Haskayne School of Business
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The Haskayne School of Business was founded at the University of Calgary in 1967, and was named in honour of Richard F. Haskayne, OC, AOE, FCA in 2002.
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Browsing Haskayne School of Business by Department "Operations Management"
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- ItemOpen AccessActive Learning in an Undergraduate Management Science Course Through the Use of a Mobile Computer Lab(Inderscience Publishers, 2009) Bischak, Diane; Eliasson, Janice B.; Snider, Brent R.Our business school’s undergraduate degree program includes a required spreadsheet management science course taught at the third-year level. Employers, faculty, and students consistently indicated that this course was not successful in teaching management science or even basic spreadsheet modeling skills. To improve students’ understanding and retention of the course content, we purchased and implemented a “mobile computer lab” that could be set up in a regular classroom. We discuss how the lab supported a change to active learning, in which informal student groups would “discover” management science techniques, and we provide some examples of the exercises we have incorporated in the course. For instructors who are interested in implementing a mobile lab, we also provide details on the infrastructure of the lab, costs, software and hardware security, and classroom logistics.
- ItemOpen AccessThe Alaska Salmon enhancement program: a cost/benefit analysis(Marine Resource Economics Foundation Inc., 1993) Bischak, Diane; Boyce, J.R.; Herrmann, M.L.; Greenberg, J.In May 1991. the Alaska Senate's Special Committee on Domestic and International Commercial Fisheries iniiiated the first review ofthe state's salmon enhancement program since its inception 20 years ago. As part of this review, a ccstlhenefu analysis ofthe State's enhancement program for salmon was performed with cooperation from the Fisheries Research Fnhancement Division ofthe Alaska Department of Fish and Game. The main results are that the additional producer's surplus generated by the pink and sockeye hatchery programs are estimated to be less than the costs of running these programs. Eliminating the entire pink or sockeye salmon programs is estimated to increase net benefits by about 8% and 6%. respectively. A 15% increase in either program is estimated to result in a reduction in net benefits and a 15% decrease in either program is estimated to result in a slight increase in net benefits. Estimates of the confidence intervals for net benefits suggest that the gains from the elimination of either the pink program or the sockeye program are statistically different from zero. However, changes of plus or minus 15% of current hatchery production are found not to statistically affect net benefits.
- ItemOpen AccessAn Analysis of Factors affecting Cross Docking Operations(Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals (CSCMP), 2010) Balakrishnan, Jaydeep; Yang, Kum Khiong; Cheng, Chun HungUsing a simulation model of a cross dock, we examine the impacts of various options on moving freight between inbound and outbound trailers. The decisions examined include direct versus indirect handling of pallets, number of open receiving doors, door layout, number of forklifts, size of cross dock and freight mix. This study provides useful insights into handling freight in a cross dock.
- ItemOpen AccessThe Application of Single-Pass Heuristics for U-Lines(Elsevier, 2009) Balakrishnan, Jaydeep; Cheng, Chun-Hung; Ho, Kin-Chuen; Yang, Kum KhiongU-lines have been adopted in many manufacturing settings as part of JIT implementation. In this paper, we examine the applicability of existing straight-line heuristics for obtaining a balance on a U-line. We modify 13 single-pass heuristics and study the effectiveness of various heuristics under different problem conditions. An extensive computational study is carried out to help identify the best heuristics. In addition, we compare recent U-line procedures with a single-pass heuristic using some literature problems. Based on a single-pass heuristic, we compare the configurations of a straight- and U-line.
- ItemOpen AccessApplying Quality Function Deployment in Food Safety Management(Emerald, 2010) Balakrishnan, Jaydeep; Sweet, Tim; Robertson, Brad; MacFarlane, Jennifer; Karim, SarahStructured Abstract: Purpose of this paper This paper reports on a case study conducted to help plan a rollout process for Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) type food safety policies at a frozen pie facility in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. Design/methodology/approach Existing company policies were prioritized using a Quality Function Deployment tool, which quantified the qualitative material in the original manual based on a number of developed criteria. Interrelations between the different required tasks were also quantified to facilitate effective implementation. Findings The use of Quality Function Deployment was shown to be useful in speeding up the implementation of food safety policies in the facility Practical implications (if applicable) Quality Function Deployment, originally from new product design, proved a useful one when applied to HACCP implementation. What is original/value of paper. This paper discusses the use of product development tools to facilitate the effective introduction of HACCP like procedures. Thus it will be of use to academics and practitioners interested in HACCP implementation.
