Thesis (M.S.)--University of Wisconsin--Madison, 1964. / eContent provider-neutral record in process. Description based on print version record. Bibliography: l. 48-49.

Thesis, PlanB (M.S.)--University of Wisconsin--Stout, 2004. / Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (M. P. A.)--Texas State University-San Marcos, 2007. / "Fall 2007." Includes bibliographical references (leaves 95-97).

Examensarbetet har utförts på Swegon AB i Kvänum som utvecklar, tillverkar och säljer klimatanläggningar för inomhusbruk. Ledningen vill se en mer strukturerad hantering av de kostnadsreduceringsarbeten som Swegon utför på sina produkter. Swegon arbetar med kostnadsreducering genom att använda metoden VAVE (Value Analysis/Value Engineering). Uppdraget som gavs var att reducera rörliga kostnader på sortimentet Compact och för att klara detta vara koordinatorer i en VAVE. I uppdraget ingick även en granskning av metoden samt att lämna förbättringsförslag som leder till att både deltagare och ledning blir nöjda med arbetssättet. Åtgärderna som bör genomföras går främst ut på att minska resurser som krävs för att utföra en VAVE. Detta uppdrag resulterade i två frågeställningar: 1. Vilka förändringar kan hittas med VAVE, som minskar rörliga kostnader vid tillverkning av Compact-aggregat?   2. Finns det förbättringar som kan implementeras i Swegons VAVE?   För att besvara frågeställning ett krävs det fullt deltagande vid förberedelse inför workshopen och under workshopen. Något som inte har genomförts är deltagande efter workshopen då det hamnar utanför examensarbetets ram. För att besvara frågeställning två krävs en analys av metoden VAVE, jämförelser med liknande metoder och teorier och egna erfarenheter från den genomförda VAVEn. Intervjuer, observationer och dokumentstudie har utförts för att få den kunskaps som krävs för att besvara frågeställningarna.   Resultatet av arbetet är förslag på åtgärder som kan införas för att minska de rörliga tillverkningskostnaderna för Compact-sortimentet med hela 12,3 %. Åtgärderna består främst av omkonstruktion och byte av befintliga komponenter. De åtgärder som ger störst besparingar planeras att ta längre tid än tolv månader vilket resulterade i ett projekt som kommer att genomföras i framtiden när resurser är tillgängliga. Resultatet är även en förbättrad version av VAVE där överflödiga moment har plockats bort samt moment som kan förbättra resultatet har lagts till eller ändrats. De moment som har plockats bort är protypbyggnation innan workshop, relationsmatris och paretodiagram. De moment som har lagts till eller ändrats är produktspecifikation, kundkrav, produktkalkyl, utvärdering och presentation av workshop.   Vidare arbete som kan vara lämpligt är att undersöka resultatet av den nya versionen av VAVE genom att utföra den ett antal gånger och jämföra resultaten med Swegons nuvarande version. / This assignment was performed at Swegon AB in Kvänum, a company that develops, manufactures and sells indoor air conditioning systems. The head management was looking for a more structured method when trying to reduce costs on their products. When constructing a cost reduction evaluation, Swegon uses the VAVE method (Value analysis/Value engineering). The assignment was to reduce the variable costs on Swegons Compact assortment, as well as being coordinates in a VAVE-evaluation. Furthermore the assignment also included a review of the VAVE method and submitting suggestions on improvements that could be made to reduce costs at the same time as both employees and management are satisfied. The measures to be made are focused on reducing the costs of constructing a VAVE evaluation. This resulted in two questions: 1. What changes could be made by using VAVE that would reduce variable costs when manufacturing the Compact products? 2. Are there any improvements to be implemented in Swegons VAVE? To answer question one, full participation was needed both when preparing the workshop and during the workshop. As participation after the workshop are outside the frames of the assignment, that was left out. To answer question two, a thorough investigation of the VAVE method was needed, as well as a comparison to similar methods and experiences from the carried out VAVE. Interviews, observations and document analysis were also done in order to answer the questions in the best way possible. As a result, the assignment suggests implementations that would reduce the variable manufacturing costs on the Compact assortment by as much as 12.3%. The measures are focused on reconstruction and change of existing components. Measures giving the highest savings are estimated to run over more than 12 months and therefore resulted in a project that will be carried out in the future when resources are available. The assignment also resulted in an improved version of VAVE where unnecessary steps are removed and elements that can enhance the results are added or changed. The removed steps is make a prototype before the workshop, relationship matrix and pareto chart. The added or changed steps is product specification, customer demands, cost breakdown, evaluation and presentation of the workshop. Suggestions on further work in this area would be to evaluate the results of the new version of VAVE, by using it multiple times and then compare it to the version that Swegon currently uses.

