Dennis F.X. Mathaisel

Optimizing Gate Assignments at Airport Terminals

The airport flight-to-gate assignment problem is solved using two methods: (1) a linear programming relaxation of an integer program formulation and (2) a heuristic. The objective is to minimize passenger walking distances within the airport terminal area through a judicious gate assignment policy. An actual flight schedule for an average day at Toronto International Airport is used to compare existing walking distances, obtained from the original assignment, with results from the two methods. The results indicated that the original assignment had a 32% higher average per passenger walking distance than the minimum possible distance given by the LP solution. The heuristic’s performance was near optimal; it gave an average walking distance which was only 3.9% greater than the minimum. Computation times for the heuristic are 3.4 CPU seconds per run, while the linear program consumes 386 seconds per run on an IBM 370/168. In addition, if the heuristic is solved first and its solution is used as an initial feasible basis for the LP relaxation of the IP, the total CPU used to obtain optimality is reduced to 42 seconds.

AIRLINE SCHEDULING : AN OVERVIEW

The flight schedule is the central element of an airline’s planning process, aimed at optimizing the deployment of the airline’s resources in order to meet demands and maximize profits. In this paper, we present an overview of contributions to airline scheduling made by operations research professionals during the past 20 years or so. The overview follows the development of airline scheduling methodology from an early emphasis on standard quantitative optimization techniques to the recent trends toward a structured planning process in which all parts of the airline participate in the “construction” and “evaluation” of schedules, combining exact mathematical programming algorithms and heuristics.

A case study in applying lean sustainability concepts to universities

Purpose – To apply the concepts of lean and sustainability to higher education.Design/methodology/approach – A questionnaire was developed, administered to 18 public and private universities and analyzed.Findings – The focus in higher education is now on cost reduction or budget containment initiatives. Although these initiatives were not implemented with the knowledge that they were implementing “lean” practices, their application has often reduced waste, improved operational efficiency, and contributed to sustainability.Research limitations/implications – This is a preliminary study with a sample size of 18 universities in the northeastern United States. Future research should include more universities in the United States as well as in other countries.Practical implications – The participating universities in this study shared their beliefs about how “lean” thinking can contribute to the sustainability of higher education. Other universities can “learn from their lessons”.Originality/value – Very littl...

A paradigm for benchmarking lean initiatives for quality improvement

The implementation of more complex lean initiatives in the public sector of the economy is critical for quality improvement and survival. Describes the development of an eight‐step paradigm that is being used to assess and benchmark lean practices in the production and operation of military aerospace products. Traditionally, such efforts have been employed only in the private commercial sector of the economy and have focused on a five‐step managerial process that is based on traditional planning, implementation, and control phases. This research expands the traditional process to provide an indication of how lean initiatives could be developed and implemented by other industries.

Decision support for airline system operations control and irregular operations

Abstract This paper reports on the application of the integration of computer science and operations research in a decision support system for airline system operations control. The application integrates real-time flight following, aircraft routeing, maintenance, crew management, gate assignment and flight planning with dynamic aircraft re-scheduling and fleet re-routeing algorithms for irregular operations. The system described in this paper was designed and developed on distributed desktop UNIX workstations, networked through ethernet TCP/IP communications, with an X Windows Motif graphical user interface. The algorithms help flight controllers optimally re-route the aircraft, crews and passengers when operational problems disrupt the execution of the schedule plan. The system includes: real-time, interactive, graphical aircraft routeing displays; a rule system which provides warnings of constraint violations and unusual conditions; and the ability to generate “what-if” solution scenarios. The integrated system is demonstrated by simulating a disruption to a planned schedule and by using one of the available tools, a network flow algorithm, to determine optimal re-routeing alternatives.

A case study of the implications of faculty workload and compensation for improving academic quality

The job satisfaction of employees is just as important as customer satisfaction in terms of organizational performance. In this paper, employee satisfaction is evaluated in a unique service environment: higher education. This case study specifically focuses on how information regarding faculty workload, salary, and benefits can be used to improve academic quality. The preliminary research was conducted via a questionnaire distributed to 182 faculty members at a small private college. The response rate was 67 per cent. One major finding is that most of the faculty surveyed do not believe they are fairly compensated, nor do they feel they are getting institutional recognition for their contributions. As a result, half of the faculty in this survey sought professional income outside the college. Hence, the issue of their commitment to the university, and academic quality, arises.

An exploratory study of best lean sustainability practices in higher education

Purpose – Because of the ever‐expanding commercialization and marketing of higher education, a need now exists to apply the concepts of business process improvement to colleges and universities. Aims to explore this issue.Design/methodology/approach – An open‐ended qualitative questionnaire was developed, administered to 18 public and private university representatives and analyzed.Findings – The participants at these surveyed universities shared with the interviewers the institutional lean “best practices” that they feel will contribute to the sustainability of their universities.Research limitations/implications – This is a preliminary study with a sample size of 18 universities in the Northeastern USA. Future research should include more universities in the USA, as well as in other countries.Practical implications – Other institutions of higher education may learn from the successful implementation of the lean sustainability efforts at the institutions in this study.Originality/value – Very little past...

Less is more: a framework for a sustainable university

The “lean manufacturing” paradigm, which is a philosophy intended to reduce cost and cycle time significantly throughout the entire value chain while continuing to improve product performance, was first identified by researchers associated with the international motor vehicle industry. In much the same way, the application of lean thinking and cost reduction strategies is becoming evident on college and university campuses. For example, the design of coursework is becoming more standardized and contracted out to part‐time instructors. The implementation of complex lean initiatives is critical for quality improvement and the sustainability of colleges and universities. However, the strategy for achieving sustainability is not clear to many decision‐makers. The intent of this paper is to provide a paradigm of how a lean sustainability initiative could be developed and implemented by colleges and universities. The research for this paper is based on a review of lean principles and practices and site visits to firms in the USA possessing best practices for long‐term sustainment.

A lean architecture for transforming the aerospace maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) enterprise

Purpose – Increasing global competition, free trade agreements, low cost foreign labor, and customer expectations are causing manufacturing enterprises to implement aggressive transformation plans. Should these transformations be incremental or enterprise‐wide? This paper aims to address the question by developing a Lean Enterprise Architecture (LEA) concept for an enterprise‐wide transformation.Design/methodology/approach – The LEA is an architectural framework for enterprise reengineering in the design, construction, integration, and implementation of a lean enterprise using systems engineering methods. The architecture uses a multiphase approach structured on the transformation life cycle phases.Findings – Viewing lean implementation across the entire enterprise minimizes the possibility of overlooking opportunities for further performance improvement. A silo view of lean implementation may allow gaps in performance to persist, with no one assuming responsibility for the entire enterprise. Employing th...

Adding value to service providers: benchmarking Wal‐Mart

Purpose – Wal‐Mart is the largest retailer in the world, and one of its drivers of financial success is its focus on efficient and effective supply chain management (SCM). The purpose of this paper is to demonstrate what service providers could learn from these SCM best practices.Design/methodology/approach – Wal‐Marts best practices in SCM were investigated through a literature review of secondary data.Findings – Wal‐Marts best practices in SCM were categorized into four segments: strategic concepts, logistics and distribution, information technology, and supplier collaboration. These practices were then applied to the healthcare industry.Research limitations/implications – Wal‐Marts best practices were only applied to one service industry (the healthcare industry). Future research could apply these practices to other service industries such as higher education and the airline industry.Practical implications – Most service providers can add value to their services by learning from some, if not all, of...