International Journal of Industrial Engineering & Production Research

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Natural disasters and crisis are inevitable and each year impose destructive effects on human as injuries and damage to property. In natural  disasters and after the outbreak of the crisis, demand for logistical goods and services increase. Effective distribution of emergency aid could have a significant role in minimizing the damage and fatal accident. In this study, a three-level relief chain including a number of suppliers in fixed locations, candidate distribution centers and affected areas at certain points are considered. For this purpose a mixed integer nonlinear programming model is proposed for open transportation location routing problem by considering split delivery of demand. In order to solve a realistic problem, foregoing parameters are considered as fuzzy in our proposed mode. The objectives of the proposed model include total cost minimization, minimization of the maximum travel time of
vehicles and minimization of unmet demands. In order to solve the problem of the proposed model, fuzzy multi-objective planning is used. For efficiency and effectiveness of the proposed model and solution approach, several numerical examples are studied. Computational results show the effectiveness and efficiency of the model and the proposed approach.

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Development of every society is incumbent upon energy sector’s technological and economic effectiveness. The electricity industry is a growing and needs to have a better performance to effectively cover the demand. The industry requires a balance between cost and efficiency through careful design and planning. In this paper, a two-stage stochastic programming model is presented for the design of electricity supply chain networks. The proposed network consists of power stations, transmission lines, substations, and demand points. While minimizing costs and maximizing effectiveness of the grid, this paper seeks to determine time and location of establishing new facilities as well as capacity planning for facilities. We use chance constraint method to satisfy the uncertain demand with high probability. The proposed model is validated by a case study on Southern Khorasan Province’s power grid network, the computational results show that the reliability rate is a crucial factor which greatly effects costs and demand coverage. 

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In recent years, comprehensive researches have provided ample support for the supply chains in the coordinated decision-making framework. However, the issue of closed-loop supply chain coordination considering various transportation modes has not yet been addressed in the literature. In this paper, a two-echelon closed-loop supply chain consisting of a manufacturer and a retailer is investigated in which the manufacturer acts as a Stackelberg leader and the retailer plays follower role. All transportation activities between the channel members are carried out via two transportation types including the economic and green modes. First, the proposed problem is examined under the decentralized and centralized settings. Then, a mathematical modeling is developed to coordinate the decisions related to retail price, collection effort, and ratio of transportation mode selection. Finally, some numerical examples are applied with the aim of analyzing the performance of decentralized, centralized, and coordinated decision-making structures. The results reveal that not only the Pareto optimal solution is achievable for both channel members but also the coordination scheme has sufficient efficiency to reach the best solution up to the centralized setting.

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The CPM (critical path method) technique is to search out the longest path to try and do activities, so as to compress and cut back the time it takes for a project, which finally ends up inside the creation of an identical and intensive network of activities inside the targeted work. This formal random simulation study has been recognized as a remedy for the shortcomings that are inherent to the classic critical path technique (CPM) project analysis. Considering the importance of time, the cost of activities within the network, and rising the calculation of the critical path during this study, Critical Path technique has been applied to improve critical routing intelligence. This study, by simulating and analyzing dragonfly's splotched and regular patterns, has obtained the precise algorithm of attainable paths with the smallest amount cost and time for every activity. This has been done to put down the restrictions and enhance the computing potency of classic CPM analysis. The simulation results of using Dragonfly Algorithm (DA) in CPM, show the longest path in shortest time with the lowest cost. This new answer to CPM network analysis can provide project management with a convenient tool.
 

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There is still a great deal of attention in cellular manufacturing systems and proposing capable metaheuristics to better solve these complicated optimization models. In this study, machines are considered unreliable that life span of them follows a Weibull distribution. The intra and inter-cell movements for both parts and machines are determined using batch sizes for transferring parts are related to the distance traveled through a rectilinear distance. The objectives minimize the total cost of parts relocations and maximize the processing routes reliability due to alternative process routing. To solve the proposed problem, Genetic Algorithm (GA) and two recent nature-inspired algorithms including Keshtel Algorithm (KA) and Red Deer Algorithm (RDA) are employed. In addition, the main innovation of this paper is to propose a novel hybrid metaheuristic algorithm based on the benefits of aforementioned algorithms. Some numerical instances are defined and solved by the proposed algorithms and also validated by the outputs of exact solver. A real case study is also utilized to validate the proposed solution and modeling algorithms. The results indicate that the proposed hybrid algorithm is more appropriate than the exact solver and outperforms the performance of individual ones.

