This book helps readers evaluate and specificy the best Warehouse Management System (WMS) for their need. The advice is based on practical knowledge, describing in detail fundamental processes and technologies needed for a basic understanding. New approaches in the structure and design of WMS are presented, along with discussion of the limitations of current systems. The book shows how to operate a simple WMS based on the open-source initiative myWMS.

With the pressure of time-based competition increasing, and customers demanding faster service, availability of service parts becomes a critical component of manufacturing and servicing operations. Service Parts Management first focuses on intermittent demand forecasting and then on the management of service parts inventories. It guides researchers and practitioners in finding better management solutions to their problems and is both an excellent reference for key concepts and a leading resource for further research. Demand forecasting techniques are presented for parametric and nonparametric approaches, and multi echelon cases and inventory pooling are also considered. Inventory control is examined in the continuous and periodic review cases, while the following are all examined in the context of forecasting: * error measures, * distributional assumptions, and * decision trees. Service Parts Management provides the reader with an overview and a detailed treatment of the current state of the research available on the forecasting and inventory management of items with intermittent demand. It is a comprehensive review of service parts management and provides a starting point for researchers, postgraduate students, and anyone interested in forecasting or managing inventory.

The implementation of a TMS solution is a highly complex and mission critical project. If executed correctly a good TMS can deliver a number of benefits to the organization in terms of optimization, greater efficiency, reduced errors and improved revenue through accurate invoicing. However a number of projects fail to realize these benefits for a host of reasons such as an incorrect product selection, over customization of the system and lack of detailed processes. The evaluation and selection of the right transportation management system is a very critical step in the successful implementation of a TMS product as well as ensuring that the organization is able to realize the benefits expected from the system.Transportation Management with SAP TM 9 is a guide for CIO/CXOs evaluating options for various transportation management solutions available in the market and helps inappropriate decision making before committing investment. A proven evaluation framework and guidance provided in the book can help decision makers with product selection and help to create a business case for management approval and design a future roadmap for the organization. The book provides a comprehensive understanding of what SAP transportation management is and is useful for teams involved in TM Implementation and roll outs to ensure preparedness. The book explains end-to-end freight life cycle processes, functional system landscape, implementation challenges and post go-live precautions required to optimize investments in SAP TM. Transportation Management with SAP TM 9 also acts as a step by step implementation guide with details of configuration required to set up a TM9 system. This book also covers the upgrade of SAP TM8 to SAP TM9 which will be useful for existing clients who are on TM 8. Nonavailability of SAP TM skilled resources is a major challenge faced by organizations and the book provides a detailed competency building plan along with skill set requirements to create a competent and trained workforce to manage-transformation.The current book available in the market on SAP TM is based on Version 6 release which does not cover air freight processes. Our book covers end-to-end air freight configuration scenarios for logistic companies.

The packaging industry is under pressure from regulators, customers and other stakeholders to improve packaging s sustainability by reducing its environmental and societal impacts. This is a considerable challenge because of the complex interactions between products and their packaging, and the many roles that packaging plays in the supply chain.

"Packaging for Sustainability" is a concise and readable handbook for practitioners who are trying to implement sustainability strategies for packaging. Industry case studies are used throughout the book to illustrate possible applications and scenarios." Packaging for Sustainability" draws on the expertise of researchers and industry practitioners to provide information on business benefits, environmental issues and priorities, environmental evaluation tools, design for environment, marketing strategies, and challenges for the future."

With increased globalization and offshore sourcing, global supply chain management" "is becoming an important issue for many businesses as it involves a company's worldwide interests and suppliers rather than simply a local or national orientation. The storage systems significantly affect the level of quality of products, the customer s service level, and the global logistic cost. The mission of warehousing systems design, control and optimization is to effectively ship products in the right place, at the right time, and in the right quantity (i.e. in any configuration) without any damages or alterations, and minimizing costs.

