Hospital productivity measurement: An engineering approach

A model for measuring hospital productivity is proposed, based on the determination of standard inputs per case. From these standards and the number of cases passing through a hospital, total standard inputs can be determined. Division of the standard inputs by the actual inputs provides productivity figures for each kind of input. Standard inputs per class of cases are calculated, through a chain of matrices, from standard inputs per elementary operation. Classification of cases into diagnostic categories, and the validity of assuming a typical average set of treatments for each class, are discussed. A numerical example is presented which demonstrates the proposed approach for calculating manpower productivity in a maternity ward.     

Overall labour productivity indices in a multi-product multi-stage environment

A procedure for computing productivity indices in a complex case is demonstrated. When reliable data on the internal flow of materials is not available, external flows only are taken into account, assuming standard internal material proportions. The resulting indices point to the overall productivity and may serve as indicators of areas where a more detailed analysis is called for.     

Shop floor control system for tool rooms

A shop floor control system (SFCS), which is the most important component of any production control system, ff has a direct e ect on the productivity of a tool room. The SFCS presented in this paper aims at streamlining various tool room activities, such as process planning, operations scheduling, loading, progress monitoring, and performance monitoring. The system discussed in this paper is characterized by simplicity and is user friendly. Basic information, consisting of three types of information (order details, process details, and part details), is input through interactive dialogue sessions. On-line updating of the process information is carried out, again through interactive dialogue sessions. The basic input to the system along with the on-line updating enables a number of useful and important reports and documents to be generated ff by the system for e ective control of the shop floor. The reports generated include operations scheduling, process sheet, part list, ffi job card, load pending report, e ciency report, etc. This SFCS is developed for a medium sized tool room in an automotive company and its successful implemention reduced paperwork and improved resource management and has resulted in productivity. It can be said that this system offers a first venture into computer integrated manufacturing (CIM) for a tool room.     

Non-oriented slack-based decompositions of profit change with an application to Taiwanese banking

A change in profit can originate from the output side and the input side. In the spirit of work by Tone [1] and follows Grifell-Tatjé and Lovell's [2], we propose a non-oriented slacks-based measure (SBM) model to decompose the change in the operating profit into various meaningful components: quantity effect and a price effect. The quantity effect can be decomposed into a productivity effect and an activity effect. The productivity effect is further decomposed into a technical effect and an operating efficiency effect. Both of them include an output side, which will result in a change in revenue and an input side which will result in a change in cost. The activity effect can be decomposed into a product mix effect, a resource mix effect and a scale effect. We illustrate our decompositions to the Taiwanese banking sector during the period 1994-2002 using the average of the base and current prices to evaluate these contributions. We find ignoring input side effects on the decomposition of profit changes would cause misleading results in managerial issues.     

Technology-based total factor productivity and benchmarking: New proposals and an application

The present study fills a gap between the benchmarking literature and multi-output based efficiency and productivity studies by proposing a benchmarking framework to analyze total factor productivity (TFP). Different specifications of the Hicks–Moorsteen TFP index are tailored for specific benchmarking perspectives: (1) static, (2) fixed base and unit, and (3) dynamic TFP change. These approaches assume fixed units and/or base technologies as benchmarks. In contrast to most technology-based productivity indices, the standard Hicks–Moorsteen index always leads to feasible results. Through these specifications, managers can assess different facets of the firm's strategic choices in comparison with firm-specific relevant benchmarks and thus have a broad background for decision making. An empirical application for the Spanish banking industry between 1998 and 2006 illustrates the managerial implications of the proposed framework.     

Profit-oriented productivity change

This study develops an applicable profit-oriented productivity indicator when producers pursue profit maximization and can recognize input and output prices. We define the indicator, inspired by the Luenberger indicator and the Nerlovian efficiency measurement, in terms of both quantity distance functions and profit. Hence, the study׳s first stage decomposes the profit-oriented productivity change into two terms: profit efficiency change and profit technology change. Second, we decompose profit efficiency change into the changes in technical efficiency and allocative efficiency. Finally, profit technology change is separated into two components for capturing the shifts of technology and relative output/input prices. These decompositions provide a more complete picture of the sources of productivity change. We illustrate them with a sample of Taiwanese banks and compute the results using the models of directional distance functions.     

