bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
An Experimental Investigation and Comparative Evaluation of Production Line Balancing Techniques
Authors: Mastor Anthony A. 
Published: November 2008

Although computationally feasible optimizing algorithms for solving the production line balancing problem have not been found, a number of computational techniques have been devised and used to obtain solutions which are not necessarily optimal solutions but are hoped to be good solutions. In the study the most prominent of these techniques are examined and compared by applying them to a sample of production line balancing problems. The maximum output rate attained for a specified line length is used as the measure of effectiveness and the computing time required to make line balancing calculations for a specified output rate is used as the measure of cost. The central results of the study show that there are significant differences among the effectiveness results achieved by the line balancing techniques. Although the differences are not large, there are few changes in the relative effectiveness of the computing techniques over the range of line lengths, partial ordering strengths, and problem sizes that were investigated. For the larger problems the computing time differences are significant and in some instances are a more important consideration in the relative evaluation of the computing techniques than are the effectiveness results.
Urban Statistics and Their Treatment and Use for Decision-Makers
Authors: Carr Frank J. 
Published: November 2008

While population growth and urbanization are the source of the problems of our cities, hoped for solutions lie in the management of our urban systems. Urban statistics are not only observations of the urban culture but the data used by decision-makers who cope with the individual problems of traffic, pollution, crime and education. The urban information system is characterized by many subsystems having functional and jurisdictional boundaries which defy integration in the commonly understood sense of the word as used in information systems parlance. However, integration of subsystems, in effect, if not in form, can be achieved through the appropriate design of interfaces among the subsystems and with the user. This paper describes such a network design for a national system. The approach outlined and the techniques described would in principle be equally applicable to systems at the state or local level.
Adaptive Limits in Inventory Control
Authors: Eilon Samuel , Elmaleh Joseph 
Published: November 2008

In conventional reorder policies for inventory control, stocks are allowed to fluctuate between two prescribed limits: a lower limit corresponding to a safety stock to guard against runouts, and an upper limit to which the stock is replenished from time to time. Methods have been suggested for computing optimal upper and lower limits for the case of stationary demand patterns. The adoption of two rigid limits for controlling inventories for nonstationary demand patterns, which include trends and seasonal fluctuations, is clearly not satisfactory. Published papers in inventory control rarely devote enough attention to the need for a link between forecasting and a reorder policy. A method is suggested in this paper for computing adaptive control limits based on a forecasting procedure that takes account of seasonal fluctuations and trends. The method has been simulated for inventory models with varying parameters. Invariably it has yielded results which were equal to and usually better than those obtained by the optimal “fixed-limits” method. For example, in the case of a normal demand distribution, and a given level of satisfying demand, the reduction in costs resulting from the adaptive control procedure was found to be well over 30%.
Information Systems and Public Planning
Authors: Hoos Ida R. 
Published: November 2008

Persuaded that management information systems will help them achieve efficiency of operation and attain organizational goals, public planners, like those in the private sector, are eagerly embarking on ambitious feasibility studies and contracting for elaborate hardware and software systems. Since this effort is being undertaken in the service of the public, it is important to assess the social costs and benefits. The research focus of the work on which this paper is based is on information systems as entities in themselves and as components of a larger systems design. After analyzing the three discretely defined but operationally joined concepts, information, system, and the information system, we examine the four assumptions underlying the general acceptance of the information system as a management tool: (1) that more information leads to better plans or decisions; (2) that more and faster-moving information necessarily enhances “efficiency” of operation; (3) that greater “efficiency” is identical with better public service; and (4) that information systems are best conceived, designed, and controlled by “information experts,” whose talents are movable and ubiquitous. Information systems in public welfare, criminal justice, and land use are reviewed as cases in point, and the conclusion drawn that while there is no gainsaying the fact that in each area a body of organized information is essential to systematic analysis and planning, there exists considerable confusion between quantity and quality, between the necessary and the busy. So far, there is a lack of clarification not only as to the proper constitution of the information system but also about the qualifications of the “experts” designing them. Unfortunate as these matters are in raising the costs and lowering the benefits (economic and social, as well), they have ominous implications when viewed in the light of the many-fronted encroachments by computerized information systems on individuals' right to privacy. The data bank and the dossier may be rationalized as means to efficiency, but they cannot be reconciled with democratic process and freedom from cradle-to-grave surveillance.
A Language for Organization Design: Part I
Authors: Ansoff H. I. , Brandenburg R. G. 
Published: November 2008

