Because of changing customer requirements and increasing introduction of new products, the retailer¡¦s inventory has to be reduced. In addition, the supplier is facing the problem of more frequent delivery in small batch. All these give rise to the demand for Distribution center¡]DC¡^. In addition to the study of logistics facilities, logistics information system¡]LIS¡^ plays an important role to improve the efficiency of physical distribution. Various market environments require different kinds of DC. The services and operational processes provide in each DC will depend on the orientation of the DC. The differences are to be reflected in the LIS requirements. The findings of this research indicated that both scale and organizational form have contributed to the variation in LIS. The DC that is large in size is often the logistics department of a big company; furthermore, the DC that is small in size is often a third party logistics company. Hence small DCs, while concentrating on the logistics function, do no need the function of purchasing. Large DCs have better performance record in using database, electronic bulletin board system, telephone conference, and video conference. By comparison, small DCs have better use of common distribution network and common information system. In general, problematic internal and external integration, and lack of flexibility are prevalent phenomena in the implementation of LIS. Suggestions could be made that integration with other type of information system is to be emphasized for large DCs. Small DCs, while falling short of resources, will need to form alliance with their partners, which can provide better information resources for daily operations. The user interface of LIS had a significant impact on user satisfaction, and user satisfaction in turn affected the competitive advantage of DC. This indicated that both user interface and user satisfaction should be highlighted in designing LIS. A LIS should be directed to meet user friendly purpose and strategic position in the market, which will exert the system function fully and achieve competitive advantage for the company.

This research investigates e-Business strategy for logistics service providers in Taiwan. In order to realize the IT using conditions of the domestic logistics providers, the research use case study research method. After cases analyzing, this research gives some suggestions on e-Business strategy for domestic logistics providers. Focusing on four cases, this research studies on the processes of domestic logistics providers IT implementation and the IT using conditions. And we probe into the four cases on their IT implementation, such as how to plan and how to construct, and therefore, we can realize how the distribution centers use IT to improve its own core competence (integration and agility). From the viewpoint of logistics core competence, the research studies on e-Business strategy. The findings of this study indicated that distribution centers should implement IT with a step-by-step method and accept aids from the government and the academic circles. As for the direction of e-business plan, domestic logistics providers should focus on how to improve the core competence (integration and agility) whit IT. And thus, in order to increase integration, the connection of internal or between companies should be the distribution centers planning key point. As to strengthen the ability, providing real-time business information and modulizing the logistics business activities would be main targets of the e-Logistics. And besides, improving business process is one of the methods to improving core competence. This research suggests that in order to achieve the final goal of improving business process, the distribution centers should be the supply chain middleware and provide one-stop services.

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No description available.

A distribution center that services value-added operations in addition to its normal operations faces a design problem: How to configure the forward/reserve departments for both of these operations. Analytical models are developed to analyze the tradeoff between floorspace and labor efficiency. Our results indicate that the best distribution center design is dependent on a company's customer demand profile as well as the relative cost of floorspace and labor. / Master of Science

