Zugl.: Mannheim, Univ., Habil.-Schrift.

The availability of water can be considered as one of the key ingredients to the human life, yet this resource remains scarcely available to those living in the rural parts of Africa. When water does present itself, it is often impure and requires extensive treatment. Water treatment systems, particularly those capable of treating water in rural areas, are currently areas of research and entrepreneurship focus, making a number of potential solutions available, and other still coming in. Unfortunately, these systems are not always capable of performing in particular socio-cultural and economic contexts, or are often deployed in the wrong rural areas. Therefore these systems do not perform at their optimal level of design. Rural areas in Africa have different socio-cultural and economic context from each other, and this needs to be taken into account if one is going to select the right water treatment system for a particular area. Using industrial engineering tools, two water treatment system selection models; an Additive Analytic Hierarchy Process model and a Fuzzy Logic based model, are presented and then integrated. These models take into account the context of selected rural area by pitting available water purification systems against selected criteria to determine if it is the right fit for the rural area considered. Both models are then pitted against each other to determine which is more adept at selecting the appropriate water purification system. Three water treatment alternatives were considered after an analysis was conducted on the available solutions on the market. The water treatment systems under consideration were the Biosand Filter with Zeolites (BSFZ), the Silver Impregnated Porous Pot, and A Borehole system. Makwane, a rural village in Limpopo, South Africa was used as a case study to demonstrate the application of the selection models. The BSFZ was selected as the ideal water treatment system to be implemented in Makwane / Dissertation (MEng)--University of Pretoria, 2016. / Industrial and Systems Engineering / MEng / Unrestricted

Le monde industriel est sans cesse confronté à des problèmes de choix. Une multitude de critères doit être pris en compte dans la résolution de ces derniers. Face à ces situations, les outils d’aide à la décision prennent tout leur sens. Nous utiliserons ici la méthode Analytic Hierarchic Process dans le domaine de la Production et plus particulièrement dans le cadre de l’ordonnancement d’une ligne de production de prothèses cardiovasculaires. Le paramétrage initial de cette méthode fait appel à l’évaluation d’un expert. Bien que ce dernier ait les connaissances nécessaires pour faire un paramétrage convenable, il n’en reste pas moins humain et introduira, même involontairement, une partie subjective dans ses décisions. L’ordonnancement en résultant ne sera donc pas forcément optimal. La réduction de cette subjectivité passe par l’utilisation d’une méta heuristique, de type algorithme génétique, pour améliorer ce paramétrage par l’exploration de solutions voisines à celles proposées par l’expert. / The industrial world is continually faced with problems of choices. Multitude of criterion must be taken into account in resolving them. Faced with these situations, the decision making tools give solutions. We will use the Analytic Hierarchy Process in the production field and especially in the scheduling of a cardio vascular prosthesis production line. The initial parameterization of this method involves the evaluation of an expert. Although he has the required knowledge to make a fitting setup, he is no less human and he will bring even unintentionally a subjective part in his decision. The resulting scheduling will therefore not necessarily be optimal. The reduction of the subjectivity can be done using a metaheuristic method, of genetic algorithm type, to improve this parameterization by exploring neighbouring solutions compared to those proposed by the expert.

Abstract Recently the printing industry in Taiwan has experienced great difficulty in the business, as a result of industry relocation, drastic decrease in demand, increase in manpower cost and massive use of commercial high speed machinery, contributing to an unbalance of supply and demand, quick drop in gross profit, falling into unfavorable price cut, and immense market competition. In the era of knowledge economy and lean profit, if lacking of strategic thought, selecting a Key Performance Indicator (KPI), suitable for its own industrial strategic execution, one would bound to face great difficulty in sustaining its business. In this regard, this study targets at selection of KPI in the printing industry and attempts to use four prospective of the Balanced Scorecard (BSC) with Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) for exploring the implementation feasibility. In order to verify and refine the first outcomes of AHP (Analytic Hierarchy Process) analysis, this stuy did the second AHP analysis and adopts the second outcomes as the conclusion.They are as follows: 1. These are the priorities of the four factors on the second layer: ¡§Internal Business Process Perspective¡¨ goes first, ¡§Learning and Growth Perspective¡¨ second, ¡§Financial Perspective¡¨ third, and ¡§Customer Perspective¡¨ last . 2. The top six prioities of the 16 indicators on the third layer are the below: ¡§Short cycle time¡¨ goes first, ¡§Passing rate of skill examination¡¨ second, ¡§Value in wastage of raw material¡¨ third, ¡§Customer complaint figures¡¨ fourth, ¡§Improvement plan figures¡¨ fifth and ¡§Sales growth rate¡¨ sixth. Keyword: Key Performance Indicator, Balanced Scorecard, Analytic Hierarchy Process

