Book reviews

Third World Military Expenditure: Determinants and Implications. By Robert McKinlay. Frances Pinter, London (1989)

The UK Defence Industrial Base: Development and Future Policy Options. By Trevor Taylor and Keith Hayward. Brassey's, London, for Royal United Services Institute (1989), ISBN 0-08-036713-5, £22.50

Mutiny. By Lawrence James. Buchan & Enright, London (1987), ISBN 0-907675-70-0, £12.95; Scapegoat! Famous Courts Martial. By John Harris. Severn House, London (1988), ISBN 0-7278-2103-2, £12.95; In Glass Houses. By Robert Boyes. Military Provost Staff Corps Association, Colchester (1986), ISBN 0-9513467-0-9, £6.50 (paperback)

The Nuclear Weapons World: Who, How and Where. Edited by Patrick Burke. Frances Pinter, London (1988), ISBN 086187-705-5, £50.00

Merchants of Treason—America's Secrets for Sale. By Thomas B. Allen and Norman Polmar. Robert Hale, London (1988), ISBN 0-7090-3543-8, £14.95 ($21.95); Intelligence and Intelligence Policy in a Democratic Society. Edited by Stephen J. Cimbala. Transnational Publishers, Dobbs Ferry, NY (1987), ISBN 0-941320-44-8, $37.50; Catching Spies—Principles and Practices of Counterespionage. By H. H. A. Cooper and Lawrence J. Redlinger. Paladin Press, Boulder, CO (1988), ISBN 0-87364-466-2, $24.95

The BattleshipRoyal Sovereignand Her Sister Ships. By Peter C. Smith. William Kimber, Wellingborough (1988), ISBN 0-7183-0704-6, £12.95; Air Power at Sea, 1945 to Today. By John Winton. Sidgwick & Jackson, London (1987), £9.95     

Qmp/USP: A modern alternative to MIL-STD-105D

The Quality Measurement Plan (QMP) and the Universal Sampling Plan (USP) are the data analysis and sampling plans for the AT&T Technologies quality audit. This article describes QMP/USP, an acceptance sampling plan based on QMP and USP principles. QMPIUSP is a complete acceptance sampling system. It combines the elements of classical rectification inspection plans with those of MIL-STD-IOSD. There is no switching between plans, no tables of numbers to look through, and no discontinue state. QMP/USP is a computerized, self-contained system that features:

• Acceptance decisions based on the QMP Bayes empirical Bayes analysis of current and past sampling result
• Sample size selection based on USP, i.e., lot size, AQL, a cost ratio, the QMP analysis, and a budget constraint
• Guaranteed AOQ
• A complete statistical analysis of the quality process.

In this article, we describe the operation of QMP/USP and compare its performance with that of MIL-STD-IOSD. The comparison is made under many different quality environments with many metrics. Our results show that QMP/USP and MIL/STD/IOSD perform similarly for the environments where quality could be described as “in control”; and that QMPlUSP is superior in the environments where quality is “out of control”.     

Optimal set partitioning,matchings and lagrangian duality

We formulate the set partitioning problem as a matching problem with simple side constraints. As a result we obtain a Lagrangian relaxation of the set partitioning problem in which the primal problem is a matching problem. To solve the Lagrangian dual we must solve a sequence of matching problems each with different edge-weights. We use the cyclic coordinate method to iterate the multipliers, which implies that successive matching problems differ in only two edge-weights. This enables us to use sensitivity analysis to modify one optimal matching to obtain the next one. We give theoretical and empirical comparisons of these dual bounds with the conventional linear programming ones.     

Explicit steady state solutions for a particular M(x)/M/1 queueing system

An explicit steady state solution is determined for the distribution of the number of customers for a queueing system in which Poisson arrivals are bulks of random size. The number of customers per bulk varies randomly between 1 and m, m arbitrary, according to a point multinomial, and customer service is exponential. Queue characteristics are given.     

Quantifying the performance effects of idle time utilization in multiserver systems

In many practical multiserver queueing systems, servers not only serve randomly arriving customers but also work on the secondary jobs with infinite backlog during their idle time. In this paper, we propose a c‐server model with a two‐threshold policy, denoted by (e d), to evaluate the performance of this class of systems. With such a policy, when the number of idle servers has reached d (<c), then e (<d) idle agents will process secondary jobs. These e servers keep working on the secondary jobs until they find waiting customers exist in the system at a secondary job completion instant. Using the matrix analytic method, we obtain the stationary performance measures for evaluating different (e, d) policies. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Naval Research Logistics, 2007.     

A balancing problem for mixed model assembly lines with a paced moving conveyor

We state a balancing problem for mixed model assembly lines with a paced moving conveyor as: Given the daily assembling sequence of the models, the tasks of each model, the precedence relations among the tasks, and the operations parameters of the assembly line, assign the tasks of the models to the workstations so as to minimize the total overload time. Several characteristics of the problem are investigated. A line‐balancing heuristic is proposed based on a lower bound of the total overload time. A practical procedure is provided for estimating the deviation of any given line‐balance solution from the theoretical optimum. Numerical examples are given to illustrate the methodology. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Naval Research Logistics, 2004.     

Nonrobustness of the normal approximation of lead‐time demand in a (Q,R) system

For computing an optimal (Q, R) or kindred inventory policy, the current literature provides mixed signals on whether or when it is safe to approximate a nonnormal lead‐time‐demand (“LTD”) distribution by a normal distribution. The first part of this paper examines this literature critically to justify why the issue warrants further investigations, while the second part presents reliable evidence showing that the system‐cost penalty for using the normal approximation can be quite serious even when the LTD‐distribution's coefficient of variation is quite low—contrary to the prevalent view of the literature. We also identify situations that will most likely lead to large system‐cost penalty. Our results indicate that, given today's technology, it is worthwhile to estimate an LTD‐distribution's shape more accurately and to compute optimal inventory policies using statistical distributions that more accurately reflect the LTD‐distributions' actual shapes. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Naval Research Logistics, 2003     

A Bayesian approach to demand estimation and inventory provisioning

This article addresses the problem of explicitly taking into account uncertainty about the demand for spare parts in making inventory procurement and stockage decisions. The model described provides for a unified treatment of the closely related problems of statistical estimation of demand and resource allocation within the inventory system, and leads to an easily implemented, efficient method of determining requirements for spare parts both in the early provisioning phase and in later periods of operations when demand data have accumulated Analyses of the model's theoretical foundations and of sample outcomes of the model based upon data on parts intended for use in the F-14 lead to conclusions of great importance to both support planners and operations planners Finally, of particular significance is the ability afforded the planner by this model to quantify the impact on inventory system costs of varying levels of system reliability or management uncertainty as to projected system performance. This will provide an economic basis for analysis of such alternatives as early deployment, operational testing, and equipment redesign.