Search results

1 – 10 of over 8000
Per page
102050
Citations:
Loading...
Access Restricted. View access options
Article
Publication date: 1 February 2021

Kai Leung Yung, George To Sum Ho, Yuk Ming Tang and Wai Hung Ip

This project attempts to present a space component inventory classification system for space inventory replenishment and management. The authors propose to adopt a classification…

1300

Abstract

Purpose

This project attempts to present a space component inventory classification system for space inventory replenishment and management. The authors propose to adopt a classification system that can incorporate all the different variables in a multi-criteria configuration. Fuzzy logic is applied as an effective way for formulating classification problems in space inventory replenishment.

Design/methodology/approach

A fuzzy-based approach with ABC classification is proposed to incorporate all the different variables in a multi-criteria configuration. Fuzzy logic is applied as an effective way for formulating classification problems in space inventory replenishment of the soil preparation system (SOPSYS) which is used in grinding and sifting Phobos rocks to sub-millimeter size in the Phobos-Grunt space mission. An information system was developed using the existing platform and was used to support the key aspects in performing inventory classification and purchasing optimization.

Findings

The proposed classification system was found to be able to classify the inventory and optimize the purchasing decision efficiency. Based on the information provided from the system, implementation plans for the SOPSYS project and related space projects can be proposed.

Research limitations/implications

The paper addresses one of the main difficulties in handling qualitative or quantitative classification criteria. The model can be implemented using mathematical calculation tools and integrated into the existing inventory management system. The proposed model has important implications in optimizing the purchasing decisions to shorten the research and development of other space instruments in space missions.

Originality/value

Inventory management in the manufacture of space instruments is one of the major problems due to the complexity of the manufacturing process and the large variety of items. The classification system can optimize purchasing decision-making in the inventory management process. It is also designed to be flexible and can be implemented for the manufacture of other space mission instruments.

Details

Industrial Management & Data Systems, vol. 121 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0263-5577

Keywords

Access Restricted. View access options
Article
Publication date: 1 April 2005

G.T.S. Ho, H.C.W. Lau, C.K.M Lee and A.W.H. Ip

This paper proposes an infrastructural framework, involving various emerging technologies, for the development of an agent‐based quality enhancement system with the distinct…

1636

Abstract

Purpose

This paper proposes an infrastructural framework, involving various emerging technologies, for the development of an agent‐based quality enhancement system with the distinct feature of the ability to cope with the potential quality problems from various customers' requirements.

Design/methodology/approach

The proposed system is equipped with the “distributed problem solving” feature which automatically identifies and divides the potential quality problems into sub‐problems and directs straight to the associated agents that are capable of interacting and negotiating with each other to support customer needs. The new feature of this agile quality enhancement system is characterized with the incorporation of the quality mining engine through the capabilities of the online analytical processing, case‐based reasoning, fuzzy logic and artificial neural networks, achieving the optimization of the performance of organizations.

Findings

In this paper, the detailed architecture and the components included in the proposed system are described with a case study to validate its feasibility of application in actual environment.

Originality/value

The proposed system is to enhance customer satisfaction by automating problem solving procedures in all business processes.

Details

Industrial Management & Data Systems, vol. 105 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0263-5577

Keywords

Access Restricted. View access options
Article
Publication date: 1 February 2016

C.H. Wu, G.T.S. Ho, C.H.Y. Lam, W.H. Ip, K.L. Choy and Y.K. Tse

The purpose of this paper is to present a novel approach for niche-market tour identification, with the objective to obtain a better segmentation of target tourists and support…

2365

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to present a novel approach for niche-market tour identification, with the objective to obtain a better segmentation of target tourists and support the design of tourism products. A proposed system, namely the Niche Tourism Identification System (NTIS) was implemented based on the proposed scheme and its functionality was showcased in a case study undertaken with a local travel agency.

Design/methodology/approach

The proposed system implements automated customer market segmentation, based on similar characteristics that can be collected from potential customers. After that, special-interest tourism-based market strategies and products can be designed for the potential customers. The market segmentation is conducted using a GA-based k-means clustering engine (GACE), while the parameter setting is controlled by the travel agents.

