La tesis de investigación estuvo orientada a la optimización de las rutas que operan en el transporte de la distribución de mercancía de equipos celulares que se encuentra a cargo del Operador Logístico, a través de la aplicación de la metodología de programación lineal con el uso del solver de Excel. Para lo cual el primer trabajo realizado fue la búsqueda de información asociada al tema de tesis para la confección del marco teórico y la definición de los conceptos básicos utilizados en el tema como son por ejemplo los términos de Investigación de operaciones, programación lineal, distribución física, transporte, ruta óptima y simulación; para posteriormente continuar con el diagnóstico de la situación actual y el análisis de la problemática existente en la distribución física de los productos, relacionado al diseño y desempeño actual de las rutas en la empresa. Luego con la identificación y selección de las rutas a optimizar, se procedió a encontrar la ruta óptima en distancias para cada una de ellas, a través del uso de la programación lineal y uso del software Excel en donde se ingresaron los datos correspondientes de cada ruta. Finalmente se presentaron los resultados obtenidos de cada simulación realizada en el software informático, en donde luego del análisis y comparación entre las distancias de las rutas reales y las rutas ideales simuladas, se pudo comprobar la disminución de distancias a través del uso de la ruta óptima. La disminución de distancias en las rutas disminuyó también el costo de combustible utilizado en la unidad de transporte. The thesis research was oriented to the optimization of routes operating in the transport of distribution of cellular equipment that is in charge of the Logistics Operator, through the application of linear programming methodology. For which the first work was the search for information associated with the thesis topic to prepare the framework and the definition of the basic concepts used in the subject as such terms are operations research, linear programming, physical distribution , transportation, simulation and optimal route; and then continue with the diagnosis of the current situation and identify the problems in the physical distribution of products related to the design and performance of current routes in the company. Then with the identification and selection of routes to optimize, we proceeded to find the optimal route distances for each of them, through the use of linear programming and using the software Excel where the data of each route is entered. Finally the results of simulation performed on each computer software, where after analysis and comparison of the distances of the actual paths and routes ideal simulated showed it was found decreasing distances through the use of the optimum route. Decreasing distances on routes also reduced the cost of fuel used in the transport unit.

The marketplace competition determines the players to focus on the activities that add value to the products, with the objective of satisfying their customers. In this context, the distribution center becomes the interested area in business activities, due to its connection between productive activity and the customer, as source of added value. The technological development of telecommunications brought to the market one consumer product, of high added value, that demanded a logistic process for its physical distribution and, nevertheless there exists in the literature several studies on logistics, the revision of literature suggests that the majority of these studies have been based in other countries. It is looked for verifying the application of these studies in the locally developed processes, for the operation of the distribution centers. This study analyses the logistic applied to physical distribution of mobile telephones with the objective of becoming the source of consult for the implementation of a distribution center for the business activities that have same characteristics in their products. The analyses embraces the criteria for distribution center location, their four basic activities : order processing, packing, warehousing and physical moving, in this one included the analysis of logistics costs, modals, services providers, cargo agents, risk management, shipping documentation and performance indicators applicable to physical distribution. The results of this analysis indicates that the customer satisfaction is achieved through a continuous process improvement of physical distribution operations, fed by the results of its process performance evaluation, keeping by the customers, due to the continuous quality excellence in logistics services providing and value adding. / A competitividade nos mercados em que atuam levam as indústrias a colocar foco nas atividades que agregam valor aos produtos, com o objetivo de satisfazer seus clientes. Neste contexto, o centro de distribuição torna-se área de interesse nas atividades empresariais, por se tratar do elo entre a atividade produtiva e o cliente, como fonte de agregação de valor. O desenvolvimento tecnológico das telecomunicações trouxe ao mercado um produto de consumo, de alto valor agregado, que demandou um processo logístico para sua distribuição física e, embora existam na literatura vários estudos sobre logística, a revisão da literatura sugere que a maioria desses estudos tem sido baseada em outros países. Busca-se verificar a aplicação destes estudos em processos desenvolvidos localmente, para a operacionalização dos centros de distribuição. Este trabalho analisa a logística aplicada à distribuição física de telefones celulares, com o objetivo de se tornar uma fonte de consulta para a implantação de um centro de distribuição para atividades empresariais, que tenham essas características em seus produtos. As análises abrangem os critérios para localização do centro de distribuição, suas quatro atividades básicas: processamento de pedidos, embalagem, estocagem e movimentação física, nela incluídas as análises de custos logísticos, modais, prestadores de serviço, agentes de carga, gestão de risco, documentação de embarques e os indicadores de desempenho aplicáveis às atividades de distribuição física. Os resultados desta análise indicam que a satisfação do cliente é alcançada através de um processo de melhoria contínua das operações de distribuição física, alimentado pelos resultados da avaliação do desempenho dos seus processos, mantendo os clientes fiéis pela continuada excelência na qualidade da prestação de serviços logísticos e agregação de valor.

