In thecontextofincreasingthreatstothesensitivemarineecosystembytoxicmetals,thisstudyin- vestigatedthemetalbuild-uponimpervioussurfacesspecific tocommercialseaports.Theknowledge generatedfromthisstudywillcontributetomanagingtoxicmetalpollutionofthemarineecosystem. The studyfoundthatinter-modaloperationsandmainaccessroadwayhadthehighestloadsfollowedby container storageandvehiclemarshallingsites…
ISO 9000 standards for quality system management are involving a higher and higher number of enterprises and organizations. This paper presents a detailed analysis of certification diffusion in Italy and in some European countries with similar economic structures. Benchmarking and evolution forecasts are based on the “logistic model”, traditionally used for studying biological growth phenom…
By constantly working in environments with high degree of uncertainty, humanitarian organizations end up becoming specialists in the implementation of agile systems. Their counterparts in profit-making organizations have a lot to learn from them in this domain. Volatility of demand, imbalance between supply and demand and disruptions are all factors that affect commercial supply chains and call…
Although there has been important research on construction management’s life cycle, stakeholders, micro and macroenvironment, there has not been a model defi ned that can link the above. This while the need to integrate construction management’s life cycle, stakeholders, micro and macroenvironment into both theory and practice is essential. The Model for integrated project management, descr…
The use of industrial dynamics modelling of real-life supply chains has only recently re-emerged from the shadows after a lengthy gestation period. Shows that it is a powerful methodology for predicting and prioritizing methods of re-engineering the chain in order to achieve enhanced performance when viewed from the perspective of all “players” in the chain. Building an adequate model of an…
Introduces the participative business modelling method (PBM), a management consulting method based on a synergetic mix of (system dynamics) modelling, group knowledge elicitation techniques and a process consultation attitude. PBM is a method well‐suited to support managers in their strategic decision‐making processes, in particular in the field of operations management, because it provides…
Logistics managers are faced with greater customer volatility, higher customer service expectations and pressure to reduce costs. If these conflicting pressures are to be reconciled, increased supply chain flexibility is vital. Enhanced flexibility is achieved through two types of changes to the supply chain: structural changes, including processes, physical resources and linkages/relationships…
It has been proposed that the just‐in‐time (JIT) philosophy can be effectively integrated systemwide to yield increased efficiencies and excellence throughout an organization. Greater understanding is needed as to what this entails. The researchers empirically test and attempt to validate a previously developed basic functional model of JIT comprising three components – respect for people…
In micro cold forming, the high degree of technological dependencies between manufacturing, quality inspection and handling technologies leads to an extremely complex planning of process chains. In addition, the lack of standardised processes and interfaces further complicates the planning. The paper aims to discuss these issues.
This article provides an overview of the practical application of modeling to the business logistics network design problem. Various location models are categorized and selected ones are illustrated that represent an example of the class and/or that have been used extensively in practice. Suggestions are made as to how data can be aggregated to facilitate the modeling process. Numerous examples…
The purpose of this paper is to present a supply chain process modelling method adapted to the requirements of humanitarian organisations.
In order to hedge against fluctuation in actual “show” for air freight services, cargo airlines engage in the allocation of more space capacity than they actually have. This practice can lead to overbooking of capacity which can incur costs to the airline when a cargo does show that is larger than predicted. In this study, the authors set out to model an optimised value for air cargo bookin…
In order to hedge against fluctuation in actual “show” for air freight services, cargo airlines engage in the allocation of more space capacity than they actually have. This practice can lead to overbooking of capacity which can incur costs to the airline when a cargo does show that is larger than predicted. In this study, the authors set out to model an optimised value for air cargo bookin…
The purpose of this paper is to model the choice parameters for selection of third party logistics service providers in global lead logistics provider (LLP) environments.
The changing role of seaports in supply chains has been the subject of extensive research in the recent literature. The strategic development of seaport terminals, responding to the need for closer integration into supply chains, invites a more detailed examination of the influence of the supply chain structures on seaport performance. Therefore, this paper aims to investigate the effects of su…
The determination of the coach terminal as passenger logistics hub is described. The factors responsible for successful functioning of this hub are discussed. The location of the coach terminal is one of the important factors. The present coach terminal is located in the heart of the city where land availability is critical. The simulation model of the terminal was developed to complement the d…
Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to discuss and to help address the need for quantitative models to support and improve procurement in the context of humanitarian relief efforts. Design/methodology/approach – This research presents a two-stage stochastic decision model with recourse for procurement in humanitarian relief supply chains, and compares its effectiveness on an illustra…
Much of the recent research on supply chain uncertainty has focused on relationships between manufacturers and suppliers and existing models have therefore been based on this dyadic structure. The aim is to establish a supply chain uncertainty model that explicitly incorporates transport operations and hence the logistics triad; supplier, customer and transport carrier.
