Operational Planning Process Research Articles

SHORTFALL IN INCOMES OF A REGIONAL GAS DISTRIBUTION ORGANIZATION: ANALYSIS AND MODELLING

The problem of generating shortfall in incomes in a gas distribution organization as a result of changes in the state`s institutional standards has been considered. Shortfall in incomes exacerbate the problem of a shortage of investment resources directed by a territorial organization to develop distribution networks. Thereby it has a negative impact on the region’s infrastructure development and on population’s life quality, especially rural population. The main part of the study has been made up of a comprehensive analysis of the shortfall in incomes of a gas distribution organization during 2015-2017, the process of their creation is described. Two methods for pricing shortfall in income: the existing order of calculation and the fixed-cost method have been compared. To estimate the shortfall in incomes elasticity by the connection number for individuals with the gas pipeline-inputs construction, a correlation-regression model has been built that has a high degree of reliability. This model can be used by an enterprise during the operational planning process. It has been concluded, that overcoming the growth tendency of shortfall in incomes is possible by reducing the balance value of the facility. Therefore, further research in this area should be aimed at finding ways to reduce the production cost.

Decision Support Tool for Operational Planning of Field Operations

Precision Farming (PF) and Controlled Traffic Farming (CTF) are well known concepts within agriculture, but the adoption rate of these practices by farmers is still very low, because farmers lack the needed skills or fail to see the benefits of using these practices. If farmers want to reap the full benefits, operational planning must be carried out in advance for the entire crop cycle, before the crop season begins. However, operational planning across the entire crop cycle is a non-trivial task, since the efficiency of each operation is determined by a range of selected operational features (e.g., wayline direction, operational speed, vehicle capacity, wayline sequence, and turn type). To that end, we present, in this paper, an application that can support farmers with operational planning of field operations with CTF, by automating the process. It provides the farmer with an overview of all his field operations, and acts as a decision support tool during the operational planning process. The application allows farmers to store and manage field and equipment information, which is used as input, when setting up CTF and generating way lines and route plans for the individual fields. One of the key benefits of the application is the provided comparison feature, where farmers can compare alternative solutions, based on Key Performance Indicators (KPIs). Results from an example field, for operations with different machine setups, are presented to illustrate how KPIs and visualisations can support farmers during the decision process.

War Studies University Attempt to Design Thinking

This article describes the process of recognising and acquiring new capabilities in the frame of operational planning process. It refers to the changes in the operational environment which can be observed nowadays. Educating senior officers is a process which requires proper tools, techniques, methods and approach. War Studies University tries to respond to these appearing needs in the field of operational planning process, especially in understanding the operational environment. The article looks at the elements of this process. Implementing the design thinking may possibly be an offer that has to be tested. A general overview of the testing model is the aim of the second part of this article. A description of the experimental model includes control and experimental group, dependent and independent variables. Additionally, selected tools are presented. The conduct of the pilot research to verify methods and the way of conducting the experiment is also predicted. The article also refers to the problems of cultural adaptation of the scenario. First of all, the scenario has to be of complex context. This is the consequence of used typology of the operational environment. In the Cynefin framework, environment is divided into four types: simple, complicated, complex and chaotic. The article underlines the meaning of the research concerning the design thinking, as a divergent approach, in the process of implementing this into operational planning.

Healthcare Quality Management System in Pakistan

The competitive healthcare system and healthcare environment, modern hospitals with substantial investment, healthcare reforms, availability of specialized persons in hospital management, health services management, the success of quality management programs in developed nations and high interest of international health organizations like WHO has led the developing countries like Pakistan to pay due attention to quality in national healthcare system. Since the time of independence healthcare system in Pakistan is striving for improvements. Despite of the physical infrastructure and availability of qualified workforce for service delivery there are gaps in strategic and operational planning which resulted in poor quality health services. The leaders in healthcare has little awareness that the quality management is an organized specialty to improve the quality of healthcare. It is need of the hour that healthcare leaders in Pakistan must integrate quality improvement activities in strategic and operational planning process of healthcare system. This the only way to maximize the benefits of healthcare system and restore the rapidly deteriorating public trust.