- ItemOpen AccessBayesian Estimation of the Rate at Which a Process, Monitored by an X Chart, Goes Out of Control(Taylor & Francis, 2004) Bischak, Diane; Silver, Edward A.We consider a process that is monitored by an X chart. It is assumed that the process may go out of control due to the occurrence of any of several independent assignable causes. The time until each specific assignable cause occurs is exponential, but the distributional parameters of the various causes are unknown and are not necessarily identical. A Bayesian approach is used to estimate these parameters. The approach encompasses prior knowledge about the parameters as well as observations of the process, including when the out-of-control situation was detected and the associated assignable cause. Numerical illustrations are provided that indicate how the posterior results depend upon the choice of the parameters of the prior distributions.
- ItemOpen AccessCompensation-based incentives, ERP, and delivery performance: analysis from production and improvement perspectives(Emerald, 2013) da Silveira, Giovani J. C.; Snider, Brent; Balakrishnan, JaydeepPurpose – This research investigates the role of compensation-based incentives in relationships between Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) usage and delivery performance in manufacturing. Design/methodology/approach – We carry out two studies exploring links between ERP, incentives, and performance from alternative perspectives: (i) of incentives tied to regular production activities, and their relationship with delivery performance advantage over competitors, and (ii) of incentives tied to improvement activities, and their relationship with delivery performance improvements. Statistical analysis is carried out on data from 698 metal working manufacturers from 22 countries, giving a broad cross sectional view of a global industry. Findings – The studies indicate that ERP usage relates positively with both delivery advantage and delivery improvements. Furthermore, incentives tied to improvement initiatives may explain delivery improvements both directly and as moderators in the relationship between ERP and performance. Research implications – The results suggest that ERP adoption can be framed as a principal-agency phenomenon where performance outcomes are partially influenced by incentives. Practical implications – The results imply that incentives tied to improvement initiatives may foster employee engagement with the new ERP, leading to stronger delivery performance benefits. Originality/value – To the best of our knowledge, this is the first research to explore ERP usage as a principal-agency problem, and to analyse its relationships with incentives under alternative performance perspectives. The results may significantly contribute to the knowledge of ERP-performance relationships and the role of incentives.
- ItemOpen AccessDetermining the Reorder Point and Order-Up-To-Level in a Periodic Review System So As to Achieve a Desired Fill Rate and a Desired Average Time Between Replenishments(Palgrave Macmillan, 2009) Bischak, Diane; Silver, Edward A; Naseraldin, HusseinIn this paper we consider a periodic review, reorder point, order-up-to-level system, a type commonly used in practice. Motivated by a specific practical context, we present a novel approach to determining the reorder point and order-up-to-level (for a given review interval) so as to target desired values of i) customer fill rate and ii) average time between consecutive replenishments. Specifically, by using a diffusion model (producing normally distributed demand) we convert a periodic review, constant lead time setting into one having continuous review and a random lead time. The method is simple to implement and produces quite reasonable results.
- ItemOpen AccessAn efficient method for calculating the minimum distance from an operating point to a specific (hyberbolic) efficient frontier(Oxford University Press, 2009) Bischak, Diane; Silver, E.A.; da Silveira, G.J.C.This paper is concerned with movement from a current operating point so as to reach a two-dimensional, efficient frontier. After a discussion of different criteria for deciding on which point on the frontier to target, we focus, as an illustration, on a particular inventory management context and use of the criterion of minimum distance from the current point to the frontier. Specifically, the efficient frontier turns out to be an hyperbola in a two-dimensional representation of total (across a population of items) average stock (in monetary units) versus total fixed costs of replenishments per year. Any current (or proposed) operating strategy, differing from the class along the frontier, is located above the frontier. Finding the minimum distance from the current point to the frontier requires determining the smallest root of a quartic equation within a restricted range.
