Operations and Supply Chain Management Commons^™

Carrier Selection Criteria: Differences Among Truckload Motor Carrier Offerings, John L. Kent, Carlo D. Smith

Journal of Transportation Management

Effective customer service begins with an understanding of the service components customers’ view as most important to their operations and business success. Within the transportation industry research has investigated the importance of such criteria at an industry level. This article offers detailed rankings of service criteria priority from a shipper’s perspective by comparing criteria across five types of motor carrier offerings including dry van, temperature controlled, intermodal, tank, and flatbed. Results identify the ranked importance of 20 service characteristics, common themes, and distinct differences in the importance of service criteria among the alternative supplier offerings.

Influence Of Neck-Rail Placement On Free-Stall Preference, Use, And Cleanliness, Cassandra B. Tucker, Daniel M. Weary, David Fraser

Housing and Confinement of Farm Animals Collection

Three experiments examined how the presence of a neck rail at different heights and locations influenced dairy cattle behavior and stall cleanliness. Experiment 1 compared 4 levels of neck-rail height (102, 114, and 127 cm and no neck rail; presented at 160 or 180 cm from the curb) in a preference test. Cows (n = 10) showed no consistent preference based on neck-rail height, regardless of the horizontal position of the neck rail. When cows were restricted to each treatment in turn, however, time spent standing fully (with all 4 hooves) in the stall was least in the stall with …

The Effect Of Remanufacturing On Procurement Decisions For Resellers In Secondary Markets, Andreas Robotis, Shantanu Bhattacharya, Luk N. Van Wassenhove

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

The role of remanufacturing as a competitive tool for firms has been reflected in a number of studies to show that remanufacturing can reduce the unit cost of production by reusing components. However, the fact that remanufacturing can be used as a strategic tool for serving secondary markets as well has not been acknowledged in the literature. In this paper, we study the use of remanufacturing as a tool to serve secondary markets. Specifically, we model the case of a reseller who procures used products based on an older generation of technology from an advanced market and then uses one …

Interaction Of Technology Choice And Financial Risk Management Under Costly External Financing, Onur Boyabatli, L. Beril Toktay

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

This paper analyzes the integrated operational and financial risk management portfolio of a firm that determines whether to use flexible or dedicated technology and whether to undertake financial risk management or not. The risk management value of flexible technology is due to its risk pooling benefit under demand uncertainty. The financial risk management motivation comes from the existence of deadweight costs of external financing due to capital market imperfections. Financial risk management has a fixed cost, while technology investment incurs both fixed and variable costs. The firm's limited budget, which depends partly on a tradable asset, can be increased by …

Session Code: Eh The 21st Century Ideal Supply Management Organizational Format, At Least For 2005, Peter O'Reilly

Publications

The Problem:

What organizational format for the supply management function makes sense in your firm?

Why do we have a problem in the first place?

• The ever popular Silos
• Corporate culture
• Lack of senior management’s understanding of the supply management function
• The absence of a strong core procurement organization
• The dynamics of the ever changing world of mergers and acquisitions

A Longitudinal Analysis Of The Journal Of Transportation Management: 1996 - 2004, Jerry W. Wilson, Cindy H. Randall

Journal of Transportation Management

The first issue of the Journal of Transportation Management (JTM) was published in the Fall of 1989. This new publication was to provide an outlet for research and writing of a practical nature, of direct benefit to logistics and transportation managers and their firms. Since that first issue, the Journal has weathered three sets of editorial staff that have collectively produced sixteen full or partial volumes. This article provides some of the history of the JTM and an analysis of some of the characteristics of its contributors during the tenure of its third and current editor, Jerry Wilson.

Financing America’S Roads: The Past Is Prologue, Michael J. Gravier, M Theodore Farris Ii

Journal of Transportation Management

This article provides a historical perspective of American roadway financing. It explores revenue collection and expenditures at the federal, state, and local governmental levels. Accounting practices of the Highway Trust Fund are discussed including the enactment of the Truth in Budgeting Act to shift revenue collection closer to a direct-user tax. Factors affecting roadway tax revenues are identified and the impact of increasing taxes is discussed. Four key considerations which will continue to shape roadway revenue collection are identified.

