Business Commons^™

Some Propositions Regarding Rail-Truck Intermodal: An Empirical Analysis, Paul R. Murphy, James M. Daley

Journal of Transportation Management

Using data compiled from a recent of businesses located in a major metropolitan area, the present paper evaluates a series of propositions concerning rail-truck intermodal. In general, the study results tend to support the various propositions, and key findings suggest that users and nonusers of intermodal transportation have different perceptions about the quality of, and barriers to, intermodal service.

A Framework For Understanding The Impacts Of The Everyday Low Purchase Price Policy In A Supply Chain, Yung-Jae Lee

Barowsky School of Business | Faculty Dissertations and Theses

This dissertation studies the effect of implementing everyday low purchase price policy (EDLPP) for a manufacturer in consumer non-durable market. In the framework, many .important retailer and consumer behaviors are considered. A major finding of the study is that temporary price discount (a Hi-Lo policy) is generally unprofitable to the manufacturer because the sales increase due to the discount is usually offset by the decreased profit margin and increased total production and inventory related costs. Another important finding is that the retailer plays a critical role as an active middle agent.

Through the sensitivity analysis, we identified the conditions under …

Constraints As Opportunities, Umesh Rajamani

IIMB Management Review

Though India is avowedly a food giant, its food processing industry is still at a nascent stage. Lila Poonawalla, CMD of Tetra Pak India, a company that is in the forefront of packaging and promoting liquid food in the country, speaks about the challenges of marketing packaged liquid food - the immense possibilities, the constraints - ranging from a vacillating government policy to the conservatism of the Indian consumer - the need for constant innovation and Tetra Pak's firm belief in growing their business in tandem with their customers'.

Gaining Competitive Edge Through Strategy-Driven Bpr, K B S Saxena

IIMB Management Review

Global competition, sluggish economies and the potential offered by emerging technologies have pushed firms to fundamentally rethinking the functioning of their business. Business Process Reengineering (BPR) is the relatively new management approach to looking at the functioning of an organisation in a novel way and restructuring bureaucratised business processes to achieve the objectives of increased efficiency, reduced costs, improved quality and greater customer satisfaction. KBC Saxena proposes a strategy-driven BPR approach, involving a top-down reappraisal and redesign of the total business architecture, and identifying business strategy and linking it with the required business processes to ensure that this strategy is …

Proposals For Restructuring The Marine Department In Aqaba Port, Jordan, Walid A.S. Al-Suheimat

World Maritime University Dissertations

Today’s shipping industry has become an over-regulated industry where safety and the marine environment protection can not be compromised. This modern global arrangement requires a heightened efficient and competent maritime administrations to control and observe their national fleet. Hence, the main aim of this dissertation is to promote and enhance the marine safety and pollution prevention through restructuring the Marine Department at The Port of Aqaba by proposing and recommending feasible solutions. The Marine Department’s role in Port of Aqaba is essential as it is the sole authority controlling and enforcing national safety related maritime legislation. Its roles significance has …

The Cost Effective Quality Maintenance Of Ship Containers : Management And Technical Practices Which Reflect High Standards Of Containers In The Ceylon Shipping Corporation, H.M. Ajith Dehipola

World Maritime University Dissertations

This dissertation seems to highlight the need of have a quality repair standards to develop, implement and oversee the container repairs in the Ceylon shipping corporation. The mechanism and process through which this can be achieved is examined and explained by the author in a manner which can be understood by the readers in the late chapters. It is also emphasised, in this work that the need exist for properly and highly trained personal to fulfil the required standards in container repairs. It is fairly clear that, the life of a container is depend from many factors. Some of the …

An Analysis Of The Bareboat Chartering Program Of The Philippines, Sonia B. Malaluan

World Maritime University Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Strategic Performance Measurement In An Air Force Logistics Organization, Michael A. Grover

Theses and Dissertations

Strategic performance measures are being used to define and communicate longer term planning imperatives to organizational members and external stakeholders. These measures are designed to support the concept of a strategic management process, in which the progress towards strategic goals, and also the goals are continuously reviewed and updated. The measures are linked through associations and communicate the strategy as a series of hypothesized cause and effect relationships. One such performance measurement system, the balanced scorecard, describes the organizational strategy with reference to four common organizational perspectives: Financial, Customer, Internal Process and Growth and Development. A case study is performed …

