Solving open vehicle problem with time window by hybrid column generation algorithm

This paper addresses the open vehicle routing problem with time window(OVRPTW), where each vehicle does not need to return to the depot after completing the delivery task.The optimization objective is to minimize the total distance. This problem exists widely in real-life logistics distribution process.We propose a hybrid column generation algorithm(HCGA) for the OVRPTW, embedding both exact algorithm and metaheuristic. In HCGA, a label setting algorithm and an intelligent algorithm are designed to select columns from small and large subproblems, respectively. Moreover, a branch strategy is devised to generate the final feasible solution for the OVRPTW. The computational results show that the proposed algorithm has faster speed and can obtain the approximate optimal solution of the problem with 100 customers in a reasonable time.

Cloud Computing at a Cross Road: Quality and Risks in Higher Education

The key determinants of cloud computing provide a convincing argument for HEIs and its stakeholders to adopt the innovation. These benefits reflect the essential quality characteristics of the cloud, such as Broad network Access;Measured Service;On-demand Self-Service;Rapid Elasticity;and Resource Pooling. However, there are also risks associated with the cloud, leading to non-adoption, such as Confidence, Privacy, Security, Surety and Trust. Understanding the impact of these factors can support multiple stakeholders, such as students, lecturers, senior managers and admins in their adoptive decision of CC in their respected institutions. Using the Multiview 3 (MV3) methodology, a research model was proposed to explore the key qualities and risks that determine the adoption or non-adoption of CC by UK HEIs from multiple perspectives. An exploratory qualitative study was conducted on 32 University stakeholders across 2 UK Universities. The findings suggest that security, privacy and trust are the key determinants to non-adoption as participants felt that the cloud cannot fully guarantee the safeguarding of sensitive information. Determinants to cloud adoption include improving relationships between students and teachers via collaborative tools, in addition to proposing cloud apps for mobile devices for accessing virtual learning materials and email securely off-campus. In conclusion, University stakeholders are still at a cross-road when it comes to cloud adoption, but future advances of the cloud may help to steer their decision to adopt this innovative technology given its overwhelming potential.

The Usage of Social Media and E-Reputation System in Global Supply Chain: Comparative Cases from Diamond &Automotive Industries

The last decade witnesses a heave use of social media-based information systems in different fields of business such as logistics, procurement, and supply chain management. Managing these types of information systems, could help companies to outsource their supply chain functions in a global scale and enhance their competitive advantages. However, the digital performance of these activities inherent risks of inappropriate supplier selection, lack of trust, bounded rationality and uncertainty about the supply conditions (e.g., pricing, shipping and timing). To address such challenges, this research explains how companies use e-reputation systems and social media to select their global trusted suppliers. Based on two-case evidence from British Diamond and Egyptian Automotive companies, the researchers conducted 20 interviews with purchasing and supply chain professionals. Chen & Lin’s reputation system model has been adopted to explain the process of selecting and evaluating a trusted supplier and to inform our data analysis. Our findings referred to the lack of experience among diamond professionals on how to use e-reputation systems and their lack of understanding to the role of social media-based ratings or referrals during the stages of selection suppliers’ discovery and approval. Though, automotive professionals find e-reputation system a strong tool to build goodwill, tacit credibility, competence and predictable trust. Ironically, both cases confirm that supply chain professional use these systems to re-evaluate and reselect their existing suppliers than to extend new supply networks.

The Dark Side of Samsung’s Value Chain: The Human Costs of Cobalt Mining “BLOOD, SWEAT AND COBALT”

Samsung has been implicitly linked to human rights abuses and wider social downgrading propagated within the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). Reports by different studies have shown artisanal cobalt mines (ASM) to exploit child labour and subject workers to perilous conditions. The IT multinational is dependent upon Congolese cobalt as a key element in lithiumion batteries used to produce their array of electronics. However, irresponsible cobalt sourcing practices undertaken by Tier 1 suppliers, Glencore and Huayou, have resulted in ASM operations being incorporated into Samsung’s global value chain, as Tier 2 suppliers. Analysis of the relationships underpinning Samsung’s cobalt value chain theoretical framework, highlights the presence of a relational governance structure, with captive elements among upstream Tier 1 and Tier 2 suppliers. Samsung is thereby reliant upon both Glencore and Huayou to transmit and enforce private codes of conduct down the value chain to expel human rights abuses. In conjunction, the DRC’s weak and unstable institutional environment has facilitated corruption and the improper enforcement of laws across the ASM industry. It is thereby imperative that Samsung takes ownership of the issues present within its value chain, as both Tier 1 suppliers and the Congolese government have failed to ensure responsible cobalt sourcing practices to date. This report recommends that Samsung adopt a holistic action plan, not only utilising their own resources and capabilities, but also those of critical stakeholders including Tier 1 suppliers, NGOs and the DRC and South Korean governments. Most prominently, this report suggests that supply chain transparency can be improved using certificates of origin and blockchain technology. Furthermore, it is recommended that poverty alleviation is targeted as a key measure through “Cobalt for Development”, an action plan designed to instigate both social and economic upgrading within ASM operations and the wider community. By employing a multi-scalar approach and addressing the issues inherent across multiple governance levels, Samsung can ensure a responsible source of cobalt be sustained.