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Personal discount rates can be defined as the rate at which Marines trade current dollars for future dollars. This research attempts to fill in the gaps in previous discount rate studies where Marine Corps data were omitted, by determining the personal discount rates for each individual who separated from the Marine Corps under the SSB or VSI voluntary separation payment programs between 1992 and 1997. This study also determined those personal, professional, and economic traits that had a significant influence on Marines during their separation payment option decisions. The findings of this research are similar to previous studies, indicating that the methodology applied in this study is accurate. The implications of this research for the Marine Corps are that manpower planners can use the determined personal discount rates to create policies that can target Marines who possess certain personal or professional characteristics for reduction or retention, thereby assisting the efforts to create a balanced and capable Marine Corps in the future. Planners can also use this research to anticipate the effect of policy changes on Marines with specific professional or personal traits. / US Marine Corps (USMC) author.

Hydraulic tomography (HT) has become a mature aquifer test technology over the last two decades. It collects nonredundant information of aquifer heterogeneity by sequentially stressing the aquifer at different wells and collecting aquifer responses at other wells during each stress. The collected information is then interpreted by inverse models. Among these models, the geostatistical approaches, built upon the Bayesian framework, first conceptualize hydraulic properties to be estimated as random fields, which are characterized by means and covariance functions. They then use the spatial statistics as prior information with the aquifer response data to estimate the spatial distribution of the hydraulic properties at a site. Since the spatial statistics describe the generic spatial structures of the geologic media at the site rather than site-specific ones (e. g., known spatial distributions of facies, faults, or paleochannels), the estimates are often not optimal. To improve the estimates, we introduce a general statistical framework, which allows the inclusion of site-specific spatial patterns of geologic features. Subsequently, we test this approach with synthetic numerical experiments. Results show that this approach, using conditional mean and covariance that reflect site-specific large-scale geologic features, indeed improves the HT estimates. Afterward, this approach is applied to HT surveys at a kilometerscale- fractured granite field site with a distinct fault zone. We find that by including fault information from outcrops and boreholes for HT analysis, the estimated hydraulic properties are improved. The improved estimates subsequently lead to better prediction of flow during a different pumping test at the site.

The problem under investigation is the failure of current project cost control processes in Australia to adequately examine alternative design solutions due primarily to the imposition of time and cost constraints. Hence project optimisation does not occur-- the cost of a design is controlled but rarely is a design formulated to comply with a pre - determined budget allocation . This thesis attempts to improve current practice through the introduction of a computer guidance system called "COSTPLANNER!" devised to enable implementation of complex optimisation and control procedures between the stages of conception and tender while simultaneously improving speed and accuracy. In order to arrive at a workable solution the investigative study is subdivided into three main sections. First, traditional methods of project cost control are discussed in order to ascertain the basic philosophies which will need to be preserved. Second, current levels of computer involvement are analysed to arrive at the essential elements which any computer - based system must possess. Third, a framework for a complete computer- guided cost planning package, incorporating the necessary mechanisms to enable more thorough investigation and overcome restrictions curre.ntly imposed by insufficient time, is designed in detail. The investigation has highlighted that design optimisation must be initiated at an early stage before valuable time and money is spent documenting a Bcheme that is inherently cost expensive . Also, to enable proper exploration of alternative solutions either the number of areas to be investigated must be r educed or the speed with which such area s are examined increased . The use of computers to undertake cost control activities means that the latter is an achievable goal that does not resist acknowledged attempts by the National Public Works Conference (N .P.W.C. ) in Australia to encourage industry standardisation. The major conclusion reached is that current practice can be significantly improved through the utilisation of computer guidance systems at all stages in the design of a project . Preparation time of feasibility reports can be reduced by ninety-three percent, sketch design cost plans by forty-five percent and tender document cost plans by thirty-four percent an overall reduction in time and cost of fifty percent. In addition to the obvious benefits of making instantaneous changes to cost information, full reports including life cycle costing, value analysis and cost- benefit analysis studies as applicable are automatically prepared . Implementation of computer guidance systems to improve efficiency is not only desirable but absolutely essential, although it is an area which t o date has been suprisingly ignored.

Thesis--PlanB (M.S.)--University of Wisconsin--Stout, 2004. / Includes bibliographical references.

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