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Arbitrary constraints might be included into the problem domain in many engineering applications, which represent specific features such as multi-domain interfaces, cracks with small yield stresses, stiffeners attached on the plate for reinforcement and so on. To imprint these constraints into the final mesh, additional techniques need to be developed to treat these constraints properly.

This paper proposes an automatic approach to generate quadrilateral meshes for the geometric models with complex feature constraints. Firstly, the region is decomposed into sub-regions by the constraints, and then the quadrilateral mesh is generated in each sub-region that satisfies the constraints. A method that deals with constraint lines and points is presented. A distribution function is proposed to represent the distribution of mesh size over the region by using the Laplace equation. The density lines and points can be specified inside the region and reasonable mesh size distribution can be obtained by solving the Laplace equation.

An automatic method to define sub-regions is presented, and the user interaction can be avoided. An algorithm for constructing loops from constraint lines is proposed, which can deal with the randomly distributed constraint lines in a general way. A method is developed to deal with constraint points and quality elements can be generated around constraint points. A function defining the distribution of mesh size is put forward. The examples of constrained quadrilateral mesh generation in actual engineering analysis are presented to show the performance of the approach.

An automatic approach to constrained quadrilateral mesh generation is presented in this paper. It can generate required quality meshes for special applications with complex internal feature constraints.

This paper aims to explore the role of line-item budgeting in film production in an effort to illustrate the positive effects that budgetary constraints can have on creativity.

Using Elster’s (2000) constraint theory as a basis for the research, this paper conducted a case study on the making of a Danish adventure film and analysed the role budgeting plays from the film director’s point of view.

This paper suggests that the constraints of the line-item budget imposed on the director had positive effects in terms of the pre-commitments entailed, which aided in protecting the director against the negative aspects of passion (e.g. distorted thought processes, myopia and weakness of will) in the creative process and in terms of the ability of the constraints to channel creativity in certain directions, thus preventing the availability of too many options from hampering the creative process.

The paper contributes to management control research in two ways. By addressing calls to provide more insight into the positive effects management control constraints might have on creativity, this study explores somewhat ignored aspects of line-item budgeting, adding greater insight into the interrelations between creativity and control. By exploring the ways in which line-item budgeting might take on the role of pre-commitment advice and devices in the creative process, this paper further exposes the links between accounting constraints and self-control.

The social innovation of devolving HRM responsibilities to line managers results in many debates about how well they implement HRM practices. The implementation constraints line managers perceive in their HRM role are researched by taking organisational contingencies into consideration.

We present four case studies in which our findings are based on quantitative and qualitative data from the cases. The qualitative data allow us to explain some of our quantitative results in terms of organisational differences.

The HRM implementation effectiveness as perceived by line managers depends on the line managers’ span of control, his/her education level and experience and his/her hierarchical position in the organisation. Each HRM implementation constraint knows additional organisational contingencies.

We did not consider possible influences of one organisational characteristic on another, and the effect of this combined effect on the HRM implementation factors. In order to overcome this limitation, we would suggest using a structural equation model (SEM) in future research.

This chapter offers HR professionals solutions on how to structure the organisation and design the HRM role of line managers in order to implement HRM practices effectively.

We see many differences on how HRM implementation is managed in organisations. This chapter offers solutions to policy makers on how to equalise the HRM role of line managers.

The focus of this chapter is on the line manager (instead of HR managers) as implementer of HRM and the impact of organisational contingencies on HRM implementation.

A method for balancing a single‐model assembly line is described which incorporates various constraining features such as fixed position, positive and negative zoning, multiple parallel stations, etc. It can easily be extended for multiple manning of stations. First a priority list of the elements is formed. For each element, its elemental time is added to those of its total number of successors. The list is then rearranged in non‐increasing order. The method has been tested by solving a large number of randomly generated problems. A computer program has been developed for the generalised method.

The purpose of this paper is to propose a decision model to choose between kitting and line stocking at the level of single parts, while taking into account the variable operator walking distances. Different ways of feeding assembly lines, such as kitting and line stocking not only have an impact on in-plant logistics flows but also determine the amount of stock that is available at the line. This, in turn, has an impact on operator walking distances during assembly.

A mixed integer linear programming model is developed for the assignment of parts to one of both methods, and to be able to extensively test the model, an algorithm is created for the construction of representative datasets.

