Application Of Operations Research Techniques Research Articles

The application of operation research in the design of on-site construction organization

This article explores the integration of Operations Research (OR) principles in the design and management of on-site construction organizations. The first section introduces Operations Research as a multidisciplinary field that employs mathematical modelling, statistical analysis, and optimization techniques to enhance decision-making processes across various sectors. Key aspects such as mathematical modelling, optimization, decision analysis, simulation, queueing theory, linear programming, and game theory are highlighted. The second section focuses on the design of on-site construction organizations, emphasizing the structure and organization of resources, personnel, and processes essential for efficient project execution. Various key elements, including project management, site personnel, project support teams, engineering and design teams, health and safety personnel, procurement and supply chain, communication and coordination, equipment and maintenance, and environmental compliance, are discussed. The third section delves into the application of Operations Research techniques in the design and management of on-site construction organizations. It outlines how OR principles can be employed for resource allocation and optimization, project scheduling and planning, inventory management, equipment utilization, project costing and budgeting, risk management, supply chain management, human resource management, facility layout and design, and the development of decision support systems. The conclusion highlights that the strategic application of Operations Research methodologies contributes to enhanced efficiency, optimized resources, and improved decision-making throughout the construction project lifecycle. The integration of OR principles not only enhance the overall effectiveness of on-site construction organizations but also leads to cost savings, timely project completion, and improved project outcomes. As construction projects continue to grow in scale and complexity, the systematic and analytical approach provided by Operations Research becomes increasingly valuable in addressing the intricate challenges faced by construction stakeholders.

Special Issue of INFORMS Journal on Computing—Quantum Computing and Operations Research

Free AccessAboutSectionsView PDF ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack CitationsPermissionsReprints ShareShare onFacebookTwitterLinked InEmail Go to SectionFree Access HomeINFORMS Journal on ComputingAhead of Print Special Issue of INFORMS Journal on Computing—Quantum Computing and Operations ResearchCarleton Coffrin, Elisabeth Lobe, Giacomo Nannicini, Ojas ParekhCarleton Coffrin, Elisabeth Lobe, Giacomo Nannicini, Ojas ParekhPublished Online:15 May 2023https://doi.org/10.1287/ijoc.2023.cfp.v35.n3IntroductionQuantum computers offer an alternative way to approach computational problems, and it is widely believed that they can solve certain tasks significantly faster or with greater accuracy than any classical (i.e., nonquantum) computer. The impact of quantum computers on operations research, and vice versa, has thus far been limited, but this is expected to change. Indeed, the construction of more refined and scalable quantum hardware and software calls for the solution of a diverse range of problems that operations researchers are in prime position to address; examples include hardware design, hardware control, compiling, scheduling, and classical simulation of quantum devices. Furthermore, because of tremendous progress in hardware development and in the construction of basic algorithmic primitives, the last few years have shown significant growth in the volume of research dedicated to the application of quantum computers for the solution of operations research problems. This includes, but is not limited to, optimization, simulation, and learning.Special Issue ScopeThe INFORMS Journal of Computing wishes to promote high-quality research at the intersection of quantum computing and operations research. To foster the growth of the community and give visibility to top-tier work in this area, the Journal is devoting a special issue to this topic, and it invites authors to submit manuscripts that substantially advance the state of the art in methodology, theory, algorithms, applications, or software implementation as they pertain to all areas at the intersection of quantum computing and operations research. This includes, but is not limited to, novel results regarding the development and analysis of quantum or quantum-inspired classical algorithms for solving problems in operations research or based on the application of operations research techniques, the development of solution methodologies for problems that arise in the design and operation of quantum computers, and insightful empirical testing of the aforementioned types of algorithms.The main goal of this special issue is to give a platform to novel research in this emerging area. Survey and tutorial papers are included in this call; however, any survey or tutorial paper will have to maintain a very high standard of novelty and contribution with respect to existing surveys and tutorials in the open literature. We strongly encourage interested authors to contact one of the guest editors for this issue to discuss whether their work fits the scope of this special issue (see Timeline).The editorial statement of the journal is available at https://pubsonline.informs.org/page/ijoc/editorial-statement.Submissions should follow the standard requirements of the INFORMS Journal on Computing articles available at https://pubsonline.informs.org/page/ijoc/submission-guidelines.Please note that the INFORMS Journal on Computing has a data policy https://pubsonline.informs.org/page/ijoc/datapolicy and a software policy https://pubsonline.informs.org/page/ijoc/softwarepolicy.TimelineThe editors ask potential authors to prepare a short proposal, that is, a letter of intent, before making a full submission of a paper. Please note the following dates:September 30, 2023: Letter of interest sent to the editors (via email), with an abstract for the proposed contribution. (This step is not mandatory but strongly preferred to ensure proper review. Early letters are encouraged; submit the letter copying all guest editors).January 15, 2024: Deadline for first round of submissions.April 15, 2024: First round of reviews completed; decisions (and requests for revision, if appropriate) delivered to authors.June 15, 2024: Revisions due after first round decisions.August 15, 2024: Second round of reviews delivered to authors.August 30, 2024: Final versions of accepted papers must be submitted.Submission InstructionsPapers must be submitted online at https://mc.manuscriptcentral.com/ijoc.When submitting a paper, please note the following:Under “Step 1: Type, Title, & Abstract,”- select “Special Issue” for “Type,”- select “Special Issue” under “Select topic area of submission,”- and answer “Quantum Computing” for “If this paper is for a special issue, which one is it for?”. Back to Top Next FiguresReferencesRelatedInformation Articles In Advance Article Information Metrics Information Published Online:May 15, 2023 Copyright © 2023, INFORMSCite asCarleton Coffrin, Elisabeth Lobe, Giacomo Nannicini, Ojas Parekh (2023) Special Issue of INFORMS Journal on Computing—Quantum Computing and Operations Research. INFORMS Journal on Computing 0(0). https://doi.org/10.1287/ijoc.2023.cfp.v35.n3 PDF download

