The basis for this thesis involved a four month Accelerate Canada internship at the Grand River Hospital Emergency Department in Kitchener, Ontario. The Emergency Department (ED) Process Committee sought insight into strategies that could potentially reduce patient length of stay in the ED, thereby reducing wait times for emergency patients. This thesis uses discrete event simulation to model the overall system and to analyze the effect of various operational strategies within the fast track area of the emergency department. It discusses the design and development process for the simulation model, proposes various operational strategies to reduce patient wait times, and analyzes the different scenarios for an optimal fast track strategy. The main contribution of this thesis is the use of simulation to determine an optimal fast track strategy that reduces patient length of stay, thereby reducing patient wait times. Wait times were most significantly reduced when there was an increased physician presence/availability towards the fast track system. This had the greatest impact on the total time spent in the ED and also on queue length. The second most significant reduction to the performance measures occurred when an additional emergency nurse practitioner was supplemented to the fast track system. Accordingly, the nurse practitioner’s percent utilization increased. There was only one two-way interaction effect that was statistically significant in reducing the primary performance measure of wait times; however, the effect did not change the queue length, a secondary performance measure, by a significant amount. Finally, the implementation of a See-and-treat model variant for fast track had a negligible effect on both the average length of stay and queue length.

Less than 1% of work and school trips are completed by bicycle in the United States. Comprehensive bicycle facilities improve bicycle ridership by including a diverse set of strategies that accommodate the bicycle mode and seek to minimize the Level of Traffic Stress experienced by riders. Traffic Signal Operational Strategies for Bicycles (TSOSB) are an integral component of comprehensive bicycle facilities. This research presents a methodology to identify critical zones for implementation of TSOSB. After identifying critical zones a process for assessment of gaps in bicycle safety and comfort and convenience for signalized intersections within the critical zones is conducted. The outcome of the methodology is a prioritized list of signalized intersection that could benefit from the application of Traffic Signal Operational Strategies for Bicycles

The basis for this thesis involved a four month Accelerate Canada internship at the Grand River Hospital Emergency Department in Kitchener, Ontario. The Emergency Department (ED) Process Committee sought insight into strategies that could potentially reduce patient length of stay in the ED, thereby reducing wait times for emergency patients. This thesis uses discrete event simulation to model the overall system and to analyze the effect of various operational strategies within the fast track area of the emergency department. It discusses the design and development process for the simulation model, proposes various operational strategies to reduce patient wait times, and analyzes the different scenarios for an optimal fast track strategy. The main contribution of this thesis is the use of simulation to determine an optimal fast track strategy that reduces patient length of stay, thereby reducing patient wait times. Wait times were most significantly reduced when there was an increased physician presence/availability towards the fast track system. This had the greatest impact on the total time spent in the ED and also on queue length. The second most significant reduction to the performance measures occurred when an additional emergency nurse practitioner was supplemented to the fast track system. Accordingly, the nurse practitioner’s percent utilization increased. There was only one two-way interaction effect that was statistically significant in reducing the primary performance measure of wait times; however, the effect did not change the queue length, a secondary performance measure, by a significant amount. Finally, the implementation of a See-and-treat model variant for fast track had a negligible effect on both the average length of stay and queue length.

The purpose of this study is to analyse how a battery energy storage system (BESS) can support the frequency and voltage stability for an islanded microgrid containing a hydropower plant. Two different microgrids, both situated in Sweden, are evaluated. Modelling and dynamic simulations are conducted in the PowerFactory tool. The result shows that both the frequency and the voltage control can be improved with the BESS. However, with the allowed limit of ± 1 Hz, not all simulated scenarios including a BESS meets the requirement. A large difference between the BESS and generator capacity might be a possible cause for this. By dividing the larger loads so that smaller loads are attained, the frequency deviation might be reduced. Furthermore, by adjusting the systems PID-parameters according to the island mode operation, faster regulation can be attained. The system operates according to the Master slave control strategy, with the hydropower being the master unit with voltage control and the BESS being a slave unit with PQ control. The ability to operate an islanded microgrid can ensure the supply of electricity to inhabitants and vital functions in society. By utilizing a BESS for increasing electric stability, emission of CO2 is indirectly mitigated. As cost for BESS are expected to decrease rapidly, they will be accessible for utilization all over the world.

