Service design at diagnostic service centers

We study a service design problem in diagnostic service centers, call centers that provide medical advice to patients over the phone about what the appropriate course of action is, based on the caller's symptoms. Due to the tension between increased diagnostic accuracy and the increase in waiting times more in‐depth service requires, managers face a difficult decision in determining the optimal service depth to guide the diagnostic process. The specific problem we consider models the situation when the capacity (staffing level) at the center is fixed, and when the callers have both congestion‐ and noncongestion‐related costs relating to their call. We develop a queueing model incorporating these features and find that the optimal service depth can take one of two different structures, depending on factors such as the nurses' skill level and the maximum potential demand. Sensitivity analyses of the two optimal structures show that they are quite different. In some situations, it may (or may not) be optimal for the manager to try to expand the demand at the center, and increasing skill level may (or may not) increase congestion. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Naval Research Logistics, 2012     

Approximations and empirics for stochastic war equations

The article develops a theorem which shows that the Lanchester linear war equations are not in general equal to the Kolmogorov linear war equations. The latter are time‐consuming to solve, and speed is important when a large number of simulations must be run to examine a large parameter space. Run times are provided, where time is a scarce factor in warfare. Four time efficient approximations are presented in the form of ordinary differential equations for the expected sizes and variances of each group, and the covariance, accounting for reinforcement and withdrawal of forces. The approximations are compared with “exact” Monte Carlo simulations and empirics from the WWII Ardennes campaign. The band spanned out by plus versus minus the incremented standard deviations captures some of the scatter in the empirics, but not all. With stochastically varying combat effectiveness coefficients, a substantial part of the scatter in the empirics is contained. The model is used to forecast possible futures. The implications of increasing the combat effectiveness coefficient governing the size of the Allied force, and injecting reinforcement to the German force during the Campaign, are evaluated, with variance assessments. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Naval Research Logistics, 2005.     

Transit vessel scheduling

A transit vessel traffic scheduling algorithm has been developed to limit the negative effects on cargo volume throughput in two‐way waterways where separation distances between transiting vessels must be maintained and passage restrictions may hold. It runs in time that is polynomial in the number of ships involved in the computation and finds schedules which increase the utilization of waterways. Three examples illustrate its use. The first example is situated in the Sunda Strait where the algorithm is used to enhance the safety of merchant shipping against a terrorist threat. It illustrates important features of the algorithm and demonstrates how it can be used with cross traffic. The second example is situated in the Strait of Istanbul and offers a comparison between the developed algorithm and the transit vessel scheduling algorithm of Ulusçu et al., J Navig 62 (2009), 59–77. This was done using a plausible model of the Strait of Istanbul. The third and last example shows how the algorithm can be used to schedule transit vessel traffic in two‐way waterways with junctions. This feature is especially useful in congested waters with a high risk of collisions like the Inland Sea of Japan. An extreme test case proves that the developed algorithm is a practical algorithm ready for such use. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Naval Research Logistics 64: 225–248, 2017     

Statistical quality control of information

This paper was written to promote interest by management and statistical quality control personnel in the current need for statistical quality control of information of all types. By way of illustration, a step by step procedure for implementing such control on computer files is presented. Emphasis has been placed on the sequencing of the system rather than the underlying techniques.     

An exact algorithm for the batch sequencing problem in a two-machine flow shop with limited buffer

This paper deals with the problem of makespan minimization in a flow shop with two machines when the input buffer of the second machine can only host a limited number of parts. Here we analyze the problem in the context of batch processing, i.e., when identical parts must be processed consecutively. We propose an exact branch-and-bound algorithm, in which the bounds exploit the batching nature of the problem. Extensive computational results show the effectiveness of the approach, and allow us to compare it with a previous heuristic approach. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Naval Research Logistics 45: 141–164, 1998     

Optimizing the allocation of components to kits in small-lot,multiechelon assembly systems

The kitting problem in multiechelon assembly systems is to allocate on-hand stock and anticipated future deliveries to kits so that cost is minimized. This article structures the kitting problem and describes several preprocessing methods that are effective in refining the formulation. The model is resolved using an optimizing approach based on Lagrangian relaxation, which yields a separable problem that decomposes into a subproblem for each job. The resulting subproblems are resolved using a specialized dynamic programming algorithm, and computational efficiency is enhanced by dominance properties devised for that purpose. The Lagrangian problem is resolved effectively using subgradient optimization and a specialized branching method incorporated in the branch-and-bound procedure. Computational experience demonstrates that the specialized approach outperforms the general-purpose optimizer OSL. The new solution approach facilitates time-managed flow control, prescribing kitting decisions that promote cost-effective performance to schedule. © 1994 John Wiley & Sons. Inc.