This paper develops a language for designing the structure of a purposive organization so as to maximize organizational performance potential for achieving given objectives. Four categories of performance attributes are specified, each contributing to the particular objectives an organization pursues in seeking maximum return from the resources it employs: steady-state efficiency, operating responsiveness, strategic responsiveness, structural responsiveness. A fifth category, decision and information quality criteria, further contributes to organizational success. These five types of criteria, combined with tests of economic and human resource feasibility, are used to select and tailor one of several basic organizational forms to meet the particular needs of a firm. Basic organizational forms, observable in business practice, analyzed with respect to the above performance attributes, include: centralized functional form, decentralized divisional form, project management form, innovative form. Several variations on these forms, which have been used in business, are listed along with conditions for the applicability of each, reflecting the need for individual firms to adapt basic structures to suit their distinctive requirements. Major steps in the logic of the overall design process are specified.
A Heuristic Programming Solution to a Nonlinear Cutting Stock Problem
Authors: Haessler Robert W. 
Published: November 2008

A heuristic procedure for scheduling production rolls of paper through a finishing operation to cut them down to finished roll sizes is described. The ratio of service time to interarrival time of production rolls at the initial cutting station is large so that insufficient time is available to set it up unless a minimum number of production rolls are to be processed in the same manner. Otherwise, some portion of each production roll must go through a reprocessing operation to complete the cutting of finished sizes. The objective is to minimize the cost of trim loss and reprocessing. The procedure generates cutting patterns and usage levels sequentially until all the requirements are satisfied. At each step the search is dependent upon the characteristics of the unsatisfied requirements. A maximum of three solutions is generated for each problem. If none satisfies a predetermined aspiration level, the best of the three is chosen. The procedure was evaluated by scheduling a specific paper production facility and observing the results for a set of 15 problems. For each problem, the best solution was recorded. The overall results from this set of problems were then compared to previously recorded results on problems solved manually. There was a 16% improvement in solution quality for the heuristic procedure relative to the manual method.
Communications to the Editor—Comment on the Fractile Approach to Linear Programming under Risk
Authors: Hazell Peter B. R. 
Published: November 2008

Sengupta and Portillo-Campbell have recently proposed a fractile decision criterion for risk situations as an alternative to the expected value and E-V criteria [Sengupta, J. K., J. H. Portillo-Campbell. 1970. A fractile approach to linear programming under risk. Management Sci. 16(5, January) 298–308.]. The fractile model seems to add little to the current literature on risk programming models under normality assumptions except to provide a direct solution procedure for identification of a specific solution in a Baumol efficient E-L set.
The “Investment '85” Model of Electricite de France
Authors: Bessière Francis 
Published: November 2008

The purpose of the “Investment 85” model is to shed light on the evolution, up to 1985, of the optimal structure of electricity production equipment in France and to outline its geographical distribution by main regions. The model fits into the general pattern of theoretical studies which contribute to the preparation of investment decisions by Electricité de France. It was solved in 1965 and represents the status then current in the application of mathematical programming methods to investment decision problems faced by Electricité de France. A detailed description of the model including the production and consumption features is provided. The various components of the total cost and the constraints are discussed. A treatment of the problem under uncertainty is given and the main results of the model are summarized. In addition the paper contains a historical review of the main stages in the development of the model and its solution.
Admissible Decision Rules for the E-Model of Chance-Constrained Programming
Authors: Eisner Mark J. , Kaplan Robert S. , Soden John V. 
Published: November 2008

This paper is concerned with characterizing decision rules for the sequential E-model of chance-constrained programming. A key feature of our characterization will be a detailed discussion of various interpretations of the probability operator in the chance constraints. Specifically we define two new classes of decision rules by exhibiting those sets of constraints which locally support the corresponding probability requirements. The question of how the probabilistic constraints for future periods are affected by previous decisions and realizations of the random variables is considered in detail. Since we are primarily concerned with the feasibility of decision rules, we deal mainly with the constraints of the model. The procedure for selecting the optimum rule from among a particular class of feasible rules depends on the objective function and is briefly discussed in the final section along with some implications concerning the form of the optimum rule. The application of our proposed rules to a two-period example previously appearing in the literature concludes the paper.
Work Sampling in Financial Management—Cost Determination in Post Office Department
Authors: Mandel B. J. 
Published: November 2008

