Designing Efficient Infrastructural Investment and Asset Transfer Mechanisms in Humanitarian Supply Chains

We analyze the efficacy of different asset transfer mechanisms and provide policy recommendations for the design of humanitarian supply chains. As a part of their preparedness effort, humanitarian organizations often make decisions on resource investments ex ante because doing so allows for rapid response if an adverse event occurs. However, programs typically operate under funding constraints and donor earmarks with autonomous decision‐making authority resting with the local entities, which makes the design of efficient humanitarian supply chains a challenging problem. We formulate this problem in an agency setting with two independent aid programs, where different asset transfer mechanisms are considered and where investments in resources are of two types: primary resources that are needed for providing the aid and infrastructural investments that improve the operation of the aid program in using the primary resources. The primary resources are acquired from earmarked donations. We show that allowing aid programs the flexibility of transferring primary resources improves the efficiency of the system by yielding greater social welfare than when this flexibility does not exist. More importantly, we show that a central entity that can acquire primary resources from one program and sell them to the other program can further improve system efficiency by providing a mechanism that facilitates the transfer of primary resources and eliminates losses from gaming. This outcome is achieved without depriving the individual aid programs of their decision‐making autonomy while maintaining the constraints under which they operate. We find that outcomes with centralized resource transfer but decentralized infrastructural investments by the aid programs are the same as with a completely centralized system (where both resource transfer and infrastructural investments are centralized).     

随机需求条件下产品退货政策协调与优化

本文研究了随机需求条件下基于退货的单周期单一产品逆向供应链模型.首先,研究了集中决策条件下集成厂商的利润函数,并讨论了实现利润最大化的最优性条件及其最优订货量;其次,在分散决策条件下,分别研究了制造商和销售商的利润函数,并讨论了销售商的最优性条件及其最优订货量;最后,在集中决策和分散决策模型的基础上,重点研究了供应链的协调与优化,得出了实现供应链协调的基本条件和两者之间的利润分配机制.通过制定批发价格和退货价格来实现两者之间的增加利润的任意分配.     

Supplier Selection for Framework Agreements in Humanitarian Relief

In this study, we consider the supplier selection problem of a relief organization that wants to establish framework agreements (FAs) with a number of suppliers to ensure quick and cost‐effective procurement of relief supplies in responding to sudden‐onset disasters. Motivated by the FAs in relief practice, we focus on a quantity flexibility contract in which the relief organization commits to purchase a minimum total quantity from each framework supplier over a fixed agreement horizon, and, in return, the suppliers reserve capacity for the organization and promise to deliver items according to pre‐specified agreement terms. Due to the uncertainties in demand locations and amounts, it may be challenging for relief organizations to assess candidate suppliers and the offered agreement terms. We use a scenario‐based approach to represent demand uncertainty and develop a stochastic programming model that selects framework suppliers to minimize expected procurement and agreement costs while meeting service requirements. We perform numerical experiments to understand the implications of agreement terms in different settings. The results show that supplier selection decisions and costs are generally more sensitive to the changes in agreement terms in settings with high‐impact disasters. Finally, we illustrate the applicability of our model on a case study.     

应急储备库选址与资源配置随机规划模型研究

研究在突发事件多发区域进行应急储备库的选址与资源配置规划问题.假定了若干随机的突发事件情景,每种情景下物资需求量与运输时间不确定,结合情景分析法,建立了一定应急限制期条件下的两阶段随机规划模型,并设计了混合遗传算法对模型进行求解.研究结果不仅找到了最优的选址与资源配置方案,而且发现牺牲需求满足率与应急限制期带来的成本降低是不经济的.     

Problem Formulation and Solution Mechanisms: A Behavioral Study of Humanitarian Transportation Planning

When dealing with urgent, ill‐defined problems, such as rapidly evolving emergency situations, operations managers have little time for problem formulation or solution. While the mechanisms by which humans formulate and solve problems have been described, mechanisms for rapid, concurrent formulating and solving are not well understood. This study investigates these mechanisms through a field study of transportation planning in a humanitarian response setting. The findings show that the problem is solved through greedy search and formulated through sensemaking, in which search enables updates to an evolving problem formulation, and the formulation directs and limits the search process. This study explores the implications of these findings for the development of better problem formulation processes and problem‐solving strategies for urgent and ill‐defined operations management problems.     

