Strategic capacity planning for light emitting diode (LED) supply chains across Taiwan and China

This paper describes a mixed-integer programming (MIP) model formulated for strategic capacity planning for light emitting diode (LED) makers of Taiwan, major companies in the global LED market. These firms have complex supply chains across Taiwan and China, and the region’s unique political and economic environment has created not only competitive advantages but also challenges in supply chain management: government regulations require that customer orders be accepted from Taiwan or China according to customer attributes; when conducting manufacturing, Taiwanese firms may need to transfer orders across national borders for reasons such as manufacturing technology (the required technology is available only at certain manufacturing facilities) or more efficient capacity utilization; and there are operations to be performed with specific processing requirements to follow, posing substantial challenges for planners. Motivated by the significance of these firms in the global market, we develop a MIP model with novel features to support their strategic capacity planning, covering demand and manufacturing-related decisions, including order acceptance and transfer, manufacturing starts, capacity expansion, and logistics. We illustrate the model’s performance using modified industry data in a numerical example; we also describe the potential impacts the model may create in industry applications.     

中国制造业实施六西格玛管理的成功关键要素分析

自摩托罗拉公司于1987年提出六西格玛概念以来,六西格码管理已逐渐成为质量改进的主流方法之一。尽管不少学者和咨询专家对实施六西格玛管理的成功关键要素进行了探讨,但都是基于理论分析或定性描述。本文在综述国内外相关研究文献的基础上,提出了实施六西格玛管理的成功要素概念模型,并通过调查问卷和利用结构方程模型,对中国制造业实施六西格玛管理的关键成功要素进行了实证分析。研究结果表明:领导层的高度关注,建立并实施合适的六西格玛战略,以顾客和市场为关注焦点,并通过有效的成果测量、评价和奖励方法,选择、管理和实施六西格玛项目是实施六西格玛管理的关键成功要素;同时,本文也分析了这些要素之间的因果关系。     

Optimal Pricing and Production Planning for Multi-product Multi-period Systems with Backorders

In this paper, we develop models for production planning with coordinated dynamic pricing. The application that motivated this research is manufacturing pricing, where the products are non-perishable assets and can be stored to fulfill the future demands. We assume that the firm does not change the price list very frequently. However, the developed model and its solution strategy have the capability to handle the general case of manufacturing systems with frequent time-varying price lists. We consider a multi-product capacitated setting and introduce a demand-based model, where the demand is a function of the price. The key parts of the model are that the planning horizon is discrete-time multi-period, and backorders are allowed. As a result of this, the problem becomes a nonlinear programming problem with the nonlinearities in both the objective function and some constraints. We develop an algorithm which computes the optimal production and pricing policy on a finite time horizon. We illustrate the application of the algorithm through a detailed numerical example.     

中国煤层气的产业化进程与发展建议

煤层气产业在中国能源建设中具有重要战略地位。中国煤层气勘探开发历经矿井瓦斯抽排利用、现代煤层气理论技术的引进发展与成功应用、商业化开发试验及产业化发展（初期）4个阶段。由于在煤层气地质基础理论、勘探技术方法、开发工艺技术、集输利用与管理制度等方面的发展创新、系统集成,我国已有能力大规模发展煤层气产业,这在我国能源发展战略上是非常难得的历史机遇。当前,为了加快煤层气产业的发展,必须加强统筹规划,发挥多种积极性;加强煤层气地质研究、提高对区域勘探的指导与目标评价水平;开展高效低成本开发工艺技术攻关;发展煤层气产品集输和加工利用;继续跟踪国外煤层气前沿理论技术,加强技术交流与合作研究。     

“一站式”远程开放实验平台的设计与实现

"一站式"远程开放实验平台需要集成和整合分别多个来自不同厂商的实践教学软件,而不同的实践教学软件又有各自不同的用户系统与管理平台.针对这一情况,阐述了"一站式"远程开放实验平台的设计思路,并论述了"一站式"远程开放实验平台通过单点登录解决跨平台接口技术,通过Web Service方法实现平台对实践教学软件的数据的采集以及平台的权限设计与实现等关键技术.     

Optimized material requirements planning for semiconductor manufacturing

This paper describes a custom operational research algorithm, which is run nightly by IBM to create a material requirements plan for its semiconductor fabrication facility in Vermont, USA. To model alternative manufacturing processes and part substitutions, this application interweaves linear programming and heuristic methods to reap the benefits of each decision technology. At each level of the bills of materials supply chain with complex decision choices to be made, parallel linear programmes are invoked and their results are fed into a material requirements planning (MRP) heuristic, which processes parts through multiple iterations. The results from processing one level of the bills of materials supply chain are exploded to create demand for the next level and the interweaving of the two decision technologies continues. The algorithm creates recommended manufacturing releases and work-in-process priorities. These outputs point out opportunities for improvement in order to satisfy all demands on time. The output can be interpreted with well-known MRP assumptions.     

