Conference Schedule By Tracks see schedule by room/time back to IEMS main Page

Automation/Soft Computing:

Chair: Andrzej Gapinski, Penn State University, ajg2@psu.edu

Session 1: Wednesday March 11, 8:00 am Heron room, Andrej Gapinski, session chair.

Karla Moore and Isabelina Nahmens
Assessing Wireless Technology to Improve Building Inspection Process
This research attempts to assess the effectiveness of using the appropriate wireless technologies based on the Building Department needs. The evaluation criteria include performance, reliability, risk, and cost of the wireless technology. Lessons learned from this evaluation study are discussed and used to proposed guidelines for selecting and implementing wireless technology to improve the building inspection process. Findings from this research will contribute to a better understanding of the applicability of wireless technology in process improvement.

Andrzej J. Gapinski
Power Measurements in EET: Case of Programmable Meter on a Budget
Power measurements are important part of electrical technology laboratory practicum. The laboratory measurement equipment available on the market is not inexpensive, which puts instructors on a lookout for the more affordable alternatives. The purpose of the note is to acquaint the educational engineering technology community with one such an alternative.

Zhao Zhang
Multi-loop Feedback and Cascaded Control System Simulation Using Armfield Plant Trainer
Armfield PCT23 plant trainer is used to simulate different kind of closed-loop feedback control system. From the simplest single loop On-Off control system to up to five feedback control loops with cascaded control system. Each controller can be setup as proportional-only or proportional with integral and derivative feedbacks. The simulations help the students with hands on experiences of real world control systems.

Computer Engineering

Chair: Ron Krahe, Penn State Erie, rpk3@psu.edu

There will be no session this year.

Construction Management/Project Management:

Co-chair: Mostafa Khattab, Colorado State University, mostafa.khattab@colostate.edu
Co-chair: Steve Allen, Truman State University, sallen@truman.edu

Session 1: Tuesday March 10, 3:00 pm Egret room, Mostafa Khattab and Steve Allen, session co-chairs.

Kedsuda Limsila and Sayamol Jaiboon
Relationship between Personality and Work Performance of Civil Engineers in the Construction Projects
Findings from this research clearly verify the influences of different types of personality traits on work performances and job satisfaction of civil engineers working in the construction projects. By applying the result in practice, construction companies can utilize it to recruit suitable employees or allocate work appropriately to fit with different personalities of people in order that they will produce high work performance and reap increased productivity for the organizations as a consequence.

Sandra Archer, Robert L. Armacost and Julia Pet-Armacost
Effectiveness of Resource Buffers for the Stochastic Insertion Problem
This paper describes the development and testing of a new predictive scheduling technique for the Stochastic Resource Constrained Project Scheduling Problem (SRCPSP) with Stochastic Task Insertion (STI). This technique uses information about overall project and individual task resource usage to determine appropriate buffers sizes in the initial baseline schedule.

Decision Making in Management and Engineering:

Chair: Ertugrul Karsak, Galatasaray University, ekarsak@gsu.edu.tr

Session 1: Monday March 9, 4:30 pm Egret Room, E. Ertugrul Karsak, session chair

Emre Alptekin, A. Kugcumen and Gülfem Alptekin
Defining Core Competencies of an Organization: A Case Study on Library
Core competency has the major objective of defining the strengths and weaknesses of an organization. In this paper, we have integrated the Analytical Hierarchy Process into the core competency concept and applied it into the university library system. As the outcome, we have shown the effects of the competencies to the overall performance of a system.

S. Emre Alptekin and E. Ertugrul Karsak
An Integrated Decision Framework for Evaluating and Selecting E-Learning Products
A sound decision methodology for evaluating and selecting e-learning products should consider multiple and conflicting criteria and the interactions among them. In this paper, a decision framework which employs quality function deployment (QFD), fuzzy linear regression and optimization is presented for e-learning product selection. QFD focuses on delivering value by considering the customer needs and then by deploying this information throughout the development process, and the proposed approach applies this perspective to e-learning product selection. The potential use of the proposed decision framework is illustrated through an application on e-learning products offered by the universities.

S. Emre Alptekin and E. Ertugrul Karsak
E-Learning Product Design Using Quality Function Deployment and Fuzzy Regression
Quality function deployment (QFD) is proposed to allocate resources and to coordinate skills and functions based on customer needs in e-learning product development. Differing from earlier QFD applications, the proposed methodology employs fuzzy regression analysis to determine the parameters of functional relationships between customer needs and product technical requirements, and among product technical requirements themselves. Since fuzzy regression is a viable alternative approach for determining the values for these relationships, it improves the applicability of QFD as a decision support tool for designing an e-learning product, and thus, providing a roadmap for e-learning product developers.

Decision Support Systems:

Chair: Dia Ali, University of Southern Mississippi

Session 1: Tuesday March 10, 8:00 am Egret Room, Dia Ali, session chair

Jean Gourd
A Web Services Based Approach to Mobile Agent Migration and Security
Current mobile agent technology lacks standardization and often requires specialized software. In this paper, we present a web services based mobile agent migration and security architecture that allows mobile agents to securely migrate from host to host via web services, thus marrying web service standards with the advantages of mobile agents.

Jeremy Kackley, Paulus Wahjudi, and Dia Ali
A Mobile Agent Simulator
We propose a mobile agent network simulator. Our simulator is focused on mobile agents, rather than the network. Faults such as node and transmission failure, and agency hostility are taken into account. Agents have their own instruction set, and interpreter. Performance evaluations of this simulator are provided as well.

Isaac K. Gang and Dia Ali
Mobile Agent Paradigm: Is it the Solution?
The Internet has been, for sometimes, a major source of information. This information comes in different sizes, shapes and forms, and the means and techniques to retrieve, manipulate, and use this data continues to present a problem. In this paper, the authors thoroughly overview the mobile agent paradigm and its application to this problem while highlighting its short comings.

Session 2: Tuesday March 10, 9:45 am Egret Room, Robert Mullen, session chair

Daniel J. Fonseca, T. Brumback, G.P. Moynihan and H. Fernandes
Development Of A Multi-Algorithmic Platform For Traffic Incident Detection
This paper discusses the use of real-time traffic measurements and travel time data to develop an incident detection platform based on the California Algorithm, the Exponential Smoothing Algorithm, and the McMaster Algorithm. Set theory was then used to determine the likelihood of the identified traffic incidents.

Robert L. Mullen
An Expert System From Designers of Multi-Core Processing, “Cloud,” “C4G” or “SOA” Technology for Advice on Beginning Use
This paper describes the conceptual development of an expert system to capture the combined knowledge designers of new multi-core processing, “cloud”, computing for good, or “SOA” technology to ease the introduction of new technology into common use. Dual-core and quad-core technology have been in use for a few years but this newer technology has the potential of being the fifth generation of computer processing with staggering improvement in processing speed.

Robert L. Mullen
An Expert System From Google/Yahoo for Those Building Search Engine Software
This paper describes the conceptual development of an expert system to capture the combined knowledge of a prospective merger of Google and Yahoo to speculate on what these combined experts might advise software developers of the strengths of their respective search engine software. By applying intelligence to the knowledge-base of these experts, common advice from the combined expertise is used to advise others attempting to develop new software.

Session 3: Tuesday March 10, 1:00 pm Egret Room, Dia Ali, session chair

Daniel Bond, Paulus Wahjudi and Dia Ali
Persistent Referencing for Non-transient Shared Data
In this paper we discuss issues concerning the a special type of data, non-transient shared data. Primarily the ability to provide persistent references to relocatable data. Additionally, we will present a case study illustrating the use of our system to manage access to electronic medical records.

