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30 April 2013, Volume 16 Issue 2 Previous Issue    Next Issue

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practice & application

Service-Embedded Manufacturing and TSMC Way for Wafer Foundry Service Chien Chen-fu, Kuo Ren-tsun 2013, 16 (2):  1-10.  Abstract ( 2106 )   Save The characteristics of service-embedded manufacturing in high-tech industry is explored and the key success factors of Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC), such as wide and deep manufacturing technology, open design service, virtual Fab, service-oriented culture, and mass customization, are investigated. A service-embedded manufacturing framework, including the service value chain of wafer foundry, is proposed. For validation, the developing path of different wafer foundry companies is compared, and different service value is measured by the index of capacity utilization and average selling price. Finally, after comparing different role models of service-embedded manufacturing in different industries, four types of paradigm are proposed. In conclusion, adoption of virtual integration, instead of vertical integration for both brand and foundry companies, is suggested.  References | Related Articles | Metrics

Simulation for the Aid of Short-Term Scheduling of Crude Oil Operations Fan Chang-ming，Wu Nai-qi 2013, 16 (2):  11-18.  Abstract ( 1906 )   Save Short-term scheduling problem for crude oil operations in refinery process is a challenging problem and there is no efficient method and software tool for practical applications. Thus, it is useful to develop a simulation model for this problem so that the planner does not need to get involved in complicated computation and can dedicate to decision making in the scheduling process. After analyzing the dynamic behavior of the problem, a hybrid Petri net model is developed to describe the process of crude oil operations. With the operational logic provided by the model, an efficient simulation model is presented. Based on it, simulation can be done such that the schedule feasibility can be checked and performance can be evaluated as well. Hence, the shortterm scheduling problem is made much easier to the planner. References | Related Articles | Metrics

Inventory Routing Problem in VMI & TPL Supply  Chain under Centralized Control Tang Zhong-ming 2013, 16 (2):  19-25.  Abstract ( 1712 )   Save A supply chain composed of many vendors, one third-party logistics (TPL), and one manufacturer is addressed. It assumes that, in such a supply chain, it integrates vendor-managed inventory (VMI) and TPL. For such a supply chain, inventory routing problem under centralized control is studied. How to make the decision of replenishing and vehicle routing plan for suppliers and TPL is a challenging problem. Based on rolling plan period, a new inventory routing model is developed. With the NP-complete nature of the inventory routing problem, a four-step heuristic algorithm based on simulated annealing is presented. The feasibility and effectiveness of the proposed heuristic algorithm is testified by a numerical example. References | Related Articles | Metrics

articles

A Study of Remanufactured Product Marketing Strategy of Retailers in New Product Distribution Xiong Zhong-kai，Huang Fang，Liu Yong 2013, 16 (2):  26-33.  Abstract ( 1947 )   Save It is known that consumers have different acceptance degree for new products and remanufactured products. The supply chain considered in this paper is composed of manufacturers, retailers and thirdparty remanufacturers who perform the remanufacturing. For such a supply chain, retailers sales strategy of new and remanufactured products is analyzed by using Stackelberg game. It demonstrates that, for a retailer, it is better to sell the thirdpart remanufacturers products than the manufacturers remanufactured products, for, by doing so, it is more beneficial to himself and the thirdparty remanufacturer. From the perspective of the marketing profit, it is better for the retailer to sell the thirdparty remanufacturers products. At last, through numerical simulation, the impact of degree of consumer acceptance to the remanufactured products on the price, the quality, and the equilibrium profits of the retailer under the two kinds of marketing strategy are analyzed. References | Related Articles | Metrics

