Logistics

Production logistics has seen the introduction of autonomous control strategies, which had been implemented with different modelling methods. Additionally a standardising body of tools for the evaluation of autonomous control strategies has been set up. This article presents a framework, which helps to identify the appropriate autonomous control strategy together with the corresponding modelling approach for given production logistics scenarios.

The growing tendency to outsource logistics has been postulated for many years. The unrealised outsourcing potential in Europe has, however, been growing since the last 3-5 years. According to a recent survey a realistic outsourcing potential of 16 billions can be attributed to the German logistics market alone. Insufficient competence of Third Party Logistics (TPL) providers has been postulated as one of the underlying reasons for not realising this enormous market potential. Based on the results of a case study this paper presents a model for contract logistics competence and shows how much the expectations towards the logistics providers can differ from logistics providers’ self assessment.

Advanced Planning or Supply Chain Planning constitutes a sub-task of Supply Chain Management. It focuses on planning of operational processes, and hence has its primary area of application in manufacturing and distribution of physical products. Advanced Planning Systems (APS) build upon databases of ERP systems. They enhance the latter by a concept of hierarchical planning which makes use of modern methods as developed in Operations Research and related fields. This article gives an overview of solution methods implemented in APS and modelling capabilities.

The implementation of object-identification without contact by Radio Frequency Identification technology (RFID) is in the meantime taken into consideration by many small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) to enhance on the one hand their internal workflows in production and logistics and on the other hand to satisfy customer demands. However, in the last years only little or superficial knowledge of this technology has been acquired. Hence, qualified and certified training for dealing with RFID is highly necessary. Process security shall thus be guaranteed internally and uniform standards within the supply chain regarding the implementation and application of RFID, can be substantiated.

Quantity flexibility contracts are a prevalent medium in industrial practice aiming at reducing demand and inventory risks with increased fill rates and higher responsiveness. Meanwhile researchers have proved the advantage of such contracts by simulation models. But it still lacks tangible methods for estimating negotiable costs and also for implementation on operational level. Against this background a software supported tool will be presented closing the gaps in scientific formulation of flexibility oriented contract clauses. Furthermore the tool enables an efficient display of additional costs and gives hints for the parameterisation of ERP-(Enterprise Resource Planning)-systems.

For the implementation of autonomous control of transport processes it is tried to transfer well known and approved routing protocols from data communication to transport problems. Here structural differences between data and transportation networks prevent a direct transfer of the protocols, so that several different, particularly adapted protocols with different targets must cooperate in transportation networks. In the following a concept for autonomous controlled transport networks, called “Distributed Logistics Routing Protocol”, is introduced, developed at the CRC 637 “Autonomous Control of Logistic Processes” in Bremen.

We consider a network of transport service providers where transport orders can be exchanged between carrier organisations. For an efficient allocation of the transport orders we propose a bargaining mechanism to be implemented in an exchange market. In order to evaluate possible exchanges of transport orders between carriers we calculate the individual contribution margins of orders on the basis of solving a routing problem. The paper investigates the impact of this strategy on the total profit achieved in the transportation network.

The necessity to gain detailed knowledge about existing business processes is increasing continuously along with the complexity of the supply networks. The centre of the approach is therefore the modelling of inter-company business processes. Starting from the current requirements of the industry, the article describes a modelling method, which satisfies these demands while considering the supply feasibility. The presented modelling method is specified in the context of inter-company process controlling. Keywords:

This technical contribution presents a digital planning environment for an integrated facility layout and logistics planning. The aim is a noticeable reduction of time and effort for middle- and long-term facility planning and production planning. Therefore current data from the shop floor and order management are provided in an object-oriented consistent digital structure. This data is used to forecast the need for action and to deduct alternative solutions. Planning becomes more effective, long-term planning tasks become day-to-day activities so that the flexibility of the enterprise increases.

“Telematic” means any form of telecommunication based on information technology, whose functionality is guaranteed by software applications and where the information can be proceeded online and free from mediabreaks after the electronic transmission. In logistics, many different telematic solutions can be used especially within the distribution process of the different persons involved in the process.