The Importance Of Logistics Capability In The E-Commerce Market, Jay Joong-Kun Cho, John Ozment

Journal of Transportation Management

This research is focused on the importance of logistics capability and its effect on firm performance in the e-commerce market. Technology-based net companies are known to have poor business network and infrastructure compared to resource-based traditional non-net based companies. A multiple-item logistics capability measurement scale is used to measure logistics capability of the firm. Firm performance is also measured by multiple items. The results indicate that logistics capability has a positive relationship with firm performance and this relationship is stronger for net based firms than for non-net based firms. Logistics capability is perceived as the firm’s critical capability in providing …

Regulatory Perspectives Of The Air Express Industry, Kian Chuan Chang, Mark Brian Debowski

Journal of Transportation Management

In its early days, the international air express industry was synonymous with on-board couriers, carrying bags of documents on commercial flights. The industry has changed dramatically. That initial focus on documents has widened into the transport of packages and freight, carried by fleets of fully owned or dedicated aircraft, trucks, trains and delivery vans. The bulk of the business is dominated by 24-hour guaranteed and next-day deliveries. “Every day, hundreds of thousands of employees serve the distribution needs of an increasing number of businesses worldwide from one region to another” (European Express Association, 2002). The express companies are also making …

Using Active Learning To Enhance Supply Chain Knowledge, Joe B. Hanna, Brian J. Gibson, Randall Chapman

Journal of Transportation Management

The constantly evolving logistics discipline confronts practitioners with the challenge of keeping pace with the many advancements in the field. The authors examine ways in which logistics trainers may be able to improve their ability to effectively convey knowledge to logistics practitioners by supplementing the traditional lecture-based approaches with active learning exercises. The results of a recently conducted survey detailing current usage levels and approaches of active learning exercises, specifically simulations, by logistics educators is then presented. The paper also summarizes comments from individual simulation participants after they have completed a training experience designed to immerse them in a real …

Using Depot Inventory Position To Determine Transportation Mode Of Retrograde Reparable Assets, Edward C. Snow Jr.

Theses and Dissertations

Air Force logistics policies direct the "expedited evacuation of repairables to the source of repair", in an effort to allow smaller inventories. Transportation Mode selection is based only on the asset itself. This focus works well when shipping assets out from the depot to a base. When a base ships an asset back to the depot however, the priority of the asset may not be the best way to select the transportation mode. The quantity of the assets at the depot may indicate that fast transportation is unnecessary. The depot may already have enough serviceable assets to meet demand or …

An Examination Of Reverse Logistics Factors Impacting The 463-L Pallet Program, Andrew J. Peterson

Theses and Dissertations

During peacetime operations, the process of tracking and managing 463-L assets within the Air Mobility Command airlift system results in infrequent imbalances or accountability issues. However, during contingency operations, AMC loses control of 463-L assets as they are turned over to the intra-theater distribution system. Since current contingency operations began in October of 2001, the Air Force has been unable to account for over 97,000 463-L pallets and 220,000 cargo nets. With a single pallet and net set costing over $1,300, the total value of the equipment unaccounted for exceeds $126 million. If not corrected, this failure to account for …

Pick-Up And Delivery: A Comparison Of Functional Alignments And The Impact On Customer Service And Vehicle Operator Utilization, Shawn K. Booher

Theses and Dissertations

The Chief of Staff Logistics Review of 1999 examined a multitude of process issues and their resulting impact on organizational structure. A resulting initiative was to transition the pick-up and delivery function from the Material Management flight (LGRM) to the Vehicle Operations section (LGRVO). The motivation of this initiative, more specifically referred to as Supply/Transportation Reengineering, was to streamline similar processes, and to effectively and efficiently utilize resources. The goal of this transition was to use fewer people and resources to provide pick-up and delivery service to wing customers with minimal adverse impact to customer service and to improve overall …

Air Force Jp-8 Fuel Distribution System: A Statistical Analysis To Determine Where And When To Sample, Eric J. Heath

Theses and Dissertations

The Air Force Petroleum Office at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio collects JP-8 sampling data, but this data doesn't undergo analysis to determine the health of the base-level JP-8 fuel distribution system. Commanders possess no known confidence level when assessing base-level fuel health. Therefore, the objective of this research is to assess Air Force base-level fuel sampling data to determine the base-level sampling point that ensures a quality and healthy product at the aircraft. Also, this research seeks to identify how often correlation sampling should take place. Sample test pass rates are analyzed from three locations, receipt, storage, and vehicles/aircraft, …

A Case Study Of The Degree Of Collaboration Between Various Levels In The Reparable Chain In The United States Air Force, Robert A. Lee