Dynamic Behavior of Nonlinear Remanufacturing Supply Chain System under Different Shortage Policies Jia Jingdong1,2, Wang Jing1 2013, 16 (2):  34-40.  Abstract ( 1942 )   Save In order to investigate the impacts of two shortage policies, namely with and without shortage, on dynamic behavior of remanufacturing supply chain system under nonlinear constraints, a more realistic model is proposed based on constraints of forbidden returning, finite supply service level, and maximum recoverable capacity. According to the principles of chaotic dynamics, the dynamic behavior of nonlinear system under the two shortage policies is analyzed with the aid of phase diagram. Moreover, the influences of some backward parameters under different shortage policies on system dynamics are compared by bifurcation map and the maximum Lyapunov exponent. Simulation results show that nonlinear constraints do not inevitably lead to the chaotic behavior no matter what shortage policy is applied. A system with shortage is not strictly superior to the system without shortage and vice versa, when the value of backward system parameters changes, except as remanufacturing leadtime parameter. The appropriate shortage policy should be selected according to management objectives and the value of parameters.  References | Related Articles | Metrics

Stackelberg Game Model for Two-Level Supply Chain with Allocation  Mechanism of Carbon Emission Permit Fu Qiufang, Xin Liyan, Ma Jianying 2013, 16 (2):  41-47.  Abstract ( 1898 )   Save The supply chain multi-stage carbon footprint is measured from the two aspects: conversion and logistics links. Then, by taking the manufacturer as the core business of the supply chain, Stackelberg game decision-making model of carbon sensitive supply chain is established under free allocation mechanism, the threshold allocation mechanism, and full market trading mechanism of carbon emission permit, respectively. Then the impact of the three mechanisms on supply chain balanced decisions is analyzed. The results show that different carbon emission permit allocation trading mechanisms affect the total receipts of the supply chain. It also shows that when the mechanism changes from free allocation mechanism to full market trading mechanism, carbon reduction rate in the manufacturing link and the incentive of supply chain carbon reduction gradually reduces.   References | Related Articles | Metrics

Application of GRASP to ITIO Problem in ManytoOne Distribution Network Pei Yingmei1, 2, Ye Chunming1, Zuo Cuihong2, Liu Lihui3 2013, 16 (2):  48-52.  Abstract ( 1966 )   Save 〖WT5”BZ〗(1. School of Management, University of Shanghai for Science and Technology, Shanghai 200093, China;  2. Information Engineering Department, Weihai Vocational College, Weihai 264210, China;  3. School of Communications, Ludong University, Yantai 264025, China) It is known that the computational complexity in solving the integrated inventory-transportation optimization (ITIO) problem is exponential with the number of product types, the number of suppliers, and vehicle capacity. Thus, it is very difficult to obtain an optimal solution. To solve this problem, in view of different combinations of vehicle capacity (limited or unlimited) and shipping frequency (limited or unlimited) in many-to-one distribution network in the modern distribution logistics system, this problem is solved by using greedy randomized adaptive search procedure (GRASP) in this paper. It is a threestage method. At stage 1, distance ratio heuristic is applied to obtain an initial feasible solution. At stage 2, supplier assignment transfer algorithm is applied to search for the best solution in its neighborhood so as to improve the solutions obtained from stage 1. At stage 3, it repeats the procedure of stages 1 and 2 in an iterative way until a global best solution is achieved. Numerical experiments show that the proposed method can find a good solution with less computation. Also, the solution quality increases as the problem size increases. References | Related Articles | Metrics

practice & application

A Novel Supply Chain Super-Network Design Model and Network Conversation Method Gan Mi1, Yan Ying2, Chen Si1 2013, 16 (2):  53-58.  Abstract ( 1896 )   Save The overall network design problem for supply chain has been gaining more and more attention. The realistic supply chain network is remarkably comprehensive. Such a network is of super-network scope. After analyzing the multi-layer and multi-dimension properties of such a comprehensive network, it shows that the transportation network planning and logistics time demand should be integrated into supply chain super-network design. Based on the analysis, the topology for the super-network is proposed. Then, corresponding brief network conversation methods are developed. Subsequently, the equivalent mathematic models are given. This obtained optimization model is realistic. The feasibility and effectiveness of the model are proved by numerical testing with randomly generated data. References | Related Articles | Metrics

