects impair the usefulness of benefit-cost studies, divert effort and attention away from the most useful information benefit-cost studies could convey, and risk misleading many readers. These faults can be corrected or avoided without much difficulty and to great benefit.
Optimization and Persistence
Authors: Brown Gerald G. , Dell Robert F. , Wood R. Kevin
Published: October 2008

Most optimization-based decision support systems are used repeatedly with only modest changes to input data from scenario to scenario. Unfortunately, optimization (mathematical programming) has a well-deserved reputation for amplifying small input changes into drastically different solutions. A previously optimal solution, or a slight variation of one, may still be nearly optimal in a new scenario and managerially preferable to a dramatically different solution that is mathematically optimal. Mathematical programming models can be stated and solved so that they exhibit varying degrees of persistence with respect to previous values of variables, constraints, or even exogenous considerations. We use case studies to highlight how modeling with persistence has improved managerial acceptance and describe how to incorporate persistence as an intrinsic feature of any optimization model.
The Fifth Column: On Doing Well by Doing Good and an Offer of Free Education
Authors: Woolsey Robert E. D.
Published: October 2008

The author discusses his belief that an operations research program at a state university should actively look for project work to do pro bono publico for state, county, and city governments and for private-sector enterprises.
On the Impact of Management Science
Authors: Hamelman Paul W. , Mazze Edward M.
Published: October 2008

This article, based on a general-purpose citation indexing system for business periodicals, examines the degree to which TIMS and its publication, Management Science, have carried out the Institute's stated mission; namely, to identify, extend and unify scientific knowledge pertaining to management. The primary objective of the citation index is to illustrate Management Science's value-in-use to researchers in management and other business-related disciplines.
An Investment Decision Making System
Authors: Ahlers David M.
Published: October 2008

This paper describes the design, implementation and evaluation of a system for the management of pension funds by a large institutional investor. As a direct result of this management science based system, which had been in operation for over three years prior to this study, the jobs of security analysts, portfolio managers and the management of the investment function were significantly changed. The institution publicly acknowledged the success of this system in its annual reports and internally acknowledged the additional business revenues generated by this new approach to money management.

Three major aspects of this research which spanned a period of over six years are discussed. Initially the behavioral science analysis which helped to determine why classic portfolio selection or equity valuation models had not been accepted by the organization is reviewed. This phase also contains an analysis of the necessary changes to information flows and job responsibilities before the organization could reasonably be expected to accept any normative portfolio management tools.

The focus is then directed toward the key management science concepts incorporated in the Management Information System which was designed to remove the behavioral barriers to change. The major tools and concepts employed and presented in this phase are the use of the triangular distributions to collect conditional, subjective forecasts and to provide subjective distribution feedback, loss functions which are based on the impact of outcomes to the institution and not on squared error variability and the construction of feedback measures which are consistent with the organizational responsibilities of the individual.

The third phase of this study is an evaluation of whether investment performance was actually improved by the new system. Testing this and related hypotheses is complicated by the fact that it was difficult enough to convince management to install one new money management system, let alone several systems simultaneously to permit controlled tests. Some aspects of this are discussed in the final section.
A Comment on Blanning's “The Sources and Uses of Sensitivity Information”
Authors: Michel Allen J. , Permut Steven E.
Published: October 2008

Professor Blanning [Blanning, Robert. 1974. The sources and uses of sensitivity information. Interfaces 4 (4, August) 32–38.] presents a set of interesting uses of sensitivity information and discusses a thought-provoking, nonconventional source of such information, the metamodel. The four conventional uses that Professor Blanning presents, however, ignore an important potential use of such information. One of the primary concerns of the practitioner building a model is the reliability of forecast estimation. Sensitivity analysis can be used by the practitioner as an important means in the reduction of forecast uncertainty and can aid management in utilizing information generated from an economic model.
Management Science's Impact on Service Strategy
Authors: Bleuel W. H.
Published: October 2008

