Locating and detecting arrays for interaction faults

The identification of interaction faults in component-based systems has focused on indicating the presence of faults, rather than their location and magnitude. While this is a valuable step in screening a system for interaction faults prior to its release, it provides little information to assist in the correction of such faults. Consequently tests to reveal the location of interaction faults are of interest. The problem of nonadaptive location of interaction faults is formalized under the hypothesis that the system contains (at most) some number d of faults, each involving (at most) some number t of interacting factors. Restrictions on the number and size of the putative faults lead to numerous variants of the basic problem. The relationships between this class of problems and interaction testing using covering arrays to indicate the presence of faults, designed experiments to measure and model faults, and combinatorial group testing to locate faults in a more general testing scenario, are all examined. While each has some definite similarities with the fault location problems for component-based systems, each has some striking differences as well. In this paper, we formulate the combinatorial problems for locating and detecting arrays to undertake interaction fault location. Necessary conditions for existence are established, and using a close connection to covering arrays, asymptotic bounds on the size of minimal locating and detecting arrays are established.     

Two new error-correcting pooling designs from d-bounded distance-regular graphs

Let Γ be a d-bounded distance-regular graph with diameter d≥2. In this paper, we construct two new classes of error-correcting pooling designs from the posets consisting of the subspaces of Γ.     

On a hyperplane arrangement problem and tighter analysis of an error-tolerant pooling design

In this paper, we formulate and investigate the following problem: given integers d,k and r where k>r≥1,d≥2, and a prime power q, arrange d hyperplanes on to maximize the number of r-dimensional subspaces of each of which belongs to at least one of the hyperplanes. The problem is motivated by the need to give tighter bounds for an error-tolerant pooling design based on finite vector spaces. This work is partially supported by NSF CAREER Award CCF-0347565.     

Hypothesis group testing for disjoint pairs

Classical group testing (CGT) is a widely applicable biotechnical technique used to identify a small number of distinguished objects from a population when the presence of any one of these distinguished objects among a group of others produces an observable result. This paper discusses a variant of CGT called group testing for disjoint pairs (GTAP). The difference between the two is that in GTDP, the distinguished items are pairs from, not individual objects in, the population. There are several biological examples of when this abstract model applies. One biological example is DNA hybridization. The presence of pairs of hybridized DNA strands can be detected in a pool of DNA strands. Another situation is the detection of binding interactions between prey and bait proteins. This paper gives a random pooling method, similar in spirit to hypothesis testing, which identifies pairs of objects from a population that collectively have an observable function. This method is simply to apply, achieves good results, is amenable to automation and can be easily modified to compensate for testing errors. M.A. Bishop is supported by AFOSR FA8750-06-C-0007. A.J. Macula is supported by NSF-0436298, AFOSR FA8750-06-C-0007.     

A reference model for collaborative design in mould industry

The mould industry is an indispensable foundation for mass production by manufacturer and influences the time to market of new product. It is difficult to integrate the new product development processes and information systems among the mould companies which are mainly small and medium enterprises. The design chain operations reference-model (DCOR) provides a well-recognised methodology to standardise the management process for a product development project and enables the integration for mould industry. The DCOR focuses on a primary and preliminary product development process and is necessary to extend the detail templates for the industrial requirements. Hence, the purpose of this research is to develop an approach that extends the DCOR to the mould industry. The framework of the developed model, which is called the design chain operations reference-model for the mould industry, is adopted for a case mould company for a feasibility discussion.     

On the complexity and approximation of non-unique probe selection using d-disjunct matrix

In this paper, we studied the MINimum-d-Disjunct Submatrix (MIN-d-DS), which can be used to select the minimum number of non-unique probes for viruses identification. We prove that MIN-d-DS is NP-hard for any fixed d. Using d-disjunct matrix, we present an O(log k)-approximation algorithm where k is an upper bound on the maximum number of targets hybridized to a probe. We also present a (1+(d+1)log n)-approximation algorithm to identify at most d targets in the presence of experimental errors. Our approximation algorithms also yield a linear time complexity for the decoding algorithms. The research of T. Znati was supported in part by National Science Foundation under grant CCF-0548895.     

