bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Aboriginal wellbeing and liquor licensing legislation in Western Australia
Authors: Gray Dennis , Drandich Mary , Moore Lisa , Wilkes Ted , Riley Rob , Davies Sandy
Published: August 2010

Abstract: This paper is based on the results of a project undertaken as the basis for a submission to the committee established to review the Western Australian Liquor Licensing Act 1988. It reports on key issues relating to liquor licensing, as identified by members of regional Aboriginal organisations. Among these issues are the promotion of alcohol consumption and misuse, discriminatory practices by licensees and the police and the need for greater community involvement in liquor licensing decisions. To address these issues, members of the participating organisations proposed: inclusion of a harm‐minimisation objective in the Act, education and training programs for the public, licensees and the police, and industry funding for harm‐minimisation programs.
Soil lead levels in parks and playgrounds: an environmental risk assessment in Newcastle
Authors: Devey Peter , Jingda Li
Published: August 2010

Abstract: In June 1993 the National Health and Medical Research Council set a national goal for blood lead of below 10 μg/dl. There is a need to know if the lead contamination of the urban environment is so high as to put community health at risk. Decisions, including whether soil should be removed and replaced, will have to be made. During the second half of 1993, an environmental assessment of lead contamination of soil within the City of Newcastle was conducted. Samples, 108 from surface soil and 10 from subsurface soil, were taken from public parks and playgrounds in the city area and analysed for lead content. The proportion within and the proportion above the guidelines for soil contamination were reported. Lead concentrations ranged from 25 to 2400 parts per million (ppm); 21 per cent of samples had concentrations higher than the 300 ppm action level, and the geometric mean was 134 ppm. Both the range and the average lead levels were typically no more than, or were even less than, soil lead levels documented for other cities in Australia, the United States and United Kingdom. Although each sampling site was noted, it was not our intention to focus in on individual sites. Indeed, to draw health‐risk implications from any one result may be misleading and inaccurate. The results indicated moderate lead contamination of soil that could be controlled by regular top‐dressing of soils, the use of bark chip on playground surfaces and by government initiatives aimed at lowering lead levels in petrol.
Ethnic health workers in primary health care
Authors: Fuller Jeff
Published: August 2010

Abstract: Ethnic health workers were employed to increase the access of communities of non‐English‐speaking background to health services, but their role has remained unclear in a national health system that has been criticised for being slow to respond to the needs of these communities. Interviews and a questionnaire were used to survey a convenience sample of 40 South Australian ethnic health, welfare and community workers and 17 supervisors about the important roles of ethnic health workers, how they should perform their roles and their ability to fulfil them. Interviews with 11 staff from the New South Wales Ethnic Health Worker Program then provided a broader perspective to the South Australian findings. High‐priority roles were to provide help to solve immediate health problems. Roles included providing access as well as services. There were pressures on ethnic health workers to become service providers: clients from non‐English‐speaking backgrounds expected assistance with a wide range of problems, and mainstream staff lacked competence in meeting these needs. Ethnic health workers' involvement in needs assessment and health agency change was limited by these pressures, by ethnic health workers' separation from the work of mainstream staff and because systematic planning of services to non‐English‐speaking communities was lacking. The appropriate role for an ethnic health worker is as an access provider, with a greater emphasis on needs assessment and agency change. Agencies need to develop culturally appropriate service plans and training so that ethnic health workers and mainstream staff are better able to work together.
Age and secular trends in risk factors for cardiovascular disease in Busselton
Authors: Knuiman Matthew W. , Jamrozik Konrad , Welborn Timothy A. , Bulsara Max K. , Divitini Mark L. , Whittall Davina E.
Published: August 2010

Abstract: Mortality rates from heart disease and stroke in Australia have been falling for more than 20 years. No completely satisfactory explanations for this trend exist However, it is believed to be due, at least in part, to changes in the incidence of cardiovascular disease arising from changes in the prevalence and severity of risk factors for cardiovascular disease. The adult community of Busselton in Western Australia participated in cross‐sectional health surveys every three years from 1966 to 1981. This paper describes secular trends from 1966 to 1981 and age trends from 25 to 80 years for cardiovascular risk factors in Busselton men and women. Downwards secular trends were observed for mean blood pressure and smoking for men and women, upwards trends were observed for body mass index in men, and mean cholesterol was approximately constant over this period. The age and secular trends were consistent with other Australian studies conducted in the 1980s and with overseas studies. An estimated 67 per cent of the decline in cardiovascular mortality rates among Busselton men and 22 per cent of the decline among Busselton women may be attributed to changes in the prevalence of risk factors for cardiovascular disease.
Collecting food‐related data from low socioeconomic groups: how adequate are our current research designs?
Authors: Turrell Gavin , Najman Jake M.
Published: August 2010

