Maximizing Dimensional Efficiency With Minimal Cardinality Pattern Combinations. Making optimal use of dimensional capacity is often fundamental to the efficiency of processes in science and industry. Many important applications use combinations of patterns to achieve this. For example, in paper and in steel manufacturing, reels are divided lengthwise into cutting patterns, combined so as to minimize waste. In medicine, radiation patterns are combined to effectively treat cancerous tumours. ....Maximizing Dimensional Efficiency With Minimal Cardinality Pattern Combinations. Making optimal use of dimensional capacity is often fundamental to the efficiency of processes in science and industry. Many important applications use combinations of patterns to achieve this. For example, in paper and in steel manufacturing, reels are divided lengthwise into cutting patterns, combined so as to minimize waste. In medicine, radiation patterns are combined to effectively treat cancerous tumours. By addressing the common mathematical structure underlying pattern combination, this project will account for a hitherto neglected critical factor - the solution cardinality - making fully optimized solutions available for the first time to many applications in science and industry.Read moreRead less
Faster, cheaper, better: mathematical advances for improved design and scheduling of robotic instrumentation. This project extends previous research addressing mathematical challenges in the optimal design and scheduling of robotic instrumentation. The Partner Organisation manufactures instruments for cancer diagnostics, and designs instruments that need to produce rapid, high-quality results, at a reasonable cost in a competitive market. It is intended that powerful new scheduling algorithms wi ....Faster, cheaper, better: mathematical advances for improved design and scheduling of robotic instrumentation. This project extends previous research addressing mathematical challenges in the optimal design and scheduling of robotic instrumentation. The Partner Organisation manufactures instruments for cancer diagnostics, and designs instruments that need to produce rapid, high-quality results, at a reasonable cost in a competitive market. It is intended that powerful new scheduling algorithms will be devised to handle their complex problem, which is more challenging than standard problems. The developed methodologies aim to reduce the product development cycle and boost the competitiveness of Australian manufacturers. In addition, new theoretical and algorithmic contributions aim to enable improved scheduling in other application areas.Read moreRead less
An integrated mathematical approach to synchronise and optimise hospital operations. This project aims to develop an integrated mathematical approach to synchronise and optimise patient scheduling systems of different departments to ensure that the hospital’s assets and related resources are used efficiently. The project’s aim is to investigate patient flow, process delay, and the interaction and inter-dependence of departments within the hospital to reduce access block (bottleneck) and subseque ....An integrated mathematical approach to synchronise and optimise hospital operations. This project aims to develop an integrated mathematical approach to synchronise and optimise patient scheduling systems of different departments to ensure that the hospital’s assets and related resources are used efficiently. The project’s aim is to investigate patient flow, process delay, and the interaction and inter-dependence of departments within the hospital to reduce access block (bottleneck) and subsequent overcrowding. This project aims to smooth the running of the hospital, improve the efficiency of patient throughput, reduce waiting times, and revolutionise hospital planning and scheduling.Read moreRead less
Optimisation of Rail Network Infrastructure Capacity under Dynamic Train Planning. Recent changes in railway operating environments have caused significant operational and management problems in Australia. This research will lead to improvements of railway's key managerial functions, namely: network capacity planning; rollingstock planning; train scheduling; and maintenance planning. The major outcome of the research will be to develop an optimisation model to significantly improve the operati ....Optimisation of Rail Network Infrastructure Capacity under Dynamic Train Planning. Recent changes in railway operating environments have caused significant operational and management problems in Australia. This research will lead to improvements of railway's key managerial functions, namely: network capacity planning; rollingstock planning; train scheduling; and maintenance planning. The major outcome of the research will be to develop an optimisation model to significantly improve the operating efficiency and assets productivity of Australia's rail system. The novelty of the research is that it will be undertaken using innovations based on modern job shop scheduling and sequencing optimisation techniques as the complexity of the problem makes it impossible to solve by classic optimisation techniques.Read moreRead less
Performance Evaluation Methodologies for the Optical Internet. It will be important to Australia to be an early adopter of a next-generation Internet technology not only to ensure that the country retains its place in the world economic community of but also to ensure that its industries and citizens have access to new technologies. Techniques and methodologies emerging from this project will enable the design of Australia's future optical Internet.
The project will enable strategic decisions ....Performance Evaluation Methodologies for the Optical Internet. It will be important to Australia to be an early adopter of a next-generation Internet technology not only to ensure that the country retains its place in the world economic community of but also to ensure that its industries and citizens have access to new technologies. Techniques and methodologies emerging from this project will enable the design of Australia's future optical Internet.
The project will enable strategic decisions on the viability of new technologies, and as a result Australian service providers will have better and cheaper networks, and Australian users will enjoy better services at a lower cost.
The project will enhance the Australian knowledge base, skills base in the area of teletraffic and optical networking.
