Problem – Logistics services worldwide are not considered to be environmental sustainable because of their high emissions of greenhouse gasses (GHG) as well as its air, soil and water pollution. Since fourth party logistics providers (4PLs) manage the entire supply chain they can reduce their harmful environmental impact on a large scale through green logistics innovation., There are however difficulties for 4PLs to innovate in green logistics.  Purpose – This paper investigates how 4PLs generate and manage green logistics innovation. It also explores what drivers and barriers there are for developing green logistics innovation.  Method – This paper is based on a single case study that uses CIMO logic in the theoretical framework to thoroughly explore and clarify the area of green logistic innovation among 4PLs. Semi structured interviews and a questionnaire were constructed as the main source for gathering empirical evidence.   Results – The case company provided evidence for how 4PLs innovate by being close to their suppliers and customers and finding new opportunities for green logistics innovation. Drivers and barriers are also identified for green logistics innovation.  Conclusions – The study shows how 4PLs can manage and generate innovations as well as create their own playing field by developing competence for new areas of business, enlarging the boundaries for 4PLs to innovate in. The study also shows the importance of considering the goods as a factor in green logistics (particularly reverse logistics).

Logistics outsourcing has been applied in practices by enterprises for decades, but its efficiency is always restricted because logistics service providers (LSPs) often only have a single function such as delivery or warehousing. In the last few years, LSPs have upgraded their capabilities to support some other logistics services including value-added services, materials management, information-related services etc. The purpose of this thesis is to identify the differences between self-built logistics system and outsourcing logistics system by using the Strengths Weaknesses Opportunities Threats (SWOT) strategic analysis; and figure out how to apply the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) to make an appropriate selection among LSPs that based on the single-case study of Gevalia. Both quantitative and qualitative methods have been used in this study, authors expect to describe and explore the application of AHP approach regarding to the case company which implements outsourcing logistics system. Accordingly, it could be a good idea for case company to implement the mixed mode of self-built and outsourcing logistics system after using the SWOT strategic analysis. In addition, the production and logistics manager of case company emphasized that the five selection criteria including “compatibility”, “delivery performance”, “location”, “management” and “cost” should be considered as a priority among other different criterion when he selected a LSP. As a result, it will be efficient and effective for us to simulate a best decision for those industrial manufacturing enterprises to achieve a path regarding to the selection of the best logistics partner that based on the significant AHP approach.

