Yes / Modern aeronautical telecommunication networks (ATN) make use of different simultaneous datalinks to deliver robust, secure and efficient ATN services. This paper proposes a Multiple Attribute Decision Making based optimal datalink selection algorithm which considers different attributes including safety, QoS, costs and user/operator preferences. An intelligent TRigger-based aUtomatic Subjective weighTing (i-TRUST) method is also proposed for computing subjective weights necessary to provide user flexibility. Simulation results demonstrate that the proposed algorithm significantly improves the performance of the ATN system. / Innovate U.K. Project SINCBAC-Secure Integrated Network Communications for Broadband and ATM Connectivity: Application number 18650-134196.

Doctor of Philosophy / Department of Industrial and Manufacturing Systems Engineering / Bradley Kramer / This research shows that industry and company related performance indicators enhance the business valuation process by providing a broader, more encompassing view of overall corporate health and a better understanding of improvement opportunity areas within a company. To incorporate performance indicators in the business valuation process, new methodologies are required to integrate the non-financial and soft data with the typical financial information used in business valuation. This requires a “re-think” of the standard business valuation process and the exploration and application of other methods and analytical techniques. The results of this research are the definition of a problem type and the development of a new business valuation process. The problem structure has as inputs industry specific performance metrics grouped into three primary areas Production Processes, Products/Services and Marketability and Management, a fuzzy logic model with fuzzy and approximate relationships between performance metrics and financial information and crisp financial information as output. The framework for a fuzzy logic model was developed and is used to approximate relationships and model a non-linear environment. The resulting crisp financial information is then input and integrated into the traditional business valuation process. The process was demonstrated with an example production company and with data from two regional airlines. A step-by-step example of the process was provided using the production company example to demonstrate how the results are generated and integrated with DCF business valuation. Heuristics to identify areas to improve company performance were described. Two regional airlines, individually and combined, were tested with actual data using the original fuzzy logic model structure and then the original fuzzy logic model structure was revised and new results generated. Tuning the model showed an improvement in the business valuation process performance. The benefits from this research include the definition of a new class of problems and a process to solve problems of this nature. The insights gained from this research can be applied in major disciplines such as accounting, business and finance, engineering and decision theory.

The problems, associated with sensitivity of quantitative multiattribute decision-making methods to the initial data and the reliability of the decision obtained by using these methods, are considered in the presented dissertaition. The methods discussed are applied to solving decision-making problems, consisting in the selection of one alternative out of the available several options, when a decision-making person seeks to achieve a number of aims, rather than a single aim, and the alternatives are evaluated based on a set of attribute, which may be conflicting. The research object is sensitivity of the popular quantitative multiattribute decision-making methods: TOPSIS, SAW and COPRAS to the initial data errors. The initial data inaccuracy may be caused by the errors made by a person, entering the data. The estimates of the alternatives may have some errors, which are not taken into account, when the considered methods are used with these data. The analysis of the related works has shown that there are methods for evaluating sensitivity with respect to one attribute, based on varying the significance values, such as the method of the most critical criterion (Triantaphyllou 2000) and to many attributes - Tornado diagram. However, these methods do not show either the errors of solution results or the reliability level of the result obtained. The main aim of the dissertation is the evaluation of the stochastic nature of multiattribute decision-making methods, based on... [to full text] / Disertacijoje nagrinėjamas kiekybinių daugiatikslių sprendimo priėmimo metodų jautrumas ir juos taikant gautų sprendimų patikimumas. Daugiatiksliai sprendimo priėmimo metodai taikomi sprendimo priėmimo uždaviniuose, renkantis vieną alternatyvą iš keleto galimų, kai sprendimą priimantis asmuo siekia ne vieno, o kelių tikslų, o alternatyvos vertinamos pagal daugelį efektyvumo rodiklių, kurie gali būti tarpusavyje prieštaraujantys (pvz. kainos ir naudos rodikliai). Pagrindinis tyrimo objektas yra metodų TOPSIS, SAW ir COPRAS jautrumas pradinių duomenų netikslumams. Duomenų netikslumai galimi dėl pradinių duomenų reikšmes nustatančio asmens padarytų klaidų. Tokiu atveju, kai taikant minėtus metodus, alternatyvų vertinimui naudojami pradiniais duomenys turintys tam tikras paklaidas, alternatyvų vertinimai gali būti su paklaidomis, kurios, taikant šiuos metodus, nebėra vertinamos. Išanalizavus susijusius darbus, nustatyta, jog yra metodų, skirtų vertinti sprendimo jautrumą vieno rodiklio atžvilgiu, keičiant reikšmingumo reikšmes, tai - kritiškiausio kriterijaus metodas (Triantaphyllou 2000) ir daugelio rodiklių atžvilgiu - Tornado diagrama. Tačiau šie metodai nepateikia nei sprendimo rezultatų paklaidų, nei rezultato patikimumo laipsnio. Pagrindinis disertacijos tikslas – įvertinti daugiatikslių, kiekybiniais matavimais pagrįstų sprendimo priėmimo metodų stochastiką. Sukurtų metodų taikymo sritis – sprendimo paramos sistemų projektavimas, sprendimų patikimumo ir sprendimų priėmimo... [toliau žr. visą tekstą]