Theses and Dissertations

Collaborative Planning, Forecasting, and Replenishment and other logistics processes were developed in the commercial sector to reduce total system costs of production while simultaneously providing reduction in inventory levels, improved customer service levels, greater flexibility in scheduling, greater velocity of inventory through the pipeline, and, as a result, greater profitability (Ploos van Amstel, 1990:1). Many companies including Wal-Mart, Motorola, Target, Johnson & Johnson, and Kellogg's, just to name a few, have seen great achievements since implementing CPFR processes. Can these processes be applied to the Air Force supply chain? This thesis intends to examine the flows and relationships to identify …

Study On The Air Force's Ability To Field Senior Logistics Readiness Officers Experienced In Fuels Management, Keith A. Lewis

Theses and Dissertations

A major initiative resulting from the 1999 Chief of Staff of the Air Force Logistics Review (CLR) was the development of the logistics readiness officer (LRO) career field, which combined three previous logistics fields; supply, transportation, and logistics plans. As a result, the training for a LRO promotes logistics function familiarity rather than expertise. This is of particular concern in the critical area of fuels management. Fuel is an absolute necessity in all military operations and its proper management is vital to mission success. The objective of this research is to determine the impact due to the LRO career field …

Optimization Model For Base-Level Delivery Routes And Crew Scheduling, Young-Ho Cha

Theses and Dissertations

In the U.S. Air Force, a Logistic Readiness Squadron (LRS) provides material management, distribution, and oversight of contingency operations. Dispatchers in the LRS must quickly prepare schedules that meet the needs of their customers while dealing with real-world constraints, such as time windows, delivery priorities, and intermittent recurring missions. Currently, LRS vehicle operation elements are faced with a shortage of manpower and lack an efficient scheduling algorithm and tool. The purpose of this research is to enhance the dispatchers' capability to handle flexible situations and produce "good" schedules within current manpower restrictions. In this research, a new scheduling model and …

Managing Learning Resources For Consecutive Product Generations, Lieven Demeester, Mei Qi

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

In this paper, we study how a firm should allocate its learning resources when it is concurrently producing two consecutive generations of one product. We define learning resources as scarce firm-specific resources that a firm allocates towards the improvement of the cost, quality or timeliness of its existing products and processes. We use empirically tested models for demand substitution and learning curves to formulate this problem, and we present our results as propositions with regard to the optimal time at which a firm should direct all its learning resources to the newer product generation, depending on the substitution rate of …

K-Center Problems With Minimum Coverage, Andrew Lim, Brian Rodrigues, Fan Wang, Zhou Xu

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

In this work, we study an extension of the k-center facility location problem, where centers are required to service a minimum of clients. This problem is motivated by requirements to balance the workload of centers while allowing each center to cater to a spread of clients. We study three variants of this problem, all of which are shown to be -hard. In-approximation hardness and approximation algorithms with factors equal or close to the best lower bounds are provided. Generalizations, including vertex costs and vertex weights, are also studied.

Economics Of Scale In The Us Truckload Industry, Adam Gray Bradford

Inquiry: The University of Arkansas Undergraduate Research Journal

No abstract provided.

The Effects Of Land Transport On Animal Welfare, D. M. Broom

Transport of Farm Animals Collection

Animal welfare during and as a result of transport can be assessed by using a range of behavioural, physiological, pathological and carcass-quality indicators that are described in this paper. Measures of the extent of any disease, injury or mortality resulting from, or exacerbated by, transport are important because health is an important part of welfare. Many of the indicators are measures of stress as they involve long-term adverse effects on the individual. Factors affecting the welfare of animals before, during and after transport which are discussed are: definition of the responsibilities and competence, attitudes to animals and need for training …

Information System Development Methodologies As Learning Systems, Anand Jeyaraj, Vicki L. Sauter

ISSCM Faculty Publications

Although information system development methodologies supposedly improve development processes and end-products, information systems have continued to fail. In practice, methodologies have not been universally accepted, and even when accepted, not consistently used. Often development teams adapt methodologies to respond to perceived problems in past applications and/or specifics of the project under consideration. While it is possible that a combination of these factors contributed to less-than-effective system development processes or final end-products, we believe that there may be a subtler explanation for such failures. Although methodologies recommend best practices for system development, they rarely prescribe mechanisms to capture or evaluate problems …

The Effect Of Influence Tactics And Contingency Factors On The Adoption And Diffusion Of Is/It Innovations In Social Networks, Anand Jeyaraj

ISSCM Faculty Publications

Despite considerable research on both adoption and diffusion of IS/IT innovations, there is a lack of coherent understanding of the processes by which innovations diffuse within social systems. This research proposes that the nature of the innovation diffusion process will depend on the characteristics of the innovation, the personal attributes of the individual, the interpersonal relationships, the composition of the social networks, and the specific influence tactics used by individuals. The empirical investigation involves a combination of three different research methods: meta-analysis, interpretive case studies, and simulation. The meta-analysis, at the organizational level, identifies the various factors (individual, dyad, social …