Medical examination is the use of modern physical and chemical methods, laboratory technology, medical equipment for clinical diagnosis and treatment, provide a reference. In vitro diagnostic medical devices (IVD) known as the medical testing equipment in addition to early and accurate diagnosis, as well as effective monitoring of patient treatment. "Medical Technology" is a very professional industry knowledge and application of the medical laboratory is through the manufacturers to develop transferred to the medical practitioners, industrial and information technology improved rapidly in recent years, resulting in the medical inspection of product innovation; as knowledge economy era, the diversification of customer needs, business risk increases, more intense market competition, companies want to stand out in a competitive environment, it is necessary to construct their own core competence in order to create competitive advantage. Operators to think about how to find, identify the core competitiveness of the way, helping the enterprise training, consolidation, application and conversion of the core competitiveness in order to obtain sustainable competitive advantage. In this study, on the one hand through literature, to understand the definition of the core competence, type and resolution; the other hand, the AHP method, defined in accordance with the core competence of literature, characteristics, and characteristics of the industry of medical testing equipment industry made the questionnaire,expert questionnaire, and a successful visit to the case of high-end decision-making management of mid-level management and senior grassroots cadres of 20 experts, to discuss the company's core competence of medical testing equipment. According to the results: the core competence of the medical testing equipment industry in order (1) after-sales service, (2) professional and executive power, (3) high-end quality of decision making, (4) Product Marketing, (5) Management capabilities, (6) network capacity, (7) human Resource Management, (8) product competence, (9) organizational culture, (10) logistics Management, (11) Brand / goodwill (12) market coverage.

Abstract Due to the development and proliferation of information and communication technologies, people¡¦s daily lives are indispensably relied on these tools. Based on concepts of safety, energy conservation, convenience, and comfort, intelligent buildings¡¦ designs have gradually become the main stream of the present and future architectures. Taiwan introduced the idea of the intelligent building since 1989. With the push of the automatic idea of the building, the security and surveillance systems integrators had become the new popular industry and the competition of the industry is more and more fierce. Understanding the key successful factors objectively is important of making administrative decision to security and surveillance systems integrator managers. In view of this, this research adopts the expert focus group interview and analytic hierarchy process theory. The author interview 10 high-level experts of the security and surveillance systems integrators and 10 customer experts of intelligence building traders to develop a set of the key success factors appraisal procedure to the security and surveillance systems integrators for intelligent buildings. Based on enterprise factor, staffs factor, and products factor, the author calculate the ranks and weights of the criterion and sub-criterion of the key successful factors. This can offer the security and surveillance systems integrator managers for intelligent buildings to make administrative decision. The study chooses three companies as an example to do empirical study, and compares their advantage and performance of the key successful factors. The result of study finds as follows. In criterion, the most important is produce factor, the less is staffs factor, and the end is enterprise factor. In sub-criterion, the most important is staff's professional ability technology, the less are price, products diversification, and customize degree. In ranks and weights, the last are productions separately, organized scale, and popularity and impressions. The conclusion can offer the security and surveillance systems integrator managers for intelligent buildings to make administrative decision.

With the extension of the World Wide Web, more than 7 million new pages being exploited each day, the problem of information overload due to a large number of coping, spreading and sharing causes the decreasing information quantity, diverse format of information and low quality of information. More researchers research what methods including search and recommendation can help users gather the critical topics. Whatever methods use historical purchasing or browsing data to find the proper information usually, can not considering all attributes affecting decision results. Therefore, the research uses Analytic Hierarchy Process belonging Multiple Critical Decision Theory to develop recommendation system. Providing a single, easy understand model, using hierarchic structuring reflecting the nature tendency of the mind, considering all attributes affecting decision results, Analytic Hierarchy Process takes into consideration the relative priorities and select the best alternative. Furthermore, it can show the subjective consciousness of the user in a structure way and assist designer to determine a more rational and conformable judgment. Based on Analytic Hierarchy Process, the commerce recommendation system expects to help user to find more satisfactory merchandise. It is found that the recommendation system using Analytic Hierarchy Process finds the accurate products for user and gets the higher satisfaction. However, the operation satisfaction is not higher that rank-based but still in available and satisfaction scope.

