Disruption Management of ASAE's Inspection Routes

The Rapid development and the emergence of technologies capable of producing real-time data opened new horizons to both planning and optimization of vehicle routes [4]. In this dissertation, the Autoridade de Segurança Alimentar e Económica (ASAE) operation's scenario will be explored and analyzed as a case study to the problem. ASAE is a Portuguese administrative authority specialized in food security and economic auditing and is responsible to regulate thousands of economic entities in the Portuguese territory. ASAE inspections are usually done by brigades using vehicles to inspect economic operators, taking into account their timetables. Previous work on this topic led to the implementation of an inspection route optimization module capable of defining and assigning routes to inspect economic operators, seeking to maximize a utility function. Using optimization algorithms, inspection routes are calculated for each brigade, with information regarding specific map paths and inspection schedules. The approach used does not take into consideration the dynamic properties of real-life scenarios, as the precalculated operation plan is not reviewed in real-time. This work aims to study the dynamic properties of ASAE's operational environment and proposes a solution to efficiently review the precalculated inspection routes and apply the required changes in an appropriate time frame. Vehicle routing problems (VRP) are optimization problems where the aim is to calculate the set of optimized routes for a vehicle fleet, from a starting point to several interesting locations. Dynamic vehicle routing problem (DVRP) is a variant of VRP that makes use of real-time information to calculate the most optimized set of routes at a certain moment [39]. DVRP is a challenging problem because its scope is real-time, meaning that decisions sometimes must be made in short time windows, preventing the use of complex algorithms that require long computational times [10]. The typical approach to this problem is to initially calculate the routes for the whole fleet and dynamically revise the defined operations plan in real-time, once a disruption occurs. This work will model the problem as a DVRP and will compare the performance of heuristics and other modern optimization techniques, proposing a solution that will reduce the impact of disruptions on inspection routes. An optimized operations plan will reduce the time required for inspections, allowing massive economic savings, while reducing a company's ecological footstep. The work can eventually be scaled and used in other institutions, such as GNR or PSP in Portugal, that operate similarly

Environmental and Public Health Issues of Animal Food Products Delivery System in Imo State, Nigeria

Information on livestock movement, animal food products processing facilities, meat inspection methods, official meat inspection records and distribution and marketing systems for processed products in Imo state, Nigeria needed for policy development interventions in the sector are not fully understood. The primary data generated with the aid of personal interviews, field observations and secondary data obtained from records accumulated by the department of veterinary services Imo state from 2001 to 2004 were used to investigate the environmental and public health issues of animal food products delivery system in state. Majority of trade animals supplied to the state originated from the northern states of the country and were brought in with trucks by road. Only two veterinary control posts served the whole state thus resulting in non-inspection and taxing of a large proportion of trade animals. Official record of trade animals supplied to the state from 2001 to 2004 ranged from 45000 – 144000 for cattle, 23000 – 96000 for goats and 11000 – 72000 for sheep per annum, with supplies increasing steadily across the years. Official slaughter points in the state were principally low-grade quality slaughter premises consisting of a thin concrete slab. Meat handling was very unhygienic with carcasses dressed beside refuse heaps of over 2 years standing. Carcasses were dragged on the ground and transported in taxi boots and open trucks. Meat inspection at these points was not thorough because of stiff resistance of butchers to carcass condemnation. Official meat inspection records for the state from 2001 to 2004 revealed that overall totals of 159,000 cattle, 101,000 goats and 67,000 sheep were slaughtered. This accounted for about 56, 57 and 57% shortfall of cattle, goat and sheep respectively supplied to the state and represents the volume of un-inspected animals during the study period. Fascioliasis and tuberculosis were the most common infections encountered in cattle and recorded percentage occurrences of 16.7 and 7.5 respectively, whereas mastitis was common in goats and sheep at percentage occurrences of 5.8 and 5.0 respectively. Overall prevalence rates of 4.4, 8.0, 3.2, 3.3 and 1.5% were recorded for tuberculosis, fascioliasis, streptotricosis, mastitis and worms respectively. Animal food products delivery in Imo state needs to be improved upon in order to safeguarded the health of consumer

Performance Measures to Assess Resiliency and Efficiency of Transit Systems

Transit agencies are interested in assessing the short-, mid-, and long-term performance of infrastructure with the objective of enhancing resiliency and efficiency. This report addresses three distinct aspects of New Jersey’s Transit System: 1) resiliency of bridge infrastructure, 2) resiliency of public transit systems, and 3) efficiency of transit systems with an emphasis on paratransit service. This project proposed a conceptual framework to assess the performance and resiliency for bridge structures in a transit network before and after disasters utilizing structural health monitoring (SHM), finite element (FE) modeling and remote sensing using Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar (InSAR). The public transit systems in NY/NJ were analyzed based on their vulnerability, resiliency, and efficiency in recovery following a major natural disaster

Preliminary assessment of industrial needs for an advanced ocean technology

A quick-look review of selected ocean industries is presented for the purpose of providing NASA OSTA with an assessment of technology needs and market potential. The size and growth potential, needs and problem areas, technology presently used and its suppliers, are given for industries involved in deep ocean mining, petrochemicals ocean energy conversion. Supporting services such as ocean bottom surveying; underwater transportation, data collection, and work systems; and inspection and diving services are included. Examples of key problem areas that are amenable to advanced technology solutions are included. Major companies are listed

Logistical Implications of Animal Welfare Concepts in Beef Exports

The commercial success of the food industry is largely dependent on the viability of various aspects in the logistical chain. In regard to RVG (Rational Voisin Grazing), bovine production is very efficient and economical because it is based on grasses which mitigates greenhouse effects. Bovine production also aims to achieve a final organic product which makes it possible to obtain differential market prices; additionally, it recognizes and addresses issues regarding Animal Welfare (AW). The treatment of animals under this grazing system must be continued in all aspects of the logistic chain to avoid production losses in regard to both quality and quantity. It is estimated that the losses caused by ineffective application of AW in the logistics chain and wasteful efforts in RVG, are enough to feed half a million people. The players in the beef chain must guarantee transparency and traceability of information in the entire chain so as to assess new market demands and requirements. Customers demand quality and inoculated products and require maximum guarantees so as not to jeopardize their health. Recent SENASA's [1] regulations points to the restructuring of the entire value chain, orienting it towards the new reality of external markets and making it stricter in regards to health, quality, and food safety

Proactive food waste prevention in grocery retail supply chains – an exploratory study

Purpose Regarding the retail internal supply chain (SC), both retailers and research are currently focused on reactive food waste reduction options in stores (e.g. discounting or donations). These options reduce waste after a surplus has emerged but do not prevent an emerging surplus in the first place. This paper aims to reveal how retailers can proactively prevent waste along the SC and why the options identified are impactful but, at the same time, often complex to implement. Design/methodology/approach The authors follow an exploratory approach for a nascent topic to obtain insights into measures taken in practice. Interviews with experts from retail build the main data source. Findings The authors identify and analyze 21 inbound, warehousing, distribution and store-related options applied in grocery retail. Despite the expected high overall impact on waste, prevention measures in inbound logistics and distribution and warehousing have not been intensively applied to date. Practical implications The authors provide a structured approach to mitigate waste within retailers' operations and categorize the types of barriers that need to be addressed. Originality/value This research provides a better understanding of prevention options in retail operations, which has not yet been empirically explored. Furthermore, this study conceptualizes prevention and reduction options and reveals implementation patterns