Uma perspectiva histórica do desenvolvimento de modelos de planejamento florestal com ênfase no nível operacional

The application of operations research techniques has led to a substantial improvement in the economic and ecologic efficiency of forest management, both for planted and natural forests. Forest planning addresses problems in different hierarchical levels that involve specific planning horizons and formulation complexity. This study proposes an historical perspective on the development of forest planning models in the last five decades, with a focus on the operational level. The emergence of operations research applied to forest planning problems can be dated back to the 60’s, with an intensification of this line of research on the 80’s and 90’s, accompanying the fast development on the available computing power. In the 90’s, forest planning problems started to be classified according to hierarchical levels in strategic, tactical and operational. While the strategic and tactical levels address decisions on the long- and medium-term, the operational level deals with short-term decisions, typically involving harvesting machinery allocation and transportation of forest products. In this sense, the operational planning is characterized by a high level of complexity of the planning models and economic importance to forest management. We conclude that despite the increasing number of publications related to forest planning, the operational level remains underrepresented and efforts to integrate decisions across the different hierarchical levels of forest planning are required.

Application of the Hungarian Method for Assigning Workers to Ciptaland Development

Assignment of workers is something that is needed by the company. But in reality the company is difficult to place its employees in each allocation. However, with the development of existing technology, this can be minimized by calculating the cost of each work and each allocation by utilizing existing data and extraction to produce new knowledge. The application of operational research techniques using the Hungarian method and tested using a system or application as a decision tree to assign some decent workers to be placed on jobs within the company. Therefore the author took the initiative to make a thesis entitled "Application of the Hungarian Method in Assigning Ciptaland Development Workers". The assignment process can show every worker by the company. So that Ciptaland Development can be a reference in making decisions in assigning and allocating workers. In this study, an Assignment model was made to determine the allocation of workers who were fit to be placed. This method is quite efficient in the allocation of workers. In applying this hungarian method can provide solutions or considerations for companies in making decisions

Application of Operational Research Techniques in Operating Room Scheduling Problems: Literature Overview.

Increased healthcare costs are pushing hospitals to reduce costs and increase the quality of care. Operating rooms are the most important source of income and expense for hospitals. Therefore, the hospital management focuses on the effectiveness of schedules and plans. This study includes analyses of recent research on operating room scheduling and planning. Most studies in the literature, from 2000 to the present day, were evaluated according to patient characteristics, performance measures, solution techniques used in the research, the uncertainty of the problem, applicability of the research, and the planning strategy to be dealt within the solution. One hundred seventy studies were examined in detail, after scanning the Emerald, Science Direct, JSTOR, Springer, Taylor and Francis, and Google Scholar databases. To facilitate the identification of these studies, they are grouped according to the different criteria of concern and then, a detailed overview is presented.

