| 1. |
- Hedenstierna, Philip, et al.
(författare)
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An Integrative Approach To Inventory Control
- 2009
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Ingår i: Rapid Modelling for Increasing Competitiveness. - London : Springer London. - 9781848827479 - 9781848827486 ; , s. 105-118
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Bokkapitel (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Inventory control systems consist of three types of methods: forecasting, safety stock sizing and order timing and sizing. These are all part of the interpretation of a planning environment to generate replenishment orders, and may consequently affect the performance of a system. It is therefore essential to integrate these aspects into a complete inventory control process, to be able to evaluate different methods for certain environments as well as for predicting the overall performance of a system. In this research a framework of an integrated inventory control process has been developed, covering all relations from planning environment to performance measures. Based on this framework a simulation model has been constructed; the objective is to show how integrated inventory control systems perform in comparison to theoretical predictions as well as to show the benefits of using an integrated inventory control process when evaluating the appropriateness of inventory control solutions. Results indicate that only simple applications (for instance without forecasts or seasonality) correspond to theoretical cost and service level calculations, while more complex models (forecasts and changing demand patterns) show the need for tight synchronization between forecasts and reordering methods. As the framework describes all relations that affect performance, it simplifies the construction of simulation models and makes them accurate. Another benefit of the framework is that it may be used to transfer simulation models to real-world applications, or vice versa, without loss of functionality.
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| 2. |
- Hedenstierna, Philip, et al.
(författare)
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Design of a Framework for Inventory Control - Evaluation of Forecasting and Inventory Control Systems
- 2009
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Ingår i: Flexible Automation and Intelligent Manufacturing 2009 (FAIM 2009). - Middlesbrough, UK : Curran Associates, Inc.. - 9780956230331 - 9781615676279 ; , s. 573-580
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Konferensbidrag (refereegranskat)abstract
- Managing inventories so that overall costs are kept low, while service levels are maintained is the central issue of inventory control, which only regulates two things: the size and the timing of orders. This is typically executed through a planning method, such as the reorder point system or, less frequently, the periodic order quantity system. These take into account a forecast, supposed to gauge the average future demand, and a predetermined safety stock, buffering against forecast errors and demand uncertainty. Pure demand also influences the system, as transactions affect the inventory level. It is crucial to understand how a complete system of demand, forecasts, safety stock calculations and planning methods work together to measure service level and overall cost of the system. This paper outlines a framework for the unambiguous representation of the relations between methods that interpret environmental parameters to plan orders. A number of simulations based on the framework are run to show, how the integration of the inventory control functions may affect the overall performance of the system. The usefullness of the framework lies in its ability to make a system duplicable (i.e. to transfer an inventory control system to a simulation model, or vice versa). Not only is this property important for creating simulation models that exactly depict the system being analysed, it also enables the study of a complete system for order planning, as opposed to optimising individual methods. Studying an inclusive system allow the same metrics to be used to evaluate changes to any method in the system. Another benefit of this approach is that the system's metrics directly reflect changes in the environment. Simulations based on this framework are precise and substantially easier to evaluate than models not adhering to any standard.
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| 3. |
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| 4. |
- Hilletofth, Per, et al.
(författare)
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Agent Based Decision Support in Manufacturing Supply Chain
- 2009
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Ingår i: Agent and Multi-Agent Systems: Technologies and Applications. - Berlin, Heidelberg : Springer Berlin/Heidelberg. - 3642016642 - 9783642016646 - 9783642016653 ; , s. 677-686
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Konferensbidrag (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Supply Chain Management (SCM) is becoming increasingly complex and an intensified competition in the end-markets has started to create a situation where co-operation requirements between companies in a Supply Chain (SC) are increasing. The old mechanistic operations management solutions are becoming obsolete and advanced decision support is increasingly needed to realize efficient and effective management of complex SCs. The objective of this research is to contribute to the understanding of how Agent Based Modeling (ABM) can advance decision making and to discuss why ABM should be regarded as method to realize Information Fusion (IF). In this research work an agent based model of SCM has been implemented in a simulation platform to provide an approach for evaluation of decision and management alternatives. Research shows that this kind of decision support system is based on IF, since it collects and fuses information from different sources into a situation image that provides effective support for human decision making
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| 5. |
- Hilletofth, Per, et al.