Abstract: Australian researchers examining the relationship between socioeconomic status and food‐related behaviour have often selected their samples from the electoral roll and then collected their data using a mail‐survey method. These studies have generally found statistically significant associations between socioeconomic status and behaviour, although these relationships are usually only weak‐to‐moderate in strength. Given the consistent and strong pattern of association between socioeconomic status and mortality, and diet and mortality, there is a possibility that these studies may have used a research design that underestimates the magnitude of the association. To assess this possibility, results obtained using an electoral‐roll sample and mail‐survey method were compared with findings obtained by administering the same questionnaire directly to a sample of indigent clients contacted through a welfare agency. The comparison suggests that studies that draw their samples from electoral rolls and then collect data using a mail‐survey questionnaire may greatly understate the level of socioeconomic inequality in food‐related behaviour in the wider community.
Hepatitis C and young drug users: are they about to join the epidemic?
Authors: Carruthers Susan , Loxley Wendy
Published: August 2010

Abstract: This study investigated what some high‐risk youth in Perth knew about, believed about and did about hepatitis C, and the extent to which they had been exposed to the virus, by surveying 234 12‐to‐20‐year‐old users of injectable drugs. About half of the respondents (108) gave a blood sample for anonymous hepatitis C virus antibody testing. All respondents had used at least one illicit drug other than marijuana in the previous 12 months and most (75 per cent) reported injecting drugs at least once in the past 12 months. The study group was obtained through drug treatment agencies and interviewer networks. Although more than 80 per cent of the study group had heard of hepatitis C, only 50 per cent considered the infection to be a serious problem. Eighty per cent of respondents were at risk of infection from unsafe injecting practices, and their relevant knowledge of hepatitis C was at best, barely adequate. Of those tested, 5.5 per cent were seropositive. A pool of infection, albeit small, already exists among this group of users of illicit drugs. Given the low average duration of illicit drug use among this group (less than 2 years) and the fact that many of the users are part of a hidden population that will probably never be in treatment, that there is any infection present is of concern. Appropriate, well‐aimed education and peer outreach programs are desperately needed if the transmission of hepatitis C among young users of injectable drugs is to be kept to a minimum.
A community‐based cervical screening program in a remote Aboriginal community in the Northern Territory
Authors: Gilles Marisa T. , Crewe Susan , Granites Ida Nungala , Coppola Annette
Published: August 2010

Abstract: We established a culturally appropriate, community‐based women's health service in Yuendumu, Northern Territory, to improve women's health and to remedy the low rate of cervical screening. During the 16 months of the program 419 cervical smears were taken, increasing coverage of the women eligible from 51 to 78 per cent Acceptance of the program was excellent, with only 2 per cent of the women approached refusing to have a smear. Over 70 per cent of the Pap smears were done by the nursing staff in the clinic; quality control was good, with 9 per cent of smears reported as having no endocervical cells. Sixty‐four per cent of screened women had normal smears and 0.9 per cent showed evidence of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN). Three women were referred for treatment of CIN, two for CIN I and one for CIN III. The program illustrates how a combination of community involvement, staff stability, teamwork, and cross cultural understanding can achieve a comprehensive and successful cervical screening service in a remote Aboriginal community.
Infection control and human immunodeficiency virus: perceptions of risk among nurses and hospital domestic workers
Authors: Parsons Claire D. F. , Spicer Maureen J. , Richardson Marilyn , Peterson Christopher , Watson Lyndsey F.
Published: August 2010

Abstract: In December 1993 the first case of patient‐to‐patient transmission of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), at a doctor's surgery in New South Wales, was documented. In an environment of heightened anxiety about HIV transmission and the adequacy of infection‐control measures taken by health providers, it is important to explore perceptions of occupational risk of exposure to infection among hospital workers, reasons why hospital domestic workers sometimes depart from standard procedure in infection control, and how they regard the patients who have infectious diseases. In this study, at an infectious diseases hospital where there is an acute awareness of such issues, nurses had accurate knowledge about control of infection, including HIV, but had limited trust of that knowledge. They gave rationales for why they sometimes departed from infection‐control procedures. They had low levels of fear of homosexuals and of acquired immune deficiency syndrome. The hospital domestic workers had lower levels of accurate knowledge about infection control, including HIV, and less trust of that knowledge and of protection by health provider from occupational exposure to infection. They had low levels of fear of homosexuals and HIV. Both groups sought regular, small‐group, interactive education programs on infection control and HIV to allow them to discuss their concerns. Participatory education of workers should include eliciting concerns of participants, and should discuss concerns regarding administrators' and educators' interests in their safety and wellbeing.
Conducting regional health surveys using a computer‐assisted telephone interviewing method
Authors: Watson Eila K. , Firman David W. , Heywood Alison , Hauquitz Alan C. , Ring Ian
Published: August 2010