Work Sampling has been described by some authorities as the best and most objective method of measuring the time and cost of performing the various functions of complex organizations for use in management, budgeting and setting performance standards. Yet its use for these purposes has been quite limited. This paper is designed to encourage further use of Work Sampling. It describes what is probably the largest continuing application of Work Sampling in the world, namely, that made by the Post Office Department. About 4.5 million observations are made during a year at randomly selected instants of time to estimate the cost of the in-office activities and over 200,000 employees participate each year. The paper describes the basic objectives served by the application, the size and composition of the universe of interest, the methods of sampling, the sample size used, the estimation procedure, the methods of measuring sampling variation and controlling the quality of the information. In addition, a few areas of research to improve the sample design are described. The Post Office Department needs to know the cost it incurs to handle and deliver the mail in each class (e.g., first class and air mail) in order to compare it with the corresponding postage or other revenue earned by class. This information is needed primarily to recommend postal rate changes to Congress. While the total cost of postal activities currently amounts to about $7 billion a year, a first step taken in estimating the cost of each class by probability sampling deals with the in-office costs. This cost currently amounts to about $4 billion a year. Later probability sampling applications will be extended to cover out-of-office and other postal costs. A sophisticated three-stage sample design was adopted. First, a stratified random sample of 500 post offices was selected. Stratification was based on size of office. Then, a digital one percent sample of employees in these offices was selected to participate each week. Finally, the work which the selected employees are performing is observed at four randomly chosen instants of time during their 8-hour work day. Thus, each employee is generally work-sampled at 20 instances a week and a total of about 4.5 million readings are made annually. A quality control type of edit and control system has been established to detect and correct field reporting errors, thus helping to obtain high quality of results.
Optimal Entrepreneurial Decisions in a Completely Stochastic Environment
Authors: Hakansson Nils H. 
Published: November 2008

This paper develops a normative model of the entrepreneur's decision problem in which the following elements are stochastic: the entrepreneur's preferences, his lifetime, the returns from investments, and the process obeyed by the interest rate. Furthermore, the entrepreneur's preferences are assumed to be sensitive to the opportunities facing him at each decision point as well as other environmental factors. At each decision point the entrepreneur must decide how to allocate his resources between consumption, life insurance, various investment opportunities, and lending/borrowing. His objective is postulated to be the maximization of expected utility from consumption as long as he lives and from the bequest left upon his death. Optimal decision functions are obtained in closed form for a class of utility functions; their properties are examined and compared to those of the optimal strategies of less general models.
Automating Judgmental Decision Making for a Serious Medical Problem
Authors: Betaque Norman E. , Gorry G. Anthony 
Published: November 2008

A decision theory model of the diagnosis and treatment of a serious medical condition, acute renal failure, has been implemented as part of a study of automated judgmental decision-making. An interactive diagnostic computer program was used to test the model. This program employs formal decision procedures and the subjective assessment of likelihoods and preferences of experts to analyze the diagnostic/treatment problem. The program's success in duplicating the decisions of expert clinicians in about 90 per cent of the cases used indicates that the method of analysis is not only a convenient structure for theoretically describing diagnosis and treatment, but that it is potentially a practical way of analyzing such decision problems.
Computing Expected Values of Customer Requests Backordered
Authors: Kaplan Alan J. 
Published: November 2008

Suppose that the stockout cost for a supplier is a function of the number of customer requests backordered, each request possibly being for several units of stock of a product. The problem arises of computing the expected number of customer requests backordered. when techniques are available for computing the expected number of units backordered. A simple conversion factor is desirable. Based on a formal analysis, the conversion factor 1/E(X) is recommended where E(X) is average size of a customer request. This conclusion is contrary to that reached in previously published research. Analysis is extended to the case where backorder cost is time weighted; i.e., backordered sales are not lost, and the cost of a backorder depends on the time elapsing before the customer request is finally satisfied.
On Time Flow Mechanisms for Discrete System Simulation
Authors: Nance Richard K. 
Published: November 2008

Previous concepts of time flow mechanisms are inadequate for categorizing or describing the algorithms for time flow which may prove most efficient for a particular systems application. The work of Kiviat [6] provides a more meaningful categorization. The patrolling repairman problem serves as an example of the ambiguity and inconsistency in the use of fixed time and next-event classification. Three algorithms for time flow in the patrolling model are offered. Theoretical development is provided for the two more sophisticated algorithms—the variable increment (VIA) and the minimum increment comparison (MICA). Comparison of execution times for the three algorithms shows the constant increment (CI) to be generally more efficient. The concept of a continuum of algorithms for representing the passage of time is advanced. Fixed time methods with Δt considered a “clock tick” define one end of the continuum, and next-event methods utilizing strictly the push down/pop up stack approach define the other. Between these two extremes lie other algorithms possessing characteristics of both but which may prove more advantageous for any specific application of discrete system simulation.
A Planning Model for Construction Minerals
Authors: Bishko Donald , Wallace William A. 
Published: November 2008