- ItemOpen AccessERP implementation at SMEs: analysis of five Canadian cases(Emerald Group Publishing Limited, 2009) Balakrishnan, Jaydeep; Snider, Brent; Silveira, Giovani J.C. daAbstract: Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to explore the critical success factors (CSFs) of enterprise resource planning (ERP) system implementation in small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Design/methodology/approach – Five case studies of Canadian SMEs were conducted. They included interviewing individuals from five roles at each organization and gathering project documents. Following an evaluation of each project's success (within-case analysis), cross-case analysis was conducted to elicit influential and distinctive factors. Findings – Factors were identified that appeared to explain variation between successful and unsuccessful implementations at SMEs, besides factors that appeared to be innovative or counter-intuitive in light of the established literature. Research limitations/implications – The study reinforces the need for more research that is focused on SMEs. All cases were of Canadian SMEs with either a manufacturing or distribution focus, potentially limiting the generalizability of findings to other industries or countries. Practical implications – By identifying relevant CSFs for SMEs, managers can better prioritize implementation efforts and resources to maximize success of ERP implementations. Originality/value – The paper appears to be one of the first studies to focus on the CSFs of ERP implementation at SMEs.
- ItemOpen AccessEstimating the Out-of-Control Rate from Control Chart Data in the Presence of Multiple Causes and Process Improvement(Taylor & Francis, 2004) Bischak, Diane; Silver, Edward A.We consider a process that is monitored with an X chart. The process may go out of control due to the occurrence of one of several independent assignable causes. After the process has gone out of control and the assignable cause has been determined, the process undergoes improvement that results in a reduction of the rate due to that cause. We develop a Bayesian estimator of the rate at which the process is going out of control as well as of the rates of the individual assignable causes. The estimation procedure makes use of the Markov chain Monte Carlo technique of data augmentation. We provide numerical illustrations that indicate how the posterior results depend upon the data and upon the choice of the parameters of the prior distributions.
- ItemOpen AccessThe Exact Fill Rate in a Periodic Review Base Stock System under Normally Distributed Demand(Elsevier, 2011) Silver, Edward A.; Bischak, Diane P.In this paper we consider a periodic review order-up-to-level (or base stock) inventory control system under normally distributed demand. For such circumstances an expression for the exact fill rate (fraction of demand satisfied without backordering) has been available in the literature but has not been widely known, let alone used by practitioners. In this paper we redevelop the expression and contrast our derivation with the earlier published one. The paper has two purposes. First, we hope that the reappearance of the exact result in this journal will lead to its wider adoption. Second, showing two contrasting approaches to obtaining the same result may be useful for both research and pedagogical purposes.
- ItemOpen AccessModeling patient service centers with simulation and system dynamics(Springer Verlag, 2007) Bischak, Diane; Rohleder, Thomas R.; Baskin, Leland B.We report on the use of simulation modeling for redesigning phlebotomy and specimen collection centers (or patient service centers) at a medical diagnostic laboratory. Research was performed in an effort to improve patient service, in particular to reduce average waiting times as well as their variability. Discrete-event simulation modeling provided valuable input into new facility design decisions and showed the efficacy of pooling sources of variation, particularly patient demand and service times. Initial performance of the redesigned facilities was positive; however, dynamic feedback within the system of service centers eventually resulted in unanticipated performance problems. We show how a system dynamics model might have helped predict these implementation problems and suggest some ways to improve results.