An Analysis Of Early Software Reliability Improvement Techniques, John G. Leonard, Ric K. Nordgren

Theses and Dissertations

This research explores early life cycle software reliability prediction models or techniques to predict the reliability of software prior to writing code, and a method for increasing or improving the reliability of software products early in the development life cycle. Five prediction models and two development techniques are examined. Each model is statically analyzed in terms of availability of data early in the life cycle, ease of data collection, and whether data is currently collected. One model and the two techniques satisfied those requirements and are further analyzed for their ability to predict or improve software reliability. While the researchers …

Fisheries Management Report No. 1 - The Impact Of Occupational Safety And Health On The Management Of Western Australian Fisheries, Cameron Wilson

Fisheries Published Reports

This report has been produced at the request of Fisheries Western Australia ("Fisheries Department") as a result of a fixed term consultancy by Pacific Management Systems Pty Ltd ("Pacific").

In essence, the Terms of Reference require consideration of the interaction and possible conflict between the principal piece of legislation governing safety and health of employees in Western Australian workplaces, the Occupational Safety and Health Act 1984 ('OSH Act'), and the Fish Resources Management Act 1994 ('FRM Act') being the principal source of legislation in respect of the management of Western Australia's fish resources.

Concerns with regard to the possible conflict …

The Prospect For An Asparagus Industry In Northern Western Australia, John Bonnardeaux

Horticulture published reports

Asparagus grown in temperate regions of southern Australia is available, fresh, between August and March. For the remainder of the year, asparagus is not grown in Australia on a significant scale.

Recent work in Thailand, Peru, Kununurra (northern-western Australia) and Katherine (Northern Territory) has indicated that good quality asparagus can be produced in tropical and subtropical climates. Furthermore, research has shown the timing of the harvest can be manipulated by withholding irrigation and fern cutting. In an environment such as the Ord River Irrigation Area (ORIA) it is possible to harvest asparagus at any time of the year.

This report …

Studying Your Workforce: By Alan Clardy, New Delhi: Sage Publications, 1997., Anand Kasthuri

IIMB Management Review

No abstract provided.

Some Challenges Facing Logistics Education At The New Millennium, Benjamin J. Allen, Richard F. Poist

Journal of Transportation Management

Although the future of logistics looks bright as the new millennium approaches, logistics programs in higher education face significant changes and challenges. This article examines six challenges—three challenges facing business education in general and three challenges directly and uniquely facing logistics education. Five propositions about the future of logistics education are developed. For logistics education, particularly the traditional logistics programs, the years after the new millennium will be both the best of times and the worst of times.

Carrier Portfolio Management, M Theodore Farris Ii

Journal of Transportation Management

This article investigates the concept of carrier consolidation and how it impacts the performance measurements of the carrier for measured variables to the shipper. It recommends treating the carrier base as a portfolio of assets, with each carrier contributing unique, strategic advantages to the sum of the whole.

The Logistics Of Mobilizing And Supplying The Union Army During The Initial Stages Of The American Civil War, Trey G. Burrows

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis studies the logistics involved in mobilizing and supplying the Union Army at the onset of the Civil War. The main elements discussed are the sources, procedures, and items needed for the mobilization and supply efforts. Initially, the Union relied on the States to mobilize the military with the majority of the military being militia members or volunteers. The number of volunteers declined later in the war and the Union used both the bounty system and the draft for recruitment. Eventually, the Federal Government replaced the States as the primary mobilizing entity. The military needed supplies of weapons, clothing, …

An Analysis Of Tactical Military Airlift, James H. Donoho

Theses and Dissertations

This study examines tactical military airlift operations conducted during three historical battles - Stalingrad, Dien Bien Phu, and Khe Sanh. Aspects of tactical military airlift operations are identified from these scenarios. The list of important issues that results can be considered when employing tactical military airlift in the future. Using inductive reasoning, tactical military airlift operations in each scenario, and their success or failure, are examined to develop a pattern for recognizing and describing similar situations in the future. Experiences at Stalingrad, Dien Bien Phu, and Khe Sanh indicated that there are nine elements that should be considered when employing …

Pharmaceutical Surge Requirements For The Prime Vendor Program-Europe In Support Of Military Operations Other Than War, James B. Upton

