With the world’s population moving to urban areas due to an increase in population and employment opportunities, e-commerce businesses need to drastically improve logistics to levelwith the eruptive demand from the customers. This expands an already major need to undertake a study on urban logistics management to highlight its best practices. The most sustainable means of “End mile delivery” is a cargo bike, but this operation is limited to selective areas of the city. This prompts van deliveries to be an integral part of logistics, even for small packages. Major limitations of the cargo bike operation not expanding is the non-consolidation of package and routing issues. This research holistically explores how simulation techniques, such as “Agent-Based Modeling”, can play a vital role in the operational side of logistics management and planning. These models can solve the issues, such as package sorting, for cargo bike riders which are facilitated by a mobile hub. This smart mobile hub operation collaborates with the cargo bikes to ensure a larger geo-fence and higher vehicle utilization. Further study of reverse logistic policies in Stockholm is incorporated in the model, to establish a circular economy. An “ABM”, simulating the daily operation of this new proposed urban logistics, has been developed on AnyLogic®. / I takt med världsbefolkningens förflyttning till städer behöver e-handelsindustrin drastiskt förbättra logistiken för att möta den ständigt ökande efterfrågan hos konsumenter. Detta utvidgar ett redan stort behov av studier av stadslogistikhantering för att lyfta fram dess bästa praktiker. Det mest hållbara medlet för ”End mile delivery” är lastcyklar, men de är begränsade till utvalda stadsområden. Således blir skåpbilsleveranser en väsentlig del av logistiken, även gällande mindre paket. Brist på utveckling av lastcyklarnas stora begränsningar är paket- och ruttproblemens icke-konsolidering. Denna forskning utforskar holistiskt hur simulationstekniker, såsom ”Agent-Baserad modellering”, kan spela en väsentlig roll i den operativa sidan av logistik-hantering och planering. Dessa modeller kan lösa lastcyklarnas problem, däribland med paketsorteringen, vilka underlättas med hjälp av ett mobilt nav. Denna smarta mobila-nav-verksamhet samarbetar med lastcyklarna för att säkra ett större geo-fence och högre fordonsutnyttjande. Vidare studie av returlogistik-regelverk i Stockholm är inkorporerad i modellen, för att etablera en cirkulärekonomi. En ”ABM”, som simulerar den dagliga driften av denna nya föreslagna stadslogistik, har blivit utvecklad på AnyLogic®.

Public bike share systems have been recognized as an effective way to promote active and sustainable public transportation. With the health benefits of bike share becoming better understood, North American cities have continued to invest in cycling infrastructure and impose new policies to not only encourage the usage of bike share systems but also expand their operations to new cities. The city of Hamilton, Ontario, implemented its own bike share system in March 2015. Using the system’s global positioning system (GPS) data for annually aggregated trip departures, arrivals, and totals in 2017, this research explores various environment factors that have an impact on users’ bike share usage at hub level. Nine predictive linear regression models were developed for three different scenarios depending on the type of hubs and members for trip departures, arrivals, and totals. In terms of variance explained across the core service area, the models suggested the main factors that attract users were distance to McMaster University and the number of racks available at hubs. Furthermore, the working population and distance to the Central Business District and the closest bike lane in the immediate vicinity (200 m buffer) also played important roles as contributing factors. Based on the primary predictors, this research takes one step further and estimates potential trips at candidate sites to inform future expansion of public bike share system. The candidate locations were created on appropriate land uses by applying a continuous surface of regularly shaped cells, a hexagonal tessellation, on the area of interest. The estimated potential usage at candidate sites demonstrated that the east part of the city should be targeted for future bike share expansion. / Dissertation / Master of Science (MSc)

The less-than-truckload (LTL) industry is highly competitive, with recent average profit margins less than 3%. LTL shipments are routed through a network of service centers and hubs. The performance of the entire LTL distribution network is highly dependent on the speed and accuracy of the hub operations. The focus of this research effort is to improve hub operations in order to reduce costs and increase service performance levels. Specifically, new approaches are investigated for assigning trailers to dock doors and sequencing the unloading of shipments at hubs. This thesis reviews current industry practices and available research literature on hub operations. Solution approaches for the trailer-to-door assignment and freight sequencing problems are presented along with case study results. The main performance measures are bottleneck time, total labor time, and total travel distance. For the trailer-to-door assignment problem, also referred to as the hub layout problem, the three approaches investigated are the original approach, a semi-permanent approach, and a dynamic approach. For the freight sequencing problem, the five approaches evaluated are trailer-at-a-time, trailer-at-a-time with offloading, nearest neighbor within a group, nearest neighbor within a shared group, and nearest neighbor. The approaches are implemented in C++ and analyzed using data from a regional LTL carrier. The case study results indicate that the dynamic layout performs significantly better than the original and semi-permanent layout for total distance, total labor time, and bottleneck time. For total distance and total labor time, the dynamic layout with nearest neighbor sequencing is the preferred approach. For bottleneck time, the dynamic layout with trailer-at-a-time with offloading performs best, while the nearest neighbor sequencing approach performs almost as well. In general, the case study results indicate that a dynamic layout with either a trailer-at-a-time with offloading approach or a nearest neighbor approach offers the largest potential for improvement. The assumptions and results of the hub layout and freight sequencing approaches are further evaluated using a simulation model. The simulation model indicates that a dynamic layout with nearest neighbor sequencing offers the largest potential for improvement in a more realistic environment with probabilistic and dynamic events. The simulation results also indicate that the trailer-at-a-time with offloading approach may need to be modified to account for more realistic dock conditions. In summary, the approaches explored in this research offer significant opportunity to improve hub operations through reducing bottleneck time, total labor time, and total travel distance. / Master of Science

