This paper investigates capacity planning with outsourcing under reliability-maintenance constraints. The considered supply-chain consists of a single-manufacturer and multiple-subcontractors. The manufacturer's company is composed of a single unit subject to random failures. Corrective maintenance is endorsed when failures occur, and preventive maintenance can be carried out to reduce the degradation. The high in-house costs and the incapacity motivate the manufacturer outsourcing to independent subcontractors. In addition, based on the principle of comparative advantage, the manufacturer balances between in-house capacities and outsourcing services, which minimises the total cost. The aim is to propose a new policy based on the combination between integrated-maintenance and outsourcing policies. A mathematical model and an optimisation procedure have been developed in order to determine the best in-house production-maintenance and outsourcing plans for the manufacturer while minimising the total cost. In order to show the applicability of our approach, we conduct experimentations to study the management insights.

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to propose an integrated approach for assessing the sustainability of production and simplifying the improvement tasks in complex manufacturing processes. Design/methodology/approach The proposed approach has been investigated the integration of value stream mapping (VSM), analytic hierarchy process (AHP) and technique for order preference by similarity to ideal solution (TOPSIS). VSM is used as a basic structure for assessing and improving the sustainability of the manufacturing process. AHP is used for weighting the sustainability indicators and TOPSIS for prioritizing the operations of a manufacturing process regarding the improvement side. Findings The results carried out from this study help the managers’ staff in organizing the improvement phase in the complex manufacturing processes through computing the importance degree of each indicator and determining the most influential operations on the production. Research limitations/implications The major limitations of this paper are that one case study was considered. In addition, to an average set of sustainability indicators that have been treated. Originality/value The novelty of this research is expressed by the development of an extended VSM in complex manufacturing processes. In addition, the proposed approach contributes with a new improvement strategy through integrating the multi-criteria decision approaches with VSM method to solve the complexity of the improvement process from sustainability viewpoints.

In this paper, we focus on outsourcing activities optimization problem in single period setting. In some situations, capacity planning or outsourcing is a one-time event and can be modeled as a single period problem. The aim of this research is to balance the trade-off between two echelons of a supply chain consisting of a single outsourcer and a single subcontractor. Each part is composed of a failure-prone single machine that produces one product type to satisfy market requirements. The outsourcer’s manufacturing system is not able to satisfy the demand; in this case, outsourcing is allowed to recover the lack of capacity. We consider that the subcontractor can satisfy the demands of strategic clients and rent his machine for the outsourcer under a win–win partnership contract. We assume that the hazard failure rate depends on time and the adopted manufacture rate. When unforeseen failures occur, minimal repairs are implemented. Overhaul can be performed to reduce the degradation effects. Hence, we develop a mathematical model to define a profitability interval so that both parties of supply chain can be considered as winners. We seek to determine the contract parameters that suit both parties (duration, start and end dates, the production and outsourcing rates). Then, we develop an exact algorithm to solve the problem of single period optimization, which offers a better execution time through a series of test problems. Finally, we consider a sensitivity analysis based on outsourcing parameters (cost, periodicities, etc) to analyze their effects on partial costs and individual profit of each part, as well as the total profit generated by the system.

The organisations having a futuristic look and aiming to impose their presence in the industrial field for a long possible term, are seeking for finding solutions linked to controlling their cash flow and assessing their competitiveness performances. Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to propose a new quality and cost value stream mapping for monitoring the costs consumption and assessing the competitiveness of a company. We use three key concepts namely life cycle costing for estimation of the most influential costs on the manufacturing process, the weighted DPMO and Sigma level for assessing the quality level and the competitiveness of the company. Finally, the data obtained are mapped using value stream mapping method for enabling the determination of dysfunctions in the cost and quality context.

