Service Level Research Articles

Breast cancer screening and early detection programs in Iran: A health policy analysis and recommendations

AbstractScreening and early detection programs for breast cancer (BC) have significantly reduced mortality rates and enhanced survival rates globally. Breast cancer screening programs in low‐ and middle‐income countries like Iran need improvement. This study examines Iran's breast cancer screening and early detection (BCSED) policies, employing the Policy Triangle Model in two phases: a review of 27 documents including various related sources related of policies and strategies, followed by 20 semi‐structured interviews across four distinct levels: policy, regional, clinical, and community levels. Content analysis for documents and MAXQDA2020 software for the second phase were used, and findings integrated. In our analysis of 27 national documents and 20 interviews, we found 10 themes, 19 sub‐themes, and 42 specific codes across four dimensions of the mentioned framework. Main themes in the context dimension covered deficient interactions, deficiency in knowledge management, cultural challenges, and socioeconomic challenges. From the analysis of 27 national documents, we recognized service excellence schemes, personal health encouragement, and service levels. Policy formulation and monitoring and evaluation emerged as central themes for the process dimension, while stakeholder challenges were prominent in the actors' dimension. BCSED programs are multifactorial issues. Proposed strategies to address these issues include the dedicated funds for BC prevention programs, strengthening the Ministry of Health's stewardship role, elevating public awareness, and conducting systematic screening trials in select cities to provide valuable national evidence for future policymaking.

The factors driving industrial integration: A fuzzy set qualitative comparative analysis

The integration of modern service and advanced manufacturing industries represents deep industrial reform and profound change in quality concepts, mechanisms, and practices. Integrating these two industries is important for achieving high-quality development and is an area of interest for policymakers and academia. This study analyzes the data of 11 regions in 2021 in the Guangdong–Hong Kong–Macao Greater Bay Area using the fuzzy set qualitative comparative analysis method from the configuration perspective. This study explores the effects of multiple factors, such as economic efficiency, technological innovation, and the policy environment, on improving the coupling coordination level of the modern service and advanced manufacturing industries, and analyzes the path selection of industrial integration development. Overall, economic efficiency, technological innovation, and policy environment factors are not necessary conditions for the integration development of the modern service and advanced manufacturing industries. The multiple impacts of economic efficiency, technological innovation, and policy environment form a multi-restructuring path that drives the integration of the two industries. Owing to the economic development level and resource endowment of different regions, the path dictating the degree of integration between the two industries varies by region. From a holistic perspective, all regions should strive to coordinate the multiple conditions of economic efficiency, technological innovation, and policy environment to break through objective constraints such as the government's conditions and external environment based on their own organizational conditions and resource endowments. Additionally, all regions should strengthen exchanges, cooperation, and integration mechanisms and implement complementary development and distinctive development in core cities in the Greater Bay Area. The results clarify the factors affecting industrial convergence in the Greater Bay Area, enriching existing research methods and laying a foundation for a decision-making theory of industrial integration development.

Alleviating bus bunching via modular vehicles

The notorious phenomenon of bus bunching prevailing in uncontrolled bus systems produces irregular headways and downgrades the level of service by increasing passengers’ expected waiting time. Modular autonomous vehicles (MAVs), due to their ability to split and merge en route, have the potential to help both late and early buses recover from schedule deviation while providing continuous service. In this paper, we propose a novel bus bunching alleviation strategy for MAV-aided transit systems. We first consider a soft vehicle capacity constraint and establish a continuum approximation (CA) model (Model I) to capture the system dynamics intertwined with the MAV splitting and merging operations, and then establish an infinite-horizon stochastic optimization model to determine the optimal splitting and merging strategy. To capture the reality that passengers may fail to board an overcrowded bus, we propose a second model (Model II) by extending Model I to accommodate a hard vehicle capacity constraint. Based on the characteristics of the problem, we develop a customized deep Q-network (DQN) algorithm with multiple relay buffers and a penalized ruin state applicable for both models to optimize the strategy for each MAV. Numerical results show that the strategy obtained via the DQN algorithm is an effective bunch-proof strategy and has a better performance than the myopic strategy for MAV-aided systems and the two-way-looking strategy for conventional bus systems. Sensitivity analyses are also conducted to examine the effectiveness and benefits of the proposed strategy across different operation scenarios.