"Warehousing in the Global Supply Chain" presents and discusses a set of models, tools and real applications, including a few case studies rarely presented with a sufficient detail by other literature, to illustrate the main challenges in warehousing activities. This includes allwarehouse operations (from receiving to shipping), problems andissues (e.g. storage allocation, assignment, layout, vehicle routing) for industrial andservice systems as parts of global supply chains.

Advanced and effective solving methods are also illustrated and the discussed case studies help the reader to quickly apply the proposed models and techniques/algorithms. "Warehousing in the Global Supply Chain" is useful to managers and practitioners of industry and service sectors for the determination and modeling of the critical issues concerning warehousing systems planning and design. It is a valuable source of information for engineering students, doctoral and post-doctoral students, and researchers of academic institutions who are searching for advanced modeling approaches and solving techniques to complex logistic decision making problems.

"Warehousing in the Global Supply Chain" presents and discusses a set of models, tools and real applications, including a few case studies rarely presented with a sufficient detail by other literature, to illustrate the main challenges in warehousing activities. This includes allwarehouse operations (from receiving to shipping), problems andissues (e.g. storage allocation, assignment, layout, vehicle routing) for industrial andservice systems as parts of global supply chains.

Advanced and effective solving methods are also illustrated and the discussed case studies help the reader to quickly apply the proposed models and techniques/algorithms. "Warehousing in the Global Supply Chain" is useful to managers and practitioners of industry and service sectors for the determination and modeling of the critical issues concerning warehousing systems planning and design. It is a valuable source of information for engineering students, doctoral and post-doctoral students, and researchers of academic institutions who are searching for advanced modeling approaches and solving techniques to complex logistic decision making problems.

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The warehouses of the future will come in a variety of forms, but with a few common ingredients. Firstly, human operational handling of items in warehouses is increasingly being replaced by automated item handling. Extended warehouse automation counteracts the scarcity of human operators and supports the quality of picking processes. Secondly, the development of models to simulate and analyse warehouse designs and their components facilitates the challenging task of developing warehouses that take into account each customer's individual requirements and logistic processes. Automation in Warehouse Development addresses both types of automation from the innovative perspective of applied science. In particular, it describes the outcomes of the Falcon project, a joint endeavour by a consortium of industrial and academic partners. The results include a model-based approach to automate warehouse control design, analysis models for warehouse design, concepts for robotic item handling and computer vision, and autonomous transport in warehouses. Automation in Warehouse Development is targeted at both academic researchers and industrial practitioners. It provides state-of-the art research on warehouse automation and model-based warehouse design. These topics have been addressed from a systems engineering perspective by researchers from different disciplines including software, control, and mechanical engineering, with a clear focus on the industrial applications of their research.

E-Logistics serves as the nerve system for the whole supply chain and enables smooth information flow within and between organizations. This new and updated edition provides the latest and most comprehensive coverage on digitalization in logistics and supply chain. It covers all transport modes and the role of ICT in supporting an integrated freight and supply chain network. E-Logistics provides a cross-academic and industry perspective with leading academics and practitioners as contributing authors. A variety of successful e-logistics business approaches are discussed covering a range of commercial sectors and transport modes. Subsequent chapters address in depth support systems for B2C and B2B e-commerce and e-fulfilment, warehouse management, RFID, electronic marketplaces, global supply network visibility and service chain automation. Industry case studies are used to support the discussion. The new edition also covers emerging technologies such as AI, machine learning and autonomous vehicles, Internet of Things, Robotics, drone and last mile deliveries.

Humanitarian logistics has received increasing interest both from logistics academics and practitioners as a result of the dramatic increase in both natural and man-made disasters. The impact on affected populations can be all the more limited as much as the logistics operations in response to emergencies are effective and efficient. Collaboration with various relevant actors involving in the emergency resolution can help to reduce costs, increase speed, and improve the leanness/agility level in the humanitarian supply chain, and viceversa, poor coordination among them is cited as an explanation for performance gaps. As disasters become increasingly complex better collaboration not only with government agencies, military units, humanitarian organizations, but also through partnerships with private business becomes more and more important. However, such partnerships are not easy as organizations in the two sectors are extremely different. The main aim of this study is exploring more in depth the partnership between profit and non-profit in emergency relief operations, with a specific attention to the cross-learning potential for both the logistics service provider (profit) and the humanitarian organization (non-profit).