M. Tech. (Department of Logistics Management, Faculty of Management Sciences), Vaal University of Technology. / The application of business ethics in Supply Chain Management (SCM) activities in the business environment has attracted much-needed attention from research academics and practitioners alike in recent years. SCM activities within organisational processes are subject to various ethical principles when facilitating contractual procedures between supply chain partners. In a broader context, ethical SCM has mostly been applied to the public industry. Less attention has been directed, however, towards private businesses that seek to employ ethical compliance towards SCM processes. In view of the growing importance of ethical conduct in the private industry, the purpose of this study is to explore the factors that determine ethical SCM in the Fast-Moving Consumer Goods Industry (FMCG) in Gauteng Province. In this study, a quantitative research approach was employed to examine and test the factors that have an influence on ethical SCM in the FMCG industry within South Africa. A cross-sectional survey design was utilised to collect and test the empirical data collected from 221 purposively selected professional employees and managers in the FMCG industry in Gauteng Province. The collected data were analysed through the use of the Statistical Packages for Social Sciences (SPPS version 26.0) software and analysed using a combination of descriptive and inferential statistics. Specifically, the techniques used to analyse data include frequencies, percentages, mean scores, Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA), t-tests, ANOVA, Pearson correlations and regression analysis. Using the EFA technique, six legal components of ethical SCM were identified. These are moral standards, transparency, professional competence, corporate governance, accountability and fairness. Three components, namely supplier assessment and monitoring, relationship commitment and supplier collaboration, were extracted in the EFA procedure. A further three personal ethics components were extracted, namely intrinsic values, honesty and integrity and skills. Descriptive statistics reveal that most managers and professional employees within the FMCG industry believe that they follow the legal aspects of SCM ethics. They also indicated that their firms are effective in managing their suppliers. The managers and professional employees in the FMCG industry also perceived that they espouse a high standard of personal ethics in their SCM activities. The results of the t-tests revealed that female respondents are more likely to adhere to personal ethics than their male counterparts. Results of the ANOVA tests revealed significant statistical differences on the race and occupational area categories of the FMCG employees that participated in this study. Under the race category, Whites and those of the Mixed race have different attitudes towards supplier collaboration when compared to other racial groups. Managers and professional employees from the procurement department have different attitudes on legal aspects when compared to those in other departments such as transport, warehouse, contract management and customer services employees. Pearson correlations revealed that connections between the constructs were either weak or moderate. Regression analysis revealed that among all legal components and personal ethics factors, only fairness significantly and positively predicted supplier management. The study recommends that the FMCG industry should recruit and develop managers and professional employees with a recruitment process that is more structural and process-driven as this promotes a unique brand of leaders that dictate sound and effective leadership processes. To maintain effectiveness amongst managers and professional employees, training remains a catalyst in increasing knowledge, skills and overall competency within the FMCG industry.

Thesis (MBA)--Stellenbosch University, 2007. / Please refer to fulltext for abstract

published_or_final_version / Industrial and Manufacturing Systems Engineering / Doctoral / Doctor of Philosophy

abstract / Transport Policy and Planning / Master / Master of Arts

M. Tech. (Logistics management, Faculty of Management Sciences), Vaal University of Technology / The growth and development of SCM is attributed to number of factors such as partnership, collaboration, integration and relationship commitment. Despite increasing awareness of the importance of joint venture to organisations, research on the supply chain relationships (supply chain partnership, collaboration, integration and relationship commitment) and performance have received little attention. Therefore, using a data set of 271 individuals from the small and medium enterprise (SMEs) sector in South Africa, this study examines the influence of supply chain partnerships on collaboration, collaboration on integration, integration on relationship commitment and relationship commitment on performance. Structural equation modeling (SEM) method was used to analyses the data collected whereby individuals agrees with that supply chain relationships increase performance in the work environment. The study has developed a supply chain management (SCM)-based performance measurement system (PMS) for the case of SMEs. Such a framework may help SMEs managers to establish their own supply chain functions and strategically plan improvements for weak areas. In addition, it may remain helpful for benchmarking current practices with industry norms requirements. Quite often, companies dealing with a large number of performance measures derived and expanded based on the suggestions from employees, consultants and past experiences (history) forget to realise that supply chain performance measurement can be better addressed when they joint venture.

