Kevin P. Scheibe

Supplier Risk Assessment and Monitoring for the Automotive Industry

Purpose – This research aims to develop a supplier risk assessment methodology for measuring, tracking, and analyzing supplier and part specific risk over time for an automotive manufacturer.Design/methodology/approach – Supply chain risk literature is analyzed and used in conjunction with interviews from the automotive manufacturer to identify risks in the supply base. These risks are incorporated into the development of a temporal risk assessment and monitoring system.Findings – A framework of risk factors important to the auto manufacturer is presented. A multi‐criteria scoring procedure is developed to calculate part and supplier risk indices. These indices are used in the development of a risk assessment and monitoring system that allows the indices to be tracked over time to identify trends towards higher risk levels.Research limitations/implications – There are a number of operational issues identified in the paper that could be investigated in future research. One such issue is the development of ...

Going the last mile: a spatial decision support system for wireless broadband communications

High-speed, wireless communication networks are increasing in popularity; however they can be costly and difficult to plan. In this paper we present a spatial decision support system that incorporates expert knowledge of wireless communications, area topography, demographics and propensity to pay for service in order to aid wireless network planners determine optimal placement of equipment to maximize profit or minimize cost. Moreover, the system can be useful in performing policy analysis to determine pricing, governmental subsidy levels, etc. By integrating a GIS tool into the DSS, planners can easily adjust parameters to better understand the problem at hand and move toward bringing broadband connectivity to the last mile.

Supply chain disruption propagation: a systemic risk and normal accident theory perspective

When a disruption occurs in a firm, its effects are often felt throughout the supply chain. As supply chains expand globally and companies pursue velocity and efficiency, the probability of disruptions propagating throughout a chain grows. In this paper, we employ a qualitative, grounded theory case study approach to help understand what drives supply chain disruption propagation and to provide theoretical insights into this emerging area. For a more complete perspective, we study three interconnected tiers in seven unique supply chains. Each supply chain triad consists of (1) a focal firm (a manufacturer), (2) a supplier to the focal firm and (3) a customer of the focal firm allowing us to gain perspective from three levels in multiple supply chains. Three aggregate dimensions are defined which help explain the propagation of supply chain disruptions: the nature of the disruption, structure and dependence, and managerial decision-making. Within these dimensions, six themes are identified giving an increased level of granularity into disruption propagation: correlation of risk, compounding effects, cyclical linkages, counterparty risk, herding and misaligned incentives. Organisations should consider these themes and their interactions to effectively deal with supply chain disruptions.

Information model for power equipment diagnosis and maintenance

Existing maintenance experience and failure analysis are critical to equipment diagnosis and maintenance. Current maintenance information management cannot satisfy the convenient access, exchange, and sharing of the maintenance information. This paper develops a uniform information model used for data organization, access, sharing, and archiving related to equipment diagnosis and maintenance. The modeled information includes equipment and its components, measurement data, failure cases, documentation, etc. With this information model, diagnosis and maintenance information collected by one utility can be easily accessed and shared by other utilities, or applications. As an example, a conceptual digital library for power equipment diagnosis and maintenance is discussed to validate the information model.

Supply Chains in Sub-Saharan Africa: A Decision Support System for Small-Scale Seed Entrepreneurs

It is necessary to infuse a consistent supply of improved seed varieties into local sub-Saharan African crop production to improve low crop yields. The best distribution channel for the improved seed varieties may be small-scale commercial seed companies, but local entrepreneurs struggle to determine whether such businesses are viable. Using a multi-echelon supply chain approach, a decision support system (DSS) was designed to help African seed entrepreneurs make informed decisions about small-scale seed chain businesses. Specifically, entrepreneurs make decisions about where to locate seed enterprises, with which farmers to contract, and where to store seed. Optimization and simulation modeling are used to evaluate infrastructure variables such as distance, transportation cost, and storage loss and cost in three development level areas. Currently, the decision tool is used in Mozambique, Malawi, Kenya, and Tanzania. The model has supported the start-up of at least 17 small seed companies that are now introducing improved seed varieties into villages and farms. The DSS applies decision science research in a humanitarian application and offers important managerial implications about supply chain infrastructure to nongovernmental organizations and humanitarian groups. Such applications are vital as groups such as USAID, the Gates Foundation, and the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) continue to move toward micro-enterprise, value chain, and market-oriented development programs.