Ericsson är ett världsledande telekommunikationsföretag som förhandlar två gånger per år med logistik tjänsteleverantörer, om priser och transportsträckor som är anslutna till logistisk nätverket. Förhandlingar resulterar i avtal och nya priser för den kommande perioden. Tidigare interna undersökningar visar att Ericsson har fakturerats högre, i jämförelse med de överenskomna priserna. Sammanlagt uppgår det till 7 - 8 siffrigt värde årligen. De tidigare interna undersökningarna identifierar överbetalningar, upptäckta med hänsyn till de uppsatta villkoren för accepterad överbetalningsmarginal i systemet. Inom denna studie skall fokus läggas på kostnader under de uppsatta kostnadsvillkoren i systemet. Genom detta redovisa kostnader som inte tas upp av den integrerade filtret i systemet.Uppdraget är att identifiera avvikelser kopplade till fakturaprocessen. Genom att identifiera uppkomna avvikelser, är målet att hitta främsta orsak för respektive avvikelse. Syftet är att finna en lämplig process för att förebygga framtida avvikelser. För att genomföra studien inom den uppsatta tidsramen, har avgränsning bestämts till att undersöka och analysera två stora logistikföretag. Dessa har anknytning till de tre länder som bidrog till flest överbetalningar under 2012. Teorier inom lean utveckling, processutveckling, supply chain management och EDI gentemot manuellt fakturaflöde, har studerats djupgående. Genom att kombinera en kvalitativ och kvantitativ studie, har det empiriska resultatet lett till identifiering av de mest frekventa avvikelser, kopplade till fakturaprocessen.Resultat från den genomförda studien har legat till grund, för att föreslå konkreta förbättringar, kopplade till fakturaprocessen. En uppsättning av sju genomförbara och kostnadseffektiva förbättringar inom informationsflödet, arbetsmetodik samt processflödet presenteras.1. Produktifiering av logistiktjänster2. Integration av prislistor in till SAP One3. Plattform för kommunikation4. Tydliggör aktörers ansvarsområde5. Andon lösning för kvalitetssäkring inom fakturaprocessen6. LSP tilldelas Ericssonsfraktkalkylator7. Informationsutökning till Prime log från LSPSamlingen består av kortsiktiga förslag som kan implementeras omgående, samt långsiktiga förslag i förebyggande syfte. Presenterade förbättringar är anpassade till respektive angelägen aktör. Rekommendation är att implementera föreslagna förbättringar, för att minska/eliminera de redovisade avvikelserna. / A world leading telecommunication company, Ericsson negotiates twice a year with the logistics service providers, regarding prices and lanes connected to the logistics network. The negotiations results in agreements and new prices for the upcoming period. Previous internal studies reveal that Ericsson is being invoiced higher, compared to the agreed prices. The study reveals an overpayment value of 7 - 8 digits annually. Hence, revealing the overpayments detected by the set cost condition in the system. The conducted study will focus on the overpayments that are under the set cost condition in the system. By that, identifying the costs that are not been taken in consideration currently.The mission is to identify upcoming discrepancies, connected to the invoice process. By identifying upcoming discrepancies, the goal is to find the main reason for each detected discrepancy. By that, propose suitable processes for preventing future discrepancies.In order to investigate and conduct the required study, delimitation was made to analyse two major logistics providers. The study includes three targeted countries, which contributed to most discrepancies during 2012. Theories in lean development, process development, supply chain management and EDI vs. manual invoice flow have been studied in detail. By combining a qualitative and quantitative scientific approach, the empirical results have revealed the most upcoming discrepancies, connected to the invoice process.The result from the conducted study has been the main foundation, in order to suggest tangible improvements, connected to the invoice process. A set of seven tangible and cost efficient improvements, within the information flow, work methodology and process flow are presented.1. Productify Logistics Services2. Integration of Pricelists into SAP One3. Platform for Communication4. Stakeholder Clarification5. Andon Solution for Invoice Quality Assurance6. Provide LSP with Ericsson Freight Calculator7. Extended Information into Prime log from LSPThe collection consists of short term proposals that can be implemented immediately and long term proposals for preventive purposes. The proposed improvements are adapted to each involved stakeholder. Recommendation is to implement the proposed improvements, in order to reduce/eliminate the detected discrepancies.

