Optimal support strategy for mechanical systems under contract realm

2015 ◽  
Vol 22 (7) ◽  
pp. 1395-1416 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mohammad Asjad ◽  
Makarand S Kulkarni ◽  
O P Gandhi
Keyword(s):  
Mathematical Models ◽  
Life Cycle Cost ◽  
Mechanical Systems ◽  
Real Life ◽  
Third Party ◽  
National Capital Region ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Real Life Problem ◽  
Work Distribution ◽  
Contract Structure

Purpose – Original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) start providing support to products that helped them in sustaining their business worldwide. The customers are entering into contracts with the OEM, to get the required level of performance but at minimum possible cost. It required the work distribution between OEM/service provider and the client, and may formalize through contract. The contract structure depends upon the number of player involved (customer, OEM and third party) and the support activity. The different contract alternatives can be formulated and the best one may be selected on the basis of minimum Life cycle cost. The paper aims to discuss these issues. Design/methodology/approach – In this work, mathematical models are developed; which are implemented on a real life problem. The developed models are optimized in context to preventive maintenance schedule. Findings – In this research, important issues are listed; research steps and mathematical models are presented. The problem has been identified from the literature perspective for mechanical systems. A methodology for formulating and selecting the optimal contract structure is also proposed. The model has been implemented on a real life problem, in which the OEMs provide support to their make installed at Compressed Natural Gas workstation in National Capital Region, India. Originality/value – The research results of this paper will contribute both academic and empirical value.

Supportability issues of mechanical systems for their useful life

2016 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
pp. 33-53 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Asjad ◽  
M.S. Kulkarni ◽  
O.P. Gandhi
Keyword(s):  
Research Work ◽  
Mechanical Systems ◽  
Real Life ◽  
National Capital Region ◽  
Compressed Natural Gas ◽  
Content Type ◽  
National Capital ◽  
Design Characteristics ◽  
The Mathematical Model ◽  
Original Equipment Manufacturers

Purpose – Original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) start providing support to their products, that helped them in beating the competition across the worldwide. The unavailability of spares and crews may also prolong the downtime of equipment, thereby affecting the systems’ performance. The spares and crews have as much effect on the systems’ performance as the design characteristics (i.e. reliability and maintainability). Thus, the OEMs required to extent the support to their products through maintenance, spares, crews, etc., so as to gain the customer satisfaction. Design/methodology/approach – The mathematical model for spares, crews and support quality has been presented in this research work. The problem has been identified from the literature perspective for mechanical systems. Findings – The model has been implemented on a real-life problem, in which the OEMs provide support to their make installed at compressed natural gas workstation in National Capital Region, India. Originality/value – The research proposed in this work will be helpful to manufacturer, customer, academician, researcher, industrialist and any concerned person, to get the exhaustive benefits from the system.

Supply chain performance measurement for third party logistics

2014 ◽  
Vol 21 (6) ◽  
pp. 944-963 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dhanya Jothimani ◽  
S.P. Sarmah
Keyword(s):  
Supply Chain ◽  
Performance Measurement ◽  
Asset Management ◽  
Real Life ◽  
Integrated Approach ◽  
Third Party ◽  
Supply Chain Performance ◽  
Third Party Logistics ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Scor Model

Purpose – The purpose of the paper is to explore the applicability of the Supply Chain Operations Reference (SCOR) model and to identify the key performance indicators (KPIs) for the service-oriented sector – namely a third-party logistics (3PL) service provider. Design/methodology/approach – The performance attributes of SCOR model (reliability, responsiveness, flexibility, cost measures and asset management efficiency) are used as the basis for defining the KPIs. A questionnaire was sent to relevant decision makers. Findings – This paper illustrates the use of the integrated approach of SCOR, fuzzy analytic hierarchy process (FAHP) and Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (TOPSIS) for measuring the supply chain performance (SCP) in the light of a real life case study company. Research limitations/implications – This method forms the basis for performance measurement using the SCOR model to evaluate strategy. In this work, the performance of the company has been compared with its own previous performance. The work can be extended to external benchmarking and also to other sectors. Practical implications – The paper attempts to overcome the conflict between the top-down strategy and bottom-up implementation process. The paper links the strategic objective with operations which would aid managers at different levels of an organization with decision making. The KPIs, when implemented in a business intelligence (BI) tool, would result in real time performance measurement. Originality/value – The paper focusses on 3PLs. It provides a base for measuring the SCP using SCOR model. The paper also identified KPIs for three domains of 3PL, namely freight forwarding, customs and warehousing.

