Algorithmic Framework for Improving Heuristics in Stochastic, Stage-Wise Optimization Problems Jaein Choi 172 Pages Directed by Dr. Jay H. Lee and Dr. Matthew J. Realff The goal of this thesis is the development of a computationally tractable solution method for stochastic, stage-wise optimization problems. In order to achieve the goal, we have developed a novel algorithmic framework based on Dynamic Programming (DP) for improving heuristics. The propose method represents a systematic way to take a family of solutions and patch them together as an improved solution. However, patching is accomplished in state space, rather than in solution space. Since the proposed approach utilizes simulation with heuristics to circumvent the curse of dimensionality of the DP, it is named as Dynamic Programming in Heuristically Restricted State Space. The proposed algorithmic framework is applied to stochastic Resource Constrained Project Scheduling problems, a real-world optimization problem with a high dimensional state space and significant uncertainty equivalent to billions of scenarios. The real-time decision making policy obtained by the proposed approach outperforms the best heuristic applied in simulation stage to form the policy. The proposed approach is extended with the idea of Q-Learning technique, which enables us to build empirical state transition rules through simulation, for stochastic optimization problems with complicated state transition rules. Furthermore, the proposed framework is applied to a stochastic supply chain management problem, which has high dimensional action space as well as high dimensional state space, with a novel concept of implicit sub-action space that efficiently restricts action space for each state in the restricted state space. The resulting real-time policy responds to the time varying demand for products by stitching together decisions made by the heuristics and improves overall performance of the supply chain. The proposed approach can be applied to any problem formulated as a stochastic DP, provided that there are reasonable heuristics available for simulation.

Product proliferation is a common challenge for firms providing customized products. To cope with this challenge, firms usually incorporate strategies such as component commonality, postponement, and/or delayed differentiation in their supply chains. In this dissertation, we study the effectiveness of these strategies. First, we evaluate the inventory costs for various percentages of common component substitution. Second, we analyze the performance of two postponement strategies and their relationship with product proliferation. Third, we study the cost and benefits of implementing delayed differentiation in a make-to-order environment and provide insights for managers choosing where along the supply chain they should differentiate their products.

To date, closed form optimal solutions for stocking levels in arborescent multiechelon inventory systems have not been obtained. These problems exhibit the joint difficulties of requiring an allocation policy as well as a stocking policy, and the multidimensional nature of their state space makes dynamic programming formulations impractical. In this dissertation, we introduce procedures that approximate multiechelon networks with sets of single installation problems. We first use this technique to solve for base-stock levels in a distribution network with asymmetric retailers. Second, we use this technique to analyze delayed differentiation production processes and provide guidance as to when the strategy is most warranted. Third, we modify the technique to account for inventory that exhibits perishability and solve for stocking policies for distribution systems when the inventory has a fixed shelf life.

Since the Canadian nuclear reactor ¡§NRU¡¨ was shut down on 14th May, 2009, the global Moly shortage has occurred for a year. The crisis was not only an impact for the patients of the hospitals in Taiwan, but also decreased the sales and margin profit of the nuclear medicine distributors. The S company, a leading and monopolistical distributor in Taiwan, was no longer reliable for its customers because of the nuclear medicine shortage. Actually it looks like the advantage of the S company is lost and the reputation is damaged. This research is trying to figure out how a nuclear medicine distributor like the S company can pursue some effective supply chain strategies to turn around and keep the growth of profit. AHP is the study method for this research. But at first we¡¦ll plan some strategies and tactics for the nuclear medicine distributors (especial the S company), according to Potters¡¦ competition theory and the resource based view of the firm. And then develop the two levels structure for the AHP study in this research. The factors of upper level are 4 strategies, like ¡§Research & Development Strategy¡¨ etc. The factors of lower level are 18 tactics or plans just like ¡§Try to acquire new technology from the advanced radiopharmaceutical institutes¡¨ etc. The AHP will be performed by surveys of experts¡¦ opinions, including both qualitative and quantitative surveys. Five different groups of experts were sampling and chosen for the surveys. By the AHP, the two most weights of the tactics are determined. They are ¡§Integrate individual (country) procurement into multinational procurement for reducing cost¡¨ and ¡§Actively globalized procurement, and monopolistically securing the sources¡¨. Besides, we can discover more valuable opinions from the qualitative analysis of the expert¡¦s surveys. So the results of this research, the effective and advanced strategies and tactics, are the first securing more reliable sources of the nuclear medicine and the second improving globalized procurement. And then try to enhance marketing and strengthen customer relationship. These will be expected to be helpful on both distributors¡¦ profit and customers¡¦ satisfaction.