Evolutionary Algorithm for Multi-Objective Closed-Loop Logistics Network Design Tu Nan, Dai Wen-jing, Mehrdad Mehrbod 2013, 16 (2):  59-66.  Abstract ( 1808 )   Save For a closed-loop logistics, it is important to design a network such that it can operate effectively and at the same time recycling rate of waste materials can be increased. It is assumed that hybrid distribution and collection center is adopted for the system. A multi-product, multi-period, and multi-stage closed-loop logistics network location and transportation model is presented for this purpose. It is a multi-objective optimization model for minimizing both economic cost and time. In order to solve this problem, an evolutionary algorithm with a priority-based encoding method is proposed，leading to the Pareto front. The proposed method is compared with the constraint method. Results show that, by the proposed method, the average error is less than 5%. In other words, the proposed evolutionary algorithm describes Pareto front well, and its results are correct and reasonable. References | Related Articles | Metrics

Pricing Strategy of Dual-Channel Supply Chain under Demand Uncertainty Zeng Min-gang, Wang Xu-liang 2013, 16 (2):  67-73.  Abstract ( 1827 )   Save A supply chain composed of a manufacturer and a retailer is considered. This supply chain has two channels and its demands are subject to uncertainty in both channels. For such a supply chain, a model is built for pricing decision and coordination of the supply chain. With this model, analysis results show that the online price, wholesale price, and the retail price are influenced by consumer’s channel preference coefficient, demand uncertainty, and marginal cost of production. Also, comparative analysis is carried out between decentralized and centralized decision making modes. Then, a contract is presented for channel conflict remitting and profit sharing. Rational range of wholesale price is obtained. In the obtained wholesale price range, the lower the wholesale price is, the larger range of transfer payment the retailer presents to the manufacturer. References | Related Articles | Metrics

A Study on Decision Improvement of Supply Chain Based on Competition of Time Niu Zhan-wen, Liu Ying-yi 2013, 16 (2):  74-79.  Abstract ( 1687 )   Save The make-to-order (MTO) supply chain systems are discussed in this paper. Aiming at achieving the highest efficiency for the whole supply chain, a supply chain decision improvement model is established. It determines not only the optimal price, but also identifies the feasibility of improvement plans according to the relationship between time and cost. A numerical example from practical application in enginery industry is presented to verify the proposed method. Results show that, by the proposed method, it can find solutions with satisfied accuracy and it is practically useful. Thus, this model provides effective time-based decision-making method for enterprises. References | Related Articles | Metrics

R&D Investment Strategy and Synergy Mechanism of Supply -Chain Firms under Competition Environment Li Wei-hong1,2, Bai Yang1 2013, 16 (2):  80-86.  Abstract ( 1959 )   Save Technological innovation is an important way for a supply chain firm to gain competitive advantage. By using game theory, a model is presented for chain to chain competition with two suppliers engaged in R&D and two competing manufacturers. With this model, the competition equilibrium, R&D strategy and synergistic conditions of supply chains with technological spillovers are analyzed. Results show that vertical R&D cooperation is the dominant strategy of supply chains to bring higher equilibrium profit and R&D input level than those of firms without cooperation activities. It also shows that appropriate technological spillover can improve innovation enthusiasm of suppliers. However, suppliers and manufacturers select R&D cooperation only in a finite R&D cost allocation range due to their self-serving motives. The R&D cost should be allocated in the interval such that the stability and synergy effect of R&D cooperation can be reached. Thus, cost allocation mechanisms are designed based on cooperation satisfaction to realize the synergy effect of vertical R&D cooperation, with which the benefits of both partners can be better coordinated by NASH negotiation model. References | Related Articles | Metrics

Application of Matrix-Weighted Association Rule Mining  Algorithm to Fault Diagnosis Zhu Qing-xiang1, Jiao Peng-sha1, Liu Jing2, Hao Hong-hong1 2013, 16 (2):  87-91.  Abstract ( 1775 )   Save By the association rule mining algorithm, it can diagnose faults of complex equipment in a general and fast way without the need of subjective experience. The drawback is that the classical association rule algorithm requires that the frequency and importance of the items should be similar. However, in practical fault diagnosis applications, the contribution of each fault factor is different. To solve this problem, a new model called matrix-based weighted association rule mining algorithm suitable for equipment fault diagnosis is proposed by introducing minsupport expectation. Experiments show that the model improves the diagnostic efficiency while obviously increasing the accuracy of fault diagnosis. Then, an equipment fault diagnosis system is designed and implemented based on matrixbase weighted association rule mining algorithm (MWARMA) model. References | Related Articles | Metrics

