Discrete Event Logistics Systems (DELS) are a class of dynamic systems that are defined by the transformation of discrete flows through a network of interconnected subsystems. The DELS domain includes systems such as supply chains, manufacturing systems, transportation networks, warehouses, and health care delivery systems. Advancements in computer integrated manufacturing and intelligent devices have spurred a revolution in manufacturing. These smart manufacturing systems utilize technical interoperability and plant-wide integration at the device-level to drive production agility and efficiency. Extending these successes to enterprise-wide integration and decision-making will require the definitions of control and device to be extended and supported at the operations management and the business planning levels as well. In the future, smart operational control mechanisms must not only integrate real-time data from system operations, but also formulate and solve a wide variety of optimization analyses quickly and efficiently and then translate the results into executable commands. However in contemporary DELS practice, these optimization analyses, and analyses in general, are often purpose-built to answer specific questions, with an implicit system model and many possible analysis implementations depending on the question, the instance data, and the solver. Also because of the semantic gap between operations research analysis models such as job-shop scheduling algorithms and IT-based models such as MES, there is little integration between control analysis methods and control execution tools. Automated and cost-effective access to multiple analyses from a single conceptual model of the target system would broaden the usage and implementation of analysis-based decision support and system optimization. The fundamental contribution of this dissertation is concerned with interoperability and bridging the gap between operations research analysis models and practical applications of the results. This dissertation closes this gap by constructing a standard domain-specific language, standard problem definitions, and a standard analysis methodology to answer the control questions and execute the prescribed control actions. The domain specific language meets a broader requirement for facilitating interoperability for DELS, including system integration, plug-and-play analysis methods and tools, and system design methodologies. The domain-specific language formalizes a recurring product, process, resource, and facility description of the DELS domain. It provides a common language to discuss our systems, including the questions that we want to ask about our systems, the problems that we need to solve in order to answer those questions, and the mechanisms to deploy the solution. A canonical set of control questions defines the comprehensive functional specification of all the decision-making mechanisms that a controller needs to be able to provide; i.e. a model of analysis models or a metamodel of operational control. These questions refine the interoperability mechanism between system and analysis models by mapping classes of control analysis models to implementation and execution mechanisms in the system model. A standard representation of each class of control problems is only a partial solution to fully addressing operational control. The final contribution of this dissertation constructs a round-trip analysis methodology that completes the bridge between operations research analysis models and deployable control mechanisms. This contribution formalizes an analysis pathway, from formulating an analysis model to executing a control action, that is grounded in a more fundamental insight into how analysis methods are executed to support operational control decision-making.

