Maryam Bahrami, Mehdi Khashei and Atefeh Amindoust
The purpose of this paper, because of the complexity of demand time series and the need to construct a more accurate hybrid model that can model all relationships in data, is to…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper, because of the complexity of demand time series and the need to construct a more accurate hybrid model that can model all relationships in data, is to propose a parallel-series hybridization of seasonal neural networks and statistical models for demand time series forecasting.
Design/methodology/approach
The main idea of proposed model is centered around combining parallel and series hybrid methodologies to use the benefit of unique advantages of both hybrid strategies as well as intelligent and classic seasonal time series models simultaneously for achieving results that are more accurate for the first time. In the proposed model, in contrast of traditional parallel and series hybrid strategies, it can be generally shown that the performance of the proposed model will not be worse than components.
Findings
Empirical results of forecasting two well-known seasonal time series data sets, including the total production value of the Taiwan machinery industry and the sales volume of soft drinks, indicate that the proposed model can effectively improve the forecasting accuracy achieved by either of their components used in isolation. In addition, the proposed model can achieve more accurate results than parallel and series hybrid model with same components. Therefore, the proposed model can be used as an appropriate alternative model for seasonal time series forecasting, especially when higher forecasting accuracy is needed.
Originality/value
To the best of the authors’ knowledge, the proposed model, for first time and in contrast of traditional parallel and series hybrid strategies, is developed.
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Amin Ahwazian, Atefeh Amindoust, Reza Tavakkoli-Moghaddam and Mehrdad Nikbakht
The purpose of this paper is to design petroleum products’ supply chain management, which includes efficient integration of suppliers, manufacturers, storehouses and retailers.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to design petroleum products’ supply chain management, which includes efficient integration of suppliers, manufacturers, storehouses and retailers.
Design/methodology/approach
This paper proposes that a three-level supply chain will be turned into a bi-level supply chain of petroleum products by simultaneous integration of the middle level with the upstream and downstream levels. Also, it is integrally optimized by considering the multiple managerial flows' mutual results at various supply chain levels. Also, it is integrally optimized by considering the multiple managerial flows' mutual results at various supply chain levels.
Findings
The concepts of the design, structure and outputs are led by the model's solution. The model also responds to the variations in the market via coordination in the related decisions to the distribution, production and inventory issues, and also coordinating between the demands and production.
Research limitations/implications
This paper has limited its analysis to definite values due to the over-expansion of calculations and analysis. Future works can study other aspects of the proposed model for a multi-level petroleum product supply chain in different states of certain parameters and time zones.
Practical implications
The designed model can directly and transparently help the oil managers and decision-makers lower the costs of manufacturing, distribution and sales with respect to the determined criteria.
Originality/value
This paper establishes that effectiveness of the dynamic petroleum materials supply chain design will increase by considering maintained and increased production costs and coordinate management flows at all levels by supply chain creation’s integration.
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Mansour Abedian, Atefeh Amindoust, Reza Maddahi and Javid Jouzdani
Adopting efficient marketing strategies is a challenging task in a competitive market place involving complex marketing planning, techniques and mechanisms to identify the best…
Abstract
Purpose
Adopting efficient marketing strategies is a challenging task in a competitive market place involving complex marketing planning, techniques and mechanisms to identify the best course of action under these circumstances and finding optimal solutions or stable outcomes. Decisions and strategies of competitors in the market influence the selection of the appropriate marketing strategy. The main purpose of this paper is to develop a mathematical methodology based on the game theory approach for planning optimal marketing-mix strategies in dynamic competitive markets, taking into account strategic foresight and interaction effects.
Design/methodology/approach
The game theory approach, as a decision-making tool in conflict situations, is suggested for planning and adopting optimal marketing strategy. The main intellectual attraction of the game theory is essentially a question of how to act in gaming situations against highly rational opponents A kind of static, finite and non-cooperative game analytics approach has been developed for this issue, and the proposed model has been implemented to design optimal marketing strategies for two top brands of the automotive parts market in Iran.
Findings
The findings of this study show that the optimal marketing-mix strategy for brand A is pricing and for brand B is the product strategy.
Practical implications
Game theory and the Nash equilibrium model can provide a practical approach to find and adopt the right strategy, know competitors' movements and strategies and get more profit.