Abstract: After the creation of thirteen health regions within Queensland in 1991, the need arose for an information base at the regional level to assist regions with their role in planning, monitoring and evaluating health services. A series of regional health surveys was conducted in 1993 to provide this information, using a computer‐assisted telephone interviewing method. Over 10 400 interviews were conducted throughout the state. This is the first time a computer‐assisted method has been used on a large scale to collect health‐related information in Australia. Interviews used list‐directed or random‐digit dialling, depending on the rate of unlisted numbers in a region. Response rates were not significantly different for the two methods, although the number of contactable numbers attempted and the noncontact rates were significantly higher for random‐digit regions. The last‐birthday method was used to select the adult for interview in each household. The method resulted in a bias toward female respondents.
The public health significance of cannabis use in Australia
Authors: Hall Wayne
Published: August 2010

A fair appraisal of the public health significance of cannabis use has been hampered by the polarised opinions about its health effects expressed by partisans on both sides of the debate on its legal status. The findings of a recent review of the literature on the adverse health and psychological effects of cannabis are used to estimate the major probable public health risks of cannabis use in Australia. These appear to be, in order of approximate public health importance: adverse psychological effects; motor vehicle accidents; cannabis dependence; respiratory disease; precipitation and exacerbation of schizophrenia in vulnerable individuals; low‐birthweight babies; and perhaps subtle cognitive impairment. On current patterns of use, cannabis use is a modest public health concern by comparison with alcohol and tobacco, although given the scale of public health damage caused by the latter drugs, and the currently low prevalence of regular cannabis use, this is not cause for complacency. (Aust J Public Health1995; 19: 235–42)
Cervical cancer screening for hospital inpatients: report of an intervention study
Authors: Straton Judith A. Y. , Sutherland Gloria J. , Hyndman Jilda C. G.
Published: August 2010

A pilot study of a cervical cancer screening service was carried out at a major teaching hospital in Perth. The service, for women inpatients aged 20 to 69 years, was staffed by a women's health nurse. The effect of providing the service (service) was compared with giving a leaflet on Pap smears to eligible women (education) and with no intervention (control). Of 517 women in the service group, 184 (36 per cent) needed a Pap smear and were well enough to be offered screening; only 29 of 184 (16 per cent) refused and 132 of 184 (72 per cent) were screened. Of those screened, 29 per cent had never had a Pap smear. Information on women in the education and control groups was obtained by mailed questionnaire. Of the eligible women in the service group, 72 per cent accepted screening in hospital, but only 24 per cent of eligible women in the education group and 20 per cent in the control group reported having a Pap smear in the four months since leaving hospital. The service group showed a very large effect relative to the control group (odds ratio (OR) 17.71, 95 per cent confidence interval (CI) 10.05 to 31.22), but there was no significant difference between the education and control groups. Other significant variables in the logistic regression model were age, marital status, and sex of the woman's general practitioner. The effect of offering the service was greater for women over 50 (OR 51.51, CI 19.01 to 139.60) A hospital‐based cervical screening service provides an important opportunity for screening women who are not being reached by other services. (Aust J Public Health 1995; 19: 288–93)
Health care policy for Aboriginal Australians: the relevance of the American Indian experience
Authors: Kunitz Stephen J. , Brady Maggie
Published: August 2010

This paper discusses and compares the systems for the delivery of health care services to indigenous peoples in the United States and Australia; both are poor minorities in wealthy countries and many live in remote locations. Three necessary conditions that have shaped the relative success of the Indian Health Service in the United States are relevant to the Australian situation: federal government administration; the separation of the Indian Health Service from other Indian affairs; and the provision of an integrated health service. Ironically, recent policy changes in the United States by the Clinton administration are reducing the federal bureaucracy, and along with it, Indian Health Service funding. In Australia, the states have had responsibility for service delivery to Aboriginal people, there have been no treaties formalising the relationship between indigenous people and the federal government, and Aboriginal health has been switched between different departments while remaining primarily within the Aboriginal affairs (rather than the health) portfolio. Since 1993, there has been pressure to return Aboriginal health to the health portfolio, and in July 1995, funding and administration of Aboriginal health services were moved from the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission to the Department of Human Services and Health.
Issues in health policy for indigenous peoples in Canada
Authors: O'Neil John D.
Published: August 2010

