Reverse logistics practices for recovering mobile phones in Spain

The main objective of this article is to characterize the reverse logistics system for mobile phones in Spain. The study includes the characterization of the different actors involved in the reverse logistics system and the description of the most common logistics practices in the sector. We will also opose alternative practices for managing this complex reverse logistics system and finally, we analyse the challenges of the current reverse logistics model. Some alternatives for the current model are location of reception points for end-of-use mobiles, the need to legislate the secondhand mobile phone market, and the location of the necessary recycling centres according to current legislation.

Reverse logistics systems for waste generated throughout vehicles life-cycle

Waste produced during the service life of automobiles has received much less attention than end-of-life vehicles themselves. In this paper, we deal with the set up of a reverse logistics system for the collection and treatment of use-phase residues. First, the type of waste arising during vehicles? service life is characterized. Data were collected in collaboration with SIGRAUTO, the product stewardship organization in charge of vehicles? recovery in Spain. Next, three organizational models are proposed. The three alternatives are benchmarked and assessed from a double organizational and operational perspective for the particular case of the Madrid region in Spain

Robustness and Recoverability in Transport Logistics

Abstract Transport is the foundation of any economy: it boosts economic growth, creates wealth, enhances trade, geographical accessibility and the mobility of people. Transport is also a key ingredient for a high quality of life, making places accessible and bringing people together. The future prosperity of our world will depend on the ability of all of its regions to remain fully and competitively integrated in the world economy. Efficient transport is vital in making this happen. Operations research can help in efficiently planning the design and operating transport systems. Planning and operational processes are fields that are rich in combinatorial optimization problems. These problems can be analyzed and solved through the application of mathematical models and optimization techniques, which may lead to an improvement in the performance of the transport system, as well as to a reduction in the time required for solving these problems. The latter aspect is important, because it increases the flexibility of the system: the system can adapt in a faster way to changes in the environment (i.e.: weather conditions, crew illness, failures, etc.). These disturbing changes (called disruptions) often enforce the schedule to be adapted. The direct consequences are delays and cancellations, implying many schedule adjustments and huge costs. Consequently, robust schedules and recovery plans must be developed in order to fight against disruptions. This dissertation makes contributions to two different fields: rail and air applications. Robust planning and recovery methods are presented. In the field of railway transport we develop several mathematical models which answer to RENFE’s (the major railway operator in Spain) needs: 1. We study the rolling stock assignment problem: here, we introduce some robust aspects in order to ameliorate some operations which are likely to fail. Once the rolling stock assignment is known, we propose a robust routing model which aims at identifying the train units’ sequences while minimizing the expected delays and human resources needed to perform the sequences. 2. It is widely accepted that the sequential solving approach produces solutions that are not global optima. Therefore, we develop an integrated and robust model to determine the train schedule and rolling stock assignment. We also propose an integrated model to study the rolling stock circulations. Circulations are determined by the rolling stock assignment and routing of the train units. 3. Although our aim is to develop robust plans, disruptions will be likely to occur and recovery methods will be needed. Therefore, we propose a recovery method which aims to recover the train schedule and rolling stock assignment in an integrated fashion all while considering the passenger demand. In the field of air transport we develop several mathematical models which answer to IBERIA’s (the major airline in Spain) needs: 1. We look at the airline-scheduling problem and develop an integrated approach that optimizes schedule design, fleet assignment and passenger use so as to reduce costs and create fewer incompatibilities between decisions. Robust itineraries are created to ameliorate misconnected passengers. 2. Air transport operators are continuously facing competition from other air operators and different modes of transport (e.g., High Speed Rail). Consequently, airline profitability is critically influenced by the airline’s ability to estimate passenger demands and construct profitable flight schedules. We consider multi-modal competition including airline and rail, and develop a new approach that estimates the demand associated with a given schedule; and generates airline schedules and fleet assignments using an integrated schedule design and fleet assignment optimization model that captures the impacts of schedule decisions on passenger demand.

