Research

Publications

Maintenance policy optimization for generic systems under limited inspection and maintenance resources

• Y. Wei, H. Liao, and Y. Cheng*, “Making an Optimal Inspection-free Maintenance Decision for a System Subject to Hidden Malfunctions”, IISE Transactions, in press.
• Y. Wei, A. Li, Y. Li, and Y. Cheng*, “An Optimal Predictive Inspection and Maintenance Policy for a Multi-State System Subject to Self-Announcing Failures: A Belief-based SMDP Approach”, Reliability Engineering & System Safety, vol. 265(B), p.111497, 2026
• Y. Wei, A. Li, Y. Cheng* and Y. Li, “An Optimal Multi-Level Inspection and Maintenance Policy for a Multi-Component System with a Protection Component”, Computers & Industrial Engineering, vol. 201, p. 110898, 2025.
• S. Zhao, Y. Wei, Y. Li, and Y. Cheng*, “A Multi-Agent Reinforcement Learning (MARL) Framework for Designing an Optimal State-Specific Hybrid Maintenance Policy for a Series k-out-of-n Load-Sharing System”, Reliability Engineering & System Safety, vol. 265(A), p. 111587, 2026.
• Y. Cheng, Y. Wei and H. Liao*, “Optimal Sampling-based Sequential Inspection and Maintenance Plans for a Heterogeneous Product with Competing Failure Modes”, Reliability Engineering & System Safety, vol. 218, p.108181, 2022.

Integrated maintenance and system-specific joint decision-making for mission-critical and production systems

• Y. Wei, S. Zhao, and Y. Cheng*, “An Optimal Joint Predictive Maintenance and Mission Abort Policy Under a Cumulative Working Time Success Criterion”, Risk Analysis, in press.
• S. Zhao, Y. Wei, Y. Li and Y. Cheng*, “An Optimal Joint Maintenance and Mission Abort Policy for a System Executing Multi-Attempt Missions”, Reliability Engineering & System Safety, vol. 266(A), p.111667, 2026.
• Z. Huang, Y. Wei, and Y. Cheng*, “A Quantitative Framework for Performance-based Reliability Prediction for a Multi-Component System Subject to Dynamic Self-Reconfiguration”, Reliability Engineering & System Safety, vol. 262, p. 111188, 2025. 
• S. Zhao, Y. Wei, Y. Cheng* and Y. Li, “A State-Specific Joint Size, Maintenance, and Inventory Policy for a k-out-of-n Load-Sharing System Subject to Self-Announcing Failures”, Reliability Engineering & System Safety, vol. 257(B), p. 110855, 2025.

Service reliability modeling and maintenance policy optimization for self-service systems

• Y. Wei, Y. Cheng*, and H. Liao, “A Quantitative Maintenance Policy Development Framework for a Fleet of Self-Service Systems”, Naval Research Logistics, vol.52, no. 5, 750-767, 2025.
• Y. Wei and Y. Cheng*, “An Optimal Two-Dimensional Maintenance Policy for Self-Service Systems with Multi-Task Demands and Subject to Competing Sudden and Deterioration-Induced Failures”, Reliability Engineering & System Safety, vol. 255, p. 110628, 2025.
• Y. Wei, Y. Cheng*, and H. Liao, “Fleet Service Reliability Analysis of Self-Service Systems under Failure-Induced Demand Switching and a Two-Dimensional Inspection and Maintenance Policy”, IEEE Transactions on Automation Science and Engineering, vol.22, p. 10029, 2024.

Resilience modeling and optimization for engineered networks

• Y. Wei, Y. Cheng, and H. Liao*, “Optimal Maintenance of a Critical Infrastructure subject to Dependent Recurrent Hazards”, Sustainable and Resilient Infrastructure, in press.
• Y. Wei, Y. Cheng*, H. Liao, and E. A. Elsayed, “Resilience Modeling for an Engineered Network with Multimodal Performance under Multiple Recurrent Hazards”, Reliability Engineering & System Safety, vol. 266(A), p.111640, 2026.
• Y. Wei, Y. Cheng*, and H. Liao, “Optimal Resilience-Based Restoration of a System Subject to Recurrent Dependent Hazards”, Reliability Engineering & System Safety, vol. 247, p. 110137, 2024.