基于大数据的制造业作业成本控制体系构建

制造业成本控制和管理对企业发展是非常重要的,将作业成本法与成本控制相结合,为制造企业成本管理提供了一种新的思路.大数据时代为企业的生存与发展带来新的契机,大数据思维将极大的影响企业战略.将大数据与企业具体目标相结合,基于大数据环境,利用大数据技术和工具,探求新的成本控制模式.考虑到整个价值链,并利用作业成本思想,完善作业成本核算,期望为制造业成本控制提供一定的指引.     

The relationships among virtual enterprise,information technology,and business performance in agile manufacturing: An industry perspective

Agile Manufacturing (AM) is a manufacturing paradigm that focuses on smaller scale, modular production facilities, and agile operations capable of dealing with turbulent and changing environments. From several enablers of AM, Virtual Enterprise (VE) and Information Technology (IT) were chosen. This empirical study explored the impact of the alignment between VE and IT on business performance in an AM setting for five different industries. Extensive data collection strategy and several tests were used to establish the reliability and validity of the data collected. Extensive analyses of the data using Structural Equation Modeling were performed for five hypotheses across five different industries. The results indicate that both VE and IT had positive influences on business performance for all industries. It was also established that the alignment between VE and IT had a positive impact on business performance for all industries. Further, it was shown that the impact of the alignment between VE and IT on business performance was more significant than the impact of VE and IT on business performance individually for all industries. The statistical analyses and results showed that there were no significant differences among the industries surveyed. At the bivariate level of analysis, some minor differences for one industry were highlighted. In conclusion, the assessment of the results along with future research directions is provided.     

海外区域技术平台投资的时机选择模型及实证研究

基于后发企业海外区域技术平台(RTP)投资中“成熟技术产品推广”和“新技术产品开发”两个阶段,本文构建了两阶段实物期权模型。进一步,利用中国制造业对外直接投资(OFDI)的上市公司样本,考察了RTP投资时机选择的决定因素及影响效果。研究发现,第一阶段外生不确定性越低、第二阶段内生不确定性越高、新技术产品项目的增长期权越大,企业越倾向于尽早地RTP投资于海外市场;在两阶段内外生不确定性的不同条件下,RTP投资时机相应地对企业创新增长产生了显著的差异影响。     

Concurrent optimization in designing for logistics support

Concurrent Engineering has always been an important field within military industry and is gaining recognition within commercial industry as well. Studies have suggested that long-range research efforts need to be directed to the area of integrated logistics. In order to satisfy the overall logistics objectives, product designs must incorporate consideration of the impact that design decisions have on operations, maintenance, transportation and supply. This paper presents a model that carries out a concurrent optimization of a product design and its associated manufacturing and logistics support systems. We offer this model as a framework for decision support of concurrent engineering activities.     

制造业技术创新效率评价模型及其应用研究

从技术创新系统的内部过程出发,将制造业技术创新过程划分为技术研究与开发、技术应用与改造、环境污染治理三个阶段;然后运用虚拟系统法构建出制造业三阶段链式网络DEA交叉效率评价模型,并利用熵值法来确定交叉效率矩阵中各决策单元的权重,再通过加权求和法计算最终评价值;最后将此模型应用于福建省制造业技术创新效率的评价中。研究表明,福建省制造业各行业的技术创新效率,无论是整个技术创新系统,还是技术创新系统的各个子阶段,其交叉效率值普遍偏低,具有较大的提升空间。     

Integrated multi-site aggregate production-pricing planning in a two-echelon supply chain with multiple demand classes

This paper proposes a production and differential pricing decision model in a two-echelon supply chain that involves a demand from two or more market segments. In this framework, the retailer is allowed to set different prices during the planning horizon. While integrated production-marketing management has been a key research issue in supply chain management for a long time, little attention has been given to set prices and marketing expenditures in integrated multi-site (parallel) manufacturing systems and multiple demand classes. Generally, the presence of multiple demand classes induced by different market segments may impose demand leakage and then change production plan and ordering policies throughout the supply chain system. To tackle this problem, this paper develops a novel approach in order to provide an optimal aggregate production and marketing plan by interconnecting the sales channels of the retailer and demand. A non-linear model is established to determine optimal price differentiation, marketing expenditures and production plans of manufacturing sites in a multi-period, multi-product and multi-sale channels production planning problem by maximizing total profit of the supply chain. To handle the model and obtain solutions, we propose an efficient analytical model based upon convex hulls. Finally, we apply the proposed procedure to a clothing company in order to show usefulness and significance of the model and solution method.     

An aggregate production planning for a heavy manufacturing industry

This paper proposes a linear programming formulation of the aggregate production planning problem in the context of a heavy manufacturing industry. A basic model is first developed under the special requirements of the industry, to minimize the total cost of production which is assumed to be piecewise linear. The basic model is then transformed into a linear programming model to seek an optimal solution for a series of planning periods within the planning horizon. The results of the application to a real world situation are also included.     

