This book presents a selection of studies that have applied Operational Research methods to improve emergency planning in healthcare, to include both A&E and public health emergencies like epidemic and natural disasters. The studies have delved into qualitative Operational Research like Problem Structuring, Critical Systems Thinking, Soft Systems Methodology, and Qualitative System Dynamics, and also quantitative techniques such as Monte Carlo Simulation, Discrete-event Simulation, and System Dynamics. These techniques have been applied for review and assessment of emergency services, for policy formulation and for facilitating broader public engagement in emergency preparedness and response. Furthermore, this book presents rigorous reviews on the applications of Operational Research in the wider healthcare context. This volume focuses mainly on emergency planning at the strategic level, whereas volume 1 focuses on planning at the operational level. The OR Essentials series presents a unique cross-section of high quality research work fundamental to understanding contemporary issues and research across a range of Operational Research (OR) topics. It brings together some of the best research papers from the highly respected journals of the Operational Research Society, also published by Palgrave Macmillan.

This book presents a collection of studies that have applied analytical methods to improve preparedness, planning, and a faster response to A&E and public health emergencies like epidemic and disease outbreak. It explores the application of quantitative Operational Research techniques such as Mathematical Modelling and Optimization, Maximum Likelihood Estimation, Multiple-Criteria Decision Analysis, Discrete-event Simulation, Data Mining, and Bayesian Decision Models. These techniques have been used for better management of emergency care, including first responders, ambulance services, A&E departments, and mass immunisation centres. This volume focuses on planning at the operational level whereas volume 2 focuses mainly on planning at the strategic level. The OR Essentials series presents a unique cross-section of high quality research work fundamental to understanding contemporary issues and research across a range of Operational Research (OR) topics. It brings together some of the best research papers from the highly respected journals of the Operational Research Society, also published by Palgrave Macmillan.

This book presents contributions to the 50th Annual Conference of the Operations Research Society of South Africa (ORSSA), which was jointly hosted with the African Federation of Operations Research Societies (AFROS) at North-West University in Potchefstroom, South Africa from 12 to 15 September, 2021. Focusing on innovative case studies and recent applications of Operations Research models and algorithms in African countries, each chapter highlights findings emerging from the countries in question and explains the lessons learned. As such, the book offers an up-to-date overview of Operations Research practices and developments in Africa. AFROS is a “not for profit” organization that aims to promote Operations Research in Africa. Its affairs are regulated by an Executive Committee consisting of representatives/alternates of all its member societies. The members of the Federation undertake to co-operate in the advancement of knowledge, interest and education in Operations Research by appropriate means, particularly the exchange of information, the holding of meetings and conferences, and the awarding of prizes.

This book constitutes the proceedings of the 8th International Conference on Exploring Services Science, IESS 2017, held in Rome, Italy, in May 2017. The 33 papers presented in this volume were carefully reviewed and selected from 48 submissions. IESS 2017 covered major research and development areas related to Service Science foundations, service engineering and management, service innovation, service orientation of processes, applications in service sectors and ICT support for services. The presented papers were organized in topical sections named: theoretical contributions: literature analysis and conceptual models; service systems analysis and design; service organizations case studies and practices; and sustainability: service ecosystems, environment control and transportation.

The evolution of industrial development since the 18th century is now experiencing the fourth industrial revolution. The effect of the development has propagated into almost every sector of the industry. From inventory to the circular economy, the effectiveness of technology has been fruitful for industry. The recent trends in research, with new ideas and methodologies, are included in this book. Several new ideas and business strategies are developed in the area of the supply chain management, logistics, optimization, and forecasting for the improvement of the economy of the society and the environment. The proposed technologies and ideas are either novel or help modify several other new ideas. Different real life problems with different dimensions are discussed in the book so that readers may connect with the recent issues in society and industry. The collection of the articles provides a glimpse into the new research trends in technology, business, and the environment.

