Rank‐Cluster‐and‐Prune: An algorithm for generating clusters in complex set partitioning problems

Clustering problems are often difficult to solve due to nonlinear cost functions and complicating constraints. Set partitioning formulations can help overcome these challenges, but at the cost of a very large number of variables. Therefore, techniques such as delayed column generation must be used to solve these large integer programs. The underlying pricing problem can suffer from the same challenges (non‐linear cost, complicating constraints) as the original problem, however, making a mathematical programming approach intractable. Motivated by a real‐world problem in printed circuit board (PCB) manufacturing, we develop a search‐based algorithm (Rank‐Cluster‐and‐Prune) as an alternative, present computational results for the PCB problem to demonstrate the tractability of our approach, and identify a broader class of clustering problems for which this approach can be used. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Naval Research Logistics 2009     

Branch‐and‐price‐and‐cut for the manpower routing problem with synchronization constraints

In this article, we propose a branch‐and‐price‐and‐cut (BPC) algorithm to exactly solve the manpower routing problem with synchronization constraints (MRPSC). Compared with the classical vehicle routing problems (VRPs), the defining characteristic of the MRPSC is that multiple workers are required to work together and start at the same time to carry out a job, that is, the routes of the scheduling subjects are dependent. The incorporation of the synchronization constraints increases the difficulty of the MRPSC significantly and makes the existing VRP exact algorithm inapplicable. Although there are many types of valid inequalities for the VRP or its variants, so far we can only adapt the infeasible path elimination inequality and the weak clique inequality to handle the synchronization constraints in our BPC algorithm. The experimental results at the root node of the branch‐and‐bound tree show that the employed inequalities can effectively improve the lower bound of the problem. Compared with ILOG CPLEX, our BPC algorithm managed to find optimal solutions for more test instances within 1 hour. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Naval Research Logistics 63: 138–171, 2016     

Incomplete contracting and target‐cost pricing

Procurement of advanced technology defence equipment requires appropriate contractual arrangements to achieve efficient R&D investments. This paper analyses the optimality of target‐cost and fixed price contracts and shows that target‐cost pricing can achieve a first best where both fixed‐price contracts and cost reimbursement fail to do so. The main message of this paper is that in incomplete contracting optimality may sometimes be achieved by arrangements which combine several formulae which, individually, would fail to achieve efficiency.     

Inventory control and periodic price discounting campaigns

This paper develops an inventory model that determines replenishment strategies for buyers facing situations in which sellers offer price‐discounting campaigns at random times as a way to drive sales or clear excess inventory. Specifically, the model deals with the inventory of a single item that is maintained to meet a constant demand over time. The item can be purchased at two different prices denoted high and low. We assume that the low price goes into effect at random points in time following an exponential distribution and lasts for a random length of time following another exponential distribution. We highlight a replenishment strategy that will lead to the lowest inventory holding and ordering costs possible. This strategy is to replenish inventory only when current levels are below a certain threshold when the low price is offered and the replenishment is to a higher order‐up‐to level than the one currently in use when inventory depletes to zero and the price is high. Our analysis provides new insight into the behavior of the optimal replenishment strategy in response to changes in the ratio of purchase prices together with changes in the ratio of the duration of a low‐price period to that of a high‐price period. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Naval Research Logistics, 2007.     

基于VAR的物价对舰船维修工时费率影响的动态计量分析

在相关性、平稳性和协整性检验基础上,建立舰船维修工时费率与物价之间的VAR模型,并借助Granger因果关系检验、脉冲响应函数分析和方差分解对模型进行动态分析.研究发现:物价与舰船维修工时费率之间存在长期均衡关系,两者互为Granger原因;工时费率会对物价变化产生及时的正向响应,并具有长效性,短期内工时费率受自身惯性的影响较大,随后物价对其影响的贡献率迅速上升,达到与其自身惯性相近的均衡状态;物价对工时费率变化的响应有1 a的时滞,且响应程度相对较小.长期来看,两者相互影响的关系使得工时费率呈波动上升的趋势.     

