Progress In Materials Handling And Logistics

Material handling and logistics have become especially important to industrialists because of the competitive advantage that results from using the right methods to provide the right amount of the right material at the right place, at the right time, in the right condition, in the right sequence, in the right orientation, and at the right cost. But, what are the right methods? The emergence of sophisticated control systems, coupled with advances in hardware design, has resulted in a wide variety oftechno logical alternatives availablefor practically any application. Yet, with the emergence of just-in-time methods and the apparent success of the firms that have relied on the use of people and" simple" rules, rather than technology, the proper role of hardware and software in material handling and logistics is open to debate. Despite all that has been accomplished to date, the design of material handling and logistics systems remains an art as well as a science. Regardless of whether it is people, conveyors, lift trucks, robots, guided vehicles, laser scanners, storage/retrieval machines, carousels, voice encoding, machine vision, automatic palletizers, or other methods that are appropriate, selecting the right methods for moving, storing, and controlling material is vital. It is important that the selection decision be made after consideration is given to the requirements for amount, material, place, time, condition, sequence, orientation, and cost.

The contents of this book are based on invited papers submittedfor presentation and discussion at the 1990 Material Handling Research Colloquium held in Hebron, Kentucky, June 19-21,1990. The Colloquium was sponsored and organized by the College Industry Councilfor Material Handling Education (CIC-MHE) with addi tional co-sponsorship and funding provided by numerous organizations (see ac knowledgements). The purpose of the Colloquium was to foster open discussion about the current state of material handling research at universitiesfrom across the United States and Canada. It was an opportunity to share specific research directions and accomplish ments. But more importantly, it was an opportunity to discuss the implications of the basic constraints to solving industry relevant problems in the field of material handling and closely related activities; the efficacy of the approaches being taken at the present time; and the directions believed to be of most value to the industry and to advancing the knowledge and science base of the material handling engineering discipline. The sponsoring organization, the College Industry Councilfor Material Handling Education was founded in 1952. The council is composed of college and university educators, material handling equipment manufacturers, distributors, users and con sultants, representatives of the business press plus professional staff and members of other organizations concerned with material handling education.

The contents of this book are based on invited papers submittedfor presentation and discussion at the 1990 Material Handling Research Colloquium held in Hebron, Kentucky, June 19-21,1990. The Colloquium was sponsored and organized by the College Industry Councilfor Material Handling Education (CIC-MHE) with addi tional co-sponsorship and funding provided by numerous organizations (see ac knowledgements). The purpose of the Colloquium was to foster open discussion about the current state of material handling research at universitiesfrom across the United States and Canada. It was an opportunity to share specific research directions and accomplish ments. But more importantly, it was an opportunity to discuss the implications of the basic constraints to solving industry relevant problems in the field of material handling and closely related activities; the efficacy of the approaches being taken at the present time; and the directions believed to be of most value to the industry and to advancing the knowledge and science base of the material handling engineering discipline. The sponsoring organization, the College Industry Councilfor Material Handling Education was founded in 1952. The council is composed of college and university educators, material handling equipment manufacturers, distributors, users and con sultants, representatives of the business press plus professional staff and members of other organizations concerned with material handling education.

The contents of this book are based on invited papers submittedfor presentation and discussion at the 1990 Material Handling Research Colloquium held in Hebron, Kentucky, June 19-21,1990. The Colloquium was sponsored and organized by the College Industry Councilfor Material Handling Education (CIC-MHE) with addi tional co-sponsorship and funding provided by numerous organizations (see ac knowledgements). The purpose of the Colloquium was to foster open discussion about the current state of material handling research at universitiesfrom across the United States and Canada. It was an opportunity to share specific research directions and accomplishments. But more importantly, it was an opportunity to discuss the implications of the basic constraints to solving industry relevant problems in the field of material handling and closely related activities; the efficacy of the approaches being taken at the present time; and the directions believed to be of most value to the industry and to advancing the knowledge and science base of the material handling engineering discipline. The sponsoring organization, the College Industry Council for Material Handling Education was founded in 1952. The council is composed of college and university educators, material handling equipment manufacturers, distributors, users and consultants, representatives of the business press plus professional staff and members of other organizations concerned with material handling education.

This book reviews materials handling and industrial logistics from the top down. It translates the management objectives, the strategy and policy level into the application of tools (equipment and systems) required to implement the programs which are necessary to the success of the business. It ties these elements together, defining the relationships between management strategy and engineering solutions, examining decision criteria, and exploring the choices of systems and equipment available to implement plans and policies. In order to achieve higher industrial productivity, commercial performance and efficient distribution, it is essential to view the industrial economic system as an integrated whole. [p] This book provides a combination of technical and management guidance relating to the application and use of materials handling hardware, materials handling systems, and materials management principles. (equipment and systems) required to implement the programs which are necessary to the success of the business.

Achieving state-of-the-art excellence and attaining the cost reductions associated with outstanding logistics efforts is an obvious gain in terms of competitive edge and profitability. As logistics tools evolve in comprehensiveness and complexity, and the use of these new tools becomes more pervasive, maintaining a position of leadership in logisti

Logistics: Principles & Practice is a general introduction to the subject. This specialized field is fast moving – fulfilling orders on time is of crucial importance in the modern age of internet economy and just-in-time production. Besides dealing with the logistics of purchasing, production and distribution, the book also examines common ground with marketing, quality and production design. This integrated approach ensures that important topics such as e-business, CRM, process design, E-procurement, enterprise resource planning and E-logistics are given prominent coverage. This textbook can be used as core reading for all students of logistics and operations management.