Acquiring logistics process intelligence: Methodology and an application for a Chinese bulk port

The processes of logistics service providers are considered as highly human-centric, flexible and complex. Deviations from the standard operating procedures as described in the designed process models, are not uncommon and may result in significant uncertainties. Acquiring insight in the dynamics of the actual logistics processes can effectively assist in mitigating the uncovered risks and creating strategic advantages, which are the result of uncertainties with respectively a negative and a positive impact on the organizational objectives.In this paper a comprehensive methodology for applying process mining in logistics is presented, covering the event log extraction and preprocessing as well as the execution of exploratory, performance and conformance analyses. The applicability of the presented methodology and roadmap is demonstrated with a case study at an important Chinese port that specializes in bulk cargo.     

Visualising a knowledge mapping of information systems investment evaluation

Information systems (IS) facilitate organisations to increase responsiveness and reduce the costs of their supply chain. This paper seeks to make a contribution through exploring and visualising knowledge mapping from the perspective of IS investment evaluation. The evaluation of IS is regarded as a challenging and complex process, which becomes even more difficult with the increased complexity of IS. The intricacy of IS evaluation, however, is due to numerous interrelated factors (e.g. costs, benefits and risks) that have human or organisational dimensions. With this in mind, there appears to be an increasing need to assess investment decision-making processes, to better understand the often far-reaching implications associated with technology adoption and interrelated knowledge components (KC). Through the identification and extrapolation of key learning issues from the literature and empirical findings, organisations can better improve their business processes and thereby their effectiveness and efficiency, while preventing others from making costly oversights that may not necessarily be only financial. In seeking to enlighten the often obscure evaluation of IS investments, this paper attempts to inductively emphasise the dissemination of knowledge and learning through the application of a fuzzy Expert System (ES) based knowledge mapping technique (i.e. Fuzzy Cognitive Map [FCM]). The rationale for exploring knowledge and IS investment evaluation is that a knowledge map will materialise for others to exploit during their specific technology evaluation. This is realised through conceptualising the explicit and tacit investment drivers. Among the several findings drawn from this research, the key resulting knowledge mapping through FCM demonstrated the complex, multifaceted and emergent behaviour of causal relationships within the knowledge area. The principal relationships and knowledge within IS investment evaluation are illustrated as being determined by a blend of managerial and user perspectives.     

Paving the way for CRM success: The mediating role of knowledge management and organizational commitment

Customer relationship management (CRM) has become one of the most influential technologies in the world, and companies are increasingly implementing it to create value. However, despite significant investment in CRM technology infrastructure, empirical research offers inconsistent support for its positive impact on performance. This study develops and tests a research model analyzing the process through which CRM technology infrastructure translates into organizational performance, drawing on the resource-based view (RBV) and the knowledge-based view (KBV) of the firm. Based on an international sample of 125 hotels, the results suggest that organizational commitment and knowledge management fully mediate this process.     

Task-driven learning: The antecedents and outcomes of internal and external knowledge sourcing

The degree to which individuals leverage knowledge resources influences their effectiveness and may shape their organizations’ competitive advantage. We examine the ways in which tasks with different characteristics affect individuals’ use of internal and external knowledge and the outcomes of such behaviors. Our analysis reveals that interdependent and non-routine tasks drive internal knowledge sourcing, while complex tasks motivate external knowledge sourcing. Internal and external knowledge sourcing activities contribute to individuals’ cognitive adaptation and innovation, with a negative interaction between them, while cognitive replication benefits only from internal knowledge sourcing. These findings can help managers better satisfy individuals’ knowledge needs and achieve intended organizational outcomes.     

A unified theory on solid-liquid separation: Filtration, expression, sedimentation, filtration by centrifugal force, and cross flow filtration

Based upon a new conception that the solid compressive pressure on a cake surface is not null, almost of all solid-liquid separation operations have been re-examined. For cake filtration, the phenomenon caused by the solid compressive pressure on a cake surface is discussed for thin cake. New expression and hindered sed-imentation theories are developed by above new conception using Darcy’s equation. Application of the new conception to centrifugal filtration and tangential filtration is also discussed. Above results lead to the conclusion that cake filtration, expression, hindered sedimentation, centrifugal filtration and tangential filtration can be described with a unified theory, and the main difference between the operations is only the boundary condition of cake.     

Modeling and verifying probabilistic Multi-Agent Systems using knowledge and social commitments

Multi-Agent Systems (MASs) have long been modeled through knowledge and social commitments independently. In this paper, we present a new method that merges the two concepts to model and verify MASs in the presence of uncertainty. To express knowledge and social commitments simultaneously in uncertain settings, we define a new multi-modal logic called Probabilistic Computation Tree Logic of Knowledge and Commitments (PCTL^kc in short) which combines two existing probabilistic logics namely, probabilistic logic of knowledge PCTLK and probabilistic logic of commitments PCTLC. To model stochastic MASs, we present a new version of interpreted systems that captures the probabilistic behavior and accounts for the communication between interacting components. Then, we introduce a new probabilistic model checking procedure to check the compliance of target systems against some desirable properties written in PCTL^kc and report the obtained verification results. Our proposed model checking technique is reduction-based and consists in transforming the problem of model checking PCTL^kc into the problem of model checking a well established logic, namely PCTL. So doing provides us with the privilege of re-using the PRISM model checker to implement the proposed model checking approach. Finally, we demonstrate the effectiveness of our approach by presenting a real case study. This framework can be considered as a step forward towards closing the gap of capturing interactions between knowledge and social commitments in stochastic agent-based systems.     

基于并行工程的中空吹塑模集成系统研究

针对采用传统的串行模式进行中空吹塑模具设计和制造中存在的问题,提出基于并行工程的中空吹塑模集成系统流程,使其贯穿于中空吹塑成型的共性机理研究、制品设计、模具设计与制造和试模的全过程,并讨论制品设计与模具CAD/CAE/CAM的并行设计、中空吹塑产品的特征建模、中空吹塑模CAD/CAE/CAM知识和规则处理机制等关键技术。     

正则表达式在Word中的应用

微软在Word 2000及后续所有版本中,提供基于正则表达式的查找替换功能,可对文中符合正则表达式规则的文字实现一次定位选中,并可对查找到的文字按照替换表达式进行批量替换。Word正则表达式提供包括转义符、限定符、定位符、字符集合、分组符、反向引用等元字符功能。Word正则表达式可结合文本格式功能实现联合查找。     

Development of modified stokes expression to model the behavior of expanded beds containing polydisperse resins for protein adsorption

Expanded bed behavior was modeled by using the Richardson-Zaki correlation between the superficial velocity of the feed stream and the void fraction of the bed. A polydisperse material, Chelating excellose® (70-210 Μm in diameter, 1.21 g/cm³ in density), which has Ni²⁺ ions for the selective binding of histidine-tagged proteins, was used as the resin. A method to modify the Stokes expression to express the terminal settling velocity of the resins by introducing two empirical parameters, the effective diameter of the resins and an exponent for(ρ _p -ρ)/Μ term, was developed. Combined use of the Richardson-Zaki correlation and the modified Stokes expression was successful in modeling the bed expansion by incorporating physical properties of feed streams and the resins.