published_or_final_version / Business Administration / Master / Master of Business Administration

This thesis presents the modelling of an effective Fourth-Party Logistics (4PL) transaction centre which can evaluate trading partners and comprehensively integrate the improved competencies of trading partners for sustaining the post-merger effects. The proposed 4PL transaction centre is based on the best of breed concept to serve as a single point integrator. To create a best of breed 4PL set up, an exclusive performance measurement framework is proposed in a balanced approach by considering decision parameters from both the trading partners and the buying organisation perspectives. The novelty of the proposed 4PL performance measurement framework lies in its capability to integrate analytics with mathematical modelling resulting in a multi-stage framework which can be generalised to any industry. This thesis proposes the modelling of 4PL transaction centre through a computationally efficient Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) approach considering time dynamics as an influential factor instead of conventional static evaluation. The versatile features of dynamic DEA approach are realised through the variable lag effects (positive, neutral or negative) on subsequent chain partners to emulate actual scenario by eliminating bias in the evaluation process. Based on the derived outputs from the developed framework, this thesis enables to deal with a range of cross-segment mergers by extending the conventional Bogetoft and Wang’s production economics integration model which is otherwise limited to mergers of similarsegment only. This thesis proposes a novel two-tier cross-segment integration framework for the 4PL transaction centre prioritising performance orientation in the first tier and cost orientation in the second tier to quantify the merger gain. The integration framework developed in this thesis facilitates the coordinator of transaction centre to manage and control 4PL activities. In summary, this thesis demonstrates an objective approach to quantify the 4PL value addition in a unified approach (evaluation and integration) with improved consistency and adequacy. The advantageous and desirable features attained by modelling the 4PL transaction centre are addressed specifically from operational perspective instead of available financial measures. This thesis also presents extensions to the proposed transaction centre to deal with multi-criteria decisions objectively along with risk considerations. The expected value additions from the proposed 4PL transaction centre are substantiated through a case study utilising real data of suppliers and logistics service providers from a tiller and tractor manufacturing company.

In Chapter 4, we consider a supply chain which consists of a manufacturer, a logistics service provider (LSP) and a retailer. The LSP provides the emergency replenishment, financing and logistics services. The advent of the LSP changes the structure and incentive in the traditional one-supplier-one-retailer channel. We develop a framework of 3-player game to investigate the dynamics and competitive behaviors with multiple decision sequences. We provide the explicit equilibria for different decision sequences and demonstrate the possibility that the LSP and the manufacturer collude to create price increment, which squeezes out the retailer. Whereas, the triple marginalization effect is alleviated. / Supply chain coordination and associated contracts have been an active research area for supply chain management research. Yet, little has been done in addressing robustness matters of design, evaluation, and implementation for these coordination contracts. In chapter 2 and 3, we develop a consistency framework for supply chain contracts and classify a number of well-studied contracts into groups. We demonstrate with examples that coordination contracts can be evaluated by their consistency properties. Based on precise mathematical definitions and subsequently developed structural properties and management insights, we are not only able to measure the goodness of supply contracts but also to reveal the nature of their coordination. Our findings open an avenue for design, evaluation and implementation of supply chain coordination contracts. / Lu, Meng. / Adviser: Houmin Yan. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 73-06, Section: B, page: . / Thesis (Ph.D.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2011. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 138-147). / Electronic reproduction. Hong Kong : Chinese University of Hong Kong, [2012] System requirements: Adobe Acrobat Reader. Available via World Wide Web. / Electronic reproduction. [Ann Arbor, MI] : ProQuest Information and Learning, [201-] System requirements: Adobe Acrobat Reader. Available via World Wide Web. / Abstract also in Chinese.