Vehicle Scheduling Optimization considering the Passenger Waiting Cost

In the operational planning process of public transport, the time a passenger spends on waiting is a very critical element for judging passenger service. Schedule synchronization is a useful strategy for reducing bus waiting time and improving service connectivity. This paper develops an extended vehicle scheduling model, taking into account the interests of passengers and operators in attaining optimization of timetable synchronization integrated with vehicle scheduling and considering the passenger waiting cost. Deficit functions at terminals are formulated. Deadheading (DH), shifting departure time (SDT), and network flow technique are used for vehicle scheduling with the consideration of passenger waiting times. An experimental study in Beijing is conducted and three important bus lines are selected as a regional bus network to demonstrate the methodology developed. Results show that both the fleet size of bus operators and the waiting cost of passengers are minimized. For example, the minimum fleet size can be reduced from 28 vehicles to 24 ones while the passenger times are less than 20 minutes in this multidepot network.

The impact of BMI on operating room time, blood loss, and hospital stay in patients undergoing spinal fusion

Objective: Obesity affects not only the health of an individual but society as a whole and especially the healthcare system. Healthcare providers are faced with challenges to deliver adequate care in this resource-limited environment, assure safety, and accommodate the increasing population of overweight patients. The effects of increased body mass index (BMI) on clinical outcomes, complications, health care resource utilization, effectiveness of minimally invasive approaches, and perioperative parameters in spine surgeries have all been previously studied, but the majority of these findings are conflicting rather than conclusive. The main objective of this study was to analyze the impact of BMI on perioperative outcomes in patients undergoing one- to two-level elective TLIF procedures for degenerative spine conditions and to identify the need to modify internal hospital operational planning, team organization, and patient flow processes to accommodate patients who are overweight.Patients and methods: A single-center retrospective case-review study was completed. The study included 172 consecutive patients who underwent elective one- or two-level transforaminal lumbar interbody fusions (TLIF). The patients were categorized as obese if they had BMI value that was equal to or greater than 30 kg/m2. Outcome measures included surgical and non-operative operating room (OR) time, length of stay (LOS), and estimated blood loss (EBL). Multiple regression analyses were performed to determine if BMI had an effect on perioperative parameters while controlling for independent variables.Results: BMI did not have a statistically significant effect on surgical (p = 0.13) and non-operative OR time (p = 0.82). Obese patients remained hospitalized on average 0.45 ± 0.25 days longer (p = 0.037) and lost 71.8 ± 26.3 mL more blood (p = 0.007).Conclusions: Obesity is associated with longer hospitalization and more intraoperative blood loss, but may have no impact on surgical and non-operative OR times in patients undergoing one- and two-level TLIFs.

The role of war games in the operational planning process

Over the past several decades, most regional and local conflicts have merely been the scenarios prepared in advance in the kitchens of great powers. The aforesaid scenarios are practically tested on simulation-based models that are formed as war games, which considerably save resources and improve the strategic and operational-tactical planning process. Information technology has had the decisive impact on the development of war games resulting in the fact that various software packages have been developed, as well as the systems which provide support to commands and HQs in a decision-making process at all command and control levels. The findings showing that resources can be rationally exploited and financial funds considerably saved indicate the efficiency of applying war games in the operational planning process and cause specific simulation-based models to be developed in commands and HQs of modern armed forces. The aim of this paper is to point out the role and importance of war games in the operational planning process. To that end, various models of war games have been analyzed, along with the possibility of applying them in the operational planning process and activities conducted by the commands and HQs of the Serbian Armed Forces. The paper examines the disadvantages of models that have already been applied in the drill of the Serbian Armed Forces units, at the same time indicating the modern models of war games. The topic has been addressed through four items: 1) the term and characteristics of war games; 2) the elements of war games; 3) the structure of war games and 4) the application of war games in the operational planning process. It has been concluded by the research results that war games are an integral and inseparable part of the operational planning process in modern armed forces and that they are implemented as various models for making decisions during the preparation and execution of combat actions and armed conflicts. The collected findings have shown that war games are an integral part of the operational planning process in the Serbian Armed Forces too, as well as that the level they have reached is not satisfactory and should be improved by being more comprehensively implemented in commands and HQs, provided that automated command-information systems have previously been established. Ensuring that the above-mentioned conditions are met at all command and control levels would contribute to introducing a decision-making support system in an organized manner and improving the efficiency of the operational planning process, and thus making timely decisions while conducting missions and tasks of the Serbian Armed Forces.