Cost control and rapid response to market changes have become keys to survival of modern enterprises, especially during today¡¦s ever-increasing business competitions. Communication obstacles such as information inconsistency and delays still exist among members of supply chains, leading to problems like inventory turnover decline and lead time stretch, and eventually are resulting inefficient reactions to the demand of final customers. In recent years, a number of firms have begun to adopt various electronic supply chain management systems to enhance the quality and efficiency of business communication among their suppliers. These systems have helped businesses parties simplify their communication time and enhance business partnerships and alliances, thus enhanced their overall competitive advantages. In additional, the wide implementation of such information technology is promoting healthy integration among industries towards much more efficient supply chains. In a typical supply chain management scenario, businesses with ineffective operation management capability are often disturbed by rapid changes in market demands, short product life cycles, and lacks of integration from levels of suppliers, because the curial marketing information has not been efficiently delivered to proper functional departments, disabling the entire organization to reflect the changing demands and market conditions. This study is aimed to business and industrial models on examining firms¡¦ competitive advantages and their relationship with suppliers. Based on the result of the analysis, it would be the reference to build up the system of e-procurement. Moreover, in market-based systems, it always exits supply-demand relationship between suppliers and buyer powers, when facing high supplier power; companies should provide sufficient information to negotiate with the suppliers. The research is on the basis of Taiwan optoelectronic industry to investigate the companies of the TFT-LCD panel, and the supply chains of the industry. In analyzing the main TFT-LCD panel providers, the paper will probe into TFT-LCD firms to import e- procurement system by building the CPFR mechanism to improve the reaction capacity of businesses and to respond to the market rapid change. The study exerts simulation software, Arena, to conduct simulation and improvement of such models,then according to the simulation results to utilize them as a reference to purchasing cooperative enterprise into the future operation.

­^¤åºK­n The purpose of this research is to study the evaluation and management system of multinational suppliers, which includes the followings. 1. To summary and compile various study and theory of supplier management and evaluation, and to analysis the infrastructure and characteristic of each method. 2. Based on previous study and cases reviewing, this study aims to study how a multinational company well management the suppliers from different countries, and how to elevate the company¡¦s benefit by building up the multinational supplier evaluation and management system. The result of the study of case company shows good effects after the establishment of SEAP system. The analysis on purchasing risk, technical ability, supplier behavior management ability, direction management ability, informatics technology management and performance on strategy, economic and technique, showed better result after the establishment and adoption of SEAP system. The study also indicated that the benefit and advantage derived from the establishment of well supplier evaluation and management system. All multinational companies should not ignore its importance. In addition, this study also suggests several important though in the management of multinational suppliers, which include: a company should well established the relationship with the suppliers with an all-directional though and well, to view the suppliers the partners to share the benefit, to establish a well rewarding system and communication mechanism, and to have a common consensus on quality management. Keyword¡GMultinational suppliers, supply chain, supplier management, supplier evaluation.

¡@¡@Because of recession of investment environment and deregulation of Mainland policies in Taiwan since the early 1990s, Taiwanese manufacturing industries were attracted with cheap production costs and regional development policies in Mainland China, led investment of Taiwanese manufacturing industries and export of Taiwan to Mainland China rose quickly. Since foreign investment policies had been changed, problems of labor shortages and rising wages got worse in Mainland China in recent years, led production advantages of Taiwanese manufacturing industries lost gradually. In order to look for supply chain process cheaply and effectively, Taiwanese manufacturing industries were developing toward localization and domestic market in Mainland China, led its¡¦ demands of Taiwanese supply chain reduced gradually. In order to increase importance of Taiwanese supply chain, Taiwan government should promote industrial restructuring and upgrading, and attract Taiwanese manufacturing industries establish R & D sectors about technology-intensive and knowledge-intensive in Taiwan. We can use advantages of logistics and channels about Taiwanese service industries, it will maintain and raise importance of Taiwanese supply chain by the high quality and high value-added part.