Paulus Wahjudi, Daniel Bond and Tim Rehner
SWORD: An e-Government Solution for Juvenile Justice System
We discuss the development of an e-Government system for Juvenile Justice System named SWORD that increase youth court efficiency while providing a platform for exchange of information between agencies. SWORD collects and provides participating agencies key information such as biometrics, geographical location and a multitude assessment reports.

Nipul Patel
Examining the Implications and Challenges in Cloud Computing Environments: An Exploratory Study
This paper explores various implications in regards to, infrastructure, data security and privacy. The paper also explores how various laws and government directives around the globe affect the relatively new concept of cloud computing.

Education and Training:

Chair: Ralph Janaro, Clarkson University, janaror@clarkson.edu

Session 1. Monday March 9, 9:45 am Heron room, Al Petrosky, session chair

Aiman Kuzmar
Suitability and Spread of Online Education in the Engineering Discipline
This paper will look at the suitability of distance learning in the field of engineering in general and its current spread in the system of higher education.

Harold Grice, Nikolas Castro and Tiki L. Suarez-Brown
The Challenges of Delivering Quality Online and Distance Education Courses: An Empirical Study
Distance learning is a field of education that focuses on providing an instructional system capable of delivering a quality education to students who are not physically “on-site”. The School of Business and Industry at Florida A&M University recognizes the importance of this technological advancement and seeks to discuss the challenges this task will present. Our research will conclude with a six-phased framework that will assist with the conversion of conventional classes to online courses.

Nancy Bertaux and Thilini Ariyachandra
The Role of Gender in the Use of Social Networking Sites by College Students
One of the hallmarks of the current use of information technology in the U.S., and increasingly in other countries around the world, is the widespread use of social networking sites such as Facebook. This study uses survey data of college-age individuals to note patterns in usage of such sites, and includes analysis by gender as a key variable. The hypothesis is that perceptions surrounding usage of social networking sites, such as the security of the site, are significantly influenced by gender.

Al Petrosky, Ed Hernandez, Kaylene Williams and Robert Page
A Manufactory of Echoes: A Marketing Mix Inventory of Online Higher-Education Issues
Fifteen years removed from the outset of the World Wide Web, Higher Education is still struggling with the appropriate means by which to offer instruction online. This paper offers an inventory of issues that still need to be addressed, organized around the concept of the marketing mix or “Four P’s”: i.e. online learning as a product, online learning and pricing, online learning and place, and the promotional aspects of online learning.

Session 2. Monday March 9, 1:00 pm Heron room, Ralph Janaro, session chair

Ralph E. Janaro, Sharon A. Johnson and Susan Pariseau
Incorporating a Lean Supply Chain Methods Simulation in an MBA Operations/Production Management Course: A Pilot Study
We present the results of a pilot study that assessed the perceived value of using a hands-on simulation in an MBA OPM course. The simulation was used to reinforce lean and supply chain principles. The simulation’s value was assessed using pre- and post-simulation surveys. The findings supported significant reinforcement of the lean and supply chain principles.

Samir Y. Khoury and Leslie R. Pagliari
RFID Training in an Industrial Distribution and Logistics Program
The increased use of Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) is leading to more product visibility, while at the same time requiring that workers have a better understanding of the technology. To address this requirement a degree program has implemented RFID technology in a warehouse simulation lab through a series of practical labs.

Samir Y. Khoury and Christine Russell
The Development of a Course Concepts Alignment and Management System
Failure to properly align course concepts can lead to duplication or omission of essential concepts. Duplication of course concepts can lead to student boredom, while failure to cover essential concepts can lead to unprepared graduates. A database system was developed to address this problem within a degree program.

Session 3. Monday March 9, 2:45 pm Heron room, Tiki L. Suarez-Brown, session chair

Jonathan Lazar
Improving Student Understanding of Interface Accessibility for Blind Users By Utilizing Off-Campus Experiences
A special topics class at Towson University focuses on computer interface design for blind users. Traditional lectures are not sufficient, for students to understand how blind users utilize computer technology. This conference presentation reports on an innovative approach, which includes multiple field trips to sites in the Baltimore area, as well as a service-learning project.

Lisa Colletti, Timothy Weilbaker, Renee Colletti, and Tracy Tillman
Death and Complications for Engineering Management Graduate Assistants
This presentation describes how the Death and Complications (D&C) conference, a standard component of surgical education, has been applied as a venue for graduate assistants, PhD fellows, and faculty at Eastern Michigan University to meet and freely discuss teaching and research ideas, problems, and solutions for course and program improvement.

Drew Cannon, Benjamin Davis, Kishia Ward and Tiki L. Suarez-Brown
Employing Resources to Enhance Academic Advisement
The current trend of distance education learning has brought the need for efficient means of communication in the academic advisement process. This research determined the various business needs for communication through various channels between the advisement office and students within the School of Business and Industry (SBI) at Florida A&M University (FAMU). Furthermore, this research uses a framework to employ underutilized resources to become implemented to meet these business needs.

Session 4. Monday March 9, 4:30 pm Heron room, Faissal Moslehy, session chair

Faissal A. Moslehy
The Introduction of iCLS for Teaching Large Engineering Classes: The Challenges and Rewards
This paper addresses the challenge of providing high quality educational experiences to undergraduate engineering students in large lecture classes. It also presents an innovative delivery approach, the iCLS, which was implemented by the author for teaching the undergraduate Dynamics class at UCF. The approach is based on reduced seating that allows the students to view a high quality video lecture delivered by the professor online, and then utilize the discussion sessions for face-to-face interaction in small settings.

Kenneth Morrison, Julia Boersma and Stephanie Jorgensen
An EXCEL-based Homework Assignment and Exam Generator for In-class Application
This paper describes a simple, reliable, reproducible, EXCEL application program that creates secure, unique quantitative exams that can safely be given in-class. The generator is easily used for homework assignments, and the paper describes extensions to parametric analysis, decision analysis, computer-aided teaching, and optimization.

Hong Wang
Integrating Client/Server Computing Course to a Engineering Technology Program
The Client/Server course in out ET department was originally taught with pure theoretical content. Not only the content was old but also student feedbacks were poor. The author has tried three different ways to deliver modern technology to the class without losing theoretical content. The latest java glassfish application server based project approach obtained best result and student feedbacks.

Entrepreneurship:

Session 1: Monday March 9, 2:45 pm Pelican room, Ha Van Vo, Session Chair

R. Radharamanan and Ha Van Vo
Entrepreneurship Engineering Education Program and MUSE
The Mercer University School of Engineering (MUSE) has established a Certificate Program in Entrepreneurship through grants received from Kern Family Foundation in September 2007. This paper presents the current activities related to entrepreneurship education at MUSE that includes: course development and course offerings, student entrepreneurship club and its activities, entrepreneurial senior design projects, sustainability of the program through external funding, as well as some of the senior design projects that are in progress and the possibility of patenting some of the products developed through this program.

Amelia C. Davis, Imshaan Somani, Scott Holmes, R. Radharamanan, and Ha Van Vo
Development of Business Plan for a Circulating Pet Well
This paper presents the business plan developed for a circulating pet well that has a way to keep fresh, clean water for dog or other small animals. It will keep debris from settling at the bottom of pet’s watering container and make watering the pet an easy “mess-free” job.

