Optimization of Rental Systems


Book Description

Logistics providers typically own large fleets of transportation vehicles such as rail cars or trucks. These fleets do not only determine to a large extent the service level the company can offer, but also make up a large part of total costs. Proper management of the fleet is therefore a crucial factor for these companies. In this book the author presents planning approaches that address the optimal management of vehicle fleets. Firstly, methods for determining the mixture of vehicle types and the optimal size of a fleet are developed. Secondly, approaches for supporting new service models such as customer segmentation are derived. Potential readership includes scholars and graduate students who are interested in the field of fleet planning and practitioners from logistics companies looking for new planning approaches.




A Markov Chain for Rental Systems with Time-Dependency and Substitution of Assets


Book Description

Society currently experiences a growing interest in renting products instead of exclusively owning them. Simultaneously, the increasing availability of data allows rental companies to analyze their operations more effectively.As a result, we aim to support rental companies by providing a method for evaluating and optimizing the occupancy of their assets. Our approach accounts for rental systems of time-dependent customer behavior, where customers make substitute rentals during shortages. Specifically, we provide a continuous-time Markov chain assuming arrivals occur according to Poisson processes and rentals follow phase-type distributed rental times. We further provide a heuristic optimization algorithm for minimizing the inventory constrained by an upper shortage probability. We tested our approach in several numerical experiments and an application to a company case. The experiments indicated that our model adequately reflects the occupancy distribution of assets and minimizes the capacities to near-optimality. The company case resulted in a reduction of the inventory while simultaneously reducing the maximum shortage probability.




Ambient Intelligence– Software and Applications – 8th International Symposium on Ambient Intelligence (ISAmI 2017)


Book Description

Ambient Intelligence (AmI) is a recent paradigm emerging from Artificial Intelligence, in which computers are used as proactive tools to assist people with their day-to-day activities, making their lives more comfortable. Another main goal of AmI originates from the human/computer interaction domain and focuses on offering ways to interact with systems in a more natural way by means of user-friendly interfaces. This field is evolving quickly, as can be witnessed by the emerging natural-language-based and gesture-based types of interaction. The inclusion of computational power and communication technologies in everyday objects is growing, and their embeddedness in our environments should be as invisible as possible. In order for AmI to be successful, human interaction with computing power and embedded systems in the surroundings should be smooth and take place without people actually noticing it. The only things people should notice in connection with AmI are more safety, comfort and wellbeing, emerging in a natural and inherent way. ISAmI is the International Symposium on Ambient Intelligence and aims to bring together researchers from the various disciplines that constitute the scientific field of Ambient Intelligence to present and discuss the latest results, new ideas, projects and lessons learned, especially in terms of software and applications.




Sound Systems: Design and Optimization


Book Description

With this definitive guide to sound reinforcement design and optimization, Bob McCarthy shares his expert knowledge and effective methodology developed from decades of field and teaching experience. This book is written for the field professional as well as the consultant or student, in a clear and easy-to-read style and illustrated with color diagrams and screenshots throughout. McCarthy's unique guide reveals the proven techniques to ensure that your sound system design can be optimized for maximum uniformity over the space. The book follows the audio signal path from the mix console to the audience and provides comprehensive information as to how the sound is spread over the listening area. The complex nature of the physics of speaker interaction over a listening space is revealed in terms readily understandable to audio professionals. Complex speaker arrays are broken down systematically and the means to design systems that are capable of being fully optimized for maximum spatial uniformity is shown. The methods of alignment are shown, including measurement mic placement, and step-by-step recipes for equalization, delay setting, level setting, speaker positioning and acoustic treatment. These principles and techniques are applicable to the simplest and most complex systems alike, from the single speaker to the multi-element "line array.




LTLGB 2012


Book Description

The LTLGB 2012 conference is intended to bring together researchers and related government officials involved in low carbon transportation, low carbon logistics and green building, industrial practitioners to present, discuss and exchange ideas, results and experiences in the area of low carbon transportation, low carbon logistics and green building and interdisciplinary applications.




