The competitive environment of the supplier industry has changed vitally during recent
years. Significant changes of the market environment result from increasing complexity
and dynamics due to increased equipment diversity and the reduction of the model lifespan
of the OEM’s vehicles. Additionally, the cost pressure is growing and the in-house
production depth and the customer individual ways of supply are reduced, which results
in extensive changes to the supply chain. In order to meet dynamic requirements in the changed competitive environment and to react on the related necessary modifications of
company structures with appropriate measures, a significant improvement of the
changeability and velocity of the supplier companies regarding the current market situation
must occur. However, these demanded changeability, or designing exercise of influence,
and velocity imply primarily that companies have knowledge about the own
technical and economics effects based on the dynamic demands of the OEM. Furthermore,
an active, realistic decision finding always implies the consideration of interrelations
both of internal (inside the production plant) and external supply chains (for instance
the delivery concept between supplier and customer) of a logistical system. Additionally,
the demand of a flexibly designed supply chain applies. From this perspective,
the impression arises that logistical systems for decision-making and support do not
require isolated standard tools but individual models and development methods that
comply with their specific character. As a result, a procedure for model development
including the realisation of an industry specific, system supported logistical cost effect
model to illustrate and evaluate increasingly differentiated logistical customer demands
alongside the supply chain has been developed in this study. The concept simulation for
developing cost minimal decision alternatives and the technical and economic logistical
performance evaluation, which was based on this, were in the main focus of the objective.
Table of Contents
1 STARTING POINT
1.1 Structural change and fields of action in the automotive industry
1.2 The industry’s structure
1.3 Trends in the chain of value-added of the automotive manufacturers
1.4 Approach and structure of this thesis
2 FIELD-SPECIFIC-FOUNDATIONS
2.1 Plastic injection moulding production
2.1.1 History
2.1.2 Production specifics
2.1.3 Production lot size
2.1.4 Layout-structure and flow of material
2.2 Basics and duties of automotive logistics
2.3 Logistics supply chain exemplifying an automotive supplier of the plastic injection moulding production
2.3.1 Supply-Chain-Management
2.3.2 Information technology
2.3.3 Procurement logistics
2.3.4 Production logistics
2.3.5 Distribution logistics
3 PROBLEM DEFINITION
3.1 Formulation of hypotheses
3.2 Research questions
3.3 Objectives and outlook on results
4 SCIENTIFIC BASICS
4.1 Nomenclature
4.1.1 Logistics
4.1.2 Logistical management
4.1.3 Logistical system
4.1.4 Pull-principle
4.1.5 Planning
4.1.6 Model
4.1.7 Process
4.1.8 Business process
4.1.9 Logistical service
4.2 Status of literature
4.3 Selected approaches of factory and business process modelling
4.3.1 SCOR
4.3.2 Process modelling with ARIS
4.3.3 Process chain model according to Kuhn
4.3.4 Summarising evaluation
4.4 Model-based decision-making models
4.4.1 Problem and method oriented models
4.5 Elements of a performance creation system
4.6 Theory of logistical efficient thinking
4.7 Logistical costs as a central evaluation criterion of logistics performance
4.7.1 Types and elements of logistical costs
4.7.2 Assigning the cost types to the sub-processes
4.8 Production and cost theory
4.8.1 Cost minimisation approaches
4.8.2 Total return functions of a diminishing returns production function
5 REQUIREMENTS FOR MODEL DEVELOPMENT
5.1 Objective
5.2 Methodology of the research basis for problem solution
5.2.1 Methodical tools
5.3 Methodical framework for problem solving
5.3.1 Procedure of executing and gathering relevant data
5.3.2 Content requirements on the analysis
5.3.3 Formal requirements on the process of model development
6 SITUATION ANALYSIS, DEVELOPMENT OF LOGISTICAL PERFORMANCE ELEMENTS
6.1 Requirements and factors on socio-technical logistical systems in the automotive supplier industry
6.1.1 The product lifecycle effect factor
6.1.2 The structural organisation effect factor
6.1.3 Significance of logistics inside a company
6.1.4 The customer demand effect factor
6.1.5 The product effect factor
6.1.6 The production and production lot size factors
6.1.7 The layout / company size / area effect factor
6.2 Analysis and classification of effect relations
6.2.1 Effect interdependencies in the effect system
6.2.2 Identification of processes and structures
6.3 Data groups
6.4 Customer and supplier information
6.4.1 Volume data
6.4.2 Packaging
6.4.3 Packaging circulation
6.5 Company specific data
6.5.1 Movement and performance data
6.5.2 JIT-process