Jonathan Desa, Ha Van Vo and R. Radharamanan
Design and Development of a Computerized Drop Foot Treatment Device for Lower Extremity
A computerized drop foot treatment device for lower extremity has been successfully patient tested to treat drop foot symptoms in patients. The term “Drop Foot” is used to describe the medical condition in which patients experience a loss in the ability to raise the foot up on ambulation. The computerized drop foot device will help the patient to gain the normal motion of the foot.

Jonathan Ksor, Ha Van Vo and R. Radharamanan
Design of an Innovative Adjustable Golf Club Based on Human Body Biomechanics
Ksor Adjustable Iron (KAI) Inc. designed and developed an adjustable golf club based on human body biomechanics. The device will help the golf player to control his/her own angle of hit with reduced muscle constraints to his/her arm back trunk and lower extremity muscles. Based on the design concept, the device is also known as a universal golf club.

Jacob Lunday, Douglas Broadwater, Rebecca Grotewiel, Ha Van Vo and R. Radharamanan
Design of an Affordable Leg Prosthetic with Functioning Knee and Ankle
BGL Prosthetics Inc. has designed and developed an affordable leg prosthesis that would provide more fluid movement than the current designs in that price range. This is also known as the computerized knee ankle prosthetic device that will be used to help above amputee patients to walk in the natural gait.

Jacob Lunday, Douglas Broadwater, Rebecca Grotewiel, Ha Van Vo and R. Radharamanan
Development of Business Plan for a Computerized Knee and Ankle Prosthesis
The objective of this study is to present a new prosthetic knee device using microcontroller, DC motors and sensors to mimic the natural human lower leg. The computerized knee and ankle prosthetic device will help the patient’s artificial limb to gain the normal motion of the knee and ankle joints.

Human Computer Interaction:

Chair: Mohammad Khasawneh, State University of New York Binghamton, mkhasawn@binghamton.edu

Session 1: Tuesday March 10, 3:00 pm Heron room, Dr. Mohammad T. Khasawneh, chair

Yang Liu, Xiaochun Jiang
Development of Digital Human Model to Evaluate Excavator Operator Performance
This paper describes the development process of digital human model of an excavator operator. The development process can be divided into four steps: assorting data, dividing parts, building parts, and assembly. Design issues and various analysis such as fatigue analysis, and lower back analysis are discussed in the paper.

Benjamin Osafo-Yeah, Xiaochun Jiang
Test-retest Reliability of the Bone Conducted Speech Intelligibility Using the Callsign Acquisition Test
The objective of this research is to investigate the test retest reliability of the Callsign Acquisition Test (CAT) when used in bone conducted speech. Results from the test retest reliability indicate that the CAT test is very reliable in measuring the intelligibility of bone conducted speech.

Aclan C. Okur, Pranav Kaluskar, and Mohammad T. Khasawneh
The Effect of Instruction Mode and Distraction Condition on Learning Performance of Manual Assembly
This research studies the effects of instruction mode and distracters on learning performance of manual assembly tasks. The results showed that, regardless of the distraction condition, visual and written are the best and worst instruction methods, respectively. The results also indicated that, regardless of the instruction mode, auditory was the worst distracter.

Human Engineering:

Chair: Deborah Carstens, Florida Institute of Technology, dcarstens@cfl.rr.com

Session 1: Tuesday March 10, 1:00 pm Heron room, Deborah Carstens, session chair

Deborah Sater Carstens, Senol Feizi and Linda Malone
Traveling Abroad? A Usability Assessment of Travel Sales Websites
A study was conducted to assess the usability of travel sales websites and identify recommendations for improvement from an international perspective. Testing was performed on twenty participants that were non-US citizens, between the ages of 19 and 35, recruited from a university campus. The websites tested were Expedia.com, Orbitz.com, and Travelocity.com. Participants were given general instructions and a pre-survey to determine their demographics and level of Internet experience. Participants performed the task of finding flight itineraries for their home country, car rental information, and hotel accommodations on each website. Participants were requested to locate language conversion options where available. An observation log was maintained on each participant. A post-survey and debriefing session was conducted to gather additional feedback. The average testing time for participants was 30 minutes. The results to include a statistical analysis are presented along with practitioner take-aways and a future research discussion.

Deborah S. Carstens, Veronica Giguere and Joshua S. Quist
Elements of Effective Learning: Study of Face-To-Face Versus Podcast Lectures
A study was performed to determine the effectiveness of podcasts as a supplemental learning aid for students enrolled in a face-to-face course. The study consisted of assigning 120 participants to one of four groups or rather conditions consisting of two different lectures (planning and time management) using either two live lectures, two podcast lectures, and different combinations of one live and one podcast lecture. Analyses were conducted comparing conditions across topic (planning and time management) as well as order (first presented topic and second presented topic).

Alexandra Wienckoski and Hugh McFadden
Movability Testing of the MOVINT Client Software
In this paper, we explore a single specialized application, the MOVINT Client. Through usability testing we uncover hard evidence that indicates the large impact that even small, seemingly insignificant errors in interaction design can have. Using the test results as feedback, combined with established design principles and currently published knowledge on the topic, we then provide constructive feedback to correct the problem areas. Though the results of MOVINT Client usability test are interesting, especially to the developers of the software, we believe that the findings of the test may possibly hold greater significance. In that, we believe that the results might shine light on particular issues related specifically to complex, specialized software applications.

Ha Van Vo, Jonathan Whiten and R. Radharamanan
A Novel Method to Measure the Inter-Metatarsal Angle of Foot
The objective of this study is to propose a new method based on bone density to measure the inter-metatarsal (IM) angle of the foot preoperatively for bunion reconstruction surgery. This technique used C++ software to recognize the bone density contrast and it is much more precise compared to the current method (bisecting head and base of the metatarsal bone) because it determines the bone axis based on the bone density contrast.

Industry and Academia Collaboration:

Chair: Alexandra Schönning, University of North Florida, aschonni@unf.edu

Session 1: Tuesday March 10, 8:00 am Flamingo room, Alexandra Schonning, session chair

Maisha Drew and S. Keith Hargrove
Developing a Discrete-event Simulation Model for Tail Rotor Blade Manufacturing
This project describes an industry-academia partnership between Morgan State University and a major rotorcraft company, Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation, to analyze a new manufacturing production process. This paper will describe the industry-university partnership, the process in developing the model, and some of the results from the simulation.

Ronald Krahe
LED Technology Investigation
This paper presents a student research project related to investigation of LED technology applied to medical surgical lighting. Initial research identified various manufacturers and LED models. A paper study compared the salient features and narrowed the field of acceptable candidates. Experiments and test equipment were designed based on various driving philosophies to discover primary contenders for the resultant prototype design phase.

David W. Gore and Richard Redditt
Industry and University Collaboration of Masters in Engineering Management Curriculum Design
Academia collaborated with industry to create an MS degree program in Engineering Management. Members include a global automotive OEM, automotive suppliers, food processors, medical providers, and other manufacturers. Students desire an MBA alternative that focuses on technology management, and brings value-creating ideas, goods, and services to the marketplace.

Alex Mabee, Michael Ferguson, Mark Rawls, Alexandra Schönning
Preparing Students For Industry Using FEM
Exposing students to FEM tools commonly used in industry increases their career preparedness. In one course at UNF students learn the fundamentals of FEM and how to apply it to realistic problems. Some also participate in FEM research projects with industry. This paper outlines several FEM projects undertaken.