公司价值的随机优化模型

本文研究了净现金流为随机过程情况下的企业价值,并建立了企业价值的随机优化模型。探讨了在一定的风险水平和其它相关约束条件下,确定企业的资本结构、企业债务的承担能力等,使得公司价值最大化,并应用于实际项目中。     

基于CVaR与矩匹配方法的外汇储备资产配置动态随机优化模型

本文建立了一个动态的随机优化模型,对我国外汇储备在国际资产中的配置问题进行研究。采用基于矩匹配方法生成的情景树代表资产价格波动与币种间汇率变动的不确定性,将管理当局对于外汇储备安全性、流动性、收益性的要求统一纳入模型中,最终计算出外汇储备各资产的动态配置比例。结果表明,运用动态随机优化模型对我国外汇资产进行动态配置灵活、有效。     

考虑随机利率和通货膨胀的连续时间资产组合选择

通过随机控制技术、Bellman最优性原理和HJB方程研究了通货膨胀、随机利率和交易成本等因素影响下的连续时间投资组合选择的最优化问题,将利率假定为服从Vasicek利率模型的随机过程,应用连续时间的动态均值-方差方法得到符合实际意义的HJB方程,通过多重网格的数值逼近方法求解相应的HJB方程得到双目标优化问题的最优投资策略。用实证方法与国内证券市场上代表性指数基金进行对比研究,发现通货膨胀和利率变动以及经济环境和投资者的异质信念等因素均会对最优策略产生影响,有效前沿会随之发生变化,债券与股票之间的投资比例并不是简单维持固定比例就可以保证总资产最优,拓展了基金分离定理。考虑通货膨胀和交易成本等因素的资产组合选择模型可以实实在在为机构投资者提供客观的实践指导和科学的理论依据。     

Stockpiling supplies for disaster response: an experimental analysis of prepositioning biases

Abstract

Several relief organisations preposition supplies in preparation for disaster response. We show how the structure of prepositioning decisions resemble newsvendor decisions and how common newsvendor biases could affect prepositioning performance. To explore prepositioning biases, we run a behavioural experiment of a prepositioning problem with 20 practitioners from the humanitarian sector. Their task was to choose prepositioning quantities under different cost conditions and for supplies with different degrees of criticality. Results show that participants pull orders away from optimum (pull-to-centre) and follow the prior beneficiary demand realisation (demand chasing) regardless of cost and criticality conditions. However, the estimation of behavioural models reveals patterns hidden in averages, showing that participants weigh undersupply costs more for urgent supplies and urgency moderates demand chasing. A follow-up validation experiment manipulates the salience of urgent supplies by bundling them with non-urgent supplies in a portfolio. Results show that the portfolio strengthens these patterns, increasing the availability of urgent supplies. We offer practice implications of these findings for prepositioning activities and theory implications for inventory experiments in general.     

产品回收逆向物流网络优化设计模型

为了在传统正向物流网络基础上扩建产品回收逆向物流网络,基于混合整数线性规划方法建立了一种单产品、有能力限制的产品回收逆向物流网络优化设计模型,据此确定物流网络中各种设施的数量和位置,并在由此构成的各条物流路径上合理分配物流量,以使各种设施的投资和运营成本之和最小。给出了提高模型求解效率的Benders分解算法,并通过算例验证了模型和算法的有效性。     

基于信息更新的两阶段鲁棒-随机优化调配模型研究

在突发事件的应对中,应急决策过程的灾情信息具有动态性、不确定性等特征,从而使得整个应急救援过程中的决策都必须随信息更新而不断调整,本文在调研国内外相关研究的基础上,以地震为背景提出了基于信息更新的资源调配决策问题。文章结合灾情信息更新的特征,给出了应急救援响应的阶段划分;以此为基础建立了两阶段鲁棒-随机优化模型,通过虚拟储备库点及虚拟临时分发中心点的设计,实现了第一阶段调配结果对第二阶段调配决策的后效性调整决策;根据鲁棒优化及随机优化的特点,设计了相应的原始-对偶及L-Shaped Method算法对模型进行求解;最后,通过CPLEX软件编程求解,并进行情景生成下的算例分析,与其他方法比较分析,证明了文章所设计的模型在灾情信息更新下的优势。     

Vehicle Procurement Policy for Humanitarian Development Programs

This article aims to identify optimal vehicle procurement policies for organizations engaged in humanitarian development programs and to derive general insights on the characteristics of these policies. Toward that end, we follow an inductive approach. First, we study the operations of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) in three representative countries: Sudan, Afghanistan, and Ethiopia. Using a linear programming (LP) model primed with field data provided by the ICRC, we calculate the optimal vehicle fleet size and compare it with the policies actually implemented. Second, drawing from results of the LP model, we develop a stylized quadratic control model and use it to characterize the general structure of the optimal policy under different demand scenarios and operational constraints. After demonstrating that the results of the control model are consistent with those of the LP model in the specific context analyzed, we discuss the optimal policies and the applicability of the former as a practical tool for strategic asset planning.     

