Trying to find just the right balance of time spent in
meetings and time performing tasks is a tough problem for managers, but a Wayne
State University researcher believes the behavior of ants may provide a useful
lesson on how to do it.
Using computer simulations derived from the characteristics
of ants seeking food, Kai Yang, Ph.D., professor of industrial and systems
engineering in the College of Engineering, has developed a mathematical
model-based methodology to estimate the optimal amount of time spent to develop
a product, as well as the cost, in overlapped product development. It is the
latest in a series of projects he has worked on for Siemens North America.