This project investigated the effects of process capability, line station operation efficiency, and line balance on the product throughput of a wooden door manufacturing process using time-and-motion study and simulation methods. The problem-solving approach DMAIC was used to identify root causes to the problems and implemented the process improvements for the production line efficiency and throughput based on lean manufacturing concepts. The investigation results indicated that the main operation of the wooden door manufacturing process was based on manual and semi-automatic operations. The process capability of whole operation before implementing process improvements was around 600 doors monthly. The coefficient of variation of process time for manual operation ranged from 12% to 23%. The semi-automatic operation ranged from 2% to 20%. The average station efficiency and throughput was 31% and 20 doors per day respectively. After implementing the removal of obvious motion waste, the processing time of the whole process reduced 22.9%. The reduced process time variation for manual operation ranged from 9% to 14%, and the semi-automatic operations ranged from 3% to 7%. The final product output had a 200% increase and the total process efficiency had 100% improvement after implementing the improved process flow design. Meanwhile, the average station efficiency and output increased to 61% and 65 doors per day, respectively.

no / This research report was commissioned to assess and evaluate the criminal justice and business case for the Officer Next Door (OND) program. Since its establishment in 1998, the OND program has sought to provide Housing Tasmania residents with a reassurance policing approach based on early intervention in criminal and anti-social behaviour on Housing Tasmania broadacre estates.

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The door closing action is a recurrent situation when using a vehicle, and its sound is therefore a common sensation, which would elicit pleasant feelings. Sensory pleasantness is an important aspect in terms of customer’s perspective, and it can be a contributing factor when deciding to buy or not a specific vehicle. The first contact between a prospective customer and the automobile usually happens in car salons or at the car retailer. The initial impression of the vehicle might be sight-based, and the door may commonly be the first physical contact. Depending on the car brand and type, doors differ in terms of mass, structure, dimension. Furthermore, there are differences regarding the latching system and the door sealing structure, in terms of material and construction. The closing sound produced when slamming the door is related to all these parameters. Auditory pleasantness can be described by characteristics of the sound that are described through psychoacoustics. Loudness, sharpness, roughness, and tonality are important auditory parameters to objectively describe this complex sensation. The aim of car doors would be to generate an enthusiastic, low-pitched, and saturated sound, which would elicit feelings of solidity, robustness, and security. On the other side, a metallic, high-pitched, fragmented sound could be a source of annoyance and produce feelings of insecurity and cheap vehicle.The present work aims to provide a broad picture on the mechanics and acoustics of door closing for automobiles. In specific, the closing sound was evaluated in relation to the door gaskets and their sealing performance over time. The sealing performance was analyzed in energy and force terms. The door closing motion was studied as a quasi-static problem, as well as a dynamic problem, where the former is related to the latching capability of the door, the latter is connected to the slamming action. The measurement results include the sealing performance trend from fresh to aged gaskets. From these measurements, the rubber non-linear behaviour could then be evaluated from a sound quality perspective. The acoustic analysis revealed inconsistencies of the psychoacoustic parameters in the description of the hearing sensations. Spectral analysis was also implemented to capture the door closing phenomenon, and the Wavelet transform emerged as the method with the highest resolution in the description of the sound wave progression.Several measurements were performed in order to assess all the established points, and methods were implemented for the sealing stiffness analysis and the acoustic analysis. The severe transiency of the door closing event was put in evidence. The stiffness analysis method showed also potential in helping to adjust the end of line tuning of the vehicle. Finally, benchmarking was included in the project, which enabled comparisons with competitor cars. / Dörrstängning är en återkommande händelse när ett fordon används, och ljudet bör därför ge ett positivt intryck och korrekt information till brukaren. Ett behagligt intryck är en viktig aspekt ur kundens perspektiv och kan vara ett var flera bidragande faktorer när beslut tas om att köpa eller inte köpa ett fordon. Den första kontakten mellan en potentiell kund och bilen sker vanligtvis i bilsalonger eller hos bilhandlare. Det första intrycket av fordonet kan vara visuellt, och dörren är ofta den första fysiska kontakten. Beroende