Thesis (M. Eng. in Logistics)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Engineering Systems Division, 2003. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 39-40). / Auction is a mechanism of selling distinct assets that can be both physical objects and virtual objects. Examples of virtual objects are the rights to use assets like airport time slots and FCC spectrum, or to service truckload delivery routes in a transportation network. Under some situations bidding on combinations of objects can render lower total price compare with bidding the objects one at a time, and the auction that allows bidders to bid on combinations of different assets are called combinatorial auctions. With shipper being the auctioneer and carriers being the bidders, combinatorial auction has become increasingly important in the transportation service procurement domain, due to its mechanism to align shipper s procurement interest with carrier transportation service cost structure, which in turn lowers shippers total procurement cost. The thesis provides a comprehensive review of the use of conditional bidding within a transportation combinatorial auction framework. The thesis first describes the general forms of the transportation services available, and discusses the economics of motor carriers that provide LTL and TL services. It then illustrates the basic optimization technique of conditional bidding for TL service procurement and discusses the information technologies that enable the optimization-based procurement and the actual application of the method in the real world. / by XiaoPing Chen. / M.Eng.in Logistics

Thesis (M. Eng. in Logistics)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Engineering Systems Division, 2006. / "June 2006." / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 117-118). / This thesis focuses on documenting learnings from a RFID data exchange pilot in the fast moving consumer goods industry. The pilot we studied is a collaborative effort between two of the largest retailers in the world and five of their major suppliers, facilitated by EPCglobal and the MIT Auto-ID labs. Currently, manufacturers and suppliers are building the infrastructure to exchange EPC data to validate standards and proof of concepts for RFID adoption. The outcome of these pilots will essentially set the stage for large scale RFID adoption worldwide. Our thesis attempts to document issues relating to data exchange from business process, organizational and technical perspectives. We have synthesized the findings and consolidated the lessons learned during the pilot in an attempt to form a set of actionable recommendations for new companies looking to start on RFID pilot projects. / by Rida Chan [and] Sangeeth Ram. / M.Eng.in Logistics

Thesis (M. Eng. in Logistics)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Engineering Systems Division, 2013. / Cataloged from PDF version of thesis. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 51-52). / In the agrochemical industry, companies are challenged with an extreme seasonality in demand driven by the crops' growing cycles. Therefore, balancing supply with such fluctuating demand has been a struggle for most companies due to their capacity constraints. One way to accommodate the demand is to stock enough inventory ahead of the peak seasons, while the other is to increase the production capacity so that the companies can react to the changing demand more quickly. However, either alternative comes at a significant cost. This paper examines the optimal mix of production capacity and inventory for a company to meet customers' demand at the highest net present value (NPV) of operating assets value add (OAVA). We use a multi-period, multi-stage, multi-product mixed integer linear optimization model to determine the best combination of resources. Viable resource options include stocking inventory ahead of the peak seasons, enhancing output through overtime, outsourcing production activities to a third party, and acquiring new assets for a particular production stage. The results show that the optimal OAVA comes from a combination of all these viable resources. Additionally, the master production schedule, the resulting inventory levels, and the recommended timings for external resources and asset acquisition are important takeaways from our model. They serve not only as the guidance of the company's day-to-day operations, but also as the quantitative analysis necessary to communicate with stakeholders across different functional teams with potentially conflicting interests. / by Cindy (Hsin-ying) Wu and José Antonio González Duhart Muñoz de Cote. / M.Eng.in Logistics

Thesis (M. Eng. in Logistics)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Engineering Systems Division, 2003. / Includes bibliographical references (leaf 45). / Delivering cable television to college and university campuses is maintained by a highly specialized industry which involves significant technological and logistical challenges. As campuses continue to contribute financial resources into improving their data networks, companies that provide campus cable services will need to offer services over data networks comparable to the existing services they offer over dedicated co-axial cable networks. This paper explores the business of providing cable services to university communities, describes the challenges these providers face and offers a glimpse into the future of IP-based desktop television. / by Paul K. Harmeling. / M.Eng.in Logistics

