1. © April 2001, Gerard S. Ibarra1 Ph.D., in Applied Science with Major in Systems Engineering Prepared by: Gerard S. Ibarra

2. © April 2001, Gerard S. Ibarra2 Ph.D. in Applied Science with Major in Systems Engineering  General Requirements  Degree Requirements  Admission Requirements  Current Status  Area of Interest  Research Area  Courses and Schedule  Ph.D. Committee  Plan and Schedule

3. © April 2001, Gerard S. Ibarra3 General Requirements  General requirements for the Ph.D. degree include the following components: (1) total academic credit, (2) residence requirements, (3) course requirements, (4) preliminary counseling examination, (5) qualifying examination, (6) admission to candidacy, (7) dissertation, (8) final examination, and (9) supervisory committee. A student admitted to a doctoral program is expected to have been awarded a Master's degree in the same or a closely related program or to earn such a Master's degree during the course of the program.

4. © April 2001, Gerard S. Ibarra4 Degree Requirements  The minimum academic course work of 54 term credit hours should include a major as well as a minor area of investigation. Specific course requirements for these areas are identified by the individual departments. As a general guideline, at least 12 term credit hours are required for the minor, which should be in an area providing breadth as well as support to the major field of investigation.  For a Ph.D. program, qualifying examinations and the dissertation are paramount. Course requirements are identified to facilitate the student's training toward the

5. © April 2001, Gerard S. Ibarra5 Degree Requirements qualifying examination. Of the 24 term hours required in course work beyond a Master's degree, 12 term hours must be taken at SMU. Generally speaking, up to 12 term hours of graduate courses may be transferred into the Ph.D. program from an institution approved by the Graduate Division, provided that such course work was completed in the five years prior to matriculation; that the transferred courses were taken toward a Ph.D. degree; and that grades of B- or higher were received in the courses to be transferred. The request to transfer credit must be made, using appropriate forms, during the term of matriculation

6. © April 2001, Gerard S. Ibarra6 Degree Requirements to the Graduate Division. Grades of courses transferred for credit are neither recorded nor used in computing grade- point averages. Acceptance of transfer credit requires approval of the student's faculty adviser, department chair, and the Assistant Dean of Graduate Studies. Transfer of any credit for courses taken at other institutions after admission to SMU is not normally permitted.

7. © April 2001, Gerard S. Ibarra7 Admission Requirements  A graduate student does not become a candidate for the Ph.D. degree until the formal application for candidacy has been approved. Such admission requires the approval of the student's supervisory committee, the department chair, and the Assistant Dean of Graduate Studies. The approval is based upon (1) passing the qualifying examination, (2) the academic record of the student as attested by a G.P.A. of 3.00 or better (4.00 = A), (3) selection of a tentative title for the dissertation, and (4) the student's overall fitness as judged by the supervisory committee. The formal

8. © April 2001, Gerard S. Ibarra8 Admission Requirements application for candidacy should be submitted as soon as these four requirements have been met as judged by the supervisory committee.

9. © April 2001, Gerard S. Ibarra9 Current Status  Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering; SMU, 1987  Master of Science with emphasis in Systems Engineer; SMU, 1997  Post Graduate Work: SYS 7300 Systems Analysis Methods SYS 7300 Systems Reliability Engineering SYS 7340 Logistics Systems Engineering

10. © April 2001, Gerard S. Ibarra10 Area of Interest  Logistics Systems Engineering Reliability Optimization Quality Systems Analysis

11. © April 2001, Gerard S. Ibarra11 Ph.D. Concept Chart Logistics Systems Engineering Optimization Reliability System Analysis Quality

12. © April 2001, Gerard S. Ibarra12 Research Area: Synthesizing Process  The article you gave me inspired me. Good work!  What about developing an algorithm that incorporates reliability, optimization, quality and system concepts to achieve a new and better way of modeling logistics?  How about using the same four areas as previously mentioned and instead of creating an algorithm, develop new and improved logistic methodologies.  Develop a new methodology for measuring production by using the four areas: reliability, optimization, quality and system concepts.

13. © April 2001, Gerard S. Ibarra13 Courses and Schedule Suggestions?

