On-Demand Resource Sharing Management

创新的商业模式已经围绕在线平台介导的按需获取服务和产品建立起来，这些平台将许多小型供应商或服务提供商与许多小型买家匹配起来。还有由单一实体向许多小买家提供的按需商业模式。前一种类型的一个突出例子是优步和Lyft等叫车平台，它们将独立司机与个人乘客匹配起来。后一种类型的一个例子是车辆共享服务，如Lime和Zipcar，为个人用户提供短期车辆租赁。按需资源共享系统的有效运行将带来更高的社会福利。本研究旨在研究各种类型的按需资源共享，每种类型都有其独特的特点，需要在运营层面进行主动管理，以更有效地匹配供需。按需服务平台是连接作为独立代理的工作人员与需要时间敏感服务的客户的平台。这类平台的例子很多，其中包括提供交通服务的Uber和Lyft，提供送货上门服务的Instacart和Postmates，以及提供家务服务的TaskRabbit和Handy。在按需服务平台上，我建议研究：司机支付工资和乘客支付价格的动态双边定价，定价与匹配的联合控制，价格依赖出行距离的空间定价。按需租赁网络是按需访问产品和服务的另一个重要应用，它不依赖个人提供产品和服务器，也不涉及平台中介。相反，产品和服务是由一家公司提供的，该公司保留了潜在资源的所有权。但是，客户可以根据需要访问这些产品和服务，包括短期使用。这种商业模式的一个突出例子是车辆共享（例如，共享汽车、自行车和踏板车等），客户可以短期租赁车辆。在按需租赁网络上，我建议研究：如何最好地重新配置资源以缓解供需之间的不匹配，以及租赁网络的规模以满足期望的服务水平。提出的方法包括将经济学、数学和运筹学的经典设置应用于按需资源共享的创新商业应用。我提出的研究预计会产生影响。首先，我希望通过这项研究经费能够产生一组高质量的论文，从而对按需资源共享中如何有效匹配供需有更深的理解。其次，我希望获得的结果能够影响目前的实践，并有可能被一些运营的共享经济平台进行测试和实施，以提高其运营效率，为社会的共同利益服务。

Innovative business models have been built around on-demand access to services and products mediated by online platforms that match many small suppliers or service providers to many small buyers. There are also on-demand business models provided by a single entity to many small buyers. A prominent example of the former type is ride-hailing platforms such as Uber and Lyft that match independent drivers with individual riders. An example of the latter type is vehicle sharing services such as Lime and Zipcar that provide short-term vehicle rentals to individual users. Efficient operations of an on-demand resource sharing system would result in higher social welfare. This proposed study aims to study various types of on-demand resource sharing, each of which has distinguishing features and calls for active management at the operational level so to more efficiently match supply with demand. On-demand service platforms are platforms that connect workers, acting as independent agents, with customers who require a time-sensitive service. Examples of such platforms are many and include, among others, Uber and Lyft for transportation services, Instacart and Postmates for home deliveries, and TaskRabbit and Handy for household tasks. On on-demand service platforms, I propose to study: dynamic two-sided pricing of wage paid to drivers and price paid by riders, joint controls of pricing and matching, and spatial pricing with prices dependent on the travel distance. On-demand rental networks are another important application of on-demand access to products and services that does not rely on individuals for the provisioning of products and servers and does not involve the mediation of a platform. Instead, products and services are provided by a single firm that retains ownership of the underlying resources. However, customers access these products and services as needed, including for brief periods of usage. A prominent example of this business model is vehicle sharing (e.g., the sharing of cars, bikes, and scooters, among others) with vehicles available to customers for short-term rentals. On on-demand rental networks, I propose to study: how best to reposition resources to mitigate the mismatch between supply and demand, and the sizing of a rental network to meet a desired service level. The proposed methodologies involve applying classic settings in economics, mathematics, and operations research into the innovative business applications of on-demand resource sharing. My proposed research is expected to make impacts. First, I expect to have a set of high-quality papers coming out of this research grant, resulting in a deeper understanding of how to match supply and demand efficiently in on-demand resource sharing. Second, I expect the obtained results to influence the current practice and to be potentially tested and implemented by some operating sharing-economy platforms, to improve their operating efficiency for the common good of the society.