The purpose of this paper is to estimate the economic impact of reducing logistics cost on the demand for port throughput in the context of Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) regional economic integration and to realize the potential economic gains of the maritime logistics reform in the region.
The purpose of this paper is to estimate the economic impact of reducing logistics cost on the demand for port throughput in the context of Association of Southeast Asian Nations’ (ASEAN) regional economic integration and to realize the potential economic gains of the maritime logistics reform in the region.
In the liner shipping industry, controlling switching costs (SCs) is an important strategy for maintaining customer loyalty (CL). This study proposes a research model comprising four constructs and six hypotheses to examine how SCs helps prevent customers from switching their freight loads from one carrier to the other. Moreover, a submodel is also proposed and tested by two sample sets, separa…
The purpose of this paper is to provide a framework for the development of emergency logistics response models. The proposition of a conceptual framework is in itself not sufficient and simulation models are further needed in order to help emergency logistics decision makers in refining their preparedness planning process.
To develop a decision tool that may be used conveniently by motor carriers to answer the questions: “Does my company need to lower the truck driver turnover rate?” and “If so, by how much?”
Logistics is considered to have a significant impact on a manufacturing organization's performance. This research utilizes a pilot study, a large‐scale survey of manufacturing managers, and linear structural relations (LISREL). The research methods develop measures and test relationships among six constructs: physical supply, physical distribution, logistics spanning processes, customer servi…
The aim of this paper is to propose a simulation study of the “steel supply chain” to demonstrate the effect of inventory management and demand variety on the bullwhip effect mitigation.
The work deals with the topic of spare parts management in a space system. The paper is divided into three parts. The first one is dedicated to the characterization of the system structure and presents the particularities related to the spare‐elements procurement. Modelling is the object of the second part. After having exposed the bases of the problem to be solved, a macro‐model is intro…
A variant of Kohonen’s algorithm for the self-organizing map (SOM) is used to solve a continuous location-routing problem that can be applied to identify potential sites for subsequent selection by a discrete finite set model. The paper aims to show how the algorithm may be customized to fit the problem structure in a way that allows aspects of location and routing to be integrated into the s…
Maintaining efficiency in despatching goods from a depot to geographically dispersed customers may require management at the depot to adjust its delivery routes daily if these customers’ demands fluctuate from day to day. One type of adjustment is to give drivers daily “skip lists” instructing them not to visit customers who have indicated that they do not need delivery on the day in qu…
The problems associated with supply chains are seldom simply and easily understood. Many tools and algorithms have been developed to help decision makers, but the applicability of these tools is limited to distinct parts of the system or they attempt to comprise the system resulting in a complicated use of the model. For a decision maker who wants to understand the problems of a supply chain as…
Discusses “recurrent approaches” to determining when to despatch a consolidated load. Unlike a “non‐recurrent approach” (which sets a target time or weight prior to accumulating orders and despatches when the target is reached), recurrent approaches re‐evaluate the shipment‐release decision several times within an order accumulation cycle. Presents two probabilistic recurrent mode…
The paper aims to discuss the findings of a humanitarian logistics manager field study on response activity concerning the 2004 tsunami disaster in terms of what should have occurred and to present a comprehensive hindsight-analysis case for a model placing natural disaster response activity clearly within the context of local-nation-led, holistic and inclusive natural disaster planning.