Lean Six Sigma:

Chair:Sandra Furterer, East Carolina University, furterers@ecu.edu

Session 1: Tuesday March 10, 1:00 pm Flamingo room, Sandra Furterer, session chair.

Sandra Furterer
Project Charter Review Process Design – A Design for Six Sigma Case Study
This presentation will provide a description of the Design for Six Sigma tools and method used to develop a new project charter review process within the information systems division. Over a three month period, the quality of the project charters improved by 17%, after the newly designed process was implemented.

Kristina N. Dupre, Ralph E. Janaro and Chen Xiang
A Framework for Combining Lean Management and Six Sigma in SMEs
In this paper we discuss the various tools used in Six Sigma and Lean, we provide information about the costs of implementing these tool sets in SMEs, and we develop a framework for choosing and implementing subsets of these tools that are affordable yet effective for SMEs.

Sandra Furterer
Enabling Lean Six Sigma Enterprise Programs through Enterprise Business Architecture Techniques
This presentation will give an overview of Enterprise Business Architecture and the value it can provide to leverage Lean Six Sigma methodologies and tools to provide a broader enterprise and strategic focus for an organization’s Lean Six Sigma program. The Enterprise Business Architecture can help an organization elevate their Lean Six Sigma program to an enterprise level; provide a prioritization of Lean Six Sigma improvement efforts to align with the business strategy; and provide greater cross-functional process improvement to provide greater cost reduction.

Session 2: Tuesday March 10, 3:00 pm Flamingo room, James Gilbert, session chair

James P. Gilbert
A Successful Application of Six-Sigma Methodology for Hotel Service Enhancement: The Case for a Convention Hotel
This paper develops the journey of a six-sigma project that transpired at a large convention hotel. The team was asked to measure the frequency and value of rebates given by employees and identify the reasons for those rebates. Defectives were dramatically reduced and there are clearly defined reasons for rebates.

Natasha Williams and S. Keith Hargrove
A Simulation Model to Manufacture Tail Rotor Blades: A Lean Six Sigma Approach
This project describes an industry-academia partnership between Morgan State University and a major rotorcraft company, Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation, to analyze a new manufacturing production process. This paper will describe the industry-university partnership, the process in developing the model, and some of the results from the simulation by using lean six sigma principles.

Deborah Ihezie and S. Keith Hargrove
A Lean Six Sigma Assessment Study of a Maryland Manufacturer
Lean Six Sigma is an industry practice of process improvement that has varying levels of success. This paper will describe an assessment of Lean Six Sigma practices within an aircraft manufacturing facility. The study involves the evaluation of inventory cycles, production processes, maintenance procedures and operations, facility layout, quality control, and other key metrics and criteria used to improve the manufacturing facility.

Management Information Systems:

Chair: John Wang, Montclair State University, wangj@mail.montclair.edu

Session 1: Monday March 9, 1:00 pm Egret room, John Wang, chair

Stephen Frempong
Is Telecommunications Department an Organization within Organization?
This paper will discuss how telecommunications department is managed in terms of strategic planning, designing, staffing, organizing, directing, training, and controlling. It will also discuss the importance of managing both data and voice within the same department, the role of different technical support levels and the importance of telecommunications manager being proactive rather than reactive

James Yao, John Wang, Ruben Xing and June Lu
Using Organizational Finance Factor as a Predictor of Information Technology Adoption
The present study examined organizational finance factor and its relationship with the adoption of an information technology, asynchronous transfer mode (ATM) technology, in organizations. Research results provided significant evidence that there is a statistically significant relationship between organizational finance factor and ATM technology adoption in organizations.

Michael Stoica
New Technology Adoption Modeling
Adoption of new technology by businesses is a dynamic process, not well understood, with complexities that draw from the business environment, the culture of the firm, its strategy, and many other dimensions New technology adoption represents a challenge and an opportunity for the organization. Mobile commerce represents one of the most recent examples of new technology that businesses tried to embrace The paper presents and tests a model developed to explain the adoption process of wireless business. It considers as main variables business strategy, organizational culture, turbulence in the environment, and business performance. The model is tested using a multiple hierarchical regression tool on a sample of small businesses from the Midwest US.

John Wang, James Yao, Ruben Xing and Qiyang Chen
A Pioneer, a Sufferer, and a Survivor
We examine how Ariba, a small start-up company during the Internet boom of the 90s, overcame hardships, when the economy to a nasty turn, to survive in such a competitive industry. We will also review some major events and innovations that helped the company grow instead of fold.

Session 2: Monday March 9, 2:45 pm Egret room, James Ngeru, chair

James Ngeru, Keith Hargrove and David Dessa
Developing Enterprise Integration Strategy Using an AHP approach
This paper will apply MCDA approach to develop an evaluation methodology, which can be used to identify a particular integration approach that would suit particular organization requirements. The methodology will apply Delphi technique to develop hierarchy of the factors and AHP technique to analyze and prioritize the alternatives.

LeeRoy Bronner and Devan Jones
Development of a Theory for Engineering Social Systems
Through this research a theory will be developed to provide a body of knowledge defining the relationship between software engineering technology and social disciplines (e.g., public health, psychology, sociology, business, etc).The theory set forth by this research uses software engineering concepts and principles for analysis supported by a notation that provide a systematic process for measuring and modeling social phenomena. This sociological theory and methodology are used to develop dynamic computer models for analyzing and designing solutions that address sociological problems.

Hong Wang
An Optimized Multi‐byte High Throughput Regular Expression Matching Architecture Using PGAs
Deep Packet Inspection (DPI) system on FPGA requires high‐throughput and compact implementation for regular expressions. This paper presents an effective logic‐sharing design for multi‐character input that decrease design area and improve design throughput.

Management and Organizational Behavior:

Chair: Ed Hernandez, California State University, Stanislaus, eh@hrmgt.com

Session 1: Monday March 9, 9:45 am Pelican room, Dr. Randall Harris, session chair

Randall D. Harris
Sarbanes-Oxley and the “Independent” Director: Smoke and Mirrors?
In this article, we review the research regarding a key element of the Sarbanes-Oxley legislation: that all publicly-listed companies must have a majority of independent directors. The empirical research linking independent directors and organizational outcomes is decidedly mixed. Nevertheless, having a majority of independent directors on a Board is now widely recognized as an international “best practice”. We revisit the debate regarding the role and impact of the independent director.

Robert S. Fleming and Faye X. Zhu
Preparing the Contemporary Fire Officer: A National Professional Development Model
This presentation will discuss the challenges of preparing contemporary fire department officers and a national professional development model that has been developed to incorporate and “value” training, certification and higher education in the preparation of present and future fire officers.

Edward Hernandez, Crystal Jack, Robert Page, Alfred Petrosky and Kaylene Williams
Human Resource Education through Theatre: A Case Study of the New Production of a Play to Address Contemporary Human Resource Issues
This case study describes the creation of a new play, fully produced and performed, to demonstrate contemporary Human Resource issues. This play was titled “Arroz con Pollo”, which is a metaphor for the human aspect of mass layoffs during challenging economic times. The use of the arts to address contemporary social issues is not new. Using it to address contemporary business issues is more unique, with a scattering of examples in recent years addressing issues as layoffs, sexual harassment, and outsourcing. The purpose of this play was to address the human issues during mass layoffs during challenging economic times.

