Transport logistics systems typically evolve as networks over time, which may result
in system rigidity and cause changes to become expensive and time consuming. In
this study a logistics model, named TranSwarm, was developed to simulate sugarcane
harvesting, transport and mill-yard activities for a mill supply area. The aim was to
simulate produce flow, and allow individual working entities to make decisions,
driven by rules and protocols, based on their micro-environments. Noodsberg mill
was selected as a case study because of low current levels of synchronization. Growers
were assumed to operate independent harvesting and transport systems causing
inconsistent convergences at the mill. This diverse and fragmented system provided a
suitable environment to construct a model that would consider interactions between
individual growers and their respective transport systems. Ideally, by assessing the
micro-decisions of individuals and how they influence the larger holistic supply chain,
TranSwarm quantifies the impacts of different types of transport practices, such as
staggering shift changes, transport scheduling, core sampling and consortium-based
logistics. TranSwarm is visual, mechanistic and represents key entities, such as roads,
farm groupings and the mill. The system uses discrete events to create a dynamic and
stochastic environment from which observations and conclusions can be drawn. This
approach potentially allows stakeholders to identify key components and interactions
that may jeopardize overall efficiency and to use the system to test new working
protocols and logistics rules for improving the supply chain. / Thesis (M.Sc.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, 2008.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:ukzn/oai:http://researchspace.ukzn.ac.za:10413/9992 |
| Date | 14 November 2013 |
| Creators | McDonald, Brendon Clyde. |
| Contributors | Dube, Erick., Murrell, Hugh. |
| Source Sets | South African National ETD Portal |
| Language | en_ZA |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis |
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