Operations and Supply Chain Management Commons^™

Britain’S Tea Shortage Scare A Sign Of Trouble Brewing, Nikolaos Valantasis Kanellos, Sarah Schiffling

Articles

The Red Sea supply chain crisis has exposed glaring weaknesses in global transport that pose big questions about how our economy will work moving forward.

The Electric Vehicle Supply Chain Ecosystem: Changing Roles Of Automotive Suppliers, Sandeep Jagani, Erika Marsillac, Paul Hong

Information Technology & Decision Sciences Faculty Publications

The automotive industry is evolving due to the increasing adoption of Electric Vehicles (EVs). This transition has impacted automotive vehicles and led to profound changes in the supply chain ecosystem. Through a comprehensive review of the available literature and industry reports, this research investigates the automotive industry’s transition towards EVs and subsequent supply chain transformation, focusing on the changing roles of automotive suppliers. In this paper, we assess these transformations from economic, environmental, and strategic viewpoints. We examine the impact of these changes on supplier relationships, supplier OEM collaboration, and new entrants’ potential for disruption, as well as propose strategies …

Humanitarian Awards Impact On For-Profit Companies: A Case Analysis Of The American Logistics Aid Network's Awards, Chloe Hansberger

Supply Chain Management Undergraduate Honors Theses

Beginning in 2017, American Logistics Aid Network has given out annual awards to for-profit companies recognizing their achievements in humanitarian aid. The Outstanding Contribution to Disaster Relief Award is recognition-based only and does not have any prize money associated with it. The degree of the awards’ effectiveness has been a subject much debated in scholarship. This research attempts to answer how the American Logistics Aid Network’s Outstanding Contribution to Disaster Relief Award affects the recipients financially. In particular, the research was designed to look at how the American Logistics Aid Network’s Outstanding Contribution to Disaster Relief Award affected the profit, …

A Guide To Controlling Supply Chain Last Mile And Reverse Last-Mile Logistics: A Study Of U.S. And China Small Business Enterprises, Emmanuel Finnih

Association of Marketing Theory and Practice Proceedings 2023

In the United States, the last-mile logistics infrastructure is less developed, with fewer delivery services and less efficient delivery methods. China has adopted more advanced technologies such as drones and robots for last-mile delivery, while the United States has lagged behind in this area (Zhang and Zhang, 2020). Finally, in terms of delivery methods, China has adopted more efficient methods such as same-day delivery and express delivery, while the United States has been relatively slow to adopt these methods, with many retailers still relying on traditional delivery methods like ground shipping. However, the COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated the adoption of …

Fedex Ground Strategic Audit, Samantha Gates

Honors Theses

FedEx Ground is an operating segment of the parcel carrier giant FedEx Inc. The company, known for shipping products via delivery truck, has remained one of the largest parcel carriers in the country, despite drastic changes in its environment. This report seeks to understand the changing operating environment of FedEx Ground, its competitive advantages, and the future challenges it may face. The analysis uses PESTEL and Porter's Five Forces analyses to evaluate the changing external environment and industry FedEx Ground operates in. Additionally, challenges and recommendations are offered to navigate the future of this company.

An Evaluation Of Ireland’S Sustainable Freight Transport Policy, Xu Zhang, Eoin Plant, Nikolaos Valantasis Kanellos

Articles

Background: The Irish government has put forth sustainable transport policy measures, yet the emphasis is mainly on the active travel and sustainable mobility for passenger transport. Contrariwise, freight transport has not received equal consideration in policy measures, regulatory frameworks, and support schemes towards the low-carbon transition. This study seeks to address this imbalance. Methods: The paper proposes an adaptation of the ASI framework for freight transport and assesses the applicability of a number of international sustainable transport measures based on their potential sustainability impact if adopted in Ireland. The research applied a Policy Delphi Method to a heterogeneous …

Determinants For The Uptake Of Alternatively Fuelled Hgvs: Towards A Maturity Framework, Nikolaos Valantasis Kanellos, Xu Zhang

Conference Papers

Purpose of this paper: Alternatively fuelled vehicles (AFVs) have received increasing attention from policy makers and industry practitioners because they are perceived as a silver bullet for decarbonising freight transport (Mohammed et al., 2020; ITF 2021). However, the uptake rate of AFVs by heavy goods vehicle (HGV) freight operators in Europe remains low. With 97.8% of all trucks in the EU running on diesel, only 0.04% of trucks are zero-emission vehicles (ACEA, 2021). Price, technology maturity, infrastructure, and government policy support are factors examined by freight transport operators who consider the switch to AFVs as a low-carbon option (Mohammed et …

