GPNs are complex systems involving relocation decisions based on evaluating multiple, often conflicting decision factors. MCDA methods offer a structured approach to support such decisions. This study conducted a systematic literature review using the PRISMA framework to explore the challenges and opportunities of applying MCDA methods. Through thematic and reflexive methodology, ten categories were identified. This study also proposes a framework to assist in selecting suitable methods, particularly hybrid and fuzzy approaches, for production relocation decisions and to address broader strategic challenges in GPNs, which were identified and mapped in this study, laying the groundwork for AI-enhanced decision support systems.

Storage reliability is of importance for the products that largely stay in storage in their total life-cycle such as warning systems for harmful radiation detection, etc. Usually, the field-testing data can be available, but the failure causes for a series system cannot be always known because of the masked information. In this paper, the storage reliability model with possibly initial failures is studied on the statistical analysis method when the masked data are considered. To optimize the use of the masked survival data from storage systems, a technique based on the least squares (LS) method with an EM-like algorithm, is proposed for the series system. The parametric estimation procedure based on the LS method is developed by applying the algorithm to update the testing data, and then the LS estimation for the initial reliability and failure rate of the components constituting the series system are investigated. The results should be useful for accurately evaluating the production reliability, identifying the production quality, and planning a storage environment.

Masked data are the system failure data when the exact cause of the failures might be unknown. That is, the cause of the system failures may be any one of the components. Additionally, to incorporate more information and provide more accurate analysis, modeling software fault detection and correction processes have attracted widespread research attention recently. However, stochastic fault correction time and masked data brings more difficulties in parameter estimation. In this paper, a framework of open source software growth reliability model with masked data considering both fault detection and correction processes is proposed. Furthermore, a novel Expectation Least Squares (ELS) method, an EM-like (Expectation Maximization) algorithm, is used to solve the problem of parameter estimation, because of its mathematical convenience and computational efficiency. It is note that the ELS procedure is easy to use and useful for practical applications, and it just needs more relaxed hidden assumptions. Finally, three data sets from real open source software project are applied to the proposed framework, and the results show that the proposed reliability model is useful and powerful.

Reconfigurable manufacturing systems (RMSs) are considered the solution of choice when variable production capacity and functionality are required. A combinational approach, which integrates the steady-state probabilities of repairable reconfigurable machine tools (RMTs) and inventory-state probabilities of buffers through an improved universal generating function, is introduced in this study to assess the compound performance indicators (CPIs) of a repairable RMS. This paper contributes to the existing literature by considering the availability of buffers to calculate the CPIs of an RMS. In the proposed approach, the dynamic-state probability for each RMT is determined with a homogeneous continuous-time Markov model, and steady-state probability is obtained as the limit of the dynamic probability as time tends to infinity. In addition, a descriptive input-output information flow, which combines the conveying processes of the machined parts through buffers with the Poisson process, is proposed to determine the inventory-state probabilities of the buffers. Moreover, the explicit expressions of the CPI and expected performance rate (for the RMS and its constituent RMTs) are determined, and the validation procedure and technical details of the performance analysis for the Monte Carlo simulation are presented. Finally, a non-serial, repairable, multi-state RMS with multiple buffers that produces three types of engine cylinder heads is presented to validate the proposed approach. The simulation results verify the accuracy of the performance assessment of the RMS. It is useful for performance improvement in terms of machine reliability, resource utilisation efficiency, and decision-making concerning the configuration of RMS with buffers.

Wireless sensor networks (WSNs) have widely been applied in various industries and business fields covering large geographical regions. It is therefore important to be able to model, assess and predict the reliability of WSNs since the failures can have a great effect on the monitoring or control systems that are normally depending on the WSNs. In this paper, the general WSN reliability models are developed by deleting the independent assumption of component or subsystem failures and are consequently more reasonable to characterise the failure process of WSNs. The methodology in the proposed WSN reliability models is to consider that the failure times of subsystems are dependent variables and their joint distribution is obtained by binding their marginal failure distributions together through a copula function. For specific Frank copula functions, the Star-based WSN reliability models are derived and their properties are also discussed in this paper. 

The traditional reliability models cannot well reflect the effect of performance dependence of subsystems on the reliability of system, and neglect the problems of initial reliability and standby redundancy. In this paper, the reliability of a parallel system with active multicomponents and a single cold-standby unit has been investigated. The simultaneously working components are dependent and the dependence is expressed by a copula function. Based on the theories of conditional probability, the explicit expressions for the reliability and the MTTF of the system, in terms of the copula function and marginal lifetime distributions, are obtained. Let the copula function be the FGM copula and the marginal lifetime distribution be exponential distribution, a system with two parallel dependent units and a single cold-standby unit is taken as an example. The effect of different degrees of dependence among components on system reliability is analyzed, and the system reliability can be expressed as the linear combination of exponential reliability functions with different failure rates. For investigating how the degree of dependence affects the mean lifetime, furthermore, the parallel system with a single cold standby, comprising different number of active components, is also presented. The effectiveness of the modeling method is verified, and the method presented provides a theoretical basis for reliability design of engineering systems and physics of failure.

