On-demand warehousing: Main features and business models

none4Tornese F.; Unnu K.; Gnoni M.G.; Pazour J.A.Tornese, F.; Unnu, K.; Gnoni, M. G.; Pazour, J. A

Designing a supply network for a startup company

Thesis (M. Eng. in Logistics)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Engineering Systems Division, 2010.Cataloged from student submitted PDF version of thesis.Includes bibliographical references (p. 86-88).Our thesis introduces a supply chain framework catered for startup companies. Startup companies face unique circumstances such as constraints on financial and human resources, and greater uncertainty in demand. From our work with XL Hybrids, a startup company that hybridizes aftermarket vehicles, as well as interviews and literature review, we have attempted to distill supply chain strategies that can be applied to startup companies. To plan XL Hybrids' supply chain, we developed models for the following aspects of their supply chain: production scheduling, capacity planning, inventory policy, and component distribution. By running different demand and pricing scenarios, we gained an understanding of the impact of these variables on the four aspects of XL Hybrid's supply chain. Based on the scenario analysis and supply chain framework that we developed, we recommend that XL Hybrids be conservative with capacity expansion while strategically sourcing key components after considering volume discounts and different distribution methods.by Marcus S. Causton and Jianmin Wu.M.Eng.in Logistic

Logistics real estate markets: indicators of structural change, linking land use and freight transport

The system of physical distribution that comprises transport and logistics, warehousing and wholesale, is an ideal indicator of structural change. Distribution and logistics have developed dynamically, with respect to new technologies, corporate restructuring, and a changing market environment. Whereas traditional logistics were characterized primarily by the demand of manufacturing customers for the shipment of bulk-commodities, modern production and service systems require frequent deliveries over great distances, with high inventory turnovers instead of storage. As a consequence, the locational profiles of distribution firms have changed as well, both at a large-scale level and within metropolitan regions. Based on recent findings of the European Warehousing Index, the paper points out how the European system of goods movement has changed in terms of regional distribution markets and warehousing location. Secondly, the consequences of locational dynamics within metropolitan regions are considered. The dominance of the truck and the suburbanisation of large distribution centres raise serious concern about logistics management, traffic reduction and locational policy. Referring to selected places such as the Ruhr Area, Hamburg or Berlin-Brandenburg, the paper demonstrates how critical the relationship between cities and goods distribution is becoming, with regard both to the regional economy and the urban environment. Is there a chance for regional, spatially oriented management of supply chains? In the case of the Ruhr Area, it is also questioned whether a certain 'knowledge milieu' (logistics research, applied sciences) may contribute to this goal. The particular benefits of investigating logistics real estate markets are fourfold: - They allow for a precise insight into regionally differentiated developments. - They connect the system of 'flows' with material 'space'. - They demonstrate that structural change is by no means neutral for the environment, regarding specific transport and land use implications of distribution. - They represent the emergence of new players in land use planning and policy (i.e. developers), thus shaping the system of political regulation.

CANON: A Circular Economy Business Model Case

This report presents the case study of Canon’s EMEA business for Document Solutions (DS), with a focus on the business model for remanufacturing and refurbishment. It was chosen as it provided an example of a mature remanufacturing model, as well as potential for further circularity and business benefit through expansion of refurbishment activities. Canon EMEA has also been growing services such as Managed Print Service (MPS) – a service-based model for providing printer copiers – which, while not a focus of the case study, provides opportunities for both remanufacturing and refurbishment. Canon operates in a market which is currently in decline, with vendors competing intensely for market share. This is creating a stark contrast between a business model driven by new product sales, and one that emphasises the cultivation and reutilisation of existing deployed assets. In this context, it is important to emphasise that this case study focuses on the circular business models and potential for Canon EMEA, whose business is principally a combination of sales/marketing and service delivery. This is in contrast to Canon Inc. (Japan) who manufactures and supplies equipment for Canon EMEA to sell and integrate into its service offerings. This case study explores the opportunities, as well as enablers and barriers, to Canon expanding the role of remanufacturing and refurbishment within its circular business models. We believe this will have important positive implications for Canon given the broader strategic challenges it face