Application of operational research techniques to the analysis of banks listed by BM&FBOVESPA between 2010 and 2016

Application of operational research techniques to the analysis of banks listed by BM&FBOVESPA between 2010 and 2016

The unrooted set covering connected subgraph problem differentiating between HIV envelope sequences

This paper presents a novel application of operations research techniques to the analysis of HIV Env gene sequences, aiming to identify key features that are possible vaccine targets. These targets are identified as being critical to the transmission of HIV by being present in early transmitted (founder) sequences and absent in later chronic sequences. Identifying the key features of Env involves two steps: first, calculating the covariance of amino acid combinations and positions to form a network of related and compensatory mutations; and second, developing an integer program to identify the smallest connected subgraph of the constructed covariance network that exhibits a set covering property. The integer program developed for this analysis, labelled the unrooted set covering connected subgraph problem (USCCSP), integrates a set covering problem and connectivity evaluation, the latter formulated as a network flow problem. The resulting integer program is very large and complex, requiring the use of Benders’ decomposition to develop an efficient solution approach. The results will demonstrate the necessity of applying acceleration techniques to the Benders’ decomposition solution approach and the effectiveness of these techniques and heuristic approaches for solving the USCCSP.

Call for Papers—Interfaces Special Issue: Operations Research Applications in the Energy Industry

Energy comes from many sources: (1) coal and natural gas power plants producing electricity that is transmitted over the grid to homes, businesses, and factories; (2) oil and gas fields, and refineries producing fuels that keep homes warm and transport people and goods; and (3) solar and wind farms that provide cheap renewable energy to decrease our dependence on fossil fuels. Although operations research has been used extensively in the energy industry, new opportunities have arisen that are ripe for exploitation using OR/MS and analytics techniques. These include managing variability in renewable generation because of weather conditions, demand-side management to lower utility costs for providing electricity, and use of artificial lift technologies to economically extract more oil from oil fields. Operations research can play an important role in the generation, distribution, and consumption of energy. Accordingly, Interfaces is planning a special issue focusing on applications of operations research techniques in the energy industry. Papers must fall into one of the following categories: • An application with a verification letter from the company or organization using the results • A novel literature review of the practice of operations research in the energy industry • A tutorial emphasizing the practical implementation of energy models or systems Authors should review the Interfaces instructions for preparing a paper at http://pubsonline.informs.org/ page/inte/submission-guidelines. Papers must be submitted online at http://mc.manuscriptcentral.com/inte. In the Author Center of the ScholarOne Manuscripts website, please designate the “Manuscript Type” (#1—“Type, Title, and Abstract”) as “Special Issue” in the dropdown list; in #4—“Details and Comments,” respond “Operations Research in Energy Industry” to the question, “This paper is for which special issue?” All papers will be refereed. Authors planning on writing review articles and tutorials should indicate their intent to the special issue editor by February 1, 2015. Articles must be received no later than July 1, 2015 for full consideration for publication in this special issue. Papers received after that date will be considered for publication in Interfaces, but will not be guaranteed for consideration in the special issue.

A survey on models and algorithms for discrete evacuation planning network problems

With an increasing number of large-scale natural and man-created disasters over the last decade, there is growing focus on the application of operations research techniques for humanitarian relief in the emerging field of emergency evacuation. Even though a large diversity of models have been developed, many rely on solving network-flow problems on appropriate graphs. In this survey, we give a systematic collection of network flow models used in emergency evacuation and their applications. We especially focus on results interrelating these models. Considered models include max flows and min cost flows, lexicographic flows, quickest flows, and earliest arrival flows, as well as contraflows and time-dependent problems.

Decision support in intermodal transport: A new research agenda

This paper proposes new research themes concerning decision support in intermodal transport. Decision support models have been constructed for private stakeholders (e.g. network operators, drayage operators, terminal operators or intermodal operators) as well as for public actors such as policy makers and port authorities. Intermodal research topics include policy support, terminal network design, intermodal service network design, intermodal routing, drayage operations and ICT innovations. For each research topic, the current state of the art and gaps in existing models are identified. Current trends in intermodal decision support models include the introduction of environmental concerns, the development of dynamic models and the growth in innovative applications of Operations Research techniques. Limited data availability and problem size (network scale) and related computational considerations are issues which increase the complexity of decision support in intermodal transport.