(författare)
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Agent-based simulation fusion for improved decision making for service operations
- 2009
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Ingår i: Proceedings of the 12th International Conference on Information Fusion. - Seattle, US. - 9780982443804 ; , s. 998-1005
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Konferensbidrag (refereegranskat)abstract
- We use agent-based modeling and simulation to fuse data from multiple sources to estimate the state of some system properties. This implies that the real system of interest is modeled and simulated using agent principles. Using Monte-Carlo simulation, we estimate the values of some decision-relevant numerical properties. We use the estimated properties, such as utilization of resources and service levels, as a decision support for a Maintenance Service Provider. Our initial results indicate that this kind of fusion of information sources can improve the understanding of the problem domain (e.g. to what degree some critical properties influence service operations) and also generate a basis for decision-making.
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| 6. |
- Hilletofth, Per, et al.
(författare)
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Demand chain management : a Swedish industrial case study
- 2009
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Ingår i: Industrial management & data systems. - : Emerald Group Publishing Limited. - 0263-5577 .- 1758-5783. ; 109:8-9, s. 1179-1196
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to increase the understanding of demand chain management (DCM) by investigating how it has been structured and executed in an international manufacturing company. Design/methodology/approach - The main emphasis has been on producing descriptive results and the applied research strategy has been an embedded single case study. The case organization originates from Sweden, but it has significant international presence. Empirical data have been collected mainly from in-depth interviews with key persons representing senior management in the case company.Findings - This research shows that DCM is about developing synergies between the demand creation and the demand fulfillment processes. A completely implemented DCM approach should incorporate all the major demand creation and fulfillment processes. This kind of fully implemented approach probably does not exist in real life today but some companies have started to develop versions including some of the major processes, and this research provides an example of this. The ultimate goal of DCM is to gain competitive advantages by differentiating not only the products, but also the delivery process. This is necessary in markets characterized of intensive competition, high product variety, large amount of customer-adapted products, and short product life cycles. It can be concluded that DCM is not another name for demand driven supply chains (SCs) or a fad. It is rather a way to finally benefit from decade long marketing discussions on how to achieve customer focus. It highlights the interplay between marketing and supply chain management (SCM) as an enabler of value creation.Research limitations/implications - This research work is limited to one Swedish company; however the case company has large international presence and is in top three in their industry measured by sales, which provides some ground for the generalization of the research. Practical implications - This paper gives an insight for managers and practitioners to the value of coordinating marketing and SCM to develop a truly customer-driven organization and SC. Originality/value - Several studies have addressed the synergies between marketing and SCM but failed to address how to in some detail realize this in practice. This paper contributes by discussing how to realize this coordination in practice.
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| 7. |
- Hilletofth, Per, et al.
(författare)
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Demand Chain Management : Next Generation of Logistics Management?
- 2007
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Ingår i: Conradi Research Review. - : Industrial Management at University of Vaasa. - 1459-0980. ; 4:2, s. 1-18
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- In the literature several authors argue that there is a need for a new generation of logistics management since the business environment has changed. This new management philosophy identifies consumers and their requirements as starting point for all supply chain activities and has more properly been termed Demand Chain Management (DCM). The purpose of this paper is to analyze if DCM should be regarded as the next generation of logistics management and furthermore to illustrate its usefulness in practice through case study of Swedish appliance manufacturer. Literature review and case study findings show that DCM is not merely a development of the logistics principles, but rather an integration of marketing and supply chain operations. It is needed in volatile and consumer-oriented environments, which require higher levels of customized products, faster product development and commercialization together with supply, manufacturing and distribution on demand.
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| 8. |
- Hilletofth, Per
(författare)
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Differentiated Supply Chain Strategy - Building Knowledge through Case Studies
- 2008
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Ingår i: Fourth International Railway Logistics Seminar. - Kouvola, Finland : Lappeenranta University of Technology. - 9789522146014 ; , s. 5-28, s. 5-28, s. 5-28
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Konferensbidrag (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Nowadays companies usually offer a wide range of products and services in various types of non-coherent business environments. It is becoming apparent that traditional ‘one-size-fits-all’ supply chain strategies does not support a wide range of products sold in a diversity of markets. Consequently, it becomes increasingly necessary to employ different manufacturing and delivery strategies concurrently in order to develop a differentiated supply chain strategy. This paper employs a descriptive multiple case study approach to illustrate how two companies has develop a differentiated supply chain strategy. Case study findings reveal that one efficient method to develop a differentiated supply chain strategy is to combine different manufacturing and delivery strategies into various supply chain solutions. By combining relatively few strategies it is possible to develop several differentiated supply chain solutions.
