Goal programming models and DSS for manpower planning of airport baggage service

Goal Programming (GP) models and Decision Support System (DSS) are two powerful tools dealing with manpower planning problems, not only on research level, but also as practical tools for industrial implementation. Goal programming is often useful as an optimization modeling technique for generating shift-duties of worker schedules. In our project for the baggage service agency at the Hong Kong International Airport, we proposed three model formulations based on the basic fixed-length shift duties generation model to approach various combinations of goals of manpower planning. Such an optimization modeling is built upon the essential foundation of a detailed data modeling and its analysis for all the driving parameters and demand/supply input necessary for numerical computations. The data model and GP model thus form the two integral components of the overall automation system - the DSS, which is an automatic computer based and userfriendly system to support management on planning decisions © Springer Physica-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2010.postprin

Order batching and picking in a synchronized zone order picking system

Order picking has been considered as one of the most critical operations in warehouse. In this study, we propose an analytical approximation model based on probability and queueing network theory to analyze order batching and picking area zoning on the mean order throughput time in a synchronized zone picker-to-part order picking system. The resulting model can be easily applied in the design and selection process of order picking systems. © 2011 IEEE.published_or_final_versionThe IEEE International Conference on Industrial Engineering and Engineering Management (IEEM 2011), Singapore, 6-9 December 2011. In Proceedings of the IEEE IEEM, 2011, p. 156-16

Operational improvement in a specialist out-patient clinic in Hong Kong

Health Services Research Fund & Health Care and Promotion Fund: Research Dissemination Reports (Series 3)published_or_final_versio

Multivariate Markov chain models

We study multivariate Markov chain models for approximating a conventional Markov chain model with a huge number of states. We propose an efficient estimation method for the parameters in the proposed model. Numerical examples are given to illustrate the usefulness of the proposed model.published_or_final_versio

On maximal and minimal triangular planar graph: an optimization approach

A triangular planar graph (TPG) is defined to be a connected simple planar graph with every edge being a side of some triangle. Given a fixed number of nodes, a maximal (respectively minimal) TPG is a TPG that has a maximum (respectively minimum) possible number of edges. Here we suggest a novel idea of constructively characterizing a minimal TPG by way of a simple integer optimization formulation, which leads readily to solutions as well as generalizations for planar graphs with edges being sides of polygons. Simple results for the easier problem of maximal TPG are also provided

Congestion Modeling and Multi-Criteria Smoothing Heuristics

The background of this work is the operation of a specialist out-patient clinic under the Hospital Authority of Hong Kong. Congestion is one main problem that needs to resolve. This in turn leads to long patient waiting for specialist doctors#x2019; consultation. We focus our analysis on congestion modeling to evaluate its multi-criteria performance measures and propose a smoothing heuristics as the solution approach. Numerical results are provided to illustrate the possibilities of notable improvement

Generating, scheduling and rostering of shift crew-duties: Applications at the Hong Kong International Airport

In the context of manpower planning, goal programming (GP) is extremely useful for generating shift duties of fixed length. A fixed-length duty consists of a fixed number of contiguous hours of work in a day, with a meal/rest break somewhere preferably around the middle of these working hours. It is such properties that enable the straightforward, yet flexible GP modeling. We propose GP models for an integrated problem of crew duties assignment, for baggage services section staff at the Hong Kong International Airport. The problem is solved via decomposition into its duties generating phase-a GP planner, followed by its GP scheduling and rostering phase. The results can be adopted as a good crew schedule in the sense that it is both feasible, satisfying various work conditions, and "optimal" in minimizing idle shifts. © 2005 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.link_to_subscribed_fulltex