The purpose of the thesis is to investigate how a distribution center can implement Lean methods to minimize wastes and how the employees can be motivated before Lean implementation.  The following research questions have been constructed to fulfill the purpose:  • How can wastes be reduced with the help of Lean methods in a distribution center?  • How can employees be motivated to implement Lean?  The choice of method was a case study, conducted at a distribution center. The collected primary data consists of observations and interviews of both employees and customers. Secondary data have been collected from scientific articles and books, which made it possible to connect the theoretical framework with the empirical data.  At the case company there were four waste identified: waiting, unnecessary movement, unnecessary transport and unused knowledge. The studied process has looked the same for about 25 years which makes it outdated and ineffective. A majority of the respondents have difficulties seeing improvement possibilities for the process, but a few of them could see streamlining possibilities.  The conclusions that can be drawn from the study are how a few examples of Lean methods can reduce wastes that can occur in distribution centers and how the employees can be motivated before a change. By using 7+1 wastes, the wastes are first identified and then 5S, JIT and 5 why’s are implemented to minimize these. The employees are motivated before a change with the help of a committed and well-prepared management. The unfreezing phase in a change process is important to avoid resistance from the employees.  Keywords: Lean, logistics, distribution center, motivation. / Examensarbetets syfte är att undersöka hur en distributionscentral kan implementera verktyg inom Lean för att minska slöserier och hur de anställda kan motiveras inför implementering av Lean. Följande forskningsfrågor har framställts för att uppfylla syftet: •Hur kan slöserier minskas med hjälp av verktyg inom Lean i en distributionscentral? •Hur motiveras anställda till implementering av Lean? Metoden som använts är en fallstudie som har genomförts på en distributionscentral. Den insamlade primärdata är från observationer och semistrukturerade intervjuer från både anställda och kunder. Sekundärdata har hämtats från vetenskapliga artiklar och böcker som gjort det möjligt att sammankoppla den teoretiska referensramen med resultatet. På fallföretaget identifierades fyra slöserier som är väntan, onödig rörelse, onödiga transporter och outnyttjad kompetens. Processen som undersökts har sett likadan ut i ungefär 25 år vilket gör att den är utdaterad och ineffektiv. Majoriteten av respondenterna har svårt att se hur processen kan förändras till det bättre, men ett fåtal kan se hur effektivisering kan ske. Studiens slutsatser var hur några exempel på verktyg inom Lean kan minska slöserier som kan upptäckas på distributionscentraler, samt hur de anställda kan motiveras inför en förändring. Genom att använda sig av 7+1 slöserier identifieras först vilka av dem som förekommer och sedan implementeras 5S, JIT och 5 varför för att minska dessa. De anställda kan motiveras inför en förändring genom att ledningen är engagerad och väl förberedd. Upptiningsfasen i förändringsprocessen är viktig för att undvika motstånd från de anställda.

No description available.

Atualmente, as empresas buscam garantir disponibilidade de produto ao cliente final, com o menor nível de inventário possível. Isto ocorre devido a diversidade crescente no número de produtos e o elevado custo de oportunidade do capital. As ferramentas de simulação disponibilizam aos gestores melhores visões do negócio e melhores condições para a tomada de decisão. Em um Centro de Distribuição de Peças (CDP), para se alcançar um melhor desempenho no gerenciamento do inventário é importante poder contar com uma ferramenta capacitada para realizações de simulações de possíveis cenários. Este trabalho tem como objetivo desenvolver um ambiente de simulação do inventário de um CDP. O ambiente de simulação permite realizar simulações visando obter como resultados a previsão de demanda, a política de reposição das peças, o percentual de atendimento dos pedidos, os meses de inventário, a quantidade de scrap e a quantidade de peças para devolução. Para o desenvolvimento do ambiente de simulação utilizou-se de métodos de modelagem e linguagem de programação orientado a objeto. O ambiente de simulação foi submetido a experimentos com três cenários diferentes e os resultados confirmaram a qualidade do sistema de simulação proposto. / Nowadays companies are trying to become their product available to final client with the smallest possible level of inventory. The simulation tools offer to managers best views of business and best condition to decide. In a Part Distribution Center (PDC), to reach the best performance in the management of the inventory it is important to be able to count on a tool that is capable of accomplishments from simulation possible sceneries. The objective of this work is to develop a simulation environment of the inventory of a PDC. The simulation environment performs projections in order to get demand forecasts, the parts replenishment policy, the attendance percentage, the inventory months, scrap quantity and quantity part to devolution. To develop the simulation environment are used tools like modeling methods and programming object-oriented language. The simulation environment was submitted to experiments with three different sceneries and the results confirmed the quality of the simulation system proposed.

