In the make-to-order (MTO) industry, offering competitive due dates and on-time delivery for customer orders is important to the survival of MTO companies. Workload control is a production planning and control approach designed to meet the need of the MTO companies. In this dissertation, a multi-agent workload control methodology that simultaneously deals with due date setting, job release and scheduling is proposed to discourage job early or tardy completions. The earliness and tardiness objectives are consistent with the just-in-time production philosophy which has attracted significant attention in both industry and academic community. This methodology consists of the order entry agent, job release agent, job routing and sequencing agent, and information feedback agent. Two new due date setting rules are developed to establish job due dates based on two existing rules. A feedback mechanism to dynamically adjust due date setting is introduced. Both new rules are nonparametric and easy to be implemented in practice. A job release mechanism is applied to reduce job flowtimes (up to 20.3%) and work-in-process inventory (up to 33.1%), without worsening earliness and tardiness, and lead time performances. Flexible job shop scheduling problems are an important extension of the classical job shop scheduling problems and present additional complexity. A multi-agent scheduling method with job earliness and tardiness objectives in a flexible job shop environment is proposed. A new job routing and sequencing mechanism is developed. In this mechanism, different criteria for two kinds of jobs are proposed to route these jobs. Two sequencing algorithms based on existing methods are developed to deal with these two kinds of jobs. The proposed methodology is implemented in a flexible job shop environment. The computational results indicate that the proposed methodology is extremely fast. In particular, it takes less than 1.5 minutes of simulation time on a 1.6GHz PC to find a complete schedule with over 2000 jobs on 10 machines. Such computational efficiency makes the proposed method applicable in real time. Therefore, the proposed workload control methodology is very effective for the production planning and control in MTO companies.

本研究主要目的在探討證券管理委員會所強制編製之財務預測報告是否具有資訊內涵。在美國，證券交易委員會對財務預測資訊之揭露，係採鼓勵但不強制的態度。財務預測資訊由市場供需所產生，且有司法體系監督著，對於散佈不實消息包括財務預測，影響市場運作者都會受到應當懲處。故其財務預測資訊相對而言準確性較高。反觀我國預測制度，證管會基於保護投資人的立場，達到資訊充分公開，強制公開財務預測資訊。但在目前的規範體系下，後續監督能力可能較弱，市場機制未能充分發揮，是以強制公開並不能保証其合理性。 　　依據「證券發行人財務報告編製準則」第15條，及「發行人募集與發行有價證券處理準則上第18條、第25條規定，上市公司如有現金增資或公開發行公司申請上市、募集與發行可轉換公司債時，需強制性揭露財務預測，上市公司亦可自願性地揭露財務預測。當編製財務預測所依據之關鍵因素或基本假設發生變動，致營業毛利（修正前為營業損益）或稅前損益變動達百分之二十以上（修正前為百分之十以上），且影響金額達一千萬以上，公司需更新及申告公告財務預測。 　　在財務預測相關規定下，根據資訊不對稱經濟學(Economics of Informational Asymmetry)，本研究以為資訊提供者會評估其相關成本效益來決定資訊品質。由於國內相關法規對劣質財務預測資訊並無足夠罰則，且資訊環境的效率性存疑，因此，本研究大膽假設國內財務預測資訊不存在資訊內涵。另外，根據國外實證研究，公司會傾向提早公佈好消息，延遲壞消息之公佈。本研究另一實證研究，係探討財務預測更新資訊型態與公告時間性之關連性。 　　實證結果彙總如下： 　　1.我國財務預測（原始預測）之公告不具資訊內涵。 　　2.財務預測更新資訊為正向更新者，不具資訊內涵。但若財務預測為負向更新之資訊揭露，在事件期會產生負的異常報酬。此實證結果意味著，負向財務預測更新代表公司原始預測過份樂觀，亦可能公司預計營運能力的衰退。所以，市場會有負向的反應。 　　3.時間性實證研究結果顯示，公司會延遲公告負向財務預測更新。

Majority of the studies in the scheduling literature is devoted to time based performance measures. In this thesis, we develop a model that considers monetary issues in single machine scheduling environments. We assume all the jobs should be completed by a common due date. An early revenue is earned if the completion time is before or on the due date, and a tardy revenue is gained if the job is completed after the due date. We consider restricted and unrestricted due date versions of the problem. Our objective is the maximization of the net present value of all revenues. We first investigate some special cases of the problem, and present polynomial time algorithms to solve them. Then, we develop branch and bound algorithms with lower and upper bounding mechanisms. Computational experiments have shown that the branch and bound algorithms can solve large-sized problems in reasonable times.

