Business Process Modeling as Complex Networks
In this early stage Project we want to translate the BPM notation into graph language in order to perform structural analysis of business processes together with classical functional analysis from Operations Research. The process network metrics will help us to the process analysis and optimization:
- Graph diameter: the maximum number of activities that must be carried out to end the processes.
- Shortest path: the minimum number of activities that must be carried out to end the processes.
- Average path length and clustering coefficient can give information about the parallelization and recursion degree of the processes.
- Indegree and Outdegree of the process components, identify the process sources and sinks, the ration between them influence the process controllability.
- Hubs: Critical activities.
- Clusters: Sets of very interrelated activities, will possible coincide with the designed process and can be used as a process design assessment tool.
- Structural attacks: removing critical activities would make the process collapse? Measure robustness of the process.
Corporate Sustainability World Map
The General Reporting Initiative (GRI) is the standard for Corporate Sustainability Reporting. The relations for a set of global enterprises interrelationships are built with the Mutual Information (MI) between enterprises (GRI) reporting data. We describe the enterprises interrelation from the MI topology using chord diagrams to represent the inter and intra connectivity between geographical regions and economic sectors globally, by continents and countries. Detailed maps are presented for Europe and Asia regions/sectors as well as the relationship for Europe and Asia top reporting countries. Our findings reinforce previous research about the role of Europe as a driver of sustainability and its influence worldwide. The GRI maps outline the behavior of the involved economic sectors, for all the studied regions. Also, a measure relating the inter to intra connections is presented in order to describe the relationship inside and between regions/sectors.
In the image below you can appreciate a schematic representation of the GRI network and identified clusters at microscopical level of enterprises. Human society is “good” at clustering, at right you see a geographical representation of the GRI map at continent scale. We can study the system inter and intra relations at different scales, continents, regions, countries.
Mapping the Global Offshoring Network through the Panama Papers
The aim is to map the offshoring network between regions and countries worldwide through the Panama Papers. The Panama Papers 2016 divulgence is the largest leak of offshoring and tax avoidance documentation. The leaked documents contain 2.6 Terabytes of information involving more than two hundred thousand of enterprises in more than two hundreds countries. Using the Offshore leaks database (https://offshoreleaks.icij.org) we related entities around the world through different types of relationships. These relationships were used in order to build an offshoring network at countries and geographical regions scales. The network will be characterized and described to map the intra and inter relation between the countries and regions, discovering which of them are the more prominent in the worldwide offshoring scenario.
Image: https://offshoreleaks.icij.org
Understanding Complexities and Making Predictions in Socio-Economic Systems
These research projects are aimed to use a socio-physics modeling approach applied to areas that are considered discrete disciplines (sociology, economics, politics, etc.). These social systems will be modeled and analyzed focusing on how the structure of ties affects and constitutes actors (individuals/enterprises) and their relationships. Mainly, graph theory and complex network analysis will be used to describe the actors relationship connectivity. We will describe the a variety of systems, going from data to networks in order to analyze the structure and interactions of the actors in these systems. We will approach:
LGBT regulations evolutions.
Gender Equality regulations evolution.
Corruption data (Transparency International).
Open Government Data (Colombia) to model and support public programs and policy.
Ensemble learning using Attractor Neural Networks
One of the main trends of research in Machine Learning, along with “deep learning”, is the study of “networks of networks”. One central question of interest is comparing a net of nets with overall connectivity of similar degree with only one single net with the same size and check their different performances in terms of storage/load, computational complexity, etc. Attractor networks as associative memory models have many desirable properties. As dynamical systems and associative memory systems the attractor networks can be used as denoising and pattern completion. They have been used in neuroscience to model for example spatial working memory and in Engineering applications such as fingerprint recognition and automotive traffic content retrieval systems. However, one of their drawbacks is limited capacity of storage. Using an Ensemble of diluted Attractor Neural Networks for pattern retrieval we have increased the network storage capacity by a divide-and-conquer approach of subnetworks. With the Ensemble approach we can deal with Engineering applications to limited memory systems: embedded systems or smartphones. Also, applications with intensive storage needs can be approached.
Estimation of Sociopolitical Determinants in the Privatization of Oil Companies.
This work presents new evidence on the determinants of privatization of National Oil Companies (NOC) from a panel data of 49 oil-producing countries for the period comprised between 1996 and 2014. We find – ceteris paribus – that countries with greater control of corruption, a perception of high government effectiveness, a more participatory political system, greater regulatory quality, and high efficiency in the execution of contracts and property rights, are more likely to privatize their NOCs, compared with countries that have a lower level in these governance indicators. Likewise, in terms of the control variables, the results of previous studies were ratified regarding the way in which high oil prices negatively influence the probability of privatization of oil companies, while its deviation from the trend and population have a positive effect on these.
Contact: Sergio Cabrales
COPA @ ScienceDirect Top 25 – European Journal of Operational Research (EJOR)
The work led by Pillac et al. titled “A review of dynamic vehicle routing problems” appeared in the 13th position of the top downloaded articles of EJOR in 2014. This is a great achievement of Victor, our former COPA’s PhD student, and of course of our group!
Professor Michel Gendreau at Universidad de los Andes
In March, COPA was honored to receive the visit of Professor Michel Gendreau (École Polytechnique de Montreal) who taught a module on Stochastic Vehicle Routing Problem. The Office of Communications of the School of Engineering took the opportunity to interview Professor Gendreau. He spoke about his experience in Transportation and Logistics and left his opinion about the university and COPA research group.
The full interview (in Spanish) on the School’s website is available here
VRP2013: European Spring School on Vehicle Routing
Co-organized by former Copa member Jorge Mendoza, VRP2013: European Spring School on Vehicle Routing is a one-week, full-immersion institute gathering Ph.D. students and young researchers working on the field of vehicle routing.
The academic program is made up of 4 academic modules and 2 workshops. In addition to the academic program, the spring school includes an active social program conceived to help participants developing personal links that may foster future academic collaborations.
The spring school will be hosted by the Institute of Applied Mathematics (IMA) of Université Catholique de l’Ouest in Angers (France) from May 20 to May 24, 2013. The spring school is open to all Ph.D. students completing a dissertation on vehicle routing and young researchers working on the field. Participants are invited to present their research in poster sessions during the coffee breaks. Presenting a poster is not mandatory.
Participants should apply for a place at the spring school before January 30, 2013. The number of participants is limited. Places will be assigned according to a FIFO discipline giving priority to Ph.D. students and participants presenting a poster. Participants from outside Europe are welcome to apply.
For further information visit the spring school website: http://www.ima.uco.fr/vrp2013/