Many production managers have de-stocked excessively large inventories, gone lean, experimented with continuous improvement processes and introduced new working practices. These interventions have largely failed. Businesses have also failed to invest in the workforce that undertakes improvements. This means that cash flow stops quickly, stocks are depleted to zero and customers lose confidence. Systems for Manufacturing Excellence looks at how people and technology work effectively together to generate high performance manufacturing and service operations. Not everyone is a Toyota but that does not mean we cannot learn from such businesses. The book will present a logic, variety of approaches and methods that underpin the different models of high performance used by 'world class' businesses. The authors use examples from their training with Toyota, work with Tesco, and many world class manufacturing businesses that form their research agenda. The book will help teams run each part of their production process for effectiveness and efficiency, with a high level of discipline that supports excellence in performance.

The focus of the work is twofold. First, it provides an introduction into fundamental structural and behavioral aspects of periodic review inventory systems. Second, it includes a comprehensive study on analytical and optimization aspects of a specific class of those systems. For the latter purpose, general solution methods for problems of inventory management in discrete time are described and developed along with highly specialized methods to solve very specific problems related to the model variants examined. The work is thus addressed to students and practitioners who seek a deeper understanding of managing inventories in discrete time as well as to software developers who require implementation aids on specific problems of inventory management.

Warehousing and Transportation Logistics offers an overview of transport, warehousing and assembly logistics, including order picking, packaging, handling and management. The key focus is on the management techniques in transport and warehousing and the logistics-focused perspective runs throughout the entire book. The author examines different applications and planning techniques and includes examples of supporting economic calculations and questions and answers. Warehousing and Transportation Logistics looks at unit creation, material flow or goods storage as well as systems and management for planning or information to identify objects, control and processing of orders. It is a practice-oriented book for students with a multitude of useful information and ideas. It is also a workbook for professional practitioners, production, planning and industrial engineers, who are specifically concerned with the planning side of this specialist area. The examples at the end of each chapter deepen and complement the content and there are comprehensive notes with each figure providing additional information on the topic.

The development of international trade is driven by international logistics and management and the provision of the global supply chain. The ultimate objective of global supply chain management is to link the market place, distribution network, manufacturing/processing/assembly process, and procurement activity in such a way that customers are serviced at a higher level yet lower cost. Overall this has introduced a new breed of management in a computer literate environment operating in a global infrastructure. Addressing this complex topic, Alan Branch's new book fulfills two clear objectives: to provide a concise, standard work on the subject, written in lucid language that embraces all the ingredients of a notoriously complex subject with a strategic focus to extol best practices and focus on all areas of the industrial and consumer sectors and their interface with changing international market needs. Until now, no book dedicated to international logistics and supply chain management was available. Practically-oriented, this book features numerous case studies and diagrams from logistic operators. An ideal resource for management students, academics and managers who need a succinct treatment of global operations, Branch's book skillfully illustrates his ideas in practice. It is a book which should be on the shelf of every practitioner and student of the subject. Also available from Routledge: Elements of Shipping, Eighth Edition, Alan E. Branch. (978-0-415-36286-3) Maritime Economics: Management and Marketing, Alan E. Branch. (978-0-748-73986-8)