Unconventional Intersection Design to reduce The Delay Time for Bab Al Mashhad Intersection in Hilla City

Abstract The study aims to evaluate and improve traffic movements for an intersection in Bab al-Mashhad in Hilla City, the improvement for this intersection is done by changing the intersection from a conventional model to an unconventional model. The video techniques were utilized to gather the traffic data. The traffic information was collected from the video by using the event program and arrangement by Excel sheet, the VISSUM software was used for the simulation process. This simulation shows the level of service before improvement (F) and after improvement (C) and emission co decreased with 64% so this is lead to activate the sustainability principles in the intersection. The results refer to the traffic volume had big effect on intersection sustainability classification The results refer to a good acceptance of using the unconventional intersection to improve this traffic movement intersection.

Research on reliable coverage planning of substation based on equipment service level

Abstract 5G network can meet the multi-type service access needs of substations and promote the intelligent upgrade and transformation of power grids. The layout of buildings and electrical equipment in substations, as well as electromagnetic interference, will have a greater impact on 5G signal coverage. In this paper, a three-dimensional simulation model of the substation is first established, and basic parameters of base station planning are determined. Then, a safety function considering equipment service level and an electromagnetic interference calculation method are defined. Finally, a coverage planning algorithm based on electrical equipment service level and received power quality is proposed to improve the reliability of service access and ensure the safe and stable operation of the system. Simulation results show that the algorithm is effective and reliable.

Perbandingan Metode ARIMA dan SARIMA Dalam Peramalan Jumlah Penumpang Bandara Provinsi Kepulauan Bangka Belitung

One of the transportation that is often used by people in Bangka Belitung to travel outside the area is airplanes. Judging from the data on the number of passengers at two airports in the Bangka Belitung Islands Province, the highest number of airplane passengers departing outside the region in April 2023 was 88,511 people. If there isan excessive increase in the number of passengers, it will have an impact on the quality of airport service levels and disrupt the stability of flight traffic. The purpose of this study is to compare the results of forecasting the number of passengers at the airport of Bangka Belitung Islands Province for the future period using the ARIMA and SARIMA methods. Based on the results of the analysis, the best method to forecast the number of passengers at the Bangka Belitung Islands Provincial Airport is the ARIMA method with the best model, namely ARIMA (0,1,1). In general, the results of forecasting the number of passengers at the Bangka Belitung Islands Provincial Airport from May 2024 to April 2026 will increase the number of passengers continuously until April 2026.

Optimization of energy consumption in vertical mobility systems of high-rise office buildings: A case study from a developing economy

Elevator systems serve as the primary mode of transportation in tall buildings which consumes approximately 5–15% of a building's total energy demand. This research explores the potential for energy savings in elevator systems while maintaining passenger comfort through the implementation of green approaches. The research concentrates on a contemporary high-rise office building situated in the central business district of a developing economy. It employs a case study methodology involving traffic simulation to determine optimal elevator specifications for industry-standard service levels. By conducting the simulation, the researchers identified the optimal number of elevators, elevator capacity, speed, and the most suitable elevator management system. Following that, a range of green measures were implemented, including the incorporation of a regenerative system, to effectively reduce the electrical energy consumption of the elevator system. Subsequently, a passenger traffic simulation model was integrated with an energy calculation model to jointly simulate and calculate the elevator system's overall energy consumption and regeneration. The elevator energy requirements were optimized, while maintaining user-friendliness and requirements related to guidelines given in the standards. The results showed that 36% of the energy consumption was reduced by incorporating an energy regenerative option into the elevator system in addition to selecting efficient mechanical components and implementing an efficient elevator traffic management system. This research contributes to the limited body of literature on energy optimization in elevators and emphasizes the importance of balancing energy efficiency with service quality. These findings provide guidance for establishing benchmarks in reducing energy consumption, in relation to elevator systems.