The impact of situated learning activities on technology university students' learning outcome

2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Hua-Huei Chiou
Keyword(s):  
Problem Solving ◽  
Child Development ◽  
University Students ◽  
Situated Learning ◽  
Real Life ◽  
Learning Outcome ◽  
Learning Activities ◽  
Live Video ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Real Life Problem

PurposeThe purpose of this study was to investigate 3D virtual reality (VR) situated activity, preschool reality and how the lecture teaching method affects technology university students' learning outcome.Design/methodology/approachThe quasi-experimental design is used. Participants are 144 students in three classes who all take Child Development Assessment course. Research instruments include 3D VR animation, preschool live video and child development as the case. One class attended 3D VR situated activities, another observed preschool live video and the other takes a traditional lecture class. Learning outcomes were measured by two paper-and-pencil tests in different times and with one performance assessment. In the writing test, mechanical and meaningful questions were included.FindingsMajor findings of this study are, first, that the auxiliary learning of 3D VR is better than the real-life situation. Second, situational learning activities can enhance participant performance in context-based questions. In summary, this study found that well-organized 3D VR animation is more effective than live situation learning, especially for context-based course content.Research limitations/implicationsThe lack of random assignment into test groups leads to non-equivalent test groups which can limit the generalizability of the results to other student population.Practical implicationsThe findings of this study suggest that teachers can gradually arrange learning activities, from 3D VR to a real applied workplace; situated learning activities are more likely to support the transfer knowledge to real-life problem solving.Originality/valueThe findings suggest that teachers in arranging the classroom context activities can be the first to use 3D VR before actual reality to avoid novices getting lost in the complicated real situations. If learning activities can be arranged gradually, from 3D VR to real applied workplace, situated learning activities can help students to deploy their newly acquired knowledge and skills in real-life problem solving.

The influence of user generated content on hotel sales: an Indian perspective

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Himanshu Sharma ◽  
Anu G. Aggarwal
Keyword(s):  
Linear Regression Analysis ◽  
Third Party ◽  
User Generated Content ◽  
Practical Significance ◽  
National Capital Region ◽  
Data Set ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Location Service ◽  
Textual Content ◽  
Financial Aspect

Purpose Nowadays, various hotels and third party websites allow guests to express their stay experience in the form of textual content and ratings termed as user-generated content (UGC). This study aims to explore the influence of UGC along with the financial aspect on the sales of the hotel. This will help them in making efficient business decisions and revenue generation by realizing the requirements of the guests. The proposed model provides an insight into the theoretical and practical significance of the concerned explanatory variables to the hoteliers. Design/methodology/approach This paper considers the number of rooms, six aspect ratings (room, cleanliness, location, service, value and sleep quality), review length and readability as the independent variables. Revenue per available room is taken as the dependent variable. Log-linear regression analysis is performed on a data set of 78 hotels situated in Delhi National Capital Region to validate the relationships. Moreover, the differential impact of hotel type on these exploratory variables is studied. Findings Research findings show that along with the financial aspect, the UGC components also play a key role in generating sales for the hotels. It was further observed that the two hotel categories, i.e. luxury and budget have different natures and also the characteristics of luxury hotels overshadow those of budget. Originality/value This study uses the textual content of the reviews along with the numerical ratings. This is a unique combination for studying sales of hotels according to the knowledge of authors, where earlier studies focused only on the financial aspects.

scholarly journals A Mathematical Model that Analyzes the Differences between the Cost of Maintaining the Desired Permanent Workforce (Academic Staff) and that of Maintaining the Entire Outsourcing Policy for Private Universities in Nigeria

2018 ◽  
pp. 1-11
Author(s):  
O. Enagbonma ◽  
A. A. Osagiede
Keyword(s):  
Mathematical Model ◽  
Mathematical Models ◽  
Linear Algebra ◽  
Academic Staff ◽  
Private Universities ◽  
Real Life ◽  
Real Life Problem ◽  
The Difference ◽  
The Cost

The difference between the cost of maintaining the desired permanent workforce (academic staff) and that of maintaining the entire outsourcing policy is a useful index that allows management of private universities to know the financial task before them, well ahead of time for a possible solution. However, in the available literature, there are no adequate mathematical models that address such issues. The idea of linear algebra was used to develop a mathematical model that can address such real-life problem.  

scholarly journals Characterization of Airborne Bacteria at an Underground Subway Station