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There are a lot of complicated factors affecting the success of an Enterprise Resources Planning (ERP) project. These factors can be divided into controllable and uncontrollable ones. For instance, the schedule management, the allocating resources and the method of implementation are controllable. Once the ERP system and vendor are decided and unchangeable, the ERP itself will become the uncontrollable factor. Unless we abandon the ERP project and restart it again, otherwise the project must proceed and go on continuously. If ERP system is suitable for the enterprise, the degree of customization can be reduced. However the customization is the most significant factor that delays implementation schedule and increase more cost than budget. If the functions of ERP system do not fit the requirements of an enterprise it will cause the extreme large degree of customization. To select an adequate ERP system fit for company¡¦s functions is the first step towards the success of ERP project, and further improve the performances of enterprise with ERP system. The most important key is to choose an industry-specified ERP system and to implement it actively, but little research focuses on it. This study emphasizes the concept of an industry-specified ERP system, using flat steel industry as the research object and considering the process of implementation of ERP system. We take account of the major dimensions and critical modules of ERP system during the selection period. This paper expects to provide flat steel industry an objective method for selection of critical functions and needed modules. It can help flat steel industry choose the most applicable ERP system effectively, and increase the probability to implement ERP successfully. Finally, some suggestions were provided for ERP system vendors to consider the requirements of different types of industries, especially the flat steel industry.

Paper industry in Taiwan is mainly focused on domestic demand. Its production and sales not only are related to economic growth but also serve as an index of a nation¡¦s economic situation. Due to the business model of this industry, production line workers compose the majority of employees of the enterprise. So production supervisors play a very important role in the effectiveness of first-line worker management and improvement of operation procedures. Therefore, production supervisors in Taiwan paper industry are focused as the subject of this research. The purpose of this study is to propose, by applying Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP), an approach to construct Performance Evaluation Indicators and weights. Specific suggestions for the construction and modification of Performance Appraisal system for paper industry in Taiwan will also be made. The research method includes literature review and references made to industrial practice, by which performance appraisal criteria for production supervisors were drafted. Further, expert survey on the evaluation system in use was carried out among members of Taiwan Paper Industry Association. Based on the data gathered from the questionnaire survey, analysis of importance and the AHP approach were applied to construct the structure and weights of the Performance Appraisal Criteria for production supervisors. Also, validation was made in a manufacture of the paper industry. Empirical examination supports the practicality and fitness of the structure of this Performance Evaluation System. Finally, analysis results were concluded into suggestions for administrative practice and future studies. Findings of this research are as follows: I. Performance Appraisal Criteria and weights The Performance Appraisal Criteria includes the following three constructs: 1. Work achievement (Weight : 0.4092) ; 2. Professional capacity (Weight : 0.3383); 3. Work behavior and attitude (Weight : 0.2525). II. Secondary Performance Appraisal Criteria and weights 1. ¡§Work achievement¡¨ construct includes the following 6 items: (1) Occupational safety (Weight: 0.1598); (2) Product quality (Weight: 0.0739); (3) Cost control (Weight: 0.0536); (4) Discipline (Weight: 0.0409); (5) Production capacity (Weight: 0.0408); (6) Equipment utilization efficiency (Weight: 0.0400). ¡@2. ¡§Professional capacity¡¨ construct includes 6 items: (1) Executive skills (Weight : 0.0549); (2) Leadership (Weight : 0.0512); (3) Resourcefulness (Weight : 0.0423); (4) Professional knowledge and skills (Weight : 0.0404); (5) Interpersonal relationship skills (Weight : 0.0323); (6) Strategy-making (Weight : 0.0314). ¡@3. ¡§Work behavior and attitude¡¨ construct has 7 sub-items: (1) Teamwork and cooperation (Weight 0.0676); (2) Integrity (Weight 0.0577); (3) Responsibility (Weight 0.0545); (4) Proactivity (Weight 0.0439); (5) Cost-consciousness (Weight 0.0434); (6) Professional attitude (Weight 0.0403); (7) Self-control (Weight 0.0309).