på biltyp och fabrikat skiljer sig dörrarna åt när det kommer till massa, struktur och dimensioner. Dessutom kan det finnas skillnader i låssystem och dörrtätningskonstruktion såsom i både material och utformning. Stängningsljudet som uppstår när dörren slås igen är relaterat till alla dessa parametrar. Ett ljuds upplevda behaglighet i det beror på ljudets egenskaper, som beskrivs med hjälp av psykoakustik. Ljudstyrka, skärpa, råhet och tonalitet är viktiga auditiva parametrar för att objektivt beskriva detta komplexa intryck. Målet med bildörrar bör vara att generera ett dovt och mättat ljud, för att framkalla känslor av soliditet, robusthet och säkerhet. Å andra sidan kan, ett metalliskt, högfrekvent och skramligt ljud vara en källa till irritation och ge känslor av osäkerhet och låg kvalité.Syftet med detta arbete är att ge en övergripande beskrivning av dörrstängning och akustiken kring detta. I synnerhet utvärderades stängningsljudet i förhållande till dörrpackningarna och deras tätningsprestanda mätt över tiden. Tätningsprestanda analyserades i energi- och krafttermer. Dörrens stängningsrörelse studerades både som ett kvasistatiskt problem och som ett dynamiskt problem. Det förstnämnda är relaterat till dörrens låsningsförmåga, medan det sistnämnda är kopplat till smällar i dörren. Mätresultaten visade hur tätningsprestandan förändras över tiden. Gummits icke-linjära beteende har också utvärderats med ett ljudkvalitetsperspektiv. En spektralanalys genomfördes av ljudet från dörrstängningar och Wavelet-transformen visade sig vara den lösning som gav bäst kvalitet. Flera mätningar utfördes för att bedöma alla fastställda punkter och metoder infördes för analysen av tätningens styvhet och för den akustiska analysen. Den kraftiga transiensen i dörrstängningen kunde ses i resultaten. Styvhetsanalysen visade även hur den utvecklade metoden skulle kunna bidra till att justera fordonets end-of-line inställningar. Slutligen ingick benchmarking i projektet vilket möjliggjorde jämförelser med konkurrentbilar.

The less-than-truckload (LTL) transportation industry is highly competitive with low profit margins. Carriers in this industry strive to reduce costs and improve customer service to remain profitable. LTL carriers rely on a network of hubs and service centers to transfer freight. A hub is typically a cross docking terminal in which shipments from inbound trailers are unloaded and reassigned and consolidated onto outbound trailers going to the correct destinations. Freight handling in a hub is labor intensive, and workers must quickly transfer freight during a short time period to support customer service levels. Reducing shipment transfer time in hubs offers the opportunity to reduce labor costs, improve customer service, and increase competitive advantages for carriers. This research focuses on improving the efficiency of hub operations in order to decrease the handling costs and increase service levels for LTL carriers. Specifically, the following two decision problems are investigated: (1) assigning trailers to dock doors to minimize the total time required to transfer shipments from inbound trailers to destination trailers and (2) sequencing unloading and loading of freight to minimize the time required by dock employees. The trailer-to-door assignment problem is modeled as a Quadratic Assignment Problem (QAP). Both semi-permanent and dynamic layouts for the trailer-to-door assignment problem are evaluated. Improvement based heuristics, including pair-wise exchange, simulated annealing, and genetic algorithms, are explored to solve the trailer-to-door assignment problem. The freight sequencing problem is modeled as a Rural Postman Problem (RPP). A Balance and Connect Algorithm (BCA) and an Assign First and Route Second Algorithm (AFRSA) are investigated and compared to Balanced Trailer-at-a-Time (BTAAT), Balanced Trailer-at-a-Time with Offloading (BTAATWO), and Nearest Neighbor (NN). The heuristics are evaluated using data from two LTL carriers. For these data sets, both the total travel distance and the transfer time of hub operations are reduced using a dynamic layout with efficient freight sequencing approaches, such as the Balance and Connect Algorithm (BCA), the Balanced Trailer-at-a-Time with Offloading (BTAATWO), and the Nearest Neighbor (NN). Specifically, with a dynamic layout, the BCA reduces travel distance by 10% to 27% over BTAAT and reduces the transfer time by 17% to 68% over BTAAT. A simulation study is also conducted for hub operations in a dynamic and stochastic environment. The solutions from the door assignment and freight sequencing approaches are evaluated in a simulation model to determine their effectiveness in this environment. The simulation results further demonstrate that the performance measures of hub operations are improved using a dynamic layout and efficient freight sequencing approaches. The main contributions of this research are the integer programming models developed for the freight sequencing problem (FSP), based on the Rural Postman Problem (RPP). This is the first known application of the RPP for the FSP. Efficient heuristics are developed for the FSP for a single worker and for multiple workers. These heuristics are analyzed and compared to previous research using industry data. / Ph. D.