Yes / Sourcing healthcare practice placements continues to present a challenge for higher education institutions. Equally, the provision of clinical placements by healthcare providers is not at the forefront of their agenda. In view of this, the historic and traditional models of clinical placements is becoming more difficult to provide. In light of this, new models of clinical placements are being explored. Aims: This literature review explores the differing models of clinical placements in use and examines the merits and limitation of each. Methods: A mixed-methods literature review with a pragmatic approach has been used. Findings: Several placement models were described, including the traditional 1:1 model as well as 2:1, 3:1. The hub and spoke, capacity development facilitator, collaborative learning in practice and role emerging placement models were also discussed. Conclusion: There is a considerable paucity of high-quality evidence evaluating differing placement modules. Further research is required to evaluate the differing placement models from a students, clinical educators and service user’s perspective.

Abstract Background: Over the last few years, the principle of cross-docking has prominently spreadthrough the companies in which they try hard to make their supply chain channels efficientand achieve higher demands of the society. Studies claimed that inventory management remains to be challenge for professionals of supply chain as long-term processing times may result in considerable financial losses for firms. Aim: This research aims to evaluate the effectiveness of Hub-and-Spoke cross-dockingstrategy in inventory management by understanding the impact, outcomes or efficacy of its implementation. Methodology: This research has adopted qualitative research method to generate extensive data and deep insights to underlying factors behind organizations' decisions and behavior on the implementation of cross-docking concept. The interviews have been chosen as the main data collection method of this research because it has been used successfully in order to produce rich and detailed information about the participants in the supply chain management.The total sample size of the participants is 10. For instance, the research conducted interviews via In-person, Zoom and WhatsApp video calls. The researcher recruited supply chain managers including companies’ representatives, supply chain practitioners, logistic managers,inventory managers and related stakeholders responsible for executing and overviewing inventory management approaches within their firms operating in Sweden. Thus, individuals can offer useful information related to supply planning, implementing and optimising cross-docking operations within their organisations. Findings and Conclusion: The research has, however, led to the impact of the organizational culture on the sustainable Hub-and-Spoke cross-docking strategy with the participants, all agreeing on the role that culture plays in shaping the structure of the strategy in the long-term. Finally, organizational culture was considered to be the cornerstone system,emphasizing the values of innovation, collaboration, transparency, and employee empowerment that serve as the driving force for its application. Participants highlighted the significance of facilitating discussions on various levels, recognizing the importance of collaborations and teams, establishing training and development systems, creating the culture of continuous improvement, and empowering employees as key measures utilized in dealing with the organizational culture challenges in cross-docking implementation and sustainability. KPIs for the cross-dock's level of success and effectiveness include order fulfillment rates,inventory turnover and customer satisfaction, compliance, employee satisfaction, operational efficiency, and the practice of ethical business conduct and corporate values. Thus, thisresearch proves the connection between the organizational culture and best productivity ,results of cross-docking. This makes it clear that a supportive environment is important for a continued performance in cross-docking operations.

In current information systems the requirement to integrate disparate applications into cohesive package is greatly accented. While well-established technologies facilitating functional and comunicational integration (ESB, message brokes, web services) already exist, tools and methodologies for continuous integration of disparate data sources on enterprise-wide level are still in development. Master Data Management (MDM) is a major approach in the area of data integration and referrential data management in particular. It encompasses the referrential data integration, data quality management and referrential data consolidation, metadata management, master data ownership, principle of accountability for master data and processes related to referrential data management. Thesis is focused on technological aspects of MDM implementation realized via introduction of centrallized repository for master data -- Master Data Integration Hub (MDI Hub). MDI Hub is an application which enables the integration and consolidation of referrential data stored in disparate systems and applications based on predefined workflows. It also handles the master data propagation back to source systems and provides services like dictionaries management and data quality monitoring. Thesis objective is to cover design and implementation aspects of MDI Hub, which forms the application part of MDM. In introduction the motivation for referrential data consolidation is discussed and list of techniques used in MDI Hub solution development is presented. The main part of thesis proposes the design of MDI Hub referrential architecture and suggests the activities performed in process of MDI Hub implementation. Thesis is based on information gained from specialized publications, on knowledge gathererd by delivering projects with companies Adastra and Ataccama and on co-workers know-how and experience. Most important contribution of thesis is comprehensive view on MDI Hub design and MDI Hub referrential architecture proposal. MDI Hub referrential architecture can serve as basis for particular MDI Hub implementation.