Theses and Dissertations

The U.S. military in Europe often provides medical support to military operations other than war due to unstable situations in that region of the world. The increasing support to peace operations and humanitarian assistance have led the military medical units in Europe to reexamine the pharmaceuticals traditionally maintained to support surges. This research was a qualitative, exploratory study using multiple case study strategy to identify the specific pharmaceuticals utilized in the initial stages of military operations other than war primarily peacekeeping, peace enforcement and humanitarian assistance. The operations chosen as the units of analysis were Operation Provide Promise (Croatia), Operation …

A Comparison Of Commercial Express And The Defense Transportation System In The Movement Of Reparable Assets Within Western Pacaf, Corey M. Vickers

Theses and Dissertations

This study was initiated by the assertion that it was taking a greater amount of time to transport assets from Support Center Pacific (SCP) to its Western Pacific Air Forces (WESTPAC) customers (Misawa AB Japan, Yokota AB Japan, Kunsan AB Korea, and Osan AB Korea) than it was taking to transport similar assets to the same locations from a CONUS repair facility. These delivery times include the total time it takes a reparable asset to be transferred from a repair facility (consignor) to the user (consignee). Pacific Air Forces (PACAF) has proposed using commercial express freight carriers to transport reparable …

Aerial Port Location Study, Levenchi L. Dingle

Theses and Dissertations

This study performed an investigation on determining the appropriate number and locations of continental United States aerial ports. To accomplish this a linear programming formulation was adapted with the optimizing function based on trading off the cost of shipping cargo against port operating costs. Cargo would travel from CONUS origin, through aerial port of embarkation (APOE), to aerial port of debarkation (APOD) at minimum cost to the DoD. The need for the study was precipitated by continued reductions in the military budget, consolidation of defense depots, and the reduction in the number of personnel stationed overseas. Cargo movement data was …

Identification And Reduction Of Bottlenecks Concerning Micap Re-Supply Of F-16 Weapons System Avionics Line Replaceable Units, Karl N. Muno, Patrick K. Pezoulas

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis evaluates selected F-16 avionics Line Replaceable Units (LRUs) transiting the logistics pipeline in order to examine the existence of bottlenecks and explore potential solutions within the current Department of Defense (DoD) logistics reparable pipeline. A previous study reported that a reduction in the overall pipeline resupply time of at least one day equates to a savings of approximately $25.45 million (Hill et al, 1990:iii). Bottlenecks cause movement delays to the entities moving through the logistics reparable pipeline. The pipeline segments are: AO (requisition), AE (item availability), AS (shipment status), and D6 (receipt). The bottlenecks of concern are those …

Aerospace Ground Equipment's Impact On Aircraft Availability And Deployment, Jeffrey D. Havlicek

Theses and Dissertations

The first purpose of this thesis was to study the effects of four factors on aircraft availability: the aerospace ground equipment (AGE) design configuration, the mean time between failure (MTBF) of AGE, the mean time to repair (MTTR) AGE, and the travel time to transport the AGE around the flightline. A simulation developed by Carrico (1996) that has its foundation based on the Logistics Composite Model (LCOM) was used. ANOVA results indicated that the present estimates of these factors are too broad for trade studies that include an estimate of aircraft availability to begin. The time it takes AGE to …

An Examination Of Risk And Resource Sharing Behavior Between Ltl Trucking Companies And Warehouse Providers, Joe B. Hanna, David J. Bloomberg

Journal of Transportation Management

Increased demand for third-party logistics providers who can offer multiple services to their customers has encouraged many entities to explore innovative ways to expand service offerings. The current research examines Class I LTL motor carriers who have expanded their services to include warehousing. While there are several ways to achieve a service expansion into warehousing, the current research focuses on firms who have elected to expand by creating a strategic alliance type relationship with an external warehouse provider. The research examines carriers attitudes about risk and resource sharing in the alliance relationship. The results indicate that carriers are moderately receptive …

Nafta, Motor Carriers And Highway Safety, Kathryn Dobie, William A. Cunningham

Journal of Transportation Management

The signing of the NAFTA agreement signaled the beginning of increased efforts to harmonize trade between the U.S., Canada, and Mexico. Unfortunately the harmonization of transportation links is lagging far behind proposed implementation dates. This narrative describes the highway safety, and concerns expressed by highway safety advocates and Teamsters union representatives, and documented by the GAO. The authors propose a market based alternative to restricting transborder traffic to the narrow commercial zone presently in place.