业主延期条件下FIDIC施工合同条件调价公式研究

调价公式作为FIDIC合同中最重要的风险分配方式之一,通过对可调价要素价格指数或价格的调整,把合同中的隐性风险在业主和承包商之间的分配比例作了明确规定.从承包商的角度,并基于业主的原因造成工期延长的条件下,对调价公式中各个组成因子及其权重对调价结果的影响进行了研究,探索把调价公式同成本管理有机结合起来,以期达到降低成本...     

战时交通运输路径优化研究

以战时交通运输路径优化问题为研究对象,分析问题特点,考虑多式联运,以运输时间代价、运输费用代价、路段和运输节点的危险性代价为优化目标,建立起广义运输代价最小的运输路径优化模型,并设计了蚁群算法来求解问题模型。给出的算例表明,文中模型符合战时交通运输的特点和实际需要,可为确定战时运输路径提供决策支持,而采用的蚁群算法是求解该问题的一种有效方法。     

Vertically restrictive pricing in supply chains with price‐dependent demand

We examine the behavior of a manufacturer and a retailer in a decentralized supply chain under price‐dependent, stochastic demand. We model a retail fixed markup (RFM) policy, which can arise as a form of vertically restrictive pricing in a supply chain, and we examine its effect on supply chain performance. We prove the existence of the optimal pricing and replenishment policies when demand has a linear additive form and the distribution of the uncertainty component has a nondecreasing failure rate. We numerically compare the relative performance of RFM to a price‐only contract and we find that RFM results in greater profit for the supply chain than the price‐only contract in a variety of scenarios. We find that RFM can lead to Pareto‐improving solutions where both the supplier and the retailer earn more profit than under a price‐only contract. Finally, we compare RFM to a buyback contract and explore the implications of allowing the fixed markup parameter to be endogenous to the model. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Naval Research Logistics, 2006.     

An exact branch‐and‐price algorithm for multitasking scheduling on unrelated parallel machines

We consider the multitasking scheduling problem on unrelated parallel machines to minimize the total weighted completion time. In this problem, each machine processes a set of jobs, while the processing of a selected job on a machine may be interrupted by other available jobs scheduled on the same machine but unfinished. To solve this problem, we propose an exact branch‐and‐price algorithm, where the master problem at each search node is solved by a novel column generation scheme, called in‐out column generation, to maintain the stability of the dual variables. We use a greedy heuristic to obtain a set of initial columns to start the in‐out column generation, and a hybrid strategy combining a genetic algorithm and an exact dynamic programming algorithm to solve the pricing subproblems approximately and exactly, respectively. Using randomly generated data, we conduct numerical studies to evaluate the performance of the proposed solution approach. We also examine the effects of multitasking on the scheduling outcomes, with which the decision maker can justify making investments to adopt or avoid multitasking.     

Impact of transfer pricing methods for tax purposes on supply chain performance under demand uncertainty

Transfer pricing refers to the pricing of an intermediate product or service within a firm. This product or service is transferred between two divisions of the firm. Thus, transfer pricing is closely related to the allocation of profits in a supply chain. Motivated by the significant impact of transfer pricing methods for tax purposes on operational decisions and the corresponding profits of a supply chain, in this article, we study a decentralized supply chain of a multinational firm consisting of two divisions: a manufacturing division and a retail division. These two divisions are located in different countries under demand uncertainty. The retail division orders an intermediate product from the upstream manufacturing division and sets the retail price under random customer demand. The manufacturing division accepts or rejects the retail division's order. We specifically consider two commonly used transfer pricing methods for tax purposes: the cost‐plus method and the resale‐price method. We compare the supply chain profits under these two methods. Based on the newsvendor framework, our analysis shows that the cost‐plus method tends to allocate a higher percentage of profit to the retail division, whereas the resale‐price method tends to achieve a higher firm‐wide profit. However, as the variability of demand increases, our numerical study suggests that the firm‐wide and divisional profits tend to be higher under the cost‐plus method than they are under the resale‐price method. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Naval Research Logistics, 2013