Storage reliability is of importance for the products that largely stay in storage in their total life-cycle such as warning systems for harmful radiation detection, rescue systems, many kinds of defense systems, etc. The storage reliability of a product is commonly defined as the probability that the product can perform its specific function for a period of specific storage time under specific storage environment. Logically, the failures of the product in storage should be identified with the same criteria as in its operation process. However, the failure data in storage may be observed indirectly through the maintenance or inspection activities. Nevertheless, when the storage reliability is concerned in general, the reliability model should take into consideration the possibility that the operational reliability does not start at 100%, for example, the one-shot product may have only 96% operational reliability when they are newly produced. In this paper, the storage reliability model with possibly initial failures, which are usually neglected at the beginning of storage in most of storage models, is studied on the statistical analysis method when the masked data are observed. The parametric estimation procedure, based on the Least Squares method, is developed generally by applying an EM-like (Expectation and Maximization) algorithm for the storage data in which some information about which components have caused the system failures is not known, namely the failure data are masked. The estimates of the model parameters including the initial reliability are formalized. In the case of exponentially distributed storage lifetime and series system, a numerical example is provided to illustrate the method and procedure though the method is not limited to such case. The results should be useful for planning a storage environment, decision-making concerning the maximum length of storage, maintenance strategy optimization and identifying the production quality.

Storage reliability that measures the ability of products in a dormant state to keep their required functions is studied in this paper. Unlike the operational reliability, storage reliability for certain types of products may not be always 100% at the beginning of storage since there are existing possible initial failures that are normally neglected in the models of storage reliability. In this paper, a new combinatorial approach, the non-parametric measure for the estimates of the number of failed products and the current reliability at each testing time in storage, and the parametric measure for the estimates of the initial reliability and the failure rate based on the exponential reliability function, is proposed for estimating and predicting the storage reliability with possible initial failures. The proposed method has taken into consideration that, the initial failure and the reliability testing data before and during the storage process, are available for providing more accurate estimates of both initial failure probability and the probability of storage failures. When storage reliability prediction that is the main concern in this field should be made, the non-parametric estimates of failure numbers can be used into the parametric models for the failure process in storage. In the case of exponential models, the assessment and prediction method for storage reliability is provided in this paper. Finally, numerical examples are given to illustrate the method. Furthermore, a detailed comparison between the proposed method and the traditional method, for examining the rationality of assessment and prediction on the storage reliability, is presented. The results should be useful for planning a storage environment, decision-making concerning the maximum length of storage, and identifying the production quality.

Storage reliability that measures the ability of products in a dormant state to keep their required functions is studied in this paper. For certain types of products, Storage reliability may not always be 100% at the beginning of storage, unlike the operational reliability, which exist possible initial failures that are normally neglected in the models of storage reliability. In this paper, a new integrated technique, the non-parametric measure based on the E-Bayesian estimates of current failure probabilities is combined with the parametric measure based on the exponential reliability function, is proposed to estimate and predict the storage reliability of products with possible initial failures, where the non-parametric method is used to estimate the number of failed products and the reliability at each testing time, and the parameter method is used to estimate the initial reliability and the failure rate of storage product. The proposed method has taken into consideration that, the reliability test data of storage products containing the unexamined before and during the storage process, is available for providing more accurate estimates of both the initial failure probability and the storage failure probability. When storage reliability prediction that is the main concern in this field should be made, the non-parametric estimates of failure numbers can be used into the parametric models for the failure process in storage. In the case of exponential models, the assessment and prediction method for storage reliability is presented in this paper. Finally, a numerical example is given to illustrate the method. Furthermore, a detailed comparison between the proposed and traditional method, for examining the rationality of assessment and prediction on the storage reliability, is investigated. The results should be useful for planning a storage environment, decision-making concerning the maximum length of storage, and identifying the production quality.

Many faults come from the design phase. In order to improve the maintainability of the software, the design of software architecture must be adopted modular design. This paper presents a method of UML class diagram translated into a directed complex network with weight value. The relation weight coefficient matrix between classes can be calculated by Dijkstra algorithm. The clustering algorithm is implemented on the relation weight coefficient matrix. The result of clustering analysis is that the closely related classes can be clustered into a component. Finally, modular design of the software system can be realized. © 2017 IEEE.