This paper provides a preliminary report on the work of the Canadian Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples. This commission has spent the past four years undertaking a comprehensive review of all matters pertaining to indigenous people in Canada, and will publish a final report in late 1995 or early 1996. The paper provides an overview of health policy issues examined by the commission. The author was employed by the commission in various capacities to contribute to this analysis of indigenous people's health policy concerns. A disproportionate burden of illness has been suffered by indigenous peoples in Canada. Past policy has systematically undermined the capacity of indigenous communities to develop their own health care systems. Current concerns about health problems and services, as expressed by indigenous people at the commission's community hearings, describe a need for a community‐controlled and culturally appropriate approach to healing in indigenous communities. The commission's framework for developing an indigenous people's health strategy is intended to ensure that indigenous people have the capacity, the resources and the appropriate political environment in which to implement community healing. Its relevance to the Australian context may best be seen through a careful review of the commission's final report.
Evaluating government health and substance abuse programs for indigenous peoples: a comparative review
Authors: Gray Dennis , Saggers Sherry , Drandich Mary , Wallam Dawn , Plowright Paul
Published: August 2010

Most health and substance abuse programs for indigenous peoples in Australia are funded by government. Over the past decade there have been calls for greater accountability in the conduct of these programs. Initial attempts focused on the development of standardised performance indicators, an approach that has been criticised on both political and methodological grounds. Recently, some government agencies have sought to identify culturally appropriate models for the evaluation of programs for indigenous peoples. In a comparative review of the evaluation of indigenous programs in Australia and Canada, conducted for the Western Australian Aboriginal Affairs Department, the authors were not able to identify any generally applicable models. However, this literature review and our own research and experience in working with Aboriginal community organisations have identified some principles that should be an essential part of any attempts to evaluate health and substance abuse programs for indigenous peoples. Underlying these principles is the realisation that evaluation is not a politically or ideologically neutral activity. Theoretical and mediodological considerations of the evaluation process must take into account the very real differences between the agendas of indigenous peoples and those who seek to evaluate programs for them.
Contact tracing and sexually transmitted disease among Aboriginal men on the Anangu Pitjantjatjara lands
Authors: Mulvey Graeme , Manderson Lenore
Published: August 2010

Sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) are a major health problem for Pitjantjatjara Aboriginal people, causing considerable morbidity and being implicated in the potential rapid transmission of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection. This paper presents data in relation to STD contact tracing on the Anangu Pitjantjatjara lands. In‐depth interviews were conducted with Aboriginal men and non‐Aboriginal clinic staff to ascertain their attitudes to and perceptions of contact tracing. The interviews with Aboriginal men also sought more general information in relation to health‐seeking behaviour and knowledge of STDs. While contact tracing has proven an effective method of case detection on the Anangu Pitjantjatjara lands (most named contacts are able to be located and a high proportion are found to be infected), the data suggest that important constraining issues are the reluctance of Aboriginal men to consult with particular health workers because of moiety group considerations, concerns about confidentiality, and the low level of knowledge of STDs, particularly of largely asymptomatic infections such as chlamydia, syphilis and HIV.
Cultural factors in dialysis and renal transplantation among Aborigines and Torres Strait Islanders in North Queensland
Authors: Bennett Elizabeth , Manderson Lenore , Kelly Brian , Hardie Ian
Published: August 2010

Australian Aborigines experience end‐stage renal disease at 10 times the national average. Although contributing physiological factors have been widely discussed, there has been little research into cultural factors affecting treatment and outcomes. This paper discusses folk and lay understandings of renal physiology and disease aetiology, and social and cultural factors in dialysis and transplantation, in a group of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island renal transplant recipients. The implications for service delivery include the need for improved and clear information regarding renal disease and treatment and for culturally appropriate and acceptable support systems. Beliefs that continued alcohol consumption and poor nutrition were major reasons for kidney failure and separation from kin and country emerged as significant factors affecting treatment and leading to poor outcomes.
PLANNING AND SCHEDULING THE REPAIR SHOPS OF THE DEUTSCHE LUFTHANSA AG: A HIERARCHICAL APPROACH
Authors: SCHNEEWEISS CHRISTOPH A. , SCHRÖDER HELMUT
Published: August 2010

To plan and schedule the repair shops for recoverable parts at Deutsche Lufthansa AC, we designed a hierarchical model consisting of two levels. The top level calculates the optimal number of parts in the system to guarantee a certain service level while minimizing the capital tied up in parts. Given this provision, the lower level schedules the repair of parts so that the service level is actually maintained. Using queuing theory, the solution gives special attention to the different hierarchical dependencies. Lufthansa has implemented the model for its repair shops of electronic parts. Their experience with the model is discussed briefly.
A GENERAL APPROACH FOR COORDINATING PRODUCTION IN MULTIPLE‐CELL MANUFACTURING SYSTEMS
Authors: BUZACOTT JOHN A. , SHANTHIKUMAR J. GEORGE
Published: August 2010

