This page has only limited features, please log in for full access.
Manufacturing, storage, and transportation processes are typically facilitated by pallets, containers, and other reusable transport items (RTIs) designed to guarantee many cycles along a lifespan of several years. As a consequence, both supply and reverse transportation of RTIs need to be managed to avoid stockout along the supply chain and the unsustainable production of new tools from virgin materials. This paper focuses on the business of pallet management by analyzing the transport operations of a pallet pooling network serving a large-scale nationwide retailer. The pooler is responsible for supplying, collecting, and refurbishing pallets. The combination of the pooler’s management strategies with different retailer network configurations results in different pooling scenarios, which are assessed and compared in this paper through a what-if analysis. The logistical and environmental impacts generated by the pallet distribution activities are quantified per each scenario through a tailored software incorporating Geographic Information System (GIS) and routing functionalities. Findings from this analysis suggest how to reduce vehicle distance traveled (vehicles-km) by 65% and pollutant emissions by 60% by combining network infrastructures and pooling management strategies—identifying an empirical best practice for managers of pallet businesses.
Riccardo Accorsi; Giulia Baruffaldi; Riccardo Manzini; Chiara Pini. Environmental Impacts of Reusable Transport Items: A Case Study of Pallet Pooling in a Retailer Supply Chain. Sustainability 2019, 11, 3147 .
AMA StyleRiccardo Accorsi, Giulia Baruffaldi, Riccardo Manzini, Chiara Pini. Environmental Impacts of Reusable Transport Items: A Case Study of Pallet Pooling in a Retailer Supply Chain. Sustainability. 2019; 11 (11):3147.
Chicago/Turabian StyleRiccardo Accorsi; Giulia Baruffaldi; Riccardo Manzini; Chiara Pini. 2019. "Environmental Impacts of Reusable Transport Items: A Case Study of Pallet Pooling in a Retailer Supply Chain." Sustainability 11, no. 11: 3147.
Returnable container networks have caught the eye of those companies that aim to reduce waste generation and environmental impact. The literature already includes studies on the environmental impact (i.e. Life Cycle Assessment, LCA) of these networks. However, the major part is based on secondary data since the collection of primary data is complex and time-intensive. This paper proposes an object-relational database dedicated to the storage of data from a closed-loop reusable plastic crates (RPC) networks for fruits and vegetables. The goal is supporting scholars and managers during the LCA through a user-friendly data architecture, while suggesting structured guidelines for the primary data collection. Each node of the RPC network is characterized by a similar set of entity types, such as machines, which allows to process the RPCs with respect to specific cycles. Each entity, process and cycle are therefore reflected in the database by objects that are connected with relations.
G. Baruffaldi; R. Accorsi; L. Volpe; R. Manzini. A Data Architecture to aid Life Cycle Assessment in closed-loop Reusable Plastic Container networks. Procedia Manufacturing 2019, 33, 398 -405.
AMA StyleG. Baruffaldi, R. Accorsi, L. Volpe, R. Manzini. A Data Architecture to aid Life Cycle Assessment in closed-loop Reusable Plastic Container networks. Procedia Manufacturing. 2019; 33 ():398-405.
Chicago/Turabian StyleG. Baruffaldi; R. Accorsi; L. Volpe; R. Manzini. 2019. "A Data Architecture to aid Life Cycle Assessment in closed-loop Reusable Plastic Container networks." Procedia Manufacturing 33, no. : 398-405.
PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to illustrate an original decision-support tool (DST) that aids 3PL managers to decide on the proper warehouse management system (WMS) customization. The aim of this tool is to address to the three main issues affecting such decision: the cost of the information sharing, the scarce visibility of the client’s data and the uncertainty of quantifying the return from investing into a WMS feature.Design/methodology/approachThe tool behaves as a digital twin of a WMS. In addition, it incorporates a set of WMS’s features based both on heuristics and optimization techniques and uses simulation to perform what-if multi-scenario analyses of alternative management scenarios. In order to validate the effectiveness of the tool, its application to a real-world 3PL warehouse operating in the sector of biomedical products is illustrated.FindingsThe results of a simulation campaign along an observation horizon of ten months demonstrate how the tool supports the comparison of alternative scenarios with theas-is, thereby suggesting the most suitable WMS customization to adopt.Practical implicationsThe tool supports 3PL managers in enhancing the efficiency of the operations and the fulfilling of the required service level, which is increasingly challenging given the large inventory mix and the variable clients portfolio that 3PLs have to manage. Particularly, the choice of the WMS customization that better perform with each business can be problematic, given the scarce information visibility of the provider on the client’s processes.Originality/valueTo the author’s knowledge, this paper is among the first to address a still uncovered gap of the warehousing literature by illustrating a DST that exploits optimization and simulation techniques to quantify the impacts of the information availability on the warehousing operations performance. As a second novel contribution, this tool enables to create a digital twin of a WMS and foresee the evolution of the warehouse’s performance over time.
Giulia Baruffaldi; Riccardo Accorsi; Riccardo Manzini. Warehouse management system customization and information availability in 3pl companies. Industrial Management & Data Systems 2019, 119, 251 -273.
AMA StyleGiulia Baruffaldi, Riccardo Accorsi, Riccardo Manzini. Warehouse management system customization and information availability in 3pl companies. Industrial Management & Data Systems. 2019; 119 (2):251-273.
Chicago/Turabian StyleGiulia Baruffaldi; Riccardo Accorsi; Riccardo Manzini. 2019. "Warehouse management system customization and information availability in 3pl companies." Industrial Management & Data Systems 119, no. 2: 251-273.
Modern food production-distribution processes represent a critical stressor for the environment and for natural ecosystems. The rising flows of food across growing and consumption areas couple with the higher expectations of consumers for the quality of products and compel the intensive use of refrigerated rooms and transport means throughout the food supply chain. In order to aid the design of sustainable cold chains that incorporate such aspects, this paper proposes a mixed integer linear programming model to minimize the total energy consumption associated with the cold operations experienced by perishable products. This model is intended for food traders, logistics practitioners, retail managers, and importers collaboratively called to design and plan a cost and environmentally effective supply strategy, physical channels, and infrastructures for cold chains. The proposed model is validated with a case study inspired by the distribution of two example food products, namely fresh apples and ice cream, along the New Silk Road connecting Europe and China. The illustrated analysis investigates the effect of alternative routes and transport modes on the sustainability of the cold chain. It is found that the most energy-efficient route for ice cream is via rail over a northern route and, for apples, is via a southern maritime route, and, for these two routes, the ratios of the total energy consumed to the energy content of the food are 760 and 913, respectively. By incorporating the energy lost due to the food quality decay, the model identifies the optimal route to adopt in accordance with the shelf life and the conservation temperature of each product.
Andrea Gallo; Riccardo Accorsi; Giulia Baruffaldi; Riccardo Manzini. Designing Sustainable Cold Chains for Long-Range Food Distribution: Energy-Effective Corridors on the Silk Road Belt. Sustainability 2017, 9, 2044 .
AMA StyleAndrea Gallo, Riccardo Accorsi, Giulia Baruffaldi, Riccardo Manzini. Designing Sustainable Cold Chains for Long-Range Food Distribution: Energy-Effective Corridors on the Silk Road Belt. Sustainability. 2017; 9 (11):2044.
Chicago/Turabian StyleAndrea Gallo; Riccardo Accorsi; Giulia Baruffaldi; Riccardo Manzini. 2017. "Designing Sustainable Cold Chains for Long-Range Food Distribution: Energy-Effective Corridors on the Silk Road Belt." Sustainability 9, no. 11: 2044.