In light of all these, we study in this dissertation the application of the classical Mean-Variance Theory in finance for supply chain models. In mathematical finance, pioneered by the Nobel laureate Harry Markowitz in the 1950s, the Mean-Variance Theory has been an important theory for risk control in portfolio management. Under the Mean-Variance Theory, we can quantify the profit and risk in a portfolio investment by the expected return and variance of return, respectively. The Mean-Variance Theory has been demonstrated to be very applicable in practice. Based on the spirit of the Mean-Variance Theory, many optimal investment policies in finance are developed. / In the supply chain management literature under the stochastic environment, most of the proposed policies target at improving the supply chain's efficiency in terms of the expected cost reduction or the expected profit improvement. However, the performance measure with an expected value alone lacks precision when the corresponding variance is high. It also ignores the risk preferences of individual supply chain's decision makers. In order to provide a tailor-fit optimal decision-making policy for the decision maker, it is desirable to have a systematic and quantifiable measure for risk preference. / In this dissertation, using the idea of the Mean-Variance Theory, together with the Bayesian Decision Theory and the other optimization techniques, we study, analyze and build various supply chain management models, which include the inventory problems, the supply chain coordinating buyback contracts, and the optimal ordering policies with information updates. / This dissertation is divided into two parts and each part contains several chapters. Each chapter can be treated as a self-contained paper and the Mean-Variance Theory has been applied in each one of them. Throughout this dissertation, short example cases and numerical studies with computer simulations are included to illustrate the applicability of the models. From the studies in this dissertation, we can see that the classical Mean-Variance Theory can provide a systematic framework for the scientific studies of risk and uncertainty control in stochastic supply chain models in the information age. Moreover, the importance of risk control in supply chain management should not be neglected. / by Tsan-Ming Choi. / "September 2002." / Mentors: Duan Li; Houmin Yan. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 63-10, Section: B, page: 4844. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2002. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 206-225). / Electronic reproduction. Hong Kong : Chinese University of Hong Kong, [2012] System requirements: Adobe Acrobat Reader. Available via World Wide Web. / Electronic reproduction. Ann Arbor, MI : ProQuest dissertations and theses, [200-] System requirements: Adobe Acrobat Reader. Available via World Wide Web. / Electronic reproduction. Ann Arbor, MI : ProQuest Information and Learning Company, [200-] System requirements: Adobe Acrobat Reader. Available via World Wide Web. / Abstracts in English and Chinese. / School code: 1307.

Motivation • Warum sollten wir Daten analysieren? Beyond Excel • Wie können wir Daten analysieren? Fallbeispiele • Welche Erkenntnisse haben wir gewonnen? • Flächenbedarf der Montage • Arbeitskräftebedarf in der Logistik • (Auto-) Korrelation

Thesis (Mcomm)--Stellenbosch University, 2000. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Technology has become one of the most important factors in the business world today. Information technology is playing an ever-increasing role in all areas of business. Logistics is no exception, and is one of the areas most affected by technological change. Many firms need to adapt technologically, or they might face extinction. This study aims to make firms aware of the power of information technology and the benefits it holds for those who use it. It tries to inform firms about the various uses and applications that exist and how they can improve business processes. It sets guidelines for the implementation of information technology and allows the firm to make an informed choice. It also discusses the growing role that the Internet is playing in logistics and the business world as a whole. Tips for the implementation of an electronic commerce system are also given, and the effects of electronic commerce on logistics are discussed. The firms can use the information to plan their strategies more effectively and hopefully find success in the global digital economy. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Tegnologie is een van die belangrikste faktore in vandag se sakewêreld. Informasietegnologie speel 'n al groter rol in alle sakegebiede. Logistiek is daarby ingesluit, en is een van die areas wat die meeste deur tegnologiese verandering geaffekteer word. Sakeondernemings moet toenemend aanpas by die nuwe tegnologie om te kan voortbestaan. Die fokus van hierdie werkstuk is om firmas bewus te maak van die voordele wat informasietegnologie inhou en hoe ondernemeings daarby kan baat. Daar word gepoog om firmas bewus te maak van die wye verskeidenheid tegnologiese produkte wat bestaan, en hoe hulle aangewend kan word om besigheidsprosesse te verbeter. Daar word riglyne vasgestel wat firmas die geleentheid bied om tegnologie doeltreffend in te span en om 'n ingeligte keuse te kan maak. Die rol wat die Internet in logistiek en die sakewêreld speel word ook bespreek, asook die effek wat elektroniese handelop logistiek het. Riglyne word ook verskaf oor die implementering van 'n stelsel wat elektroniese handel moontlik sal maak. Die inligting wat verskaf word kan firmas help om hulle strategieë doeltreffend te beplan en om sodoende sukses te behaal in die globale digitale ekonomie.