14. © April 2001, Gerard S. Ibarra14 Ph.D. Committee  Dr. Richard S. Barr, Associate Professor of Computer Science and Engineering, SMU  Dr. Richard V. Helgason, Associate Professor, SMU  Dr. Jeffery L. Kennington, P.E., Professor of Computer Science and Electrical Engineering, SMU  Dr. Jerrell Stracener, Director of Systems Engineering Program, SMU  Dr. Russell Vacante??

15. © April 2001, Gerard S. Ibarra15 Plan and Schedule  Establish committee by Spring, 2001  Provide outline of dissertation by Spring 2001  Complete course requirements by Summer 2002  Take qualifying exam by Fall 2002  Begin research by Fall 2002  Take final exam by Spring 2004

16. © April 2001, Gerard S. Ibarra16 Research Area??? Changing the Scope of Measurement: Viewing Production from a Reliability aspect using Systems Engineering Methodologies Express delivery companies tend to use production numbers, such as pieces per hour, or stops per hour, as means for determining the effectiveness of their delivery operations. They use this to establish staffing needs, start times, vehicle requirements, and building capacity. It also helps them with their financial analysis. What is the cost of doing business? How well is the company positioned? What should be the wages of employees? Finally, they use it for accountability purposes. How effective is the person at doing their job. Incidentally, none of these production numbers views the delivery as a system. Instead, it views the delivery as a single entity. The driver is ultimately responsible for their production. No where is the failure rate of packages determined in the production numbers. A driver may have high production, but at the cost of damaging or miss- delivering customer’s packages. Also missing is the driver’s vehicle reliability. In other words, how often does their vehicle break down due to mistreatment? Did the driver forget to perform their daily inspection that may prevent the vehicle from breaking down while on route? How about the driver’s knowledge of the products they deliver. Can they affect customer’s buying habits through selling their company’s portfolio? Do they posses the necessary skills to address customer’s questions, issues, and concerns? Are they growing market share? Finally, there is the issue of the driver’s personal safety record. Does the person get hurt quite often? Do they fail to follow proper methods and procedures that aid in deterring injuries? Do they take care of themselves and their body? How much time is spent not performing their task due to these injuries or illnesses? Did this not work?

17. © April 2001, Gerard S. Ibarra17 Research Area??? Changing the Scope of Measurement: Viewing Production from a Reliability aspect using Systems Engineering Methodologies What I propose is to aggregate all the indices listed into one final number. As an alternative to viewing production numbers, the new measurement will focus on the reliability of the driver from a system’s approach. It will include production numbers. However, it will also include the driver’s failure rate of delivery, vehicle maintenance, market share, and safety record. This will better describe the performance of the driver. In short, the higher the reliability means the better the driver is and the more effective all around. Through various statistical and reliability analysis, I plan to formulate a proven process where a single reliability number can address the driver from a system, rather than from a single entity. I will show how this applies to a delivery company. In addition, I will develop the measurement for the drivers of one facility. When the appropriate people view the reliability number, they will be seeing all facets that make up the driver’s delivery. Now management is well equip to make better decisions concerning staffing, start times, vehicle requirements, and building capacity. The reliability number considers the life cycle of the system where as the production only considers the current stage of delivery.

18. © April 2001, Gerard S. Ibarra18 Critique by Dr. Russ Vacante  Show model. The numbers are too abstract. Perhaps simulation can work in this case. That may be good. I need to identify specifically what the system. Truck design may be part of the system. Also, need to consider the skill of the driver. Need to show where the system start and stops. Study needs to be definitive. It cannot however be randomly. May need to do some preliminary research on where packages become damaged. Need to view this from a SE approach. Handling may be one part of the system. If doing transportation, can be yet another part. Infrastructure is yet another one. Need to show if do “XYZ”, then this will result. Scanning may need to be included. The more you handle the product, the less reliable. Handling can be another thing. Driver is only part of the system. Need a little more. Need a metric. A metric for the driver alone cannot be established. Can control the time the packages come into control with the driver. Does the driver need to do extra? Keep the dissertation narrow. Need to think through a little more. Do I want to study a sub-system? Do I want to study how to reduce the damages? How about training? Number of accidents or injuries may be due to improper training. Perhaps study drivers with 10 years training. Narrow scope. Have they changed routes? Need to factor out negligible items. What about human studies? Need to narrow it down further. Need to make sure findings are measurable.  Send a hypothesis. What is the thesis statement? It needs to be tight. It needs to be a well-focused document.