企业产品开发的评价模型及方法研究

首先,本文根据企业产品开发活动的特点,在遵循相关原则的基础上,建立了以投入、管理、产出为二级指标的三段式产品开发评价指标体系;其次,本文通过格栅获取法和模糊borda数分析法,确定指标体系各因素的权重;最后,本文采用德尔菲法与模糊评价相结合的方法来进行综合评价。实践结果表明:该模型具有科学性与可行性。     

基于空间比较路径选择模型的碳生产率区域差异性研究

在考虑各地区内在联系的前提下，为以最少的双边比较次数，实现地区间可传递的多边比较，本文把最小生成树理论与空间结构分解分析相结合，提出了空间比较路径选择（SCPS）模型。利用2007年和2012年中国27地区的投入产出表，以碳生产率的五因素乘法分解为例，示范了SCPS模型的构建过程，并对中国碳生产率区域差异性及其影响因素问题进行了实证研究。结果表明，部门碳强度是影响区域碳生产率差异性以及各省碳生产率提高的关键因素，最终需求和产业结构也对碳生产率差异性起到了重要的作用。各地区可通过加大低碳投资力度，增强信息、技术及其他资源的跨省区合作，加快产业转型升级等措施，缩小碳生产率差异性，提升碳生产率的整体水平，促进经济社会发展向低碳绿色模式转型。     

基于失效情景的应急设施选址评估指标体系与模型

突发事件具有巨大的破坏性、不确定性,应急设施有可能失效,本文研究基于失效情景的应急设施选址评估指标体系与评估模型。首先基于定义的失效情景研究应急设施选址评估指标。构建全局性、可靠性、时效性、均衡性、经济性评估指标。可靠性作为重要评估指标有助于提高应急设施对需求区域的物资保障程度,保证系统的稳定性,采用多重覆盖率刻画。然后,设计具有不同侧重评估目标的一般情景评估指标体系、设施失效情景评估指标体系以及多区域情景评估指标体系。最后,由于应急设施选址评估具有多影响因素特征,涉及输入和输出多个指标的测度,选取处理多输入\多输出问题具有优势的评估方法—数据包络法,对应急设施选址的合理性进行评估。实例验证评估指标体系的实用性和有效性。     

Cellular Bucket Brigades on U‐Lines with Discrete Work Stations

It is challenging to maximize and maintain productivity of a U‐line with discrete stations under the impact of variability. This is because maximizing productivity requires assigning workers to suitable tasks and maintaining productivity requires sufficient flexibility in task assignment to absorb the impact of variability. To achieve this goal, we propose an operating protocol to coordinate workers on the U‐line. Under the protocol the system can be configured such that its productivity is maximized. Workers are allowed to dynamically share work so that the system can effectively absorb the impact of variability. Analysis based on a deterministic model shows that the system always converges to a fixed point or a period‐2 orbit. We identify a sufficient condition for the system to converge to the fixed point. Increasing the number of stations improves productivity only under certain circumstances. The improvement is most significant when the number of stations in each stage increases from one to two, but further dividing the U‐line into more stations has diminishing return. Simulations based on random work velocities suggest that our approach significantly outperforms an optimized, static work allocation policy if variability in velocity is large.     

具有双重角色和非期望要素的供应商评价两阶段DEA模型

在基于DEA方法的供应商评价过程中,会出现供应商同时具有双重角色要素和非期望输出要素的情形。文章提出了一个处理双重角色要素的新思路,认为DEA模型中双重角色要素同时扮演了输入和输出两个角色,所有双重角色要素本质上就是网络DEA模型中的中间变量,并同时认为包含双重角色要素的生产系统一定能分解成为多个子系统,其中的双重角色要素既是一个子系统的输入,同时又是另一个子系统的输出。为测度供应商的效率,基于已有关系型两阶段DEA模型,将供应商的生产运营视为两阶段过程,其双重角色要素视为两阶段过程的中间变量,并通过将所有输出以加权和的形式表达,但对非期望输出用负的权重的方式,提出了一个具有双重角色和非期望输出要素的供应商评价两阶段DEA模型,最后用一个实例验证了方法的可行。     