The practice of management science has made a significant impact on the performance of the Xerox service organization. The National Service department has implemented a new service strategy for the 9,200 duplicator which provides better service to the customers at less cost to Xerox. The basic management science concept behind this service strategy is the utilization of queuing theory to reduce the service force idle time and simultaneously reduce the response time to a customer initiated call for service. The results of the queuing analysis indicated that a major productivity improvement could be achieved with mini-teams. It was decided that a three man mini-team was the best compromise (in terms of manageability) between a one-man territory and team territories which had four or more service men. Implementation of this service strategy has yielded the following results:

(1) Specification to Xerox customers of response times for customers initiated service calls, and

(2) An average increase in productivity of the service work force for the 9,200 in excess of 50%.
Effectiveness of OSHA Penalties: Myth or Reality?
Authors: Gleason John M. , Barnum Darold T.
Published: October 2008

This paper examines the penalty provisions of the Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSHA) from a decision theory point of view. Four cases are examined in order to determine the effectiveness of the penalty provisions with respect to encouraging compliance with the Act prior to an inspection. All cases are based on historical inspection and citation data. It is shown that unsafe conditions will be corrected only if the cost of correction is less than a particular upper limit — these limits are presented for all cases for various rates of return. It is noted that, in general, a rational economic decision maker would choose not to comply with the Act until he were cited and forced to do so.
Incorporating Judgments in Sales Forecasts: Application of the Delphi Method at American Hoist & Derrick
Authors: Basu Shankar , Schroeder Roger G.
Published: October 2008

In many organizations complete reliance on historical data is not an adequate basis for forecasting future sales. Since underlying conditions or assumptions may be changing, a means of incorporating management judgment in sales forecasts is needed. This paper reports on the development and application of a Delphi method (“opinion methodology”) for sales forecasting at the American Hoist and Derrick Company. Although the Delphi method has only been in use for one year, the sales forecast error for 1975 was reduced to less than 1 percent, whereas sales forecast errors for the previous ten years were significantly higher.
“Project EOQ”: A Success Story in Implementing Academic Research
Authors: Austin Larry M.
Published: October 2008

Significant improvements in a 250,000-item, $400 million inventory system resulting from an unusual academic research project are discussed. Difficulties encountered in implementing well-known theoretical inventory models in a large “real-world” system are emphasized. Validated savings resulting from the research effort are noted.
Perspectives on MS Applications—All Around the Model
Authors: Shycon Harvey N.
Published: October 2008

I feel there are four basic tenants which can be set down for achieving successful project implementation and results. These are: (1) Counsel with management on the definition of the problem in the initial stages of the job, talk with decision-making levels of management as much as possible, and get top management's view of the problem, (2) Interact and communicate with management throughout the management science analysis. Present management with questions which require decisions, and obtain input from management. In short, make management a part of the team, (3) Discuss with management the results of the analysis as they are evolving. Provide management with the opportunity for give and take and the opportunity to render its opinions on indications of the study even in the preliminary stages. This will add important interpretation to the results as they evolve, possibly trigger new considerations requiring analysis, and prepare management for the ultimate conclusions of the study, and (4) If the management science analysis is to yield an on-going system, establish a means for on-going dialogue with management.
Steps Towards More Effective Implementation of MS and MIS
Authors: Ginzberg Michael J.
Published: October 2008

Our technical abilities to design and build complex management science (MS) models and sophisticated management information systems (MIS) have progressed quite rapidly in recent years. However, our ability to translate these models and systems into tools useful to managers has not kept pace. Efforts to implement MS models and information systems occasionally fail completely and often run into some sort of difficulty.