Session 2: Monday March 9, 1:00 pm Pelican room, Linda Isenhour, session chair.

Linda C. Isenhour
Expanding Organizational Attraction Research: Exploring the Role of Technology
Organizations have long viewed attraction and retention of skilled, talented employees as essential for organizational success. However, researchers have infrequently investigated relations between technology and organizational attraction. Research gaps and suggested propositions based on a literature review clarify the relations between technology and organizational attraction.

Policarpo deMattos, Eui Park, and Celestine Ntuen
The Applications of Sensemaking Processes in Healthcare Industries
This paper examines the concept of sensemaking, its fundamental framework, and its applications to healthcare industries. Sensemaking is a rationalization of what people are doing, always based on some set of existing information. It has been successfully applied to different types of organizations, empowering individuals and enhancing decision making processes.

Mark Antonison, Anthony Morris and Sampson Gholston
The Construct Validity of Work Engagement as a Measure of
Employee Work Motivation and Psychological Well-being
Work engagement, a measure of employee psychological well-being, is evaluated as an indicator of work motivation. A research model that adapts a goal setting model of work motivation evaluates correlations between work engagement, goal orientation, goal attributes, occupational self-efficacy, and job characteristics. Structural analysis results of this model are presented.

Management of Technology:

Chair: Gordon Arbogast, Jacksonville University, garboga@ju.edu

Monday March 9, 4:30 pm Flamingo room, Gordon Arbogast, session chair

Sheila F. Emanuel, Gordon W. Arbogast and Colonel Paul Grosskruger
Indian River Lagoon- South
The most aggressive project that the Jacksonville district is currently heading up is the multi-billion dollar Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Project (CERP), which encompasses sixteen counties and an 18,000 square-mile area. Included are 1000 miles of canals, 720 miles of levees, and several hundred water control structures. Upon completion, the project will restore the south Florida ecosystem and meet the water needs of south Florida for the next 50 years. This research focuses on one component of the CERP effort. Decision analysis is used to evaluated the COE‘s construction alternatives. Thereafter, project management techniques are employed to find the critical path for the Corp’s construction alternative.

Adekunle Okunoye and Thilini Ariyachandra
E-Government or Channel of Propaganda? Critical Examination of e-government Initiatives in Nigeria
In this paper, we present the results of a critically examination of the website of state governments in Nigeria using Heek’s three main domains of e-government (Heeks 2001), to confirm if the websites meet the requirements of e-government. In addition to the analysis of the e-government domains, the study also benchmarks the websites of Nigerian state governments with similar websites in USA. The study concludes with recommendations for some specific changes that could be made to the current propaganda channels (if any) to become an actual e-government channel.

Stephen Freund, Adekunle Okunoye and Thilini Ariyachandra
E-Government for Developing Nation-states: Strategies for a Difficult Initiative
This article reviews current e-government success stories, corporate e-business initiatives for large-scale change, and current scholarly works on the challenges and strategies for e-government in order to provide a practical approach to citizen-centered and agency-centered e-government projects in developing nations.

Michael J. Lantis
A “Green” System Life Cycle – Developing Systems That Reduce the Amount of Hazardous Materials, Harmful Emissions, and Energy Consumption in the Workplace
Information systems have an enormous impact on the welfare of our social and office environment. This paper will identify and explain industry-imposed and government-mandated ratings and provide practical resources that managers can easily use to determine the environmental impact when making purchasing decisions. It will explore environment-friendly components, lower energy consumption, managerial techniques, and proper disposal methods

Marketing:

Chair: Kaylene Williams, California State University, Stanislaus, kwilliams@csustan.edu

Session 1: Monday March 9, 9:45 am Flamingo Room, Kaylene Williams, session chair

Kaylene C. Williams, Edward H. Hernandez, Alfred R. Petrosky and Robert Page
Lying Behavior: Parts I & II
The purpose of this two-part paper is to examine lying behavior in the business and marketing environment. Part I provides a definition and classification of lying behavior as well as a discussion of the increasing use of lying in the business and marketing environment. Thereafter, when lying behavior takes place is examined. Part II presents why people lie, followed by the results of lying and specific strategies that individuals use to neutralize the effects of lying. The next section examines how to detect a lie and presents the most difficult lie to detect, self-deception. Then, Part II ends with a discussion of how to build honesty in a business organization, followed by a conclusion.

Alex Coltro
The Development of Socio-Environmental Citizenship Through the Consumption: The Paradoxes of Behavior of the Economic Agents
Through the identification of the degree of knowledge of products and services in all aspects of their life cycles, this paper seeks to know the numerous political and social implications arising from activities of daily consumption, especially from the consumer behavior.

Andrew Cudmore, Shelly Luna and Shaina Weltman
Wine: The Label Does Matter
You can’t judge a book by its cover, but can you judge a wine by its label? When staring at the variety of choices, often consumers rely on the labeling of the wine. We show that both the design and the texture of the wine label interact in their influence on positive attitudes toward the wine.

Session 2: Tuesday March 10, 9:45 am FlamingoRoom, Andrew Cudmore, session chair

Devang P. Mehta
The Relationship between the Length of Adoption of Web Technology and Performance of a Commercial Printing Firm
The web technology is widely used as a marketing tool by businesses to sell and advertise products/services, distribute coupons, provide information about products/services, and show demos on equipment/tools. The empirical research study was conducted to investigate the relationship between the length of adoption of web technology and performance of a commercial printing firm based on the Roger’s theory of diffusion.

Andrew Cudmore and Jyoti Kulkarni
Customer Service at a Pharmacy
While filling customer prescriptions, pharmacy employees could be doing more to satisfy their customers. One problematic area appears to be in the giving of accurate information about issues and delays in filling prescriptions in a timely manner. We find that these have an interactive affect on customer positive attitudes toward the pharmacy.

Scott D. Swain and B. Andrew Cudmore
Order Effects in Retail Service Encounters
A realistic perspective on retail service production acknowledges that many retail encounters involve a mix of positive and negative inputs to a consumer’s overall impression. We show that whether it is better to have created a “good first impression” or a “happy ending” depends on the timing of consumer’s evaluations and the complexity of the shopping task.

Operations Management:

Chair: J.S. Sutterfield, pisces4914@earthlink.net

Session 1: Monday March 9, 1:00 pm Flamingo room, J.S. Sutterfield, session chair

Hatice Eris, Mesut Yavuz, Nilgun Figlali and Alpaslan Figlali
Tourism Operations Management: A Survey
Tourism is one of the largest industries in many countries, and management of tourism services is a research area that has received significant academic attention. In this paper, we survey operations management research on tourism management. In particular, we review papers addressing decisions such as location selection, plant layout, demand forecasting, capacity planning and resource allocation, and scheduling.

J. S. Sutterfield, Shannon M. Kirk and James S. Presendieu
Using Taguchi Methods to Analyze Fabric Wear
A problem that frequently arises in design and analysis of experiments is that of determining the extent to which three or more control factors influence a fourth factor, called the response factor, the value of which is important for some reason. A common experimental approach to dealing with such a problem is the use of an experimental design known as Latin Squares. In this paper, the experimental results of a fabric wear test are analyzed using Latin Squares, combined with Taguchi Methods to analyze the wear effects on various types of fabric under similar circumstances.

