logistics planning

The competitive pressure in the contract logistics industry is intense. Logistics providers must respond to tenders quickly and with convincing concepts. This article presents initial approaches to how logistics process planning in tender management can be supported using supervised learning methods. Under the premise that similar processes from past projects can be transferred and adapted to a project to be planned, an AI-based assistance system suggests appropriate process steps and MTM (Methods-Time Measurement) codes during planning. This procedure can accelerate process planning and lead to an increased quality of logistics processes to be planned. (Only in German)

Over the last years, the importance of logistics has changed significantly. While logistics used to be a core function of most companies, logistics services nowadays are often outsourced to service providers. This leads to new organizational structures and enables innovative business models. Caused by the digitalization of logistics, efforts for integration and coordination rise and can only made controllable by intelligent use of IT. This contribution examines the field of tension of logistics and IT. It shows which challenges to face and how to overcome these by using Big Data technologies.

Modern lean production systems require fast, stable and efficient logistics processes to guarantee just-in-time deliveries of materials to production. For this, a new logistics concept for a plant of the Brose group was developed, which consists of an automatic small parts storage system and an in-plant milk run system. One major challenge was the synchronization of the storage system and the milk run systems in a way that both systems are operated with even utilization and that no obstructions occur between milk run trains. To this end, a timetable was implemented which determines departure times of each milk run train at the warehouse. The timetable takes into account breaks, shift changes and other relevant restrictions. The generation and monitoring of the schedules was implemented entirely in SAP EWM.

New and unique tasks are regularly solved in interdisciplinary and sometimes cross-company teams. Thus, the necessary expertise can be combined for the collective success of projects. In this project-specific organizational form the advantages of collective intelligence can be used. Unfortunately, the acquired additional experience in project knowledge is often not systematically rooted in the company after the project expired. There are also specific challenges of SME projects. A project-based networking of expertise in terms of Corporate Capability Management often requires new approaches and tools. The idea for a simulation-based project management with integrated logistics could be forward-looking. It is based e.g. on the development and utilization of reference plans as well as project- and logistic-scenarios. Thereby, step by step experience and process improvements can be integrated.

Current changes in market situations may compel companies to adapt their products, manufacturing systems, as well as logistics systems. Required planning procedures are characterized by their complexity and their interdisciplinary nature: A system that has to fulfil future requirements is designed using models, methods, and the knowledge of all involved participants. Therefore, this article aims to discuss procedure models applied in different disciplines in order to assess their usability in logistics planning projects. Furthermore, certain aspects of planning procedures are identified that require formalization of applied knowledge. Thus, an approach to apply knowledge formalization is presented.

The market-oriented product development describes a focusing of needs, which leads ideally to high product quality and profitability. In the context of “Digital Factory” this paper focuses on the integrated product and process design, which is oriented to the physical part of the product. Due to the high product complexity, shorter product life cycles and increased competition situation is the product development faced with new challenges. Both the speed and the quality of planning should be improved further. Only the combination of organizational approaches and information technologies like for example “Simultaneous Engineering” and the “Digital Factory” promises a sufficient increase of planning efficiency. The following paper deals with existing methodologies and promising approaches in the field of “Digital Factory” against the background of an integrated product and process design. Referring to the requirements of logistics planning, an early integration of ...