Cette recherche se situe à l'interface de la gestion des opérations durables, de la gestion de la technologie et de la finance. Plus précisément, dans mes recherches, j'essaie d'examiner les mesures incitatives des entreprises pour adopter des mesures d'amélioration technologique qui conduisent à une utilisation plus efficiente des intrants et affectent ainsi la structure des coûts, l'exposition aux risques et la performance environnementale des entreprises. Ainsi, je cherche à identifier les facteurs qui affectent --- et les mécanismes par lesquels ils le font --- la décision d'une entreprise d'investir dans TI: forces dans une chaîne d'approvisionnement, incertitude des prix sur les marchés des intrants, contraintes de trésorerie, couverture financière mécanismes, la concurrence de l'industrie et la stratégie de prix compétitive de l'entreprise. En collaborant avec des professeurs dans les domaines de la recherche opérationnelle, de l'économie et de la finance, j'ai adopté une approche multidisciplinaire pour étudier l'adoption de technologies efficaces et durables.En particulier, dans mon premier chapitre, «L'amélioration des technologies dans les chaînes d'approvisionnement sous pouvoir de négociation asymétrique», j'examine comment le pouvoir de négociation asymétrique --- entre les acheteurs et les fournisseurs --- affecte le niveau optimal d'investissement dans l'amélioration technologique. Dans mon deuxième chapitre, «Gestion des risques liés aux prix des intrants: amélioration de la technologie et couverture financière», j'explore le mécanisme qui guide l'intérêt d'une entreprise pour TI en raison de l'incertitude accrue sur les prix des intrants. Enfin, dans le troisième chapitre, «La valeur de la gestion des risques financiers dans l'investissement dynamique de capacité et l'amélioration technologique», j'étudie le rôle de la contrainte budgétaire et de la couverture financière sur le choix de la technologie. / This research is in the interface of sustainable operations management, technology management, and finance. Specifically, in my research I strive to examine firm's incentives to adopt `technology improvement' (TI) measures that lead to the more efficient use of inputs in operations and thereby affect the cost structure, risk exposure, and environmental performance of firms. Thus I seek to identify the factors that affect---and the mechanisms by which they do so---a firm's decision to invest in TI: forces within a supply chain, price uncertainty in the markets for inputs, cash constraints, financial hedging mechanisms, industry competition, and the firm's competitive pricing strategy. By collaborating with professors in the fields of operations research, economics, and finance, I have embraced a multidisciplinary approach to studying the adoption of efficient and sustainable technologies.In particular, in my first chapter, ``Technology Improvement Contracting in Supply Chains under Asymmetric Bargaining Power'' I examine how asymmetric bargaining power---between buyers and suppliers---affects the optimal level of investment in technology improvement. In my second chapter, ``Input-price Risk Management: Technology Improvement and Financial Hedging'', I explore the mechanism driving a firm's interest in TI under increased uncertainty about input prices. Finally, in the third chapter, ``The Value of Financial Risk Management in Dynamic Capacity Investment and Technology Improvement'', I study the role of budget constraint and financial hedging on the choice of technology.