- ItemOpen AccessMULTILEVEL CORPORATE RESPONSIBILITY: A COMPARISON OF GANDHI’S TRUSTEESHIP WITH STAKEHOLDER AND STEWARDSHIP FRAMEWORKS(Springer, 2015-06) Balakrishnan, Jaydeep; Malhotra, Ayesha; Falkenberg, LorenMohandas Karamchand “Mahatma” Gandhi discussed corporate responsibility (CR) and business ethics over several decades of the 20th century. His views are still influential in modern India. In this paper, we highlight Gandhi’s cross-level CR framework, which operates at institutional, organizational, and individual levels. We also outline how the Tata Group, one of India’s largest conglomerates, has historically applied and continues to utilize Gandhi’s concept of trusteeship. We then compare Gandhi’s framework to modern notions of stakeholder and stewardship management. We conclude that trusteeship has strong potential to help firms and their stakeholders achieve shared value by: (a) considering the interactions between individual, organizational, and institutional factors and; (b) paying attention to a range of multi-level (reciprocal) stakeholder obligations.
- ItemOpen AccessA Quantitative Model for Understanding Multiple Vendor IT Outsourcing(Inderscience Publishers, 2010) Balakrishnan, Jaydeep; Sounderpandian, Jayavel; Cheng, Chun-Hung; Wong, Wai-ChiIn this research, we analyse information technology (IT) outsourcing decisions involving multiple vendors and apply modelling techniques to systematically evaluate such outsourcing decisions. We take costs of in-house production, outsourcing, and coordination into consideration simultaneously. Further we also consider the performance of vendors. To make our work more adaptable, we make different assumptions on the interaction of different jobs. For a case considering the interaction of a pair of jobs at a time, a linear model is formulated. An example problem is solved using a practical spreadsheet based optimiser and the managerial use of this model in decision support is emphasised. For a case considering multiple-way interactions among jobs, we formulate a non-linear model. We discuss how to reformulate and solve an equivalent linearised model. An example problem is also presented for illustrative purposes.
- ItemOpen AccessThe rate of false signals in X-bar control charts with estimated limits(American Society for Quality, 2007) Bischak, Diane; Trietsch, DanThe in-control statistical properties of X-bar charts have usually been studied from the perspective of the average run length (ARL) until the first (false) signal, known as the in-control ARL. We argue that the ARL is a confusing concept when used with charts with estimated limits and that the rate of false signals (RFS), which focuses on the behavior of charts during extended use, is more intuitive. We use the RFS to illustrate graphically the dangers of using too few subgroups to estimate control limits. We also discuss diffidence charts, which make the inherent uncertainty concerning RFS observable to the practitioner and thus help the practitioner determine what is an acceptable number of subgroups for a given charting application.
- ItemOpen AccessThe Role of Political Parties in the Organization of Congress(Oxford University Press, 2002) Bischak, Diane; Boyce, John R.Theory and evidence on political party competition in the U. S. Congress and its effect on the compositions of committees is considered. Parties compete over multiple policy dimensions by allocating party members to committees. The leadership of each party simultaneously and non-cooperatively selects its committees’ membership in order to maximize the joint utility of its members, taking into account how the committee membership affects the legislation adopted by the legislature. Parties are constrained both by institutional rules and by the heterogeneity of party members’ preferences in their allocation of members across committees. These restrictions mean that to gain an edge in one policy dimension, a party must give ground elsewhere. Interest group ratings from the U.S. House of Representatives provide evidence that the parties stack of committees in a manner consistent with the predictions of the theoretical model. Indeed, tests of alternative hypotheses reveal that these hypotheses explain at best only half of the committees in the U. S. Congress, while the party competition hypothesis is consistent with the overall structure of the committees.
- ItemOpen AccessUsing Simulation Modeling to Improve Patient Flow at an Outpatient Orthopedic Clinic(Springer Verlag, 2011) Bischak, Diane; Rohleder, Thomas R.; Lewkonia, Peter; Duffy, Paul; Hendijani, RosaWe report on the use of discrete event simulation modeling to support process improvements at an orthopedic outpatient clinic. The clinic was effective in treating patients, but waiting time and congestion in the clinic created patient dissatisfaction and staff morale issues. The modeling helped to identify improvement alternatives including optimized staffing levels, better patient scheduling, and an emphasis on staff arriving promptly. Quantitative results from the modeling provided motivation to implement the improvements. Statistical analysis of data taken before and after the implementation indicate that waiting time measures were significantly improved and overall patient time in the clinic was reduced.