非期望产出下我国能源消耗产出效率差异研究

提高能源消耗产出效率是新常态下经济发展的必然趋势，随机扰动和外部环境是研究能源消耗产出效率不可回避的问题，而传统的DEA模型无法剔除非期望产出对效率值的影响。本文通过构建四阶段Bootstrap-DEA-Malmquist模型，采用1990~2014年的省际面板数据作为样本数据，通过松弛指标调整能源投入，剔除外部环境和随机因素对能源效率和能源全要素生产率的扰动，并借助Bootstrap随机抽样法进一步减小由于样本差异造成的影响，从静态和动态两个维度测算了中国能源消耗产出效率和全要素生产率。研究发现，外部环境和随机扰动对能源效率的估算具有显著影响，剔除外部环境影响因素后得到的能源效率值、技术效率变化以及全要素生产率变动均有不同程度的下降，而调整初始投入后的技术进步值有所上升。此外，考虑环境因素时，能源效率值下降，但是进一步运用Bootstrap随机抽样法消除随机因素的影响后，能源效率值有所上升。本文的主要贡献在于将环境因素和随机因素从能源效率与能源全要素生产率的测算中剥离，获得更为准确的能源效率值和能源全要素生产率值。     

冲击型负荷下的生产存储模型研究

建立了考虑冲击需求、变化生产率的最优生产存储库存策略. 其特点是:把一个生产周 期分为多个生产阶段,各个生产阶段时间可以不同;在每个生产阶段中,允许生产率小于需求 率,允许提前生产;而且,最大生产率要小于最大需求率. 研究发现,为满足冲击需求,提前存储 较多而启动机器数量较少,或提前存储较少而启动机器数量较多,不一定能够取得最佳效益, 要根据存储费用和启动费用共同确定. 在有限生产率的条件下,得出一种寻求最优生产- 库存 策略,为此类库存系统的管理决策提供了理论依据.     

人力资本不平等对全要素生产力增长的影响研究

本文通过理论和实证分析研究了人力资本不平等对全要素生产力增长的影响。文章首先对人力资本不平等影响全要素生产力增长率的作用进行了数理分析。在实证研究部分,采用DEA包络分析法计算了1995-2005年30个省的全要素生产力增长率及其两个组成部分——技术进步率和效率变化率的曼奎斯特指数,利用30个省的面板数据分别用三个计量经济模型对人力资本水平和人力资本不平等与全要素生产力增长率、技术进步率和技术效率变化率之间的关系进行了实证检验。通过理论与实证分析提出本文的政策建议。     

Feasibility Study on the Use of Probabilistic Migration Modeling in Support of Exposure Assessment from Food Contact Materials

The use of probabilistic approaches in exposure assessments of contaminants migrating from food packages is of increasing interest but the lack of concentration or migration data is often referred as a limitation. Data accounting for the variability and uncertainty that can be expected in migration, for example, due to heterogeneity in the packaging system, variation of the temperature along the distribution chain, and different time of consumption of each individual package, are required for probabilistic analysis. The objective of this work was to characterize quantitatively the uncertainty and variability in estimates of migration. A Monte Carlo simulation was applied to a typical solution of the Fick's law with given variability in the input parameters. The analysis was performed based on experimental data of a model system (migration of Irgafos 168 from polyethylene into isooctane) and illustrates how important sources of variability and uncertainty can be identified in order to refine analyses. For long migration times and controlled conditions of temperature the affinity of the migrant to the food can be the major factor determining the variability in the migration values (more than 70% of variance). In situations where both the time of consumption and temperature can vary, these factors can be responsible, respectively, for more than 60% and 20% of the variance in the migration estimates. The approach presented can be used with databases from consumption surveys to yield a true probabilistic estimate of exposure.     

Integrating Entropy‐Based Naïve Bayes and GIS for Spatial Evaluation of Flood Hazard

Regional flood risk caused by intensive rainfall under extreme climate conditions has increasingly attracted global attention. Mapping and evaluation of flood hazard are vital parts in flood risk assessment. This study develops an integrated framework for estimating spatial likelihood of flood hazard by coupling weighted naïve Bayes (WNB), geographic information system, and remote sensing. The north part of Fitzroy River Basin in Queensland, Australia, was selected as a case study site. The environmental indices, including extreme rainfall, evapotranspiration, net‐water index, soil water retention, elevation, slope, drainage proximity, and density, were generated from spatial data representing climate, soil, vegetation, hydrology, and topography. These indices were weighted using the statistics‐based entropy method. The weighted indices were input into the WNB‐based model to delineate a regional flood risk map that indicates the likelihood of flood occurrence. The resultant map was validated by the maximum inundation extent extracted from moderate resolution imaging spectroradiometer (MODIS) imagery. The evaluation results, including mapping and evaluation of the distribution of flood hazard, are helpful in guiding flood inundation disaster responses for the region. The novel approach presented consists of weighted grid data, image‐based sampling and validation, cell‐by‐cell probability inferring and spatial mapping. It is superior to an existing spatial naive Bayes (NB) method for regional flood hazard assessment. It can also be extended to other likelihood‐related environmental hazard studies.     