Thesis (MSc) -- Stellenbosch University, 2004. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The Internet is fast evolving into a commercial platform that carries a mixture of narrow- and broadband applications such as voice, video, and data. Users expect a certain level of guaranteed service from their service providers and consequently the need exists for efficient Internet traffic engineering to enable better Quality of Service (QoS) capabilities. Multi-protocol Label Switching (MPLS) is a label switching protocol that has emerged as an enabling technology to achieve efficient traffic engineering for QoS management in IP networks. The ability of the MPLS protocol to create explicit virtual connections called Label Switched Paths (LSPs) to carry network traffic significantly enhances the traffic engineering capabilities of communication networks. The MPLS protocol supports two options for explicit LSP selection: offline LSP computation using an optimization method and dynamic route selection where a single node makes use of current available network state information in order to compute an explicit LSP online. This thesis investigates various methods for the selection of explicit bandwidth guaranteed LSPs through dynamic route selection. We address the problem of computing a sequence of optimal LSPs where each LSP can carry a specific traffic demand and we assume that no prior information regarding the future traffic demands are available and that the arrival sequence of LSP requests to the network is unknown. Furthermore, we investigate the rerouting abilities of the online LSP selection methods to perform MPLS failure restoration upon link failure. We propose a new online routing framework known as Least Interference Optimization (LIO) that utilizes the current bandwidth availability and traffic flow distribution to achieve efficient traffic engineering. We present the Least Interference Optimization Algorithm (LIOA) that reduces the interference among competing network flows by balancing the number and quantity of flows carried by a link for the setup of bandwidth guaranteed LSPs in MPLS networks. The LIOA routing strategy is evaluated and compared against well-known routing strategies such as the Minimum Hop Algorithm (MHA), Minimum Interference Routing Algorithm (MIRA), Open Shortest Path First (OSPF) and Constraint Shortest Path First (CSPF) by means of simulation. Simulation results revealed that, for the network topologies under consideration, the routing strategies that employed dynamic network state information in their routing decisions (LIOA, CSPF and MIRA) generally outperformed the routing strategies that only rely on static network information (OSPF and MHA). In most simulation experiments the best performance was achieved by the LIOA routing strategy while the MHA performed the worse. Furthermore we observed that the computational complexity of the MIRA routing strategy does not translate into equivalent performance gains. We employed the online routing strategies for MPLS failure recovery upon link failure. In particular we investigated two aspects to determine the efficiency of the routing strategies for MPLS rerouting: the suitability of the LSP configuration that results due to the establishment of LSPs prior to link failure and the ability of the online routing strategy to reroute failed LSPs upon link failure. Simulation results revealed similar rerouting performance for all online routing strategies under investigation, but a LSP configuration most suitable for online rerouting was observed for the LIOA routing strategy. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING:Die Internet is voordurend besig om te evoleer in 'n medium wat 'n wye reeks moderne kommunikasietegnologiee ondersteun, insluitende telefoon, video en data. Internet gebruikers verwag gewaarborgde diens van hul diensverskaffers en daar bestaan dus 'n vraag na doeltreffende televerkeerbeheer vir gewaarborgde Internet diensgehalte. Multiprotokol Etiketskakeling (MPLS) is 'n etiketskakeling protokol wat doeltreffende televerkeerbeheer en diensgehalte moontlik maak deur die eksplisiete seleksie van virtuele konneksies vir die transmissie van netwerkverkeer in Internetprotokol (IP) netwerke. Hierdie virtuele konneksies staan bekend as etiketgeskakelde paaie. Die MPLS protokol ondersteun tans twee moontlikhede vir eksplisiete seleksie van etiketgeskakelde paaie: aflyn padberekening met behulp van optimeringsmetodes en dinamiese aanlyn padseleksie waar 'n gekose node 'n eksplisiete pad bereken deur die huidige stand van die netwerk in ag te neem. In hierdie tesis word verskeie padseleksiemetodes vir die seleksie van eksplisiete bandwydte-gewaarborgde etiketgeskakelde paaie deur mid del van dinamiese padseleksie ondersoek. Die probleem om 'n reeks optimale etiketgeskakelde paaie te bereken wat elk 'n gespesifeerde verkeersaanvraag kan akkommodeer word aangespreek. Daar word aanvaar dat geen informasie in verband met die toekomstige verkeersaanvraag bekend is nie en dat die aankomsvolgorde van etiketgeskakelde pad verso eke onbekend is. Ons ondersoek verder die herroeteringsmoontlikhede van die aanlyn padseleksiemetodes vir MPLS foutrestorasie in die geval van skakelonderbreking. Vir hierdie doel word 'n nuwe aanlyn roeteringsraamwerk naamlik Laagste Inwerking Optimering (LIO) voorgestel. LIO benut die huidige beskikbare bandwydte en verkeersvloeidistribusie van die netwerk om doeltreffende televerkeerbeheer moontlik te maak. Ons beskryf 'n Laagste Inwerking Optimering Algoritme (LIOA) wat die inwerking tussen kompeterende verkeersvloei verminder deur 'n balans te handhaaf tussen die aantal en kwantiteit van die verkeersvloeistrome wat gedra word deur elke netwerkskakel. Die LIOA roeteringstrategie word geevalueer met behulp van simulasie en die resultate word vergelyk met ander bekende roeteringstrategiee insluitende die Minimum Node Algorithme (MHA), die Minimum Inwerking Algoritme (MIRA), die Wydste Kortste Pad Eerste Algoritme (OSPF) en die Beperkte Kortste Pad Eerste Algoritme (CSPF). Die resultate van die simulasie-eksperimente to on dat, vir die netwerk topologiee onder eksperimentasie, die roeteringstratgiee wat roeteringsbesluite op dinamiese netwerk informasie baseer (LIOA, MIRA, CSPF) oor die algemeen beter vaar as die wat slegs staatmaak op statiese netwerkinformasie (MHA, OSPF). In die meeste simulasie-eksperimente vaar die LIOA roeteringstrategie die beste en die MHA roeteringstrategie die slegste. Daar word verder waargeneem dat die komputasiekomplesiteit van die MIRA roeteringstrategie nie noodwendig weerspieel word in die sukses van roeteringsuitkoms nie. In die geval waar die aanlyn roeteringstrategiee aangewend word vir MPLS foutrestorasie, toon die resultate van simulasie-eksperimente dat al die roeteringstrategiee min of meer dieselfde uitkoms lewer ten opsigte van herroetering van onderbreekte verkeersvloei. Die konfigurasie van etiketgeskakelde paaie deur die LIOA roeteringstrategie voor skakelonderbreking is egter die geskikste vir televerkeer herroetering na skakelonderbreking