This study will examine the importance of Country-of-Origin, Price, Quality and Expiration date, in the consumer decision making process for fresh meat. Country-of-Origin has earlier been investigated, however the research has been focusing on manipulating one single cue. With the recent scandals in the fresh meat industry, were animals being abused and expiration dates being changed, it is interesting to investigate how important the consumers find the four attributes; Country-of-Origin, price, quality and expiration date.In order to answer the research questions, and fulfil the purpose, the authors will use a mix of different data collection methods. Qualitative data will be gathered by performing interviews and quantitative data will be gathered by conducting a pilot study and an experiment. The data will be retrieved with the use of SPSS 17.0 and the conjoint analysis procedure. Country-of-origin has been found to be the most preferred attribute for consumers in their purchasing process for fresh meat, closely followed by expiration date. The consumer did find price and quality to be of importance, however the attributes were not found to be as important as Country-of-Origin and expiration date. As Country-of-Origin was found to be the most significant attribute for consumers in their decision making process, this indicates that the consumers are ethnocentric in their behaviour, i.e. they consider their own country and culture to be above others, which leads to a purchase of Swedish meat. It has also been found that the purchasing process of fresh meat is of great complexity, especially with the negative attention the fresh meat industry has induced.

In this thesis we analyze the procurement process of buyers and supply decisions of manufacturers. Companies are looking for ways to decrease their procurement costs, which account for a large percentage of the supply chain costs. We study the effects of demand aggregation and collaborative procurement on buyers' profitability. First, we make a high-level analysis and consider a market with multiple buyers and suppliers where multi-unit transactions for multiple items take place. The procurement costs are effected by economies of scale in the suppliers' production costs and by economies of scope in transportation. We design buyer strategies that model different collaboration levels and assess the role of collaboration under varying market conditions. Next, we analyze the procurement process at a lower level and identify benefits of inter-firm collaboration among buyers who are potential competitors in the end market. We adopt a game-theoretic approach to explore the economics of the basic mechanism underlying collaborative procurement, and determine the conditions that makes it beneficial for the participants. Besides low procurement costs, important considerations in supplier selection are responsiveness and the reliability of the suppliers in meeting demand. Hence, manufacturers face the pressure for quoting short and reliable lead times. We cover several aspects of the manufacturer's problem, such as quoting reliable due-dates based on current workload in the system, maximizing profit considering the lateness cost incurred due to late deliveries, and deciding on the level of inventory to increase responsiveness. We employ a model where demand arrival and manufacturing processes are stochastic, and obtain insights on the optimal due-date quotation policy and on the optimal inventory level.

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タンデトロン加速器質量分析計業績報告 Summaries of Researches Using AMS 1997 (平成9)年度

<p>This study will examine the importance of Country-of-Origin, Price, Quality and Expiration date, in the consumer decision making process for fresh meat. Country-of-Origin has earlier been investigated, however the research has been focusing on manipulating one single cue. With the recent scandals in the fresh meat industry, were animals being abused and expiration dates being changed, it is interesting to investigate how important the consumers find the four attributes; Country-of-Origin, price, quality and expiration date.In order to answer the research questions, and fulfil the purpose, the authors will use a mix of different data collection methods. Qualitative data will be gathered by performing interviews and quantitative data will be gathered by conducting a pilot study and an experiment. The data will be retrieved with the use of SPSS 17.0 and the conjoint analysis procedure. Country-of-origin has been found to be the most preferred attribute for consumers in their purchasing process for fresh meat, closely followed by expiration date. The consumer did find price and quality to be of importance, however the attributes were not found to be as important as Country-of-Origin and expiration date.<strong> </strong>As Country-of-Origin was found to be the most significant attribute for consumers in their decision making process, this indicates that the consumers are ethnocentric in their behaviour, i.e. they consider their own country and culture to be above others, which leads to a purchase of Swedish meat. It has also been found that the purchasing process of fresh meat is of great complexity, especially with the negative attention the fresh meat industry has induced.</p>