Real-world large-scale complex networks such as the Internet, social networks and biological networks have increasingly attracted the interest of researchers from many areas. Accurate modelling of the statistical regularities of these large-scale networks is critical to understand their global evolving structures and local dynamical patterns. Traditionally, the Erdos and Renyi random graph model has helped the investigation of various homogeneous networks. During the past decade, a special computational methodology has emerged to study complex networks, the outcome of which is identified by two models: the Watts and Strogatz small-world model and the Barabasi-Albert scale-free model. At the core of the complex network modelling process is the extraction of characteristics of real-world networks. I have developed computer simulation algorithms for study of the properties of current theoretical models as well as for the measurement of two real-world complex networks, which lead to the isolation of three complex network modelling essentials. The main contribution of the thesis is the introduction and study of a new General Two-Stage growth model (GTS Model), which aims to describe and analyze many common-featured real-world complex networks. The tools we use to create the model and later perform many measurements on it consist of computer simulations, numerical analysis and mathematical derivations. In particular, two major cases of this GTS model have been studied. One is named the U-P model, which employs a new functional form of the network growth rule: a linear combination of preferential attachment and uniform attachment. The degree distribution of the model is first studied by computer simulation, while the exact solution is also obtained analytically. Two other important properties of complex networks: the characteristic path length and the clustering coefficient are also extensively investigated, obtaining either analytically derived solutions or numerical results by computer simulations. Furthermore, I demonstrate that the hub-hub interaction behaves in effect as the link between a network's topology and resilience property. The other is called the Hybrid model, which incorporates two stages of growth and studies the transition behaviour between the Erdos and Renyi random graph model and the Barabasi-Albert scale-free model. The Hybrid model is measured by extensive numerical simulations focusing on its degree distribution, characteristic path length and clustering coefficient. Although either of the two cases serves as a new approach to modelling real-world large-scale complex networks, perhaps more importantly, the general two-stage model provides a new theoretical framework for complex network modelling, which can be extended in many ways besides the two studied in this thesis.

Les entreprises de transport et de distribution sont confrontées à des difficultés d’exploitation liées à la taille et à la complexité de leur processus de livraison. Dans cette problématique, nous proposons une approche globale du Problème Général de Livraison (PGL).Au niveau méthodologique, c’est une approche hiérarchique (stratégique, tactique, opérationnelle) et structurée. Il s’agit de concevoir et d’exploiter un PGL en le décomposant en problèmes de livraisons élémentaires identifiés et le plus possible indépendants les uns des autres (problèmes de transport, de hubs, d’agences, de tournées...).Au niveau algorithmique, des modèles et algorithmes de résolution ont été proposés pour résoudre ces problèmes élémentaires de livraison dans la phase opérationnelle en tenant compte, en particulier, du nombre et de la capacité limités des moyens de transport.Au niveau applicatif, deux exemples réels sont traités : le système de livraison d’une entreprise de Vente à Distance et le système de livraison des casernes de pompiers du Nord de la France à partir de la pharmacie centrale de Lille / Transport and delivery companies are confronted by difficulties in their transportation process due to the scale and the complexity of their distribution process. In this context, we propose a comprehensive approach to General Delivery Problem (GDP). In terms of methodology, it is a hierarchical (strategic, tactical and operational) and structured approach. It consists of designing and decomposing the GDP into well identified basic delivery problems as independent as possible. These basic transport problems involve the problems about transportation, intermediate facility, agencies, routings, etc. At the algorithm level, models and solution algorithms have been proposed to solve these basic delivery problems in the operational phase, taking account in particular transportation restriction about the number and capacity of vehicles.At the application level, two real examples are discussed: one is the delivery system of a delivery company; the other one is the delivery system of the Regional Fire and Emergency Center in the north of France

This thesis describes how a solution can be built to detect human flu-like symptoms. Flu-like symptoms are important to detect to prevent Covid-19 [6]. As people are returning to work there is a need for a simple way of detecting flu-like symptoms to prevent the spread of Covid-19. Other than a solution, this thesis concluded how human flu-like symptoms can be detected, with cameras specifically. This is to know what symptoms are most likely to work for a prototype. The technique of cameras and thermal cameras made this project possible as well as the technique of a single-board computer. The technique of cloud-based services is also an important part of this project. This project has resulted in a novel prototype using a single-board computer, cameras, and various cloud-based services to detect and inform a person if he or she has a human flu-like symptom.

This thesis deals with the structural design of front wheel hub of Formula Student the car categories in the CAD system. It includes comparison to proposal design of the hubs, different concept of wheel-seat and wheel suspension of a formula cars and a motor-cars. There is described a few version of design front wheel carrier. The first step is proposed assembly wheel of Formula Student and the next step is realized analytic simulation a stress by FEM of the front wheel carrier and his construction modifications.