This book focuses on some of the most energy-consuming HVAC systems; illuminating huge opportunities for energy savings in buildings that operate with these systems. The main discussion is on, cutting-edge decision making approaches, and algorithms in: decision making under uncertainty, genetic algorithms, fuzzy logic, artificial neural networks, agent based modeling, and game theory. These methods are applied to HVAC systems, in order to help designers select the best options among the many available pathways for designing and the building of HVAC systems and applications. The discussion further evolves to depict how the buildings of the future can incorporate these advanced decision-making algorithms to become autonomous and truly ‘smart’.
IIE/Joint Publishers Book of the Year Award 2016! Awarded for ‘an outstanding published book that focuses on a facet of industrial engineering, improves education, or furthers the profession’. Engineering Decision Making and Risk Management emphasizes practical issues and examples of decision making with applications in engineering design and management Featuring a blend of theoretical and analytical aspects, this book presents multiple perspectives on decision making to better understand and improve risk management processes and decision-making systems. Engineering Decision Making and Risk Management uniquely presents and discusses three perspectives on decision making: problem solving, the decision-making process, and decision-making systems. The author highlights formal techniques for group decision making and game theory and includes numerical examples to compare and contrast different quantitative techniques. The importance of initially selecting the most appropriate decision-making process is emphasized through practical examples and applications that illustrate a variety of useful processes. Presenting an approach for modeling and improving decision-making systems, Engineering Decision Making and Risk Management also features: Theoretically sound and practical tools for decision making under uncertainty, multi-criteria decision making, group decision making, the value of information, and risk management Practical examples from both historical and current events that illustrate both good and bad decision making and risk management processes End-of-chapter exercises for readers to apply specific learning objectives and practice relevant skills A supplementary website with instructional support material, including worked solutions to the exercises, lesson plans, in-class activities, slides, and spreadsheets An excellent textbook for upper-undergraduate and graduate students, Engineering Decision Making and Risk Management is appropriate for courses on decision analysis, decision making, and risk management within the fields of engineering design, operations research, business and management science, and industrial and systems engineering. The book is also an ideal reference for academics and practitioners in business and management science, operations research, engineering design, systems engineering, applied mathematics, and statistics.
The first edition of Caroline Whitbeck's Ethics in Engineering Practice and Research focused on the difficult ethical problems engineers encounter in their practice and in research. In many ways, these problems are like design problems: they are complex, often ill defined; resolving them involves an iterative process of analysis and synthesis; and there can be more than one acceptable solution. In the second edition of this text, Dr Whitbeck goes above and beyond by featuring more real-life problems, stating recent scenarios and laying the foundation of ethical concepts and reasoning. This book offers a real-world, problem-centered approach to engineering ethics, using a rich collection of open-ended case studies to develop skill in recognizing and addressing ethical issues.
Contains a selection of major decisions of the GAO. A digest of all decisions has been issued since Oct. 1989 as: United States. General Accounting Office. Digests of decisions of the Comptroller General of the United States. Before Oct. 1989, digests of unpublished decisions were issued with various titles.
The most difficult part of making decisions in the health care field on all levels (national, regional, institutional, patient) is linked to the very complexity of the system itself, to the intrinsic uncertainty involved and its dynamic nature. This requires not only the ability to analyze and interpret a large amount of information but also arrange it so that it becomes a cognitive base for appropriate decision-making. Moreover, decisions in the health care field are subjected to many challenges and constraints: fast change and uncertain outcomes, aging population, increasing citizen expectations, equity considerations and limited resources. Operations research, statistical and economic-related quantitative methods supply these decisions making tools and methodology. The contributed book presents a collection of applications to concrete situations detailing the problem area, the methodology employed, the implementation and results. Each topic addressed in the book will be structured in such a way that an interdisciplinary and wide audience will be able to use the materials presented. As an example the book chapters will address health policies issues, planning health services, epidemiology and disease modelling, home-care modelling, logistics in health care, capacity planning, quality and appropriateness.
Modern businesses face the challenge of how to most effectively harness the power of Artificial Intelligence (AI) to enhance customer engagement and streamline operations. The proliferation of AI tools like ChatGPT offers immense potential. Yet, businesses often need help to navigate the complexities of implementation and maximize the benefits. This gap between AI's promise and its practical application highlights the need for a comprehensive resource that offers practical insights and innovative strategies. Real-Time Data Decisions With AI and ChatGPT Techniques is a groundbreaking book that addresses this critical challenge. By providing a detailed analysis of ChatGPT and other AI tools, this book equips businesses with the knowledge and strategies needed to leverage AI effectively. From algorithmic enhancements to real-world applications, each chapter offers valuable insights and actionable recommendations, making this book an indispensable guide for businesses seeking to capitalize on AI's transformative potential.