Optimization and Decision Science: Methodologies and Applications


Book Description

This proceedings volume highlights the state-of-the-art knowledge related to optimization, decisions science and problem solving methods, as well as their application in industrial and territorial systems. It includes contributions tackling these themes using models and methods based on continuous and discrete optimization, network optimization, simulation and system dynamics, heuristics, metaheuristics, artificial intelligence, analytics, and also multiple-criteria decision making. The number and the increasing size of the problems arising in real life require mathematical models and solution methods adequate to their complexity. There has also been increasing research interest in Big Data and related challenges. These challenges can be recognized in many fields and systems which have a significant impact on our way of living: design, management and control of industrial production of goods and services; transportation planning and traffic management in urban and regional areas; energy production and exploitation; natural resources and environment protection; homeland security and critical infrastructure protection; development of advanced information and communication technologies. The chapters in this book examine how to deal with new and emerging practical problems arising in these different fields through the presented methodologies and their applications. The chapter topics are applicable for researchers and practitioners working in these areas, but also for the operations research community. The contributions were presented during the international conference “Optimization and Decision Science” (ODS2017), held at Hilton Sorrento Palace Conference Center, Sorrento, Italy, September 4 – 7, 2017. ODS 2017, was organized by AIRO, Italian Operations Research Society, in cooperation with DIETI (Department of Electrical Engineering and Information Technology) of University “Federico II” of Naples.




Sustainable Development and Planning VIII


Book Description

The 8th International Conference on Sustainable Development and Planning is part of a series of biennial conferences on the topic of sustainable regional development which began in Greece in 2003. The papers included in these proceedings report on the latest advances from scientists specialising in the range of subjects included within sustainable development and planning. Planners, environmentalists, architects, engineers, policy makers and economists have to work together in order to ensure that planning and development can meet our present needs without compromising the ability of future generations. The use of modern technologies in planning gives us new potential to monitor and prevent environmental degradation. Problems related to development and planning, which affect both rural and urban areas, are present in all regions of the world and accelerated urbanisation has resulted in both the deterioration of the environment and quality of life. Urban development can also intensify problems faced by rural areas such as forests, mountain regions and coastal areas, which urgently require solutions in order to avoid irreversible damage. The papers in the book cover the following topics: City planning; Regional planning; Rural developments; Sustainability and the built environment; Sustainability indicators; Policies and planning; Environmental planning and management; Energy resources; Cultural heritage; Quality of life; Community planning and resilience; Sustainable solutions in emerging countries; Sustainable tourism; Learning from nature; Transportation Social and political issues and Community planning.




Proceedings of the 2nd International Conference on Intelligent Design and Innovative Technology (ICIDIT 2023)


Book Description

This is an open access book.The 2nd International Conference on Intelligent Design and Innovative Technology (ICIDIT 2023) will be held in Chengdu, China from August 04 to 06, 2023. This conference mainly focuses on the latest research on "Intelligent Design and Innovative Technology". This conference brings together experts, scholars, researchers and relevant practitioners in this field from all over the world to share research results, discuss hot issues, and provide participants with cutting-edge scientific and technological information, so that you can timely understand the development trends of the industry and master the latest technologies, broaden research horizons and promote academic progress.




Business Process Change


Book Description

Business Process Change: A Business Process Management Guide for Managers and Process Professionals, Fourth Edition, provides a balanced view of the field of business process change. Bestselling author and renowned expert in the field Paul Harmon offers concepts, methods, cases for all aspects, and phases of successful business process improvement. Students and professionals alike will benefit from the comprehensive coverage and customizable, integrated approach to broad business process management that focuses on improving efficiency and productivity. In this updated Edition, particular attention is paid to the impact of disruptive technology on business and the need for agile transformation. Covers Business Process Management Systems and the integration of process redesign and Six Sigma Explores how different process elements fit together, including the human aspects of process redesign Presents best-practice methodologies that can be applied and tailored to an organization’s specific needs Offers invaluable, detailed case studies demonstrating how these key methods are implemented




Sound Systems


Book Description

In this guide, Bob McCarthy shares his expert knowledge & effective methodology from years of teaching audio professionals. Written in a clear & easy-to-read style & illustrated throughout, McCarthy's guide gives you all the newest techniques to ensure perfect sound reinforcement & fulfill design needs.