We introduce a general approach to the coordination and control of material and information flow in multiple cell manufacturing systems. This approach uses production authorization cards (called PAC system) and generalizes such well‐known approaches as MRP (material requirements planning), KANBAN (japanese card system), OPT (optimized production technology), BSS (base. stock system), IC (integral control), CONWIP (constant work‐in‐process), and others. It provides a framework for developing coordination and control mechanisms that combine the desirable features of more than one of these traditional approaches. The coordination is achieved by the rules that determine when and how material and information flow through the system and by the appropriate choice of the parameters of these rules. We also discuss various models of the PAC system that can be used to gain insight into the impact of the choices of the parameters. Directions for future research in this area is also outlined.
SEQUENCING AND BATCHING FOR TWO CLASSES OF JOBS WITH DEADLINES AND SETUP TIMES
Authors: WOODRUFF DAVID L. , SPEARMAN MARK L.
Published: August 2010

We formulate a general sequencing problem that includes two classes of jobs with setup times, setup costs, holding costs, and deadlines. The formulation is unique in its explicit recognition of the opportunities to exploit productive capacity increases due to batching. An algorithm based on tabu search is then used as a solution method. Computational results are presented that suggest that the algorithm is effective.
INTRODUCING INTERNATIONAL ISSUES INTO OPERATIONS MANAGEMENT CURRICULA
Authors: LAWRENCE STEPHEN R. , ROSENBLATT MEIR J.
Published: August 2010

As the world moves toward a global economy, it is increasingly important that operations management courses prepare students to address globalization issues. The purpose of this paper is to contribute to the dialog concerning how international topics are best incorporated into operations management curricula. On the basis of the results of a survey of operations management academicians worldwide, current course offerings are cataloged and topic areas critical to the globalization of operations are identified. Four major reasons for studying international operations management are proposed, which provide the basis for recommendations on how international topics can be introduced into established operations courses and for the design of an elective course in global operations. Finally, teaching materials relevant to international operations are surveyed.
SERVICE‐BASED MANUFACTURING: THE SERVICE FACTORY
Authors: CHASE RICHARD B. , KUMAR K. RAVI , YOUNGDAHL WILLIAM E.
Published: August 2010

Evidence suggests that factory‐based service will become the next form of competition among manufacturers. If this is true, then manufacturing executives will have to obtain a clear understanding of the service capabilities of their plants and adjust their strategies accordingly. We define a set of factory‐based services, information, problem solving, sales, and support, and suggest that they be considered in developing manufacturing strategy. Several propositions provide a framework for future research by linking service performance variables to conventionally accepted manufacturing performance variables.
THE EFFECT OF LEARNING ON THE OPERATION OF MIXED‐MODEL ASSEMBLY LINES
Authors: CHAKRAVARTY AMIYA K. , SHTUB AVRAHAM
Published: August 2010

The common approach to balancing mixed‐model assembly lines assumes that the line operators are well trained and that the learning effect is negligible. The assumption is that the line operates in steady state over a long period of time. Time‐based competition and frequent design changes in many products make this assumption incorrect, and the effect of learning on mixed‐model lines should not be neglected.

We defined start‐up period and developed a model for the line design during start‐up. It can be used to evaluate a proposed line design or to develop a feasible line design and to estimate its cost. This proposed model integrates mixed‐model learning curves with aggregate planning under learning and a mixed‐model line design into a comprehensive framework designed to minimize the total cost of the line during the start‐up period.
EXISTENCE AND DERIVATION OF FORECAST HORIZONS IN A DYNAMIC LOT SIZE MODEL WITH NONDECREASING HOLDING COSTS
Authors: BYLKA STANISLAW , SETHI SURESH
Published: August 2010

We are concerned with a discrete‐time undiscounted dynamic lot size model in which demand and the production setup cost are constant for an initial few periods and the holding cost of inventory is an arbitrary nondecreasing function assumed to be stationary (i.e., explicitly independent of time) in the same initial few periods. We show that there exists a finite forecast horizon in our model and obtain an explicit formula for it. In addition, we obtain fairly general conditions under which the existence of a solution horizon in the model implies the existence of a forecast horizon. We also derive an explicit formula for the minimal solution horizon. These results extend the earlier ones obtained for the dynamic lot size model with linearly increasing holding costs.
TECHNICAL NOTE: A SIMPLE MODEL FOR OPTIMIZING THE SINGLE MACHINE EARLY/TARDY PROBLEM WITH SEQUENCE‐DEPENDENT SETUPS
Authors: COLEMAN B. JAY
Published: August 2010

A simple mixed integer programming model for the N job/single machine scheduling problem with possibly sequence‐dependent setup times, differing earliness/tardiness cost penalties, and variable due dates is proposed and evaluated for computational efficiency. Results indicated that the computational effort required to reach optimality rose with the number of jobs to be scheduled and with decreased variance in due dates. Though computational effort was significant for the largest problems solved, the model remained viable for optimizing research scale problems.
COORDINATION ALTERNATIVES IN A MANUFACTURER/DEALER INVENTORY SYSTEM UNDER STOCHASTIC DEMAND
Authors: ERNST RICARDO , COHEN MORRIS A.
Published: August 2010