Outsourcing Supply Logistics for Health Commodities in Africa

Abstract: Outsourcing of health-commodity supplies to third-party logistics providers is one of the ways of reducing costs and/or improving service levels in the public sector. This paper evaluates three forms of outsourcing: full outsourcing of inventory management, partial outsourcing of specific activities, and contingent partial outsourcing of specific logistics activities. It notes that, in Africa, contracting-out supply logistics has mostly taken the form of partial outsourcing of transportation only or storage and transportation of specific health commodities to all or selected geographical regions. Partial outsourcing offers limited benefits since it cannot provide adequate pressures on public-sector logistics to be efficient or maintain uninterrupted supplies in times of catastrophes. Improvements in logistics performance achieved through partial outsourcing should not mask the need for more expansive arrangements that support not only partial outsourcing but also full outsourcing in situations of inefficiency and in times of supply-disruption catastrophe.

Investigation of pedestrian and vehicle level of service regulation for Hacettepe Sıhhiye campus

Roads and sidewalks of Hacettepe Campus Children's Emergency were investigated in order to determine the congestion in the "emergency zone" in this area and improvement effects to different road quality methods were discussed. Both level of service of roads (LOS) and sidewalks (PLOS) were studied by using different methods as Highway Capacity Manual (HCM), Landis and Australian methods. As the result of study, since the terrain in the region is not suitable for vehicles, the pedestrian path was narrowed to reduce the traffic on the vehicle road and significantly reduce the problem. In addition, the methods used in the PLOS calculation were found to be deficient in terms of applicability. When comparing the different methods AUSTRALIAN method more realistic results as it has more generalizable perspective than others in this study.

Evaluation of Healthcare Operations Management using TOPSIS Method

The daily activities of the facility that have an effect on consumer satisfaction and organizational goals are referred to as healthcare operations management. The goal of healthcare program management is to raise money to keep service levels and standards at a reasonable level. Planning, coordinating, and controlling a healthcare system's activities are all parts of operations management in hospitals. It comprises both clinical and quasi-function management. Follow the operating budget, financial goals, and performance standards with economy and efficiency. Develop policies and processes that support high-quality healthcare by working together with hospital management, clinical teams, and the neighborhood. directing a group of medical specialists. financial responsibilities such as managing the revenue cycle, procuring medical supplies, and tracking patient billing, claims, and reimbursements. administer the policies and procedures of the medical facility, make sure that best practices are implemented, and deal with instances of facility non-compliance. Understanding and observing current healthcare rules and regulations requires analytical skills. Encourages employees to give their best effort to patient care. Employing, training, and delegating work to the proper employees while coming up with innovative solutions to staff members and patient issues are all examples of managerial skills. More and more complicated operations were carried out by licensed surgeons. The average functional workload rises sharply with age, peaks between the ages of 40 and 44, and then drops linearly after that. Following medical school graduation, it takes a surgeon 18 years to work as much as they can. a facility created, staffed, and outfitted for the diagnostic of illness, the medical and surgical care of the ill and injured, and their housing while undergoing these procedures. A contemporary hospital frequently doubles as a training and research facility. Outlining the steps necessary to accomplish specified objectives is the process of strategic planning in healthcare systems. All strategies have the same objective, which is to bring an organization's activities into line with its declared goal or values, despite the fact that there are several strategy kinds and degrees. Hospitals, medical equipment, diagnostic testing, telemedicine, medical tourism, outsourcing, and health insurance are all part of the healthcare industry. Due to its development, rising spending on services, and governmental and private organizations, the Indian healthcare industry is expanding quickly. assisting many departments in cooperating to accomplish the hospital's objectives. Control hiring, training, and quality control procedures for patient care. involvement in setting the budget and calculating the price of healthcare services. The first group consists of regular patients who see their doctor each month. People must continue using the healthcare system since they have a chronic sickness of some kind. "Healthy" patients fall into the second category. Providing products and services that are used to practice medicine through prophylactic, prophylaxis, rehabilitative, and palliative care is the function of the healthcare industry, commonly referred to as the healthcare industry or the health economy. The Indian government is very important in the health industry. India happens to be among the world's most populated nations, and its people need access to high-quality healthcare. The Indian government contributes significantly to funding healthcare projects and enhancing the availability and standard of services. Health care may operate in a systematic manner thanks to hospital administration, which makes it easier to supply diverse services quickly and easily. It enables better financial control for major hospitals that provide a wide variety of services by managing cash flow, making smarter investments, and regulating costs. Successful health service leaders never stop stressing how important it is to provide safe, excellent treatment that is compassionate. They make sure that customers' voices are regularly heard at all levels, and they continuously monitor patient experiences, worries, wants, and comments (both positive and negative). TOPSIS (Technique for Order of Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution) analysis using Knowledge areas, Procedures, Medical conditions, Patient groups, Planning horizons, Levels of difficulty Alternative value, and New Karolinska, Sabbatsberg, Dander yd hospital Evaluation Parameters in value. Knowledge areas, Procedures, Medical conditions, Patient groups, Planning horizons, and Levels of difficulty. New Karolinska, Sabbatsberg, Dander yd hospital. Patient groups got the first rank whereas Medical conditions had the lowest rank.