Findings

The proposed NTIS was deployed in a real-world case study which helps a local travel agency to determine the various types of niche tourism found in the existing market in Hong Kong. Its output was reviewed by experience tour planners. It was found that with the niche characteristics can be successfully revealed by summarizing the possible factors within the potential clusters in the existing database. The system performed consistently compared to human planners.

Originality/value

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, although some alternative methods for segmenting travel markets have been proposed, few have provided any effective approaches for identifying existing niche markets to support online inquiry. Also, GACE has been proposed to compensate for the limitations that challenge k-means clustering in binding to a local optimum and for its weakness in dealing with multi-dimensional space.

Access Restricted. View access options
Article
Publication date: 15 March 2011

C.Y. Lam and W.H. Ip

Scheduling needs to be concise and well‐determined but able to respond to the ever‐changing and uncertain market or environment against the constraints of production capacity…

1184

Abstract

Purpose

Scheduling needs to be concise and well‐determined but able to respond to the ever‐changing and uncertain market or environment against the constraints of production capacity, resources, time frame, etc. The purpose of this paper is to model and solve a scheduling problem with another domain perspective that adopts the concept of agent, and an agent‐based scheduling environment is proposed for solving the scheduling problem, in which three agents are developed, i.e. a sales agent, a scheduling agent, and a production agent.

Design/methodology/approach

The modeling and development of the proposed agent‐based scheduling environment and its agents under constraints are discussed. Constraint priority scheduling concepts are applied to the environment and its agents, and the feature of responding to customer change orders is included in the model. The proposed agent‐based scheduling environment with three agents is applied to a lamp‐manufacturing company in China as a case study, and the integrated agent‐based approach is also illustrated in the case study.

Findings

Throughout the autonomous communication between agents in the proposed model, a constraint‐prioritized schedule is generated to fulfill customer orders and customer change orders, as well as to achieve a better scheduling performance result. From the simulation results and analysis in the case study, satisfactory results show that the proposed model can generate a constraint‐prioritized schedule for the studied company that can completely fulfill customer orders, adjust and fulfill customer change orders, and achieve a better scheduling result.

Originality/value

In this paper, the scheduling problem is modeled and solved by using the domain perspective of agent‐based approach. By using an agent‐based approach, the agents can be implemented to represent manufacturing resources or aggregations of resources. Under the proposed modeling approach, the collaboration across the entire scheduling activities can be enhanced, and the efficiency and effectiveness in the scheduling activities can also be increased.

Details

Industrial Management & Data Systems, vol. 111 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0263-5577

Keywords

Access Restricted. View access options
Article
Publication date: 9 March 2015

Carmen Kar Hang Lee, Y.K. Tse, G.T.S. Ho and K.L. Choy

The emergence of the fast fashion trend has exerted a great pressure on fashion designers who are urged to consider customers’ preferences in their designs and develop new…

1757

Abstract

Purpose

The emergence of the fast fashion trend has exerted a great pressure on fashion designers who are urged to consider customers’ preferences in their designs and develop new products in an efficient manner. The purpose of this paper is to develop a fuzzy association rule mining (FARM) approach for improving the efficiency and effectiveness of new product development (NPD) in fast fashion.

Design/methodology/approach

The FARM identifies the hidden relationships between product styles and customer preferences. The knowledge discovered help the fashion industry design new products which are not only fashionable, but are also saleable in the market.

Findings

To evaluate the proposed approach, a case study is conducted in a Hong Kong-based fashion company in which a real-set of data are tested to generate fuzzy association rules. The results reveal that the FARM approach can provide knowledge support to the fashion industry during NPD, shorten the NPD cycle time, and increase customer satisfaction.

Originality/value

Compared with traditional association rule mining, the proposed FARM approach takes the fuzziness of data into consideration and the knowledge represented in the fuzzy rules is in a more human-understandable structure. It captures the voice of the customer into fashion product development and provides a specific solution to deal with the challenges brought by fast fashion. In addition, it helps increase the innovation and technological capability of the fashion industry.

Details

Industrial Management & Data Systems, vol. 115 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0263-5577

Keywords

Access Restricted. View access options
Article
Publication date: 1 July 2006

Amik Garg and S.G. Deshmukh

The purpose of this paper is to review the literature on maintenance management and suggest possible gaps from the point of view of researchers and practitioners.