2012 ◽  
Vol 78 (6) ◽  
pp. 1917-1929 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marius Dybwad ◽  
Per Einar Granum ◽  
Per Bruheim ◽  
Janet Martha Blatny
Keyword(s):  
Real Life ◽  
Performance Criteria ◽  
Anthropogenic Sources ◽  
Subway Station ◽  
Airborne Bacteria ◽  
Surveillance Systems ◽  
Operational Environment ◽  
Biological Detection ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Subway Stations

ABSTRACTThe reliable detection of airborne biological threat agents depends on several factors, including the performance criteria of the detector and its operational environment. One step in improving the detector's performance is to increase our knowledge of the biological aerosol background in potential operational environments. Subway stations are enclosed public environments, which may be regarded as potential targets for incidents involving biological threat agents. In this study, the airborne bacterial community at a subway station in Norway was characterized (concentration level, diversity, and virulence- and survival-associated properties). In addition, a SASS 3100 high-volume air sampler and a matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization–time of flight mass spectrometry-based isolate screening procedure was used for these studies. The daytime level of airborne bacteria at the station was higher than the nighttime and outdoor levels, and the relative bacterial spore number was higher in outdoor air than at the station. The bacterial content, particle concentration, and size distribution were stable within each environment throughout the study (May to September 2010). The majority of the airborne bacteria belonged to the generaBacillus,Micrococcus, andStaphylococcus, but a total of 37 different genera were identified in the air. These results suggest that anthropogenic sources are major contributors to airborne bacteria at subway stations and that such airborne communities could harbor virulence- and survival-associated properties of potential relevance for biological detection and surveillance, as well as for public health. Our findings also contribute to the development of realistic testing and evaluation schemes for biological detection/surveillance systems by providing information that can be used to mimic real-life operational airborne environments in controlled aerosol test chambers.

Relational governance in outsourcing partnerships

2016 ◽  
Vol 26 (4) ◽  
pp. 435-452 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anuradha Mathrani ◽  
Sanjay Mathrani
Keyword(s):  
Real Life ◽  
Service Level ◽  
Positive Influence ◽  
Control Measures ◽  
Offshore Outsourcing ◽  
Relational Exchange ◽  
Relational Governance ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Governance Practices ◽  
Narrative Storylines

Purpose The paper aims to capture the nuances of two client–supplier relationships to offer new insights on the influences of transactional, knowledge and social elements in outsourcing partnerships. Design/methodology/approach The study has used descriptive case studies with narrative storylines. Interviews were conducted with three relationship managers (boundary gatekeepers) to understand preferred governance practices between clients and suppliers in diverse economic markets. Findings Experiences of three real-life cases engaged in offshore outsourcing have helped to identify the market, operational knowledge and social influences in a relational exchange. Findings reveal that offshore partnerships are first constituted with service-level agreements, which set control measures and layout business expectations from both partners. Boundary gatekeepers bring further accountability across firms by designing social networks for capturing and sharing of knowledge, thereby reducing each partner’s perception of risk. As firms evaluate transactional, knowledge and social elements for building a futuristic relational exchange, more disaggregated and dispersed enterprises evolve as new opportunities are explored in foreign markets. Research limitations/implications The retrospective nature of the client–supplier partnership is a limitation in this research study. However, retrospection adds to experience, and to practice perspectives made in hindsight, and therefore has a positive influence in this study. Originality/value This paper shares real-world experiences that can be used by scholars and practitioners to better understand how relational governance practices operate in a global socio-economic setting.

Kenneth Fisher’s heuristics

2016 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
pp. 130-148
Author(s):  
Carlo Massironi ◽  
Giusy Chesini
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Conceptual Analysis ◽  
Investment Decision ◽  
Real Life ◽  
Human Action ◽  
Theory Of Knowledge ◽  
Constructivist Theory ◽  
Individual Investors ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Radical Constructivist