A new model for multi-port berth allocation problem based on an improved genetic algorithm

Port integration can enhance operational efficiency and service level in response to heightened competition among container ports. Nevertheless, container ports are still considered independent systems separately in formulating scheduling plans. This research explores a new multi-port berth allocation problem (MPBAP) with continuous berth layout considering the mutual influence between ports. The MPBAP is compared with the single port berth allocation, and effects of different numbers of vessels continuously berthing at all ports on a single route on the MPBAP are discussed through vessel operation rate. The problem is formulated by a mixed integer programming model by minimising the total port stay time of all vessels. The quay is highly discretised and a GA coupled with parallel computing is applied to accelerate the search for the optimal model solution. A case study is conducted on two adjacent container ports located along the Yangtze River. Results show that multi-port coordinated scheduling is efficiency and the total port stay time of all vessels reduces by an average of 2.63% under the MPBAP. With more than four vessels berthing continuously at two ports on a single route, the MPBAP shows a higher vessel operation rate and the rate gap between the two models exceeds 2%. The approach suggested in this study can enhance the port system’s efficiency and provide a new idea for coordinated scheduling in other port groups.

Evaluation of Healthcare Operations Management using TOPSIS Method

The daily activities of the facility that have an effect on consumer satisfaction and organizational goals are referred to as healthcare operations management. The goal of healthcare program management is to raise money to keep service levels and standards at a reasonable level. Planning, coordinating, and controlling a healthcare system's activities are all parts of operations management in hospitals. It comprises both clinical and quasi-function management. Follow the operating budget, financial goals, and performance standards with economy and efficiency. Develop policies and processes that support high-quality healthcare by working together with hospital management, clinical teams, and the neighborhood. directing a group of medical specialists. financial responsibilities such as managing the revenue cycle, procuring medical supplies, and tracking patient billing, claims, and reimbursements. administer the policies and procedures of the medical facility, make sure that best practices are implemented, and deal with instances of facility non-compliance. Understanding and observing current healthcare rules and regulations requires analytical skills. Encourages employees to give their best effort to patient care. Employing, training, and delegating work to the proper employees while coming up with innovative solutions to staff members and patient issues are all examples of managerial skills. More and more complicated operations were carried out by licensed surgeons. The average functional workload rises sharply with age, peaks between the ages of 40 and 44, and then drops linearly after that. Following medical school graduation, it takes a surgeon 18 years to work as much as they can. a facility created, staffed, and outfitted for the diagnostic of illness, the medical and surgical care of the ill and injured, and their housing while undergoing these procedures. A contemporary hospital frequently doubles as a training and research facility. Outlining the steps necessary to accomplish specified objectives is the process of strategic planning in healthcare systems. All strategies have the same objective, which is to bring an organization's activities into line with its declared goal or values, despite the fact that there are several strategy kinds and degrees. Hospitals, medical equipment, diagnostic testing, telemedicine, medical tourism, outsourcing, and health insurance are all part of the healthcare industry. Due to its development, rising spending on services, and governmental and private organizations, the Indian healthcare industry is expanding quickly. assisting many departments in cooperating to accomplish the hospital's objectives. Control hiring, training, and quality control procedures for patient care. involvement in setting the budget and calculating the price of healthcare services. The first group consists of regular patients who see their doctor each month. People must continue using the healthcare system since they have a chronic sickness of some kind. "Healthy" patients fall into the second category. Providing products and services that are used to practice medicine through prophylactic, prophylaxis, rehabilitative, and palliative care is the function of the healthcare industry, commonly referred to as the healthcare industry or the health economy. The Indian government is very important in the health industry. India happens to be among the world's most populated nations, and its people need access to high-quality healthcare. The Indian government contributes significantly to funding healthcare projects and enhancing the availability and standard of services. Health care may operate in a systematic manner thanks to hospital administration, which makes it easier to supply diverse services quickly and easily. It enables better financial control for major hospitals that provide a wide variety of services by managing cash flow, making smarter investments, and regulating costs. Successful health service leaders never stop stressing how important it is to provide safe, excellent treatment that is compassionate. They make sure that customers' voices are regularly heard at all levels, and they continuously monitor patient experiences, worries, wants, and comments (both positive and negative). TOPSIS (Technique for Order of Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution) analysis using Knowledge areas, Procedures, Medical conditions, Patient groups, Planning horizons, Levels of difficulty Alternative value, and New Karolinska, Sabbatsberg, Dander yd hospital Evaluation Parameters in value. Knowledge areas, Procedures, Medical conditions, Patient groups, Planning horizons, and Levels of difficulty. New Karolinska, Sabbatsberg, Dander yd hospital. Patient groups got the first rank whereas Medical conditions had the lowest rank.