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One of the key issues in the studies on customer relationship management (CRM) and modalities of marketing budget allocation is to calculate the customer’s lifetime value and applying it to macro-management decisions. A major challenge in this sector pertains to making calculations so as to incorporate the possibility of changes in the behavior of customers with the turn of time in the model.
In this article, we first classify the customers of ISACO using clustering techniques and use multilayer neural network to calculate the monetary value of each group of customers during the specific period of time. Then, we use the Markov chain approach to develop a model for calculating the lifetime value of ISACO’s customers by taking into consideration the possibility of changes in their behavior in future time periods.
In this study, a new approach has been used to estimate the parameters of the model proposed for calculating the future lifetime value of ISACO’s customers. This method takes into consideration the possibility of changes in the customer behavior throughout their interaction with the company.
The results obtained here may be used in the allocation of marketing budget and adoption of macro-management decisions to envisage various projects for customers with different lifetime value.

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The present research aims at investigating feasible improvements by determining optimal number of stations and required workforce using a simulation system, with the ultimate goal of reaching optimal throughput while respecting the problem constraints in an attempt to achieve maximum feasible performance in terms of production rate. For this purpose, similar research works were investigated by reviewing the relevant pieces of the literature on simulation model, car signoff station, and techniques for optimizing the station, and the model of the car signoff unit was designed using data gathering tools, existing documents, and actual observations. Subsequently, the model was validated by means of descriptive statistics and analysis of variance (ANOVA). Furthermore, available data was analyzed using ARENA and SPSS software tools. In a next step, potential improvements of the unit were identified and the model was evaluated accordingly. The results indicated that some 80% of the existing problems could be addressed by appropriately planning for human resources, on-time provision of the required material at reworking units, and minimization of transportation at the stations that contributed the most to the working queue. Thus, the waiting time per station could be minimized while increasing the production rate.

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So far, numerous studies have been developed to evaluate the performance of “Decision-Making Units (DMUs)” through “Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA)” and “Network Data Envelopment Analysis (NDEA)” models in different places, but most of these studies have measured the performance of DMUs by efficiency criteria. The productivity is considered as a key factor in the success and development of DMUs and its evaluation is more comprehensive than efficiency evaluation. Recently, studies have been developed to evaluate the productivity of DMUs through the mentioned models but firstly, the number of these studies especially in NDEA models is scarce, and secondly, productivity in these studies is often evaluated through the “productivity indexes”. These indexes require at least two time periods and also the two important elements of efficiency and effectiveness in these studies are not significantly evident. So, the purpose of this study is to develop a new approach in the NDEA models using “Multi-Objective Programming (MOP)” method in order to measure productivity of DMUs through efficiency and effectiveness “simultaneously, in one stage, in a period, and interdependently”. “Simultaneous and single-stage” study provides the advantage of sensitivity analysis in the model. One case study demonstrates application of the proposed approach in the branches of a Bank. Using proposed approach revealed that it is possible for a branch to be efficient by considering its subdivisions separately but not be efficient by considering the conjunction between its subdivisions. In addition, a branch may be efficient by considering the conjunction between its subdivisions but not be productive. Efficient branches are not necessarily productive, but productive branches are also efficient.
 

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The subjects of reliability acceptance sampling plans and failure-censored life tests have usually been investigated from the viewpoint of statistical properties; indeed, few researchers have shed light on the economic aspects of these issues. In this research, a constrained mathematical model is developed to optimally design a reliability sampling plan under failure censoring life testing. Minimizing the expected total cost (ETC) involved in the sampling and life testing is considered as the objective function of the model. Ensuring the producer’s and the consumer’s risks is taken into consideration as the constraint of the model. To minimize the ETC, the model optimally determines three decision variables including the total number of the items put to the life test, the number of the failed items to terminate the test, and a criterion to make decisions about the acceptance or rejection of the lot. Examples are provided and analyses are conducted to gain some insight regarding the model performance. 