Management of Innovations in Georgian Higher Educational Institutions: Key Problems with Teaching Economic Science

The paper has summarized the arguments for improvement of economic education in Georgia's High Educational Institutions. Systematization literary sources and approaches of research shows that in the period of transformation in Georgia the question on the role of government and the effectiveness has not been raised due to a number of factors, in particular, unprecedentedly high level of participation of the state during the socialist authoritarian system and the inefficient economic system, which as a negative experience is critically, discussed the academic circles and political elite; Dominant economic order in the world and in Georgia too, which aimed at spreading neoliberal ideas and thus restricted the role of government in the economy; Non-qualified and subjective judgments of the systemic reforms. Transformation process and its theory require revision and impartial evaluations; employment of public servants in key government positions who lack the skills of matching new circumstances (such as new geopolitical space, economic ties, membership in organizations, economic openness, etc.) and public governance skills (such as coordination, time-related compatibility) etc. Investigation of the topic brought to the conclusion that among the challenges of management of innovations in teaching economic science the important one is the issue of exploring and learning pluralist economic theories, offering interdisciplinary courses, teaching economic history, industrial economics, entrepreneurship and the modern information technological components, without which effective integration with the world market is unlikely. The process of implementing the innovative approach to teaching economic science should be aimed at preparing competitive employees who can perform successfully in the areas of both theoretical and applied economics. The results of the research can be useful for policymakers and conductors in the strategic and operational planning process.

Design of a Sales and Operations Planning (S&OP) process – case study

Nowadays, companies are facing a constant need to develop and increase coordination between operational functions to respond rapidly and accurately to customer requests. Linked with this need, an increasing number of practitioners are resorting to an established and integrated business management methodology, the Sales and Operations Planning (S&OP). The concept of S&OP has gained increased recognition over the years by several authors and companies. This project describes the S&OP implementation in Sogrape Vinhos (wines) S.A., a Portuguese wine producer and distributer. The company was confronted with low accuracy in the establishing the forecast demand plans, especially on a long-term horizon. In order to increase the demand plans accuracy, the company started a S&OP implementation program. This paper describes the company’s current planning process, explains the S&OP’s implementation model presenting the selected parameters adequate to the company’s context, and finally, evaluate the expected outcomes of this project. Preliminary results from the S&OP implementation project at Sogrape indicate significant savings at the operational level and greater effectiveness in developing the company’s demand plans.

Forecasting (un-)seasonal demand using geostatistics, socio-economic and weather data

Accurate demand forecasts are essential to supply chain management. We study the spatial demand variation of seasonal and unseasonal sport goods and demonstrate how demand forecast accuracy can be improved by using geostatistics and linking socio-economic and weather data with order line specific supply chain transactions. We found that the socio-economic features impact the demand of both seasonal and unseasonal products and unseasonal products are impacted more. Weather conditions affect only seasonal products. Cross-validation analyses show that using external information improves demand forecasting accuracy by reducing forecasting error up to 48%. The results can be applied both to the operational demand planning process and to the strategy used when making location-based decisions on supply chain actions, for example, deciding locations for new stores or running marketing campaigns.

Directly Observed Treatment: planning perspectives, improvisation and transfer of policy.

to investigate the possibilities of positive and negative association of improvisation and the understanding of what will be the planning by managers and coordinators of tuberculosis control programs, in a context of transference of the Directly Observed Treatment policy. this is a qualitative study, developed through semi-structured interviews analyzed in the light of French Discourse Analysis. there was a weakening of the constructive and operational planning process, which is at the mercy of political will and the need of putting out fires. This, in turn, along with achômetro (Brazilian popular expression used on unsubstantiated point of view or opinion that is based solely and exclusively on the intuition of the person who says it), composed the metaphor of improvisation in its negative perspective, understood by automatism and unsystematization process. Improvisation, however, emerged as a representation of innovation, creativity, and contextual change. both the planning and the transfer of public policies constitute processes that need to be strengthened and qualified in the field of public health.

Application of the New Nato Logistics System

Abstract The article focuses on the current use of NATO’s logistics information systems in NATO’s defense planning and operational planning process in the logistics area. Information support is provided through NATO Logistics Functional Area Services (LOGFAS) Logistics Systems, which create the necessary information environment through individual software tools. In order to improve logistical information support, NATO is in parallel preparing for the modernization of the existing information environment and developing LOG FS project that should replace existing information systems in the future, optimize information support, bring new functions and enable logistics operations coordination within NATO’s integrated command and control network and between alliance and nations.