Empirical Study on Electronic Public Service Evaluation by Using Optimal Fuzzy Cluster Models Zhang Jing1,2, Hu Ming3, Wang Bo1 2013, 16 (2):  92-96.  Abstract ( 1594 )   Save As a service-oriented government, it increasingly adopts electronic system for public service. To improve the ability and efficiency of electronic public service, it is necessary to evaluate the quality of an electronic public service system. In this paper, study on performance evaluation of public service is conducted by using the system evaluation theory originally from Industrial Engineering (IE). In reference of the existing results, a set of electronic public service evaluation indexes is built. Then, statistics data are collected trough a questionnaire survey and exclusive interviews to corresponding users of a government system. With the data collected, an empirical study on service level is done by using optimal fuzzy cluster models. Results show that, by applying the proposed method, the service level obtained matches the practical one well for the considered government system. References | Related Articles | Metrics

A Systematic Appraisal of Lean Management Implementation Based on ANP and SPA Zhang Hong-liang1, Niu Zhan-wen2 2013, 16 (2):  97-103.  Abstract ( 1689 )   Save Under a customer-focused marketing environment, now lean management has been widely applied. However, there is no adequate appraisal tool for it, which affects its effective implementation. With the reference of the existing work, an index system is developed such that it does not confine lean management in the production field. In order to reflect the mutual coordination between indexes, analytic network process (ANP) is used to determine the weights of the indexes. To deal with the uncertain information in lean implementation, a set pair analysis (SPA) appraisal model is applied. A practical case is used to show the logic process of the appraisal and its reasonability. The proposed appraisal system provides enterprises a systematic tool for examining the implementation situation of lean management and presents a platform for enterprises to compare implementation levels. Thus, difference can be reduced by benchmarking management thought. References | Related Articles | Metrics

System Design of Batch Processing Modes in Processing-Assembly Enterprise with Transit Time Considered Jia Guo-zhu, Kong Ji-li 2013, 16 (2):  104-111.  Abstract ( 1690 )   Save With transit time of the in-between processes considered, a detailed algorithm procedure for the system design of batch processing modes in processing-assembly enterprise is presented. With this algorithm procedure, a software system is developed. The software system is able to generate a Gantt chart of processing and handling a batch of parts based on three kinds of transfer modes. Meanwhile, it is capable of yielding useful information, such as production cycle, the number of times that a batch of parts are handled, the number of parts for each handling process, start time and end time of handling (including the earliest and latest), start time and end time of processing, and so on. The decision-makers can effectively decide whether the existing production system can produce goods whose delivery time can meet custome‘s requirement by using the information of production cycle without cell reconstruction for the production system. Furthermore, decision-makers can schedule the processing tasks of the batch parts, together with another batch. We finally construct a 0-1 programming model according to the system data. This model can obtain a solution with the least number of material movements for the in-between processes. References | Related Articles | Metrics

Research on Sequencing Mixed-Model Assembly Lines Based on Set Part Supply Lin Yu1, Zhao Zong-yuan2 2013, 16 (2):  112-116.  Abstract ( 2729 )   Save A research is conducted on the optimization of the input sequences in mixed-model assembly lines when the material supply is in the set part supply way. Two objectives are considered simultaneously: minimizing the total variation in material consumption in the assembly line and minimizing the mistakes with material selection. To do so, a multi-objective mathematical model is established with the assembly shop and the component selection involved. A genetic algorithm is used to solve the problem. References | Related Articles | Metrics