Originality/value
The integration of the game theory approach into the marketing mix framework has been adopted as a generalized model for marketing strategy planning and analysis as well as to resolve some shortcomings of the marketing mix framework. The Nash equilibrium model has been used to analyze the results. The incorporation of game theory into marketing models has the potential to enrich the scope of marketing modeling.
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Mansour Abedian, Atefeh Amindoust, Javid Jouzdani and Maryam Hejazi
The purpose of the study is to assess manufacturing firm performance indicators using a reasonably comprehensive integrated BSC-Game model to empirically determine the importance…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of the study is to assess manufacturing firm performance indicators using a reasonably comprehensive integrated BSC-Game model to empirically determine the importance of the perspectives and indicators under evaluation and the best combination of indicators.
Design/methodology/approach
After identification of manufacturing indicators of the firm, the Shapley value index is used as the solution of the cooperative game to determine the importance of the perspectives and indicators under evaluation and the best combination of indicators to facilitate the achievement of target goals.
Findings
The game theory approach is used as a technique to rank BSC perspectives of the firm's manufacturing performance. The results reveal that the customers' perspective receives the highest ranking. The knowledge sharing, new technology, customer satisfaction and sale profitability are considered as the best combination of BSC indicators.
Originality/value
The integrated BSC-Game framework, approach and outcomes can be beneficial to practitioners and researchers who aim to select the proper indicators’ policy in manufacturing performance field.
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Zhe Tian, Ali Abdollahi, Mahmoud Shariati, Atefeh Amindoust, Hossein Arasteh, Arash Karimipour, Marjan Goodarzi and Quang-Vu Bach
This paper aims to study the fluid flow and heat transfer through a spiral double-pipe heat exchanger. Nowadays using spiral double-pipe heat exchangers has become popular in…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to study the fluid flow and heat transfer through a spiral double-pipe heat exchanger. Nowadays using spiral double-pipe heat exchangers has become popular in different industrial segments due to its complex and spiral structure, which causes an enhancement in heat transfer.
Design/methodology/approach
In these heat exchangers, by converting the fluid motion to the secondary motion, the heat transfer coefficient is greater than that of the straight double-pipe heat exchangers and cause increased heat transfer between fluids.
Findings
The present study, by using the Fluent software and nanofluid heat transfer simulation in a spiral double-tube heat exchanger, investigates the effects of operating parameters including fluid inlet velocity, volume fraction of nanoparticles, type of nanoparticles and fluid inlet temperature on heat transfer efficiency.
Originality/value
After presenting the results derived from the fluid numerical simulation and finding the optimal performance conditions using a genetic algorithm, it was found that water–Al2O3 and water–SiO2 nanofluids are the best choices for the Reynolds numbers ranging from 10,551 to 17,220 and 17,220 to 31,910, respectively.
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Mansour Abedian, Atefeh Amindoust, Reza Maddahi and Javid Jouzdani
This paper aims to propose an integrated centralized data envelopment analysis (CDEA)-balanced scorecard (BSC) model to provide a selective approach to determine the most…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to propose an integrated centralized data envelopment analysis (CDEA)-balanced scorecard (BSC) model to provide a selective approach to determine the most efficient indicators for evaluating the four perspectives of the BSC.
Design/methodology/approach
An integer linear programming model based on the efficiency concept of the CDEA method is presented to select the best indicators for evaluating four perspectives of the BSC. The basis for selecting indicators in this method is to maximize the overall performance of each BSC perspective. The modeling is performed on a real case. The considered model is solved using a general algebraic modeling system software for the data set of the real case.
Findings
A real-world case is solved using the proposed method. The integration of the CDEA and the BSC seems to be advantageous because it sheds more light on the complexity and tradeoffs inherent in actual performance measurement. It is important to note that there cannot be a unique and universal model of performance measurement applicable in every situation, in every organization and at any time.
Research limitations/implications
The data set of a single organization in the manufacturing industry is used to show the performance of the proposed mathematical model; therefore, generalization of the results should be done cautiously. This framework is based on the Iranian community and experts’ viewpoints; therefore, different results may be obtained if it is applied elsewhere, and the importance of perspectives and their indicators might show different results in other populations and other countries. In addition, because the data is collected in a specific period of time, the results cannot be extended to other periods of time.
Originality/value
The main contribution of this paper lies in the adaption of a new integrated CDEA-BSC model to performance measurement in the industrial sector that technology improves the ultimate results of performance measurement and provides wider opportunities for decision-makers. This paper aids managers and decision-makers to control the efficient indicators in perspectives.