Thesis (M. Eng. in Logistics)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Engineering Systems Division, 2010. / Vitae. Cataloged from student submitted PDF version of thesis. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 85-89). / In times of disaster, demand for goods and services in affected areas spikes. Private companies generally have contingencies in place for business continuity; however, most lack a strategic approach to join the general population's relief efforts. Why are some companies more effective within disaster relief supply chains than others? How can a company approach this area of opportunity? This thesis explores what a disaster is and how disaster management works; recognizing what stakeholders participate during disaster recovery efforts; and extrapolating best practices applied during past disasters by companies that have been deemed successful. Based on the strategies identified during our research, we came up with a framework of nine best practices and suggest how to apply it across a range of ten industries. / by Karn Budhiraj and Gabriel de la Torre Castro. / M.Eng.in Logistics

Thesis (M. Eng. in Logistics)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Engineering Systems Division, 2011. / Cataloged from PDF version of thesis. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 92-93). / Various industries employ risk sharing contracts to manage the risks and volatility associated with commodity prices, inaccurate customer demand forecasts, or unpredictable events. For example commodity futures that enable hedging, vendor buy-back programs, and insurance policies are examples of risk sharing contracts. The volatility in the price of fuel in the latter part of the twentieth century to the present has required the various parties involved in the trucking industry to employ risk-sharing contracts as an addendum to payment for services in the form of fuel surcharges. Fuel surcharges are effective in the sense that their structure transfers risk of fuel price volatility from carrier to shipper, and that industry participants typically understand the implications and reasoning behind the fuel surcharges. That said, there is no universal industry standard, and current fuel surcharge schedules remain based off of legacy diesel fuel prices in the range of $1.10-1.50 per gallon. Through mathematical analysis of a large shipper's annual costs, interviews with large shippers that have recently made transformations in their fuel surcharge schedules, a survey that gathered the thoughts and opinions of approximately one hundred motor carrier representatives, and multiple interviews with motor carrier representatives, the authors conclude that the fuel surcharge system can be improved for industry-wide benefit. Transition to a zero trigger point-based fuel surcharge schedule, the use of a carefully selected escalator, and the use of the national Department of Energy (DOE) retail price of diesel will prevent underbidding on lanes, increase transparency, reduce administration, and further increase the resilience of the United States truckload (TL) industry. / by Madhavi Kanteti and Jordan T. Levine. / M.Eng.in Logistics

Thesis (S.M.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Engineering Systems Division, 2012. / Cataloged from PDF version of thesis. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 89-95). / China has embarked on a massive expansion of nuclear power that may fundamentally change the global nuclear industry, for better or for worse. Some industry observers argue that the incumbent nuclear power companies are already losing their position of leadership to emergent Chinese actors. Others argue that the growing Chinese nuclear power industry creates more opportunities for all. In this thesis, I discuss Chinese nuclear power development in relation to the global nuclear power industry. I argue that understanding three aspects of the development of China's nuclear industry help understand the opportunities and threats that come with it: (1) common practices of the global nuclear industry in regard to technology transfer and localization (2) different global trends towards deverticalization and integration and (3) idiosyncrasies of the Chinese manufacturing ecosystem that affect global nuclear power supply chains. I argue that Chinese and foreign companies, and policy makers, need to comprehend these principles well as they inform corporate and national strategies, affecting the present and future competitiveness of nuclear power industry actors globally. / by Florian Metzler. / S.M.

