Browsing by Author "Ferrer, Juan Carlos"

Now showing 1 - 6 of 6
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    An optimization approach for scheduling wine grape harvest operations
    (ELSEVIER, 2008) Ferrer, Juan Carlos; Mac Cawley, Alejandro; Maturana, Sergio; Toloza, Sergio; Vera, Jorge
    This article presents a practical tool for optimally scheduling wine grape harvesting operations taking into account both operational costs and grape quality. We solve a mixed-integer linear programming model to support harvest scheduling, labor allocation, and routing decisions. A quality loss function is used to represent wine quality reduction at each vineyard block due to premature or deferred harvest with respect to an optimal date. We present computational results which show that the proposed tool could be used to support grape harvest planning in a large vineyard, at both a tactical and operational level, (C) 2007 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
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    Model for Optimization of Locations of Schools and Student Transportation in Rural Areas
    (NATL ACAD SCIENCES, 2012) Mandujano, Pablo; Giesen, Ricardo; Ferrer, Juan Carlos
    Low population densities make it difficult to design efficient networks of schools in rural areas. The most common solution is to operate small schools with children in multiple grades in each classroom, even though this solution may not be the least expensive. School consolidation proposals are difficult to implement because communities may have emotional bonds with their local schools and the impacts on secondary services, such as student transportation, are difficult to evaluate. In rural areas, particularly in Brazil, reductions in the costs associated with school operations and student transportation could allow boards of education to allocate more resources to improve educational practices and teaching materials. This paper presents a methodology for optimizing the location of schools and student transportation in rural areas. This methodology is based on two mixed-integer programming models, which are used sequentially. The first one deals with the school location and sizing problem, and the second one deals with the school bus routing and shift programming problem. The methodology was applied with data from Barao de Grajau, which is in the northeast region of Brazil, and provided savings in operating costs of 10% to 17%.
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    On pricing and composition of bundles
    (WILEY, 2007) Bitran, Gabriel R.; Ferrer, Juan Carlos
    This paper addresses the problem of how to determine the composition and price of a bundle so as to maximize the total expected profit. To motivate the problem, we use as a setting a high-tech manufacturing company that operates in a competitive environment, is not a leader in the industry, and is constantly reacting to bundles introduced by the leader. Bundles are sets of components that must meet technical constraints. The company's objective is to build a bundle and offer it in a market where it will compete with other bundles. Consumers purchase the bundle that maximizes their utility after examining all available bundles. The company selection of the bundle's components and its price is made in light of the bundles against which it will be competing and the uncertainty in the consumer choice process. The optimal decision could be found by solving a nonlinear mixed integer program, which is difficult to solve. Instead, we propose an efficient solution procedure to determine the optimal composition of the bundle and the price at which it should be offered. The paper concludes with a brief discussion of extensions of the research to cases that consider multiple segments of customers and/or multiple bundles.
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    On pricing of multiple bundles of products and services
    (ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV, 2010) Ferrer, Juan Carlos; Mora, Hugo; Olivares, Francisco
    This paper considers the pricing decision faced by a seller of bundles composed of a service and an associated product offered to customers on a subscription basis using a two-part tariff scheme. An optimal pricing policy that maximizes the profit of a firm is obtained using a dynamic programming approach and it is found that, in the long run, there is an optimal number of customers associated to each bundle. Due to managerial purposes, two suboptimal fixed-price policies are derived and compared to the optimal pricing policy. The conditions under which it is profitable for the firm to expand its offer from one to two bundles is studied. Finally, it is concluded that introducing a fee for subscribed customers to deter the switching from one bundle to the other, increases the profitability of the firm. (C) 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
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    Risk averse retail pricing with robust demand forecasting
    (ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV, 2012) Ferrer, Juan Carlos; Oyarzun, Diego; Vera, Jorge
    Good demand estimates are the key to effective pricing decision-making. However, they are subject to a high degree of uncertainty due to various factors that are unpredictable or difficult to model, thus making pricing decisions risky. This research provides a simple proposal for a robust optimization methodology that incorporates both demand uncertainty and the decision maker's degree of risk aversion. Uncertainty is explicitly considered for two coefficients of a linear demand function, price expressions are derived, and a criterion is proposed for defining the degree of risk aversion. The resulting model is also applied to an exponential demand case to better reflect a more realistic retail setting. (C) 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
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    The behavioral consequences of repeated flight delays
    (ELSEVIER SCI LTD, 2012) Ferrer, Juan Carlos; Rocha e Oliveira, Paulo; Parasuraman, A.
    Using longitudinal data from a major airline and the conditional difference-in-differences technique, we analyze the effects of flight delays on passengers' future purchasing behavior. We address the consequences of multiple delays, differentiating their effects on members and non-members of the airline's frequent flyer program. The results show that passengers who have experienced delays fly less than passengers who have not experienced any delay. This effect is convex in the number of delays experienced, stronger in members of the frequent flyer program, and non-decreasing in time. (C) 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.