Business Process Analysis and Improvement for a Raw Milk Collection Centre in Thailand

AbstractThe Royal Thai government promoted a school milk project in 1992 due to the low milk consumption rate in the Thai population. It encourages primary school students to drink milk. Hence, domestic farmers, collectors and milk plants have served milk to schools and through other channels for decades. This research studied a pasteurised milk supply chain, which is a medium-sized collection centre in central Thailand. Our objectives were to explore the current supply chain of pasteurised milk in Thailand, analyse the business process of the collector and propose improvements for efficiency. Next, we implemented Integration Definition for Function Modelling to present the business process of the collector; the activities are planning, sourcing, making, delivering and returning. After analysis, we identified ways and proposed how to improve efficiency in the planning, sourcing, production and delivery processes. In summary, our guidelines for the raw milk collector could be applied to other milk collectors to improve upstream supply chain efficiency

Combining Qualitative and Time Series Forecasting to Increase the Forecasting Accuracy for Instant Noodle Sales in Thailand

Demand forecasting is very important for the planning process. The forecast accuracy affects the efficiency of the procurement, production and delivery processes. Our research has the objective of increasing the sales forecasting accuracy of instant noodles for a case study company in Thailand. Many factors affect the sales of instant noodles, such as promotion, other commodities’ prices, national disaster and production capacity. Thus, we collected historical monthly sales data, analysed the data and their pattern and considered whether the data were irregular due to those factors. After obtaining the forecast data, data intervention by adjustment of the irregular effects was performed in accordance with our experience and judgement. Next, we used the predictor function in the Crystal Ball software to determine the best time series forecasting method for actual and adjusted sales data. Then, we verified the result with the actual sales data for one year. The result showed that the adjustment could increase the sales forecast accuracy by 46.14%, 22.53% and 56.42% for products A, B and C, respectively. In summary, the mean average percentage sales forecast error after adjustment was 6.48%–11.62%, which is better than the current method of forecasting based on experts.  Keywords: Instant Noodle; Intervention; Qualitative Forecasting; Sales Adjustment; Time Ser ies Forecasting

The Improvement of a Thai Organic Rice Supply Chain: A Case Study of a Community Enterprise

The demand for organic product has been increasing for decades due to consumer consciousness for health and environment. In Thailand, the volume of organic rice production is increasing, especially for the community enterprises. Our objectives are to explore the supply chain of a community enterprise in Uthai Thani, to analyze the business process and identify the problems and to provide the recommendation for an efficiency improvement. Then, we conduct an in-depth interview to gain better understanding of farmer and the community enterprise. Next, the business process analysis is analyzed using Integration Definition for Function Modeling (IDEF0). For farmers and the community enterprise, the key performance indicators are productivity, cost and quality. Then, the proper controls and mechanisms are proposed. These could be the direction for further development to enhance organic rice supply chain management for Thai producers especially smallholders to penetrate the international and domestic markets.Keywords: Business Process Analysis; Community Enterprise; IDEF0; Organic Rice; Supply Chain Management

Geographical Indication Rice Supply Chain Risk Management for a Community Enterprise

Geographical indication (GI) rice is unique product from a specific region. Our objective is to study the risk management in the GI rice supply chain of a community enterprise called “Ban Khao Klang”, which produces Sang Yod Muang Phatthalung. From the literature review and in-depth interview of the president of the group, the risk identification, risk measurement, assessment and evaluation for farmers and the enterprise are performed. Then, the priority list of risk management is descending sorted according to the index of severity, probability and cost. The result indicates that the first priority risk for farmer is flood, being in debt, high input cost and inadequate knowledge for organic farming and high production cost for an enterprise. In addition, the group needs support from government in term of subsidy in water pond. Finally, we suggest the improvement of productivity by using proper techniques. Furthermore, the enhancement of community enterprise could be implemented in human skill, teamwork and network. Keywords: Community enterprise; geographical indication rice; risk managemen

Business Process Analysis: A case of Primary Shrimp Processor

Shrimp industry is important for Thai economy due to high volume of export. However, there is an increasing trend in shrimp consumption in domestic market as well. Our objective is to study the current supply chain of a medium sized primary shrimp processor in Samut Sakhon province. First, we analyze its business process and identify the problems and propose the improvement. The business process is analyzed by using Integration Definition for Function Modeling (IDEF0) to illustrate major activities in the current situation of primary processing facility. Next, we propose guidelines to improve efficiency in each activity. We found that the temperature control material of shrimp during production is ice since it is convenient and need low investment. In summary, the appropriate material to control the temperature is important to minimize cost and maintain the quality of shrimp. In addition, the proper production processes can increase the productivity. Keywords: Business Process Analysis; IDEF; Shrimp; Supply Chain Managemen