J. S. Sutterfield, Steven Swirskey and Paul Nkansah
Production Cost Using the Pascal Distribution
Several models are in use for calculating production cost with a rework cycle. The probability distribution usually used in such models is the binomial distribution. In this paper a different sort of model is developed in which the probability distribution used to describe the production process is assumed to be a Pascal. The parameters of this distribution are then used to derive an equation for unit production cost. This model permits calculation of unit production cost with a rework cycle in which any number of rework repetitions can be made.

Session 2: Monday March 9, 2:45 pm Flamingo room, Mohammed Ali, session chair

Mohammed Ali
A Novel Method of Characterizing Medicinal Drug Aerosols Generated from Pulmonary Drug Delivery Devices
This investigation reports the application of an Electronic Single Particle Aerodynamic Relaxation Time (ESPART) analyzer, which operates on the principle of laser doppler velocimetry to measure simultaneously magnitude and polarity on a single particle basis and in real time. A novel method for analyzing electromechanical properties (e.g., size, electrostatic charge, polarity) of therapeutic aerosols produced by four different commercially available pulmonary drug delivery (PDD) devices is presented.

.T. J. Gabriel
Manufacturing Complexity: Common Attributes of Manufacturing System Design and their Effects on System Performance
Manufacturing operations are complex. Some complexity arises from decisions regarding the design attributes of a system. Due to differences from one operation to another, it is difficult to account for the relative complexity among manufacturers. A simulation was used to study the impact of eight system design attributes common in most manufacturing systems. The results of the study identify the effects of these attributes and discuss how these effects should be given consideration by managers.

Rasoul Saneifard, Jose Guerrero, Kanayo Okafor and Clifford Oluoch
Automatic Sorting Station Utilizing Ladder Logic Programming
This article describes the design and simulation of an automatic sorting station in which the sensing and control of the process is accomplished through ladder logic programming; however, the sorting task is achieved by a mechanical process. The proposed system not only eliminates the need for multiple space-occupying machines and/or human intervention to convey and sort packages, but also maintains package quality, and therefore, may be more efficient and cost-effective.

Production Planning and Control

Chair: Mesut Yavuz, Shenandoah University, myavuz@su.edu

Session 1: Monday March 9, 9:45 am Egret room, Mesut Yavuz, session chair

S. Sebnem Ahiska and Russell E. King
Inventory Control Strategies in a Recoverable System with Fixed Product Return Rate
This paper investigates the inventory control strategies for a single product manufacturing/remanufacturing system with fixed product return rate. The optimal inventory policies determined through Markov Decision Process are characterized into strategies with practical structure, through which the effects of changes in system parameters on the optimal policies are investigated.

Dominique D. Rainey, Eui Park, Steve Oneyear, and Daniel Mountjoy
Improving Throughput via Overall Equipment Efficiency (OEE) to Reach Production and Financial Goals
The objective of this study is to implement overall equipment efficiency (OEE) to gauge Tech Global’s production rate and demonstrate how OEE, as a tool, can be utilized to identify and improve the company’s throughput. In achieving this objective target conditions, actionable items and matrixes will be used to address these issues that hinges on increased production and improvement in the company’s financial profile.

Mesut Yavuz
Production Smoothing with Fuzzy Demand
Production smoothing is one of the key components of just-in-time (JIT) manufacturing. JIT is best known with its goal of manufacturing products when they are needed and in the demanded quantities. However, existing literature in production smoothing assumes demand is known beforehand and constant throughout the planning horizon. In many real-life production systems demand is vaguely known, which limits the applicability of the existing methods. In this study, we consider possibilistic, i.e., fuzzy, demand and present two alternative approaches for production smoothing with fuzzy demand. The first approach is based on defuzzifying demand and uses crisp operations, whereas the second approach uses fuzzy arithmetic. We also compare the two approaches and obtain special conditions that make the two approaches equivalent.

Guanghsu A. Chang
Applying Lean Techniques to Boost Continuous Improvement at Apparel Manufacturing Factories
Apparel manufacturing is a highly labor intensive industry. According to a recent study, many apparel factories in China implementing lean tools and techniques reduced production cost by a significant 20-30 percent in the past two years. Many factory operations are being introduced lean tools and techniques. They include one-piece flow, Poka Yoke, Level Scheduling, Kanban, Single Minute Exchange of Die (SMED) and 5S. This paper presents one of successful lean manufacturing models at apparel manufacturing factories in China. The implementing results indicate that lean tools and techniques can boost continuous improvement and reduce production cost.

Project Management

Chair: Steve Allen, Truman State University, sallen@truman.edu

see Construction Management/Project Management, above.

Quality Management

Chair: Hesham Mahgoub, South Dakota State University, Hesham.Mahgoub@sdstate.edu

Session 1: Tuesday March 10, 8:00 am Heron room, Hesham Mahgoub, session chair

Hesham Mahgoub
Percent Within Limits Application for Hot-Mix Asphalt Specification
The purpose of this study is to develop percent within limits (PWL) specification system including the selection of the material properties used for payment, the frequency of testing for these properties, development of the standard deviations and specification limits, development of a pay system. The system should be capable of provide guidelines to determine AQL, RQL and appropriate sampling frequency using operation characteristic (OC) curves based on known standard deviation to achieve the recommended risk levels.

R. Radharamanan, Angela P. Ansuj, and Jeng-Nan Juang
Improving Service Quality in a Health Care Facility: A Case Study
The fundamental requirements of the patients who search for medical services at a health care facility have been analyzed using quality function deployment (QFD) procedures. The process sequence of services provided to the customers in the health care facility has been documented using a flow diagram. The quality elements chart, quality elements deployment chart, relationship matrix, and structure of quality chart have been prepared and used to identify and understand the requirements of the customers, and deploy their requirements in the service quality provided by the health care facility for the future customers.

Guanghsu A. Chang
A Case-Based System for Assembly Part Design
Assemblability, manufacturability and product quality are primarily determined by the work of designers in the early design stage. In addition, Assemblability and manufacturability expertise is hard to entirely impart to inexperienced designers. In order to effectively disseminate and reuse the valuable knowledge, A Case-Based Reasoning System (CBR System) is proposed for assembly part design. The objective of the research is to transfer and share product design knowledge by using Case-Based Reasoning methodology in the early design stage.

Ahmed Khalafallah, Ahmad Elshennawy, Nabeel Yousef, and Mohamed Abdel-Raheem
Verification of Contractor Quality Control Program: An Analytical Study to Assess New Trends in Verification Procedures
This paper presents the results of a survey conducted to solicit the opinions of experts in the field of transportation and highway construction with respect to the quality, cost and efficiency of construction activities. The survey represents the opinion of more than twenty experts statewide. The results indicated that the majority of interviewed experts are in favor of statewide implementation of the new verification model. This should prove helpful for other states considering implementing similar measures.

Session 2: Tuesday March 10, 9:45 am Heron room, Hesham Mahgoub, session chair

Young H. Park
A Study of Six Sigma Implementation for Management Innovation
To apply Six Sigma in a company effectively, information technology (IT) and data technology (DT) have to be used well in the company. Korea is very strong in IT industries such as the Internet, mobile phones, communication equipment and computer-related semi-conductors. However, Korea is rather weak in DT compared to IT. Without an efficient DT system, IT will have limitations in growth in the company. If Six Sigma and KM are to be combined efficiently, they can become very powerful management strategy.

Edwin R. Bellman
Importance of Lean Manufacturing Techniques in Company Culture
As many companies are faced with substantial competition from international markets which produce products less expensively, the need for process and quality improvement is apparent. For companies to successfully compete with international competition, the techniques of Lean Manufacturing must become central to the culture of the company.