As redes atuais de telecomunicações utilizam tecnologias de comutação de pacotes para integração de voz, dados, imagens e outros serviços. O tráfego nessas redes costuma ser feito por meio de tecnologias como o MPLS-TP e com regras heurísticas para a determinação dos melhores caminhos. O uso de boas regras afeta diretamente o desempenho e a segurança da operação. Este trabalho propõe o uso de simulação de baixo custo para prever o comportamento e avaliar regras de escolha de caminhos. Para isso, este trabalho avalia três métodos de seleção de caminhos de LSPs, combinados com duas heurísticas de recuperação, usados em redes MPLS-TP em malha com mecanismos de proteção em malha compartilhada. Os resultados das simulações medem o impacto dos métodos e heurísticas utilizados, demonstrando o quanto uma melhor seleção de caminhos pode contribuir para a redução do uso dos recursos da rede e do número máximo de LSPs afetados em caso de falhas na rede. Os resultados deste trabalho, bem como a técnica de análise proposta, almejam ser uma contribuição para a padronização de regras de seleção de LSPs em redes heterogêneas. / The telecommunications networks nowadays use packet-switching technologies for integration of voice, data, images and other services. The traffic on these networks is usually done through technologies such as MPLS-TP and with heuristic rules to determine the best paths. The use of good rules directly affect the performance and security of operation. This paper proposes the inexpensive use of simulation to predict the behavior and evaluate rules for choosing paths. For this, this study evaluates three methods of selection of LSPs paths, combined with two recovery heuristics, used in MPLS-TP mesh networks with shared mesh protection mechanisms. The results of the simulations measure the impact of the methods and heuristics used, demonstrating how much better path selection can contribute to reducing the use of network resources and the maximum number of LSPs affected in the event of network failures. These results and the proposed analysis technique yearn to be a contribution to the standardization of LSPs selection rules in heterogeneous networks.

We have developed a general theory of the plasmonic enhancement of many-body phenomena resulting in a closed expression for the surface plasmon-dressed Coulomb interaction. It is shown that this interaction has a resonant nature. We have also demonstrated that renormalized interaction is a long-ranged interaction whose intensity is considerably increased compared to bare Coulomb interaction over the entire region near the plasmonic nanostructure. We illustrate this theory by re-deriving the mirror charge potential near a metal sphere as well as the quasistatic potential behind the so-called perfect lens at the surface plasmon (SP) frequency. The dressed interaction for an important example of a metal–dielectric nanoshell is also explicitly calculated and analyzed. The renormalization and plasmonic enhancement of the Coulomb interaction is a universal effect, which affects a wide range of many-body phenomena in the vicinity of metal nanostructures: chemical reactions, scattering between charge carriers, exciton formation, Auger recombination, carrier multiplication, etc. We have described the nanoplasmonic-enhanced Förster resonant energy transfer (FRET) between quantum dots near a metal nanoshell. It is shown that this process is very efficient near high-aspect-ratio nanoshells. We have also obtained a general expression for the force exerted by an electromagnetic field on an extended polarizable object. This expression is applicable to a wide range of situations important for nanotechnology. Most importantly, this result is of fundamental importance for processes involving interaction of nanoplasmonic fields with metal electrons. Using the obtained expression for the force, we have described a giant surface-plasmoninduced drag-effect rectification (SPIDER), which exists under conditions of the extreme nanoplasmonic confinement. Under realistic conditions in nanowires, this giant SPIDER generates rectified THz potential differences up to 10 V and extremely strong electric fields up to 10^5-10^6 V/cm. It can serve as a powerful nanoscale source of THz radiation. The giant SPIDER opens up a new field of ultraintense THz nanooptics with wide potential applications in nanotechnology and nanoscience, including microelectronics, nanoplasmonics, and biomedicine. Additionally, the SPIDER is an ultrafast effect whose bandwidth for nanometric wires is 20 THz, which allows for detection of femtosecond pulses on the nanoscale.

As redes atuais de telecomunicações utilizam tecnologias de comutação de pacotes para integração de voz, dados, imagens e outros serviços. O tráfego nessas redes costuma ser feito por meio de tecnologias como o MPLS-TP e com regras heurísticas para a determinação dos melhores caminhos. O uso de boas regras afeta diretamente o desempenho e a segurança da operação. Este trabalho propõe o uso de simulação de baixo custo para prever o comportamento e avaliar regras de escolha de caminhos. Para isso, este trabalho avalia três métodos de seleção de caminhos de LSPs, combinados com duas heurísticas de recuperação, usados em redes MPLS-TP em malha com mecanismos de proteção em malha compartilhada. Os resultados das simulações medem o impacto dos métodos e heurísticas utilizados, demonstrando o quanto uma melhor seleção de caminhos pode contribuir para a redução do uso dos recursos da rede e do número máximo de LSPs afetados em caso de falhas na rede. Os resultados deste trabalho, bem como a técnica de análise proposta, almejam ser uma contribuição para a padronização de regras de seleção de LSPs em redes heterogêneas. / The telecommunications networks nowadays use packet-switching technologies for integration of voice, data, images and other services. The traffic on these networks is usually done through technologies such as MPLS-TP and with heuristic rules to determine the best paths. The use of good rules directly affect the performance and security of operation. This paper proposes the inexpensive use of simulation to predict the behavior and evaluate rules for choosing paths. For this, this study evaluates three methods of selection of LSPs paths, combined with two recovery heuristics, used in MPLS-TP mesh networks with shared mesh protection mechanisms. The results of the simulations measure the impact of the methods and heuristics used, demonstrating how much better path selection can contribute to reducing the use of network resources and the maximum number of LSPs affected in the event of network failures. These results and the proposed analysis technique yearn to be a contribution to the standardization of LSPs selection rules in heterogeneous networks.