Economic and legal mechanisms of material and technical support of health care institutions

The paper shows that the formation of a network of state and communal health care institutions is a multifactorial process aimed at ensuring high quality, accessibility and efficiency of medical care for all citizens. It is shown that the state plays a key role in the organization of material and technical support of the health care system in order to guarantee the population an appropriate level of medical and rehabilitation assistance. It ensures the availability of the necessary resources to provide the population with a guaranteed level of medical and rehabilitation assistance to individuals and medical institutions, including in the form of equipment, tools, medicines and other necessary materials. The role and imperative of compliance with standards of medical care, clinical protocols, rehabilitation care protocols, as well as material and technical equipment reports in all health care institutions have been defined. It is shown that the record of material and technical equipment plays a key role in ensuring a high level of medical services, optimizing resources and increasing the efficiency of health care institutions and private medical practices. It has been proven that under the conditions of martial law, the role of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine in the logistical support of health care facilities increases, as it ensures constant monitoring of the effectiveness of approved standards and lists, as well as their regular updating in accordance with new technologies and changes in combat tactics and medical science Medical products and aids must be suitable for use in combat environments, including extreme conditions, mobility and speed of care. The functions of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine are an important component of ensuring the appropriate level of medical care for servicemen in combat conditions, which contributes to increasing their safety and effectiveness on the battlefield. A comprehensive approach to the logistical support of health care is proposed, which allows to ensure a high level of medical care, support innovations in the medical field, and promote the development of the national medical industry.

Assessment of universities that provide education in the field of health tourism in Türkiye in the light of current data

Introduction: Health tourism, defined as travels aimed to improve the physical and mental health of individuals, is growing day by day in parallel with developing technology and transportation. Factors influencing the preference of Türkiye in health tourism include cost, tourism opportunities, and cultural characteristics, as well as health facilities, staff, doctors, and the quality level of service. Due to the focus of human health, the service delivery which is very sensitive should be carried out by qualified workforce. With their role in protecting patients from unnecessary tests and treatments and facilitating effective participation in clinical decision-making processes, family physicians are also involved in the health tourism process and advocate. It is aimed to improve the service provision both qualitatively and quantitatively to meet the predicted increase in the health tourism sector in our country. In line with the realization of these goals, education and training activities offered by higher education institutions come into prominence. It’s aimed in our study to quantitatively investigate the adequacy of education in the field of health tourism in our country and to assess it in light of current data. Methods: The data of the cross-sectional and descriptive study were collected during the 2023-2024 academic years. Education programs and the number of students in the field of health tourism between 2018-2023 at 18 institutions under the Council of Higher Education (YOK) and The Measuring, Selection and Placement Center (OSYM) were examined. Obtained data were brought together with health tourism data published by the Turkish Statistical Institute (TUIK), the International Health Services Inc. (USHAS), and the Association of Turkish Travel Agencies (TURSAB). Results: In Türkiye, for the first time in 2014, associate degree education started to be provided in the " Health Tourism Business" department within the Vocational School. This department, which is available in 9 universities today, has the highest percentage among associate degree preferences. Master's degree program level trainings in health tourism continue in 9 universities across 3 different departments: "Health Tourism", " Health Tourism Business " and "Health Tourism Management". Doctoral level education is provided in 1 university in the department of "Health Tourism". It is observed that the number of students and graduates enrolled in education programs in the field of health tourism is increasing every year. On the other hand, there is still no undergraduate program in this field in Türkiye. According to the data published by TUIK and USHAS, the number of visitors coming to our country for health tourism and the value of income is increasing every year. On the contrary, the number of students and graduates has not increased at the same rate in recent years. Conclusions: The number of programs and quotas in the field of health tourism opened in universities is gradually increasing. However, when evaluated together with the increase in the number of visitors coming to our country for health tourism over the years, it has been revealed that the number of qualified staff trained to meet the increasing need is still not at the desired level.