Optimization Of Lean And Agile Supply Chain Management Practices In The Aviation Industry, Constantine M. Koursaris, Valerie P. Denney

International Journal of Aviation, Aeronautics, and Aerospace

Organizations that provide products and/or services must be able to execute fast, adaptive supply and (fluctuating) demand practices. From producers to consumers, and every stakeholder involved throughout the supply chain network processes, a collaborative relationship promotes sharing information that is beneficial to all. This long-term relationship then flourishes and in return stimulates the growth, health, and stability of the supply chain. Understanding the organizational processes and requirements is a complex endeavor. However, with technological advances and with the right type of data collected, it is possible to optimize entire supply chain networks.

This research study, seeks to provide an insight …

Containing Compounding Container Congestion, Curtis Salinger

CMC Senior Theses

The Covid-19 pandemic caused major disruptions throughout the container shipping supply chain. Professor Dongping Song of Liverpool University wrote a paper discussing the logistical vulnerabilities in the supply chain, including the issue of congestion in ports. This paper examines the Port of Los Angeles from 2018-2021 as it relates to Song’s paper to see how its operations were impacted during the Covid-19 timeframe. It is found that labor shortages, chassis shortages, and change in trade behavior each contributed to the congestion. Unfortunately, the implemented policies were insufficient to bolster the port against sustained challenges and congestion continues to worsen.

Dark Side Of Black Friday: The Major Drawbacks With This Shopping Bonanza, Sarah Schiffling, Nikolaos Valantasis Kanellos

Articles

Black Friday is upon us again. It’s one of the biggest shopping events of the year, although there are mixed signals about how successful it is likely to be in 2021. One recent study found that only a third of consumers plan to take part. The financial strain of COVID-19 is still evident, and inflation running at its highest level in a decade.

All the same, consumer confidence has been rising. According to GlobalData, shoppers are set to spend nearly £9.2 billion in the four days from Black Friday to Cyber Monday. This would still be a big increase …

Humanitarian Supply Chain & Logistics Aid Management At Global Relief Services, Christine Schrage, Daniel Bumblauskas, Bennett Becicka

Journal of Business & Entrepreneurship

Global Relief Services is working with a world-renowned international consulting firm on a site location strategy. The consulting firm, ABC Inc., had previously supported the United Nations (UN) on multiple crisis situations over the past ten years and has experience assisting with site location decisions in the past. The GRS team, assisted by the logistics team of ABC Inc., will determine an optimal site(s) for warehousing supplies in areas distant from vendor donors. Students’ recommendations should include the optimal site location and resource allocation strategy and planning.

Tdabc Capabilities For Performance Measurement: A Case Study In A Manufacturing Context, Siham Rahoui, Abubakar Ali, John Crowe, Amr Mahfouz

Conference papers

Supply chain costing presents a sophisticated alternative to traditional costing allowing an accurate cost estimation and effective decision making. In exploring different techniques, TDABC was not explored extensively compared to its peers. In addition to the infancy of the technique, there is an on-going debate about the capability of the TDABC specifically in manufacturing context. The present study contributes to the debate by applying TDABC at the logistics function of a manufacturing site and assesses it capability to measure performance in the stated context.

Greening E-Commerce In China, Singapore Management University

Perspectives@SMU

Cainiao, Alibaba’s logistics arm, is leading the charge to address e-commerce’s waste and carbon footprint issue

Building A Courier Service Company With It, Singapore Management University

Perspectives@SMU

XDel Singapore spent on sophisticated technology even while it was small. Its growth post-investment looks like money well-spent

An Empirical Analysis Of Factors Affecting Autonomous Truck Adoption, Christopher Mondy

Dissertations

Autonomous vehicles have the potential to revolutionize the transportation industry. The segment of truck transportation is no exception. Autonomous vehicles have the potential to improve trucking safety, to increase shipping velocity, and to decrease costs. Additionally, autonomous trucks could be an important tool to help alleviate the ongoing driver shortage that the trucking industry is contending with.