Este trabalho desenvolve um método para a comparação de soluções logísticas de armazenamento e recuperação, com aplicações em centros de distribuição, depósitos, armazéns e demais estruturas equivalentes. Tais soluções podem implicar desde o uso de paleteiras manuais e empilhadeiras contra-balanceadas, até em arranjos mais complexos, envolvendo trans-elevadores operando em corredores de prateleiras com vários metros de altura. A literatura existente para o design e a escolha de tais soluções ressalta o prevalecimento de métodos proprietários e ad-hoc, auxiliados por ferramentas de software demasiadamente genéricas. Assim, o método aqui proposto é elaborado seguindo os princípios da Engenharia de Sistemas Baseada em Modelos (MBSE), sendo expresso através da linguagem OMG SysMLTM, e montado com o auxílio de ferramenta de software CASE (computer aided systems engineering) disponível comercialmente. Utilizando-se das técnicas mencionadas, este trabalho demonstra o passo-apasso da construção do método proposto, incluindo a formulação de um template de requisitos e de um modelo de referência, orientado a objetos, para sistemas logísticos de armazenamento e recuperação. Concluída a apresentação do método, o mesmo é aplicado em dois exemplos de estudos de viabilidade (trade-studies) que determinam soluções ótimas para um dado conjunto de requisitos de negócio. No primeiro exemplo tem-se como fator limitante o no de endereços de armazenamento, e no segundo a área disponível para construção do armazém. O principal resultado obtido com esse trabalho é capacidade de simular, em um único ambiente, escolhas de soluções logísticas de armazenamento que consideram parâmetros do sistema como um todo, e não apenas de seus sub-sistemas isoladamente. Isto tornou possível mensurar como alterações nas especificações de um dado ponto de vista, como o estrutural, impactam na satisfação dos requisitos de outros pontos de vista, como o dinâmico ou financeiro. A MBSE, entretanto, ainda não pode ser considerada uma disciplina madura. As ferramentas de software que a ela dão suporte, bem como as listas de melhores práticas de suas aplicações estão em constante evolução e aprimoramento. Dessa forma, a aplicação dos princípios da MBSE no design e seleção de soluções logísticas de armazenamento, com adoção da orientação a objetos, pode ser tida como uma ideia inovadora. / This work presents a method for warehouse storage solutions comparison. The existing research regarding the design and selection of such logistic solutions highlights the predominance of ad-hoc procedures, as well as the use of generic software tools. Therefore, the method herein presented shall be developed according to the model-based systems engineering (MBSE) principles, being describe through the system modeling language (SysML), and built inside a computer-aided system engineering (CASE) software tool, commercially available. The method\'s steps shall be thoroughly detailed, including the creation of a reference model for warehouse storage systems, and its further use in trade studies execution. Once the method is properly described, its validation is demonstrated through two case studies designed to compare storage solutions according to the number of pallet-positions oered, and its dimensional footprint. This work\'s main achievement is the possibility to simulate, in a single environment, warehouse storage solution\'s options that take into account parameters of the system as a whole, and not only its sub-systems separately. With that, it is possible to measure how changes in the specifications of a given view point, such as structural, impact the requirement\'s satisfaction of other view points, such as dynamic or financial. The MBSE, however, still can not be considered a mature discipline. The software tools that support it, as well as the lists of best practices of its applications are constantly evolving and improving. Thus, the application of MBSE\'s principles in the design, and comparison, of warehouse storage solutions, with the adoption of object orientation, can be considered an innovative idea.

The goal of the graduate thesis is the analysis of the current chain of suppliers in the purchasing department in a company named Ammann Czech Republic. The core of the thesis is the analysis of the present situation and optimalization of the costs of transferring material to the company, which concurs to the characteristics of logistics as a whole, theory of stock, and theoretical definition of purchasing department, its function and goals. Analysis of the chain of suppliers is made in terms of almost one year of working on the project, which was submitted by the company Ammann Czech Republic with the goal of minimizing the costs of the purchase material.

