Optimal outbound dispatch policies: Modeling inventory and cargo capacity

In this paper, we present an optimization model for coordinating inventory and transportation decisions at an outbound distribution warehouse that serves a group of customers located in a given market area. For the practical problems which motivated this paper, the warehouse is operated by a third party logistics provider. However, the models developed here may be applicable in a more general context where outbound distribution is managed by another supply chain member, e.g., a manufacturer. We consider the case where the aggregate demand of the market area is constant and known per period (e.g., per day). Under an immediate delivery policy, an outbound shipment is released each time a demand is realized (e.g., on a daily basis). On the other hand, if these shipments are consolidated over time, then larger (hence more economical) outbound freight quantities can be dispatched. In this case, the physical inventory requirements at the third party warehouse (TPW) are determined by the consolidated freight quantities. Thus, stock replenishment and outbound shipment release policies should be coordinated. By optimizing inventory and freight consolidation decisions simultaneously, we compute the parameters of an integrated inventory/outbound transportation policy. These parameters determine: (i) how often to dispatch a truck so that transportation scale economies are realized and timely delivery requirements are met, and (ii) how often, and in what quantities, the stock should be replenished at the TPW. We prove that the optimal shipment release timing policy is nonstationary, and we present algorithms for computing the policy parameters for both the uncapacitated and finite cargo capacity problems. The model presented in this study is considerably different from the existing inventory/transportation models in the literature. The classical inventory literature assumes that demands should be satisfied as they arrive so that outbound shipment costs are sunk costs, or else these costs are covered by the customer. Hence, the classical literature does not model outbound transportation costs. However, if a freight consolidation policy is in place then the outbound transportation costs can no longer be ignored in optimization. Relying on this observation, this paper models outbound transportation costs, freight consolidation decisions, and cargo capacity constraints explicitly. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Naval Research Logistics 49: 531–556, 2002; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/nav.10030     

潜射弹道导弹出水姿态分析

分析了潜艇深度、纵倾角、横倾角、海面风速、海面波长、平均波高等因素对潜射导弹的偏航角、俯仰角、滚动角、偏航角速度、俯仰角速度、滚动角速度的影响。由于实验数据比较分散,不适合神经网络的训练,所以首先对实验数据模糊化,并用以对神经网络的训练。用训练好的神经网络分析了潜艇单因素变化的导弹出水姿态。     

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     

Determination of burn‐in parameters and residual life for highly reliable products

Today, many products are designed and manufactured to function for a long period of time before they fail. Determining product reliability is a great challenge to manufacturers of highly reliable products with only a relatively short period of time available for internal life testing. In particular, it may be difficult to determine optimal burn‐in parameters and characterize the residual life distribution. A promising alternative is to use data on a quality characteristic (QC) whose degradation over time can be related to product failure. Typically, product failure corresponds to the first passage time of the degradation path beyond a critical value. If degradation paths can be modeled properly, one can predict failure time and determine the life distribution without actually observing failures. In this paper, we first use a Wiener process to describe the continuous degradation path of the quality characteristic of the product. A Wiener process allows nonconstant variance and nonzero correlation among data collected at different time points. We propose a decision rule for classifying a unit as normal or weak, and give an economic model for determining the optimal termination time and other parameters of a burn‐in test. Next, we propose a method for assessing the product's lifetime distribution of the passed units. The proposed methodologies are all based only on the product's initial observed degradation data. Finally, an example of an electronic product, namely contact image scanner (CIS), is used to illustrate the proposed procedure. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Naval Research Logistics, 2003     

Exact algorithms for scheduling multiple families of jobs on parallel machines

In many practical manufacturing environments, jobs to be processed can be divided into different families such that a setup is required whenever there is a switch from processing a job of one family to another job of a different family. The time for setup could be sequence independent or sequence dependent. We consider two particular scheduling problems relevant to such situations. In both problems, we are given a set of jobs to be processed on a set of identical parallel machines. The objective of the first problem is to minimize total weighted completion time of jobs, and that of the second problem is to minimize weighted number of tardy jobs. We propose column generation based branch and bound exact solution algorithms for the problems. Computational experiments show that the algorithms are capable of solving both problems of medium size to optimality within reasonable computational time. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Naval Research Logistics 50: 823–840, 2003.     

师范院校物理化学实验教学中的几个关键问题

物理化学实验是师范院校化学系的基础课程。在教学中应注意指导学生做好预习,注意用“探究式”教学法培养学生,帮助学生建立科学严谨的态度,并在教学中应紧密联系中学化学教学。     

导弹批量测试仿真研究

针对现存导弹批量测试中存在的问题,采用离散仿真方法,论证了在不改变现有测试规程,而适当增加测试工位,优化测试流程,可显著缩短批量导弹测试时间,提高快速反应能力和生存能力.仿真系统可对多个不同方案论证,生成的横道图可直接用于测试组织指挥.     

“过渡衔接词语”在大学英语短文写作中的作用

短文写作是大学英语四级考试的一个重要组成部分 ,短文写作的成功与否将直接影响到是否通过四级。本文将从三个方面归纳、分析三段式短文中常用的过渡衔接词语在英语短文写作中的“闪光”点作用。旨在帮助学生认识过渡衔接词语的重要性 ,从而提高写作水平     

学前儿童交通安全教育的价值探析

对学前儿童进行交通安全教育的直接目的是减少交通事故,保护其生命和身体,同时还具有重要的教育价值。基于教育价值的两个方面即教育的个人价值和社会价值,学前儿童交通安全教育的价值主要体现在对学前儿童的发展价值和以学前儿童为中心扩散开来的延伸价值。发展价值是指交通安全教育促进学前儿童的认知、动作、情意等方面的发展。延伸价值是指学前儿童获得的交通安全知识与意识、规则与行为、尊重与利他等对其成为合格的社会公民是一种自然而然的准备,同时在生态系统理论之下以儿童为中心扩散开来的重要他人、社会相关机构和行业等都会发生相应的改变,将最终有利于社会的进步。