Reliability Analysis of Remanufacturing Production System under Part Quality Uncertainty Zhang Jing， Liang Gong-qian 2013, 16 (2):  117-121.  Abstract ( 1947 )   Save In a remanufacturing production system, the part importations are from abandoned products that can still be used or can be reused by remanufacturing. Thus, the main difference between a remanufacturing production system and a normal production system is that the quality information of the objects to be remanufactured is uncertain, so is the remanufacturing technical information of every object. In this paper, the influencing factors of quality, time, and system component are analyzed. Also, study is done on the relationship between remanufacturing parts uncertainty and remanufacturing production system reliability. Based on the analysis, remanufacturing production system reliability model and method for calculating remanufacturing production system reliability under the uncertainty of parts quality are presented. This method provides theory for improving remanufacturing production system design and optimizing remanufacturing production technical system. References | Related Articles | Metrics

Hub-and-Spoke Airline Network Design and Application by Incorporating Gravity Model Han Lie, Zhang Ning, Chen A-ru-na 2013, 16 (2):  122-126.  Abstract ( 1776 )   Save In hub-and-spoke airline networks, the routes of transit airlines are lengthened, leading to the reduction of customers. Thus, when hub-and-spoke networks are designed, trade-off should be made between the saving of transportation cost and customer reduction. To do so, a new network design method is presented in this paper by integrating the transportation distribution gravity model and p-hub median problem. In so doing, a mathematic optimization model is developed to maximize the social total net welfare. To validate the proposed method, as a case problem, the hub-and-spoke networks connecting fifteen cities in China are constructed with different parameters. With the networks, numerical analysis is carried out. Results show the effectiveness of the proposed method. Thus, the method can be used as assistant in decision making on hub-and-spoke airline network design and application. References | Related Articles | Metrics

SERVQUALModelBased Fuzzy Evaluation of Express Service Quality in Online Shopping Environment Yu Baoqin, Du Guangwei 2013, 16 (2):  127-133.  Abstract ( 1934 )   Save  The quality of express delivery service has a significant impact on enhancing the competitiveness of express delivery companies. The Service Quality (SERVQUAL) model is applied to the evaluation of quality for express delivery services in the online shopping environment. To do so, an index system with 25 indexes is designed. Through questionnaires and factor analysis, the quality of express delivery service is evaluated in four dimensions: preservice quality, inservice quality, afterservice quality, and corporate image. With the index system, fuzzy analytic hierarchy process (FAHP) is used to determine the weight of each index to establish an evaluation model such that the service quality can be fuzzily evaluated. Result shows that there may be a large gap between peoples perception and expectation on courier service quality. With this finding, suggestions are proposed to improve service quality for each dimension and enhance the competitiveness of express delivery companies References | Related Articles | Metrics

A Research on Abnormal Emergency Gene Based on Immunology Liu Xingxing, Yang Qing 2013, 16 (2):  134-140.  Abstract ( 1752 )   Save Immunology gene theory is introduced into the abnormal emergency identification in this paper. The mapping relationship between immune gene and abnormal emergency is presented. Then, “NineThree” bilayer abnormal emergency gene structure is constructed after analyzing nine kinds of specialties and three kinds of evolution mechanism of abnormal emergency. To support the structure, the concept of abnormal emergency immune gene, hypothesis and case boundary conditions are proposed. Result demonstrates that prediction and identification on abnormal emergency are enhanced by discovering the abnormal emergency gene. The integration of abnormal emergency and immune system can be strengthened. References | Related Articles | Metrics

An Improved Particle Swarm Optimization Algorithm for Elevator Scheduling Yang Qin， Yuan Lingling, Liang Hongyan, Li Jinqi, Wu Si 2013, 16 (2):  141-146.  Abstract ( 2095 )   Save The problem of scheduling more than one working elevators at peak hours is addressed in this paper. Aiming at minimizing passengers waiting time, a mathematical model is established by a triplet to describe the characteristics of the elevator service system. Based on this model, a heuristic algorithm is proposed to solve the problem by integrating the improved particle swarm optimization and elevator dispatching theory. In solving the problem, the nonlinear equations are solved by numerical method. In this way, all elevators can operate in a most effective way so as to minimize the average running time of the elevators and the average number of passengers. A practical case problem is used to verify the proposed method. By simulation with Matlab, it shows the usefulness and effectiveness of the proposed method.  References | Related Articles | Metrics