Thesis: M. Eng. in Logistics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Engineering Systems Division, 2015. / Cataloged from PDF version of thesis. / Includes bibliographical references (pages 70-72). / Promotions involve a complicated interplay of factors and are a result of a synchronized sequence of activities between manufacturers and retailers. The outcome of promotions pivot on several elements beyond the control of any one party in the supply chain. 'How' a promotion performed has a more straight forward answer than 'Why' a promotion performed a certain way. This research attempts to define a quantitative methodology to measure performance of promotions and reveal insights to consumer product manufacturers and retailers that will help answer the 'How' and the 'Why' of promotions. The measures used are simple, but the combination of analysis creates a complex structure of many dimensions that reveals intricate insights into the functioning of the supply chain, the most important asset in executing promotions. We present to you a three dimensional framework termed the 'Promotion Performance Cuboid' with structural elements consisting of three foundational supply chain measures, inventory, stockouts, and performance of sales against target forecasts. The measures when viewed together through the Promotion Performance Cuboid, tell a revealing story of the underlying dynamics of promotions and the elements that actually control promotional become lucid. / by Asen Kalenderski and Satya Sanivarapu. / M. Eng. in Logistics

Thesis (M. Eng. in Logistics)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Engineering Systems Division, 2006. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 73-75). / Globalization increases product variety and shortens product life cycles. These lead to an increase in demand uncertainty and variability. Outsourcing to low-cost countries increases supply lead-time and supply uncertainty and variability. Coupled with the increase of mergers and acquisitions, which increase supply chain complexity, and the unforgiving nature of having too little or too much inventory, these factors have accelerated the importance and adoption of the Sales and Operations Planning (S&OP) process. S&OP is driven by a cross functional team, with the purpose of balancing supply and demand with the objective of maximizing a company's goals. It manages the supply and demand uncertainties, balances the different internal and external stakeholders' interests, and aligns the operations towards its strategy and vision. In support of the Supply Chain 2020 Project at MIT, this thesis focuses on analyzing the S&OP function across industries. Using the Phase I SC 2020 theses, literature, white papers, and interviews with industry experts, this thesis compares and contrasts the S&OP practices across nine industries. / (cont.) It examines their best practices and underlying principles, as well as the macro factors that have shaped the practices for the last ten to fifteen years, as well as what is expected in the future. Companies with the "best" S&OP processes collaborate internally to balance sales and operations, and align all internal stakeholders' interests. Furthermore, they collaborate externally with suppliers and customers to reduce supply and demand uncertainties. They also understand and manage demand and supply uncertainties, and align their effort towards their goals. These companies synchronize operations and are agile to changing environments. / by Peng Kuan Tan. / M.Eng.in Logistics

Thesis (S.M. in Engineering and Management)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Engineering Systems Division, System Design and Management Program, 2010. / Cataloged from PDF version of thesis. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 97-99). / Enterprise transformation is a dynamic process that builds upon and affects organizational processes. Organizational assessment plays critical role in planning and execution of enterprise transformation. It allows the assessment of an enterprise's current capabilities as well as for identification and prioritization of improvements needed to drive the enterprise transformation process. Despite the benefits that organizational assessment has to offer, many organizations fail to exploit them due to unfavorable organizational culture, unsatisfactory assessment processes or mismatch between assessment tool and broader transformation approach. This thesis focuses mainly on a model of organizational assessment and how it can be improved to better support enterprise transformation. We argue that the assessment process spans beyond performing the assessment itself. For the assessment to provide the expected benefit, organizations must first of all create an environment ensuring a clear understanding of the role assessment plays in the enterprise transformation process. To this end they must promote open and frequent discussion about the current state of the enterprise and future goals. The assessment process must be carefully planned to ensure it runs effectively and efficiently and that assessment results are accurate and reliable. Assessment results must be analyzed and turned into specific recommendations and action plans. At the same time, the assessment process itself must be evaluated and adjusted, if necessary, for the next assessment cycle. Based on literature review and case studies of five large aerospace companies, we recommend a five-phase assessment process model that includes mechanisms to change organizational behavior through pre-assessment phases. It also allows for adjustment of the assessment process itself based on the results and experience of participants so that it better suits the organization's needs and practices. / by Leyla Abdimomunova. / S.M.in Engineering and Management