As an integral part of tolerance design in the context of design for six sigma, determining optimal product specifications has become the focus of increased activity, as manufacturing industries strive to increase productivity and improve the quality of their products. Although a number of research papers have been reported in the research community, there is room for improvement. Most existing research papers consider determining optimal specification limits for a single quality characteristic. In this paper, we develop the modeling and optimization procedures for optimum circular and spherical configurations by considering multiple quality characteristics. The concepts of multivariate quality loss function and truncated distribution are incorporated. This has never been adequately addressed, nor has been appropriately applied in industry. A numerical example is shown and comparison studies are made.

This paper analyses Chinese manufacturing performance from a multilateral perspective in 1980–2004. The PPPs, relative price levels, labor productivity and ULCs in multilateral comparison are used to explore Chinese manufacturing competitiveness. The PPPs are based on the benchmark year 1997. These results are compared to the previous estimates based on the 1987 benchmark. The findings are as follows: the PPPs derived by the different approaches in the base year 1997 in Chinese manufacturing are approximately 3.7 yuan/international $. Since the middle 1980s, China’s relative price level has been the lowest among all five countries and declined during the period of time. Its ULC has also been declining with some fluctuation. In the 1980s, there was “no catch-up rapid growth” in its labor productivity. However, after 1992, a beginning has been made with catch up distinctly, though from a very low level.

This paper presents a new methodological approach for the synthesis of a neuro-fuzzy controller, using an on-line learning procedure. A simple algebraic formulation of a Sugeno fuzzy inference system that ensures a coherent universe of discourse, making easy its interpretation by a human being, is proposed and implemented in the case of the control of a bioreactor, which is considered as a complex non linear process.

This paper presents a generic mathematical model for depicting the diffusion of an innovative product on a given market. Our approach relies on a probabilistic modeling of each customer behavior with respect to the commercial process which is used to promote such a product. We introduce in particular the concept of coherent market that corresponds to a market which can be analyzed in a uniform way within our model. This last notion allows us to recover the classical empirical results that were discovered and widely studied by E.M. Rogers and his school. We explain finally how to use our approach as a support for analytic predictive marketing.

In this paper we define a concept of weak equilibrium for vector network equilibrium problems. We obtain sufficient conditions of weak equilibrium points and establish relation with vector network equilibrium problems and vector variational inequalities.

The target of Hall for Workshop of Meta-synthetic Engineering (HWMSE) is to organically combine the human expert systems, machine systems and knowledge systems so as to realize meta-syntheses. The availability of HWMSE embodies in capabilities of knowledge using and knowledge creation. In HWMSE the knowledge systems could be classed into two types: general knowledge system and object knowledge system. A highly strong and continually accumulated object knowledge system is essential for complex system problem solving. Systematic study of the object system is the foundation for knowledge system construction in HWMSE. It is important to design the knowledge system as a whole for systematic research while at the meanwhile open for accumulation through utilization. Case of object knowledge system construction and utilization in the project Research on the Man-machine Collaborated HWMSE Supporting Macroeconomic Policy Making is discussed.

In this paper, meta-synthesis system approach (MSA) is applied to a consulting project on exploring constructing comprehensive transportation system in China. Firstly, brief introduction about the concept of comprehensive transportation is given to indicate that comprehensive transportation is an open complex giant system, which thus MSA is applied to exploring its constructing in China. A group argumentation environment (GAE) is applied to facilitate group divergent thinking process about what the concerned topics are in the project and acquire qualitative hypotheses for meta-synthetic system modeling. A multi-agent system model is constructed to analyze competitive relations of passenger transport between railway and highway as a demonstration of modeling by rule, one of 6 strategies of meta-synthetic system modeling. An evaluation support system is developed to integrate a variety of indicators and their related measure methods by a framework of input-output-outcome of comprehensive transportation to facilitate consultants to monitor current state of operation and management of transport system and generate alternatives of a set of indicators to evaluate efficiency or effectiveness of the whole system or its elements on demand.

With increasingly intense competition between enterprises, the realization of advanced supply chain management has become an exquisite premise for the survival of firms. Procurement management is an important means to reduce costs and to enhance the competitive advantage. By exploiting the single period newsvendor model, this paper analyses and compares the benefit mechanisms of e-procurement and traditional procurement to quantify the effect of the Internet on supply chain procurement management in a neutral e-market.