Search

A major difficulty in practicing constrained nonlinear optimization is that different optimization algorithms are effective for different classes of problems. The search algorithms tested were selected because they seemingly had the capability of solving ill-defined problems. The emphasis of this research was on problems that are realistic and do not necessarily satisfy the classical assumptions of convexity, continuity, unimodality, etc. All algorithms were tested on a variety of problems. A problem was described by three types of attributes: the environmental attributes, the objective function attributes, and the constraint set attributes. The results of the study provide selective logic for choosing an effective search algorithm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dynamic structural models were introduced as early as 1958 as "Industrial Dynamics," but there has been little managerial use and little response in the academic world. Yet, the basic modeling methods provide an important mode for examining the broad interacting effects of large systems. More recent work appears to make structural and dynamic models understandable and accessible to individuals not trained in the decision sciences. The nature of the modeling methods is such that managers and policy makers in public systems can be involved directly in the model building process. The authors hope that this survey paper may help rekindle interest. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An integrated work shift scheduling system is developed and applied in the scheduling of 2600 telephone operators in 43 locations of the General Telephone Company of California. The system involves the forecasting of calls on a half-hourly basis, the conversion to operator requirements, the scheduling of tours by a heuristic algorithm, the assignment of operators to tours, and the operation of the system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is important that the first issue of a new journal devoted to research in a given subject area examine the general nature of research in the field, at present, and indicate what type of research might be beneficially undertaken in the field in the future. It is also desirable for a new journal to consider the ways in which it will judge the general quality of its articles in the aggregate, relative to established journals in similar disciplines. That is, what criteria can and should be used. say five years hence to determine if the journal is a strong one? It is the purpose of this paper to consider these distinct, but interrelated questions. This will be done by classifying some recent OM research, commenting on what appear to be broad areas where more work might be done, and then suggesting some measures we might want lo think about for evaluating papers published by the JOM in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A letter to the editor is presented in response to the article "Comparison of Computer Algorithms and Visual Based Methods for Plant Layout,' by Michael Scribian and Roger C. Vergin in the October 1975 issue. A response from Scribian and Vergin is included.

Jeffrey Miller and Margaret B.W. Graham have provided a lucid and insightful agenda that identifies the central issues production/operations management (P/OM) should address during the 1980s. Their major classification of topics, namely operations policy, operations control, service operations, and productivity, gives a useful taxonomy that allows a thorough examination of the state of the art in P/OM and the research opportunities to be exploited in each of those fields. Their final synthesis of three prominent themes, specifically new technologies, managing fundamentals, and strategic orientation, permits focusing on areas of concern that cut across all basic disciplines of P/OM. The following are central for the development of P/OM: P/OM as diagnostic process, holistic approach, and making it simple.