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One of the challenging issues in today’s competitive world for servicing companies is uncertainty in some factors or parameters that they often derive from fluctuations of market price and other reasons. With regard to this subject, it would be essential to provide robust solutions in uncertain situations. This paper addresses an open vehicle routing problem with demand uncertainty and cost of vehicle uncertainty. Bertsimas and Sim’s method has been applied to deal with uncertainty in this paper. In addition, a deterministic model of open vehicle routing problem is developed to present a robust counterpart model. The deterministic and the robust model is solved by GAMS software. Then, the mean and standard deviations of obtained solutions were compared in different uncertainty levels in numerous numerical examples to investigate the performance of the developed robust model and deterministic model. The computational results show that the robust model has a better performance than the solutions obtained by the deterministic model.
 

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Sustainability is now increasingly recognized as an effective strategy to deal with the current challenges of global supply chains. Supply chains of the lead and zinc industries are most important. Because these two industries not only are among the high-risk in different countries, including Iran, but also can affect economic, social, and environmental sustainability. On the other hand, identifying and assessing the critical risks of supply chains have been less addressed in recent studies. This study aimed to identify and assess critical risks of sustainable supply chains (SSCs) in the Iranian lead and zinc industry. This study was a mixed-method (qualitative and quantitative) descriptive survey. Based on the literature, 24 risk factors that affect supply chain sustainability were identified, out of which 20 critical risk factors were confirmed in two steps by reviewing experts’ comments and the data obtained from in-depth interviews and questionnaires. The validity of questionnaires is verified based on the opinions of a group of 5 experts in the first step and another group of 17 experts and professionals of the lead and zinc industry in the second. The Cronbach’s alpha coefficient of the questionnaires was calculated to be 0.837, indicating the reliability of the questionnaires. The risk factors were analyzed using the Risk Priority Number (RPN), fuzzy DEMATEL, and risk matrices. Based on the results, “lack of technological/knowledge sustainability”, “price and cost fluctuations”, “inflation and exchange rates” and “environmental pollution” were the most important risk factors in the supply chain of the Iranian lead and zinc industry.

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Preventive maintenance (PM) of machines has the critical role in a factory or enterprise. It decreases number of failures, increases reliability, as well as minimizes costs of production systems.  The managers’ duty of maintenance section is to prioritize machines and then, implement PM programs for them. Since machines have the different measures with respect to the maintenance costs, reliability, mean time between failures (MTBF), availability of spare parts, etc., the machines evaluation problem can be considered as a multiple criteria decision-making (MCDM) problem. Accordingly, the MCDM techniques can be applied to solve them. The aim of this paper is to extend the ELECTRE III (eLimination et choix traduisant la realite´– elimination and choice translation reality) method to interval type-2 fuzzy sets (IT2FSs) using curved (such as Gaussian) membership functions (MFs). The extended ELECTRE III methodology is then utilized to a maintenance group MCDM (GMCDM) matrix including the quantitative and qualitative criteria. In the proposed approach, the criteria weights, the assessment of alternatives with respect to criteria, and the thresholds are stated with Gaussian interval type-2 fuzzy sets (GIT2FSs). In order to show the effectiveness and applicability of the proposed approach, a case study and an illustrative example are exhibited using real decision-making problems. Due to the high correlation coefficients between our method and the others, as well as the results obtained by the proposed method, it can be taken into account as a valid and reliable approach to prioritize machines for PM.