Reduce Loss during Transportation: A Case Study of Fresh Vegetables in Thailand

The cold chain management is the temperature control process which is essential for maintain the quality of fresh produce from upstream to the consumer in the supply chain so that the loss is minimized. Our objectives are to monitor the temperature during transportation, analyses and identify the problem cause loss of fresh vegetables by using causal-loop diagram. We monitor the temperature during transportation of fresh vegetables from a farm in Northern Thailand to a packing house in the central Thailand around 750 kms. for 17 to 18 hours. The fresh vegetables are packed in a stereo foam box with the cool packs and pile up on the back of a truck. At the packing house, fresh vegetables are bruised and rotten and loss about 30-40 percent by weight. The temperature is monitored by the data loggers. The result showed that the temperature inside the box during transport is 20oC-30oC where the range of external temperature is 20oC-40oC. Then, we suggest how to reduce loss by using proper management such as suitable material to control the temperature during transportation, location of box in the truck and packing method. Keywords: Cold Chain Management; Fresh Vegetable; Loss Reduction; Transportatio

The Use of Intervention Approach in Individual and Aggregate Forecasting Methods for Burger Patties: A Case in Indonesia

The Indonesian beef consumption increases sharply during Ramadan and made a difference between supply and demand. The research aimed to study the demand pattern of burger patties and determine a suitable forecasting method compared between quantitative and intervention forecasting methods. The actual demand was intervened by experts based on reasons such as supply shortage, holidays, promotion, and government projects. The daily sales of burger patties were collected for a year. Then, the data were divided into training and testing data. Later, time-series forecasting was performed by software. Then, the best forecasting method for daily data was selected between Individual forecasting and Top-Down forecasting. Similarly, for weekly data, the best forecasting method was compared between aggregate forecasting and Bottom-Up forecasting. Then, repeat the process for the intervened sales data. The result revealed that the mean absolute percentage error was improved after intervention by about 3.64%-58.83%. The combination of quantitative and qualitative approaches improved forecast accuracy. In addition, the aggregate level or weekly sales forecast had higher forecast accuracy than the disaggregated level. The Bottom-Up forecast performs better than the aggregate forecast. Hence, we recommended the company plans based on weekly data and implement Every Low Price to reduce the demand fluctuation

Analyzing the supply chain sustainability of an internet service provider in Thailand

This paper aims to comprehensively analyze the supply chain activities of an Internet Service Provider company in Thailand, focusing on sustainability. The company utilizes the SCOR model and IDEF0 methodology to analyze the supply chain and offer rental equipment services. The major issues identified include inventory management, insufficient data in demand planning, supply chain planning, renewal contact planning, the role of suppliers, and last-minute changes during the installation process. To address these challenges, the paper suggests improvements such as optimizing equipment flow, improving communication with teams, implementing demand forecasting models, considering alternative suppliers, and clarifying technical requirements with customers. By implementing these recommendations, ISPs can enhance the sustainability of their supply chains, reducing environmental impacts, optimizing resource utilization, and meeting customer expectations for sustainable practices. This study highlights the importance of sustainable supply chain practices in the telecommunications industry and offers valuable insights for companies seeking to improve their operations in a more environmentally responsible manner

The Application of Two Echelon Distribution Network Zoning in an Organic-Chemical Fertilizer Distribution: The Case Study in Northeastern Thailand

This research introduced the two-echelon capacitated plant location problem (2E-CPLP) to increase the efficiency of organic-chemical fertilizer distribution in Northeastern Thailand.  The consequences of this unsolved problem either lead to lower productivity or increased use of less environmentally friendly fertilizers.  Though centroid with equal demand zoning was previously used in this area, the unique characteristics of Northeastern Thailand cause this approach to yield less acceptable results.  The introduction of the two-echelon concept is important for practitioners to adopt a better way of operating.  This case-based study compared two facility location problem (FLP) approaches by using the geographical zoning and equal demand zoning methods as a baseline, then introducing the 2E-CPLP method as an alternative.  The problem was solved by IBM ILOG CPLEX software and ArcGIS for Desktop 9.3 with outputs of the total cost, the maximum distance from plants to retailers, and the average distance from plants to retailers.  The results showed that the 2E-CPLP method with geographical zoning outperformed equal demand zoning, with a lower total cost of 246.84 million baht or 1.05%, significantly less computational time, and lower maximum and average distances from plants to retailers