Today, we know cities as shared spaces with the potential to both threaten and promote human health: while urban areas are known to amplify the transmission of epidemics like Ebola, urban residency is also associated with longer, healthier lives. Modern cities encompass a wide ecology of infrastructures, institutions and services that impact health, from access to improved sanitation and early childhood education to the design of buildings and transportation systems. So how has this centuries-long transformation in human settlement affected the mindset surrounding public health research and practice? Urban Public Health is an interdisciplinary collaboration from experts across the globe that approaches the issue of urban health research from a uniquely public health orientation. The carefully crafted and thoughtful chapters in this volume grapple with the complexity of the urban setting as a physical and social space while also providing an abundance of global and local examples of current urban health practices. Urban Public Health is divided into four pragmatic sections which cover core conceptual models of public health and their inequities, methods of urban health research assessment, methods of urban health research analysis and explanation, and ultimately, opportunities for urban health research to inform action through partnership and collaboration, including those which elevate community voices and capacities. An accessible guide for both students and researchers alike, Urban Public Health shines a light on how to understand, measure and change the urban setting so that cities grow, people thrive, and no one is left behind.

This book provides a broad overview of the benefits from a Systems Engineering design philosophy in architecting complex systems composed of artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning (ML) and humans situated in chaotic environments. The major topics include emergence, verification and validation of systems using AI/ML and human systems integration to develop robust and effective human-machine teams—where the machines may have varying degrees of autonomy due to the sophistication of their embedded AI/ML. The chapters not only describe what has been learned, but also raise questions that must be answered to further advance the general Science of Autonomy. The science of how humans and machines operate as a team requires insights from, among others, disciplines such as the social sciences, national and international jurisprudence, ethics and policy, and sociology and psychology. The social sciences inform how context is constructed, how trust is affected when humans and machines depend upon each other and how human-machine teams need a shared language of explanation. National and international jurisprudence determine legal responsibilities of non-trivial human-machine failures, ethical standards shape global policy, and sociology provides a basis for understanding team norms across cultures. Insights from psychology may help us to understand the negative impact on humans if AI/ML based machines begin to outperform their human teammates and consequently diminish their value or importance. This book invites professionals and the curious alike to witness a new frontier open as the Science of Autonomy emerges.

This book continues the discussion of the effects of artificial intelligence in terms of economics and finance. In particular, the book focuses on the effects of the change in the structure of financial markets, institutions and central banks, along with digitalization analyzed based on fintech ecosystems. In addition to finance sectors, other sectors, such as health, logistics, and industry 4.0, all of which are undergoing an artificial intelligence induced rapid transformation, are addressed in this book. Readers will receive an understanding of an integrated approach towards the use of artificial intelligence across various industries and disciplines with a vision to address the strategic issues and priorities in the dynamic business environment in order to facilitate decision-making processes. Economists, board members of central banks, bankers, financial analysts, regulatory authorities, accounting and finance professionals, chief executive officers, chief audit officers and chief financial officers, chief financial officers, as well as business and management academic researchers, will benefit from reading this book.