Investment Of Resources To Become Competitive: A Survey Of Polish Manufacturing Companies, Mark Wermus

Information Technology & Decision Sciences Faculty Publications

In view of unprecedented transition of the Polish economy, the privatization of manufacturing organizations and the investment of foreign funds in Polish companies, we wanted to learn about manufacturing practices in Polish companies during the period of transition. Analyzing how the companies use forecasts and then where they allocate limited resources may help us to better understand the transition economy and estimate if the way they have chosen may lead them to become world class manufacturers. Poland is a gateway country to other countries in the Eastern European region and many companies in those countries will use the experience of …

Logistics Network Design With Differentiated Delivery Lead Time: A Chemical Industry Case Study, Michelle Lee Fong Cheong, Rohit Bhatnagar, Stephen C. Graves

Research Collection School Of Computing and Information Systems

Most logistics network design models assume exogenous customer demand that is independent of the service time or level. This paper examines the benefits of segmenting demand according to lead-time sensitivity of customers. To capture lead-time sensitivity in the network design model, we use a facility grouping method to ensure that the different demand classes are satisfied on time. In addition, we perform a series of computational experiments to develop a set of managerial insights for the network design decision making process.

The Role Of Manufacturing Flexibility On Product Platform Development, Soumen Ghosh, Byung Joon Park

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

In recent years firms from a range of industries have responded to growing market uncertainty by investing heavily in manufacturing flexibility. Manufacturing Flexibility is understood as process flexibility, that is a process that results from being able to build different types of products on the same production line at the same time. One benefit of manufacturing flexibility is the reduction of change over cost from building one product to another. Flexible manufacturing also relieves the problem of overcapacity, since excessive overcapacity could be avoided through the introduction of flexible manufacturing plants. Recently, firms have examined a new concept of enabling …

Technology Based Supply Chain Training: Its Use And Effectiveness, Brian J. Gibson, Jonathan D. Whitaker

Journal of Transportation Management

Employee training is a huge business in the United States with spending in the neighborhood of $51 billion dollars. Over the last five years a growing proportion of training dollars have been committed to technology based training involving distance learning and e-learning. This article reports on the use of these innovative training methods in supply chain management and their impact on organizations in terms of cost effectiveness, time efficiency, skill development, and return on investment.

A Comparison Of Implementation Issues And Strategies For Radio Frequency Identification Technologies Between The U.S. Military And Private Sector Organizations, Kristine M. O'Brien, Stephen M. Swartz

Journal of Transportation Management

The purpose of this research was to study the implementation of radio frequency identification (RFID) technologies used to track equipment and supplies. Current implementation issues and strategies for future use were collected from leading edge organizations from the military and private sector. A formal comparison found both similarities and differences between how industry and the Army are implementing and using RFID technologies in their supply chains and logistics networks. This article focuses on these similarities and differences, to include a gap between the Army and industry regarding RFID tag use and implementation, and a difference in the overall focus of …

The Profit Impact Of A Strategic Approach To Web Enhanced Services (Wes)—A Study Of The Motor Carrier Industry, Gregory M. Kellar, John Xiaoqun Zhang

Journal of Transportation Management

An increasing number of motor carriers offer web-enhanced services (WES) such as real-timetracking-and-tracing, on-line ordering, and conflict resolution. However, the burst of the Internet bubble raised questions as to whether investments in such Internet-related services increase corporate profitability (e.g., Nagarajan et al., 2000). This article studies financial and operational values that web-enhanced services add to publicly traded interstate trucking companies. Large companies offering WES were found to be more profitable than smaller companies in general, and they were more profitable than other large carriers not offering WES. Investments in WES appear to provide a strategic advantage specifically for large companies.

Meeting The Challenge Of Supply Chain Integration: Using Six Sigma For Process Improvement, Kathryn Dobie, Rhonda Hensley

Journal of Transportation Management

Increased performance expectations, a more complex operating environment, rising costs, and declining operating margins have become every day challenges for carrier management. In order to meet these challenges, business-as-usual is not an adequate response. The time has come to take a new look at the way thing are being done and the results that are being achieved. One method of making such an examination, Six Sigma, has produced extraordinary results for many of the manufacturing and service companies, large and small, that have implemented it. The introduction of Six Sigma as a means of examining and improving carrier service delivery …