Ongoing Works

• Y. Wei, S. Zhao, Y. Cheng*, “An Optimal Multi-Level Inspection and Maintenance Policy for a Coherent System: An Improved SARSOP Approach”, Frontiers of Engineering Management, under first-round revision.
• Y. Wei, S. Zhao, G. Liu, Y. Cheng* and Y. Li, “An Optimal Condition-Based Maintenance Policy for a Multi-Component Coherent System with Multiple Malfunction Levels”, Annals of Operations Research, under review.
• Y. Wei, S. Cui, Y. Cheng*, YH. Kuo, H. Liao, “Train Rerouting and Timetable Rescheduling during Typhoon Periods via Crossover Activation”, under preparation.
• Y. Wei, S. Zhao, Y. Cheng*, H. Liao, “Optimal Predictive Maintenance Policy Optimization: An Iterative Ternary Search Algorithm”, under preparation.
• Y. Wei, Y. Luo, Y. Cheng*, “Condition-Based Production Control, Inspection, and Maintenance in Production Systems: Structural Properties and Optimal Policies”, under preparation.
• Y. Wei, S. Zhao, Y. Cheng*, H. Liao, “Maintenance Enhancement for a Fleet of Self-service Systems Using Customer Incentives”, under preparation.
• Y. Wei, S. Zhao, Y. Cheng*, H. Liao, “Switching Before Buffer Depletion: Joint Condition-Based Lot Sizing and Maintenance in Production Systems under Partial Clearance”, under preparation.
• A. Li, Y. Wei*, Y. Cheng, “Group Inspection and Maintenance Policy Design for a System with Multiple Heterogeneous Components”, under preparation.
• L. Guo, S. Zhao, Y. Wei*, Y. Cheng, “Flexible Job Shop Scheduling with Machine Maintenance and Real-Time Job Acceptance: A Hierarchical Heterogeneous Graph Multi-Agent Reinforcement Learning Approach”, under preparation.
• S. Zhao, Y. Wei, Y. Cheng*, “Optimizing Hierarchical UAV Routing, Mission Abort, and Target Reassignment under Shock-Induced Failures Using Transformer-Based Reinforcement Learning”, under preparation.
• G. Li, Y. Wei, Y. Cheng*, “A Business Pattern Selection Framework for Parking Lot Operators Running Charging Piles”, under preparation.
• Y. Luo, Y. Wei, Y. Cheng*, “Maintenance Optimization in Dynamic Environment Considering Maintenance Delay”, under preparation.

Talks

• IISE Annual Conference & Expo 2025, May 29–June 3, 2025, Atlanta, GA, USA — “An Optimal Incentive-Embedded Maintenance Policy for a Fleet of Self-Service Systems Subject to Imperfect Monitoring.”
• 2025 NSFC-RGC Conference on Frontiers of Digital Twins in Intelligent Manufacturing and Smart Cities, April 25–28, 2025, Hong Kong — “State Transition Analysis in a Fleet of Service Systems under a Three-Dimensional Maintenance Policy.”
• 15th Annual International Conference on Industrial Engineering and Operations Management, Feb 18–20, 2025, Singapore — “Multimodal Resilience of an Engineered System Subject to Dependent Hazards.”
• 15th Annual International Conference on Industrial Engineering and Operations Management, Feb 18–20, 2025, Singapore — “An Optimal Joint Sampling, Inspection and Maintenance Plan for One-Shot Units.”
• 2024 INFORMS Conference on Service Science, June 22–24, 2024, Macau — “Maintenance Policy Optimization for Self-Service Systems with Periodic Demand Arrivals and Random Failure-Induced Demand Switchings.”
• 27th International Conference of Hong Kong Society for Transportation Studies (HKSTS), Dec 11–12, 2023, Hong Kong — “Optimization of Train Timetable Scheduling and Rerouting for Passenger Evacuation during Typhoon Periods: A Stochastic Programming Approach.”
• IISE Annual Conference & Expo, May 20–23, 2023, New Orleans — “Optimal Maintenance Policy for a Fleet of Self-Service Systems Subject to Dynamic Failure-Induced Demand Switch.”

Service

• Session Chair, “Monitoring, Prognosis, and Maintenance in Manufacturing and Electric Vehicle Systems”, IISE Annual Conference & Expo 2025, May 29–June 3, 2025, Atlanta, GA, USA
• Session Chair, “Modeling, Optimization, and Learning for Complex Systems”, IISE Annual Conference & Expo 2025, May 29–June 3, 2025, Atlanta, GA, USA
• Reviewer, Reliability Engineering & System Safety, 2023 – present
• Reviewer, Computers & Industrial Engineering, 2023 – present
• Reviewer, IEEE Transactions on Reliability, 2024 – present