企业研发效率测度与比较——以中国各地区大中型工业企业数据为例

研发效率的高低是影响企业研发决策和经济增长效率的重要因素。已有研究在选择分析方法的时候往往只是根据主观判断,并没有给出明确和客观的理由。而且由于在样本区间、指标选择和数据处理等方面存在较大差异,不同研究之间难以进行直接比较,其核算结果也不能作为判断哪种方法有效的依据。本文在相同的样本区间、指标选择和数据处理前提下,针对中国各地区大中型工业企业1996—2005年的面板数据样本,利用索洛剩余核算、随机前沿分析和数据包络分析等方法对中国企业的研发效率进行评价。通过不同指标和方法的分析比较,可以得到相对更为全面和准确的测度,从而对中国企业的研发行为及效率做出较为客观的评价。     

Statistical precision of DEA and Malmquist indices: A bootstrap application to Norwegian grain producers

Previous applications of data envelopment analysis (DEA) and its subsequent Malmquist indices to efficiency and productivity measurements have been criticised for not providing statistical inferences regarding the significance of observed results. In this paper, DEA and a Malmquist index are combined with a bootstrap method in order to provide succinct statistical inferences that determine the performance of grain producers in Eastern Norway. The data cover the period between 1987 and 1997. Results reveal: (i) a significant degree of inefficiency (approximately 11%) and an average productivity progress of 38% over the period considered; (ii) the formidable productivity progress observed is primarily explained by technical efficiency changes that enabled producers to catch up with front runners; and (iii) environmental factors, such as weather conditions, impact both efficiency and productivity. Finally, the analysis reveals that using bootstrapping to make statistical inferences suggests that researchers should be careful in making performance comparisons based on conventional DEA methods, as any discovered differences may not be significant.     

基于前沿分析方法的中国工业部门 广义碳生产率指数测算及变化分解

碳生产率能将低碳经济的两大目标融为一体,工业部门作为能源密集型部门,是二氧化碳排放的主体,其碳生产率的变化深刻影响着中国整体碳生产率的格局。目前,大部分学者都用GDP与二氧化碳排放量的比值作为衡量碳生产率的指标,然而二氧化碳排放空间作为一种投入要素,其产出除了经济绩效外还包括环境、就业等综合绩效。本文基于广义碳生产率的概念,通过对前沿分析方法的比较,选择基于方向性距离函数的DEA方法,测算了中国工业部门各细分行业从2004-2009年的广义碳生产率指数,并对其变化进行了分解。结果表明:(1)中国工业部门广义碳生产率指数整体小于1,说明广义碳生产率水平整体上存在下降的趋势;(2)引致工业部门广义碳生产率指数整体小于1的主要原因是技术效率和规模效率低下。     

Exploiting value system multiplicity and preference voting for robust ranking

Under a data envelopment analysis (DEA) framework, full ranking of a group of decision making units (DMUs) can be carried out through an adequate amalgamation of the cross-efficiency (CE henceforth) scores produced for each DMU. In this paper, we propose a ranking procedure that is based on amalgamating the weight profiles selected over the cross-evaluation rather than related CE scores. The new approach builds, for each DMU, a collective weight profile (CWP henceforth) by exploiting the preference voting system embedded within the matrix of weights, which views the assessing DMUs as voters and the input/output factors as candidates. The occurrence of zero votes is discussed as a special case and a two-level aggregation procedure is developed. The CWPs that are produced extend the concept of collective appreciation to the input/output factors of each DMU so that group dynamics is truly reflected, mainly in decision making circumstances where factor prioritization is necessary for making choices or allocating resources. The robustness of the proposed ranking approach is evaluated with three examples drawn from the literature.