OPERATIONAL PLANNING IMPROVEMENT OF ENTERPRISES GOODS’ CARRIAGE BY SMALL SHIPMENTS IN THE CITIES

Introduction. The aspects of improving the transportation efficiency of the enterprises’ goods by the small shipments in the cities in the operational planning phase are viewed in the article. The practice necessity in all aspects of operational planning, taking into account the features of the private cargo companies’ modern transport and the state of the economy, determines the research relevance in this sphere. Materials and methods. The article discusses the goods’ carriage alternatives in small consignments by several technological ways at the planning stage, i.e. the development of several possible plan variants. The considered options of the goods’ transportation, such as the simple pendulum route and more complex routes using their own vehicles and rented vehicles provided on an hourly rate are presented. Results. The efficiency criterion of the cargo transportation, which is expressed in the maximum difference between the cost of the goods’ transportation on the pendulum with the reverse and not loaded route by own enterprises’ PBX and other ways of ATS and the cost of freight for all plan versions is proposed. Conclusion. The fitted regression based on the efficiency criterion of the cargo transportation distance in the range of 1 to 60 km is arranged and the objectives adequacy of the operational planning process is made in the research.

Optimal selective logging regime and log landing location models: a case study in the Amazon forest

ABSTRACT Reduced-impact logging is a well known practice applied in most sustainable forest management plans in the Amazon. Nevertheless, there are still ways to improve the operational planning process. Therefore, the aim of this study was to create an integer linear programming (ILP) to fill in the knowledge gaps in the decision support system of reduced impact logging explorations. The minimization of harvest tree distance to wood log landing was assessed. Forest structure aspects, income and wood production were set in the model, as well as the adjacency constraints. Data are from a dense ombrophylous forest in the western Brazilian Amazon. We applied the phytosociological analysis and BDq method to define the selective logging criteria. Then, ILP models were formulated to allow the application of the constraints. Finally, 32 scenarios (unbalanced forest, UF, and balanced forest, BF) were generated and compared with real executed plans (RE). Robust results were achieved and the expected finding of each scenario was met. The feasibility to integrate ILP models in uneven-aged forest management projects was endorsed. Consequently, the UF and BF scenarios tested were efficient and concise, introducing new advances for forest management plans in the Amazon. The proposed models have a high potential to improve the selective logging activities in the Amazon forest.

Tvorba vojenských scénářů

The global security environment brings forward different and surprising challenges for the armed forces, which require a good training and preparation. One way of sorting out the endeavour is using scenarios, the concept used extensively in the military field, the military field being the initiator of this concept. Military scenario development is the subject of this article, which is going to bring some essential characteristics and propose a working option for elaborating a scenario. The final aim is to help military planners have a good working procedure when developing a scenario in order to create a document updated with warfare evolution and operational planning process ready to respond to all risks and threats. The scenario is a way used by military structures at all levels of military art (strategical, operational and tactical) to get in contact with a probable unknown situation, to assimilate it and to sort it out. The article focuses on the scenario development process and proposes stages and activities that should be followed by a joint operational group when tasked with preparing a scenario.

Challenges of Measuring Performance of the Sales and Operations Planning Process

The purpose of this study is to identify and structure challenges of measuring performance of the Sales and Operations Planning (S&OP) process. A multiple case study methodology was applied. Qualitative data was collected via 22 structured interviews with managers from six case companies in various industries. A process oriented framework was proposed by structuring the challenges based on two key areas of process performance (effectiveness and efficiency) and different maturity levels of the process. A major challenge for all the cases, regardless of their maturity level, relates to defining of cross-functional trade-offs measures. Another major challenge was alignment of measures with business strategy and reward system. Additional common challenges for the different maturity levels were also found. While confirming some challenges from previous research, this study also finds new challenges, especially for more mature levels. Examples are standardization to support unbiased decision making, but also customization of measures for various organizational levels, and visualization of findings from the measurement to facilitate analysis. However, future research must validate and extend the results in other industries. The results offer challenges from a process oriented view and can serve as insights for managers when designing and implementing the S&OP process measures, or advancing from one maturity level to another. This research enhances understanding of the challenges to measure the S&OP process performance and adds to the S&OP literature and performance measurement literature.

