shipping cargo

Helping Organisations Make Better Decisions

Find out how we work with partners in the public and private sector to overcome operational and logistical challenges

In the Centre for Operational Research and Logistics (CORL), we're using our expertise in analytics, data, algorithms, system design, simulation, modelling, programming, and forecasting to help organisations around the world make better decisions.

At a time when businesses are facing ever-more complex questions – around issues such as technology, efficiency and sustainability – we're working closely with partners in the public and private sector to solve their problems and challenges.

At CORL, experts in mathematics, technology, business and industrial research work on research that spans many potential applications. Recent projects have explored ways to make transport systems more efficient and how analytics can be used to improve healthcare and renewable energy.

Research

Our research covers these areas of expertise:

Decision and data analytics

Research in the design of decision support systems, and use of data analysis, to help people make better decisions through a better understanding of their data.

Information analyst looking at data on a monitor
Read more

Exact and metaheuristic solution methods

Heuristic and metaheuristic techniques are powerful and flexible research methodologies that offer a faster way of solving complex logistical challenges.

Person looking at projection
Read more

Healthcare analytics

From nurse scheduling to infection and disease modelling, our research provides decision-makers in the healthcare sector with optimal strategies for treatment.

Nurse pointing at scan on computer screen
Read more

Multiple criteria decision aid

Approaching complex problems with conflicting criteria, or uncertain data, our research helps people make more informed decisions.

Meeting between large group in room with pink wall
Read more

Optimisation Modelling

As well as improving business efficiency, we're enabling people to make optimal decisions that can lead to practices with enhanced economic, environmental or social benefits.

Female warehouse working checking tablet
Read more

Renewable Energy and Sustainability Analytics

Modelling to answer a host of questions, from how to produce renewable energy more cheaply, to how the associated logistics can be sustainable.

Windfarm at sea on a sunny day
Read more

Risk and security analytics

We help organisations learn from failures, so they can improve the quality and resilience of their operations, and we develop new analytic approaches to detect security threats.

Man cleaning up oil spill on a beach in Thailand
Read more

Transportation and Maritime Systems

Our research focuses on developing innovative optimisation models and decision support systems, to help improve the mobility of people, goods and services.

Portsmouth Harbour with historic dockyard ships and ferries
Read more

Project highlights

Paper highlights

  • Post-warranty maintenance strategy selection using shape packages process

    Karar, A. N., Labib, A., & Jones, D. (2023). In: International Journal of Production Economics, 255, 108702.

    This paper aims to assist asset owners in selecting the equipment maintenance package at the warranty termination time; it proposes the shape package process (SPP), which represents a comprehensive process that facilitates the choice between multiple packages, considering the cost and risk associated with each package.

  • Analysis of noise and bias errors in intelligence information systems

    Labib, A., Chakhar, S., Hope, L., Shimell, J., & Malinowski, M. (2022). In: Journal of the Association for Information Science and Technology, 73(12), 1755-1775.

    This paper reports on a series of validation trials in which the performance of individual and team-oriented analysts was accessed with respect to their effectiveness and efficiency.

  • Evidence-based models to support humanitarian operations and crisis management

    Labib, A., Abdi, M. R., Hadleigh-Dunn, S. & Yazdani, M. (2022). In: Decision Making: Applications in Management and Engineering. 5, 1, p. 113-134 22 p.

    The researchers design a framework for organizational learning from major incidents through root cause analysis The case studies contain a purely industrial disaster (Bhopal) and a mixed industrial-natural disaster (Fukushima). 

  • Multi-criteria mapping and prioritization of Arctic and North Atlantic maritime safety and security needs

    Jones, D., Labib, A., Willis, K. O., Costello, J., Ouelhadj, D., Ikonen, E. & Dominguez.Cainzos, M., (2022, Early online). In: European Journal of Operational Research.

    The paper provides a methodology for the mapping and prioritization of needs for research and innovation across a multi-disciplinary topic area. The methodology is applied to needs arising from the field of Arctic maritime safety and security. 

  • Multiple criteria model for allocating new medical robotic devices to treatment centres

    Jones, D., Firouzy, S., Labib, A., & Argyriou, A. V. (2022). In: European Journal of Operational Research, 297(2), 652-664.