Este trabalho desenvolve um método para a comparação de soluções logísticas de armazenamento e recuperação, com aplicações em centros de distribuição, depósitos, armazéns e demais estruturas equivalentes. Tais soluções podem implicar desde o uso de paleteiras manuais e empilhadeiras contra-balanceadas, até em arranjos mais complexos, envolvendo trans-elevadores operando em corredores de prateleiras com vários metros de altura. A literatura existente para o design e a escolha de tais soluções ressalta o prevalecimento de métodos proprietários e ad-hoc, auxiliados por ferramentas de software demasiadamente genéricas. Assim, o método aqui proposto é elaborado seguindo os princípios da Engenharia de Sistemas Baseada em Modelos (MBSE), sendo expresso através da linguagem OMG SysMLTM, e montado com o auxílio de ferramenta de software CASE (computer aided systems engineering) disponível comercialmente. Utilizando-se das técnicas mencionadas, este trabalho demonstra o passo-apasso da construção do método proposto, incluindo a formulação de um template de requisitos e de um modelo de referência, orientado a objetos, para sistemas logísticos de armazenamento e recuperação. Concluída a apresentação do método, o mesmo é aplicado em dois exemplos de estudos de viabilidade (trade-studies) que determinam soluções ótimas para um dado conjunto de requisitos de negócio. No primeiro exemplo tem-se como fator limitante o no de endereços de armazenamento, e no segundo a área disponível para construção do armazém. O principal resultado obtido com esse trabalho é capacidade de simular, em um único ambiente, escolhas de soluções logísticas de armazenamento que consideram parâmetros do sistema como um todo, e não apenas de seus sub-sistemas isoladamente. Isto tornou possível mensurar como alterações nas especificações de um dado ponto de vista, como o estrutural, impactam na satisfação dos requisitos de outros pontos de vista, como o dinâmico ou financeiro. A MBSE, entretanto, ainda não pode ser considerada uma disciplina madura. As ferramentas de software que a ela dão suporte, bem como as listas de melhores práticas de suas aplicações estão em constante evolução e aprimoramento. Dessa forma, a aplicação dos princípios da MBSE no design e seleção de soluções logísticas de armazenamento, com adoção da orientação a objetos, pode ser tida como uma ideia inovadora. / This work presents a method for warehouse storage solutions comparison. The existing research regarding the design and selection of such logistic solutions highlights the predominance of ad-hoc procedures, as well as the use of generic software tools. Therefore, the method herein presented shall be developed according to the model-based systems engineering (MBSE) principles, being describe through the system modeling language (SysML), and built inside a computer-aided system engineering (CASE) software tool, commercially available. The method\'s steps shall be thoroughly detailed, including the creation of a reference model for warehouse storage systems, and its further use in trade studies execution. Once the method is properly described, its validation is demonstrated through two case studies designed to compare storage solutions according to the number of pallet-positions oered, and its dimensional footprint. This work\'s main achievement is the possibility to simulate, in a single environment, warehouse storage solution\'s options that take into account parameters of the system as a whole, and not only its sub-systems separately. With that, it is possible to measure how changes in the specifications of a given view point, such as structural, impact the requirement\'s satisfaction of other view points, such as dynamic or financial. The MBSE, however, still can not be considered a mature discipline. The software tools that support it, as well as the lists of best practices of its applications are constantly evolving and improving. Thus, the application of MBSE\'s principles in the design, and comparison, of warehouse storage solutions, with the adoption of object orientation, can be considered an innovative idea.

This thesis focuses on the developing of statistical methodology in reliability and quality engineering, and to assist the decision-makings at enterprise level, process level, and product level. In Chapter II, we propose a multi-level statistical modeling strategy to characterize data from spatial logistics systems. The model can support business decisions at different levels. The information available from higher hierarchies is incorporated into the multi-level model as constraint functions for lower hierarchies. The key contributions include proposing the top-down multi-level spatial models which improve the estimation accuracy at lower levels; applying the spatial smoothing techniques to solve facility location problems in logistics. In Chapter III, we propose methods for modeling system service reliability in a supply chain, which may be disrupted by uncertain contingent events. This chapter applies an approximation technique for developing first-cut reliability analysis models. The approximation relies on multi-level spatial models to characterize patterns of store locations and demands. The key contributions in this chapter are to bring statistical spatial modeling techniques to approximate store location and demand data, and to build system reliability models entertaining various scenarios of DC location designs and DC capacity constraints. Chapter IV investigates the power law process, which has proved to be a useful tool in characterizing the failure process of repairable systems. This chapter presents a procedure for detecting and estimating a mixture of conforming and nonconforming systems. The key contributions in this chapter are to investigate the property of parameter estimation in mixture repair processes, and to propose an effective way to screen out nonconforming products. The key contributions in Chapter V are to propose a new method to analyze heavily censored accelerated life testing data, and to study the asymptotic properties. This approach flexibly and rigorously incorporates distribution assumptions and regression structures into estimating equations in a nonparametric estimation framework. Derivations of asymptotic properties of the proposed method provide an opportunity to compare its estimation quality to commonly used parametric MLE methods in the situation of mis-specified regression models.

[pt] Esta dissertação aborda os diversos problemas de dimensionamento e análise de transportes, armazenagem e distribuição física numa cadeia logística. Para cada abordagem são apresentados exemplos numéricos resolvidos através de algoritmos programáveis. Estes algoritmos compõem um software desenvolvido em Delphi 7.0, destinado à instrução de disciplinas sobre Sistemas Logísticos em cursos de pós-graduação. / [en] This dissertation approaches several problems in the dimensioning and analysis of transport, storing and physical distribution in a logistics chain. For each approach, numeric examples solved through programmable algorithms are presented. These algorithms make up a software tool developed in DELPHI 7.0 intended to facilitate postgraduate instruction in the field of logistics systems.