自律運航実現に向けた法的課題

Certain types of automation technology for navigation supporting is widely accepted in maritime industries. Furthermore, interest in autonomous ship operation has been growing from the view point of safety requirement. Tokyo University of Marine Science And Technology (TUMSAT) has developed a semi-autonomous ship which is operated remotely using long range Wi-Fi and can autonomously operate under conditions of wireless link disconnect. Throughout the development and operation planning process, discussions have been held between TUMSAT and government authorities relating to the establishment of laws and regulations to govern the operation of remotely controlled and autonomous marine vessels. In this paper, case studies and legal issues to be solved by collaboration of legal and engineering are presented.

Data collection framework for understanding UFT within city logistics solutions

Abstract Urban Freight Transport (UFT) is a fundamental component of city life. It involves a vast range of activities resulting from relationships among different actors with conflicting needs and goals. Manufacturers are interested in fast and on-time deliveries, retailers require complete assortment and frequent deliveries, citizens wish to have easy access to goods while not losing their quality of life and City Authorities have to face negative externalities related to UFT (i.e. congestion, air and noise pollution, and safety). Concretely, few cities have a well-developed and comprehensive city logistics strategy because authorities generally focus their attention on passenger transport. When city logistics measures have been conceived and implemented, frequently private requirements have not been considered sufficiently. The European Commission includes the lack of data and understanding of freight flows among the main obstacles to the improvement of operational efficiency and planning process for a sustainable UFT in economic, social and environmental terms. Also, the research community raises the issue of the unavailability or the low quality of data on urban freight and the need to identify effective data collection methods in order to understand processes and actors’ behavior and then define appropriate city logistics solutions. The NOVELOG EU project is providing city authorities and practitioners with a new framework aimed at systematizing all data to be collected, directly or indirectly, and to be elaborated in order to understand and represent the different aspects of the UFT sector. In order to achieve a complete knowledge, the framework approaches this sector according to four main thematic pillars: 1) profile of major supply chains served in the urban area under study; 2) mapping of urban freight and service trips activity; 3) organizational and legal framework; 4) procedural and technological methods and innovations. The present paper introduces the framework and the guidance it provides to its target audiences.

Teorijski i praktični aspekti operativnog okvira u planiranju operacija

The military doctrine has been developed as a system of doctrine based on the Doctrine of the Serbian Armed Forces. The documents of a lower hierarchical level have an organizational character (service doctrines and rules of units) and a functional character (doctrines from J-1 to J-9 and documents derived from them to the level of various guides). The Doctrine of the Serbian Armed Forces is the basis for all doctrinal documents of a lower hierarchical level, and this basis follows the Doctrine of Operations as the main document at the first level of doctrinal documents. Experiences from the implementation of doctrinal documents in practice indicate that in the system of adopted doctrine there are inconsistencies and contradictory attitudes on the same issues, which are particularly manifested in the process of operational planning of military operations. The operational framework represents a significant content of the operational planning process and it includes the organization of forces in space and time in relation to one's own and the enemy intentions, and for practical reasons it is considered at an operational and tactical level of the operational planning process. This paper considers the impact of the operational environment on the operational framework, the theoretical and practical aspect of the operational framework and elements of the operational framework by comparative method and method of analysis of the contents of doctrinal documents.

Large-Scale Demand Driven Design of a Customized Bus Network: A Methodological Framework and Beijing Case Study

In recent years, an innovative public transportation (PT) mode known as the customized bus (CB) has been proposed and implemented in many cities in China to efficiently and effectively shift private car users to PT to alleviate traffic congestion and traffic-related environmental pollution. The route network design activity plays an important role in the CB operation planning process because it serves as the basis for other operation planning activities, for example, timetable development, vehicle scheduling, and crew scheduling. In this paper, according to the demand characteristics and operational purpose, a methodological framework that includes the elements of large-scale travel demand data processing and analysis, hierarchical clustering-based route origin-destination (OD) region division, route OD region pairing, and a route selection model is proposed for CB network design. Considering the operating cost and social benefits, a route selection model is proposed and a branch-and-bound-based solution method is developed. In addition, a computer-aided program is developed to analyze a real-world Beijing CB route network design problem. The results of the case study demonstrate that the current CB network of Beijing can be significantly improved, thus demonstrating the effectiveness of the proposed methodology.