A decision support
system to facilitate
resources allocation:
an OLAP-based neural
network approach
H.C.W. Lau
A. Ning
W.H. Ip and
K.L. Choy
The authors
H.C.W. Lau, A. Ning, W.H. Ip and K.L. Choy are all based
at Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hunghom, Kowloon,
Hong Kong.
Keywords
Decision support systems, Resource allocation, Neural nets,
Artificial intelligence
Abstract
The emergence of advanced information technologies
strengthens the capability to the entrepreneur to manage and
manipulate data. However, the quality of information, the
capability of providing the right information to the right person,
and the utilization of information are still in doubt. Therefore,
increasing numbers of firms have realized and started to develop
as well as improve their existing information systems to fit the
ever-changing business needs of the organization to support
decision-making for the volatile business environment. Indeed,
previous research studies have found that logistics management
is the great frontier of cost reduction. Therefore, in this paper, an
infrastructure of a decision support system is proposed to
capture and maintain the business and resources allocation
information with the adoption of the neural network for its
artificial intelligent characteristic that mimic the operation of
human brain to generate solutions systematically. The proposed
system is adopted by a shipping company to assist allocation of
containers.
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Introduction
Enterprise nowadays is facing global competition;
being able to have competitive edge with continual
improvement, operate in low cost, and response to
customer demands becomes the key of survival.
It is especially difficult for companies whose
operating costs are relying on high investment in
assets; the only way to reduce cost of operation is
to reduce complexity of workflow and to utilize the
resources within the company.
Tremendous amount of data that are related to
business operations and decisions are flooding into
business. There is no doubt that data is one of the
organization’s most valuable resources. However,
not many organizations are able to fully utilize their
available data to assist decision-making and daily
operations, which directly affect the
competitiveness in the market. Therefore, it is
crucial to be able to generate the right information
and deliver the information to the right person at
the right time. Indeed, the major activity of
business operation lies on the systematic
processing of knowledge to create value for
customers. The key to build a successful enterprise
depends heavily on the agility of the company to
face the ever-changing business environment.
Evidence to date suggested that extensive delays in
the delivery schedule, quality problems, cost
overruns, and increasing clams and litigation have
caused serious harm to the companies. In order to
simplify workflow and utilize the resources in the
organization by closing monitor the available
resources, the company reengineers the workflow
processes and reallocates the available resources.
In this paper, a framework of a resources
management system is proposed to control
resources consumption within organization, which
would also affect the workflow processes in a
positive way.
Related studies
Number of research studies have been performed
to propose an information System framework to
manage supply chain network and logistics.
However, most of them are focused on information
exchange between companies and vendors, and
companies and customers, not many of them have
proposed any strategically developed system or
even addressed the needs in managing the physical
segment – transportation management, of supply
chain and logistics management.
Journal of Manufacturing Technology Management
Volume 15 · Number 8 · 2004 · pp. 771–778
q Emerald Group Publishing Limited · ISSN 1741-038X
DOI 10.1108/17410380410565357
Received: 27 June 2003
Accepted: 17 February 2004
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