Increasing the accuracy of positive displacement meters for the measurement of volume in liquid hydrocarbon logistics

Accuracy in the liquid hydrocarbons custody transfer is mandatory because it has a great economic impact. By far the most accurate meter is the positive displacement (PD) meter. Increasing such an accuracy may adversely affect the cost of the custody transfer, unless simple models are developed in order to lower the cost, which is the purpose of this work. PD meter consists of a fixed volume rotating chamber. For each turn a pulse is counted, hence, the measured volume is the number of pulses times the volume of the chamber. It does not coincide with the real volume, so corrections have to be made. All the corrections are grouped by a meter factor. Among corrections highlights the slippage flow. By solving the Navier-Stokes equations one can find an analytical expression for this flow. It is neither easy nor cheap to apply straightforward the slippage correction; therefore we have made a simple model where slippage is regarded as a single parameter with dimension of time. The model has been tested for several PD meters. In our careful experiments, the meter factor grows with temperature at a constant pace of 8?10?5?ºC?1. Be warned

Modelling spatial decisión support systems focused on the development of a data warehouse: applying software engineering

Nowadays, organizations have plenty of data stored in DB databases, which contain invaluable information. Decision Support Systems DSS provide the support needed to manage this information and planning médium and long-term ?the modus operandi? of these organizations. Despite the growing importance of these systems, most proposals do not include its total evelopment, mostly limiting itself on the development of isolated parts, which often have serious integration problems. Hence, methodologies that include models and processes that consider every factor are necessary. This paper will try to fill this void as it proposes an approach for developing spatial DSS driven by the development of their associated Data Warehouse DW, without forgetting its other components. To the end of framing the proposal different Engineering Software focus (The Software Engineering Process and Model Driven Architecture) are used, and coupling with the DB development methodology, (and both of them adapted to DW peculiarities). Finally, an example illustrates the proposal.

APLICAÇÃO DOS MÉTODOS DE PENSAMENTO ENXUTO NA LOGÍSTICA DE DISTRIBUIÇÃO DE PEÇAS E ACESSÓRIOS DE UMA EMPRESA AUTOMOTIVA DA REGIÃO DO ABC

A utilização dos conceitos Lean de produção na logística é tida como um diferencial na criação de vantagem competitiva pelas empresas, inclusive por operadores logísticos. Na indústria automotiva, a prática de tais conceitos é utilizada de forma ampla. O conceito de se ter um sistema enxuto de fornecimento pode levar ao simples entendimento de restrição de fornecedores e redução dos níveis de estoque através do aumento de freqüência das entregas, contudo esta é uma visão distorcida quando falamos de sistema enxuto, pois o sistema enxuto trata da análise de eliminação de desperdício de todo o sistema envolvido em um processo. O objetivo desta dissertação foi de realizar um estudo exploratório sobre os aspectos determinantes do sucesso na implantação do conceito de logística lean e sua aplicação na logística de distribuição de peças de uma empresa automotiva, através de um operador logístico. A metodologia utilizada para a neste trabalho é uma revisão bibliográfica e a imersão em um ambiente de operação logística terceirizada em um depósito de uma indústria automotiva de distribuição de peças à rede autorizada, onde o autor atua como agente para melhoria dos processos operacionais in loco. Como resultado foi observado um aumento na produtividade das operações, bem como uma redução de área utilizada e do tempo de resposta dos pedidos colocados.(AU)

APLICAÇÃO DOS MÉTODOS DE PENSAMENTO ENXUTO NA LOGÍSTICA DE DISTRIBUIÇÃO DE PEÇAS E ACESSÓRIOS DE UMA EMPRESA AUTOMOTIVA DA REGIÃO DO ABC

A utilização dos conceitos Lean de produção na logística é tida como um diferencial na criação de vantagem competitiva pelas empresas, inclusive por operadores logísticos. Na indústria automotiva, a prática de tais conceitos é utilizada de forma ampla. O conceito de se ter um sistema enxuto de fornecimento pode levar ao simples entendimento de restrição de fornecedores e redução dos níveis de estoque através do aumento de freqüência das entregas, contudo esta é uma visão distorcida quando falamos de sistema enxuto, pois o sistema enxuto trata da análise de eliminação de desperdício de todo o sistema envolvido em um processo. O objetivo desta dissertação foi de realizar um estudo exploratório sobre os aspectos determinantes do sucesso na implantação do conceito de logística lean e sua aplicação na logística de distribuição de peças de uma empresa automotiva, através de um operador logístico. A metodologia utilizada para a neste trabalho é uma revisão bibliográfica e a imersão em um ambiente de operação logística terceirizada em um depósito de uma indústria automotiva de distribuição de peças à rede autorizada, onde o autor atua como agente para melhoria dos processos operacionais in loco. Como resultado foi observado um aumento na produtividade das operações, bem como uma redução de área utilizada e do tempo de resposta dos pedidos colocados.(AU)

