Advanced risk management in offshore terminals and marine ports

This research aims to propose a Risk Management (RM) framework and develop a generic risk-based model for dealing with potential hazards and risk factors associated with offshore terminals' and marine ports' operations and management. Hazard identification was conducted through an appropriate literature review of major risk factors of these logistic infrastructures. As a result in the first phase of this research a Fuzzy Analytical Hierarchal Process (FAHP) method was used for determining the relative weights of the risk factors identified via the literature review. This has led to the development of a generic risk -based model which can help related industrial professionals and risk managers assess the risk factors and develop appropriate strategies to take preventive/corrective actions for mitigation purposes, with a view of maintaining efficient offshore terminals' and marine ports' operations and management. In the second phase of the research the developed risk-based model incorporating Fuzzy Set Theory (FST), an Evidential Reasoning (ER) approach and the IDS software were used to evaluate the risk levels of different ports in real situations using a case study. The IDS software based on an ER approach was used to aggregate the previously determined relative weights of the risk factors with the new evaluation results of risk levels for the real ports. The third phase of the research made use of the Cause and Consequence Analysis (CCA) including the Fault Tree Analysis (FTA) and Event Tree Analysis (ETA) under a fuzzy environment, to analyse in detail the most significant risk factors determined from the first phase of the research, using appropriate case-studies. In the fourth phase of the research an individual RM strategy was tailored and implemented on the most significant risk factor identified previously. In the last phase of the research and in order to complete the RM cycle, the best mitigation strategies were introduced and evaluated in the form of ideal solutions for mitigating the identified risk factors. All methods used in this research have quantitative and qualitative nature. Expert judgements carried out for gathering the required information accounted for the majority of data collected. The proposed RM framework can be a useful method for managers and auditors when conducting their RM programmes in the offshore and marine industries. The novelty of this research can help the Quality, Health, Safety, Environment and Security (QHSES) managers, insurers and risk managers in the offshore and marine industries investigate the potential hazards more appropriately if there is uncertainty of data sources. In this research with considering strategic management approaches to RM development the proposed RM framework and risk based model contribute to knowledge by developing and evaluating an effective methodology for future use of the RM professionals

Uncertain Multi-Criteria Optimization Problems

Most real-world search and optimization problems naturally involve multiple criteria as objectives. Generally, symmetry, asymmetry, and anti-symmetry are basic characteristics of binary relationships used when modeling optimization problems. Moreover, the notion of symmetry has appeared in many articles about uncertainty theories that are employed in multi-criteria problems. Different solutions may produce trade-offs (conflicting scenarios) among different objectives. A better solution with respect to one objective may compromise other objectives. There are various factors that need to be considered to address the problems in multidisciplinary research, which is critical for the overall sustainability of human development and activity. In this regard, in recent decades, decision-making theory has been the subject of intense research activities due to its wide applications in different areas. The decision-making theory approach has become an important means to provide real-time solutions to uncertainty problems. Theories such as probability theory, fuzzy set theory, type-2 fuzzy set theory, rough set, and uncertainty theory, available in the existing literature, deal with such uncertainties. Nevertheless, the uncertain multi-criteria characteristics in such problems have not yet been explored in depth, and there is much left to be achieved in this direction. Hence, different mathematical models of real-life multi-criteria optimization problems can be developed in various uncertain frameworks with special emphasis on optimization problems

Developing a contextualised framework for culture-led urbansustainable development through creative hub concept(a case study of Iranian free zone)