D. Tech. (Business, Logistics, Faculty of Management Sciences) Vaal University of Technology / The effective implementation of intra-firm and inter-firm supply chain practices and processes such as supply chain e-collaboration and sharing of important information among supply chain partners, is commonly associated with the creation of supply chain competitiveness and enhanced performance. However, little attention has, thus far, been given to the empirical investigation of the influence of the successful implementation of intra-firm supply chain practice on supply chain e-collaboration, strategic information sharing, supply chain competence and supply chain performance in South Africa. The principal objective of this study was to fill this void by investigating the influence of intra-firm supply chain practice on supply chain e-collaboration among supply chain partners in South Africa. Secondly, the study sought to determine the influence of supply chain e-collaboration on strategic information and supply chain competence among supply chain partners in South Africa. It also aimed to examine the influence of strategic information sharing on supply chain competence and ultimately on the supply chain performance of supply chain partners in South Africa. Lastly, the study sought to ascertain the influence of supply chain competence on supply chain performance of supply chain partners in South Africa. A positivist approach that allowed a quantitative research method in data collection was used in this study. Data from a sample of 280 collaborating firm owners/managers from all the industries of South Africa’s nine provinces was used for the final data analysis of this research. A principal component analysis was performed for factor reduction and dimensional groupings using SPSS 21 software. Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) and Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) were performed for model fit assessments and hypotheses tests respectively, using the Analysis of Moments of Structure (AMOS 21) software. Multiple Regression analysis was performed using SPSS 21 software, and was used for comparison and support of the weak and unsupported SEM hypotheses tests. The principal finding of this study reveals that intra-firm supply chain practice has a strong positive and significant influence on supply chain e-collaboration among supply chain partners in South Africa. In addition, the results showed that supply chain e-collaboration can strongly and significantly enhance the sharing of strategic information among supply chain partners in South Africa. The findings further revealed that supply chain e-collaboration has an ability to create a supply chain competence among supply chain partners in South Africa. The study’s empirical findings also indicate that strategic information sharing has a weak positive and significant indirect influence on supply chain competence and supply chain performance. Lastly, the SEM findings showed that supply chain competence has a weak negative and insignificant influence on supply chain performance. However, the multiple regression analysis showed a weak negative and significant influence of supply chain competence on the supply chain performance of supply chain partners in South Africa. The conclusions and implications of the empirical research findings are provided and recommendations are suggested. The study suggests a new supply chain management conceptual model for research. It also proposes a new supply chain management implementation framework to help guide firms to formulate strategies for improving supply chain performance. The study recommended that the collaborating firm owners/managers consider: training and education for all employees on the importance of supply chain practices and processes such as supply chain e-collaboration and strategic information sharing. Furthermore, it is recommended that collaborating firm owner/managers should consider adopting advanced technologies and information sharing structures to improve their supply chain performance. The collaborating firm owner/managers were also encouraged to align their incentives with the supply chain roles and activities assigned to the supply chain partners. Policy makers were encouraged to make e-business financing arrangements for supply chain collaborating firms; promote synergies between collaborating small and mediums firms and large technology vendors; and ensure affordability of supply chain e-collaboration technologies. The study attempted to address the intra-firm supply chain practice deficiencies on the side of both the supply chain e-collaborating firms and the government. / Research Hubs and Spokes

Made available in DSpace on 2015-04-22T22:10:11Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Armando.pdf: 1186614 bytes, checksum: 973e53495ff1fde59e3b83ca719dc6a3 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2005-11-18 / The present work has as objective to present a proposal for monitoring of the service level to systems of physical distribution of products that seeks to bring improvements to the delivery process of the companies that act in the beverages segment. By means of an extensive literature review and of the case study accomplished in a company of beverage segment, it became possible to map all distribution process and identify the variables that affect it s performance, concentrating the monitor on the indicators of costs, productivity, use of resources, efficiency and route come back. Regarding that physical distribution of products absorbs significant portion of the budget expenses of the organizations, this activity has occupied a prominence paper in the logistics problems of the companies. That is due, on a side, to the growing cost of the capital (financial cost), that forces the companies to reduce the stocks and the handling activity, transports and distribution of your products beyond own competition. The model was applied and it presented satisfactory results that allowed the company to identify, measure, analyze, improve and control the level service of your distribution system. The proposal contemplates a systematic accompaniment of the indicators and its performance, along the year of 2004 and, with possibility of definitions or revision of the goals as well as the comparison with other periods. / O presente trabalho tem como objetivo apresentar uma proposta de monitoramento do nível de serviço para sistemas de distribuição física de produtos que vise trazer melhorias ao processo de entrega das empresas que atuam no segmento de bebidas. Mediante extensa revisão de literatura e do estudo de caso realizado em uma empresa do segmento de bebidas, tornou-se possível mapear todo o processo de distribuição e identificar as variáveis que afetam o seu desempenho, concentrando o monitoramento nos indicadores de custos, produtividade, utilização de recursos, eficiência e retorno de rota. Considerando que a distribuição física de produtos absorve parcela significativa do orçamento de despesas das organizações, essa atividade passou a ocupar um papel de destaque nos problemas logísticos das empresas. Isso se deve, de um lado, ao custo crescente do capital (custo financeiro), que força as empresas a reduzir os estoques e a agilizar o manuseio, transporte e distribuição de seus produtos além da própria concorrência. O modelo foi aplicado e apresentou resultados satisfatórios que permitiram a empresa identificar, medir, analisar, melhorar e controlar o nível de serviço de seu sistema de distribuição. A proposta contempla um acompanhamento sistemático dos indicadores e seus resultados, ao longo do ano de 2004 e, com possibilidade de definições ou revisão das metas bem como a comparação com outros períodos.