Purpose The authors are interested in building descriptive – real life – models of successful investors’ investment reasoning and decision-making. Models designed to be useful for trying to replicate and evolve their reasoning and decision-making. The purpose of this paper, a case study, is to take the substantial material – on innovating the investing tools – published in four books (2006/2012, 2010, 2011, 2015) by a US stock investor named Kenneth Fisher (CEO of Fisher Investments, Woodside, California) and sketch Fisher’s investment innovating reasoning model. Design/methodology/approach To sketch Fisher’s investment innovating reasoning model, the authors used the Radical constructivist theory of knowledge, a framework for analyzing human action and reasoning called Symbolic interactionism and a qualitative analytic technique called Conceptual analysis. The authors have done qualitative research applied to the study of investment decision-making of a single professional investor. Findings In the paper, the authors analyzed and described the heuristics used by Fisher to build subsequent generations of investing tools (called by Fisher “Capital Markets Technology”) to try to make better forecasts to beat the stock market. The authors were interested in studying the evolutive dimensions of the tools to make forecasts of a successful investor: the “how to build it” and “how to evolve it” dimension. Originality/value The paper offers an account of Kenneth Fisher’s framework to reason the innovation of investing tools. The authors believe that this paper could be of interest to professional money managers and to all those who are involved in the study and development of the tools of investing. This work is also an example of the use of the Radical constructivist theory of knowledge, the Symbolic interactionist framework and the Conceptual analysis to build descriptive models of investment reasoning of individual investors, models designed to enable the reproduction/approximation of the conceptual operations of the investor.

Corrosion of a chrome-moly pipe transporting sulfuric acid in a demineralization section: a failure analysis

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Andres Marquez ◽  
Chris Maharaj
Keyword(s):  
Sulfuric Acid ◽  
Material Selection ◽  
Real Life ◽  
Main Idea ◽  
Petrochemical Plant ◽  
Material Loss ◽  
Corrosion Failure ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Characterization Methods ◽  
X Ray

Purpose The purpose of this study was to carry out an analysis of the corrosion failure on a chrome-moly pipeline transporting highly concentrated sulfuric acid in a demineralization section at a petrochemical plant, along with the feasibility of using inhibitors to minimize the corrosive effects of sulfuric acid. Design/methodology/approach X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy, high-resolution optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy and accelerated corrosion experiments (ACE) were performed. Findings Erosion-corrosion failure was confirmed by the significant reduction in thickness of the internal surface of the material exposed to sulfuric acid, as well as the formation of an oxide scale/layer. ACE accurately predicted high material loss from exposure to sulfuric acid. Moreover, adding ascorbic acid as a corrosion inhibitor (even at low concentrations) was found to reduce the oxidation by more than 50% in the presence of sulfuric acid. Originality/value The main idea/purpose of this work relies on the analysis of recurrent real-life corrosion-attributed failures that are common in industry but are not properly addressed for a variety of reasons, poor management and lack of corrosion preventive strategies being the main ones. This study once again highlights readily available solutions/implementations that are capable of not only addressing technically the issue investigated but also, and as important, economically. By using microscopic imaging, reliable well-tested and widely used characterization methods, all combined with basic experiments and tests, the nature of the repetitive failure investigated was clearly demonstrated as well as readily available alternatives to minimize it in the short term. Nevertheless, implementing material selection techniques appropriately as effective corrosion prevention/control and cost-saving strategies must be enforced in any process.

An optimal scheduling policy for upgraded software with updates

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Adarsh Anand ◽  
Subhrata Das ◽  
Mohini Agarwal ◽  
Shinji Inoue
Keyword(s):  
Cost Analysis ◽  
Optimization Model ◽  
Real Life ◽  
Economic Benefits ◽  
Release Time ◽  
Analysis Model ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Software Upgrades ◽  
Stop Time ◽  
Combined Use

PurposeIn the current market scenario, software upgrades and updates have proved to be very handy in improving the reliability of the software in its operational phase. Software upgrades help in reinventing working software through major changes, like functionality addition, feature enhancement, structural changes, etc. In software updates, minor changes are undertaken which help in improving software performance by fixing bugs and security issues in the current version of the software. Through the current proposal, the authors wish to highlight the economic benefits of the combined use of upgrade and update service. A cost analysis model has been proposed for the same.Design/methodology/approachThe article discusses a cost analysis model highlighting the distinction between launch time and time to end the testing process. The number of bugs which have to be catered in each release has been determined which also consists of the count of latent bugs of previous version. Convolution theory has been utilized to incorporate the joint role of tester and user in bug detection into the model. The cost incurred in debugging process was determined. An optimization model was designed which considers the reliability and budget constraints while minimizing the total debugging cost. This optimization was used to determine the release time and testing stop time.FindingsThe proposal is backed by real-life software bug dataset consisting of four releases. The model was able to successfully determine the ideal software release time and the testing stop time. An increased profit is generated by releasing the software earlier and continues testing long after its release.Originality/valueThe work contributes positively to the field by providing an effective optimization model, which was able to determine the economic benefit of the combined use of upgrade and update service. The model can be used by management to determine their timelines and cost that will be incurred depending on their product and available resources.

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