Understanding Performance Measurement and Control in Third Party Logistics

Each individual planning process starts with clear objectives. These objectives specify the goals for the planning process, which is assigning tasks to resources at a certain point in time. Planning systems, whether manual or computerized, should utilize those objectives in their planning. In order to gain insight in the specific planning objectives for the Logistical Service Providers (LSPs) domain, we study the Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) related to this field. Typically, KPIs are used in a postante context: to evaluate the past performance of a company. We reason that KPIs could be utilized differently as well: if one knows what counts afterwards, it would be logical to anticipate this in the planning phase. This paper thus focuses on the performance parameters and objectives that play a role in the logistical planning process. In order to gain insight in the factors that should play a role when designing a new software system for planning and control of LSP operations. In this paper we present an extensive literature survey we performed, and introduce a framework that is capable of capturing the dynamics of competing KPIs, while positioning them in the practical context of an LSP. We conclude with a first validation of the framework and a roadmap for our future work, with the design of a software agentbased planning system for (road-) logistics as an intended final result

Multi-Agent Systems for Transportation Planning and Coordination

Many transportation problems are in fact coordination problems: problems that require communication, coordination and negotiation to be optimally solved. However, most software systems targeted at transportation have never approached it this way, and have instead concentrated on centralised optimisation. Multi-agent systems (MAS) are a different approach to building software systems. Such systems are assembled from autonomously interacting agents; agents are small software programs, which have some type of intelligence and individual behaviour. Communication and coordination (between agents) are the essential elements in the construction of MAS. The transportation domain is often referred to as a potential candidate for the application of MAS. In this dissertation, we discuss two MAS design cases related to the transport of containers. Both cases resulted in concrete prototypes, which let us evaluate a series of aspects important in applying MAS in transportation. We demonstrate the importance of a multi-method validation and evaluation approach. The prototypes were furthermore utilised as artefacts to discuss eventual implementation with future users and experts. One of our most important observations is that planning, as a function within supply chains, is about to go through a fundamental change. Like the mobile phone changed the way people coordinate in daily life, the concepts discussed in this dissertation have the potential to fundamentally change coordination in supply chains. As part of this fundamental change, a different perspective on certainty and uncertainty is essential

Dealing with Post-Kogeko

Inter-organizational systems are only used to some extend within the domain of transportation and logistics. Distributed agent technologies show a large potential to build a new generation of inter-organizational systems that overcome the hurdles earlier technologies were not able to take [2, 4]. In this paper we present an ongoing research project in which we try to establish a WebServices based agent platform to be used by a logistics service provider (LSP) in an inter-organizational context – which will connect the LSP’s internal processes, with processes that span organizational boundaries and therefore is likely to result in interesting process improvements; cost savings and improved competitive advantage are expected outcomes. This paper describes the process we followed, and gives a glimp of our preliminary findings. We conclude the paper with a short discussion and our research agenda

Supply Chain Systems Maturing Towards the Internet-of-Things: A Framework

The Internet-of-Things (IoT) concept has been gradually developing, but it is unclear how extensive this concept is adopted within the supply chain domain. We derive an architectural framework to investigate four layers of ICT deployment. This framework enables practitioners and scientist to specify a status quo on different architectural levels and to identify possibilities for further improvement. Four extensive cases are investigated with this framework. One of the important conclusions is that “IoT” like technology and applications are pioneered in research programs, but operational logistic systems in diverse organizations primarily rely on less advanced technology, organizational structures- and work forms. This work can help in identifying gaps where IoT can strengthen future applications