Organized Optimization Integration Validation Model for Internet of Things (IoT)-Based Real-Time Applications

Emerging technology like the Internet of Things (IoT) has great potential for use in real time in many areas, including healthcare, agriculture, logistics, manufacturing, and environmental surveillance. Many obstacles exist alongside the most popular IoT applications and services. The quality of representation, modeling, and resource projection is enhanced through interactive devices/interfaces when IoT is integrated with real-time applications. The architecture has become the most significant obstacle due to the absence of standards for IoT technology. Essential considerations while building IoT architecture include safety, capacity, privacy, data processing, variation, and resource management. High levels of complexity minimization necessitate active application pursuits with variable execution times and resource management demands. This article introduces the Organized Optimization Integration Validation Model (O2IVM) to address these issues. This model exploits k-means clustering to identify complexities over different IoT application integrations. The harmonized service levels are grouped as a single entity to prevent additional complexity demands. In this clustering, the centroids avoid lags of validation due to non-optimized classifications. Organized integration cases are managed using centroid deviation knowledge to reduce complexity lags. This clustering balances integration levels, non-complex processing, and time-lagging integrations from different real-time levels. Therefore, the cluster is dissolved and reformed for further integration-level improvements. The volatile (non-clustered/grouped) integrations are utilized in the consecutive centroid changes for learning. The proposed model’s performance is validated using the metrics of execution time, complexity, and time lag.

Keeping Verticals’ Sovereignty During Application Migration in Continuum

Competing service providers in the cloud environment ensure services are delivered under the promised security requirements. It is crucial for mobile services where user’s movement results in the service’s migration between edge servers or clouds in the Continuum. Maintaining service sovereignty before, during, and after the migration is a real challenge, especially when the service provider has committed to ensuring its quality following the Service Level Agreement. In this paper, we present the main challenges mobile service providers face in a cloud environment to guarantee the required level of security and digital sovereignty as described in the Security Service Level Agreement, with emphasis on challenges resulting from the service migration between the old and new locations. We present the security and sovereignty context intended for migration and the steps of the migration algorithm. We also analyze three specific service migration cases for three vertical industries with different service quality requirements.

PREEMPTIVE AND NON-PREEMPTIVE GOAL PROGRAMMING APPROACH TO INVENTORY OPTIMIZATION OF THE CENTRAL STERILE SUPPLY DEPARTMENT, UNIVERSITY COLLEGE HOSPITAL, IBADAN, NIGERIA

This research applied a multi-criteria optimization technique to analyse the inventory system of a Central Sterile Supply Department (CSSD) through preemptive and non-preemptive goal programming. Data on six raw materials and four finished products were collected, in addition to their costs, demand rates, shelf lives, and available capital. The developed objective function of the non-preemptive model combined four goals: inventory cost optimization (highest priority), inventory turnover, service level, and delivery lead time. The implemented model guaranteed zero stock-outs, reduced wait times between productions, timely product sales, and the elimination of unnecessary overall costs.