产品优化设计的用户满意模型

研究品质功能展开的产品优化设计问题. 考虑产品设计过程中的设计预算和非精确性, 引进计划可达水平、实际计划水平等概念,提出产品优化设计的用户满意模型及参数规划求解 方法. 此方法给出满足设计预算的不同可能性条件下的设计方案,供产品设计负责人做出不同 的方案选择,更能反映设计过程的实际情况.     

Envelope Theorems for Arbitrary Choice Sets

The standard envelope theorems apply to choice sets with convex and topological structure, providing sufficient conditions for the value function to be differentiable in a parameter and characterizing its derivative. This paper studies optimization with arbitrary choice sets and shows that the traditional envelope formula holds at any differentiability point of the value function. We also provide conditions for the value function to be, variously, absolutely continuous, left‐ and right‐differentiable, or fully differentiable. These results are applied to mechanism design, convex programming, continuous optimization problems, saddle‐point problems, problems with parameterized constraints, and optimal stopping problems.     

Product universality and design for supply chain management

We describe our experience of developing models in which the principles of design for supply chain management (DFCM) have been implemented for new product development at Hewlett-Packard Company (HP). This experience arises from the development of a new product that is scheduled to be released in 1995. A key design decision faced by the product development team was whether to use a universal module or regionally dedicated modules to satisfy global market requirements. We describe a wide range of factors—including manufacturing and logistics costs—that could be used to support the design decision; these factors associated with product and process design contribute to tolal supply chain costs. We review the analytical model used to evaluate the cost and service implications of the two design alternatives. Finally, we discuss qualitative considerations that might influence the eventual decisions as well as the lessons learned from this real world experience.     

Contextualist-retroductive case study design for strategic asset management research

Abstract

This paper develops a tailored case study design for strategic asset management research. It draws on the notions of ‘contextualist approach’ and ‘retroductive strategy’ used in case study research, and follows the multiple embedded-case design advocated within qualitative research. Using a published asset management research study as a primer, it demonstrates the application of the proposed research design and its methodological rigour. This research design could serve as a reference framework, as well as a research instrument, for guiding asset management research. As such, it facilitates the development of theory that accounts for the multi-faceted nature and current priorities of asset management. Overall, this research design helps determine what activities to be incorporated into an asset management program to enhance an organization’s ability to capture value from its operations system. In so doing, it promotes a holistic perspective on asset management that is currently lacking in the literature.     

Demand and supply network design scope for personalized manufacturing

This paper first presents personalizing and personalized manufacturing as a means for firms to meet the rising challenge, faced by a large variety of manufacturers, to offer innovative highly personalized products with short and reliable delivery delays in a digital and global economy that is highly turbulent and competitive. It positions personalizing versus the current trend of mass customising. It characterizes complementary types of personalizing and highlights the key elements for their successful implementation from a demand and supply network perspective. Finally, it illustrates the scope and addresses how personalizing affects the design of the demand and supply network, emphasizing the scope of this design influence, the variety of options for each element of the network, and the interrelationships between the design decisions.     

Semi-interchangeable machines: implications for workload control

Workload control (WLC) is developed as a production planning and control concept for make-to-order job shops. Effective WLC requires a profound decision regarding order release to allow balancing the workload across capacity groups. WLC design has to reflect the company characteristics, especially machine characteristics. In practice, machines that perform the same type of operations are generally not completely identical but semi-interchangeable. The importance of the load balancing function requires careful consideration of semi-interchangeability within WLC. This paper develops different control alternatives to deal with semi-interchangeability and tests them in a simulation study. The results of the study indicate that the most intuitive control option—grouping semi-interchangeable machines into a single capacity group and making the routeing decision at dispatching—does not give the best performance, despite the advantages of pooling synergy. For a low degree of interchangeability it is more attractive to place semi-interchangeable machines in separate capacity groups and to make a routeing decision at order release. This enables more detailed load balancing resulting in shorter throughput times. More generally, it is shown to be advantageous to postpone the final routeing decision until dispatching, though considering separate capacity groups for a preliminary routeing decision at the time of release.     