Multi Agent Systems in Logistics: A Literature and State-of-the-art Review

Based on a literature survey, we aim to answer our main question: “How should we plan and execute logistics in supply chains that aim to meet today’s requirements, and how can we support such planning and execution using IT?” Today’s requirements in supply chains include inter-organizational collaboration and more responsive and tailored supply to meet specific demand. Enterprise systems fall short in meeting these requirements The focus of planning and execution systems should move towards an inter-enterprise and event-driven mode. Inter-organizational systems may support planning going from supporting information exchange and henceforth enable synchronized planning within the organizations towards the capability to do network planning based on available information throughout the network. We provide a framework for planning systems, constituting a rich landscape of possible configurations, where the centralized and fully decentralized approaches are two extremes. We define and discuss agent based systems and in particular multi agent systems (MAS). We emphasize the issue of the role of MAS coordination architectures, and then explain that transportation is, next to production, an important domain in which MAS can and actually are applied. However, implementation is not widespread and some implementation issues are explored. In this manner, we conclude that planning problems in transportation have characteristics that comply with the specific capabilities of agent systems. In particular, these systems are capable to deal with inter-organizational and event-driven planning settings, hence meeting today’s requirements in supply chain planning and execution

Trust in a multi-tenant, logistics, data sharing infrastructure:Opportunities for blockchain technology

In support of the trend towards ever more complex supply chain collaboration for the physical Internet, a trusted, multi-tenant (and interoperable) data sharing infrastructure has to be enabled. Trust is a condition sine qua non organizations may not be prepared to share potentially competitive sensitive information. As such, trust has to be an essential design aspect for any multi-tenant data sharing infrastructure for the data sharing stakeholders To overcome the challenges for trusted data sharing, various reference architectures for a trusted, multi-tenant, data sharing infrastructure are being developed. As such, the Industrial Data Space (IDS) initiative is currently gaining attention. It’s based on the architectural principles of keeping the data owner in control over his data and keeping data, data processing and data distribution at the source. Its reference architecture is strongly grounded on a role / stakeholder model for the intermediary trusted roles to enable peer-to-peer data sharing over a controlled and trusted connector infrastructure. The intermediary trusted roles may contain and process meta-data on the data sources, the data transactions and/or on the identities of the parties involved in the data sharing. This paper focuses on the role of blockchain technology for improving trust levels for such intermediary trusted roles

Nestin-positive mesenchymal stem cells favour the astroglial lineage in neural progenitors and stem cells by releasing active BMP4

BACKGROUND: Spontaneous repair is limited after CNS injury or degeneration because neurogenesis and axonal regrowth rarely occur in the adult brain. As a result, cell transplantation has raised much interest as potential treatment for patients with CNS lesions. Several types of cells have been considered as candidates for such cell transplantation and replacement therapies. Foetal brain tissue has already been shown to have significant effects in patients with Parkinson's disease. Clinical use of the foetal brain tissue is, however, limited by ethical and technical problems as it requires high numbers of grafted foetal cells and immunosuppression. Alternatively, several reports suggested that mesenchymal stem cells, isolated from adult bone marrow, are multipotent cells and could be used in autograft approach for replacement therapies. RESULTS: In this study, we addressed the question of the possible influence of mesenchymal stem cells on neural stem cell fate. We have previously reported that adult rat mesenchymal stem cells are able to express nestin in defined culture conditions (in the absence of serum and after 25 cell population doublings) and we report here that nestin-positive (but not nestin-negative) mesenchymal stem cells are able to favour the astroglial lineage in neural progenitors and stem cells cultivated from embryonic striatum. The increase of the number of GFAP-positive cells is associated with a significant decrease of the number of Tuj1- and O4-positive cells. Using quantitative RT-PCR, we demonstrate that mesenchymal stem cells express LIF, CNTF, BMP2 and BMP4 mRNAs, four cytokines known to play a role in astroglial fate decision. In this model, BMP4 is responsible for the astroglial stimulation and oligodendroglial inhibition, as 1) this cytokine is present in a biologically-active form only in nestin-positive mesenchymal stem cells conditioned medium and 2) anti-BMP4 antibodies inhibit the nestin-positive mesenchymal stem cells conditioned medium inducing effect on astrogliogenesis. CONCLUSIONS: When thinking carefully about mesenchymal stem cells as candidates for cellular therapy in neurological diseases, their effects on resident neural cell fate have to be considered