Pallets are returnable transport items and of great importance for supply chains. They ensure efficient storage, transport, and handling processes. The pallet cycle, however, is associated with a substantial effort. In addition to administrative costs, extra trips and detours must often be taken by forwarders to retrieve pallets or buy new pallets. In this paper, a fictitious cross-actor pallet exchange platform is analyzed by building a supply chain model.
This work aims at optimizing a public transportation network and its maintenance. In particular, it focuses on determining routes for replacement services and adjusting headways in case of scheduled shutdowns of subway lines. A simulation-based two-layer optimization approach is proposed to solve the problem.
In Ireland, cheese is one of the most exported products. Due to Brexit, it will be most impacted by delays at ports caused by the potential reintroduction of customs or border controls. To predict forthcoming changes and analyze their impact on the cheese supply chain in Ireland, a simulation model was built. To develop the model, the research team used a combination of the agent-based and discrete event modeling approaches along with geographic information system (GIS) included in AnyLogic simulation software.
The negative effects of traffic, such as air quality problems and road congestion, put a strain on the
infrastructure of cities and high-populated areas. A potential measure to reduce these negative effects are grocery home deliveries (e-grocery), which can bundle driving activities and, hence, result in decreased traffic and related emission outputs.
This paper presents an agent-based simulation for logistics network analysis. The model built with a simulation tool assesses the impact of the e-grocery logistics network compared to the stationary one in terms of mileage and different emission outputs.
E-commerce has increased tremendously in recent decades because of improvements in information and telecommunications technology along with changes in social lifestyles. More recently, e-grocery (groceries purchased online) including fresh vegetables and fruit, is gaining importance as the most-efficient delivery system in terms of cost and time.
This paper evaluates the effect of cooperation-based logistics policies, including horizontal cooperation, on service quality among different supermarkets in Pamplona, Spain. For that, the research team applies simulation modeling as a logistics optimization technique.
With the current COVID-19 pandemic, there is a shopping paradigm shift towards e-commerce, which even after the pandemic will not return to the old state. This paradigm shift raises the need for optimal layout and pick paths that result in better performing multi-pick warehouses.
This case study focuses on the simulation of a soon-to-be-implemented automation system within a Walmart Canada warehouse. This new system's aim is more efficient warehouse operations. Many stock-keeping units (SKUs) cannot be sent to retail stores in full case quantities. They are slow movers and would require individual stores to carry excessive inventory.
Breakpack is the process of breaking cases down to individual eaches (pieces) and combining them into mixed SKU cartons. Automating breakpack offers significant labor and quality savings, that are important to ensure efficient warehouse operations, but also a high degree of complexity.
Long-haul trailer operations are a critical part of supply chains in many of the world’s developed economies. In the UK, it is estimated that long-haul logistics contributes around 45% of all greenhouse gas emissions from road freight.
One way to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in this sector is by fitting a battery on the trailer. However, long-haul operations are very energy-intensive and electric vehicles would require batteries of considerable size and weight. Applying agent-based modelling and simulation, this paper aims at analyzing if electrification (e.g., electric vehicle fleet, electric road system, etc.) would help reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
Due to numerous uncertainties such as bad weather conditions, frequent changes in the schedules of vessels, breakdowns of equipment, port managers are aiming at providing adaptive and flexible strategic planning of their facilities, especially intermodal terminals (dry ports).
This research shows that the combination of the agent-based modeling with other simulation approaches simplifies the process of designing simulation models and increases their visibility. The developed set of models allows the researchers to compute the balanced values of the parameters. Consequently, it helps achieve effective operation of a seaport – intermodal terminal system. The provided case study on one of the busiest ports in China proves the adequacy and validity of the developed simulation models.