Do business groups affect corporate cash holdings?Evidence from a transition economy

We examine whether business groups' influence on cash holdings depends on ownership. Group affiliation can increase firms' agency costs or benefit firms by providing an internal capital market, especially in transition economies characterized by weak investor protection and difficult external capital acquisition. A hand-collected dataset of Chinese firms reveals that group affiliation decreases cash holdings, alleviating the free-cash-flow problem of agency costs.State ownership and control of listed firms moderate this benefit, which is more pronounced when the financial market is less liquid. Group affiliation facilitates related-party transactions, increases debt capacity and decreases investmentcash-flow sensitivity and overinvestment. In transitional economies, privately controlled firms are more likely to benefit from group affiliation than statecontrolled firms propped up by the government.

SYNBIOCHEM Synthetic Biology Research Centre, Manchester-A UK foundry for fine and speciality chemicals production

The UK Synthetic Biology Research Centre,SYNBIOCHEM,hosted by the Manchester Institute of Biotechnology at the University of Manchester is delivering innovative technology platforms to facilitate the predictable engineering of microbial bio-factories for fine and speciality chemicals production.We provide an overview of our foundry activities that are being applied to grand challenge projects to deliver innovation in bio-based chemicals production for industrial biotechnology.

Wear monitoring method of water-lubricated polymer thrust bearing based on ultrasonic reflection coefficient amplitude spectrum

The water-lubricated thrust bearings of the marine rim-driven thruster(RDT)are usually composed of polymer composites,which are prone to serious wear under harsh working conditions.Ultrasonic is an excellent non-destructive monitoring technology,but polymer materials are characterized by viscoelasticity,heterogeneity,and large acoustic attenuation,making it challenging to extract ultrasonic echo signals.Therefore,this paper proposes a wear monitoring method based on the amplitude spectrum of the ultrasonic reflection coefficient.The effects of bearing parameters,objective function,and algorithm parameters on the identification results are simulated and analyzed.Taking the correlation coefficient and root mean square error as the matching parameters,the thickness,sound velocity,density,and attenuation factor of the bearing are inversed simultaneously by utilizing the differential evolution algorithm(DEA),and the wear measurement system is constructed.In order to verify the identification accuracy of this method,an accelerated wear test under heavy load was executed on a multi-functional vertical water lubrication test rig with poly-ether-etherketone(PEEK)fixed pad and stainless-steel thrust collar as the object.The thickness of pad was measured using the high-precision spiral micrometer and ultrasonic testing system,respectively.Ultimately,the results demonstrate that the thickness identification error of this method is approximately 1%,and in-situ monitoring ability will be realized in the future,which is of great significance to the life prediction of bearings.

Shifting paradigm to service-dominant logic via Internet-of-Things with applications in the elevators industry

The purpose of this paper is to investigate how latest technology Internet-of-Things(IoT)can enable/facilitate traditional manufacturing firms shifting to more servicecentred business perspective.Service-dominant(S-D)logic has emerged to provide the right perspective,vocabulary and assumptions on which to build a servicecentred alternative to the traditional goods-dominant(G-D)paradigm for understanding economic exchange and value creation and has been identified as an appropriate philosophical foundation for the development of service science([Maglio,P.P.,&Spohrer,J.(2008).Fundamentals of service science.Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science,36,18-20;Maglio,P.P.,Vargo,S.L.,Caswell,N.,&Spohrer,J.(2009).The service system is the basic abstraction of service science.Information Systems and e-business Management,7,395-406]).S-D logic is in its current state of development is conceptual and few empirical studies exist to test such a logic realized in real business applications.On the other hand,IoT is a novel paradigm recently envisioned as a global network of machines and devices capable of interacting with each other to reach desired business goals in the real world.However,there is considerable research on IoT technical specifications but less elaboration on real business applications.This paper aims to describe IoT as a critical vehicle when manufacturing firms desire to transit to a more S-D and value co-creation business model,with an in-depth real business case study in the elevators industry.This paper aims:(1)to explain the distinction between G-D logic and S-D logic and its implication for manufacturing firms,(2)to examine how IoT can facilitate the transition from key S-D logic managerial implication perspective and(3)to conduct a case study in a new service offering of an elevator service business when transition to more S-D mindset by adoption of IoT,the purpose aims to examine whether the underlying technology can bring different ways of thinking when deploying a new industrial service offering.