Autonomous truck adoption is not guaranteed. Transportation equipment decisions are market-based, and autonomous trucks must present a compelling business case to transportation professionals. As such, it is imperative to understand the decision-making factors that drive transportation solution adoption, and how autonomous trucks could …

The Five Essential Building Blocks To Becoming A Top Twenty-Five Supply Chain Program, Phillip Necessary

Supply Chain Management Undergraduate Honors Theses

The overall intention of this research is to develop aspiring programs to reevaluate their institutions and begin growing their program with lessons from other leading institutions—the more comprehensive, educated, and driven students in the Supply Chain industry, the better.

The Supply Chain Management sector has grown substantially in the last fifteen to twenty years; the current placement rate of undergraduates is eighty-five to one hundred percent after graduation (Damast, 2015). This phenomenon correlates with international and domestic interest in information technology, economic dynamics, flexibility, and product availability, all of which have grown industry demand (Rob O'Byrne, 2020). In the last …

Effects Of A Pandemic On Supply Chain Networks, Richard Mankavech

Senior Honors Projects

The outbreak of COVID-19 has had a colossal impact on the lives of people across the globe. Just like the lives of the people who have had to live through this pandemic, supply chains around the world have been disrupted and permanently changed as well. 94% of Fortune 1000 companies have experienced supply chain disruptions as a result of COVID-19. The effects of the pandemic on global supply chains has not gone unnoticed, as many people had to make adjustments in their shopping to account for items that are always expected to be available suddenly not being able to be …

Liu, Lee, Jiao, And Wang, Contemporary Logistics In China: An Introduction (2011), Qing Lu

Markets, Globalization & Development Review

No abstract provided.

Aligning Performance Management Systems For Lasting Outcomes In Humanitarian Operations, Kalyn M. Howard

Theses and Dissertations

Logistics is dynamic, expansive, and critical to organizational success. While it is generally believed that effective logistics management is associated with positive performance outcomes, the links between organizational practice and performance are understudied. This dissertation leverages resource-based theory and organizational learning theory to examine organizational practice and performance in non-traditional logistics settings, with particular focus on military organizations and humanitarian operational settings. First, a meta-analytical study establishes generalizable associations between various operations management practices and performance outcomes. Then, this is applied to dynamic humanitarian logistics settings, exploring how practitioners perceive practice and performance, and how this is reported and documented …

Leadership After A Tornado Strike: Supply Chain Management Triage, Gregory Benson, Susan Jensen

Mountain Plains Journal of Business and Technology

An F2 tornado had tracked less than 100 feet from the Caldwin manufacturing plant, the largest producer of an essential engine value train component in the United States. Bob, Materials Manager at the plant and a member of the senior management team, was at home when the evening storm hit. Bob immediately headed to the plant when he received word of the emergency situation. On his way to the factory a rush of questions nearly overwhelmed him. How bad was the situation? How prepared was his team of employees to handle the situation? What should customers and suppliers be told …

Investigating The Influence Of A Web Based Logistics Tool On The Effectiveness Of Operations For The Center Of Innovation For Logistics Of Georgia, David Vaughn

Honors College Theses

Research suggests a correlation between advancements in logistics infrastructure and the development rate of regional economies. Some states have identified this correlation and have taken steps to create specialized entities aimed at catalyzing the growth of logistics within their state. In the state of Georgia, the Center of Innovation for Logistics is the entity responsible for coordinating logistic development activities. As part of their responsibilities, they are tasked with fulfilling information requests regarding logistics infrastructure availability throughout the state. However, the system is used to process these requests is antiquated and extremely inefficient. In an attempt to ameliorate this process, …

How To Optimize Storage Classes In A Unit-Load Warehouse, Marcus Ang, Yun Fong Lim

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

We study a problem of optimizing storage classes in a unit-load warehouse such that the total travel cost is minimized. This is crucial to the operational efficiency of unit-load warehouses, which constitute a crit- ical part of a supply chain. We propose a novel approach called the FB method to solve the problem. The FB method is suitable for general receiving-dock and shipping-dock locations that may not coincide. The FB method first ranks the locations according to the frequencies that they are visited, which are estimated by a linear program based on the warehouse’s layout as well as the products’ …

Assessing The Impacts Of Crowdsourcing In Logistics And Supply Chain Operations, Ha Hai Ta