Quality Management (QM) and Supply Chain Management (SCM) have been considered as two of the most important business strategies. They have become the prerequisite for success and competitive advantage in the global market. Supplier Integration is a subset of supply chain, and supplier relationship is no longer a competition, but competition and cooperation. Integration capabilities between suppliers can be regarded as a competitive advantage. The better supplier integration capabilities, the better supply chain performance. That would further enhance the competitiveness of enterprises. This paper explores the relationship between QM practices and Supplier Integration of supply chains. The entire population of suppliers to aerospace industry in Taiwan was surveyed to measure use of QM practices. QM is modeled as a second-order construct reflected by six QM practices (small group problem solving, top management leadership for quality, information and feedback, process management, customer focus, and supplier involvement). The results showed supplier involvement is the only factor which has statistically significant effect on supplier integration. Our study reflects the underlying fact of the aerospace industry in Taiwan; i.e., it is a manufacturing industry with no design capability. For a manufacturing industry without design capability, supplier involvement is the most important construct for effective supply chain management.

Knitting fabric industry is a particular branch with obviously industrial cluster in textile industry, having the sufficient resources of raw materials, the rapid mobility of productivity, the mature dyeing and finishing technologies, the extensive experience in international trade, though having the complicated process to the variable products, has developed a completed supply chain of its own. In which closely the composition of the medium or small or even micro enterprise to create the competitive strengths on the whole industry, brings up Taiwan being a major exporting country of knitting fabric worldwide. From the evolution of environment, of market demanding, of trading partners, and the future trends, thru the in-depth interviewing with the representative figures and the experts of the industry, government, academia, R&D, in this research to investigate & analyze their points of view and suggestions for the reference of the field. The research results show, at the supply end, Taiwan has become an ODM manufacturer but not just OEM maker. At the product end, the environment protection and carbon reducing are now strictly requiring on the manufacturing of functional and fashionable hi-tec products. At marketing end, the vertical consolidation among supply chains and the name brands retailers, traders, garment factories, fabric converters, up to yarn mills, the supply chain integrate and the strategic alliance to the new products developing to cause the big bigger, in quick response to the trends now a day the fast fashion and short life cycle with meager profits. To position on the innovational products to meet consumer¡¦s demands, create demanding to create profits.

Abstract This study proposes a model to predict the effect of lubricant starvation on EHL behavior of line contact, including the boundaries among the starved, fully flooded, and over-flooded lubrications. A pre-inlet region is analyzed to overcome the discontinuous phenomenon of film thickness at the position of the meniscus presented in the previous model under the starvation. The relationship between the film thickness of the supply region and the position of the meniscus is established. The prediction formulas for the minimum film thickness required to achieve the fully flooded condition is expressed in terms of the load and the speed. This formula can be used to predict the fully flooded/starved boundary under certain of flow rate in the supply end. In the analysis of the pre-inlet region, the surface speed, the pressure and the mass flow rate are assumed to be continuous with the supply region and the pressure region, so that its film thickness can be calculated by the mass flow rate equation. However, when the backflow occurs in the boundary between the pre-inlet and pressure region, only part of the film thickness flows into the pressure region, and the rest film only performs recirculation. When no backflow is observed at this boundary, the film thickness in the pre-inlet region easily rises and continuously connects to the pressure region. If the film thickness in the supply end is increased, the surface speed gradually decreases at the inlet end of the pre-inlet region. When the film thickness in the supply end increases to twice as high as the minimum film thickness that required to achieve the fully flooded condition, the surface speed at the inlet end of the pre-inlet region becomes stationary. Hence, when the film thickness in the supply end continues to increase to more than twice, the backflow occurs at the supply region, and this behavior is called the over-flooded lubrication.