Analyze, plan and manage profitable channels to market with this economic framework, ensuring maximum leverage of channel partners at every stage of the go-to-market process, with this fully revised third edition of the global bestseller, Distribution Channels - an essential toolkit for strategizing new and existing routes to market. Unprecedented upheavals in routes-to-market are challenging businesses of all types. Products are becoming services, online and offline channels are integrating, and new distribution channels are dictating terms to producers. Placing market access at the heart of business and marketing strategy, this revised edition of Sales and Marketing Channels (originally Distribution Channels) addresses emerging business models and buying behaviours with practical steps, offering an efficient structure to extract tangible commercial value from partner relationships. Often referred to as the "Place" P in the marketing mix, this book and its host of downloadable resources integrate innovative case studies like AirBNB, the largest seller of rooms without ownership of any; Transferwise, the peer-to-peer Forex; plus, the rise of online retailers like Amazon and ASOS versus the decline of traditional stores like Macy's or BHS. Other updates include: -The impact of cloud technology -Advancing consumer channels -Monetizing the distribution of intellectual property -Plus the evolving 'gig economy', led by Uber and Deliveroo

Follow the "Proven Path" to successful implementation of enterprise resource planning

Effective forecasting, planning, and scheduling is fundamental to productivity–and ERP is a fundamental way to achieve it. Properly implementing ERP will give you a competitive advantage and help you run your business more effectively, efficiently, and responsively. This guide is structured to support all the people involved in ERP implementation–from the CEO and others in the executive suite to the people doing the detailed implementation work in sales, marketing, manufacturing, purchasing, logistics, finance, and elsewhere.

This book is not primarily about computers and software. Rather, its focus is on people–and how to provide them with superior decision-making processes for customer order fulfillment, supply chain management, financial planning, e-commerce, asset management, and more. This comprehensive guide can be used as a selective reference for those, like top management, who need only specific pieces of information, or as a virtual checklist for those who can use detailed guidance every step of the way.

The complexity of distribution systems is augmented by various trends: globalization of the manufacturing industry, rising customer demands, and the reverse flows within closed-loop systems. In this light, the need for 'advanced' planning methods that are based on quantitative optimization is constantly increasing. This book takes up the challenges posed by these developments. In doing so, it presents recent results and case studies from a group of researchers that regularly meet at the IWDL (International Workshop on Distribution Logistics). The text covers the design of distribution networks, vehicle routing, warehousing and reverse logistics. It also contains a comprehensive review of more than 60 case studies in reverse logistics.

An incredible volume of data is generated at a very high speed within the supply chain and it is necessary to understand, use and effectively apply the knowledge learned from analyzing data using intelligent business models. However, practitioners and students in the field of supply chain management face a number of challenges when dealing with business models and mathematical modelling. Supply Chain Analytics and Modelling presents a range of business analytics models used within the supply chain to help readers develop knowledge on a variety of topics to overcome common issues. Supply Chain Analytics and Modelling covers areas including supply chain planning, single and multi-objective optimization, demand forecasting, product allocations, end-to-end supply chain simulation, vehicle routing and scheduling models. Learning is supported by case studies of specialist software packages for each example. Readers will also be provided with a critical view on how supply chain management performance measurement systems have been developed and supported by reliable and accurate data available in the supply chain. Online resources including lecturer slides are available.

Focusing on the key aspects of setting up an export operation, this text demonstrates how export decisions are actually made and justified financially.

Increasing customer needs, the globalization of markets and the evolution of e-commerce add to the complexity of logistic processes. In today's business, it is well understood that an effective management of logistic processes is impossible without the use of computer-based tools and quantitative methods. This book presents in a systematic way quantitative approaches to distribution logistics and supply chain management. The main orientation of the book is towards practical problem solving, and numerous case studies and practical applications are presented. The topics covered include: supply chain management, revers logistics, e-commerce, facility location and network planning, vehicle routing, warehousing, inventory control.

Category Management in Purchasing is a comprehensive guide to strategic category management which provides a step-by-step guide to its implementation and use, and enables readers to deliver value and cost savings when sourcing and purchasing. Now in its fourth edition, this text has cemented its place as the essential reference for category management practitioners. In this new edition, Jonathan O'Brien shows how a strategic approach needs to integrate with other approaches, such as supplier relationship management and how the procurement function negotiates. Additionally, this new edition includes some new insights, based upon the experience of senior practitioners in industry, on how to make category management a success in the organization. It also includes some general updates and contextualizes the future procurement function and an ever increasing digitally enabled, de-globalized, post Brexit world. There is also additional material on the effect of international developments on procurement, updated tools and templates, and examples of how these have been successfully used in industry. Category Management in Purchasing, 4th edition connects theory and practice and provides readers with the tools to analyze complex sourcing situations quickly and clearly, and so develop innovative and creative proposals for sourcing.