Block stacking storage guarantees high storage density for end-of-line warehouses in product flow manufacturing systems, which are mostly diffused in food processing and beverage industry. These storage systems, characterized by high volumes per item and limited inventory mix, are organized through storage deep lanes of homogeneous items. Setting the optimal lane depths for the incoming stock-keeping-units (SKUs) influences the overall space and time efficiency performances, as well as the layout of the storage zones, the selection of the proper storage modes and equipment. This paper illustrates an original decision-support model to (1) manage existing block storage warehouses, and (2) to aid the design of new block storage systems from green field. The management of a warehouse (1) deals with the assignment of the incoming product lots to the optimal lane depth, storage mode, and zone in a constrained and capacitated storage environment. The design of a warehouse from green field (2) is aided by identifying the optimal configuration of lane depths and storage modes that minimizes the infrastructural costs. The proposed model is formulated via integer linear programming (ILP) and minimizes mutually the costs generated by space and time inefficiencies. The illustrated results obtained by its application to a real case study from the beverage industry, candidate the model as a tool to aid operative and strategic layout issues in deep lane storage systems.
Riccardo Accorsi; Giulia Baruffaldi; Riccardo Manzini. Design and manage deep lane storage system layout. An iterative decision-support model. The International Journal of Advanced Manufacturing Technology 2017, 92, 57 -67.
AMA StyleRiccardo Accorsi, Giulia Baruffaldi, Riccardo Manzini. Design and manage deep lane storage system layout. An iterative decision-support model. The International Journal of Advanced Manufacturing Technology. 2017; 92 (1-4):57-67.
Chicago/Turabian StyleRiccardo Accorsi; Giulia Baruffaldi; Riccardo Manzini. 2017. "Design and manage deep lane storage system layout. An iterative decision-support model." The International Journal of Advanced Manufacturing Technology 92, no. 1-4: 57-67.
Riccardo Accorsi; Marco Bortolini; Giulia Baruffaldi; Francesco Pilati; Emilio Ferrari. Internet-of-things Paradigm in Food Supply Chains Control and Management. Procedia Manufacturing 2017, 11, 889 -895.
AMA StyleRiccardo Accorsi, Marco Bortolini, Giulia Baruffaldi, Francesco Pilati, Emilio Ferrari. Internet-of-things Paradigm in Food Supply Chains Control and Management. Procedia Manufacturing. 2017; 11 ():889-895.
Chicago/Turabian StyleRiccardo Accorsi; Marco Bortolini; Giulia Baruffaldi; Francesco Pilati; Emilio Ferrari. 2017. "Internet-of-things Paradigm in Food Supply Chains Control and Management." Procedia Manufacturing 11, no. : 889-895.
Autonomous vehicle storage and retrieval systems use vehicles that move horizontally along rails within the storage racks, while vertical movements are provided by lifts. The solution proposed in this paper addresses a particular system configuration that works with multiple deep storage lanes that are widely used in the food and beverage industry, characterised by large volumes of products of limited variety. The generic deep lane is single item, i.e. one stock keeping unit, and single batch, i.e. one production lot, thereby affecting the performance of the system in terms of storage capacity utilisation and throughput. Determining the number and depth of the lanes is crucial to aid the design and control of such a storage system. The aim of this paper was to support the design of AVS/RSs though a set of original analytic models for the determination of the travelled distance and time for single-command and dual-command cycles given alternative layout configurations. The models are validated by simulation and exemplified with a real-warehousing case study. The paper presents useful guidelines for the configuration of the system layout including the determination of the optimal shape ratio and the length of the lanes.
Riccardo Manzini; Riccardo Accorsi; Giulia Baruffaldi; Teresa Cennerazzo; Mauro Gamberi. Travel time models for deep-lane unit-load autonomous vehicle storage and retrieval system (AVS/RS). International Journal of Production Research 2016, 54, 4286 -4304.
AMA StyleRiccardo Manzini, Riccardo Accorsi, Giulia Baruffaldi, Teresa Cennerazzo, Mauro Gamberi. Travel time models for deep-lane unit-load autonomous vehicle storage and retrieval system (AVS/RS). International Journal of Production Research. 2016; 54 (14):4286-4304.
Chicago/Turabian StyleRiccardo Manzini; Riccardo Accorsi; Giulia Baruffaldi; Teresa Cennerazzo; Mauro Gamberi. 2016. "Travel time models for deep-lane unit-load autonomous vehicle storage and retrieval system (AVS/RS)." International Journal of Production Research 54, no. 14: 4286-4304.