Fashioning fair foursomes for the fairway (using a spreadsheet-based DSS as the driver)

Golf teams at most public universities derive much of their support for player scholarships from external donors. Relationships with current and potential donors are often created and maintained via annual golf tournaments that pair donors with varsity players and team coaches in a scramble format tournament. This paper introduces a new spreadsheet-based DSS tool for optimizing the formation of teams for multi-round, unique-team, golf scramble tournaments. The DSS uses mixed-integer programming to create unique teams for each round of play while considering the handicaps of all teams and individual players to ensure a reasonable level of fairness in the tournament.

A model for the capacitated, hop-constrained, per-packet wireless mesh network design problem

Three critical factors in wireless mesh network design are the number of hops between supply and demand points, the bandwidth capacity of the transport media, and the technique used to route packets within the network. Most previous research on network design has focused on the issue of hop constraints and/or bandwidth capacity in wired networks while assuming a per-flow routing scheme. However, networks that employ per-packet routing schemes in wireless networks involve different design issues that are unique to this type of problem. We present a methodology for designing wireless mesh networks that consider bandwidth capacity, hop constraints, and profitability for networks employing a per-packet routing system.

A Component-Based Framework for Visualization of Intrusion Detection Events

ABSTRACT Visualization systems for intrusion detection are becoming more prevalent, but the lack of an organizing framework for proper development of these systems is problematic. This paper introduces a component-based structure that can be used to adequately design and implement intrusion detection information visualization systems. This component-based structure implements a combination of common information visualization components with operational components specific to the critical, real-time nature of intrusion detection. The manuscript also performs an analysis of intrusion detection visualization research projects by verifying their use of the components described by this framework.

Supply Chain Network Robustness Against Disruptions: Topological Analysis, Measurement, and Optimization

This paper focuses on understanding the robustness of a supply network in the face of a disruption. We propose a decision support system for analyzing the robustness of supply chain networks against disruptions using topological analysis, performance measurement relevant to a supply chain context, and an optimization for increasing supply network performance. The topology of a supply chain network has considerable implications for its robustness in the presence of disruptions. The system allows decision makers to evaluate topologies of their supply chain networks in a variety of disruption scenarios, thereby proactively managing the supply chain network to understand vulnerabilities of the network before a disruption occurs. Our system calculates performance measurements for a supply chain network in the face of disruptions and provides both topological metrics (through network analysis) and operational metrics (through an optimization model). Through an example application, we evaluate the impact of random and targeted disruptions on the robustness of a supply chain network.

Object language and impression management

Try Throwing ouT The Term “obje cT l an guage” at an IT office party, and odds are people will immediately think of JAVA, C++ or some other objectoriented language. However, there is another type of object language, literally the language of objects, which speaks volumes about people. Object language is a form of nonverbal communication suggested by the environmental cues that surround a person, particularly in office settings. Through these cues, others (such as visitors, coworkers, and customers) make attributions about employees’ competence, ability, and personality. What does object language communicate about IT professionals? Can the messages conveyed by object language be used to offset the stereotypical image of a “computer geek?” While the image projected by an IT employee has a bearing on individual career success, it is also important for those who have responsibility for the IT function in their firms. Most IT employees provide support for internal and sometimes external customers. If customers are reluctant to approach IT professionals, or if they approach with a negative predisposition, IT services invariably suffer. This article reports on how object language can affect impressions that customers and visitors form when they come to see IT professionals in their offices. Based on recent study findings, we assert that technology, in combination with other office design elements, can be a useful tool for managing the impressions others have of IT professionals.