基于SBM-NDEA模型的我国高专利密集度产业技术创新效率研究

本文结合以创新损耗为表征的非期望产出以及非径向的SMB-NDEA模型对我国高专利密集度产业2005-2015年的技术创新效率进行研究。实证结果表明:(1)我国9大高专利密集度产业大多能保证较高的技术创新效率并能持续创新,特别是“计算机、通信和其他电子设备制造业”及“烟草制造业”长期保持接近效率前沿的高效率;(2)依照不同产业的各网络节点的效率情况可将9大产业聚类,类别内部具有相似的效率节点表征;(3)创新确认节点与经济转化节点的双重低效率会导致高专利密集产业的持续性整体低效。针对以上研究发现,本文从搭建知识产权中介服务平台以及加强技术前瞻性评估等方面为政策制定者和企业管理者提供可参考的建议。     

Operational Research and Corporate Planning in Railway Management

The current corporate planning process in Westrail is described and the roles played by operational research and mathematical modelling identified. They do not include forecasting the future. Instead of the "predict and prepare paradigm" a planning approach that tries to design the future has been adopted. The organisation is described in terms of how it has evolved, what it now is, and the key features of its environment. The three stages of planning are described-strategic, tactical and operational. These provide the means for management control of the railway. Environmental assessments linked to goal setting activities are incorporated within the planning process. The significance of operational research in planning, in particular mathematical modelling, is also described. Instead of finding problems to which existing techniques can be applied, O.R. is used to provide effective operational and planning systems as a means of assisting management to design the future for the organisation.     

Feature based feedback into the early stages of design

At Chemnitz University of Technology, at the chair of manufacturing theory, there has been generated a model supporting feature based feedback of production planning and manufacturing knowledge into the early design stages. This model is integrated into the partial model B2 of the common research projec5 SFB 361 entitled “Models and methods to aggregate manufacturing knowledge for early stages of design”. The model is destined to carry out design in a computer aided and integrated manner, on the one hand. On the other hand, the designer is to be supported to evaluate and select design variants at high level.     

中国制造业企业绩效分化的关键影响因素识别及传导网络图解——基于机器学习组合算法的研究

大数据相关研究和机器学习方法为寻找中国制造业绩效分化的关键因素,以及探索关键因素对绩效分化的传导路径提供了新途径。本文基于岭回归和套索算法(LASSO)筛选出中国制造业绩效分化的重要影响因素,构建了贝叶斯网络确定制造业绩效分化对关键因素的依赖程度,结果显示:中国制造业企业绩效分化的最重要影响因素为资本生产率,制造业遵循“资本效率驱动型”而非“资本数量驱动型”的绩效增长模式。原材料工业企业绩效分化影响因素中杠杆率的重要度相对较低,装备制造业资本密集型的特点决定了企业绩效分化中资金成本和资产流动性的主要作用,消费品工业企业能否实现规模经济也是影响其绩效水平高低的重要因素。     

Using a partially observable Markov chain model to assess colonoscopy screening strategies – A cohort study

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is notoriously hard to combat for its high incidence and mortality rates. However, with improved screening technology and better understanding of disease pathways, CRC is more likely to be detected at early stage and thus more likely to be cured. Among the available screening methods, colonoscopy is most commonly used in the U.S. because of its capability of visualizing the entire colon and removing the polyps it detected. The current national guideline for colonoscopy screening recommends an observation-based screening strategy. Nevertheless, there is scant research studying the cost-effectiveness of the recommended observation-based strategy and its variants. In this paper, we describe a partially observable Markov chain (POMC) model which allows us to assess the cost-effectiveness of both fixed-interval and observation-based colonoscopy screening strategies. In our model, we consider detailed adenomatous polyp states and estimate state transition probabilities based on longitudinal clinical data from a specific population cohort. We conduct a comprehensive numerical study which investigates several key factors in screening strategy design, including screening frequency, initial screening age, screening end age, and screening compliance rate. We also conduct sensitivity analyses on the cost and quality of life parameters. Our numerical result demonstrates the usability of our model in assessing colonoscopy screening strategies with consideration of partial observation of true health states. This research facilitates future design of better colonoscopy screening strategies.     

A robust optimization model for multi-site production planning problem in an uncertain environment

This paper addresses the multi-site production planning problem for a multinational lingerie company in Hong Kong subject to production import/export quotas imposed by regulatory requirements of different nations, the use of manufacturing factories/locations with regard to customers’ preferences, as well as production capacity, workforce level, storage space and resource conditions at the factories. In this paper, a robust optimization model is developed to solve multi-site production planning problem with uncertainty data, in which the total costs consisting of production cost, labor cost, inventory cost, and workforce changing cost are minimized. By adjusting penalty parameters, production management can determine an optimal medium-term production strategy including the production loading plan and workforce level while considering different economic growth scenarios. The robustness and effectiveness of the developed model are demonstrated by numerical results. The trade-off between solution robustness and model robustness is also analyzed.