The Experts below are selected from a list of 101025 Experts worldwide ranked by ideXlab platform
William E. Biles - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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A simulation approach to the evaluation of Operational Costs and performance in liner shipping operations
2008 Winter Simulation Conference, 2008Co-Authors: Aldo A. Mclean, William E. BilesAbstract:This paper presents a simulation model of the operation of a liner shipping network that considers multiple service routes and schedules. The objective is to evaluate the Operational Costs and performance associated with liner shipping, as well as the impact of individual service schedules on the overall system. The approach proposes a discrete-event simulation model where shipping activities, container ship operations, and intermodal container movements are considered. The model allows for direct and transshipment operations of container cargo, and the evaluation of fuel consumption and other logistics metrics. The model is used to evaluate a liner shipping network consisting of four service routes, up to 64 container ships, and up to 20 ports with diverse physical characteristics and cost components. The results show the contribution of service routes, ports, container ships, and containers to the cost and performance of the system.
Marie-jose Montpetit - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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Reducing Operational Costs in Cloud Social TV: An Opportunity for Cloud Cloning
IEEE Transactions on Multimedia, 2014Co-Authors: Han Hu, Marie-jose MontpetitAbstract:The emergence of social TV has transformed TV experiences, providing a unified media experience across different devices. In response to this trend, we have implemented a multi-screen social TV system, offering video teleportation as an attractive feature. The enabling technology is instantiating a cloud clone to support all media outlets of each user. As the user shifts his attention from one device to the other, the cloud clone might migrate to a better location to reduce its Operational cost. This paper investigates this cloud clone migration problem, aiming to minimize the monetary cost on operating video teleportation. Specifically, we formulate it into a Markov Decision Problem, to balance the trade-off between the migration cost and the content transmission cost. Under this framework, four algorithms are proposed to solve this optimization problem. We first characterize an upper and a lower bound for the optimal cost, by considering a random fixed placement and an offline algorithm. We then present a semi-online and a more practical Q-learning approach to make online decisions. Their performances are evaluated based on both simulated and real user traces. The results show that the Q-learning method achieves up to 25% cost compared to random fixed placement in typical scenarios. The savings are affected by the delivery path length, the migration size, and the user behavior pattern. Moreover, our investigations reveal the optimal cloud clone location is either at the nearest or the furthest node to the user along the content delivery path for a single user scenario.
Ramon Salagarrido - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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benchmarking in wastewater treatment plants a tool to save Operational Costs
Clean Technologies and Environmental Policy, 2014Co-Authors: Maria Molinossenante, Francesc Hernandezsancho, Ramon SalagarridoAbstract:The economics of wastewater management and treatment is the subject of growing interest by water agencies and wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) operators. Benchmarking procedures are useful tools to assess the performance of these facilities and help identify best practices. To estimate the efficiency scores for each input involved in the operation of WWTPs, a non-radial data envelopment analysis model has been applied to a sample of Spanish WWTPs. The great advantage of this methodology is that it enables the identification of cost items on which to act to increase the efficiency at plant level. In the second stage, variables influencing efficiency scores have been identified. This analysis helps improve the understanding of how individual scores of efficiency and operating variables are related. It is shown that some factors do not affect all cost items—thus illustrating that an increase in global efficiency would not produce a reduction in all cost items. The benchmarking methodology and empirical application developed in this article could be very useful for improving the management of WWTPs and contribute to save Operational Costs.
Dan Murray - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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an analysis of the Operational Costs of trucking 2015 update
2015Co-Authors: Ford W Torrey, Dan MurrayAbstract:This document is the American Transportation Research Institute's (ATRI's) annual motor carrier operations Costs report. This edition includes 2014 cost data as reported in a survey of for-hire carriers. Methodology, industry sector breakout, and survey respondent demographics are outlined. Average marginal Costs are based on vehicle Costs (fuel, insurance, permits, tolls, repair, lease or purchase payments) and driver Costs (wages, benefits). The average carrier cost per mile in 2014 was $1.703 up approximately three cents from 2013. The average annual cost per hour was $68.09. Cost trend data, including Costs by sector and region, is also included.