This paper introduces a stochastic model of a distribution system where the stocking location is owned by a dealer (or retailer) and the product is supplied by a manufacturer. Inventory is managed by the dealer, and the manufacturer is responsible for delivery of the product through both regular replenishment and expedite shipment modes. The dealer and the manufacturer share the goal of providing a high level of customer service. Demand, moreover, is a function of the service level offered to the market by the dealer. We develop optimal stock control policies for the cases where each decision maker in turn is dominant and acts unilaterally while being constrained by the supply/demand linkages of the system. We also develop an optimum policy for the case where both levels are managed under centralized control (i.e., both levels cooperate). Results indicate that the expected profit for a dominant dealer (or dominant manufacturer) is higher under decentralized control than the optimal solution for either under centralized control. However, the centralized solution is a global‐optimal solution and therefore will guarantee longterm stability. Differences between the various solutions are analyzed explicitly to estimate the cost of coordination.
A MODEL‐BASED DECISION SUPPORT SYSTEM FOR SCHEDULING LUMBER DRYING OPERATIONS
Authors: AGGARWAL A. K. , VEMUGANTI R. R. , FETNER W.
Published: August 2010

Raw lumber must be dried to a specified level of moisture content before it can be used to make furniture. This paper deals with a model‐based decision support system (DSS) for a local furniture manufacturing company to assist its management in scheduling lumber drying operations. In addition to buying ready‐to‐use dried lumber from vendors at a premium, the company processes raw lumber in house using two production process that require various lengths of processing time in predryers and dry‐kilns.

Given the demand for various types of dried lumber over a specified planning horizon, the processing times and costs for each production process, technological restrictions, and management policies, the problem of interest is to satisfy the demand at a minimum cost. The DSS incorporates the mathematical formulation of this problem, is user friendly, maintains model and data independence, and generates the necessary reports, including loading and unloading schedules for the equipment.
A DECISION THEORY APPROACH TO PRIORITY DISPATCHING FOR JOB SHOP SCHEDULING
Authors: KANET JOHN J. , ZHOU ZHUOQUN
Published: August 2010

Recent developments in the design of job shop scheduling systems have inspired a new approach to priority dispatching. The basis for the approach is in elementary decision theory: at each decision juncture define the alternative courses of action, evaluate the consequences of each alternative according to a given criterion, and choose the best alternative. The experimental results of a simulated single machine queueing system reinforce earlier findings that a decision theory approach represents a significant advance over conventional priority dispatching.
INNOVATION STRATEGY AND FINANCIAL PERFORMANCE IN MANUFACTURING COMPANIES: AN EMPIRICAL STUDY
Authors: ZAHRA SHAKER A. , DAS SIDHARTHA R.
Published: August 2010

An innovation strategy for the manufacturing function covers four areas: a firm's desired innovation leadership orientation (i.e., being a leader versus being a follower), its level of emphasis on process and product innovation, its use of internal and external sources of innovations, and its intensity of investment in innovation. We examine two models of the association between manufacturing companies' innovation strategy and their financial performance. The first examines the variations in company financial performance as a function of the simultaneous effect of the dimensions of innovation strategy. The second is a sequential model that suggests a causal sequence among the dimensions of innovation strategy that may lead to higher performance. We used data from a sample of 149 manufacturing companies to test the models. The results (1) support the importance of innovation strategy as a determinant of company financial performance, (2) suggest that both models are appropriate for examining the associations between the dimensions of innovation strategy and company performance, and (3) show that the sequential model provides additional insights into the indirect contribution of the individual dimensions of innovation strategy to company performance. Finally, we discuss the implications of these results for managers.
AN AUTOMATIC MODELING APPROACH TO THE STRATEGIC ANALYSIS OF SEMICONDUCTOR FABRICATION FACILITIES
Authors: DEUERMEYER BRYAN L. , CURRY GUY L. , FELDMAN RICHARD M.
Published: August 2010

We developed a framework for analyzing semiconductor fabrication facilities where each processing step of each product can use a collection of resources. The interaction of these resources is not prespecified by the analysis system but is described by the modeler. Our framework includes three types of modeling approaches: analytic approximation, simulation, and a hybrid analytic/simulation technique. All models are automatically generated from a data description of the facility and the products produced, along with the resource interaction models provided by the user. The novel feature of our approach is that the data description language includes a simple but quite flexible simulation‐like modeling language for expressing resource interactions. Our analytic modeling approach is an extension of the standard decomposition method used for studying networks of queues. In our hybrid analytic/simulation technique we use simulation to estimate processing step flow times to improve the performance of the analytic model.
A PAVEMENT MANAGEMENT DECISION SUPPORT SYSTEM
Authors: SAINFORT FRANÇOIS , FRYBACK DENNIS G. , DEICHTMANN JEAN , ROSS FRED , SHOBER STEPHEN , DECABOOTER PHILIP , WEISS KAREN
Published: August 2010