Parts are often kitted because of a space constraint at the line, but even without a space constraint, the shorter walking distances might give preference to kitting. An analysis is presented that demonstrates how specific part characteristics influence the chances of a part being kitted.

Our research model can be extended to include, e.g., the study of alternative in-plant logistic designs and the outsourcing of kitting to a third-party logistics provider (3PL) or to the suppliers.

The objective assignment model and the insights obtained from it are valuable for logistics and production engineers that otherwise have to rely solely on intuition. In situations with thousands of components, intuition mostly falls far short.

First, existing models do not consider variable walking distances, which are shown to have a crucial impact on the decision. Second, the data instances created allow for a systematic comparison of future research in the field.

Over the past decade two approaches, just‐in‐time (JIT) and theory of constraints (TOC), for designing and operating production lines have developed, each claiming to be the “correct” way. In addition there are still those who maintain that line balanced (whenever possible) is the optimal method. This study uses simulation to compare each of these approaches for designing and operating production lines under various levels of processing time variability, station downtime, and total system inventory. Not surprisingly, the JIT approach appears to work best when system variability is low. The TOC approach works best when system variability is high. This shows that lines designed using TOC principles perform significantly better than JIT lines when inventory is low, and JIT lines perform significantly better than TOC lines as inventory is added to the system. The traditionally balanced line did not perform best under any of the conditions used in this study.

The drum‐buffer‐rope/buffer management approach radically changes the content of production management practice, research and pedagogy. Documents the major impacts that drum‐buffer‐rope has on production management study and practice. In summary it provides a framework which distils the complexities of material flow into an understandable format; reduces drastically the number of resources that must be explicitly scheduled; warns of potential disruption to the production plan; controls lead time; guides continuous improvement efforts; offers a significantly improved alternative to the kanban production system; aligns local resource performance measures with global organizational performance; and makes traditional job shop capacity management techniques obsolete.

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the pricing strategies of me‐too brands.

This research estimates an empirical model using a panel data of 20 consumer packaged goods sub‐categories.

Me‐too brands face pricing constraints that restrict them from pricing aggressively versus the feature pioneer. The results show that private label brands have the most flexibility to price aggressively. Line extensions me‐toos and new brand name me‐toos do not cut price. Line extensions of national brands are constrained by their parent brand's prices. New brand names are constrained by the higher costs of launching a new brand name. Thus, it appears that consistent product line pricing and covering the costs of launching a new brand name limit price competition versus the feature pioneer.

This research is limited by the lack of distribution data, the lack of customer mind‐set measures of brand equity, and the limited number of private label me‐toos in the sample.

Feature pioneers need not worry about price cutting from line extension and new brand name me‐toos. They can set prices to cover their development costs and meet their strategic goals. Without the ability to undercut the feature pioneer, me‐too brands need to utilize other marketing tools to compensate for delayed entry.

Conventional wisdom suggests a me‐too brand succeeds if it charges a low price as low prices are essential to obtain trial. This paper provides empirical evidence that certain types of me‐too brands are restricted from aggressive price cutting.

This paper attempts to assess the transit service reliability with taking into account the interaction between network performance and passengers' travel choice behaviors. Besides the well-known schedule reliability, a waiting-time reliability is newly defined as the probability that the passengers' average waiting time is less than a given threshold. A Monte Carlo simulation approach, which incorporates a stochastic user equilibrium transit assignment model with explicit capacity constraints and elastic frequencies, is proposed to estimate the above two reliability measures of transit service. A numerical example is used to illustrate the applicability of the reliability measures and the proposed approach.

The purpose of this paper is to propose a calibration method that can calibrate the relationships among the robot manipulator, the camera and the workspace.

The method uses a laser pointer rigidly mounted on the manipulator and projects the laser beam on the work plane. Nonlinear constraints governing the relationships of the geometrical parameters and measurement data are derived. The uniqueness of the solution is guaranteed when the camera is calibrated in advance. As a result, a decoupled multi‐stage closed‐form solution can be derived based on parallel line constraints, line/plane intersection and projective geometry. The closed‐form solution can be further refined by nonlinear optimization which considers all parameters simultaneously in the nonlinear model.

Computer simulations and experimental tests using actual data confirm the effectiveness of the proposed calibration method and illustrate its ability to work even when the eye cannot see the hand.

Only a laser pointer is required for this calibration method and this method can work without any manual measurement. In addition, this method can also be applied when the robot is not within the camera field of view.