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In some statistical processes monitoring (SPM) applications, relationship between two or more ordinal factors is shown by an ordinal contingency table (OCT) and it is described by the ordinal Log-linear model (OLLM). Newton-Raphson algorithm methods have also been used to estimate the parameters of the log-linear model. In this paper, the OLLM based processes is monitored using MR and likelihood ratio test (LRT) approaches in Phase I. Some simulation studies are applied to performance evaluation of the proposed approaches in terms of probability of signal under step shifts, drifts and the presence of outliers. Results show that, by imposing the small and moderate shifts in the ordinal log-linear model parameters, the MR statistic has better performance than LRT. In addition, a real case study in dissolution testing in pharmaceutical industry is employed to show the application of the proposed control charts in Phase I.  

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The health insurance system can play an effective role to control health expenditures. The purpose of this study is to provide a model for estimating the physician visit tariffs. To achieve this goal, a hybrid model was used. fuzzy logic is the most appropriate tool for controlling systems and deriving rules for the relationship between inputs and outputs. So, the output of the data mining techniques enter the fuzzy logic as an input variable. The data were collected from the Health Insurance Organization of Iran in two sections including the physicians' costs and physicians' deductions. Owing to the techniques used in this model, NN had the least error, as compared to other data mining techniques (0.0034 and 0.0013, respectively). After defining the variables, membership functions and fuzzy logic rules, the accuracy of the whole control model was confirmed by random data. This research has dealt with the domains of health insurance , their connections and defining effective variables better and more extensively than the other studies in the field.

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Companies and firms, nowadays, due to mounting competition and product diversity, seek to apply virtual cellular manufacturing systems to reduce production costs and improve quality of the products. In addition, as a result of rapid advancement of technology and the reduction of product life cycle, production systems have turned towards dynamic production environments. Dynamic cellular manufacturing environments examine multi-period planning horizon, with changing demands for the periods. A dynamic virtual cellular manufacturing system is a new production approach to help manufacturers for decision making. Here, due to variability of demand rates in different periods, which turns to flow variability, a mathematical model is presented for dynamic production planning. In this model, we consider virtual cell production conditions and worker flexibility, so that a proper relationship between capital and production parameters (part-machine-worker) is determined by the minimum lost sales of products to customers, a minimal inventory cost, along with a minimal material handling cost. The problems based on the proposed model are solved using LINGO, as well as an epsilon constraint algorithm.

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Purpose: Non-cancerous prostate lesions such as prostate calcification, prostate enlargement, and prostate inflammation cause too many problems for men’s health. This research proposes a novel approach, a combination of image processing techniques and deep learning methods for classification and segmentation of the prostate in CT-scan images by considering the experienced physicians’ reports.
Methodology: Due to the various symptoms and nature of these lesions, a three-phases innovative approach has been implemented. In the first phase, using Mask R-CNN, in the second phase, considering the age of each patient and comparison with the standard size of the prostate gland, and finally, using the morphology features, the presence of three common non-cancerous lesions in the prostate gland has investigated.
Findings: A hierarchical multitask approach is introduced and the final amount of classification, localization, and segmentation loss is 1%, 1%, and 7%, respectively. Eventually, the overall loss ratio of the model is about 9%.
Originality: In this study, a medical assistant approach is introduced to increase diagnosis process accuracy and reduce error using a real dataset of abdominal and pelvics’ CT scans and the physicians’ reports for each image. A multi-tasks convolutional neural network; also presented to perform localization, classification, and segmentation of the prostate gland in CT scans at the same time.

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The area coverage of machines on the production line to address the scheduling and routing problem of autonomous guided vehicles (AGV) is an innovative way to improve productivity in manufacturing enterprises. This paper proposed a new model for the optimal area coverage of machines in the production line by applying a single AGV to minimize both the transfer costs and the number of breakpoints of AGV. One of the unique advantages of the area coverage employed in the present study is that it minimizes transfer costs and breakpoints, and makes it possible to provide service for several machines simultaneously since the underlying assumption was finding a path to ensure that every point in a given workspace is covered at least once. Since rail AGV is used in this study, AGV can only pass horizontal and vertical distances in the production line. The reversal of the AGV path in vertical and horizontal distances implies failure and breakpoint in the present paper. The simulation results confirm the feasibility of the proposed method.