Cookies Policy
The website need some cookies and similar means to function. If you permit us, we will use those means to collect data on your visits for aggregated statistics to improve our service. Find out More
Accept Reject
  • Menu
Publications

Publications by CEGI

2019

Physician Emigration: Should they Stay or Should they Go? A Policy Analysis

Authors
Amorim Lopes, M; Almeida, A; Almada Lobo, B;

Publication
COMPUTATIONAL ECONOMICS

Abstract
Physician emigration can either function as an escape valve to help the health labour market clear from a supply surplus, or aggravate the problem further in case of a shortage. Either way, policy-makers should be particularly aware and devise policies to minimize the occurrence of an imbalance in the physician workforce, which may require physician retention policies if barriers to entry and other market rigidities can not be removed. To this purpose we have developed an agent-based computational economics model to analyse physician emigration, and have used it to study the impact of potential short- and long-term retention policies. As a real case study we have calibrated it with data from Portugal, which features a very particular health system with many rigidities. Results show that all policies are capable of increasing the workforce size, but not all reduce emigration. Also, the effect of return migration is non-negligible, and may substantially offset the impact on the workforce size. Furthermore, the welfare impact of the policies varies considerably. Whether policies to retain physicians should be enacted or whether policy makers should let physicians go will depend on the type of imbalance present in the health system.

2019

The Demand for Healthcare Services and Resources: Patterns, Trends and Challenges in Healthcare Delivery

Authors
Cruz-Gomes S.; Amorim-Lopes M.; Almada-Lobo B.;

Publication
Springer Proceedings in Mathematics and Statistics

Abstract
Together with the significant improvement in health and longevity came a number of health and economic concerns related to the demand for healthcare services and resources: changes in the patterns of health and illness, increasing amount and complexity of healthcare services demanded, rising health expenditures and uncertainty about whether there will be enough human, physical and financial resources to deliver the healthcare services needed. This paper aims to draw attention to the importance of planning the demand for healthcare in the aforementioned context, to create awareness of the need for a comprehensive study on the demand for healthcare services and resources and to propose an integrated approach for planning them, to inform managers and policy-makers on what can be the main challenges on assuring healthcare delivery in the future.

2019

Integration of Supplier Selection and Inventory Management under Supply Disruptions

Authors
Saputro, TE; Figueira, G; Almada Lobo, B;

Publication
IFAC PAPERSONLINE

Abstract
Procurement plays an essential role in the supply of materials for the production of goods or products. The success of procurement management to fulfill demand with high service levels and on-time delivery relies on the suppliers' performance. Suppliers should be appropriately selected to source materials with the right quality, in the right quantity, at the right time, and for the right price. The scope of this problem, as well as other aspects such as the sourcing strategy, will depend on the type of items. Critical items, which represent high-profit impacts and high supply risks, should be approached comprehensively by considering all the main activities of the procurement process. This study focuses on a supplier selection problem integrated with inventory management under a multi-sourcing strategy, by taking into account stochastic demand and supply disruptions. This problem is approached by a simulation-optimization method, composed of discrete-event simulation and a genetic algorithm (GA). Finally, a numerical example is provided to illustrate the solution procedure.

2019

Towards an Integrated Framework for Aerospace Supply Chain Sustainability

Authors
Barbosa, C; Falcão e Cunha, N; Malarranha, C; Pinto, T; Carvalho, A; Amorim, P; Carvalho, MS; Azevedo, A; Relvas, S; Pinto Varela, T; Barros, AC; Alvelos, F; Alves, C; de Sousa, JP; Almada Lobo, B; de Carvalho, JV; Barbosa Póvoa, A;

Publication
Springer Proceedings in Mathematics and Statistics

Abstract
Supply chains have become one of the most important strategic themes in the aerospace industry in recent years as globalization and deep technological changes have altered the industry at many levels, creating new dynamics and strategies. In this setting, sustainability at the supply chain level is an emerging research topic, whose contributions aim to support businesses into the future. To do so the development of new products and the response to new industry requirements, while incorporating new materials appears as a path to follow, which require more resilient and agile supply chains, while guaranteeing their sustainability. Such supply chains will be better prepared for the future complex challenges and risks faced by the aerospace companies. Such challenges are addressed in this work, where an integrated framework is proposed to contribute to the resilience and sustainability of aerospace supply chains. Using different analysis methods, the framework addresses four important challenges in the context of aerospace supply chain sustainability: evolution and new trends, performance assessment, supplier selection, and supply chain design and planning. © 2019, Springer Nature Switzerland AG.

2019

Capacitated Vehicle Routing Problem with Heterogeneous Fixed Proprietary Fleet and Outsourcing Delivery—A Clustering-Based Approach

Authors
Bertoluci, R; Ramos, AG; Lopes, M; Bastos, J;

Publication
Springer Proceedings in Mathematics and Statistics

Abstract
This paper describes a solution method that was created with the objective of obtaining a more efficient finished goods distribution process for a food industry company. The finished goods distribution process involves the use of the companys own fleet to serve a specific group of customers, and the use of outsourcing transportation services that can make direct and transshipment customer deliveries. The complexity of the problem is due to the need to decide which customers should be served by each of the outsourcing transportation services, direct or transshipment, and to find cost efficient solutions for the multiple vehicle routing problems created. First, an original clustering method consisting of a logical division of the customer orders using a delivery ratio based on the transportation unit cost, distance and order weight, is used to define customer clusters by service type. Then, an exact method based on a mixed integer programming model, is used to obtain optimal vehicle routing solutions, for each cluster created. The solution method for the company real instances, proved able to reach the initial proposed objectives and obtain promising results that suggest an average reduction of 34% for the operational costs, when compared to the current distribution model of the company. © 2019, Springer Nature Switzerland AG.

2019

Multiple vehicle synchronisation in a full truck-load pickup and delivery problem: A case-study in the biomass supply chain

Authors
Soares, R; Marques, A; Amorim, P; Rasinmaki, J;

Publication
EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF OPERATIONAL RESEARCH

Abstract
The search for higher efficiency in transportation planning processes in real life applications is challenging. The synchronisation of different vehicles performing interrelated operations can enforce a better use of vehicle fleets and decrease travelled distances and non-productive times, leading to a reduction of logistics costs. In this work, the full truck-load pickup and delivery problem with multiple vehicle synchronisation (FT-PDP-mVS) is presented. This problem is motivated by a real-life application in the biomass supply chain "hot-system", where it is necessary to simultaneously perform chipping and transportation operations at the forest roadside. The FT-PDP-mVS consists in determining the integrated routes for three distinct types of vehicles, which need to perform interrelated operations with minimum logistics costs. We extend existing studies in synchronisation of multiple routes by acknowledging several synchronisation aspects, such as operations and movement synchronisation. A novel mixed integer programming model (MIP) is presented, along with valid inequalities to tighten the formulation. A solution method approach is developed based on the fix-and-optimise principles under a variable neighbourhood decomposition search. Results of its application to 19 instances based on a real-world case-study demonstrate its performance. For a baseline instance, the synchronisation aspects tackled in this problem allowed for significant gains when compared to the company's current planning approach. Furthermore, the proposed approach can enhance planning and decision making processes by providing valuable insights about the impact of key parameters of biomass logistics over the routing results.

  • 66
  • 170