This thesis provides a fundamental understanding of Polo Ralph Lauren’s current business operations and of current e-Commerce fulfillment models for luxury apparel brands in China. An assessment of gaps was also conducted between current fulfillment operations of PRL and those of other luxury brands and 3PLs operating in China, specifically...
This project analyzed a pilot reusable tote program implemented by a consumer products company that was suffering from an unsustainable attrition rate. We identified key factors behind tote attrition and designed a new program for implementation at MIT that will better address these factors, adding proof of concept to this...
In this research, we address the issue of developing a method for a private fleet manager to determine the appropriate number of railcars in a fleet. We focus on incorporating the variability of railcar cycle time into the fleet-sizing decision. In addition, we recommend a process that enables fleet managers...
The petrochemical manufacturing industry is considering capital asset utilization with increased scrutiny. The authors consider the problem of marine dock utilization in the context of this particular industry as well as parallel problems in other industries. They recommend a framework for simulating and benchmarking dock operations to allow for quantifiable...
Freight vehicle capacity, whether it be road, ocean or air transport, is highly under-utilized. This thesis describes the impact of ordering guidelines on the trucking efficiency of a large firm and how those guidelines and associated practices can be changed in order to gain better efficiency. Authors: Jaya Banik and...
This project developed and analyzed the demand patterns and inventory levels for an Oil Services company. After segmenting ABC’s SKU base into fast and slow movers, this project then utilized two separate models, to provide statistical guidance for inventory levels. Our models and analysis present options that can reduce ABC’s...
Information collected in real-time during the transportation process can be used to produce predictive models for fuel efficiency and product rejections. Although future study is needed to refine the model for product rejections to the point of deployment, a clear framework exists for development of these tools. Authors: Carlos Seminario...
This project evaluates the financial implications to shippers and motor carriers in the United States truckload (TL) transportation industry of modifying the compensation structure of fuel surcharges. Fuel surcharges (FSCs) are contracts added as addendums to payment of service (called the line-haul rate in the transportation industry) that enable the...
This thesis developed a three-model approach for analyzing the impact of lead-time and review time in a large retailer’s supply chain network. The foundation of all three models is based on the periodic-review (R,S) policy. These models mimicked the “Direct-to-Store” and “Regional Distribution Center” supply chain network. Authors: Xiaobei Song...
This project focused on developing segmentation factors for an international, non-profit, healthcare organization. Utilizing the data for over 500 products currently in use at medical sites throughout Haiti, a series of segmentation factors were developed. These factors were then combined in multiple methods to show the effects of implementing segmentation...
The majority of the players in the pharmaceutical industry have not traditionally been motivated to optimize supply chain and operational efficiencies. Several factors in the industry, however, are helping to turn management attention towards supply chain and operational efficiency. This paper looks at a bio-pharmaceutical company and attempts to map...
Additive manufacturing (AM) is the umbrella term for technologies that fabricate products by building up thin layers of materials from three-dimensional, computer-aided designs. A subset of these technologies, 3D printing builds objects on machines that “print” successive layers of materials such as molten plastic. 3D printing has evolved rapidly over...
Innovations in materials science that have been taking shape in the laboratory over the last decade will become commercial realities over the next 10 years. High-performing materials fashioned for specific applications could radically change the way products are designed and marketed, and by implication, bring new challenges and opportunities for...
The rapidly evolving field of reality mining analyzes the flood of data on human behavior patterns emanating from sources as diverse as mobile phone networks, credit card records, and security TV installations. This research is shedding new light on the living habits of populations at the local, regional, national, and...
Failure modes in the maritime transportation system – a functional approach to throughput vulnerability Port paper that will be published in an upcoming issue of Maritime Policy and Management. Øyvind Berle Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway James B. Rice Jr. Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA...
In 1992, Wal-Mart deployed Retail Link® to provide its vendors with information on the sales trends and inventory levels of their products sold at the retailer’s stores. In 1996, Retail Link became available via the Internet and made the Web its application platform. The deployment of Retail Link marked another...
What innovations will shape supply chains a decade from now? It is impossible to know for sure, but given the frenetic pace of technological development, companies need to be on the lookout for breakthroughs that could radically alter the way supply chains are designed, built, and managed. Key to priming...
Speakers: Yossi Sheffi, Director, MIT Center for Transportation & Logistics Jarrod Goentzel, Executive Director, MIT Supply Chain Management Program Yossi Sheffi and Jarrod Goenztel brief the MIT community on the Japan crisis in relation to the supply chain and humanitarian logistics.
Supply Chain Frontiers issue #40 How does a major city in a developing country deliver food safely and efficiently to its population of more than 7 million people? The city of Bogotá, Colombia, is addressing this question with a unique supply chain research project that involves the Center for Latin-American...
Supply Chain Frontiers issue #40 On December 14, 2010, Universidad Andrés Bello (UNAB) in Chile, through its Department of Engineering Sciences, and Bogotá, Colombia-based LOGyCA, signed an agreement to create CLI Chile, a new center for logistics education and research. CLI Chile follows CLI Mexico – which was created in...
Supply Chain Frontiers issue #40 The MIT Center for Transportation & Logistics (MIT CTL) annual conference, Crossroads, will take place on the MIT campus on June 16, 2011. The theme of this year’s event is cutting-edge technologies that will transform supply chains. The Crossroads 2011: Disruptive Innovations That Will Shape...
Supply Chain Frontiers issue #40 Logistics parks have become a key component of global distribution networks. As companies look for ways to make their supply chains more agile in order to stay competitive, however, these commercial hubs must respond with flexible service packages and innovative facilities. This is what Europe’s...
Supply Chain Frontiers issue #40 Developing countries – even those that have signed and ratified the Kyoto Protocol – appear to have little incentive to measure the carbon footprints of their supply chains. However, research at the Center for Latin-American Logistics Innovation (CLI), headquartered in Bogotá, Colombia, shows that Colombian...