This thesis brings forth the regional architecture of New Orleans, Louisiana, and applies it directly towards the reconstruction and reconstitution of the Lafitte Housing Project closed as a result of Hurricane Katrina in late August 2005. The half-mile long Lafitte Housing Project rests just outside the French Quarter in the Sixth Ward. This thesis proposes reopening the canal along Jefferson Davis Parkway and extending it into the French Quarter to the southern edge of Louis Armstrong Park. As many of the former apartments were damaged by flooding from Hurricane Katrina, some units will be demolished to make way for site changes. A problematic condition of the former public housing complex was the way that it stood within the site as a massive homogenous entity, far out of scale to the surrounding urban fabric. The solution to rebuilding the site is not to construct another massive housing community. Rather, this proposal would include restoring many of the existing units, providing a historic anchor to the new neighborhood, and allowing them to remain along with new construction. Earth removed from the canal will stay on the site and be used to construct a half-mile long mound, running most of the length of the projects. This mounded area will feature spaces for recreational activities, Marti Gras celebrations, relaxation, and it will allow bridged access to the second floors of the new buildings. More important than what the mound does, is what it is: a metaphor for rising up from the mud and water and towards an elevated way of living, for inhabitants of the new and old structures. The vehicle for the form and structure of the new dwelling units is the historic Foursquare house. A house that symbolizes aristocracy and well-being, these new units are a refinement of the two bedroom apartments in the existing public housing complex. In this proposal, both will coexist throughout the site. / Master of Architecture

This thesis deals with a part of the treatment process in patients with acute ischemic stroke. Specifically, it examines the time interval from patient entry to a healthcare facility to initiation of treatment with intravenous thrombolysis - so called Door-to- Needle Time. The theoretical part describes the stroke and its division according to etiology. Furthermore, there are summarized clinical studies that have taken place in the world since the 1960s to the present, the development of care for patients with stroke in Czech Republic, recommended procedures of professional organizations in Czech Republic and the identification and management of treatment of stroke patients. In conclusion, the theoretical part summarizes the studies focused on the reduction of the Door-to-Needle Time, which took place in the world and in the Czech Republic. The aim of the practical part is to evaluate work procedures and conditions of health teams of individual stroke centers and to identify causes of Door-to-Needle Time median differences. The chosen method of research is a quantitative questionnaire survey in the form of an online Google Forms questionnaire sent to the leading members of these teams. Based on the research results, factors affecting reduction of Door-to-Needle Time median consists in to deepen and...

Background: Nordic E-commerce group (NECG) consists of affiliated companies NordicInk, NordicFeel and PetsOnline. Three different types of companies in one warehouse area contribute to a wide range of products held in inventory. NECG’s problem derives in the fact that the company’s warehouse layout needs to handle a larger volume of sales, but is not capable of doing this in a structured way today. This matter of fact has led to new thoughts concerning improvements of the layout. The warehouse layout referred to in this thesis includes input and output doors, receiving and outgoing areas, material handling equipment and the placement of articles in inventory. Although article placement is per definition a part of warehouse layout, it will be given extra emphasis in this thesis as it is one of NECG’s most critical issues.   Purpose: The purpose of this thesis is to identify NECG’s current warehouse layout and article placement and the problems associated with it, as well as to provide suggested actions for improvements. This is to be done so NECG can better utilize the warehouse space, and thus prepare the warehouse to handle a larger volume of sales.   Methodology: Qualitative and quantitative data was collected through semi-structured interviews and observations at NECG, as well as through excel files containing transactional data for NordicInk’s products. Through a non-probability, snowball selection the respondents were chosen. There have not been any requirements from NECG regarding confidentiality in terms of the warehouse layout.   