Production routing problem in shared manufacturing: Robust chance-constrained formulation and multi-diversification based matheuristic

Building on the concept of the sharing economy, which capitalizes on the advancements in information and manufacturing technologies, the shared manufacturing paradigm has tremendous potential for enhancing the performance of production–distribution systems and has become prevalent in the today’s manufacturing industry. Despite the extensive research on the production routing problem, which integrates decisions of production, inventory, and distribution routing, there is a notable absence of investigation within the context of shared manufacturing. This paper aims to bridge the above-mentioned research gap and develop valuable decision-support tools for managers, assisting efficient management of production–distribution systems in shared manufacturing environments. To achieve this, this paper introduces a general model for the production routing problem with shared manufacturing resources. The problem is formulated as a robust chance-constrained model to address uncertainties arising in customer demand and the demand and supply of shared manufacturing resources. Subsequently, a computationally tractable formulation is derived, for which a matheuristic that incorporates three diversification techniques is proposed to solve. Extensive computational experiments are conducted to validate the feasibility and effectiveness of both the model and the matheuristic, as well as to evaluate the benefits of manufacturing resource sharing. The experimental results demonstrate that our matheuristic outperforms state-of-the-art solution approaches. Moreover, manufacturing resource sharing can lead to significant reductions in operational costs and improvements in service levels. Finally, the advantages are found to increase as manufacturing resource unit purchasing costs decrease, demand fluctuations decrease, and production interruption severity increases.

Analysis of Inventory Management System at Pharmacy of XYZ Hospital

This research examines inventory management at the XYZ Hospital Pharmacy Installation in Bandung, with a special focus on medicines and medical devices. The background to this research is the significant increase in health costs and the importance of effective supply chain management to reduce unnecessary costs. Based on monthly stock and daily sales data from October 2023 to February 2024, this research uses quantitative methods to calculate optimal inventory levels, including Economic Order Quantity (EOQ), safety stock, and reorder point (ROP). This research also applies ABC analysis and cycle counting to prioritize inventory control. The research results show that the proposed inventory policy, especially the continuous review strategy, has the potential for significant cost savings for the XYZ Hospital Pharmacy Installation. For pharmaceutical products, achieving a 99% service level can result in savings of IDR 302,697,429, which is 48.17% of the average inventory level. For medical devices, potential savings reach IDR 70,602,064, which is 48.77% of the average inventory level. The total potential savings for all products is IDR 373,299,493. These findings highlight that hospitals currently do not have effective controls in managing inventory of single-use medical devices. Implementing strong inventory policies and procedures is critical to improving cost efficiency and optimizing inventory levels within an organization.

Secure and efficient device‐to‐device communication in IoT: The DMBSOA‐enhanced MQTT protocol

AbstractThe Internet of Things (IoT) plays a crucial role in enhancing technology by facilitating data transfer, storage, control, and management across networks. Secure communication within IoT environments remains a significant challenge. This research aims to enhance IoT security by integrating Message Queuing Telemetry Transport (MQTT) and MQTT‐Sensor Network (MQTT‐SN) protocols with the Dual Mutation‐Based Seagull Optimization Algorithm (DMBSOA). MQTT, known for its lightweight and dependable messaging, is widely used in the IoT community but is vulnerable to cyber‐attacks, particularly concerning privacy and authentication. DMBSOA, inspired by seagulls' foraging behavior, optimizes MQTT settings to enhance security, reliability, and performance. The proposed model dynamically adjusts key parameters such as transmission frequency, Quality of service (QoS) levels, and message size to improve energy consumption, throughput, end‐to‐end delay, and packet delivery ratio. A comprehensive system model is presented, comprising publisher, subscriber, and broker nodes, with security mechanisms integrated into the broker to ensure data integrity, authentication, and encryption. MQTT operates over Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP), while MQTT‐SN uses User Datagram Protocol (UDP), catering to resource‐constrained devices and low‐power modes. The proposed technique attained throughput (68 kB), energy consumption (120 mJ), security level (96%), energy efficiency (98.80%), path loss (22 dB), end‐to‐end delay (35 ms), processing time (230 s) and packet delivery ratio (0.98). The DMBSOA‐optimized MQTT protocol demonstrates superior performance compared to these models, highlighting its potential to meet the evolving demands of IoT security. This research underscores the effectiveness of DMBSOA in enhancing MQTT protocol security and efficiency, providing a promising solution for secure IoT communication.