    This paper presents a multi-criteria methodology for allocating a small number of novel robotic devices to a set of potential treatment centres in the South of the UK.

  • A conceptual framework for an agile asset performance management process

    Karar, A. N., Labib, A., & Jones, D. F. (2021). In: Journal of Quality in Maintenance Engineering.

    This paper's main objective is to design a comprehensive framework for an agile asset performance management (AAPM) system that sustains the desired asset performance by reacting efficiently, quickly and intelligently to the changes in the operating context parameters and asset health conditions.

  • A hybrid approach for an oil and gas company as a representative of a high reliability organization

    Rivera, G., Yunusa-Kaltungo, A., & Labib, A. (2021). In: Safety and Reliability (Vol. 40, No. 3, pp. 130-156). Taylor & Francis.

    This paper applies a hybrid method of framework tools to a long-established pattern of small to medium chronic failures in a large Oil & Gas organisation

  • A novel hesitant-fuzzy-based group decision approach for outsourcing risk

    Yazdani, M., Mohammed, A., Bai, C., & Labib, A. (2021). In: Expert Systems with Applications, 184, 115517.

    This paper proposes a novel fuzzy group multiple-criteria decision-making approach through integrating triangular fuzzy hesitant sets (TFHS), Failure Mode and Effect Analysis (FMEA) and combined compromise solution (CoCoSo) algorithm.

  • A pursuit to reliability – toward a structural based reliability framework (FSR)

    Ghaith, A., Ma, H., & Labib, A. W. (2021). In: International Journal of Quality & Reliability Management

    This research intendz to understand how High-Reliability Organizations (HROs) could produce high quality performance despite their challenging and demanding contexts.

  • Learning how to learn from disasters through a comparative dichotomy analysis: Grenfell Tower and Hurricane Katrina case studies

    Iglesias-Mendoza, M., Yunusa-Kaltungo, A., Hadleigh-Dunn, S., & Labib, A. (2021). In: Sustainability, 13(4), 2030.

    The paper investigates how to train emergency response teams on coping with, and learning from, rare events; a major challenge to other practitioners in the fields of safety and risk management.

  • On the optimization of maintenance storage cost in industry: a fuzzy logic application

    Khalil, J., & Labib, A. W. (2021). In: International Journal of Quality & Reliability Management.

    The purpose of this paper is to construct a fuzzy logic model that acts as a decision support system to minimize inventory-related costs in the field of industrial maintenance.

Our members

Dylan Francis Jones Portrait

Professor Dylan Jones

Professor of Operational Research

Dylan.Jones@port.ac.uk

School of Mathematics and Physics

Faculty of Technology

PhD Supervisor

Read more
Alessio Ishizaka Portrait

Professor Alessio Ishizaka

Professor of Decision Analysis

Alessio.Ishizaka@port.ac.uk

Operations and Systems Management

Faculty of Business and Law

Read more
Djamila Ouelhadj Portrait

Professor Djamila Ouelhadj

Professor of Operational Research

Djamila.Ouelhadj@port.ac.uk

School of Mathematics and Physics

Faculty of Technology

Read more
User profile default icon

Dr Jana Ries

Principal Lecturer

Faculty Director of Postgraduate Research

Jana.Ries@port.ac.uk

Operations and Systems Management

Faculty of Business and Law

PhD Supervisor

Read more
Xiang Song Portrait

Dr Xiang Song

Senior Lecturer

Xiang.Song@port.ac.uk

School of Mathematics and Physics

Faculty of Technology

PhD Supervisor

Read more
Negar Akbari Portrait

Media ready expert

Dr Negar Akbari

Senior Lecturer

negar.akbari@port.ac.uk

Economics and Finance

Faculty of Business and Law

PhD Supervisor

Read more
Mohanad Al-Behadili Portrait

Dr Mohanad Al-Behadili

Senior Research Associate

mohanad.al-behadili1@port.ac.uk

School of Mathematics and Physics

Faculty of Technology

Read more
User profile default icon

Dr Kevin Willis

Research Fellow

Kevin.Willis@port.ac.uk

Operations and Systems Management

Faculty of Business and Law

Read more