In this article, the authors propose a decision support system which aims to optimize the classical Capacitated Vehicle Routing Problem by considering the existence of multiple available depots and a time window which must not be violated, that they call the Multi-Depot Vehicle Routing Problem with Time Window (MDVRPTW), and with respecting a set of criteria including: schedules requests from clients, the capacity of vehicles. The authors solve this problem by proposing a recently published technique based on soccer concepts, called Golden Ball (GB), with different solution representation from the original one, this technique was designed to solve combinatorial optimization problems, and by embedding a clustering algorithm. Computational results have shown that the approach produces acceptable quality solutions compared to the best previous results in similar problem in terms of generated solutions and processing time. Experimental results prove that the proposed Golden Ball algorithm is efficient and effective to solve the MDVRPTW problem.

Efficient routing and scheduling of vehicles has significant economic implications for both the public and private sectors. For this purpose, we propose in this study a decision support system which aims to optimise the classical capacitated vehicle routing problem by considering the existence of different vehicle types (with distinct capacities and costs) and multiple available depots, that we call the multi-depot heterogeneous vehicle routing problem with time window (MDHVRPTW) by respecting a set of criteria including: schedules requests from clients, the heterogeneous capacity of vehicles..., and we solve this problem by proposing a new scheme based on the application of the bio-inspired genetic algorithm heuristics and by embedding a clustering algorithm within a VRPTW optimisation frame work, that we will specify later. Computational experiments with the benchmark test instances confirm that our approach produces acceptable quality solutions compared with the best previous results in similar problems in terms of generated solutions and processing time. Experimental results prove that our proposed genetic algorithm is effective in solving the MDHVRPTW problem and hence has a great potential.

One of the most important combinatorial optimization problems is the transport problem, which has been associated with many variants such as the HVRP and dynamic problem. The authors propose in this study a decision support system which aims to optimize the classical Capacitated Vehicle Routing Problem by considering the existence of different vehicle types (with distinct capacities and costs) and multiple available depots, that the authors call the Multi-Depot HVRPTW by respecting a set of criteria including: schedules requests from clients, the heterogeneous capacity of vehicles..., and the authors solve this problem by proposing a new scheme based on a genetic algorithm heuristics that they will specify later. Computational experiments with the benchmark test instances confirm that their approach produces acceptable quality solutions compared with previous results in similar problems in terms of generated solutions and processing time. Experimental results prove that the method of genetic algorithm heuristics is effective in solving the MDHVRPTW problem and hence has a great potential.

In this paper, we present the application of knowledge engineering and externalisation of tacit knowledge in manufacturing industry, in order to improve the performance of a production system and save the knowledge capital of the company. The main aim of this study is to propose a knowledge model for manufacturing task combining common knowledge acquisition and design support (CommonKADS) and methodology for acquisition of tacit knowledge (MACTAK) methodologies, using two different knowledge base modelling based on two categories: (i) ontology and (ii) expert knowledge base. In that purpose, we suggest a process dedicated to industrial manufacturing, allowing to capitalise knowledge by: (1) Externalisation of tacit knowledge by MACTAK-methodology in industrial processes, (2) using knowledge engineering method; CommonKADS methodology, (3) Formalizing and modelling the domain knowledge using ontology and inference model, (4) presenting the implementation tool to support the knowledge model and (5) reusing the manufacturing knowledge model in decision support systems. The three pillars of methodology are: the externalisation process, Knowledge representation technique and quality tools. The proposed model is applied in manufacturing monitoring systems.

The purpose of this paper is to propose a hybrid method SKACICM of development of knowledge management systems. Based on weaknesses of the method of performance dashboards SKANDIA, we proposed a pragmatisation and adaptation of Skandia to give ASKANDIA, by enrichment of its performance book. We ameliorated CICM model against the requirements of GERAM to give ACICM model by mappings between their proposed metamodels. We tried to hybridise ACICM, ASKANDIA and business intelligence to propose a new method SKACICM of development of knowledge management systems. We applied SKACICM on a cement company to develop software containing three main modules, module knowledge management, module business intelligence and performance dashboard system. The developed system ameliorated the performance of the enterprise by 26% and could be generalised to other manufacturing or service systems.