Políticas óptimas para la distribución de los recursos en una planta panificadora

En el presente proyecto se ha pretendido lograr el desarrollo de un proyecto para la optimización de la producción con la aplicación de técnicas de investigación de operaciones.Se han considerado restricciones de producción de cada máquina, espacio disponible para cada tipo de almacén, los tiempos de corrida de cada producto, los turnos y las horas efectivas que se laboran en esta empresa, entre otras restricciones.Se analizan las restricciones de esta empresa, las cuales nos permitirán identificar las áreas de oportunidad en las cuales se deba aplicar algún tipo de solución para un mayor aprovechamiento de los recursos. El problema que plantea se resolvió con la herramienta SOLVER de Excel, lo cual nos permitió hacer una serie de observaciones, como lo es el análisis de sensibilidad entre otras cosas que más adelante se mencionaran y se analizaran para su mayor entendimiento.

Entrepreneurial Success and Operations Research Techniques

The passion to carry out this research work was ignited by the alarming rate of unemployment in the Nigerian society which mostly result from quest for white-collar jobs among youths and failure of existing industries. The objective of this study is to encourage youths to go into entrepreneurship by helping existing entrepreneurs to maximize their profit and/or minimize their cost irrespective of the constraints militating against them. Both primary and secondary data were collected from the DUNA HOLDINGS PLC ABA. Observation and interview methods were used to source primary data. TORA Optimization system, window version 2.00 was used in maximization and minimization analyses. Maximization analysis suggested that a maximum profit of N3083.7 will be made per day if zero unit of DUNA soft, 2392 unit of DUNA pack and 5211 units of DUNA strip are produced per day. The result of minimization analysis shows that a minimum cost of N66661.14 will be incurred per day if zero unit of DUNA pack, 4784 unit of DUNA soft and 38368 units of DUNA strip are produced per day. It was concluded that the company is neither maximizing profit nor minimizingcost and as such may liquidate in the long run. Recommendations on production combination that will maximize profit and those that will minimize cost were given to the company. It was also recommended that government should organize programs that will educate entrepreneurs on applications of operations research techniques in their production to prevent failure of industries and attract more youths into entrepreneurship so that unemployment will be eradicated.

A rich vehicle routing problem dealing with perishable food: a case study

This paper presents a successful application of operations research techniques in guiding the decision making process to achieve a superior operational efficiency in core activities. We focus on a rich vehicle routing problem faced by a Portuguese food distribution company on a daily basis. This problem can be described as a heterogeneous fleet site dependent vehicle routing problem with multiple time windows. We use the adaptative large neighbourhood search framework, which has proven to be effective to solve a variety of different vehicle routing problems. Our plans are compared against those of the company and the impact that the proposed decision support tool may have in terms of cost savings is shown. The algorithm converges quickly giving the planner considerably more time to focus on value-added tasks, rather than manually correct the routing schedule. Moreover, contrarily to the necessary adaptation time of the planner, the tool is quite flexible in following market changes, such as the introduction of new customers or new products.

Developing an Organizational Perspective to Management Accounting

B eing asked to make a short speech as part of accepting the award inevitably leads to some introspection and reflection on major factors that have influenced one’s career, be they events or individuals. Past recipients of the award have been very influential in putting management accounting on the map. Some have been instrumental in developing the way we think about management accounting and teach the subject; some have developed important perspectives such as information economics, combining economics with psychology, the importance of national culture, activity-based cost management, and balanced scorecards. The way these recipients developed their thoughts is well told in their acceptance speeches and collectively provides a wealth of ideas and a historical perspective on the development of our discipline. I commenced my studies in economics, and I maintain a keen interest in economic approaches to management accounting. However, early in my academic career, I was pressed into considering an organizational approach to management accounting, not because it was an easier option; rather it addressed the world of management accounting within which I found myself. In this address, I will share with you some personal reflections on the process of my discoveries in the area of organizational approaches to management accounting from the mid-1960s. The backdrop to this address is that research is something of a growth model. Stage 1: starting from a baseline of skills and knowledge gained at undergraduate studies; stage 2: progressing through refinement of skills with more graduate study; and stage 3: consolidating through work toward publications and other academic outputs. Stages 1 and 2 are somewhat planned and incremental, while stage 3 is more often associated with less ordered processes, often stumbling across potential research areas by way of reading and personal interactions. Research projects can be focused around existing ideas, sometimes being somewhat formulaic, sometimes highly innovative. Often ideas can be serendipitous and develop in unpredictable ways. The key is to recognize when there is a management accounting angle that will relate to an important organizational or social issue.

