Why are some companies more effective within disaster relief supply chains than others? Our research explores and consolidates best practices applied by companies effectively during past disasters. We conclude with a framework of nine best practices and suggest how to apply it across a range of ten industries. Author: Karn...
This project developed a total landed cost model to analyze the cost from raw material to the customer for one sample Electronics Company, Tel Co. The total landed cost model was also used to predict the impact of global supply chain risks. The result assists firms make a strategic decision...
The WFP’s transport of food aid to Ethiopia’s landlocked population is constrained by transshipment processing bottlenecks at the port, and limited availability of trucks for inland transport. We analyzed the quantitative and qualitative factors used in selecting routes and mitigating port bottleneck issues. Our results will be used by the...
The percent increase in greenhouse gas (GHG) concentration in the atmosphere maybe harmful. There is no single preferred method for measuring GHG output. How can one classify and choose an appropriate method? This thesis offers a classification of current methods used by companies to measure their GHG output. Author: Suzanne...
Lockheed Martin designs and builds commercial satellites to customers’ specifications. The customers, such as telecommunications companies and weather forecasters, are very price sensitive and, usually, award contracts to the lowest priced bids. Lockheed manufactures satellites using a combination of in-house manufacturing, purchasing, and subcontracting (for subcontract parts). The subcontract parts...
This project developed an optimization model to assess the benefits of hub capability in an international distribution network. Our model shows that a hub in this setting can provide savings of both holding and transportation costs. Hub capability can also provide companies with the flexibility to take advantage of potential...
The pharmaceutical industry creates products which often have more than one supply chain channel, defined as a route through the supply chain network from sourcing to the end market. Each channel’s specific cost characteristics are important to the pharmaceutical industry’s ability to maintain positive profit margins while meeting high customer...
This thesis discusses the tradeoff between transportation cost and the level of service in cold chain transportation. Regression models are built to quantify the additional cost of superior quality cold chain for both the shipper and its carriers, and analyze the relationship between such cost and customer service level. No...
This project performed an assessment of the costs of multiplicity in the public health supply chains in Burundi in the context of proposed structural reform from a province-based to a district-based system. The study demonstrated that significant cost-savings and improved service levels can be realized with better transportation and inventory...
This paper examines the logistical challenges and inventory management issues a prospective operator of a floating offshore wind farm would encounter in generating electricity. The author studied economic distance from shore to locate a wind for optimal electricity generation and examined suitable inventory policies for a floating offshore wind farm...
For detailed business decisions like forecasting which involve precise quantitative information, our experiment involving 169 participants in 20 Prediction Markets at General Mills found Prediction Market Forecast accuracy to be comparable to General Mills’ collaborative forecasting process. Author: Rajaram Narayanaswamy and Kai Trepte Advisor: Larry Lapide
Political instability, rebel activity, ethnic tensions, and poor infrastructure plague the Somali region of Ethiopia and consequently endanger and delay the World Food Programme’s (WFP’s) food-aid supply chain. Our study quantifies the risk in the region and proposes methods by which the WFP, and other humanitarian organizations, can use to...
Cost evaluations do not always include the costs associated with risks when organizations make strategic sourcing decisions. This research was conducted to establish and quantify the impact of risks and risk-related costs on sourcing decisions for the automotive industry. The focus is on comparing distant, global suppliers entailing long supply...
This thesis presents a road map for companies to follow as they manage multi-tiered suppliers in the high-tech industry. Our research covered a host of sources including interviews and publications from various companies, consulting companies, software companies, the computer industry, trade associations, and analyst firms among others. While our review...
We propose a carrier performance measurement framework for a specialty chemical manufacturer to assess and compare the performance of various carriers in a dynamic fashion. Author: Weixia Cheng Advisor: Mahender Singh
Using an analytical framework this research project establishes that initiatives to improve responsiveness contribute to growth in sales. The framework uses an econometric model and a causal model to verify and explain relationships between measures of responsiveness and sales. The research also identifies measures that drive sales and measures driven...
This thesis examines a distribution multi-echelon production-inventory system subject to stochastic demand in the steel industry. The sponsor company, Ternium (a South American steel producer), needs to provide short service times under low inventory costs. The goal of this thesis is to generate a model and conclusions to determine where...
Many supply chain management decisions continue to be made as though driving with the rear-view mirror. This project offers a set of metrics that provide supply chain managers with a forward-looking approach to predict supply chain future performance and align their strategy with performance outcomes. Author: Linda Haydamous Advisor: Larry...
This project measured the costs associated with inventory shrinkage and stock-outs in the Washington State tree fruit industry using multivariate regression and optimization techniques. The author provides four qualitative solutions in the form of inventory management policies, and one quantitative solution in the form of a mixed-integer linear program. Author...
This project compares planned truckload procurement to executed truckload procurement using shipment transactions from 2006 to 2008. The research suggests that matching between the two occurs in less than 10% of the lanes and overspending occurs in more than 50% lanes. This research proposes strategies to reduce truckload procurement to...
This thesis developed a multi-attribute model to help the World Food Programme in the optimization of warehouse location in the Somali region of Ethiopia. The methodology used uses the Analytic Hierarchy Process which facilitates the use of qualitative information for optimization purposes. The model can be scaled in order to...
Supply chain management (SCM) has traditionally played an operational role within cement companies missing opportunities for cost reduction and value creation. These missed opportunities can be realized by introducing the strategic use of SCM as explained in this article. Author: Isabel Agudelo Advisor: Edgar Blanco
This research quantifies transportation mode choice, demonstrating the trade-off between truckload(TL) and intermodal (IM, truck and rail) transportation. The authors used a mathematical model to calculate the logistics costs as a sum of transportation and inventory holding cost and analyzed how supply chain costs are sensitive to transportation cost components...
This project uses a linear program to examine the effectiveness of using transportation relays for private fleets. A transportation relay is a shipment that is divided into two legs. The linear programming model is run for a large retailer that we name LargeRetailerCo. The results for LargeRetailerCo show significant quantifiable...
Using results from 51 million Monte Carlo simulation runs, we demonstrate that wind plant-plus-energy storage (WP+ES) operation becomes more profitable by applying supply chain management techniques such as network design and inventory management. Our business case shows that emerging, utility-scale battery storage can be economically-viable even today under certain scenarios...