The on-demand warehousing problem

Warehouses are key elements of supply chain networks, and great attention is paid to increase their efficiency. Highly volatile space requirements are enablers of innovative resource sharing concepts, where warehouse capacities are traded on online platforms. In this context, our paper introduces the on-demand warehousing problem from the perspective of platform providers. The objective prioritises demand–supply matching with maximisation of the number of transactions. If there is a tie, the secondary objective maximises the number of suppliers matched with at least one customer and the number of customers that have matches within a specific threshold with respect to the minimum achievable cost. Besides the mathematical integer programming formulation, a myopic list-based heuristic and an efficient matheuristic approach are presented and benchmarked against the performance of a commercial optimisation solver. The impact of several parameters on the platform's objective is analysed. A particularly relevant finding is that the pricing flexibility on the demand side does not necessarily imply higher payments to the supply side. All data instances are made available publicly to encourage more researchers to work on this timely and challenging topic

해운물류에서의 접이식 컨테이너 효과 분석

학위논문(박사) -- 서울대학교대학원 : 공과대학 산업공학과, 2022.2. 문일경.컨테이너 화 이후로 해상 물류는 폭발적으로 증가하였고 세계화와 산업 발전을 선도하였다. 하지만 무역량의 증가와 비례하여 수출입 불균형으로 인한 컨테이너의 불균형 문제도 심화되었다. 이러한 문제를 해결하기 위해 다양한 연구자들의 노력이 있었고, 그 중 접이식 컨테이너라는 새로운 개념의 컨테이너가 개발되었다. 하지만 아직 접이식 컨테이너는 상용화 초기 단계이며, 이를 활용한 여러 효과에 대한 연구는 부족한 실정이다. 본 논문에서는 접이식 컨테이너가 도입되었을 때 미칠 수 있는 영향과 그 효과에 대해 다루었다. 먼저 접이식 컨테이너가 크레인 활동에 미치는 영향을 분석하고, 전역적 관점으로 크레인 활동을 줄일 수 있는 방법에 대해 분석하였다. 두 번째로 육상에서의 접이식 컨테이너 적용이 해상과는 다르다는 점에 주목하여 그 효과를 분석하였다. 마지막으로 2008 금융위기와 COVID-19 이후에 증가하고 있는 해운물류의 각종 변동하는 상황 하에서의 접이식 컨테이너 효과에 대해 새로운 통찰을 제공하였다. 1장에서는 간단하게 컨테이너화와 접이식 컨테이너에 대해 설명하고 문제를 주목하게 된 이유와 그 성과를 서술하였다. 2장에서는 접이식 컨테이너가 도입됨에 따라 생길 수 있는 ‘상단 적재 규칙’이 적용되었을 때의 크레인 활동의 변화를 살펴보고 전역적 최적화가 지역적 최적화보다 효과적임을 보였다. 더불어 전역적 최적화를 도입하였을 때 직면할 수 있는 비용 분배 문제에 대해서도 조망하여 그 해결책을 제시하였다. 3장에서는 육상에서 접이식 컨테이너가 수송공간을 줄여주는 장점 외에 경로를 바꾸는 효과가 존재함을 보이고, 다양한 시나리오와 정책에 따라 그 효과가 어떻게 변화하는지에 대해 분석하였다. 4장에서는 증가하는 다양한 변동상황 각각에 대해 접이식 컨테이너의 효과에 대해 분석하였다. 이를 토대로 각 상황에 맞는 최적 접이식 컨테이너 개수를 도출하고 임대 정책을 통해 대응할 수 있다는 통찰을 도출하였다. 5장에서는 본 논문의 결론과 향후 연구 방안에 대해 서술하였다. 본 논문에서 제안하는 문제와 그 해결 방법은 학술적 및 산업적으로 의미가 있다. 학계에는 실제 존재하는 현장의 문제들을 제시하고 문제를 효과적으로 해결할 수 있는 방법들을 제안한다. 산업계에는 신기술인 접이식 컨테이너의 도입에 따라 발생할 수 있는 문제에 대해 정량화 및 모형화를 통한 해결방법을 제시한다. 본 논문을 통해 산업의 발전과 학문의 발전이 함께 이루어질 수 있을 것으로 기대한다.After containerization, maritime logistics experienced the substantial growth of trade volumes and led to globalization and industrial development. However, in proportion to the increase in the volume, the degree of container imbalance also intensified due to the disparity between importing and exporting sizes at ports in different continents. A group of researchers is digging into resolving this ongoing challenge, and a new concept of a container, called a foldable container, has been proposed. Nevertheless, foldable containers are still in the early stage of commercialization, and research on the various effects of using foldable containers seems insufficient yet. This dissertation considers the possible effects of the introduction of foldable containers. First, we analyze the effect of foldable containers