Abstract
This chapter aims to promote and illustrate the fruitful combination of
classical operations research (OR) and computer simulation. First, a highly instructive
example of parallel queues will be studied. This simple example already shows
the necessary combination of OR (queueing) and simulation that appears to be of
practical interest such as for call center optimization. Next, two more ‘real life’
applications are regarded: (1) blood platelet production and inventory management
at blood banks, and (2) train conflict resolution for railway junctions. Both applications
show the useful combination of simulation and optimization methods from OR,
in particular stochastic dynamic programming (SDP) and Markov decision theory
(MDP), to obtain simple rules that are nearly optimal. The results are based on reallife
Dutch case studies and show that this combined OR-simulation approach can
be most useful for ‘practical optimization’ and that it is still wide open for further
application.
Original language | English |
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Title of host publication | Applied Simulation and Optimization : In logistics Industrial and Aeronautical Practice |
Editors | M. Mujica Mota, I.F. de la Mota, D. Guimarans Serrano |
Publisher | Springer |
Pages | 75-107 |
Number of pages | 319 |
ISBN (Print) | 9783319150321 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - 2015 |