There is a need to reduce global carbon emissions in order to limit climate change, especially from the transport sector, as it contributes to a large share of these emissions. This thesis explores carbon emissions from urban freight transport in Oslo, Norway, and Stockholm, Sweden, and the measures and strategies that have been implemented in accordance with the municipalities’ targets. In addition, the involvement of relevant freight transport companies in these issues has been investigated, as well as the challenges and possibilities related to reducing carbon emissions from urban freight transport. Both municipalities have expressed ambitions to adhere to the European Union’s goals of emission reduction. However, based on the observations of this thesis, it is evident that the municipalities have yet to adequately implement impactful measures for urban freight transport, in order to reduce carbon emissions from this sector if they are to achieve their goals. The results show that that Oslo municipality has access to a substantial amount of data and statistics regarding urban freight transport, but is lacking a comprehensive freight plan. Stockholm municipality, on the other hand, has an urban freight transport plan, but is lacking comprehensive data and statistics about urban freight transport. The focus on - and inclusion of - urban freight transport in comprehensive urban planning could be argued to be increasing, but we contend that there is still a need to increase knowledge and understanding regarding emission reduction for urban freight transport across departments and cities, in order to reach a more sustainable future for urban freight transport.

O estudo de sistemas logísticos envolve a concatenação de elementos estratégicos e operacionais, comumente compondo sistemas com múltiplas facetas, objetivos antagônicos e grande número de alternativas. Nesse contexto, o presente trabalho discute a utilização de análise de decisão multicritério (MCDA), simulação de eventos discretos (SED) e otimização para simulação. A metodologia MCDA captura, mensura e pondera os objetivos e valores dos tomadores de decisão. Por sua vez, a SED representa o sistema estudado com alto nível de detalhamento, permitindo a avaliação de diversas configurações do sistema. Por fim, métodos de otimização para simulação possibilitam a busca e comparação de alternativas mais eficientes. As três metodologias são avaliadas, identificando suas vantagens, desvantagens e complementaridades quando aplicadas a sistemas logísticos. Através da aplicação de um estudo de caso sobre o dimensionamento de um sistema de transporte, constatou-se que: a) a SED incorporou detalhes importantes para a avaliação mais precisa de vários indicadores de desempenho b) a metodologia MCDA possibilitou a captura de vários objetivos e valores, propiciando a realização de tradeoffs robustos; c) um método de busca exaustiva e técnicas de redução de variância permitiram a comparação das alternativas em tempos computacionais reduzidos. Por fim, conclui-se que a metodologia híbrida apresentada expande o potencial de aplicação da SED em sistemas logísticos complexos. / A logistic system study involves strategic and operational elements, commonly composing multi-faceted systems with antagonistic goals and large number of alternatives. In this context, this thesis discusses the use of multi-criteria decision analysis (MCDA), discrete event simulation (DES) and optimization for simulation. The MCDA methodology captures, measures and weighs the goals and values of decision makers. DES is useful for representing systems with high level of detail, allowing the evaluation of several system configurations. Finally, optimization for simulation procedures are useful for searching and comparing more efficient alternatives. These three methodologies are assessed and their advantages, disadvantages, and complementarities are identified for logistics systems applications. Through a case study of a transportation system, we conclude that: a) the SED incorporated important details for more precise evaluation of various performance indicators b) the MCDA methodology was useful to capture several goals and values, so that robust tradeoffs could be carried out c) an exhaustive search routine and variance reduction techniques allowed the comparison of several alternatives in feasible computational times. Finally, we conclude that the presented hybrid methodology expands the application of DES to complex logistics systems.

