Analysis of Factors Affecting Technology Acceptance by Iranian Movie Producers

Since investment on cinematic technologies imposes excessive costs on authorities, acceptance of these technologies among its users has an important role in their success and final efficiency. The purpose of this study was to analyze factors influencing on acceptance of technology among Tehran cinematic artists. In this study, at first, by collecting information from the library, determinant variables of usage of new technologies were specified. On this basis, in addition to the variables of model of acceptance of technology, social influence, resistance to change and self- efficacy were studied. In next stage, for surveying the effect of studied components, closed- end 27- items questionnaire was used for collecting data. The measurement tools in this study were the established questionnaire made of a technology acceptance model. The number of sample was determined equal to 211 according to the preliminary study that samples included Tehran cinematic actors. Based on the results, all variables, except for resistance to change and self- efficacy of computer that had meaningful difference less than average, other had meaningful difference more or equal to average. Mean difference of attitude toward usage of technology and of social influence was meaningful in different graduate ranges and mean of other factors shows no meaningful difference in different graduate ranges. All assumptions were confirmed in 5% meaningful level. Keywords: Technology Acceptance Model, Cinema, Social Influence, Resistance to Change, Self- Efficacy.</jats:p

Enabling same-day delivery using a drone resupply model with transshipment points

We study a hybrid logistics delivery model which incorporates trucks and drones. In this model, named the Drone Resupply Model with Transshipment Points (DRMTP), drones are used to resupply transshipment points where trucks visit to pick up packages for delivery to customers. A simulation model is developed to simulate the delivery operations. The model is evaluated in two case studies in an urban area and a suburban area in Massachusetts, USA. Using this resupply model, the average delivery time is reduced compared to the conventional truck-only delivery model. The experimental results in the suburban region show that the DRMTP model with one transshipment point achieves 36% lower delivery time compared to the truck-only model. In the urban region, the model with four transshipment points obtains 66% delivery time reduction compared to the truck-only model. The results indicate that the proposed model can be used to enhance the efficiency of the last-mile delivery operations.publishedVersio

Optimization Modeling and Analysis of Customer-Centric Delivery Logistics

Distribution of products and services is an essential part of production and service systems. Customer-centric delivery systems that are considered in this research are a class of logistics systems that focuses on minimizing the delivery time by making decisions on questions such as vehicle routing, locations of distribution centers, and capacity planning. The minimum delivery time plays a crucial role in both disaster relief operations and commercial delivery systems. While disaster relief logistics seek to minimize loss and damage, commercial delivery systems aim at enhancing customer satisfaction and profit maximization. In this research, first a taxonomy of customer-centric routing problems is developed. Then, the first part of the research considers the customer-centric routing problems with large customer demands which result in split delivery among more than a vehicle. Assuming multiple commodities are distributed to customers, the goal is to find the optimal routes of the vehicles allowing the split delivery. This problem is mathematically formulated in two models and valid inequalities are provided to enhance the understandings of the problem and strengthen the computational performance of the mathematical models. The properties of the problem are used to develop an efficient algorithm which combines the concepts and operators of Simulated Annealing and Variable Neighborhood Search. The second part of the research studies the customer-centric routing problems in combination with location problem due to their interrelated nature. In this research, the goal is to decide distribution center locations and vehicle routes simultaneously to minimize delivery time. The problem is formulated and two efficient metaheuristic algorithms are designed to deal with large-scale problems: Memetic Algorithm (MA) and Recursive Granular Algorithm (RGA). In the third study, the goal is to study how we can benefit from the emerging “drone technology” in reducing delivery time. This research assumes a combined system of vehicles and drones in which a vehicle carries both supplies and drones and launches drones at some points in its route to deliver packages to recipients. The objective is to decide vehicle route, drone launching locations, and customers to serve by the vehicle and drones. The problem is then extended to the multi-trip case in which each drone can be relaunched to serve several customers at each stop. These problems are mathematically formulated and a bound analysis is conducted to investigate the maximum possible savings achievable by employing drones. The models are tested and analyzed in various hypothetical problems and in a case study developed upon Richmond, Virginia

Application and roles of management science tools and techniques to effective decision making in the academic settings

AbstractThe major purpose of the study was to discover to what extent selected educational systems were using specified management science tools and techniques in their decision making processes. The familiarity of the administrators and the employees with such techniques, and which of the models were used the most were also studied. Finally, the purpose of study was to discover economic and managerial benefits provided by using MS. methods. The results indicated that although academic administrators of Southern California universities used management science models and techniques, but the models were used less than industrial and business organizations

The Crack Resolution Required to Ensure Fatigue Life of a Rescue Submarine’s Transfer Skirt

Transfer skirt (TS) is a structure with spherical asymmetric sectors, which is connected to a rescue submarine and used to transfer crew between two submarines in the depth of the sea. When this structure is connected to the disabled submarine in deep, it is under violent stresses that when repeated, cause fatigue damage at sensitive regions such as welded joints. In this article, based on the Paris crack growth equation and fracture mechanics criteria in BS 7910 standard, a code is developed, by which the fatigue life of the transfer skirt structure containing various initial crack sizes is evaluated. Stress analysis is performed in order to acquire the stress distribution and to determine the stress concentration spots at the welded joints. At last, regarding the relationship between crack length and prospected life under various conditions, the minimum resolution required for examination instruments to identify defects in the welds is resolved. It seems that a permissible size of an initial crack in the welds of a transfer skirt enduring 50000 fatigue cycles is the utmost 0.65mm.</jats:p