Regenerating cities and adapting them to contemporary life circumstances is essential for improving cities' economic, social, and cultural situations. In order to regenerate cities, we, therefore, need to pay more attention to the cultural aspects of how they were developed and maintained. The research aims to examine the possible use of the creative hubs, based on their cultural context, to regenerate cities and regions based on social, economic, environmental, and cultural innovations. The creative hub concept aims to build strategies for achieving a new sustainable development model that is consistent with the spirit of the time in response to the following question: How can cities achieve sustainable development through the concept of a creative hub? Moreover, how can we use the interaction between Art & Culture, Knowledge-based organizations, and Community projects in our path to regenerate the economy of our cities? With the increasing share of cultural products, services, and intellectual property in global exchange and the challenges to cultural diversity and cultures raised by contemporary globalisation, the field of culture has gained importance in global development in cities. Furthermore, there is an increasing awareness that cultural understanding and cultural diversity must be preserved and promoted to protect fundamental human rights, democratic freedoms, and genetic and biological diversity. This standpoint is based on the fact that sustainable development can only be accomplished if cultural diversity and social justice, environmental accountability, and economic viability are all in harmony. This study examines culture as the fourth pillar of urban sustainability and its social, economic, and environmental aspects. The thesis examines both the culture of sustainable development in terms of its evolution as a global agenda and how sustainable development can facilitate the cultural arena. This way, the thesis creates a contextualised framework for sustainable urban development through the creative hub concept, allowing developing countries like Iran more policy space and choice. Because of the importance and opportunities that Kish places on the concept of culture in its sustainable growth, this thesis uses Kish (one of Iran's Free Trade Zones) as a case study.This research builds on the relevant literature to demonstrate the importance of the links between local culture and its expectations and the urban sustainable development process. Meanwhile, this thesis looks at a global report to examine the contribution of culture to urban sustainability. Furthermore, Kish Island has been chosen as a case study in this thesis because the emergence of special economic zones (SEZs) and Free Trade Zones (FTZs) has become a significant focus of many developing countries such as Iran for culture-based strategies for achieving sustainable urban development. In this thesis, information is gathered using mixed methods to collect and analyse data in order to develop a contextualised framework for culture-led sustainable urban development in Kish.Culture-led sustainable urban development encompasses multiple steps that may include complementary quantitative and qualitative criteria and multiple decision-makers. Therefore, in this research, a hybrid Fuzzy Multi-Criteria Decision Making (MCDM) approach is used for identifying and choosing alternatives based on the values and preferences of the decision-makers. The MCDM model integrates the fuzzy Delphi method (FDM)", fuzzy Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP), and fuzzy Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (TOPSIS) method for identifying the priorities of factors that affecting and challenging sustainable development and meanwhile finding the best strategies to overcome these challenges in Kish Island in Iran as a case study.Following these processes, several key recommendations emerge. These recommendations are based on existing problems and opportunities in Kish. These suggestions demonstrate the importance of strategic planning for long-term development on this Island. They also believe that preserving and fostering culture is a prerequisite for achieving this urban growth.In addition, this study's results provide concrete guidelines for Iranian governments to integrate culture into urban policies as a unique resource for urban regeneration and innovation and social, economic, and environmental development

A decision model to prioritise logistics performance indicators

This thesis was submitted for the award of Doctor of Philosophy and was awarded by Brunel University LondonPerformance measurement is an important concern that has recently attracted much attention in the logistics area from both practitioners and academics. The performance measurement of logistics companies is based upon diverse performance indicators. However, to date, limited attention has been paid to the performance measurement of logistics companies and, also, performance measurement processes have become more complex for logistics companies due to the existence of numerous performance indicators. In this regard, the way in which decision makers in logistics companies deal with some vaguenesses, such as deciding on the most important indicators holistically and determining interrelationships between performance indicators, has remained an issue that needs to be resolved. This study, therefore, aims to offer a comprehensive decision model for identifying the key logistics performance indicators and determining the interrelationships among these indicators from logisticians’ perspective. In line with this purpose, the research first presents a stakeholder-based Balanced Scorecard (BSC) model which provides a balanced view by including financial and non-financial performance indicators and a comprehensive approach as a response to the major shortcoming of the generic BSC regarding the negligence of various stakeholders. Then, a large number of performance indicators used in logistics are systematically examined under the proposed model, and the key indicators are selected through an online survey conducted in the Turkish logistics industry. Subsequently, since the performance measurement indicators are not independent of each other, it is critical to understand the causal relationships among different indicators. In such cases, group decision making techniques are capable of modelling such complexities. After a systematic comparison of these techniques, a realistic and easy-to-follow multi-criteria decision making technique, the Analytic Network Process (ANP), is revealed as a suitably powerful method to determine the interrelationships among the indicators. Additionally, a case study approach based on the data obtained from three logistics companies is used to illustrate both the applicability of the model and the practicality of the ANP application. Furthermore, the sensitivity of the results about the case companies is also analysed with several relevant ‘what-if’ scenarios. Thus, real-life practices of three case companies are investigated with the proposed approach. Consequently, this research proposes the BSC-ANP integration which provides a novel way and in-depth understanding to evaluate logistics performance indicators for the competitiveness of logistics companies. Thus, in order to address the aforementioned vaguenesses, the proposed model in this study identifies key performance indicators with the consideration of various stakeholders in the logistics industry to decide on the most important indicators, and evaluates the interrelationships among the indicators by using the ANP. The results of the study show that the educated employee (15.61%) is the most important indicator for the competitiveness of logistics companies and four prominent indicators (educated employee, managerial skills, cost, and profitability) need to be primarily considered by logistics companies. In this way, with this integration, not only the performance indicators in logistics, but also different stakeholders of logistics companies are assessed by the ANP method. This means that the results of this research are not only useful for helping logistics companies to decide which indicators should be focused on to become more competitive, but also can be used as a reference model by different stakeholders in their decision-making processes in order to select the best logistics provider. Keywords: Performance measurement; logistics performance indicators; balanced scorecard (BSC); analytic network process (ANP); multi-criteria decision making (MCDM); stakeholder