Evidence fusion theory in healthcare

In the context of popularized healthcare,cloud computing centers are used to collect medical data from the cloud and diagnose illnesses.This means a technical framework that can be applied to the medical diagnostic process in popularized healthcare is needed in order to provide technical support.Based on the evidence fusion theory,this study established a multi-modality image evidence fusion method,which can simulate the doctor’s diagnostic process and use multiple modalities of medical images to diagnose illnesses.This study used the evidence fusion method to fuse two different modalities of medical images.The accuracy of the diagnosis after fusion was higher than that of diagnosis through two modalities separately.This fusion method has achieved great results in the process of multi-modality image fusion.

Decentralised energy and its performance assessment models

Energy development concerns not only the development of renewable energies but also the shift from centralised to clean,decentralised power generation.The development of decentralised energy(DE)is a core part of the energy and economic strategies being adopted around the world that drives the progress toward a highly sustainable future.This paper reviews the concepts,development status,trends,benefits and challenges of DE systems and analyses the existing models and methods for assessing the performance of these systems.A hierarchical decision model for evaluating the performance of DE systems is also constructed based on the framework of multiple criteria decision analysis,which considers the identification,definition and assessment grade of decision criteria.The evidential reasoning approach is applied to aggregate assessment information in a case study of the implementation of an intelligent decision system.Sensitivity and trade-off analyses are also conducted to show how the proposed model can be used to support decision making in DE systems.

Overall Efficiency and its Decomposition in a Two-Stage Network DEA Model

This paper aims to propose a new approach to decompose an overall data envelopment analysis model into equivalent two-stage models.In this approach,we use a minimax reference point method to set the weights and reliabilities of the two stage models so that the combined efficiency of the two stages is equal to the overall efficiency.The equivalent multi-stage models are useful to support planning for performance improvement.An illustrative example is first explored to compare the results from the new approach with those of four other existing approaches.The main finding from the comparisons is that the new decomposition approach of this paper satisfies the proposed assumptions.A case study is then conducted on a two-stage process of steel manufacturing to illustrate the validity and applicability of the proposed approach.

Using Two-layer Minimax Optimization and DEA to Determine Attribute Weights

This study aims to explore a novel method for determining attribute weights,which is a key issue in constructing and analyzing multiple-attribute decision-making(MADM)problems.To this end,a hybrid approach combining the data envelopment analysis(DEA)model without explicit inputs(DEA-WEI)and a two-layer minimax optimization scheme is developed.It is demonstrated that in this approach,the most favorable set of weights is first considered for each alternative or decision-making unit(DMU)and these weight sets are then aggregated to determine the best compromise weights for attributes,with the interests of all DMUs simultaneously considered in a fair manner.This approach is particularly suitable for situations where the preferences of decision-makers(DMs)are either unclear or difficult to acquire.Two case studies are conducted to illustrate the proposed approach and its use for determining weights for attributes in practice.The first case concerns the assessment of research strengths of 24 selected countries using certain measures,and the second concerns the analysis of the performance of 64 selected Chinese universities,where the preferences of DMs are either unknown or ambiguous,but the weights of the attributes should be assigned in a fair and unbiased manner.

Post-COVID recovery and renewal through whole-of-society resilience in cities

This paper explores and extends understanding of the role and significance of whole-of-society resilience pro-grammes that support cities when dealing with complex crises,like the COVID-19 pandemic.Highlighting the complexity of whole-of-society resilience as different actors locally shape it,we ask the question:How can collab-oration between formal and informal resilience practices help to enhance resilience across the‘whole-of-society’?We answer this question by reviewing the importance of whole-of-society resilience and its complexity in a city’s governance of the COVID-19 crisis.We argue that the necessity of renewing approaches to building lo-cal resilience capabilities across the whole-of-society requires synchronisation across and between formal and informal approaches-that is,“bottom-up”and governmental initiatives-to meet the diverse needs of com-munities.Secondly,we detail two recent practice-orientated initiatives that have taken a renewal approach to building resilience through the involvement of whole-of-society in planning recovery from COVID-19 using in-ternational standard ISO/TS 22393;and a new initiative called the National Consortium for Societal Resilience[UK+].Finally,we signpost a set of critical questions for whole-of-society resilience practice.