MATERIALS handling, PRODUCTION scheduling, QUEUING theory, FUZZY logic, and AUTOMATED guided vehicle systems

This paper describes a Grid-like Material Transportation Network (GMTN) in which several heterogeneous means of transportation (Automated Guided Vehicles (AGVs), hoists, lifts, etc.) interact with each other via common shared workstations to provide a variety of demand-responsive material handling operations. Different material handling transport modes provide movement of workpieces between workstations along their manufacturing routes in the GMTN and they can be seen as processes realized with synergic utilization of various local periodically acting unimodal processes. The main contribution of this research is the solution of a constraint satisfaction problem addressing AGVs fleet match-up scheduling subject to GMTN and fuzzy operation time constraints. In the presented case both production rate (production takt) and operations execution time are described by imprecise (fuzzy) data. In other words, the research's objective concerns assessing grid-like networks of periodically acting local transportation modes from the perspective of possible mass-customized oriented requirements imposed on scheduling of multimodal flows of jobs assigned to certain technological routes passing through common shared workstations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

MATHEMATICAL optimization, ALGORITHMS, INTEGER programming, OPERATIONS research, INDUSTRIAL engineering, and CUTTING stock problem

The rate at which research ideas can be prototyped is significantly increased when re-useable software components are employed. A mission of the Computational Infrastructure for Operations Research (COIN-OR) initiative is to promote the development and use of re-useable open-source tools for operations research professionals. In this paper, we introduce the COIN-OR initiative and survey recent progress in integer programming that utilizes COIN-OR components. In particular, we present an implementation of an algorithm for finding integer-optimal solutions to a cutting-stock problem. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

LINEAR programming, DECISION support systems, MATHEMATICAL programming, MANAGEMENT information systems, and MANAGEMENT

This paper describes a system to represent linear programming models and their instances. In addition to a modeling language, MODLER has an extensive query capability which includes a multi-view architecture. Further, randomization options provide rapid prototyping. The MODLER system is part of a workbench for building and managing decision support systems that are based on linear programming. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

MANUFACTURING cells, MANUFACTURING processes, MANUFACTURING execution systems, PRODUCTION planning, PRODUCTION scheduling, RAPID prototyping, BATCH processing, and FLEXIBLE manufacturing systems

A general framework to describe operating policies in manufacturing cells is presented. A policy can be characterized by assigning appropriate values to a set of descriptive parameters. System configuration is described by one set of parameters and operating policies by another. Examples are presented to illustrate the choice of parameter values. The framework forms the basis for a general-purpose discrete-event simulator. This simulator is used to study various operating philosophies under a wide variety of operating environments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

INFORMATION technology, INDUSTRIAL research, PRODUCT management, COMMERCIAL products, RAPID prototyping, and JOINT ventures

The Information Technology (IT) industry is seeing a great increase in the number of alliances between firms. It is important for the providers, customers and sometimes even the government to know the implications of such a development. We consider two competing organizations with differentiated products forming a strategic joint venture to offer a new product which will compete with their existing products. (An example would be the joint venture between Apple and IBM to develop a new operating system.) We focus on the ownership structure of the new product and the strategic re-positioning of the old products in terms of their price, with an emphasis on the latter. We show that the prices of the old products will increase after the introduction of the new product and they will not be taken off the market. We also show that our model unifies the salient aspects of the spatial com- petition and the monopolistic competition approaches of analyzing product differentiation. As a partner's stake in the joint venture increases, its price for the old product shifts further away from the level that will maximize the profit from the old product. However, the overall profit (from the old and new products) increases with the stake in the new product. The resulting feasible set of ownership structures (where both firms are better off by entering the joint venture) shifts towards greater control by the firm with the initial premium product, as the mean reservation price for the new product increases. Initially, the prices of the two products will be set at their respective mean reservation prices (and these will increase after the introduction of the new product). We show the nature of the new prices of the two old products under different scenarios. We show situations where the ordering of the prices of the old products will be maintained, and where it may be changed. The price of the new product will be set at its mean reservation price. When a part of the stake of one of the firms is distributed to a third party, it leads to lower prices for both the products. We discuss generalizations of the model and various areas of potential research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]