We present a pavement management expert system developed by the University of Wisconsin‐Madison and implemented within a geographical information system for the Wisconsin Department of Transportation. The system uses pavement data regularly collected on the state's 12,000 miles of highway to assist engineers, planners, and budget analysts' management decisions about pavements to be included in 6‐year improvement and 3‐year maintenance programs. The system has a three‐layer architecture. The lowest level suggests treatments for each of a large number of small segments of highway. The middle layer aggregates segments, suggests alternative treatments, and estimates the cost of each. The top layer prioritizes the projects and incorporates them into intermediate‐range plans. The geographical information system environment enables integration of existing databases within the system using a topologically structured geographic database and specialized software.
AN IMPROVED IMPLEMENTATION OF THE WAGNER‐WHITIN ALGORITHM
Authors: HEADY RONALD B. , ZHU ZHIWEI
Published: August 2010

We have developed an improved implementation of the Wagner‐Whitin algorithm for economic lot‐sizing problems based on the planning‐horizon theorem and the Economic‐Part‐Period concept. For many rigorous test conditions, this algorithm is about twice as fast and requires only half the array storage capacity of the previously fastest algorithm. Its execution time is approximately linear in the number of periods in the planning‐horizon.
IMPLEMENTING INITIATIVES ON QUALITY: AN INTRODUCTION TO THE SPECIAL ISSUE ON TOTAL QUALITY MANAGEMENT
Authors: SINGHAL KALYAN
Published: August 2010

In the early 1980s, companies around the world, learning from the Japanese experience, saw that they could address their severe competitive problems related to productivity and quality only by looking at the entire set of processes and organizational relationships in the context of the customer's needs. This approach was termed total quality management (TQM). As companies pursue quality‐related initiatives, they must deal with a number of issues; some of these issues are addressed here: measurement of benefits, feedback and recognition, work‐teams, teaching continuous improvement, and enhancing the effectiveness of statistical process control charts.
EXCELLENCE AT ROHM AND HAAS KENTUCKY: A CASE STUDY OF WORK‐TEAM INTRODUCTION IN MANUFACTURING
Authors: GUPTA YASH P. , ASH DANIEL
Published: August 2010

Over the past few years we have witnessed a sharp decline in the domestic and international market share of U.S. manufacturing organizations. The decline in U.S. manufacturing has provided an avalanche of criticism and attention in the literature and popular press. Recently, however, several organizations have implemented new work‐force management policies to reverse the decline. We describe the case of Rohm and Haas Kentucky, Incorporated, a plant that has implemented work teams. The outcomes of these innovations include a decline in worker grievances and turnover, an improvement in the safety record of the plant, as well as an increase in productivity.
BENCHMARKING MANUFACTURING PERFORMANCE IN THE SEMICONDUCTOR INDUSTRY
Authors: BENSON ROBERT F. , CUNNINGHAM SEAN P. , LEACHMAN ROBERT C.
Published: August 2010

A methodology for benchmarking manufacturing practices in the worldwide semiconductor industry is presented. Several metrics for measuring semiconductor manufacturing performance are defined and discussed. Interviews conducted during site visits are used to identify the managerial, technical, and organizational practices underlying superior metric performance. Multivariate statistical analyses of the performance metric data indicate that these performance metrics measure independent aspects of performance and expose significant performance differences among fabs.
ON‐LINE QUALITY MANAGEMENT: INTEGRATION OF PRODUCT INSPECTION AND PROCESS CONTROL
Authors: CHEN WEN‐HSIEN , TIRUPATI DEVANATH
Published: August 2010

A growing recognition that quality management is an important factor in defining a firm's competitive position has led to renewed attention to this function and has resulted in implementation of elaborate systems for on‐line quality control comprising product inspection and process control. Traditionally, these functions have been treated independently, with very little interaction. In this paper we examine, in detail, a scheme that integrates the two functions, and we demonstrate that such an approach can result in significant cost savings. The motivation for this work comes from our experience in a wafer fabrication facility that suggested that exchange of quality information between different stages of production could result in significant performance improvements.