Last decennials in many companies information like strategical reservoir bursted into preponderant positions. Strategical information systems which withstand competition hold information place like this and help to survive for companies. First integrated IS which upstarted to computerize the planning of companies activities, are material recourse planning systems (MRP). It helps for company to solve the serious problems. Strategical information systems change the aims, processes of business, products, services or external intercourses of company to help to exceed the competitioners. MRP systems are relevant for all companies which manufacture, planning the manufacture processes. Each organization desire to have explicit, fast and competitive organized manufacture in which can be scheduled the possible risk of an element.

Lauko eksperimentai atlikti 2009 – 2010 m. Lietuvos žemės ūkio universiteto bandymų stotyje, kur dirvožemis yra karbonatingas sekliai glėjiškas išplautžemis (Calc(ar)i-Epihypogleyic Luvisol). Mūsų tyrimo tikslas buvo nustatyti žieminių rapsų sėjos laiko poveikį rudens skrotelės cheminei sudėčiai ir augalų peržiemojimui. Skirtingu laiku sėtų žieminių rapsų skrotelės cheminė sudėtis turėjo įtakos augalų žiemojimui – tarp šių požymių buvo nustatyti įvairaus stiprumo statistiškai patikimi priklausomumai. Linijinės ‘Sunday‘ veislės rapsų skrotelės cheminė sudėtis stipriau įtakojo peržiemojimo proc., palyginus su hibridine ‘Kronos‘ veisle. Geriau peržiemojo hibridinės veislės rapsai (ypač sėti vėliau) – 39,2–77,0 proc. augalų, negu linijinės veislės – 12,8–54,0 proc. Geriausia žieminiai rapsai peržiemojo sėti rugpjūčio 30 - rugsėjo 5. Jie lapuose sukaupė 15,23-18,14% sausųjų medžiagų, 4,61-5,69% bendrojo cukraus, N ir K santykis lapuose buvo 1,64-1,76. Viršūniniame pumpure – 18,01-19,68% sausųjų medžiagų, 6,00-8,49% bendrojo cukraus, N ir K santykis buvo 1,49-1,69 ir šaknyse – 17,46-18,37% sausųjų medžiagų, 7,71-10,30% bendrojo cukraus, N ir K santykis buvo 1,05-1,56. Hibridinės veislės rapsai, ypač sėjant juos vėliau, intensyviau ruošiasi žiemojimui. Rapsų peržiemojimas priklausė nuo skrotelės cheminės sudėties: sausųjų medžiagų ir bendrojo cukraus kiekio, bei nuo N ir K santykio. / The experiment carried out in the Experimental Station of Lithuanian University of Agriculture in 2009 – 2010. The soil is shallow calcareous Luvisols (Calc(ar)i-Epihypogleyic Luvisol). The aim of our investigation was to determine the effect of sowing time of winter oilseed rape on autumn rosette chemical composition and over-wintering. Chemical composition of rossete of winter rape sown at different time influenced crop over-wintering – significant correlation between this indicators was established. The stronger influence of the winter rape rosette composition on over-wintering was established in rape of linear cultivar ‘Sunday‘ than in rape of hybrid cultivar ‘Kronos‘.Winter rape of hybrid cultivar over-wintered better – 39, 2–77,0%, winter rape of linear cultivar – 12,8–54,0%. Winter rape sown on 30 August – 5 September best over-wintered. They acumulated 15,23–18,14% of dry matter, 4,61–5,69% of total sugar, N and K ratio was 1,64–1,76 in leaves, and in apical bud – 18,01–19,68% of dry matter, 6,00–8,49% of total sugar, N and K ratio was 1,49–1,69 and in roots – 17,46-18,37% of dry matter, 7,71-10,30% of total sugar, N and K ratio was 1,05-1,56. Winter rape of hybrid cultivar sown at later dates prepared for over-wintering more intensively. Winter rape of both cultivars sown at the latest date not over-wintered. Over-wintering depended winter rape rosette on the chemical composition: dry matter and total sugar content, and the N and K ratio.