Vedanta Philosophy of Management is the modern need of the changing world order in these days of technological innovation and gigantic size of business organizations. Keeping in mind the objectives of sustainable development goals (SDGs) five Chapters are devoted in this volume, to increase human competency building, enhance capabilities, and to bring in creativity to strengthen human living parameters in terms of Vedanta management thought and the Vedic work practices. Chapter 1 deals with “Introduction to Vedanta Management Thought” to understand the framework of Vedanta management and to find-out the means and ways for human resource development (HRD) potentials through Vedanta philosophy, along with backdrop analysis of business process reengineering (BPR) paradigms in confining issues pertaining to organizational effectiveness as well as environmental sustainability. Effective leadership qualities are narrated in sparkling manner to strengthen managerial professional ethics, administrative excellence building norms, bring in positive social change in terms of Vedic work ethics and code of conduct. Hence, this Chapter enlightens on various postulates of global development initiatives through Vedanta practices of management to finding out the true nature of management and its significance in the present day changing world order in scientific temper of thought. Applications of Vedanta knowledge in organizational activities are synthesized with the Vedic work principles to uplift human beings from pathetic social sufferings. As such, quality circle fundamental issues are stressed with equanimity of work and equipoise nature of performance for supplementing human growth related paradigms in ‘path-goal’ relativity approach. Chapter 2 deals with “Vedanta Management and Theory of Work” to work-out judicious relationship between organizational activities and human development strategies in relation to organizational dynamicity, managerial vision of work, etc. with goal directed initiatives. As such, this Chapter especially considers the Vedanta principles of management with the Vedic rules of work practices, in coagulating tools and techniques of human dynamic behavioral postulates for enhancing human competencies building to commensurate transformational social change with transcendental approach. Hence, theory of work is given special priority in organizational activities in terms of Vedanta mission, to incorporate management practices in regard to human existential freedom of living. Chapter 3 deals with “Vedanta Management and Theory of Knowledge” and furnishes the principles of human creative innovational thought for illuminating production function related activities, to enlarge organizational effectiveness in terms of theory of knowledge and managerial excellence building process. Here, universal brotherhood has been considered sincerely for exposition of the fundamental rules of Vedanta management in realities of management, to eradicate social poverty with interface between managerial knowledge and values of work. It has provided a paradigm shift of knowledge to social emancipation process of human beings for world class citizenship in terms of administrative skills. Thus, this Chapter provides a new managerial perspective on international understanding with human cooperative endeavors; so that Vedanta management helps to match resources in matchless way to reduce gaps between haves and have-nots, for bringing human solvency as well as salvation of life. Chapter 4, analyzes “Vedanta Management and Theory of Devotion” to relate organizational work ethics with leadership qualities in bringing world unity, social integrity and human self-sufficiency. Thus, this Chapter elaborates the issues of the integral concept of humanity in relation to work and knowledge as the pyramid of social reconstruction, in confining organizational work ethics to areas of radical social reconstruction through devotional qualities of modern organizational leaders, and therefore, human growth and social sustainability is explained in relativity approach to amplify the reasons for increasing human capacity building with devotional managerial qualities at organizational structure, to enrich the pillars of modern organizations. As a whole, this Chapter is attempted to discuss primarily qualities of devotion in management and its necessity for attaining the goal of organizational work efficiency. Thus, this Chapter has established relativity between work and devotion to uproot the principles of Vedanta in management, so as to know clearly the devotional practice of work philosophy in bringing universal peace and eternal concept of human living through Vedanta management techniques. Thus, managerial guidelines are provided for effective organizational rolling in making pious social journey with knowledge-base intercepts towards the existential autonomy of humankind. Chapter 5 discusses on “Vedanta Management for International Understanding” to reflect international cooperative business environment with the help of management vision. It explains analytically the fundamental thoughts of financial solvency through Vedanta techniques of derivative management system. This Chapter further deals with international human cooperation building measures in terms of Vedanta system of management, to enumerate various business policies at international level. Technological upgrading principles and practices at international level have been found to be the corner-stone of Vedanta management process, and therefore, we have exemplified with decisive factors – how to choose technology at the present set-up of the world business changing scenario for human empowerment, in bringing world equilibrium at economic frontiers. Accordingly, we have analyzed the reinventing policies of Vedanta management for international production quality enhancement program in realizing the goal of service delivery mechanisms of the global organizations. Enrichment of intellectual property for managerial value addition to the society has essentially been occupied important place in our discourses through Vedanta management objectives, for the purpose of valuable studies on international market driven competitive advantages as well as price mechanism behavioral prudence to global business environment of international organizations, for which administrative effectiveness has been put forward as proactive goal of managerial guidance at international standard, to illuminate the picture of good governance philosophy. All the Chapters have been interpreted in scientific manner with appropriate examples for confining human development related postulates in relativistic assumptions of sound organizational structure. Vedanta management ideologies are thus enumerated to uproot the ultimate goal of human society. Focus on the Vedanta techniques on overall study reveals – how managerial effectiveness will be enhanced through ‘path-goal’ relational approach of management, to augment scientific viewpoint on matters like, organizational strategy, social dynamicity and human capacity building for the purpose of world peace, global tranquility and human existential freedom of living. The volume is the first and new one as an innovative technique of social business reengineering process for creative managerial guidance to the effective cause of development of human resources as well as leadership goal of organizational life-style, in the changing phase of technological society and global order of the twenty-first century.

This book presents work on healthcare management and engineering using optimization and simulation methods and techniques. Specific topics covered in the contributed chapters include discrete-event simulation, patient admission scheduling, simulation-based emergency department control systems, patient transportation, cost function networks, hospital bed management, and operating theater scheduling. The content will be valuable for researchers and postgraduate students in computer science, information technology, industrial engineering, and applied mathematics.