Thesis (M.F.A.)--Rochester Institute of Technology, 1984. / Typescript. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 23-24).

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Florida, 2004. / Title from title page of source document. Document formatted into pages; contains 199 pages. Includes vita. Includes bibliographical references.

This thesis addresses the scheduling and control of shop-floor production units that operate in a highly autonomous and distributed environment. The distinct feature of this environment is the heterarchical nature of the control where the scheduling function is quite independently carried out by the units. The units solve only part of the overall problem while resolving conflicts to maintain consistent global schedules. The need for communication and coordination, in such circumstances, introduces many complexities that affects the quality of the schedules produced. These include lapses of open-loop control due to uncertainty of up-to-date status information, asynchronous behaviour, and uncontrollable propagation of conflicts. / A behaviour-based approach is introduced to solve these problems. Using this approach, the organisation of the shop-floor is viewed as similar to a colony of ants or an eco-system. The units operate quite independently but continue to adapt their schedules to changes in their environment. While they may not directly negotiate to resolve conflicts, their cooperation is innate or in-built through their local adaptive actions. This individual cooperative action of the units brings about a collective behaviour that produces the desired emergent global schedules. The major focus of this research is in examining the link between the individual and collective behaviours and developing a model that realises the desired scheduling functionality at the shop level. / In order to achieve high scheduling performance (both locally and globally) a model of a unit incorporating dynamic problem decomposition, allocation algorithms and adaptation mechanisms is developed. For the latter, a reinforcement learning model is used to adapt the scheduling horizon. In fact, an important contribution if this research is the novel view we take of the problem and the manner of adaptation. In addition, a communication model for simulating the scheduling behaviours is designed using concepts of Holonic and other emerging concepts of manufacturing systems. / The model is tested for a number of scheduling problems representing a variety of production situations. Preliminary results indicate an impressive scheduling performance comparable to well-known heuristics. Further examination indicates the types of dynamic behaviour that can be expected of such a model, including the levels of unresolved conflicts, the adaptability in the face of uncertainty, consequence of alternative communication policies and the sensitivities to adaptation. / This thesis has also a strong qualitative theme in reviewing and consolidating the concepts underlying the design and operational attributes of autonomous distributed organisations of the shop-floor.

Diss. Uppsala : Univ., 2005.

Diss. Uppsala : Uppsala universitet, 2005.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, 2004. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 125-129). Also available in electronic version. Access restricted to campus users.

Vita. / Digitized by Kansas State University Libraries

Os projetos fazem parte da gestão estratégica das empresas na criação e sustentação de suas vantagens competitivas. O portfólio de projetos das empresas é composto por iniciativas relacionadas à busca de inovação e eficiência que envolvem diferentes graus de complexidade e incerteza. Dado o comprovado mau desempenho dos projetos de maneira geral, amplificado pelo maior número de projetos considerados complexos e incertos, novas abordagens de gestão de projetos surgiram em contraponto à abordagem convencional. Dessa forma, este trabalho analisa as dinâmicas de definição e gestão de projetos complexos e incertos de empresas no Brasil, com intuito de observar como certas práticas ou a ausência delas contribuem para o sucesso ou fracasso dos projetos. Para atender aos objetivos deste trabalho, a metodologia utilizada foi o estudo de múltiplos casos. Entre os resultados desta pesquisa, os destaques são apresentados a seguir. Primeiro, uma descrição da dinâmica de definição e gestão de projetos complexos e incertos nas empresas estudadas. Segundo, após a descrição das dinâmicas de cada empresa, foi feita uma análise da contribuição das abordagens descritas para o sucesso ou fracasso do projeto. Terceiro, com a descrição das abordagens e suas contribuições para sucesso ou fracasso dos projetos, foi possível entender, criticar e propor melhorias ao modelo contingencial estruturado de Shenhar e Dvir (2007), que foi utilizado como referencial teórico da pesquisa. / Projects are part of the companies strategic management, contributing to create and sustain competitive advantages. Companies project portfolios are composed by initiatives related to innovation and efficiency, which involve different levels of complexity and uncertainty. Considering the poor performance of projects in general, amplified by the increasing number of complex and uncertain projects in companies portfolios, new managing approaches have been emerging to counterbalance the conventional ones. Thus, this work analyses the dynamics of definition and management of complex and uncertain projects in companies in Brazil, with purpose of observing how certain aspects of the dynamics contribute to projects success and failure. In order to meet this purpose, it has been used the multiple cases study methodology. The results of this research are composed of three parts. First, a description of the dynamics of complex and uncertain projects definition and management in the companies analyzed. Second, after the description of each companys dynamics, an analysis about its contribution to projects success or failure has followed. Third, after completing the description of the dynamics and their contribution to projects success and failure, it was possible to understand, criticize and suggest improvements to the Shenhar and Dvir (2007) structured and adaptive project management approach, which was used as the theoretical reference for this research.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of California, Riverside, 2008. / Includes abstract. Title from first page of PDF file (viewed March 10, 2010). Available via ProQuest Digital Dissertations. Includes bibliographical references (p. 166-170). Also issued in print.

Thesis (M.App.Sc.) - Carleton University, 2002. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 85-87). Also available in electronic format on the Internet.