To illustrate this approach, we consider a specific environment characterized by a single‐stage continuous production process whose status is monitored by an X̄ control chart. We assume that quality‐related costs may be described as a function of the process output. This is analogous to Taguchi's quality loss function and may be interpreted as a generalization of conventional classification of process output as either acceptable or defective units. The integrative scheme essentially relies on utilization of the process status information (based on process control) in making product inspection decisions. For this system we derive a cost model and develop a solution procedure to determine optimal decision parameters. Limited computational results indicate that the scheme has significant potential for reducing quality‐related costs.
EXPLAINING PLANT‐LEVEL DIFFERENCES IN MANUFACTURING OVERHEAD: STRUCTURAL AND EXECUTIONAL COST DRIVERS IN THE WORLD AUTO INDUSTRY
Authors: ITTNER CHRISTOPHER D. , MACDUFFIE JOHN PAUL
Published: August 2010

Using data from 62 automobile assembly plants worldwide, we examine the extent to which various structural cost drivers (plant scale, automation, and product mix complexity) and exe‐cutionalcost drivers (product manufacturability, management policies, and production practices) account for plant‐level differences in manufacturing overhead. Our analysis of structural drivers finds that overhead hours per vehicle are negatively associated with production volumes, consistent with economies of scale in overhead functions. However, automation appears to have little influence on overhead levels. Product mix complexity's effect on overhead requirements varies with the complexity's form and the plant's manufacturing capabilities. Option and parts complexity (measures of peripheral and intermediate product variety) both exhibit adverse effects on overhead, reflecting the considerable logistical, coordination, and supervisory challenges that accompany an increased number of parts and more complex manufacturing tasks. In contrast, model mix complexity (a measure of fundamental variety) appears to have little impact on direct or overhead labor requirements in auto assembly plants. Our analysis of executional drivers provides empirical support for the claim that advanced manufacturing practices such as the reduction of buffers, multiskilled production workers, and the use of teams can lower overhead costs. We also find preliminary evidence that the lower overhead costs in Japanese auto assembly plants are due primarily to the use of multiskilled work teams and the shifting of traditional overhead activities to production workers. Overall, our results indicate that manufacturing overhead is a function not only of the structural cost drivers that have dominated the academic literature but also of executional cost drivers that are harder to duplicate and therefore potentially more valuable for achieving competitive advantage.
SCIENCE‐BASED PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT: AN EMPIRICAL STUDY OF THE MAINFRAME COMPUTER INDUSTRY
Authors: IANSITI MARCO
Published: August 2010

This paper reports on the results of an empirical study of product development in a complex and novel environment. The work is based on field investigations of recent product development projects performed by all leading mainframe computer producers. The projects focused on the development of complex products based on advanced technologies and probed deeply into their science base. The results show striking differences in development lead time and research and development productivity between different projects. The analysis relates these performance differences to the process for the integration of new technology. Organizations that emphasize the accumulation of system‐level knowledge of product and production process and its use in technology evaluation and selection are associated with high productivity and short development lead times. This appears to have a greater impact on development performance in this novel environment than more traditional factors, such as processes for effective crossfunctional integration and for overlapping problem solving.
CELLULAR PRODUCTION SYSTEMS: A CONCURRENT CLUSTER ANALYTIC FRAMEWORK
Authors: Mosier Charles T. , Martin Gene E.
Published: August 2010

We propose an agglomerative heuristic cluster analysis framework for application to the part‐family and machine‐cell formation problems associated with group technology. This framework addresses the notion of concurrently forming clusters of parts (families) and machines (cells) based on natural between‐part and between‐machine relationships and the strength of association relating pairs of parts with pairs of machines. An illustrative model is presented and operational aspects demonstrated using a small problem.
STATE‐OF‐THE‐ART SURVEY: OPEN QUEUEING NETWORKS: OPTIMIZATION AND PERFORMANCE EVALUATION MODELS FOR DISCRETE MANUFACTURING SYSTEMS
Authors: Bitran Gabriel R. , Morabito Reinaldo
Published: August 2010

In this survey we review methods to analyze open queueing network models for discrete manufacturing systems. We focus on design and planning models for job shops. The survey is divided in two parts: in the first we review exact and approximate decomposition methods for performance evaluation models for single and multiple product class networks. The second part reviews optimization models of three categories of problems: the first minimizes capital investment subject to attaining a performance measure (WIP or lead time), the second seeks to optimize the performance measure subject to resource constraints, and the third explores recent research developments in complexity reduction through shop redesign and products partitioning.
A TECHNIQUE TO MINIMIZE OVERTIME IN THE CAPACITATED MRP PROBLEM
Authors: Adenso‐Diaz Belarmino , Laguna Manuel
Published: August 2010

Since the development of early versions of material requirements planning (mrp) systems, it has been known that a weak link in this technique is the failure to consider the available capacity at the time the lot sizes for individual items are calculated. Ignoring the available capacity may result in infeasible production plans, i.e., those that can only be accomplished with the use of overtime. We present a technique to search for feasible production plans by means of minimizing the total overtime. The technique is based on modifying periodic‐order‐quantity (poq) lot sizes within a tabu search framework. Computational experiments with the largest problem structure reported in the literature show that the procedure is effective in determining lot sizes for individual items that either minimize or eliminate overtime. Additional experiments reveal that, with appropriate calibration of search parameters, the procedure is also able to deal with more general cost functions (e.g., those that include holding and setup costs).