20350

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to review the literature on maintenance management and suggest possible gaps from the point of view of researchers and practitioners.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper systematically categorizes the published literature and then analyzes and reviews it methodically.

Findings

The paper finds that important issues in maintenance management range from various optimization models, maintenance techniques, scheduling, and information systems etc. Within each category, gaps have been identified. A new shift in maintenance paradigm is also highlighted.

Practical implications

Literature on classification of maintenance management has so far been very limited. This paper reviews a large number of papers in this field and suggests a classification in to various areas and sub areas. Subsequently, various emerging trends in the field of maintenance management are identified to help researchers specifying gaps in the literature and direct research efforts suitably.

Originality/value

The paper contains a comprehensive listing of publications on the field in question and their classification according to various attributes. The paper will be useful to researchers, maintenance professionals and others concerned with maintenance to understand the importance of maintenance management

Details

Journal of Quality in Maintenance Engineering, vol. 12 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1355-2511

Keywords

Access Restricted. View access options
Article
Publication date: 20 August 2024

Ahmet Ergülen and Ahmet Çalık

The purpose of this study is to analyze the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on the performance of companies using a hybrid Multi-Criteria Decision-Making (MCDM) approach…

102

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to analyze the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on the performance of companies using a hybrid Multi-Criteria Decision-Making (MCDM) approach. Specifically, the study examines Türkiye’s Top 500 Industrial Enterprises to analyze their performance before and during the pandemic, and to capture their performance in determining investment and production strategy.

Design/methodology/approach

To achieve the study’s objectives, the Fuzzy Best-Worst Method (F-BWM) was used to obtain importance levels of performance indicators, decreasing the vagueness in experts’ decision-making preferences. The Measurement Alternatives and Ranking According to Compromise Solution (MARCOS) method was used to rank enterprises based on their performance.

Findings

The COVID-19 pandemic has clearly had a substantial impact on the performance of Türkiye’s top 500 industrial enterprises. While some companies suffered decreased sales, others reported that their revenues increased or remained constant during the outbreak. The results reveal that the pandemic caused a shift in the initial ranking outcomes for the first two enterprises.

Research limitations/implications

The study’s limitations include the sample size and the time period under consideration, which may have an impact on the generalizability of the findings.

Practical implications

Decision-makers’ investment, employment and operational decisions were influenced by the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. The results provide insights for decision-makers on how to achieve higher growth and performance under the pressure of the pandemic.

Social implications

The study’s practical consequences help decision-makers understand how to attain higher growth and performance in the face of the epidemic.

Originality/value

The originality of this study lies in using a hybrid MCDM approach to examine the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on company performance. A hybrid MCDM approach is proposed to help decision-makers make the best possible investment and implementation decisions.

Details

Benchmarking: An International Journal, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1463-5771

Keywords

Access Restricted. View access options
Article
Publication date: 6 June 2019

Nabil M. Semaan and Nabhan Yehia

The purpose of this paper is to develop a stochastic detailed schedule for a preventive/scheduled/periodic maintenance program of a military aircraft, specifically a rotorcraft or…

266

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to develop a stochastic detailed schedule for a preventive/scheduled/periodic maintenance program of a military aircraft, specifically a rotorcraft or helicopter.

Design/methodology/approach

The new model, entitled the military “periodic aviation maintenance stochastic schedule” (PAM-SS), develops a stochastic detailed schedule for a PUMA SA 330SM helicopter for the 50-h periodic inspection, using cyclic operation network (CYCLONE) and Monte Carlo simulation (MCS) techniques. The PAM-SS model identifies the different periodic inspection tasks of the maintenance schedule, allocates the resources required for each task, evaluates a stochastic duration of each inspection task, evaluates the probability of occurrence for each breakdown or repair, develops the CYCLONE model of the stochastic schedule and simulates the model using MCS.