Made available in DSpace on 2016-03-15T19:26:00Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Marcio Vieira de Almeida.pdf: 626751 bytes, checksum: 72eb4fc81be2e4ad4bc380a69c0574bb (MD5) Previous issue date: 2012-08-07 / The main objective of this dissertation is to understand which elements inherent to physical distribution can lead manufacturers of fast consumer goods, specifically in the segment related to cleaning products, gain competitive advantage. The survey was conducted considering the perceptions of manufacturers and retailers about the physical distribution services. As a theoretical foundation it was used the resource-based view (RBV) including concepts of value, competitive advantage and competitive strategies, as well, the concepts of physical distribution and logistics. The exploratory research type and a descriptive qualitative methodology were used. Through a semi-structured script, eight executives, being three from the retail sector and five from industry manufacturers, were interviewed. The data was treated and analyzed considering the content analysis technician. It was noted that there are evidences that the combination of tangible and intangible resources are elements that can generate competitive advantage for manufacturers. It was noted the high importance given by the retailers on the stock availability and service level compliance by manufacturers. From the manufacturer s perspective, the establishment of "go to market" strategy in order to meet the retailers needs, as well, the cost management with the aim of generating economic value higher than the competitors are the basis of their perception about how the competitive advantage can be created. In light of the RBV, the conjunction of resources like warehouse and transportation networks, systems and personnel can create value for the retailers, but can not be considered strategic since they are imitable and not rare. In the other hand, culture of services and intellectual capital resources has characteristics of strategic resources. When the physical distribution services are related to the three biggest retailers of the market, it was noted that the manufactures have been using strategies of differentiation and cost leadership to gain competitive advantage. From the practical standpoint, it was noted that the manufacturers still have difficulty make use of strategic partners more effectively to improve services for physical distribution. Finally, retailers believe that the value is still in to delivery the basics in terms of physical distribution services and, in this way, there is still a long way to be covered by the manufacturers. / Essa dissertação tem como objetivo entender quais os recursos inerentes a distribuição física podem levar os fabricantes de produtos de consumo de massa, especificamente no segmento de produtos de limpeza e afins, a obterem vantagem competitiva. A pesquisa foi realizada a partir das percepções de fabricantes e varejistas sobre esses serviços. Como fundamentação teórica utilizou-se a visão baseada em recursos (VBR), incluídos os conceitos de valor, vantagem competitiva e estratégias competitivas, bem como os conceitos de distribuição física e logística. A pesquisa foi do tipo exploratória descritiva e utilizou a metodologia qualitativa. Foram entrevistados oito executivos, sendo três do setor de varejo e cinco do setor de fabricantes, por meio de roteiro semi-estruturado com perguntas abertas. Os dados foram tratados e analisados com base nas técnicas da Análise de Conteúdo. Observaram-se indícios de que a conjunção de recursos tangíveis e intangíveis constituintes dos serviços de distribuição física são elementos que podem gerar vantagem competitiva para os fabricantes. Constatou-se ainda a grande importância dada pelos varejistas na questão de disponibilidade de estoques e o cumprimento do nível de serviço por parte dos fabricantes. No que concerne aos fabricantes, o estabelecimento de uma estratégia go to market que vise atender às necessidades dos varejistas em termos de distribuição, bem como, a gestão de custos com objetivo de gerar valor econômico superior aos dos concorrentes, constituem-se a base da sua percepção de como se gerar vantagem competitiva para si mesmos. A conjunção de recursos como redes de armazéns, redes de transportes, sistemas e pessoal podem criar valor para os varejistas, porém não podem ser considerados estratégicos na medida em que são imitáveis e não raros. Por outro lado, a cultura de serviços e o capital intelectual possuem características de recursos estratégicos. Quando se trata dos serviços de distribuição física para os três grandes varejistas do mercado, observou-se que fabricantes se utilizam de estratégias de diferenciação e liderança de custos para obterem vantagem competitiva. Do ponto de vista prático, observou-se que os fabricantes ainda têm dificuldade de utilizar-se de parceiros estratégicos com maior efetividade para melhoria dos serviços de distribuição física. Por fim, os varejistas entendem que o valor ainda esta na entrega dos serviços básicos de distribuição e, neste sentido, ainda há um grande caminho a ser percorrido pelos fabricantes.