Analysis and optimal design of discrete order picking technologies along a line

Order picking accounts for most of the operating expense of a typical distribution center, and thus is often considered the most critical function of a supply chain. In discrete order picking a single worker walks to pick all the items necessary to fulfill a single customer order. Discrete order picking is common not only because of its simplicity and reliability, but also because of its ability to pick orders quickly upon receipt, and thus is commonly used by e‐commerce operations. There are two primary ways to reduce the cost (walking distance required) of the order picking system. First is through the use of technology—conveyor systems and/or the ability to transmit order information to pickers via mobile units. Second is through the design—where best to locate depots (where workers receive pick lists and deposit completed orders) and how best to lay out the product. We build a stochastic model to compare three configurations of different technology requirements: single‐depot, dual‐depot, and no‐depot. For each configuration we explore the optimal design. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Naval Research Logistics, 2008     

Replacing nonidentical vital components to extend system life

We consider a system that depends on a single vital component. If this component fails, the system life will terminate. If the component is replaced before its failure then the system life may be extended; however, there are only a finite number of spare components. In addition, the lifetimes of these spare components are not necessarily identically distributed. We propose a model for scheduling component replacements so as to maximize the expected system survival. We find the counterintuitive result that when comparing components' general lifetime distributions based on stochastic orderings, not even the strongest ordering provides an a priori guarantee of the optimal sequencing of components. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Naval Research Logistics, 2008     

Scheduling with tool changes to minimize total completion time: A study of heuristics and their performance

The machine scheduling literature does not consider the issue of tool change. The parallel literature on tool management addresses this issue but assumes that the change is due only to part mix. In practice, however, a tool change is caused most frequently by tool wear. That is why we consider here the problem of scheduling a set of jobs on a single CNC machine where the cutting tool is subject to wear; our objective is to minimize the total completion time. We first describe the problem and discuss its peculiarities. After briefly reviewing available theoretical results, we then go on to provide a mixed 0–1 linear programming model for the exact solution of the problem; this is useful in solving problem instances with up to 20 jobs and has been used in our computational study. As our main contribution, we next propose a number of heuristic algorithms based on simple dispatch rules and generic search. We then discuss the results of a computational study where the performance of the various heuristics is tested; we note that the well‐known SPT rule remains good when the tool change time is small but deteriorates as this time increases and further that the proposed algorithms promise significant improvement over the SPT rule. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Naval Research Logistics, 2003     

Balancing stability and efficiency in team formation as a generalized roommate problem

The assignment of personnel to teams is a fundamental managerial function typically involving several objectives and a variety of idiosyncratic practical constraints. Despite the prevalence of this task in practice, the process is seldom approached as an optimization problem over the reported preferences of all agents. This is due in part to the underlying computational complexity that occurs when intra-team interpersonal interactions are taken into consideration, and also due to game-theoretic considerations, when those taking part in the process are self-interested agents. Variants of this fundamental decision problem arise in a number of settings, including, for example, human resources and project management, military platooning, ride sharing, data clustering, and in assigning students to group projects. In this article, we study an analytical approach to “team formation” focused on the interplay between two of the most common objectives considered in the related literature: economic efficiency (i.e., the maximization of social welfare) and game-theoretic stability (e.g., finding a core solution when one exists). With a weighted objective across these two goals, the problem is modeled as a bi-level binary optimization problem, and transformed into a single-level, exponentially sized binary integer program. We then devise a branch-cut-and-price algorithm and demonstrate its efficacy through an extensive set of simulations, with favorable comparisons to other algorithms from the literature.     

Timely Verification at Large-Scale Gas Centrifuge Enrichment Plants

This article examines challenges in international nuclear safeguards pertaining to the timely detection of highly enriched uranium production at large-scale gas centrifuge enrichment plants. To establish where present gas centrifuge enrichment plant safeguards measures and approaches could be strengthened, we have created a discrete time model for simulating hypothetical misuse scenarios, both through transient phases and at steady-state. We find that timely detection of misuse at modern large-scale facilities presents a challenge for international safeguards. A toolbox of unattended measurement systems, along with remote monitoring, however, could be used to improve detection timeliness, enabling the initiation of follow-up activities, potentially on a rapid time scale. These measures, which would need very low false alarm rates, should be implemented in a graded approach, depending on the characteristics of each enrichment plant and an analysis of plausible acquisition paths for the State in which it is situated. Some of these technologies could provide significant benefit to plant operators.     

The long term effects of an aging fleet on operational availability and cost: evidence from the U.S. coast guard

This paper empirically examines whether the aging of a fleet affects operational availability and operating cost using a unique data-set on the 117 47-foot Motor Lifeboats (MLBs) of the United States Coast Guard (USCG). Procured from 1997 to 2003, the 47-foot MLB is the standard lifeboat of the USCG and all 117 MLBs remain in service. The aging of the MLB fleet has resulted in higher annual operating costs and lower operational availability, although the nature of this relationship remains unclear. Our estimation strategy utilizes an error components estimator to examine these issues. We employ three variants of the dependent variables (i.e. the standard logarithmic transformation as is most commonly seen in the literature, inverse hyperbolic sine [IHS], and level outcomes). The point estimates from the standard logarithmic model finds operational availability for the MLBs decreases at a rate between 0.83 and 1.8% per year and cost increases at a rate between 0.33 and 7.81% per year. Similar effects are shown with the IHS and level outcome specifications. In terms of nonlinearity effects, we find the most pronounced changes in operational availability and cost occur for MLBs aged 15 years or more (in comparison to younger MLBs).     

Upstream engagement and downstream entanglements: The assumptions,opportunities, and threats of partnering

This article addresses Western recruitment and management of personnel from non-Western countries in armed forces as part of a strategy of state stabilisation, examining its risks and benefits. ‘SFA’ (Security Forces Assistance) to indigenous forces has long been practised by the West and seems to have returned in recent years in a new form with the creation of armies in Iraq and Afghanistan. However, while providing cheap, proxy substitutes for the West and offering opportunities for state-building, the policy creates its own problems and can have significant, negative consequences.