Assessing Trade‐offs among Multiple Objectives for Humanitarian Aid Delivery Using Expert Preferences

Humanitarian aid agencies deliver emergency supplies and services to people affected by disasters. Scholars and practitioners have developed modeling approaches to support aid delivery planning, but they have used objective functions with little validation as to the trade‐offs among the multiple goals of aid delivery. We develop a method to value the performance of aid delivery plans based on expert preferences over five key attributes: the amount of cargo delivered, the prioritization of aid by commodity type, the prioritization of aid by delivery location, the speed of delivery, and the operational cost. Through a conjoint analysis survey, we measure the preferences of 18 experienced humanitarian logisticians. The survey results quantify the importance of each attribute and enable the development of a piecewise linear utility function that can be used as an objective function in optimization models. The results show that the amount of cargo delivered is the most valued objective and cost the least important. In addition, experts prioritize more vulnerable communities and more critical commodities, but not to the exclusion of others. With these insights and the experts’ utility functions, better humanitarian objective functions can be developed to enable better aid delivery in emergency response.     

含有连续型随机参数的回收物流网络优化设计

考虑到设计参数的不确定性,建立了单一产品、有处理能力约束的回收物流网络优化设计的二阶段随机规划模型.该模型借助于抽样技术给出了连续型随机参数的有限离散数值,利用混合遗传算法计算并比较了不同网络的建设和运营费用,从而避免了网络设施数量和随机向量维数对模型求解效率的影响.为得到稳健的回收物流网络,利用大样本对计算获得的可行网络进行了评价.考虑到样本随机性的影响,给出了基于随机模型的回收物流网络优化设计步骤.另外,通过算例说明了随机模型的有效性,证实了确定性模型近似处理随机规划问题的不适用性.     

Disaster Management from a POM Perspective: Mapping a New Domain

We have reviewed disaster management research papers published in major operations management, management science, operations research, supply chain management and transportation/logistics journals. In reviewing these studies, our objective is to assess and present the macro level “architectural blue print” of disaster management research with the hope that it will attract new researchers and motivate established researchers to contribute to this important field. The secondary objective is to bring this disaster research to the attention of disaster administrators so that disasters are managed more efficiently and more effectively. We have mapped the disaster management research on the following five attributes of a disaster: (1) Disaster Management Function (decision‐making process, prevention and mitigation, evacuation, humanitarian logistics, casualty management, and recovery and restoration), (2) Time of Disaster (before, during and after), (3) Type of Disaster (accidents, earthquakes, floods, hurricanes, landslides, terrorism and wildfires etc.), (4) Data Type (Field and Archival data, Real data and Hypothetical data), and (5) Data Analysis Technique (bidding models, decision analysis, expert systems, fuzzy system analysis, game theory, heuristics, mathematical programming, network flow models, queueing theory, simulation and statistical analysis). We have done cross tabulations of data among these five parameters to gain greater insights into disaster research. Recommendations for future research are provided.     

Designing the venue logistics management operations for a World Exposition

World Expositions, due to their size and peculiar features, pose a number of logistics challenges. This paper aims at developing a design framework for the venue logistics management (VLM) operations to replenish food products to the event site, through a combination of qualitative and quantitative research approaches. First, an in-depth interview methodology, combined with the outcomes of a literature review, is adopted for defining the key variables for the tactical and operational set-up of the VLM system. Second, a quantitative approach is developed to define the necessary logistics resources. The framework is then applied to the case of Milan 2015 World Exposition. It is the first time that such a design framework for a World Exposition is presented: the originality of this research lies in the proposal of a systematic approach that adds to the experiential practices constituting the current body of knowledge on event logistics.     

考虑延误因素的机组排班模型研究

机组排班是航空公司运营计划的重要环节。传统对机组排班问题的研究,通常不考虑延误对排班的影响,导致机组排班的鲁棒性较差。本文在传统机组排班模型的基础上考虑延误成本,以最小化各项任务成本和延误成本为目标,提出了考虑随机延误因素的机组排班数学规划模型。然后提出求解此模型的启发式列生成算法,该算法可有效缩小问题规模,减少求解过程中的迭代次数并提高求解质量。利用航空公司真实飞行数据进行测试,证明算法可在短时间内求解大规模机组排班问题。最后,通过仿真试验证实考虑延误的机组排班模型可有效提升排班的鲁棒性。     

公交系统随机平衡网络设计模型及求解算法

本文根据公交网络的具体特点,对公交网络进行了系统的描述,提出一个双层规划模型来描述随机平衡公交网络设计问题。在双层规划模型中,上层模型为一个标准的公交网络设计模型,下层模型是一个公交网络随机平衡配流模型。针对所提出的模型,设计了基于灵敏度分析的求解算法。最后,给出一个简单算例加以证明。     

Consistent Tests for Stochastic Dominance

Methods are proposed for testing stochastic dominance of any pre–specified order, with primary interest in the distributions of income. We consider consistent tests, that are similar to Kolmogorov–Smirnov tests, of the complete set of restrictions that relate to the various forms of stochastic dominance. For such tests, in the case of tests for stochastic dominance beyond first order, we propose and justify a variety of approaches to inference based on simulation and the bootstrap. We compare these approaches to one another and to alternative approaches based on multiple comparisons in the context of a Monte Carlo experiment and an empirical example.