Increased demand for energy, rising energy costs, and heightened environmental concerns are driving forces that continually press for the improvement and development of new technologies to promote energy savings and emissions reduction. Combined heating and power (CHP), combined cooling, heating, and power (CCHP), and organic Rankine cycles (ORC) are a few of the technologies that promise to reduce primary energy consumption (PEC), cost, and emissions. CHP systems generate electricity at or near the place of consumption using a prime mover, e.g. a combustion engine or a turbine, and utilize the accompanying exhaust heat that would otherwise be wasted to satisfy the building’s thermal demand. In the case of CCHP systems, exhaust heat also goes to satisfy a cooling load. An organic Rankine cycle (ORC) combined with a CHP or CCHP system can generate electricity from any surplus low-grade heat, thereby reducing the total primary energy, cost, and emissions. This research first presents a review of the economical, energetic, and environmental benefits of CHP and CHP-ORC systems for a small office in various climates. Operating the systems 24 hours a day is compared to operating the system during typical office hours and benefits of the CHP system in terms of the EnergyStar and LEED programs are presented. Another objective of this dissertation is to study the critical role of the prime mover on the performance of CHP, CCHP, CHP-ORC, and CCHP-ORC systems under different pricing structures. Three different size natural gas engines are simulated for a small office under different operational strategies such as: follow the facility's electric demand, follow the facility's thermal demand, and follow a constant load. Simple optimizations were carried out to improve the system's performance. Using real prices for electricity and fuel to compute operational costs was compared to using the building's average prices without a CCHP system. Finally, a CCHP system using a load-share turbine for a large office building was examined while considering the source of carbon dioxide emissions, carbon offsetting through purchasing carbon credits, and available capital costs.

O mundo moderno tem exigido das empresas uma força competitiva que deve se moldar aos diferentes segmentos de mercado e tipos de organizações. Vários são os exemplos de empresas que posicionam as suas operações no centro da estratégia competitiva, qualificando-as como uma força capaz de levá-las a modificar a seu favor a estrutura de mercado em que competem. Assim, tomando-se por base que a competitividade empresarial está diretamente associada à capacidade da organização de entender e atender as expectativas dos clientes, e que isto pode ser conseguido, em especial, pelo setor de operações, por meio da produtividade e da qualidade, por meio de sua eficiência interna e externa, o objetivo do presente trabalho é estudar as estratégias operacionais e refletir sobre a maneira como elas podem contribuir para conduzir as empresas à liderança de mercado ou funcionar como uma barreira contra a ameaça de novos entrantes. Mediante estudo exploratório da situação das empresas brasileiras, por meio dos casos das empresas Brasilata S.A. Embalagens Metálicas e Gol Linhas Aéreas Inteligentes S.A., a Tese demonstra que é possível posicionar as operações de forma a obter a desejada vantagem competitiva. / The modern world demands from companies a competitive force that must mold itself to different market segments and types of organizations. There are various examples of companies that position their operations in the center of competitive strategy, qualifying them as a force capable of allowing them to modify in their favor the market structure in which they compete. Thus, given that entrepreneurial competitiveness is directly associated with the organizational capacity to understand and satisfy customers’ expectations and that this can be achieved by the operational sector, by means of productivity and of quality and by means of internal and external efficiency, the aim of the present work is to study the operational strategies and the way in which they can contribute to conduct companies to market leadership or function as a barrier against the threat of new entrants. Through an exploratory study of the situation of Brazilian companies, using the cases of Brasilata S.A. Embalagens Metálicas and Gol Linhas Aéreas Inteligentes S.A., this thesis shows that it is possible to position the operations in such a way as to obtain the desired competitive advantage.