Increasing customer requirements, product variety, and market competition demand for service and cost improvements by model based inventory control in supply chains. The book presents approaches for safety stock determination in manufacturing and logistics networks. Most of the existing literature provides methods for very specific types of supply networks. The approach presented in this book follows a material flow philosophy that allows for several extensions of the basic models and therefore offers a wide applicability within decision support systems. Models for several types of problems and network structures are presented and analyzed to develop efficient optimization algorithms and heuristics.

The globalization of markets has reinforced the interest in logistics. A constantly raising level of competition among companies stresses the need for improved logistic processes, in terms of cost reduction and increased service level. The book covers the main problems of distribution logistics: network design and location problems, tactical and operational planning of transport, internal logistics, and inventory management. The book contains a rigorous methodological approach with an emphasis on practical problems. Two survey papers provide references and open problems.

The transport industry has an important role to play in addressing climate change and the environmental challenges facing governments, businesses and individuals. Achieving net zero emissions by 2050 will require this sector, which is a large contributor of emissions, to innovate, adapt and drive positive change. New technologies including batteries and alternative fuels will all be significant, as will developing different approaches and outlooks. The Road to Zero Emissions is the comprehensive guide for those in the transport industry to understanding what can and is being done to tackle climate change. Through examining established companies and new entrants in the automotive space, readers are provided with examples of the importance of infrastructure, business innovation and financing for the future. In addition to this, the role of governments in establishing policies, such as zero-emission zones, is also discussed. Progressing towards zero emissions requires immediate change and this book will start you on the journey.

Distribution logistics have been strongly affected by recent economic trends: globalization of markets, deregulation of the European freight traffic, a growing part of just-in-time deliveries and both increased competition and strategic cooperation between all parties involved. The book covers in a systematic way the strategic, tactical and operational planning of distribution systems and processes. It gives an overview of the relevant quantitative models and techniques as well as of applications in industry presented through numerous case studies. Researchers and practitioners will thus equally benefit from this volume.

Sustainability can create greater efficiency and cost savings in the supply chain. Supply chains, which are more complex and global than ever before, are full of both risks and opportunities. The risks range from inconsistent or poor quality to supply disruptions to health and safety concerns to corruption. Businesses face pressure to adopt sustainable supply chain practices from various stakeholders and motivations typically come from one or more of four sources: customers, compliance, costs, competitive advantage. Sustainability in Global Value Chains is the guide to understanding all aspects and approaches of sustainable supply chains using in-depth research from leading academics from sixteen different universities.

Sustainability in Global Value Chains focuses on how to make supply chains sustainable, with an emphasis on new technologies and digitization. The research featured covers topics such as KPIs in production and supply chains, the role of standards, blockchain technology and algebraic models. This comprehensive book presents real world issues, problems in implementing sustainability in the supply chain and examples of best practice.

Controlling the production in an industrial organisation is very complex. There are two different reasons for this complexity. On the one hand, complexity is due to the variety in range and in level of detail of the activities that playa role in such a control (think of manufacturing process development, capacity planning, coordinating the flow of material through the production process, releasing of workorders, and scheduling). On the other hand, the production process itself may be complex (many products, many stages, complex interrelationships between resources, and uncertainty in the availability of resources). To deal with the first cause for complexity, one creates different, but coordinated levels of control. At each of these levels a specific part of the control of the production process is accounted for (see Anthony [3]). To deal with the second cause for complexity, one groups manufacturing steps into so-called production units (see Bertrand [8]). Each production unit is responsible for a specific part of the production process. Of course, these production units have to be coordinated to ensure that the products are manufactured timely and efficiently. This activity will be referred to as material coordination (see Bertrand [8]).