Enrichment of the Phenotypic and Genotypic Data Warehouse analysis using Question Answering systems to facilitate the decision making process in cereal breeding programs

Currently there are an overwhelming number of scientific publications in Life Sciences, especially in Genetics and Biotechnology. This huge amount of information is structured in corporate Data Warehouses (DW) or in Biological Databases (e.g. UniProt, RCSB Protein Data Bank, CEREALAB or GenBank), whose main drawback is its cost of updating that makes it obsolete easily. However, these Databases are the main tool for enterprises when they want to update their internal information, for example when a plant breeder enterprise needs to enrich its genetic information (internal structured Database) with recently discovered genes related to specific phenotypic traits (external unstructured data) in order to choose the desired parentals for breeding programs. In this paper, we propose to complement the internal information with external data from the Web using Question Answering (QA) techniques. We go a step further by providing a complete framework for integrating unstructured and structured information by combining traditional Databases and DW architectures with QA systems. The great advantage of our framework is that decision makers can compare instantaneously internal data with external data from competitors, thereby allowing taking quick strategic decisions based on richer data.

Plan for warehouse, undated

Hand drawn plat noting "Old warehouse" and "new warehouse" near the "Great Bridge" and the "high way down to Marretts warft," with a note discussing the metes and bounds of the property in reference to measures of "Mr. Bordman."

Strategic knowledge serendipity and arbitrage & intellectual venture capitalists: An emerging breed of knowledge entrepreneurs; and Part II: Global and Local (GloCal) knowledge logistics for innovation and competitiveness. ACES Working Papers, August 2009

Strategic Knowledge: While entrepreneurship may occur as a natural result of personal drive, it occurs most often, most robustly and is most sustainable in an environment designed to encourage it. Potential entrepreneurs become active entrepreneurs when the conditions are most supportive of their commercial opportunities and their business thus helping channel the two key qualities they exhibit as individuals obsessed maniacs and clairvoyant oracles (Carayannis, GWU Lectures, 2000-2005) and (Carayannis et at, 2003a) towards the generation of sustainable wealth. So far, entrepreneurial scholars who turn into intellectual venture capitalists by founding knowledge-driven companies remain one of the least explored specie in the territory of entrepreneurship. GloCal: The increasing engagement of firms within global knowledge and production networks and their ability to source knowledge globally as well as locally (GloCally), for the development of innovation capacities will shape the future of UK's knowledge resources and its role in the global economy. Practices such as off-shoring R&D activities are widely adopted, creating challenging, and not very well understood, issues related to cross-country and inter-firm knowledge and technology flows. We seek to address the internationalisation and networking of research and innovation activities, including the roles and strategies of enterprises, universities, research centres, governments in a cross-country and inter-sectoral way, to assess the impact and the implications for sustaining and enhancing the competitiveness of UK firms and other British knowledge producers and users.

Global and local (GloCal) knowledge logistics for innovation and competitiveness. ACES Working Papers, August 2010

The increasing engagement of firms within global knowledge and production networks and their ability to source knowledge globally as well as locally (GloCally), for the development of innovation capacities will shape the future of UK's knowledge resources and its role in the global economy. Practices such as off-shoring R&D activities are widely adopted, creating challenging, and not very well understood, issues related to cross-country and inter-firm knowledge and technology flows. We seek to address the internationalisation and networking of research and innovation activities, including the roles and strategies of enterprises, universities, research centres, governments in a cross-country and inter-sectoral way, to assess the impact and the implications for sustaining and enhancing the competitiveness of UK firms and other British knowledge producers and users.

Expeditionary logistics : --a strategic plan for Navy and Marine Corps 21st century logistics.

Mode of access: Internet.

Nomination of Robert B. Pirie, Jr. : hearing before the Subcommittee on Manpower and Personnel of the Committee on Armed Services, United States Senate, Ninety-sixth Congress, first session, on the nomination of Robert B. Pirie, Jr., to be Assistant Secretary of Defense for Manpower, Reserve Affairs, and Logistics, April 6, 1979.

Mode of access: Internet.

Injuries to warehouse workers.

"April 1986."

The Big 'L' : American logistics in World War II /

"First printing, March 1997"--T.p. verso.