The problem of allocating construction minerals is rarely considered by those who plan the destiny of our urban environment. The purpose of this research is: (1) to delineate in dollar terms the magnitude of the result of not planning for the consumption of construction minerals, and (2) to develop a computer simulation model which will provide planners with an indication of the effects of decisions. affecting these resources. Construction mineral aggregates (sand, gravel, and crushed stone) are among the earth's most plentiful, yet are rapidly being rendered inaccessible in those areas which need them most. They are characterized by a low intrinsic value, a high bulk, and a delivered price which is very sensitive to the transportation cost associated with moving them from the quarries to their points of demand, It is ironic that the cities which create the demands for mineral aggregates are, at the same time, preventing their extraction by being built over them or by legally limiting their use through zoning restrictions. The simulation model which has been developed enables the planner to investigate the effects of various zoning strategies. It allows him to investigate the results of limiting individual operations and to force the removal of material from a site before it is covered by urban development. It does not attempt to search for decisions which yield “optimal” solutions; rather it indicates the results, over a (simulated) time period, of various planning strategies, thus providing the planner with greater insight into the effects of the decisions that he alone can make.
A Note on Verification of Computer Simulation Models
Authors: Aigner Dennis J. 
Published: November 2008

This paper establishes an argument that questions the validity of one “test” of goodness-of-fit for the simulated time path of a single endogenous variable in a simultaneous, perhaps dynamic, econometric model. The test was suggested by Cyert and Cohen, and consists of two parts, within the context of a regression of the actual series on the generated series: a test that the intercept of this regression differs significantly from zero and a test that the slope of this regression differs significantly from one. Presumably, the intuition underlying the test is that if the simulation model is a good one this regression should be a 45° line through the origin. The paper's primary purpose is to demonstrate that this intuition is wrong in general for the case of “stochastic simulation.”
A Model for National Development
Authors: Brotchie J. F. , Toakley A. R. , Sharpe R. 
Published: November 2008

In this paper a mathematical model is presented for allocation of activities to zones or to resources at the national or regional level. The model is intended for use within the framework of the systems approach for engineering and economic planning. The model is basically a quadratic programming model and allocates activities to zones in space and time such that a merit function is maximized. The merit includes the benefits less costs of establishing and operating the activities in the zones plus the benefits less costs of interactions between activities along paths between zones. The activities may be the various industries, primary or secondary, water storage and utilization, power generation, transportation terminals and urban development. The interactions may comprise flows of people, goods, materials, services, information, pollution, and the extent to which one activity stimulates or counteracts another including economy of scale and scarce resource effects. The zones may be considered at a hierarchy of levels such as global, national, regional, subregional, urban and even particular project sites. The paths are the vehicular transportation networks, pipes and wire networks. The model has broad application to allocation problems including allocation of activities to zones, resources to activities, and elements to sets for the purpose of grouping and structuring decisions and information flows. It is currently being applied to the macro planning of an urban region (Melbourne), to industrial and building layouts, grouping of elements, and scheduling problems.
The Crop Planning Decision Problem: A Comment
Authors: Janssen Christian T. L. 
Published: November 2008

In the October 1969 issue of Management Science, Professor Warren Hausman presented a framework for analysis of sequential decision problems of a recurring nature (“Sequential Decision Problems: A Model to Exploit Existing Forecasters,” pp. B93-B111). His system consists of a dynamic programming decision model based upon successively revised forecasts of a key unknown variable and on the probability distribution of forecast changes. The decision system is illustrated with an application to a specific crop planning problem faced by a vegetable processor. We focus, in this comment, on the specific crop supply problem used by Hausman to illustrate the applicability of his general framework. Hausman's assumption that crop adjustment costs are quadratic allows the following simplifications to be demonstrated: (a) No grid search and no numerical integration is needed to solve the stated crop planning problem; a closed-form analytical solution is possible in this case. (b) The closed-form solution does not depend on the form of the probability density function for forecast revisions, but only on its first two moments.