Ahmad K. Elshennawy and Abhishek Vootukuru
DMARC: A Framework for the Integration of DMAIC and DMADV
In order to tackle variation and defects proactively, the initiative to achieve six sigma level of quality is being infused into the design of new products using the Design for Six Sigma (DFSS) methodology, through systematic models such as DMADV. This research attempts to clarify the nature of DMADV and DMAIC approaches by presenting a framework, DMARC, which induces the identification and the assessment of the need to re-visit the design of an existing process or product that is deemed to be beyond generic improvement efforts.

Simulation and Modeling:

Chair: Kevin O’Neill, Plattsburgh State University, kevin.oneill@plattsburgh.edu

Session 1: Tuesday March 10, 8:00 am Pelican room, Kevin O'Neill, session chair.

Lotfi K. Gaafar
A Modified Simulated Annealing Algorithm for Scheduling in an Agile Environment
In this paper, a modified simulated annealing algorithm is applied to the scheduling of an agile manufacturing system consisting of machining and assembly operations with the objective of minimizing the makespan. This problem has been addressed in the literature using heuristics and metaheuristics including simulated annealing. In addition, a lower bound has been developed.

Mehmet Savsar
Modeling of a Flexible Manufacturing Cell Operating Under Failure and Fault-Tolerance States
This paper presents a stochastic model for a Flexible Manufacturing Cell which produces a variety of parts. The stochastic model is developed to determine reliability and productivity of the system under various operational conditions, including equipment failures and fault-tolerance states. The model and the results can be useful for design engineers and operational managers.

Adel L. Ali and Bikramjit Banerjee
Hybrid Approach for Agent-based Egress Simulation: Mitigating the Dynamic Re-routing Problem
A hybrid approach for agent based egress simulation. This approach uses an efficient portal clearing house algorithm to mitigate the problem of dynamic rerouting of agents when the closer portal(s) became over crowded.

Session 2: Tuesday March 10, 9:45 am Pelican room, Kevin O'Neill, session chair.

L. Cornwall, S.K. Hargrove, A. Wilbon, K. Clark, M. Bundy
An Engineering-Business Model to Address the Declining Oyster Industry for the Chesapeake Bay
It may be possible to apply engineering and business methods to impact the survivability of oysters and restore their production on the Chesapeake Bay, and develop a new business model for watermen to compete. This project uses Object Oriented Analysis and Development to develop a simulation model of the oyster industry created using STELLA simulation software. Inefficiencies within the oyster production industry can be identified and will be considered when developing our Oyster Hatchery Optimization Model and Cost-Benefit Analysis; a solution that is germane to new business practices that benefit watermen and promote entrepreneurship.

Kevin O’Neill
Generic System Dynamics Model of Ponzi Schemes
This paper explores the underlying dynamics of Ponzi schemes. Taking the recently exposed Madoff Ponzi as an example, the author develops a generic system dynamics model of Ponzi schemes, including actor behavioral adjustments, default penalties, and informed and uninformed investors. The resulting model is used to explore the dynamics of proposed Ponzi scheme regulation.

Ronald Krahe
Processing Language for Real-Time Image Analysis
The Processing computer software programming language was developed for visual designers and artists. However, because of its straightforward interface and versatile class libraries, it has the potential to be used in industrial real-time image processing applications. A prototype system was designed and built, and its performance was analyzed.

Ronald Krahe
Low Cost Responsive Image Processing
There is a need for an image processing system that is responsive yet low cost. On the contrary, typical modern industrial imagers that include real time operating systems bundled with full-featured processing libraries and high speed cameras can be too expensive to justify in many promising application areas. A low cost responsive system based on PC technology and commercial software is proposed, and initial implementation has proven successful.

Session 3: Tuesday March 10, 1:00 pm Pelican room, Khaled El-Sawi, session chair.

Khaled El-Sawi
Dynamic Creation of Polygonal Road and Building Structures in Urban Areas
This paper presents methods for the creation of generalized road maps based on road centerlines. The paper also presents methods for the dynamic creation of urban building structures based on building footprints. We also present a graphics engine that was developed for the implementation of the proposed methods. The algorithms proposed were applied to the road network of the city of Cairo, Egypt and the graphical results are shown.

Adel L. Ali and Lou Marciani
Spot E Vac: A Simulation Environment for Planning, Training and Assessment of Emergency Response and Evacuation Capabilities at High Consequence Sports Events
This paper describes a project funded by the Department for Homeland Security to model, simulate, and visualize evacuation of large scale stadiums in case of emergencies. The paper describes the complexity of the problem, the challenges faced the research team and the innovative approaches used to implement the Sport E Vac software.

William Johnson and Khaled El-Sawi
Collision Response Parameterization in Rigid Body Simulations
The complexity of the collision response in physical simulation systems increases as we take into account the response of different materials to collision incidents. These different responses are governed by sets of parameters, each of which represent a specific physical property of the material. This paper represents an implementation framework for the management of material parameters within a physical simulation environment. The Open Dynamics Engine (ODE) was used as a testing platform for the implementation of the proposed methodologies.

Session 4: Tuesday March 10, 3:00 pm Pelican room, Keith Hargrove, session chair.

Ricardo Camilo and S. Keith Hargrove
A Simulation Model for Enhancing Warehouse Operations in a Paper-Converting Company Using RFID Technology
Radio Frequency IDentification (RFID) technology in supply chain activities has increased due to potential benefits in customer responsiveness, reducing inventory, and logistical costs. This paper will describe the development of a simulation model to represent manual tasks and processes in a paper converting company’s warehouse. A comparative simulation model will help determine if the value of RFID will enhance efficiency within the facility.

Amelia C. Davis, Jessica Powell, Omeir Kazi, Ha Van Vo, and R. Radharamanan
Orthotic Solutions for Diabetes Mellitus
The objective of this study is to conduct biomechanical tests to determine the peak plantar pressure distribution of the feet using the pressure plate (AMTI’s Gait Analysis Program), Bioanalysis Software, and F-Scan. Foam-like insoles were manipulated to test a diabetic male volunteer for changes in forces and pressures when compared to his normal gait

N. El Asli, T.-M. Dao, V. Songmene
A Hybrid Approach Based on SVM and Genetic Algorithms (GA) for the Estimation of Early Component Design Stages Manufacturing Cost
A hybrid approach SVR-GA based on the support vector machines for regression (SVR) and genetic algorithms, developed for the manufacturing cost estimation of a product at its early design stage is presented. The different steps algorithm of the proposed approach is also described and particularly the step of selection of cost drivers parameters using the fuzzy curves technique.

Ha Van Vo, Jonathan B. Ksor and R. Radharamanan
Determination of Stress Distribution on Conformable Bone Plate through Simulation
This study proposes a new conformable bone plate design made of titanium and high molecular weight polyethylene, and compares it to the current non-conformable titanium bone plate. The study uses Solidworks software package to simulate nine separate bone plates to test the stress distributions and stress limits of nine different finite element models of bone plates and screws.

