Branch and Price Solution Approach for Order Acceptance and Capacity Planning in Make-to-Order Operations

The increasing emphasis on mass customization, shortened product lifecycles, synchronized supply chains, when coupled with advances in information system, is driving most firms towards make-to-order (MTO) operations. Increasing global competition, lower profit margins, and higher customer expectations force the MTO firms to plan its capacity by managing the effective demand. The goal of this research was to maximize the operational profits of a make-to-order operation by selectively accepting incoming customer orders and simultaneously allocating capacity for them at the sales stage. For integrating the two decisions, a Mixed-Integer Linear Program (MILP) was formulated which can aid an operations manager in an MTO environment to select a set of potential customer orders such that all the selected orders are fulfilled by their deadline. The proposed model combines order acceptance/rejection decision with detailed scheduling. Experiments with the formulation indicate that for larger problem sizes, the computational time required to determine an optimal solution is prohibitive. This formulation inherits a block diagonal structure, and can be decomposed into one or more sub-problems (i.e. one sub-problem for each customer order) and a master problem by applying Dantzig-Wolfe’s decomposition principles. To efficiently solve the original MILP, an exact Branch-and-Price algorithm was successfully developed. Various approximation algorithms were developed to further improve the runtime. Experiments conducted unequivocally show the efficiency of these algorithms compared to a commercial optimization solver. The existing literature addresses the static order acceptance problem for a single machine environment having regular capacity with an objective to maximize profits and a penalty for tardiness. This dissertation has solved the order acceptance and capacity planning problem for a job shop environment with multiple resources. Both regular and overtime resources is considered. The Branch-and-Price algorithms developed in this dissertation are faster and can be incorporated in a decision support system which can be used on a daily basis to help make intelligent decisions in a MTO operation.

Moored current and temperature measurements in the Faroe Bank Channel overflow region, June 2012-June 2013

This data set includes measurements from moored instruments from the Faroe Bank Channel overflow region in the period between 28 May 2012 and 5 June 2013. The data set was collected under the project entitled "Faroe Bank Channel Overflow: Dynamics and Mixing Research", with an objective to describe the structure and variability of the dense oceanic overflow plume from the Faroe Bank Channel on daily to seasonal timescales. Mooring arrays were deployed in two sections: located 25 km downstream of the main sill, in the channel that geographically confines the overflow plume at both edges (section C), and 60 km further downstream, over the slope (section S). The measurements delivered with this data set include hourly-averaged data gridded on 5-m vertical separation, after accounting for mooring knock downs using a mooring dynamics model. Complete set of mooring drawings and detailed description can be found in the cruise report (Fer et al. 2016, PDF provided). The article by Ullgren et al. (2016) gives further details on processing of the data set and presents the data set.

First recorded occurrence of detrital baddeleyite (ZrO2) in sedimentary rock (Smith Bank Formation, Triassic, Central North Sea)

Peer reviewed

First recorded occurrence of detrital baddeleyite (ZrO2) in sedimentary rock (Smith Bank Formation, Triassic, Central North Sea)

Peer reviewed

Electrofishing gear in use, Rookery Branch, Shark River

This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation through the Florida Coastal Everglades Long-Term Ecological Research program under Cooperative Agreements #DBI-0620409 and #DEB-9910514. This image is made available for non-commercial or educational use only.

Crocodile on the bank in Buttonwood Slough

This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation through the Florida Coastal Everglades Long-Term Ecological Research program under Cooperative Agreements #DBI-0620409 and #DEB-9910514. This image is made available for non-commercial or educational use only.

Lauren McCarthy setting a minnow trap in Rookery Branch

This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation through the Florida Coastal Everglades Long-Term Ecological Research program under Cooperative Agreements #DBI-0620409 and #DEB-9910514. This image is made available for non-commercial or educational use only.