published_or_final_version / Industrial and Manufacturing Systems Engineering / Master / Master of Philosophy

As information revision is becoming a more and more common practice in industry, we put our emphasis on the context of information revision and decision making in a supply chain. This dissertation is concerned with the analysis of information updating, competitive study of a two-level supply chain, and volume flexible contract together with spot market purchase. / For the competitive study, we focus on the dynamics of competitive behaviors between the supplier and the buyer. For the demand and demand forecast with single-peak probability distribution functions, we prove the existence of a unique Stackelberg equilibrium from the Stackelberg game at each stage. / For the contract study, we develop a model which takes both volume flexible contract and spot market purchase into consideration. The optimal order quantity at each stage is determined. Furthermore, by making use of the stochastic comparison theory, we investigate the impact on profit and the optimal order quantity induced by the accuracy of the demand forecast. (Abstract shortened by UMI.) / With the framework of information revision, the decision dynamics is the focus of supply chain management. We primarily concentrate on the competitive and cooperative study of a simple two-level supply chain. / With the phenomenon observed from local industry, our research, on the analysis of information updating within a node in a supply chain, involves three tasks: (a) analyzing the data collected from local industry; (b) modeling demand forecasting process based on the observation; and (c) determining the operational factors which drive the fluctuation of demand forecast variances. With regard to (a), we observe that, as the forecasting horizon decreases, the variances of forecasts increase and variances of forecasting errors decrease. With regard to (b), we make use of Bayesian analysis approach to model the demand forecasting process, and prove that, under multi-stage demand forecasting structure, both the variance and the precision of demand forecast increase. Concerning (c), four operational factors, i.e. price promotion, lotsizing, new product introduction, and pre-confirmed order, are considered to be the causes. / Hua Xiang. / "November 2001." / Adviser: Houmin Yan. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 63-01, Section: B, page: 0506. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2001. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 104-111). / Electronic reproduction. Hong Kong : Chinese University of Hong Kong, [2012] System requirements: Adobe Acrobat Reader. Available via World Wide Web. / Electronic reproduction. Ann Arbor, MI : ProQuest dissertations and theses, [200-] System requirements: Adobe Acrobat Reader. Available via World Wide Web. / Electronic reproduction. Ann Arbor, MI : ProQuest Information and Learning Company, [200-] System requirements: Adobe Acrobat Reader. Available via World Wide Web. / Abstracts in English and Chinese. / School code: 1307.

Thesis (MTech (Business Information Systems))--Cape Peninsula University of Technology, 2018. / Enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems have a good reputation for automation and strength in the integration of business processes (BPs), therefore more and more organisations are adopting ERP systems. The City of Cape Town (CCT), a metropolitan municipality, is one of the organisations that have adopted an ERP system. CCT provides a wide range of services to residents and citizens in the Western Cape Province of South Africa. The ERP system at CCT manages the Supply Chain Management (SCM) processes, among others, to ensure good service delivery. ERP systems are able to provide statistical reports on stock-outs; however, the information provided is insufficient to link a specific stock-out to its causes within the SCM process at CCT. This makes it difficult to select the most appropriate solution to minimise the causes and number of stock-outs. The study aims to explore the possible reduction of the causes of stock-outs at CCT stores, therefore the study has adopted a qualitative research methodology with a case study research strategy. It uses subjectivism to understand the truth, with an inductive approach applied to five different interviewee groups, namely the ERP Support Department consultants, the Procurement Department, the Inventory and Stores Management Department, the Master Data Maintenance Department, and the reservation creators. A purposive sampling method is used because the study targets knowledge and experience on the subject from the interviewees in the investigation of the problem. The case is the SCM division at CCT, the unit of analysis is the CCT stores, and the unit of observation is the employees who work for the SCM division of CCT. All ethical procedures and policies of the Cape Peninsula University of Technology (CPUT) are adhered to. For the data collection, in depth semi-structured questions have been developed, and the data were analysed using thematic analysis. The leading causes of stock-outs were discovered by analysing the themes. The results revealed the themes, in descending order according to the causes of stock-outs, as follows: procedures, service delivery, suppliers, stock-outs, human resources, and systems. All the objectives were achieved, thereby answering the research questions.

published_or_final_version / Civil Engineering / Doctoral / Doctor of Philosophy