International Journal of Advanced Operations Management (4 papers in press)

Regular Issues

• The Design of a Knowledge-based System for Quality Management in Healthcare: Case Study  
  by Yousuf Al Khamisi, Mohammed Khurshid Khan, Edurardu Munive-Hernandez 
  Abstract: The current healthcare systems have numerous gaps that need to be filled to reach the best practice. Healthcare organizations have used different Quality Management (QM) tools to monitor and control its services. This paper presents a novel approach to design and validate a hybrid Knowledge-Based System (KBS) to evaluate QM of healthcare Environment (QMHE) using a hybrid system that has not been used before. The proposed system will be combined with Gauge Absence Perquisite (GAP) method to sustain a successful operation of the large number of Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) that involved in QMHE and to detect the gap between each KPI and the anticipated point. Employment of KB system offers the chance to deal with users in an appropriate way and to support in the decision-making process. Moreover, by including instructive features, the KB system can be used as a learning device for quality managers in healthcare organizations. It firstly focuses on the KB components, followed by the GAP methodology and then the application of the KB-QMHE at a tertiary hospital in Oman. Finally, a summary of the complete KB-QMHE outcomes of its application there is shown. The system will support the healthcare governance to enhance the patient safety culture and QM efficiency. Out of 354 KB rules answered, the system has categorised 225 as GPs and the remaining 128 as BPs. The 128 bad points are categorised into different problem categories (20 PC-1, 34 PC-2, 34 PC-3, 40 PC-4, and 0 PC-5) where they represent the actions that need to be enhanced to reach the desired level of quality management.
  Keywords: Knowledge based (KB) – Gauging Absence of Pre-requisite (GAP) - Quality Management in Healthcare (QMHC) - Expert System (ES).
  
  
• MINIMISING THE MAKESPAN IN OPEN SHOP SCHEDULING PROBLEMS USING VARIANTS OF DISCRETE FIREFLY ALGORITHM  
  by Hussain Lal, Vishnu K R, A. Noorul Haq 
  Abstract: Minimising makespan in open shop scheduling problem is the aim of this research work. The scheduling problems consist of n jobs and m machines, in which each job has Ooperations. The processing time for 50 open shop scheduling problems was generated using a linear congruential random number generator. A non-traditional algorithm called Discrete Firefly Algorithm is proposed to minimise the makespan of open shop scheduling problems and this method is referred as A1. Discrete Firefly Algorithm is also hybridized along with other heuristic algorithms in two ways: i). Firefly Algorithm is hybridized with Longest Total Remaining Processing on other Machines and local search algorithms which is referred as A2. ii). Firefly Algorithm is hybridized with Simulated Annealing and referred as A3. Novelty of this work focuses on the application of open shop scheduling problems in quality control of a production industry.
  Keywords: Makespan; Discrete Firefly Algorithm; Hybrid Meta-heuristic Algorithms.
  
  
• A stochastic model of a production-inventory system with consideration of production disruption  
  by Rubayet Karim, Koichi Nakade 
  Abstract: In this paper, we develop a stochastic production-inventory model that faces random production disruption. In each fixed time planning horizon, the inventory position is affected by production disruption. The production disruption time and the disruption recovery time in a single planning horizon are stochastic. The process of the inventory levels at the beginning of the time horizon is formulated by using a finite state discrete-time Markov chain. We derive expressions of the transition probability and the long-run average cost. The optimum solution is obtained through numerical experiments. The result shows that under the circumstance of production time constraint, the incorporation of safety stock in a disruption prone production inventory system helps to minimize the long run average cost. Finally, sensitivity analysis has been given to demonstrate the usefulness of the model. This model assists decision makers to not only determine the optimal safety stock quantity but also reveal distinct effect and/or joint impacts of individual cost parameters, disruption probability on the decision regarding selection of safety stock.
  Keywords: disruption recovery time; production disruption; production-inventory system; safety stock; optimization.
  
  
• Analysis of the Cold Chain in the Hospital Pharmacy: Case of the University Hospital Center in Morocco  
  by Manal Tamir, Fatima Ouzayd, Raddouane Chiheb, Hajar Mansouri 
  Abstract: The drugs market has experienced lately a significant diversification in the types of medical treatments and some of them use medicines that require a mode of preservation under specific temperature ranges. In fact, the purpose of the drugs cold chain is to guarantee the respect of these temperature ranges throughout the drug circuit, namely transport and storage until the administration to patients. Actually, a large number of healthcare organizations suffer from the defectiveness of the cold chain products following the non-compliance of the required temperatures. Sometimes, the defect is not detected due to temperature traceability problems and the products can be administrated to the patients and have serious effects on their health. The main purpose of this paper is then to analyze the cold chain in the hospital pharmacy. The analysis will concern the general cartography proposed in this paper, namely the different actors and procedures of this chain. Finally, the failures of the drugs cold chain in the Moroccan regulation will be analysed and thus will be proposed the different orientations that the government must adopt in order to follow the progress of the international regulation.
  Keywords: cold chain; drugs; hospital pharmacy; analysis; cartography; domestic regulation; international regulations.