Łukasz Hadaś

RANKING OF INTEGRATION FACTORS WITHIN SUPPLY CHAINS OF FORWARD AND BACKWARD TYPES - RECOMMENDATIONS FROM RESEARCHES

Background: Integration trends are one of main determinants of the development of modern logistics. After the period of interest focused mainly on supp ly chains realizing one-way flows only, at present there is a time for supply chains characterized by two-way flows, reali zing at the same time both forward and backward flo ws. The possibility of various configurations of such chain s requires identification of integration factors an d determination of their influence on the results of the whole supply chain. Experiences of the science as well as the practice of supply chains show the urgent need of learning of reasons of the integration within supply chains of the two-way typ e. Material and methods : The researches on modeling and simulation of inte gration processes within supply chains of forward and backward type were carried out in the e nvironment of iGrafx Process 2013 for Six Sigma. The empirical material obtained in these researches was put to th e statistical analysis by the used of Minitab 17. T he identification of the significance of differences was made with the help of analysis of variance ANOVA. Additionally the analysis of differences in form of absolute averages was made. The following measures are main ones for the evalu ation of the integration of a supply chain of forward and backwa rd types: cashflow, profitability, service level. Results : 8 192 simulation experiments were made for 6 inte gration factors: accessibility of recycled material s, production planning, stock management, integration of transpor t, unification of packing materials and optimizatio n of the material flow. Based on the analysis of the significance and values of differences, the results of the influenc e of each integration factor on global results of supply chains of forwar d and backward type were obtained. They were used to prepare the ranking of integration factors. The main factors, f orming the integration shape of two-way supply chai ns were: stock management, production planning and accessibility of recycled materials. Conclusions: The integration offers new possibilities therefore it is the promising option of actions. In complica ted and complex logistic reality, it is more and more diffi cult to function, in economic sense, without starti ng and tightening close cooperation. Sometimes it is even not possible at a ll. The growing popularity of two-way supply chain s opens the dimensions of the possible cooperation. However, bo th science and the practice need the reliable quant itative information covering the conscious creation of the integration in supply chains. Such tool could be a ranking, rec ommended in this paper, of integration factors from the perspective of three measures of evaluation of global level of functioning of the supply chain.

Modelling Integration Process Planning in the Supply Chain Using SOP Approach

This chapter presents the concept behind a simulation model reflecting the functioning of a supply chain in the context Sales and Operations Planning (SOP) working in business in practice. The methodology assumed by the authors was based on: the analysis of integration models of planning processes, with a particular focus on the concept of Sales and Operations Planning, accompanied by the analysis of the surveys findings. Literature on the subject features SOP mainly as a business tool based on a collective decision making on the tactical level. The solution put forward in this article represents a systemic approach to the planning process integration. It includes the mechanisms of coordination put in place in a wide process planning structure, applied both in companies and within the supply chain. The model serves as a point of departure for further works related to the simulation of the material flow within a supply chain in the context of integrated planning. The final results of whole research will be employed in defining the impact of integrated process planning on the functioning of the supply chain, in particular on the coordination of the material flow and achieved results, as measured by economic and logistics metrics.

Integration Level Measurement System in Modeling Forward and Backward Supply Chains

This article presents a system for measuring the level of integration of a forward and backward supply chain and its use in modeling the structure and processes occurring in the management of the flow of goods. A supply chain involves both forward and backward flows and is related to S&OP model. The paper features also the methodology for developing a system for evaluating and validating the measurement system along with its application guidelines. It also presents selected results of a study into the barriers to integration and operational metrics to evaluate the performance of the supply chain and the specificity of their use in the simulation model. The main part of the article contains a description of integration categories. A comprehensive list of 19 integration categories subject to evaluation is supplemented with the description of the integration levels pertaining to selected categories. The last section discusses principles for evaluation and determining the level of integration of the supply chain and guidelines for its transformation in order to improve its efficiency.

The Category of Risk Management in a Company with High Level of Customization

The purpose of this chapter is to present selected aspects of organizational risk management in an engineering and manufacturing-to-order enterprise, particularly these focused on the importance of material flow management in a supply chain. The authors reviewed selected well known methodologies of risk management in terms of their usefulness in systems with a high level of customization. They also reviewed norms and standards of 31,000 series in order to distinguish some characteristics of risk. The diagnosis included its division according to the likelihood of being suppressed by the system, when the frequency of its appearance and its influence on the considered system is taken into account. The analysis of companies, focused on production dedicated to the individual customer’s order, made it possible to categorize the types of risk connected with the implementation process. Suggesting the different approach to managing risk occurring on various operational level is the final effect of the chapter.

The Essence of Integration in Supply Chains and Reverse Supply Chains: Similarities and Differences

The purpose of this chapter is to introduce the issue of integration in supply chains and in reverse supply chains. The Authors specify the factors key to integration and examine their impact on the process. The first part addresses the issues affecting forward flows and the benefits offered by a close cooperation between the links in the supply chain. In the second part the Authors discuss the factors which may contribute to a more seamless operation of backward flows. The third part presents the outcome of a survey into the measures taken by companies with a view to developing closer relationships with business partners in individual chains. These results provided the grounds for selecting the most crucial integration factors and highlighted the similarities and differences in integration-oriented activities taken in supply and reverse supply chains. In the last part of the chapter the Authors investigate the issue of barriers to building close relationships between supply chain partners.

Methodology of Assortment Analysis in Companies with a Wide Range of Products for Building the Flexibility of Customer Service

The aim of the chapter is to present the methodology of the analysis of assortment in companies with a wide range of products and diversified customer service strategies (Make to order, Make to stock, Assembly to order). The authors performed ABC/XYZ analysis (logistical criteria of the segmentation), analysis of technological similarity coefficient in terms of process times in both horizontal and vertical terms. A statistical software has been used for analysis purposes. Then the selected data have been used in the simulation of production-logistics process (FlexSim 7 Simulation Software) for multi-department companies with diversified customer service strategies. The validation of the methodology was based on an analysis of the correlation between the indicators adopted for the evaluation of simulation results with the results of statistical analysis. The chapter ends with general conclusions on the results of the work and the comments on their application in business practice.

Supply Chain Integration in View of Secondary Raw Materials

Environmental awareness keeps growing and comes to be viewed as an integral part of the management process in companies. We should keep in mind that the waste generated by a company (one of the participants in the supply chain) is part of the total waste generated by the entire chain. Moreover, environmental awareness of individual companies does not mean that the principles of sustainable development are adhered to. What is needed is an integration of companies across the entire chain. Their management should be therefore approached from a holistic perspective. The main goal of this article is to identify integration factors that take into account process and structural changes in the entire supply chain in terms of secondary raw materials. Each of the factors comes with a detailed characteristics of individual levels of integration. The universal character of factors enables the study of chains in various sectors of business practice. In order to achieve the goal of this article a survey was conducted among companies operating on the Polish market. On the basis of these studies the key barriers to the supply of secondary raw materials have been identified. The chapter contains an overview of these barriers, taking the selected channels of supply into account. It should be noted that the focus of individual elements on ecology affects the evaluation criteria associated with the level of integration of the entire chain.