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Forensic management approach to rework mitigation and prevention in construction. Rework is the unnecessary effort of re-doing a process or activity. The direct costs of rework in construction have been reported to be as high as 25% of project costs. These rework costs would be higher if they included the intangible, but real costs of disruption caused by schedule delays, litigation, and dysfunctional contract relationships. To reduce rework in construction projects a forensic project managem ....Forensic management approach to rework mitigation and prevention in construction. Rework is the unnecessary effort of re-doing a process or activity. The direct costs of rework in construction have been reported to be as high as 25% of project costs. These rework costs would be higher if they included the intangible, but real costs of disruption caused by schedule delays, litigation, and dysfunctional contract relationships. To reduce rework in construction projects a forensic project management model that can be used to stimulate learning and process improvement will be developed, evaluated and validated. This will enable the design of strategies to reduce rework and improve the overall performance of projects.Read moreRead less
Synchromodal container logistics for Australia. Synchromodal container logistics for Australia. This project aims to develop advanced mathematical optimization models and algorithms to create multi-modal logistics approaches for container movements in and out of Australia’s busy ports. The increasingly congested capital cities of Sydney, Brisbane and Melbourne need to find new ways of moving an increasing volume of containerized freight. Moving from trucks to rail is expected to reduce pollution ....Synchromodal container logistics for Australia. Synchromodal container logistics for Australia. This project aims to develop advanced mathematical optimization models and algorithms to create multi-modal logistics approaches for container movements in and out of Australia’s busy ports. The increasingly congested capital cities of Sydney, Brisbane and Melbourne need to find new ways of moving an increasing volume of containerized freight. Moving from trucks to rail is expected to reduce pollution and road congestion, but is only possible if highly efficient modes of operation can be developed. Research into system design and operational scheduling is expected to achieve the required efficiency for multi-modal logistics that will reduce air pollution and road congestion.Read moreRead less
Risk and Reliability in Stochastic Optimisation and Equilibrium. This project seeks to develop theory and methodology in optimisation which take advantage of recent progress in understanding and treating risk in decision making. Problems of optimisation in the face of uncertainty must confront the risk inherent in having to make reliable decisions before knowing the outcomes of crucial random variables on which costs and constraints may depend. Recent theoretical developments, featuring ‘measure ....Risk and Reliability in Stochastic Optimisation and Equilibrium. This project seeks to develop theory and methodology in optimisation which take advantage of recent progress in understanding and treating risk in decision making. Problems of optimisation in the face of uncertainty must confront the risk inherent in having to make reliable decisions before knowing the outcomes of crucial random variables on which costs and constraints may depend. Recent theoretical developments, featuring ‘measures of risk’ beyond just-expected values and quantiles offer hope of major new advances. This project aims to achieve such advances not only in optimisation but also in models of equilibrium that likewise have to deal with uncertainty. Extending current theory and methodology to such multi-stage stochastic models is a challenge. Besides taking up this challenge for its own sake, a major goal of this research will be to use the results in solution algorithms.Read moreRead less
Hybrid Job Shop Techniques for Dynamic Train Scheduling. The job shop approach to dynamic train scheduling promises considerable benefits over existing approaches, and allows problems of large size and complexity to be solved with great accuracy. The application of research results in Australia has the potential to:
- reduce train delays and costs by better planning of train schedules of railway systems;
- reduce transport costs to rail customers and increase rail's market share of freight ....Hybrid Job Shop Techniques for Dynamic Train Scheduling. The job shop approach to dynamic train scheduling promises considerable benefits over existing approaches, and allows problems of large size and complexity to be solved with great accuracy. The application of research results in Australia has the potential to:
- reduce train delays and costs by better planning of train schedules of railway systems;
- reduce transport costs to rail customers and increase rail's market share of freight movements;
- enhance the ability of operators to control operations in an efficient manner and minimise conflicts;
- to increase efficiency of Australian Railway System, leading to lower operating and capital costs;
- optimise the energy consumed.
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Designing Robust Reactive Scheduling System for Emergency Medical Services. The job shop approach to reactive scheduling system for Emergency Departments promises considerable benefits over existing approaches, and allows problems of large size and complexity to be solved with great accuracy. The application of research results in Australia has the potential to:
- provide benchmarks in ED scheduling;
- reduce patients waiting times and rejections by better planning of patient schedules of em ....Designing Robust Reactive Scheduling System for Emergency Medical Services. The job shop approach to reactive scheduling system for Emergency Departments promises considerable benefits over existing approaches, and allows problems of large size and complexity to be solved with great accuracy. The application of research results in Australia has the potential to:
- provide benchmarks in ED scheduling;
- reduce patients waiting times and rejections by better planning of patient schedules of emergency departments;
- leads to less costs for staff and resources;
- enhance the ability of managers to control operations in an efficient manner and minimise conflicts; and
- to increase efficiency of emergency departments, leading to lower operating and capital cost.
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