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an analysis of the Operational Costs of trucking 2014 update
2014Co-Authors: Ford W Torrey, Dan MurrayAbstract:The American Transportation Research Institute (ATRI) conducted research in 2008, 2011, 2012 and 2013 in order to generate more precise cost metrics as a remedy to the lack of current and accurate trucking industry Operational cost data. The use of highly subjective value of time metrics produced immensely inconsistent results that were considered inaccurate by industry stakeholders, although several previous studies have attempted to quantify these Costs. As both the trucking industry and public sector transportation planners are seeking standardized, objective data, these varying results can be detrimental. As an example, the value or significance of certain transportation programs has been downplayed by using lower Operational cost estimates, while the impact of raising new revenue via innovative financing initiatives has been minimized by the use of unreasonably high figures. This standardized survey methodology that captures and analyzes sensitive motor carrier Operational Costs is the result. 2013 cost data collected from a wide range of motor carriers is reflected by the data presented in this report. ATRI now has six complete years (2008 - 2013) of detailed Operational cost data, with the addition of this 2013 data. ATRI undertook research to document and quantify motor carriers’ key Operational Costs, stratified by fleet size, sector, and region of the country. The goal of the research was to accurately identify current Operational Costs based on real-world data provided directly from motor carriers.
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analysis of Operational Costs of trucking
Transportation Research Board 89th Annual MeetingTransportation Research Board, 2010Co-Authors: Todd G Trego, Dan MurrayAbstract:In response to mounting infrastructure improvement needs and dwindling state budgets, policy makers, led by the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT), have begun embracing creative financing strategies. If the time/distance value of operating a truck is overstated, the benefits to the industry of these strategies (for example, congestion pricing) are likely over-stated too. Alternatively, programs that underestimate truck Costs may also underestimate the benefits of increased program funding. There is a lack of accurate and publicly available information on the Operational Costs of trucking, defined as the full marginal cost of operating a truck one mile or one hour in standard operating conditions. Accurate cost figures are needed as inputs to transportation planning models to ensure that benefits to users are not over-inflated or that critical investment needs are not downplayed. The research objective focused on the identification of current, accurate motor carrier Costs that derive from transportation system operations. ATRI developed, beta-tested and distributed a survey to a cross-section of for-hire motor carriers, representing the predominant industry sectors. Survey responses were aggregated and analyzed. When necessary, Costs per mile (CPM) were converted to Costs per hour (CPH) using an industry accepted average operating speed. Total marginal Costs for the industry were $1.73 per mile and $83.68 per hour. Marginal Costs were divided into vehicle- and driver-based. Top Costs for carriers were diesel fuel/oil, driver wages and truck/trailer lease or purchase payments. The Specialized sector had the highest total marginal CPM, followed by the Less-than-Truckload (LTL) and Truckload (TL) sectors.
Enrique De La Cal - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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optimising Operational Costs using soft computing techniques
Computer-Aided Engineering, 2011Co-Authors: Javier Sedano, Alba Berzosa, Jose R Villar, Emilio Corchado, Enrique De La CalAbstract:A Manufacturing Execution System MES consists of high-cost, large-scale, multi-task software systems. Companies and factories apply these complex applications for the purposes of production management to monitor and track all aspects of factory-based manufacturing processes. Nevertheless, companies seek to control the production process with even greater rigour. Improvements associated with an MES involve the identification of new knowledge within the data set and its integration in the system, which implies a step forward to Business Process Management BPM systems, from which the users of an MES may gain relevant information, not only on execution procedures but to decide on the best scheduled arrangement. This work studies the data gathered from a real MES that is used in a plastic products factory. Several Artificial Intelligence and Soft Computing modelling methods based on fuzzy rules assist in the calculation of manufacturing Costs and decisions over shift work rotas: two decisions that are of relevance for the improvement of the execution system. The results of the study, which identify the most suitable models to facilitate execution-related decision-making, are presented and discussed.