on crane operation and reduce shifts from a global perspective. Second, the effect of using foldable containers in hinterland areas was analyzed by noting that the application of foldable containers on land was different from that of the sea. Finally, we provided new insights into the foldable container under plausible dynamic situations in the shipping industry during the COVID-19 and logistics that have increased since the 2008 financial crisis. A brief explanation of containerization and foldable containers is introduced in Chapter 1, along with the dissertation's motivations, contributions, and outlines. Chapter 2 examines changes in crane operation when the 'top stowing rule' that can be treated with foldable containers is applied and shows that global optimization is more effective than local optimization. In addition, we suggested the cost-sharing method to deal with fairness issues for additional costs between ports when the global optimization method is fully introduced. Chapter 3 shows that foldable containers in the hinterland have the effect of changing routes in addition to reducing transportation space and analyzes how the results change according to various scenarios and policies. Chapter 4 analyzes the effectiveness of foldable containers for different dynamic situations. Moreover, the managerial insight was derived that the optimal number of foldable containers suitable for each situation can be obtained and responded to leasing policies. Chapter 5 describes the conclusions of this dissertation and discusses future research. The problem definition and solution methods proposed in this dissertation can be seen as meaningful in both academic and industrial aspects. For academia, we presented real-world problems in the field and suggested ways to solve problems effectively. For industry, we offered solutions through quantification and modeling for real problems related to foldable containers. We expect that industrial development and academic achievement can be achieved together through this dissertation.Chapter 1 Introduction 1 1.1 Containerization and foldable container 1 1.2 Research motivations and contributions 3 1.3 Outline of the dissertation 6 Chapter 2 Efficient stowage plan with loading and unloading operations for shipping liners using foldable containers and shift cost-sharing 7 2.1 Introduction 7 2.2 Literature review 10 2.3 Problem definition 15 2.4 Mathematical model 19 2.4.1 Mixed-integer programming model 19 2.4.2 Cost-sharing 24 2.5 Computational experiment and analysis 26 2.6 Conclusions 34 Chapter 3 Effects of using foldable containers in hinterland areas 36 3.1 Introduction 36 3.2 Single depot repositioning problem 39 3.2.1 Problem description 40 3.2.2 Mathematical formulation of the single depot repositioning problem 42 3.2.3 Effects of foldable containers 45 3.3 Multi-depot repositioning problem 51 3.4 Computational experiments 56 3.4.1 Experimental design for the SDRP 57 3.4.2 Experimental results for the SDRP 58 3.4.3 Major and minor effects with the single depot repositioning problem 60 3.5 Conclusions 65 Chapter 4 Effect of foldable containers in dynamic situation 66 4.1 Introduction 66 4.2 Problem description 70 4.3 Mathematical model 73 4.4 Computational experiments 77 4.4.1 Overview 77 4.4.2 Experiment results 79 4.5 Conclusions 88 Chapter 5 Conclusion and future research 90 Bibliography 94 국문초록 99박