Statistical Quality Improvement and Control:

Chair: Gamal Weheba, Wichita State University, gamal.weheba@wichita.edu

Session 1: Wednesday March 11, 8:00 am Pelican room, Gamal Weheba, session chair

Said Khalidi and Gamal Weheba
Economic Feasibility of Utilizing Multivariate Control Charts
This research is aimed at quantifying the economic consequences of utilizing the Hotelling’s T2 multivariate control chart as an alternative to the traditional Shewhart

Akale M. Tola, Gamal Weheba and Alireza Chadegani
Prevention of Chatter in Milling Operations Utilizing Stereolithgraphic Models
Stereolithographic (SL) models have been successfully utilized during product development and early process design stages. In this paper impact testing of SL models is utilized to predict natural frequencies of high speed cutting tools as a more accurate alternative to finite element analysis (FEA). SL models were found to correlate well with actual test results, and were used to predict the dynamic behavior of a high speed milling tool.

Gamal Weheba and Nasser Safaie
Detecting a Shift in Process Mean: A Bayesian Approach
This research is an effort to introduce the Bayesian chart as a tool for evaluating process adjustments aimed at causing a shift to the process average. This is usually encountered in scenarios where the process is found to be centered away from the design target. Typically, a number of changes are proposed and tested as part of the improvement efforts. As such, it is desired to evaluate the effect of these changes as soon as possible and take appropriate action. Using simulated data, the performance of the Bayesian chart is compared with that of the Shewhart chart for monitoring the process average. The results indicate scenarios where the Bayesian charts have better performance in terms of the Average Run Length (ARL).

Supply Chain Management:

Chair: Ken Morrison, Kettering University, Harlquest@aol.com

Session 1: Wednesday March 11, 8;00 am Flamingo room, Ken Morrison, session chair

John J. Burbridge, Jr., Coleman Rich and Alexander Yap
Information Technology Challenges and the Supply Chain
Supply chain management requires information technology networks to record and display information concerning the physical movement of material. In this paper, current organizational challenges concerning information technology and the supply chain will be defined and addressed. The result will be a greater understanding of the current state-of-the-art in supply chain implementation.

Karla P. Alvarado and Ronald Eaglin
Stakeholder Value Mapping Framework for Supply Chain Improvement in Projects Involving IT: A Case Study
This research work presents a framework for effectively involving stakeholders in IT projects implementation to improve supply chains performance. This framework includes the Stakeholder Value Mapping process which objective is to agree as a group on a package of strategies/alternatives that are acceptable as a whole and successfully identify the value added by stakeholders. The proposed framework is a nine-step sequential process that uses the stakeholders’ value as the basis of discussion and negotiations among stakeholders.

Kenneth Morrison, Chris Rozek and Daniel Semans
Application of Lean Six Sigma Techniques to ARENA Supply Chain Simulation
This paper presents an application of Lean Six Sigma (LSS) methodology to supply chain analysis, with particular emphasis on optimization, simulation, and animation used at Kettering University. Extending work from earlier Cocoa Beach papers, the formulation is data-driven, uses production and shipping costs, and an EXCEL-EXCEL Solver-ARENA animation formulation environment.

Session 2: Wednesday March 11, 9:45 am Flamingo room, Ken Morrison, session chair

Suraj M. Alexander
Milk Transport Security System
We present the results of a three year homeland security project that led to the development of a milk transport security system to secure the transport of milk from farms to the processor. The current manual methods of securing the transport of milk are paper intensive and prone to errors. The wireless electronic security system developed, not only improves the security of milk and reduces errors, it also enables new applications from logistics and adaptive scheduling to fuel tax reporting and tracking hours of service.

Kenneth R. Morrison
Solution of a 6-tier Global Supply Chain With Assembly
This paper presents an extension of the author’s 2004 IEMS paper into a 6-tier automotive supply chain distributing a product mix of engine-transmission-carline units to 10 world sectors. As in the 2004 paper, the solution uses the Ragsdale formulation with EXCEL Solver, and the solution is animated using ARENA.

Technology Commercialization:

Chair: Tiki Suarez, Florida A&M University, tiki.suarez@famu.edu

There will be no session this year.

Technology-Supported Teaching and Learning:

Chair: Judith Barlow, Florida Institute of Technology, jbarlow@fit.edu

Session 1: Monday March 9, 4:30 pm Pelican room, Jeng-Nan Juang, session chair

Mark Smith
Enterprise Resource Planning in the IT Curriculum Using Open Source ERP
This presentation explores open source software as a tool for teaching ERP technologies in the IT Curriculum. It includes a look at ERP software trends, technical issues involved in implementation, project possibilities, and integration into existing computing infrastructure. It demonstrates how to teach ERP using free software and minimal time investment.

Jeng-Nan Juang and R. Radharamanan
Experimental Investigation on RF-Excited Compact CW-HCN Gas Laser
Basic types of experiments for the radio frequency excited compact continuous wave hydrogen cyanide gas laser with an integral power oscillator directly coupled to the laser tube were performed. The effects of coupling-hole size, laser tube diameter, and the gas condition on the output power intensity have been experimentally investigated.

Jeng-Nan Juang and R. Radharamanan
Variables Affecting the Operational Performance of Hot Cathode Fluorescent Lamps: A Case Study
The variables affecting the operational performance of fluorescent lamps and the problems encountered in developing a generalized impedance model are presented and discussed. The results obtained indicate that the fluorescent lamps are still the most practical light source available when efficiency, life, and rapid start are the prime considerations.

Session 2: Wednesday March 11, 8:00 am Egret room, Judith Barlow, session chair

Carrie Craycraft and Sampson Gholston
Hands-on Education and Training Provided Online: A Compromise of Quality Education for the Sake of Convenience?
Can hands-on elements required for some education and training programs be accomplished through online means? If so, does this compromise quality for the sake of convenience? This paper reviews the current state of quality for online education, discusses some metrics used to measure the quality of online education, and discuss the specific challenges related to assuring quality in online hands-on activities.

Vladimir Genis
Videoconference Teaching of Laboratory-Based Courses
The real-time Internet-based nondestructive evaluation laboratory and course were developed for applied engineering technology (AET) students of Drexel University. The Internet-based videoconferencing mode allows students at community colleges partnering with Drexel University participation in laboratory activities remotely. Industrial case studies in laboratory environment enhance the fundamentals taught in classroom sessions.

Judith Barlow
Using Angel® to Capture Perceptions of Classroom Quality in Multi-Section Courses
Learning management systems (LMSs) like Blackboard® and ANGEL® support both online and traditional face-to-face learning. They provide access to data about learner behavior and tools for live learner data collection and data processing tools. ANGEL® is used here to capture data that supports learner and educator performance research.

Session 3: Wednesday March 11, 9:45 am Egret room, Tracy Tillman, session chair

William W. Walker Jr., LeeRoy Bronner
Integrating Intelligent Agent and Multi-Media Technology to Improve Computer Interface Design
The objective of this research is to develop an intelligent graphical user interface (GUI) for sociological research and production use. A major sociological system to be considered by this research will be the African- American (AA) experience. The AA experience which may include healthcare, education, economics, housing, the environment, and legal conditions.

David Batts and Lee Toderick
Service Learning Supporting ITEST Initiatives in Rural North Carolina
Service learning initiatives were adopted that provided support for computer laboratories in six local rural high schools during 2007-2008. The efforts were part of a National Science Foundation funded program that used university engineering faculty mentors for high school teachers and students in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education.

Timothy Weilbaker, Sergey Popkov, Renee Colletti, and Tracy Tillman
Factors Related to the Student Syndrome Phenomenon in Online Courses
This paper presents the results of research of study patterns of students in an online graduate Engineering Management program, looking at course access patterns and time spent completing course work that measures work procrastination (Student Syndrome) as related to the students’ professional backgrounds, academic experience, and resulting course performance.