# Optimizing Design of Smart Workplace through Multi-Objective Programming
## 4 Proposed Smart Workplace Design Optimization Procedure  
In this section, we introduce the proposed smart workplace design optimization procedure (See Figure 1). The proposed procedure starts with analyzing the workplace environment to define the basic model building blocks elements. In step 2, the workplace goals, operational objectives are accurately detailed and specified. Next, it will be significant to rank and weigh the importance of each goal, objectives in their hierarchy. This is achieved in step 3. After, in step 4, we list the commonly available smart enabling technologies (SETs), and their average cost estimates based on a literature survey and commercial reports. Then, in step 5, based on their nature of the workplace, we survey the relevant and widely addressed and implemented smartness attributes or features, which are related to the implementation of SETs. Step 6 involves constructing fuzzy positive impact relations among defined model building blocks in step 1 and whose elements were detailed in steps 2 through 5. Expert decision analysts assign their judgments to quantify relations among model elements using linguistic or direct numeric values utilizing an established psychometric scale. In step 7, we employ the fuzzy relations' composition operator to combine the linked direct fuzzy relations to attain the target indirect positive impact relations between the SETs and the operational objectives of the workplace to enable making preference judgment and optimization of SETs impacts. Step 8 involves developing a conceived logical scenario for deploying the different types of SETs in the workplace environment. This is important to estimate the number of individual SET and their corresponding costs. Step 9 collects several outputs of steps 3, 7, and 8, including the weights of each operational objective, positive impact relations values of each of the SETs on each of the operational objectives, and the cost estimate of SETs computed as the multiplication of their quantities by the unit costs. Then, we formulate multiple objective fuzzy goal programming models to optimize the adoption of SETs in the smart workplace design, based on maximizing their total positive impact values on each operational objective, while satisfying the total budget limit constraint. Step 10 should be conducted as a post-implementation stage, through assessing the actual performance of the deployed SETs. In fact, the scope of this research focuses on the optimization stage. We shall present an illustrative case example of optimizing the design of a smart clinic environment. Figure 2 depicts the conceptual relations among the smart workplace model building blocks, which clarify the decision-making hierarchy provided in this model. At the top of the model hierarchy is the workplace overall goals. Then, down in the hierarchy are the operational level objectives (i.e., the task, operation, or activity level). Each of these operational objectives has significance to the realization of each of the overall goals, expressed by the weights as shown. The operational objectives (OOs) represent the first model building blocks, which have the first fuzzy relations to the smartness features, that are quantified by the expert decision analyst. In their turn, the smartness features (SFs) have the second fuzzy relation to the smart enabling technologies (SETs). These two direct  
Figure 1: Smart workplace design procedure. fuzzy relations are combined by a fuzzy relations composition operator to determine the target indirect fuzzy relation between the OOs and the SETs. The fuzzy goal programming optimization model utilizes the positive impact values in such fuzzy relation to maximizing the overall positive impact of SETs to attain the optimal subset of SETs, SETs*, while not exceeding the project development budget limit constraint. In fact, the three model building blocks: OOs, SFs, and SETs are the cornerstones needed to understand the impact of SETs on OOs, and the basis for evaluating them.