This paper deals with a new smart algorithm allowing open-circuit and reversed polarity faults prognosis in photovoltaic generators. Its contribution lies on the optimization of support vector regression (SVR) technique by a k-NN regression tool (k-NNR) for undetermined outputs. To testing the performance of the proposed algorithm, we used a significant data base containing the generator functioning history, and as indicators we selected variance, standard deviation, Confidence interval, absolute and relative errors.

In recent years, companies have emerged in an advanced competitive environment. To meet the requirements of cost reduction, customer demand, minimising delays, quality and variety improvement, companies must improve their performance to remain competitive, survive and expand. To achieve this goal, several models are used such as total quality management, Kaizen, just in time, enterprise resource planning, business process reengineering and Six Sigma, etc. In this work, we look for an effective model (drawn from Six Sigma approach) used mainly to warrant the competitiveness of a company denoted as the weighted defects per million opportunities model. The aim of this paper is to apply this model to measure process levels (weights) and assess the company competitiveness. The results of this model are applied in a real manufacturing system which produces gas bottles.

The purpose of this paper is to compare between three methods of intellectual capital (IC) measurement; intellectual capital dynamic valuation (IC-dVal), value added intellectual coefficient (VAIC), and national intellectual capital index (NICI). The three methods are the most used in practice; we used 24 criteria covering important aspects of IC to do general comparison. According to ten criteria, we compared and prioritised them using analytic hierarchy process (AHP). The results of this comparison show that the methods are close for some criteria and distant for other criteria. The prioritisation with AHP found that NICI method is the most method responding to the criteria, namely: macro measure, guidelines of the method, dynamic valuation, involved levels of business, usability by stakeholders, covered aspects of IC, quantifiability, frequency of use and applicability. IC-dVal is the second one and VAIC is the third method responding to the criteria. The analysis could give more significant results using larger set of criteria. This is the first research prioritising methods of measurement of IC using AHP analysis.

In this paper, we proposed a new mathematical model of the I-V characteristic of a faulty photovoltaic generator. It presents its behavior in normal and faulty operations. In particular, when its basic components such as cells, bypass and blocking diodes are subjected to the impedance or reversed polarity faults. The developed model of the faulty PV generator will allow studying of the I-V characteristic, measures the tolerances of the technical functions, avoids numerous experiments, and ensure better assessment of fault consequences.

In this paper, we proposed a new mathematical model of a faulty photovoltaic generator operation. It presents its behavior, when it's subjected to the open-circuit and the short-circuit faults at its basic components as: cells, bypass diodes and blocking diodes. Such kind of modeling will allow developing fault detection and diagnosis methods. Indeed, the proposed model will be used to set normal and fault operation conditions database, which will facilitate learning and classifications phases.

This paper deals with a new smart algorithm allowing open-circuit and reversed polarity faults prognosis in photovoltaic generators. Its contribution lies on the optimization of support vector regression (SVR) technique by a k-NN regression tool (k-NNR) for undetermined outputs. To testing the performance of the proposed algorithm, we used a significant data base containing the generator functioning history, and as indicators we selected variance, standard deviation, Confidence interval, absolute and relative errors. Nomenclature PV Photovoltaic SVM Support Vector Machines SVR Support Vector Regression k-NNR k-Nearest Neighbor Regression X SVR input vector Y SVR output vector f Linear function Ф Nonlinear mapping function w Weight vector e Squared loss function x Problem variable x * New problem variable α Lagrange multipliers N Number of classes m Number of index of minimum distances I / V Current / Voltage IPH Photocurrent

This paper deals with a new algorithm allowing short-circuit and impedance faults smart diagnosis of PV generators. It is based on the use of the SVM technique for the classification of observations not located in its margin, otherwise the proposed algorithm is used a k-NN method. A PV generator database containing observations distributed over classes is used for testing the new algorithm performance, which shows therefore its contribution and its effectiveness in the diagnosis area.