Logisticians are trained to identify trade‐offs and to devise compromising solutions which produce the lowest total costs. For example, the economic batch size is a compromise between setup costs and inventory carrying costs. Presents a problem‐analysis technique which helps the analyst to eliminate the problem so that no compromise is necessary. For example, instead of balancing inventor…
The need to design materials handling systems optimally has grown as the cost of material handling equipment has continued to increase. For some facilities, this need is critical due to product obsolescence and quality. Simulation modelling based and factorial experimental design are used to help accentuate some of the decision options regarding the optimum number of carts, the optimum schedu…
Benchmarking techniques have evolved over the years since Xerox’s pioneering visits to Japan in the late 1970s. The focus of benchmarking has also shifted during this period. By tracing in detail the evolution of benchmarking in one specific area of business activity, supply and distribution management, as seen by the participants in that evolution, creates a picture of a movement from sing…
This article provides an analysis of inbound logistics incorporated in a JIT manufacturing environment. An inventory‐theoretic model is presented that measures the implications of JIT manufacturing on the logistics process and the ability of inbound consolidation opportunities to accommodate these implications. Key components of the inventory‐theoretic model are indentified and the sensit…
The European Community ESPRIT Project Buddy addresses the needs of industrial organisations to reduce information processing time, improve added and residual value of information, and reduce processing and distribution costs and “leadtimes”. It deals with the information supply‐chain as an important entity, whose performance and optimisation very significantly affect the efficiency and pe…
Many chain co-ordinating initiatives fail due to a lack of trust in and resistance against supply chain co-ordinators, unequally distributed benefits, opposing requirements of involved parties and asymmetric distribution of power. The goal of this paper is to provide insight into factors influencing the successful implementation of a supply chain co-ordinator. For this purpose, the Electronic S…
The purpose of this paper is to identify the success factors for supply chain in Indian small- and medium-scale enterprises (SMEs) and establish a causal relationship among them. In the present scenario, the SMEs are under huge pressure to achieve the supply chain competitive advantage and to improve operation and logistic effectiveness and, at the same time, remain tractable to the demand unce…
Organizations have long employed business continuity planning (BCP) to prevent disruption to their operations. The authors seek to extend existing theory by examining the impact of logistical business continuity planning (LBCP) – BCP in the context of logistics – on firms’ operational capabilities and financial performance.
The purpose of this paper is to analyze the beliefs and attitudinal factors that affect the private sphere pro-environmental behavior of information technology (IT) professionals in using personal computers.
Virgin Atlantic Cargo is one of the largest air freight operators in the world. As part of a wider strategic development initiative, the company has identified forecasting accuracy as of strategic importance to its operational efficiency. This is because accurate forecast enables the company to have the right resources available at the right place and time. The purpose of this paper is to under…
Accepted logistics theory states that short lead times are consistent with high accuracy of customer service and low levels of inventory. Yet global or theatre based manufacturing strategies are lengthening lead times, extending supply chains and increasing risk of both excessive inventory and poor customer service. Logistics strategies to manage the conflicting interests of manufacturing and…
Manufacturers have begun to develop and implement strategies that focus on strengthening the operations/marketing interface with customers. Claycomb et al. originally identified and described one such strategy, just-in-time (JIT)-with-customers, and assessed its impact on organizational structure. Generally, this study seeks to replicate their original work with two primary differences: marketi…
Global sourcing, just‐in‐time inventory control and the growth of the global marketplace have made intermodal transport an increasingly important aspect of distribution and logistics. Discusses intermodal system modelling from the perspective of intermodalism as an integrated transport service rather than as a technology. Reviews current modelling paradigms and implementations and proposes …
Customer service is of significant concern to an airline passenger. The on‐time performance of an airline is one of the important indicators of customer service. Analyses whether there is any relationship between airline flight delays and the financial situation of an airline. Identifies association between the probability of delay and financial factors of an airline using logistic regressi…
The purpose of this paper is to demonstrate that human resource management (HRM) has an impact on supply chain management (SCM), which in turn has a significant impact on customer satisfaction (CS) and organisational performance (OP), playing a mediating role in the relationship between HRM and SCM outcomes (SCMO).
The purpose of this paper is to present a conceptual framework for a hybrid simulation model that can be used to study the decision making and behaviors of humanitarian logistics actors to determine how/whether certain coordination mechanisms enable better relief chain efficiency and effectiveness over time.
Both lean and six sigma are key business process strategies which are employed by companies to enhance their manufacturing performance. However, whilst there is significant research information available on implementing these systems in a sequential manner, there is little information available relating to the integration of these approaches to provide a single and highly effective strategy for…
Organizations have been investing heavily in building information links with their suppliers and buyers in order to reduce costs, lead times and quality problems, and improve on time customized delivery. At present, many of these firms are unsure of the degree to which this investment is necessary. A dynamic model is presented which builds on the impact of the evolving interactions of competito…
The purpose of this paper is to provide a tool for decision makers to make more informed decisions regarding their outsourcing policies.