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Crowdsourcing models, whereby firms start to delegate supply chain operations activities to a mass of actors in the marketplace, have grown drastically in recent years. 85% of the top global brands have reported to use crowdsourcing in the last ten year with top names such as Procter & Gamble, Unilever, and Nestle. These emergent business models, however, have remained unexplored in extant SCM literature. Drawing on various theoretical underpinnings, this dissertation aims to investigate and develop a holistic understanding of the importance and impacts of crowdsourcing in SCM from multiple perspectives. Three individual studies implementing a range of methodological approaches …

Drone Implementation: Regulatory Barrier, Mitchell Mayes

Honors College Theses

This paper discusses the relationship of the regulatory barriers and the level of innovation with regards to drones in the logistics industry. This relationship is shown in a cohesive and understandable two-by-two matrix that combines both industry and academic articles using a context analysis. This entire matrix not only shows where we are currently with drone technology but also where we are headed within logistics. This matrix can also be used to show how industries can move from different portions of the industry to one that works better for the business model they are pursuing. Also, the matrix can help …

Corporate Social Responsibility: Examining The Effects Of A Lean And Green Supply Chain On Bottom Line Costs And Market Valuation, Sharon Maskin

Senior Theses

This paper examines the link between a firm’s adoption of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) practices and the resulting monetary benefits. Specifically, it addresses four major areas of business operations that present great opportunities for supply chain cost reduction and a simultaneous decrease in environmental impact. These four areas include traditional/open-loop supply chains, product packaging waste, pollution at the manufacturing site, and logistics inefficiencies. The paper then identifies several business cases in which companies have addressed several environmental issues and driven down bottom-line costs in each of the four areas through innovation and increased resource productivity. Along with cost benefits, it …

The Small World Of Material Handling Research, Parag J. Siddique, Kevin Gue, Md Salahuddin Ayuby

15th IMHRC Proceedings (Savannah, Georgia. USA – 2018)

Using data from 88 journals over an 8 year period, we investigate the relationships among researchers in material handling. We apply social network analysis to measure many attributes of the network, including papers published each year, papers published per author, number of collaborators per author, strength of collaboration between authors, and how influential an author is in the network. We observe that collaboration patterns in material handling follow a scale-free structure in the presence of some hub-like researchers. According to social network theory, these hub researchers facilitate rapid dissemination of knowledge in the network. We conclude that the scientific community …

Trends In Manufacturing Inventory Efficiency: 1980-2013, Ahren Johnston

Atlantic Marketing Journal

This study was motivated by Cooke’s 2013 article questioning the inclusion on inventory carrying costs in CSCMP’s Annual State of Logistics Report since it is based on interest rates. This paper explores that question more fully and goes on to look at trends in inventory efficiency based on inventory turnover for U.S. manufacturing firms. Results of the study reveal that there has been a level trend between 1980 and 2013 after firm size is controlled for. Since these results are contradictory to those obtained by looking at inventory carrying costs as a percent of GDP, they suggest the need for …

Decision Support System For Container Port Selection Using Multiple-Objective Decision Analysis, Rivelino De Icaza

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Ports are essential for maritime transportation and global supply chains since they are nodes that connect the sea- and land-based modes of transportation. With containerization and supply chains stimulating global trade, ports are challenged to adjust to changes in the market to create value to their customers. Therefore, this dissertation research focuses on the container port selection decision analysis to provide information to help shipping lines select the best port for their shipping networks. Since the problem is complex, dynamic, and involves multiple and conflicting criteria, the research proposes to use the multi-objective decision analysis with Value-Focused Thinking approach. The …

Implementation Of A Supply Chain Management "Intern For A Day" Program, Erin K. Mcconnell

Honors Projects

This program was developed to send students to local corporations to attain a better understanding of a business professional environment and the Supply Chain Management departments at those companies. Students were sent to Therma Tru Doors, in Maumee, Ohio to be "interns for a day". They received the chance to shadow employees in all aspects of the Supply Chain field and learn about what their day to day job responsibilities entail. There are many benefits to this externship program for both the students and Therma Tru. Students gain valuable experience and knowledge while Therma Tru gains access to some of …

Managing Suppy Chain Risk Through Collaboration, Alyssa Rollins

Senior Honors Theses and Projects

In an increasingly uncertain, complex, and global supply chain environment, supply chains face a greater multitude of risks. Information sharing and collaboration between supply chain players can reduce risk within the supply chain. This project discusses emerging supply chain risk management (SCRM) strategies pertaining to the distribution of products and how purchasing and logistics departments can work to build a resilient and agile supply chain.