O estudo de sistemas logísticos envolve a concatenação de elementos estratégicos e operacionais, comumente compondo sistemas com múltiplas facetas, objetivos antagônicos e grande número de alternativas. Nesse contexto, o presente trabalho discute a utilização de análise de decisão multicritério (MCDA), simulação de eventos discretos (SED) e otimização para simulação. A metodologia MCDA captura, mensura e pondera os objetivos e valores dos tomadores de decisão. Por sua vez, a SED representa o sistema estudado com alto nível de detalhamento, permitindo a avaliação de diversas configurações do sistema. Por fim, métodos de otimização para simulação possibilitam a busca e comparação de alternativas mais eficientes. As três metodologias são avaliadas, identificando suas vantagens, desvantagens e complementaridades quando aplicadas a sistemas logísticos. Através da aplicação de um estudo de caso sobre o dimensionamento de um sistema de transporte, constatou-se que: a) a SED incorporou detalhes importantes para a avaliação mais precisa de vários indicadores de desempenho b) a metodologia MCDA possibilitou a captura de vários objetivos e valores, propiciando a realização de tradeoffs robustos; c) um método de busca exaustiva e técnicas de redução de variância permitiram a comparação das alternativas em tempos computacionais reduzidos. Por fim, conclui-se que a metodologia híbrida apresentada expande o potencial de aplicação da SED em sistemas logísticos complexos. / A logistic system study involves strategic and operational elements, commonly composing multi-faceted systems with antagonistic goals and large number of alternatives. In this context, this thesis discusses the use of multi-criteria decision analysis (MCDA), discrete event simulation (DES) and optimization for simulation. The MCDA methodology captures, measures and weighs the goals and values of decision makers. DES is useful for representing systems with high level of detail, allowing the evaluation of several system configurations. Finally, optimization for simulation procedures are useful for searching and comparing more efficient alternatives. These three methodologies are assessed and their advantages, disadvantages, and complementarities are identified for logistics systems applications. Through a case study of a transportation system, we conclude that: a) the SED incorporated important details for more precise evaluation of various performance indicators b) the MCDA methodology was useful to capture several goals and values, so that robust tradeoffs could be carried out c) an exhaustive search routine and variance reduction techniques allowed the comparison of several alternatives in feasible computational times. Finally, we conclude that the presented hybrid methodology expands the application of DES to complex logistics systems.

Logistics 4.0 suggests that increased automation can enhance performance, while Logistics 5.0 emphasizes the advantages of a modern workforce that combines humans and emerging technologies. However, the logistics industry needs a deeper understanding of human factors, an area that has been overlooked so far. To bridge this research gap, this dissertation investigated distracted driving behavior among individuals involved in transportation and logistics-based applications. This investigation employed both qualitative and quantitative research methods. Essay 1 focuses on a systematic literature review (SLR) that comprehensively analyzes published research on self-response studies regarding distracted driving behavior. The study identifies five overarching categories of distractions: (a) cell phone-related, (b) technology-related, (c) nontechnology-related, (d) psychological, and (e) personality. The findings underscore the substantial research conducted on self-reported distractions associated with cell phones and technology. Essay 2 employs the protection motivation theory (PMT) to develop hypotheses that predict the engagement of young drivers in texting while driving (TWD). In addition to TWD, the survey also included cognitive failure to examine the indirect effects of PMT on TWD within a mediation framework. The results, obtained through structural equation modeling with 674 respondents aged 18-25, indicate that several factors including response cost, threat vulnerability, cognitive failure, self-efficacy, and threat severity influence TWD behavior. Essay 3 investigates the influence of young drivers' respect for safety, neutralization techniques, and polychronicity on distracted driving behavior (DDB), based on the cognitive dissonance theory (CDT). The findings, drawn from 326 respondents aged 22-29 years, indicate that drivers who prioritize safety (respect for safety) are less likely to engage in DDB. Lastly, Essay 4 takes a survey-based approach to explore how factors such as respect for safety, polychronicity, and cognitive failure influence the likelihood of engagement in distractions among industrial operators, specifically forklift drivers, in warehouse and distribution centers (WDCs). The study's results indicate that cognitive failure has a negative impact on forklift drivers' distracted driving behavior, while polychronic tendencies help drivers avoid engaging in distracted behavior.