Findings: There are a number of suggested actions that NECG may apply to improve the warehouse layout; two separate doors for incoming and outgoing deliveries, one designated receiving and one outgoing area, and a flow shop layout combined with a U-form layout would be the most beneficial for NECG’s warehouse. Furthermore, NECG needs a more consistent article placement and it is recommended for the company to apply a floating location system to its high-picked products and a fixed location system for its low-picked products. This will make NECG take better use of the available space and a more structured warehouse will be achieved. / Bakgrund: Nordic E-commerce Group (NECG) består utav dotterbolagen NordicInk, NordicFeel och PetsOnline. Då lagret består utav tre olika företag finns ett brett utbud av produkter. NECG:s problem härrör i att företagets lagerlayout inte har följt med i företagets utveckling. För att kunna hantera en större försäljningsvolym, behöver lagerområdet kunna hantera nuvarande och framtida lagervolymer, men är inte kapabel till att göra detta på ett strukturerat sätt i dag. Detta har lett till nya tankar om förbättringsförslag kring lagerlayout. I detta examensarbete avser lagerlayout ingående och utgående portar, inkommande och utgående lagringsområden, materialhanteringsutrustning och artikelplacering i lager. Även om artikeln placering är per definition en del av lagerlayout, kommer det att ges extra fokus i detta examensarbete eftersom det är en av NECG mest kritiska frågor.   Syfte: Syftet med detta examensarbete är att identifiera NECG nuvarande lagerlayout och artikel placering samt vilka eventuella problem som finns, för att kunna ge förslag på förbättringar. Detta ska göras så att NECG kan utnyttja sitt lagerutrymme bättre och förbereda sig inför ökade försäljningsvolymer.   Metod: Kvalitativ och kvantitativ data samlades in genom semistrukturerade intervjuer och observationer på NECG, samt genom excel filer innehållande transaktionsdata kring NordicInk’s produkter. Genom ett icke-sannolikt, snöbollsurval valdes respondenterna ut. NECG har inte uttryckt några krav om att sekretessbelägga arbetet kring lagerlayout.   Resultat: Det finns ett antal förslag på åtgärder som NECG kan tillämpa för att förbättra lagerlayouten: två separata dörrar för inkommande och utgående leveranser, ett designerat område för inkommande och ett för utgående leveranser samt en flow shop layout kombinerat med en U-form layout skulle vara mest fördelaktigt för NECG:s lager. Vidare behöver NECG en mer konsekvent artikelplacering och det rekommenderas för företaget att tillämpa ett flytande system för dess högfrekvent plockade produkter och ett fast system för dess lågfrekvent plockade produkter. Detta kommer att göra så att NECG bättre utnyttjar det tillgängliga lagerutrymmet och ett mer strukturerat system kommer att uppnås.  Bakgrund: Nordic E-commerce Group (NECG) består utav dotterbolagen NordicInk, NordicFeel och PetsOnline. Då lagret består utav tre olika företag finns ett brett utbud av produkter. NECG:s problem härrör i att företagets lagerlayout inte har följt med i företagets utveckling. För att kunna hantera en större försäljningsvolym, behöver lagerområdet kunna hantera nuvarande och framtida lagervolymer, men är inte kapabel till att göra detta på ett strukturerat sätt i dag. Detta har lett till nya tankar om förbättringsförslag kring lagerlayout. I detta examensarbete avser lagerlayout ingående och utgående portar, inkommande och utgående lagringsområden, materialhanteringsutrustning och artikelplacering i lager. Även om artikeln placering är per definition en del av lagerlayout, kommer det att ges extra fokus i detta examensarbete eftersom det är en av NECG mest kritiska frågor.   Syfte: Syftet med detta examensarbete är att identifiera NECG nuvarande lagerlayout och artikel placering samt vilka eventuella problem som finns, för att kunna ge förslag på förbättringar. Detta ska göras så att NECG kan utnyttja sitt lagerutrymme bättre och förbereda sig inför ökade försäljningsvolymer.   Metod: Kvalitativ och kvantitativ data samlades in genom semistrukturerade intervjuer och observationer på NECG, samt genom excel filer innehållande transaktionsdata kring NordicInk’s produkter. Genom ett icke-sannolikt, snöbollsurval valdes respondenterna ut. NECG har inte uttryckt några krav om att sekretessbelägga arbetet kring lagerlayout.   Resultat: Det finns ett antal förslag på åtgärder som NECG kan tillämpa för att förbättra lagerlayouten: två separata dörrar för inkommande och utgående leveranser, ett designerat område för inkommande och ett för utgående leveranser samt en flow shop layout kombinerat med en U-form layout skulle vara mest fördelaktigt för NECG:s lager. Vidare behöver NECG en mer konsekvent artikelplacering och det rekommenderas för företaget att tillämpa ett flytande system för dess högfrekvent plockade produkter och ett fast system för dess lågfrekvent plockade produkter. Detta kommer att göra så att NECG bättre utnyttjar det tillgängliga lagerutrymmet och ett mer strukturerat system kommer att uppnås.