What Is A Logistics Analyst? A Perspective From One British University On Increasing Student Awareness And Knowledge Of Logistics Education And Career Opportunities, John Dinwoodie

Journal of Transportation Management

Many sophomore Transport students at a British university were unfamiliar with the role of the logistics analyst. This paper discusses the current extent of student knowledge of some employment roles within intermodal distribution and the processes by which students acquire an understanding of it,providing new information for logistics teachers and career advisors. Qualitative analysis of student descriptions of relevant roles revealed a schema whereby concepts evolved, enabling a teaching package to be devised which accelerated the learning process. The assistance of practitioners, and similar studies by other academics are needed in attempting to raise the awareness of future students.

Support Equipment Deployability: A Delphi Study To Determine The Transportability Characteristics Of Aerospace Ground Equipment (Age), Gavin B. Tovrea

Theses and Dissertations

The issue of mobility is vital to the Air Force as it faces the 2lst century. Operational units must be prepared to quickly deploy anywhere in the world. Aerospace Ground Equipment (AGE) is a large portion of any operational unit's mobility requirements. This thesis studies one portion of AGE mobility, the transportability characteristics of the Air Force's current powered AGE. Transportability is defined as the ability to quickly and efficiently prepare an item for transport, load the item on the transportation asset, remove the item from the transportation asset, and reconstitute the item for use. In order to determine AGE …

Foreign Military Sales Supply Support: Is There A Better Way?, Eric G. Ellmyer, Won Joon Jang

Theses and Dissertations

In today's world of declining defense budgets, there is an increasing need for South Korea to ensure they obtain the best dollar value when procuring defense articles. With the increasing financial situation, the purpose of this thesis is to research a surrogate third party firm and determine to what degree South Korea and other foreign military sales customers obtain the best value for their money for follow-on support item procurements. South Korea has participated in the Parts and Repair Ordering System program since its inception. However, South Korea has received little, if any, feedback regarding lead time and cost performance …

Applying Cross-Decking And Activity-Based Costing To Military Distribution Centers: A Proposed Framework, Jonathan P. Elliott, Dwight H. Hintz Jr.

Theses and Dissertations

Current events and fiscal constraints have focused DoD planners' attention on reducing logistics costs and improving efficiency while maintaining effective combat operations support. Military leaders are seeking private industry best practices that may help the DoD achieve these goals. Two commercially successful business practices that may help the DoD achieve its goals are cross-docking and Activity-Based Costing (ABC). Cross-docking is a commercially proven approach to material distribution through a distribution center that can help reduce inventories, speed material flows, and cut related logistics activity costs. However, the DoD is faced with the challenge of costing current and potential logistics processes …

Development Of The Base Support Plan Process Model For Evaluation Of Proposed Process Improvement Initiatives, Daniel T. Kalosky, Patrick G. Walker

Theses and Dissertations

The primary role of the United States Air Force (USAF) logistics planner is to plan for war. For the wing level logistics planner, an important war planning product they are responsible for is the base support plan (BSP). The BSP is the installation level plan to support unified and specified command wartime operations plans, as well as MAJCOM supporting plans. Two Armstrong Laboratory sponsored initiatives exist to automate and enhance some of the BSP processes: the Survey Tool for Employment Planning (STEP) and Beddown Capability and Assessment Tool (BCAT). This research explored the BSP process and improvement initiatives by (1) …

The Impact Of Downsizing On Logistics Performance And Employees In Shipper Firms, Ronald D. Anderson, Roger E. Jerman, Michael R. Crum

Journal of Transportation Management

Firms that downsize hope to achieve improvements in performance and to avoid adverse impacts on employees. This article compares the changes in logistics performance and logistics employee fulfillment for shippers that have downsized with those that have not. Two major conclusions of this research are: (1) Respondent firms that have downsized perceive that they have substantially improved their logistics performance, but no more so than respondent firms that have not downsized; and (2) Stress, morale, and loyalty have worsened for logistics employees in downsized respondent firms, both in an absolute sense and relative to respondent firms that have not downsized.

Fmcg Distribution In India, Y L R Moorthi

IIMB Management Review

The key to success in the Indian markets, especially in rural areas, lies in distribution. Sustained performance of multi-national corporations like Lever and ITC as well as that of Indian companies like Tata and Nirma lies in their distribution strength. The FMCG distribution practices of Coca Cola and Cadbury are outlined.