Call for Papers—Interfaces Special Issue: Operations Research in Freight Transportation and Logistics

Transportation and Logistics have a growing importance in a global economy. As parts and products travel longer distances over more modes of transport, supply chains become more fragile, complex, and costly to manage. As transportation and logistics costs rise in importance, inventory, handling, lot size, and mode choice decisions have a larger effect on corporate profitability. From public welfare perspective, secure and sustainable world freight transport system concerns must be balanced with efficient transportation and logistics networks. Operations research can play a critical role in designing, operating, and improving freight transportation and logistics systems. Accordingly, Interfaces is planning a special issue focusing on the application of operations research techniques on freight transportation and logistics. Papers should fall into one of following categories: • An application with a verification letter from the company or organization using the results • A novel literature review of operations research related to freight transportation and logistics • A novel tutorial emphasizing the practical implementation of transportation and logistics systems

Contributors

Contributors

INDEVAL Develops a New Operating and Settlement System Using Operations Research

INDEVAL, Mexico's central securities depository for all financial securities, implemented a new operating system to increase its operational efficiency and comply with international securities-settlement best practices. INDEVAL used operations research techniques in its core clearing process and in testing the new system's viability. Best practices address high capacity and reliability, real-time settlement, delivery versus payment (DvP), secure data storage and communications (based on the ISO15022 standard), central bank cash funds, and operational transparency. In this paper, we define the problem and discuss a linear programming model, system simulation, and major business process modeling that we devised for the new system. A novel application of operations research techniques provided several benefits, including (1) analysis and testing of the DvP settlement mechanism, which quickly and efficiently processes transactions and optimally uses available cash and securities balances; (2) a secure, reliable, and automatic clearing and settlement engine that operates continuously and efficiently handles all transactions that INDEVAL receives from its participants; and (3) an intelligent and flexible presettlement function that uses business rules and parameters to control the execution of the clearing and settlement process. The new system settles securities transactions that average over $250 billion daily; its successful implementation has substantially improved Mexico's financial system.

Contributors

Contributors

Minimizing makespan for multi-spindle head machines with a mobile table

This paper presents a novel application of operational research techniques in Manufacturing. This concerns scheduling of multi-spindle head machines with a mobile table to minimize the makespan. We show that this problem can be formulated as scheduling for a single max-batch processing machine with inclusion, exclusion and precedence constraints between jobs. What makes this study unique from others in literature is that the batch processing time can exceed that of the longest job in the batch. The job compatibility and the batch time depend on the batch content, i.e. which jobs constitute the batch. This problem is transformed into finding the constrained shortest path in a specially constructed digraph. Dominance properties are developed to decrease the digraph's size. An industrial example is presented to illustrate the effectiveness of the proposed techniques.

Landscape-level optimization using tabu search and stand density-related forest management prescriptions

Spatial and temporal scheduling of forest management activities is becoming increasingly important due to recent developments in environmental regulations, goals and policies. A forest planning model was developed to select activities for stands in a forested area (178,000 ha), from a set of stand-centric optimal prescriptions, to best meet a higher-level landscape objective. The forest-level management problem addressed is complex, if not impossible to solve optimally, with current computing technologies, as integer decision variables are assumed. The higher-level landscape objective is to achieve the highest even-flow of timber harvest volume. Three types of tabu search processes were examined in the model: (1) a process with 1-opt moves only; (2) a process with 1-opt moves and a region-limited 2-opt move process; and (3) a process with 1-opt moves and 10 iterations through a smaller region-limited 2-opt move process. Aspiration criteria and short-term memory were employed within tabu search in an attempt to avoid becoming trapped in local optima. While the 1-opt move process alone created solutions (forest plans) that were adequate, and contained higher average harvest volumes than the other methods, the addition of the 2-opt move processes improved the solutions generated by intensifying the search around local optima. The solutions produced using the 2-opt move processes had less variation in periodic harvest volumes across the planning horizon. While the basic 1-opt tabu search process provides adequate feasible solutions to large, complex forest planning problems, we reinforce the notion suggested, but not proven with previous research, that 2-opt neighborhoods can help improve quality of large scale forest plans generated by tabu search. The contribution of this research is the description of a process which be developed for large forest planning problems (the problem examined is at least 1 order of magnitude greater than previous research, in terms of forested stands modeled), a process that could enable one to produce more efficient forest planning solutions than one could otherwise with standard 1-opt tabu search. In addition, we describe here the use of a set of optimal stand-level prescriptions to choose from when utilizing the 2-opt process, rather than a set of clearcut periods to consider. With this in mind, this research represents a fundamentally new application of operations research techniques to realistic forest planning problems.