Findings

The 50-h maintenance stochastic duration follows a normal probability distribution and has a mean value of 323 min and a standard deviation of 23.7 min. Also, the stochastic maintenance schedule lies between 299 and 306 min for a 99 per cent confidence level. Furthermore, except the pilot and the electrical team (approximately 90 per cent idle), all other teams are around 40 per cent idle. A sensitivity analysis is also performed and yielded that the PAM-SS model is not sensitive to the number of technicians in each team; however, it is highly sensitive to the probability of occurrence of the breakdowns/repairs.

Practical implications

The PAM-SS model is specifically developed for military rotorcrafts, to manage the different resources involved in the detailed planning and scheduling of the periodic/scheduled maintenance, mainly the 50-h inspection. It evaluates the resources utilization (idleness and queue), the stochastic maintenance duration and identifies backlogs and bottlenecks.

Originality/value

The PAM-SS tackles military aircraft planning and scheduling in a stochastic methodology, considering uncertainties in all inspection task durations and breakdown or repair durations. The PAM-SS, although developed for rotorcrafts can be further developed for any other type of military aircraft or any other scheduled maintenance program interval.

Details

Aircraft Engineering and Aerospace Technology, vol. 91 no. 9
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1748-8842

Keywords

Access Restricted. View access options
Article
Publication date: 14 December 2021

Virupaxi Bagodi and Biswajit Mahanty

Managerial decision-making is an area of interest to both academia and practitioners. Researchers found that managers often fail to manage complex decision-making tasks and system…

225

Abstract

Purpose

Managerial decision-making is an area of interest to both academia and practitioners. Researchers found that managers often fail to manage complex decision-making tasks and system thinkers assert that generic structures known as systems archetypes help them to a great deal in handling such situations. In this paper, it is demonstrated that decision makers resort to lowering of goal (quick-fix) in order to resolve the gap between the goal and current reality in the “drifting the goals” systems archetype.

Design/methodology/approach

A real-life case study is taken up to highlight the pitfalls of “drifting the goals” systems archetype for a decision situation in the Indian two-wheeler industry. System dynamics modeling is made use of to obtain the results.

Findings

The decision makers fail to realize the pitfall of lowering the goal to resolve the gap between the goal and current reality. It is seen that, irrespective of current less-than-desirable performance, managers adopting corrective actions other than lowering of goals perform better in the long run. Further, it is demonstrated that extending the boundary and experimentation results in designing a better service system and setting benchmarks.

Practical implications

The best possible way to avoid the pitfall is to hold the vision and not lower the long term goal. The managers must be aware of the pitfalls beforehand.

Originality/value

Systems thinking is important in complex decision-making tasks. Managers need to embrace long-term perspective in decision-making. This paper demonstrates the value of systems thinking in terms of a case study on the “drifting the goals” systems archetype.

Details

Kybernetes, vol. 52 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0368-492X

Keywords

Access Restricted. View access options
Article
Publication date: 22 August 2008

G.T.S. Ho, H.C.W. Lau, S.H. Chung, R.Y.K. Fung, T.M. Chan and C.K.M. Lee

This paper aims to develop a genetic algorithm (GA)‐based process knowledge integration system (GA‐PKIS) for generalizing a set of nearly optimal fuzzy rules in quality…

1087

Abstract

Purpose

This paper aims to develop a genetic algorithm (GA)‐based process knowledge integration system (GA‐PKIS) for generalizing a set of nearly optimal fuzzy rules in quality enhancement based on the extracted fuzzy association rules in a supply chain network.

Design/methodology/approach

The proposed methodology provides all levels of employees with the ability to formulate nearly optimal sets of fuzzy rules to identify possible solutions for eliminating the number of defect items.

Findings

The application of the proposed methodology in the slider manufacturer has been studied. After performing the spatial analysis, the results obtained indicate that it is capable of ensuring the finished products with promising quality.

Research limitations/implications

In order to demonstrate the feasibility of the proposed approach, only some processes within the supply chain are chosen. Future studies can advance this research by applying the proposed approach in different industries and processes.

Originality/value

Because of the complexity of the logistics operations along the supply chain, the traditional quality improvement approaches cannot address all the quality problems automatically and effectively. This newly developed GA‐based approach can help to optimize the process parameters along the supply chain network.

Details

Industrial Management & Data Systems, vol. 108 no. 7
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0263-5577

Keywords

1 – 10 of over 8000
Per page
102050