Document Type

Project

Publication Date

Fall 2017

Instructor

Timothy Anderson

Course Title

Operations Research

Course Number

ETM 540/640

Subjects

Operations research, Linear programming -- Mathematical optimization, Testing laboratories -- Accreditation, Testing laboratories -- Evaluation -- Mathematical models

Abstract

Nationally Recognized Testing Laboratories (NRTLs) are independent third-party organizations recognized by the Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA) to provide evaluation, testing and certification of products. All NRTLs conduct testing and certification are based on safety standards developed by organizations, such as Underwriters Laboratories (UL). In order to remain competitive in their respective markets, NRTLs must continually find new business lines to provide services to and maintain. NRTLs accomplish this goal by seeking out companies to which they can provide their certification services at a profit.

One of the biggest challenges NRTLs face in their annual operations, is finding a process with which to select companies to provide their services to. Due to the constraints, different monetary and time investments involved in pursuing new business streams, it is a substantial added value to have model with which to factor in all constraints while simultaneously maximizing the profit of services provided.

In this paper, Linear Programming Optimization is utilized to build a model which can be used to take in sets of data of the certification standards in the desired local market, along with all relative constraints so as to yield a set of standards which maximize profit. A case study of a mock NRTL company located in Oregon is applied to test this model.

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Persistent Identifier

http://archives.pdx.edu/ds/psu/23240

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