Social media and Web 2.0 for knowledge sharing in product design

Working collaboratively with internal and external partners (suppliers, customers and internal stakeholders) has been at the epicentre of product design. Knowledge sharing has been well recognised in this context. However, there is limited research that has addressed the role of social media/Web 2.0 in facilitating knowledge sharing for sense- and decision-making within product design. To address this gap, this study draws on the resource-based view (RBV) of the firm and two vignettes that relate to ‘collaborative co-design’ and ‘collaborative design-to-order’. We illustrate the role of social media/Web 2.0 in building knowledge sharing capabilities for sense- and decision-making for internal and external partners during product design. Limitations and further research into the use of social media/Web 2.0 are also discussed.     

The Big Five personality factors and team performance: implications for selecting successful product design teams

In the pursuit of faster product development, product design teams are a growing phenomenon in many organizations. In order to be successful, these teams must be composed of people who work well together. However, despite the benefit of selecting the optimal combination of team members, this topic has received little attention. Personality has been identified as a potentially helpful selection variable in the determination of optimal team composition. This study examines the relationships between the ‘Big Five’ personality factors (Conscientiousness, Extraversion, Neuroticism, Agreeableness, and Openness to Experience) and objective team performance for three-member product design teams. In addition to this, the potential incremental contribution of personality to the variance in team performance over that accounted for by established selection measures such as general cognitive ability was investigated. In the short duration of the study, it became apparent that some teams were capable of success, and some were not. Successful teams were characterized by higher levels of general cognitive ability, higher extraversion, higher agreeableness, and lower neuroticism than their unsuccessful counterparts. In successful teams, the heterogeneity of conscientiousness was negatively related to increments in product performance. Implications for the selection of product design teams and future directions for research are discussed.     

Mechanism Games With Multiple Principals and Three or More Agents

We consider a class of mechanism games in which there are multiple principals and three or more agents. For a mechanism game in this class, a sort of folk theorem holds: there is a threshold value for each of the principals such that an allocation is achieved at a pure‐strategy sequential equilibrium of the game if and only if (i) it is incentive compatible and (ii) it attains an expected utility for each principal that is greater than or equal to the threshold value for the principal.     

An integrated closed-loop product lifecycle management approach for reverse logistics design

Nowadays, reverse logistics is gaining importance for many companies in different industries. This importance is rooted in the fact that it generates profit and decreases the environmental impacts of products. Even though the decrease of environmental impacts is an indispensable requisite, reverse logistics design is only driven by cost indicators. The main reason behind this high cost is access to environmental information is difficult and is directly linked to data all along the lifecycle of the product. This paper presents a method by which reverse logistics design integrates environmental impacts based on the management of closed-loop product lifecycle. This method is divided into two processes: from beginning of life to end of life and from end of life to beginning of life. The first process integrates product data in order to calculate environmental impacts of the potential reverse logistics networks, whereas the second process selects the most appropriate reverse logistics network before optimising the product based on this particular network. The proposition is illustrated by a case study on a recycled aluminium automotive part.     

Structuring Work Distribution for Global Product Development Organizations

This study describes (through an application) a novel approach toward organizing work distribution across globally distributed design and development centers of a product development (PD) organization. While there exist several studies (and modeling applications) for work distribution and allocation for manufacturing and supply chain networks, those related to product development organizations are limited to qualitative suggestions such as offshoring of modular tasks. However, most PD efforts are characterized by significant complexity in information sharing and information dependency among PD tasks (represented by coupling in the system architecture of the firm), thus preventing the identification of modular tasks. Also, redesigning the architecture to introduce modularity has associated risks of costs and product integrity. We demonstrate a methodology to organize work distribution globally in an industrial setting, utilizing the design structure matrix to quantify the system architecture of the firm. Our optimization results show significant cost savings through a restructured PD organization. On analysis of the results, we make two significant observations: (a) while offshoring based on modularity is generally appropriate, it is not the whole answer, as there exists a trade‐off between the efficiency of performing specific PD tasks at the offshore location and the modularity of the task; and (b) firms should successively increase work allocation to the offshore location, benefiting from capability improvements through learning effects.