O objetivo deste trabalho é o de mostrar como os centros de distribuição (CD) podem melhorar a qualidade de atendimento ao cliente e o transporte urbano na atividade de distribuição de bebidas. Para isso, é necessário um aprofundamento teórico dos conceitos de logística e de todas as atividades que a compõe como vendas, produção, armazenagem, distribuição, custos, sem se esquecer dos conceitos de marketing, do relacionamento com o cliente e da sua satisfação. Isso para obter um sistema integrado entre a produção e o consumidor. Foram realizados levantamentos entre vários distribuidores de bebidas de forma a relatar a situação atual desse mercado. Foram analisados distribuidores franqueados de grandes marcas assim como pequenos distribuidores independentes. Os resultados das pesquisas mostram que boa parte desses distribuidores desconhece técnicas de armazenagem e de roteirização, trabalhando empiricamente. Verifica-se uma grande desvantagem competitiva entre os pequenos distribuidores franqueados de marcas de menor expressão ou independentes, em relação aos grandes distribuidores franqueados de grandes marcas com grande penetração no mercado, em razão destes terem entre outras vantagens a possibilidade de melhor aproveitamento de sua capacidade de distribuição. Conclui-se que os centros de distribuição, integrando todas as marcas ou pelo menos todas as marcas de menor expressão, pode ser a estratégia adequada para uma distribuição com qualidade e rentabilidade. / The purpose of this paper is to show how the center of distribution (CD) can improve the quality on service for clients and urban transportation in the beverage distribution activities. Therefore, it is necessary to make a deeper study of logistical concepts and all the activities that are part of it, such as sales production, storage, distribution, costs, including also the concepts of marketing, relationship with the client and his/her satisfaction. It is an order to get an integrated system between production and costumer. A research was accomplished among several beverage distributors in order to make a reference of market field. Franchisee distributors for large trade marks as well as small independent distributors were analysed. The result of the studies show us that a larger amount of these distributors do not realize the storage and routing know-how, working empirically. It is verified a great competitive desadvantage between the few-expressive or independent small franchisee distributors and the large franchisee distributor representing the large trade marks with a huge acceptance in the market. Then, it is concluded that the center distribution integrating all the trade marks or at least all the less expressive ones can be the adequate strategy for a qualified and profitable distribution.

O objetivo deste trabalho é o de mostrar como os centros de distribuição (CD) podem melhorar a qualidade de atendimento ao cliente e o transporte urbano na atividade de distribuição de bebidas. Para isso, é necessário um aprofundamento teórico dos conceitos de logística e de todas as atividades que a compõe como vendas, produção, armazenagem, distribuição, custos, sem se esquecer dos conceitos de marketing, do relacionamento com o cliente e da sua satisfação. Isso para obter um sistema integrado entre a produção e o consumidor. Foram realizados levantamentos entre vários distribuidores de bebidas de forma a relatar a situação atual desse mercado. Foram analisados distribuidores franqueados de grandes marcas assim como pequenos distribuidores independentes. Os resultados das pesquisas mostram que boa parte desses distribuidores desconhece técnicas de armazenagem e de roteirização, trabalhando empiricamente. Verifica-se uma grande desvantagem competitiva entre os pequenos distribuidores franqueados de marcas de menor expressão ou independentes, em relação aos grandes distribuidores franqueados de grandes marcas com grande penetração no mercado, em razão destes terem entre outras vantagens a possibilidade de melhor aproveitamento de sua capacidade de distribuição. Conclui-se que os centros de distribuição, integrando todas as marcas ou pelo menos todas as marcas de menor expressão, pode ser a estratégia adequada para uma distribuição com qualidade e rentabilidade. / The purpose of this paper is to show how the center of distribution (CD) can improve the quality on service for clients and urban transportation in the beverage distribution activities. Therefore, it is necessary to make a deeper study of logistical concepts and all the activities that are part of it, such as sales production, storage, distribution, costs, including also the concepts of marketing, relationship with the client and his/her satisfaction. It is an order to get an integrated system between production and costumer. A research was accomplished among several beverage distributors in order to make a reference of market field. Franchisee distributors for large trade marks as well as small independent distributors were analysed. The result of the studies show us that a larger amount of these distributors do not realize the storage and routing know-how, working empirically. It is verified a great competitive desadvantage between the few-expressive or independent small franchisee distributors and the large franchisee distributor representing the large trade marks with a huge acceptance in the market. Then, it is concluded that the center distribution integrating all the trade marks or at least all the less expressive ones can be the adequate strategy for a qualified and profitable distribution.