This paper will review some of the steps that have been taken to increase our understanding of and, hopefully, our ability to solve this implementation problem.
Optimal Mining and Processing Decisions in Stratiform Phosphate Deposits
Authors: Metz Horst J. , Jain Suresh K.
Published: October 2008

International Minerals & Chemical Corporation (IMC) is the world's largest privately-owned producer of phosphate rock, a bulk mineral used primarily in the production of agricultural fertilizers. The company operates several mines and processing plants in central Florida, and controls extensive phosphate resources in central and southern Florida.

Like other firms engaged in the extraction of natural resources, IMC faces a general decision problem of determining the subset of resources in the ground that can be mined and processed economically. Land acquisition and plant expansion decisions, as well as tactical and strategic mining and processing plans, are all based in large measure on the company's a priori evaluation of resource data and its estimate of economic reserves.

The facts that known phosphate resources are finite, that marketing conditions are highly variable, and that hundreds of millions of dollars are at stake all prompted IMC to assure itself that its mining and processing decisions constitute a financially optimal policy. This paper describes a new algorithm, developed by the authors and implemented by IMC, for making optimal mining and processing decisions.
Telephone Sales Manpower Planning at Qantas
Authors: Gaballa Adel , Pearce Wayne
Published: October 2008

When the traditional procedure for planning annual manpower requirements for the telephone sales reservation offices of Qantas Airways was replaced by a model utilizing queueing and integer linear programming techniques, savings in excess of US$235,000 were realized in staff reductions over a two-year period, and investigation into applications in several other Qantas service areas continues.

Relationships of staff size to waiting time and service time are also evaluated.
The Long Island Blood Distribution System as a Prototype for Regional Blood Management
Authors: Brodheim Eric , Prastacos Gregory P.
Published: October 2008

Each year over two million hospitalized Americans depend upon the timely availability of the right type of blood products at 6,000 hospital blood banks (HBB's) in the United States. If the right blood products are not available at the HBB when required, then medical complications or postponements of elective surgery can result which translates to extra days of hospitalization and expense. On the other hand, since most blood products may only be administered to a patient of the same blood type within 21 days of collection, overstocking at HBB's leads to low utilization, which increases costs and is wasteful of the scarce blood resource.

The Long Island blood distribution system was set up as a prototype of a regional blood center and the hospital blood banks that it services collaborating to preplan regional blood flow. It maximizes blood availability and utilization according to a Programmed Blood Distribution System (PBDS) model and strategy that has been shown to be generally applicable. PBDS schedules blood deliveries according to statistical estimates of the needs of each HBB and monitors actual requirements to adjust deliveries when indicated by control chart techniques. In addition, it provides a daily forecasting of short-term shortages and surpluses for the next several days that results in controlled movement of blood to and from adjoining regions. Finally, the system is able to adjust the regional strategy so that availability is reduced uniformly at all HBB's during periods of seasonal, regional shortages.

PBDS has drastically improved utilization and availability of blood on Long Island: wastage has been reduced by 80%, and delivery costs by 64%. This prototype is acting as a model for other regional blood centers in the United States and for other national blood services as a basis for planning and controlling blood flow in a geographic area. It usually replaces preexisting procedures where a regional blood center collects blood based upon gross estimates and reacts to requests for blood by individual HBB's on the basis of experience and on the currently prevailing inventory situation.
A Classification of Information Systems: Analysis and Interpretation
Authors: Ein-Dor Phillip , Segev Eli
Published: October 2008

Seventeen major types of information systems are identified and defined by vectors of their attributes and functions. These systems are then classified by numerical methods. The quantitative analysis is interpreted in terms of the development history of information system types. Two major findings are that the numerical classification autonomously follows the chronological appearance of system types and that, along the time line, systems have followed two major paths of development; these have been termed the applied artificial intelligence path and the human interface path. The development of new types of systems is considered within the framework of a theory of technological evolution. It is shown that newer types of systems result from gradual accretion of new technologies on one hand, and loss of older ones on the other. Conclusions are drawn concerning the value of taxonomy in studying information systems, in suggesting possible research directions, and the desirability of rationalizing research efforts within the IS discipline.