Risk Analysis of Emergency Supply Chains

Unknowns and uncertainties are integral to any disaster relief operation. Activities of the emergency supply chain are usually performed in highly volatile environments and are prone to risks. Due to the complexity of the operating relief environment, relief organizations can only anticipate some supply chain disruptions. As such, they must take a comprehensive and proactive approach to uncertainties to manage multiple unexpected events. Therefore, this research aims to develop a comprehensive framework for risk management in emergency supply chains. This study adopts a comprehensive and rigorous procedure to explore the risk factors and mitigation strategies for emergency supply chains. The research design is divided into three phases; first, the risk factors and mitigation strategies are collected through an extensive literature review; next, the risk factors and risk mitigation strategies are verified with experts through high-level surveys and semi-structured interviews. Finally, based on the weight of risk factors estimated using the fuzzy analytic hierarchy process, risk factors mitigation strategies to overcome the risk factors are prioritized using the fuzzy technique for order performance by similarity to ideal solution that considers uncertainty and impreciseness rather than a crisp value. This study found and verified 28 emergency supply chain risk factors, which are categorised into two main categories: internal and external risks; four sub-categories: demand, supply, infrastructural, and environmental risks; and 11 risk types: forecast, inventory, procurement, supplier, quality, transportation, warehousing, systems, disruption, social, and political risks. War and terrorism, the impact of follow-up disasters, poor relief supplies, and sanctions and constraints that hinder stakeholder cooperation and coordination are the most significant risks. Finally, eight risk factor mitigation strategies; strategic stock, prepositioning of resources, collaboration and coordination, flexible transportation, flexible supply bases, logistics outsourcing, flexible supply contracts, and risk awareness/knowledge management were proposed and prioritised to overcome the risk factors so decision-makers can focus on these mitigation strategies. This study provides a more efficient, effective, robust, and systematic way to overcome risk factors and improve the effectiveness of emergency supply chains in disaster relief operations. This study is the first to objectively identify, categorise, and analyse emergency supply chains’ risk nature and frequency. Practitioners and policymakers can use the research findings to spot significant risk factors and appropriate mitigation strategies to reduce their effects. The risk profile will be a new database of risk factors affecting the emergency supply chain and allow stakeholders to immediately identify the disrupted emergency supply chain component

Factors Influencing Customer Satisfaction towards E-shopping in Malaysia

Online shopping or e-shopping has changed the world of business and quite a few people have decided to work with these features. What their primary concerns precisely and the responses from the globalisation are the competency of incorporation while doing their businesses. E-shopping has also increased substantially in Malaysia in recent years. The rapid increase in the e-commerce industry in Malaysia has created the demand to emphasize on how to increase customer satisfaction while operating in the e-retailing environment. It is very important that customers are satisfied with the website, or else, they would not return. Therefore, a crucial fact to look into is that companies must ensure that their customers are satisfied with their purchases that are really essential from the ecommerce’s point of view. With is in mind, this study aimed at investigating customer satisfaction towards e-shopping in Malaysia. A total of 400 questionnaires were distributed among students randomly selected from various public and private universities located within Klang valley area. Total 369 questionnaires were returned, out of which 341 questionnaires were found usable for further analysis. Finally, SEM was employed to test the hypotheses. This study found that customer satisfaction towards e-shopping in Malaysia is to a great extent influenced by ease of use, trust, design of the website, online security and e-service quality. Finally, recommendations and future study direction is provided. Keywords: E-shopping, Customer satisfaction, Trust, Online security, E-service quality, Malaysia

Tradition and Innovation in Construction Project Management

This book is a reprint of the Special Issue 'Tradition and Innovation in Construction Project Management' that was published in the journal Buildings

Measuring knowledge sharing processes through social network analysis within construction organisations

The construction industry is a knowledge intensive and information dependent industry. Organisations risk losing valuable knowledge, when the employees leave them. Therefore, construction organisations need to nurture opportunities to disseminate knowledge through strengthening knowledge-sharing networks. This study aimed at evaluating the formal and informal knowledge sharing methods in social networks within Australian construction organisations and identifying how knowledge sharing could be improved. Data were collected from two estimating teams in two case studies. The collected data through semi-structured interviews were analysed using UCINET, a Social Network Analysis (SNA) tool, and SNA measures. The findings revealed that one case study consisted of influencers, while the other demonstrated an optimal knowledge sharing structure in both formal and informal knowledge sharing methods. Social networks could vary based on the organisation as well as the individuals’ behaviour. Identifying networks with specific issues and taking steps to strengthen networks will enable to achieve optimum knowledge sharing processes. This research offers knowledge sharing good practices for construction organisations to optimise their knowledge sharing processes

The 45th Australasian Universities Building Education Association Conference: Global Challenges in a Disrupted World: Smart, Sustainable and Resilient Approaches in the Built Environment, Conference Proceedings, 23 - 25 November 2022, Western Sydney University, Kingswood Campus, Sydney, Australia

This is the proceedings of the 45th Australasian Universities Building Education Association (AUBEA) conference which will be hosted by Western Sydney University in November 2022. The conference is organised by the School of Engineering, Design, and Built Environment in collaboration with the Centre for Smart Modern Construction, Western Sydney University. This year’s conference theme is “Global Challenges in a Disrupted World: Smart, Sustainable and Resilient Approaches in the Built Environment”, and expects to publish over a hundred double-blind peer review papers under the proceedings