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| 9. |
- Hilletofth, Per
(författare)
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Differentiated Supply Chain Strategy - Response to a fragmented and complex market
- 2008
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Licentiatavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Supply Chain Management (SCM) aims to synchronize the requirements of customers with the flow of materials from suppliers, in order to satisfy the needs of the customers as costefficiently as possible. This has become a difficult task due to several developments in the market, such as increased competition, increased demand variability, increased product variety, increased amounts of customer-specific products, and shortening product life cycles. These developments, due in part to globalization, provide additional management challenges and new practices in which supply chains are designed and managed, and can eventually make the difference between companies staying competitive or not. The overall purpose of this thesis is to investigate how complexity and globalization affect supply chain design and operations. The main emphasis has been on producing descriptive results of the studied phenomenon. This research involves five case studies covering international transportation structures used in SCM, the selection of supply chain strategies in different business environments, and the role of information systems and technology in achieving the objective of SCM. In this thesis it has been concluded that in order to cope with increasingly complex and fragmented markets companies need more differentiated transportation structures, modes, and supply chains. Furthermore, to effectively manage this, information systems and advanced decision support tools are required. In addition, this thesis has shown that current taxonomies for supply chain strategy selection are too simplistic due to three major problems: they mediate that it is a question of choosing one supply chain strategy for the entire company,they regard markets as rather homogeneous, and they link each supply chain strategy to a specific business context. Instead, it has been concluded that in order to better satisfy differing customer needs in various markets it is increasingly necessary to develop a differentiated supply chain strategy by utilizing different manufacturing and delivery strategies concurrently. Thus, a need exists for new taxonomies for supply chain strategy selection which recognize that the markets are becoming more fragmented and complex, that customer preferences differ across customer/market segments, and that there is a need to differentiate the supply chain strategy. This thesis also highlights several requirements of a differentiated supply chain strategy. Firstly, extended supply chain collaboration is required, since a differentiated supply chain strategy will involve more supply chain partners than a traditional supply chain strategy. Secondly, there is a need for more transportation mode alternatives, particularly intermodal, both in supply and distribution operations, due to the fact that differentiation requires diversity. In this thesis, intermodal landbridge freight services are highlighted as one interesting avenue, which could potentially facilitate a more differentiated supply chain strategy. Thirdly, more integrated information systems are needed along with decision support tools. This study illustrates that agent based modeling appears to be an interesting method for developing realistic decision support tools in the context of complex supply chains. An interesting aspect for further research is to investigate how different manufacturing and delivery strategies can be used concurrently in international supply chains. Moreover, there are several requirements and opportunities of a differentiated supply chain strategy, and these have to be investigated further
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| 10. |
- Hilletofth, Per, et al.
(författare)
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Differentiated Supply Chains Strategies Based on Customer Insights
- 2008
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Ingår i: Proceedings of the 18th International Conference on Flexible Automation and Intelligent Manufacturing (FAIM 2008), Skövde, 30/6-2/7, 2008..
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Konferensbidrag (refereegranskat)abstract
- Supply chains satisfy customers by striving for delivering the right products to the right place at the right time, atthe right quality and at the right quantity within an increasingly faster pace and lower cost. One implication thatcan be made from this is that the nature of markets is the point of departure in both supply chain design andoperations. Given that organizations usually offer a wide range of products and services with different supplyand demand characteristics, one could argue that organizations conduct business in various types of noncoherentbusiness environments. There has been a recognition that ‘one-size-fits-all’ supply chain strategies onlysatisfies a limited number of business environments, and that it is increasingly necessary to develop severaldifferentiated supply chain strategies to satisfy all major business environments in a better way. This paperemploys a descriptive case study approach to illustrate how a case company develops differentiated supplychains based on customer insights. Case study findings reveal that one efficient way to develop differentiatedsupply chain strategies is to combine different supply and delivery methods into supply chain solutions. Bycombining relatively few supply and delivery methods it is possible to develop several differentiated supply chainstrategies.
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