O mundo moderno tem exigido das empresas uma força competitiva que deve se moldar aos diferentes segmentos de mercado e tipos de organizações. Vários são os exemplos de empresas que posicionam as suas operações no centro da estratégia competitiva, qualificando-as como uma força capaz de levá-las a modificar a seu favor a estrutura de mercado em que competem. Assim, tomando-se por base que a competitividade empresarial está diretamente associada à capacidade da organização de entender e atender as expectativas dos clientes, e que isto pode ser conseguido, em especial, pelo setor de operações, por meio da produtividade e da qualidade, por meio de sua eficiência interna e externa, o objetivo do presente trabalho é estudar as estratégias operacionais e refletir sobre a maneira como elas podem contribuir para conduzir as empresas à liderança de mercado ou funcionar como uma barreira contra a ameaça de novos entrantes. Mediante estudo exploratório da situação das empresas brasileiras, por meio dos casos das empresas Brasilata S.A. Embalagens Metálicas e Gol Linhas Aéreas Inteligentes S.A., a Tese demonstra que é possível posicionar as operações de forma a obter a desejada vantagem competitiva. / The modern world demands from companies a competitive force that must mold itself to different market segments and types of organizations. There are various examples of companies that position their operations in the center of competitive strategy, qualifying them as a force capable of allowing them to modify in their favor the market structure in which they compete. Thus, given that entrepreneurial competitiveness is directly associated with the organizational capacity to understand and satisfy customers’ expectations and that this can be achieved by the operational sector, by means of productivity and of quality and by means of internal and external efficiency, the aim of the present work is to study the operational strategies and the way in which they can contribute to conduct companies to market leadership or function as a barrier against the threat of new entrants. Through an exploratory study of the situation of Brazilian companies, using the cases of Brasilata S.A. Embalagens Metálicas and Gol Linhas Aéreas Inteligentes S.A., this thesis shows that it is possible to position the operations in such a way as to obtain the desired competitive advantage.

The 2008 financial crisis created new conditions for the listed Swedish property companies and the choice of operational and financial strategy became increasingly important. The purpose of this paper is to identify the listed property companies and their strategies for the period 2002 ‐2011, in order to examine whether these has changed in any direction and if they  were  more  or  less  profitable.  To  accomplish  this,  data  was  collected  from  the companies' annual reports and statistical institutes. This was followed up with interviews with  company  representatives  and  experts  to  further  broadened  the  analytical  basis. Collected data helped to identify each companies strategies year by year. The  analysis  revealed  some  trends  among  companies  regarding  their  operational  and financial strategy. By looking at the Operating strategies we have found that the companies have become more specialized towards either a particular property type or to a geographical region. The companies have also increased their focus on cash flow and reduced their focus on transactions. Financially, the companies have reduced their risks by seeking a more long term capital structure. Alternative sources of funding such as bonds have also become more common among the companies. With  the  exception  of  the  specialization  strategy, the  most  obvious  change in  strategy occurred in connection with the financial crisis of 2008. It was also found that the companies that were most transaction ‐intensive also have been most volatile in a profit perspective. / Finanskrisen 2008 skapade nya förutsättningar för de noterade svenska fastighetsbolagen och valet av operativ och finansiell strategi blev allt mer viktig. Syftet  med  denna  uppsats  är  att  kartlägga  de  noterade  Fastighetsbolagen  och  deras strategier under perioden 2002 ‐2011, för att sedan undersöka huruvida dessa förändrats i någon riktning och om  de varit mer eller mindre gynnsamma. För att genomföra detta samlades data in från bolagens årsredovisningar och statistiska institut. Detta följdes upp med    intervjuer    där    bolagsrepresentanter    och    sakkunniga    ytterligare    breddade analysunderlaget. Insamlad data bidrog till att fastställa de enskilda bolagens strategier år för år. Analysen visade vissa trender bland bolagen gällande deras operativa och finansiella strategi. Operativt har bolagen blivit mer specialiserade mot antingen en viss fastighets typ eller mot en geografisk region. Bolagen har också ökat fokus på kassaflöden/förvaltning och minskat fokus  på  transaktioner.  Finansiellt  har  bolagen  minskat  riskerna genom  att  sträva  efter längre   kapital ‐   och   räntebindning.   Man   har   också   i   större   grad   sökt   alternativa finansieringskällor såsom obligationer. Med undantag för specialiseringsstrategin har de tydligaste förändringarna i strategin skett i samband med finanskrisen 2008. Det visade sig också att de bolag som varit mest transaktionsintensiva också har varit mest volatila i ett resultatperspektiv.