Achieving Efficient Supply Chain Management

SA34.1 Measures of Quality along a Food Supply Chain

• Jack C. Hayya; Pennsylvania State University, Dept. of MS, 303 Beam Bldg., University Park, PA 16802; jch@psu.edu
• Xin X. He; South Carolina State University, School of Bus., 300 College St. NE, Orangeburg, SC 29117; xhe@scsu.edu

The philosophy of supply chain management involves the elimination of organizational boundaries so that the end-customer can be quickly provided with a safe, fresh product. In this context, we examine how the quality measures evolve as go we from the upstream to the downstream end of the supply chain...

SA34.2 Analysis of Variablility Control Mechanisms in Multi-Echelon Distribution Systems

• Joseph Geunes; University of Florida, Dept. of ISE, 303 Weil Hall, Gainesville, FL 32611; geunes@ise.ufl.edu

Distribution systems often contain several echelons consisting of different firms that interact only through product ordering and delivery. Chain members observe demand and optimize their own operations without considering the impact on system performance. We investigate practical mechanisms that coordinate operations in distribution systems involving manufacturing, warehousing and retail stages.

SA34.3 The Effects of the Shape of Lead-Time Demand Distribution on the Logistics System Costs

• John E. Tyworth; Pennsylvania State University, 509F Bus. Admin. Bldg., Dept. of Bus. Logistics, University Park, PA 16802; jet@psu.edu
• Amy Z. Zeng; University of North Carolina, Cameron Sch. of Bus., Dept. Production & Dec. Sci., Wilmington, NC 28403-3297; zenga@uncwil.edu

Service level or shortage cost is frequently used to deal with the LTD when making inventory-logistics decisions in supply chain management. We clarify the discussion of the appropriate form of the total cost function and examine the sensitivity of the decisions to the shape of the distribution of LTD.

SA34.4 Minimizing Response Time in a Multi-Product Production System with Significant Changeover Times

• Mark L. Spearman; University of Alabama, Coll. of Commerce/Bus. Admin., 3000 Alston Hall, Box 870226, Tuscaloosa, AL 35487-0226; mspearman@cba.ua.edu

We consider the problem of determining the batch sizes that minimize total system flow time for a system that makes several different products in which a significant changeover time occurs whenever the product changes. We obtain the counter intuitive result that smaller process batch sizes should accompany longer changeover times.