6.5.3 JIS-process
6.5.4 Manifest-process
6.5.5 Transport data
6.6 Product and production specific information
6.6.1 Lot size calculation
6.7 Areal data
6.7.1 General storage area calculation
6.7.2 JIS-processing area
6.7.3 Truck preparation area
6.8 Company size
6.8.1 Areal size relations: Production area vs. logistical area
6.9 Database for the application of an external logistical service provider
6.10 General summary of the analysis’ results
7 CONCEPTION OF A HOLISTIC LOGISTICAL MODEL
7.1 Approach for model development and design
7.1.1 Design notes for model creation
7.2 Solution concept
7.2.1 Synthesis of the logistical factors and elements in the meta-model
7.2.2 Anticipated cost progressions in the minimum cost model
7.2.3 Upgraded production lot size model as module element for cost minimisation
7.3 Design of the holistic model
7.3.1 System architecture of the user system to be developed
7.4 Data structure
7.5 Constitutive modules
7.5.1 Knowledge data module
7.5.2 Module for areal dimensional company size
7.6 Concept module for the simulation and logistical performance evaluation
7.6.1 Concept module for logistical cost calculation in the PDP
7.7 Surface design and system application
8 APPLICATION OF THE SYSTEM SOLUTION AND EVALUATION
8.1 Practical case study and examples from the automotive supplier industry
8.2 Input data concept model for logistical performance evaluation
8.3 Results and evaluation of the concept model
8.4 Practical application and evaluation of the model during time elapsed
8.5 Determining solution effects and benefit
9 CONCLUSION
9.1 Recapitulation
9.2 Outlook
Research Objective and Core Topics
The primary objective of this thesis is to develop a comprehensive simulation model for evaluating logistical performance and costs within the automotive supplier industry. By integrating operational and process data, the model aims to support logistics managers in making informed, economically sound decisions regarding supply chain configuration, layout optimization, and production lot sizing in an environment characterized by increasing complexity and customer-driven demand volatility.
- Logistical modelling and performance simulation in the automotive plastic injection moulding industry.
- Development of decision-support frameworks for cost minimization in multi-stage supply chains.
- Methodological analysis of production-logistics trade-offs, particularly regarding lot sizes and areal company size.
- Assessment of technical and economic impact of varying customer delivery strategies (e.g., JIT, JIS, Manifest).
Excerpt from the Book
Logistical causes and effects within a company
The product in its function has only limited influence in a logistical sense on logistical processes. The product’s dimensions and weight, which are direct indicators for packaging density, packaging dimensions, packaging utilities, such as, for instance, pallets, covers and inserts, have a much larger influence. The shape of the product and the dimensions of the packaging as well as applied means for loading and transport must be coordinated, so that volume losses are minimised and storage and transport ensured. Connected are handling and transport costs that behave proportionally to the output, or the quantity to be moved, respectively.
The production and the production lot size have significant influence on the constant material flow inside a company. Basic condition for working, transparent material flow is the interaction of the two disciplines production and logistics. As defining process variables in the material flow, the capacity factors (OEE) of the machines and equipment as well as the flow factor of orders are relevant. The flow factor indicates which multiple of the processing time an examination object spends in a system.
Summary of Chapters
1 STARTING POINT: This chapter analyzes the current state of the automotive industry, highlighting the structural changes driven by globalization, the shift from in-house production to specialized supplier networks, and the resulting complexity for logistical systems.
2 FIELD-SPECIFIC-FOUNDATIONS: This chapter establishes the theoretical background, focusing on the specific processes of plastic injection moulding and the fundamental duties and supply chain structures of automotive logistics.
3 PROBLEM DEFINITION: This section translates the identified trends into a specific research problem, formulating core hypotheses and research questions focused on the difficulty of quantifying and optimizing logistical costs in dynamic supply environments.
4 SCIENTIFIC BASICS: This chapter reviews relevant literature on logistics, factory modelling, and production/cost theory, providing the academic framework for the proposed LEAS model.
5 REQUIREMENTS FOR MODEL DEVELOPMENT: This chapter details the formal and content-based requirements for a logistical simulation model, emphasizing the necessity of a socio-technical systems approach.
6 SITUATION ANALYSIS, DEVELOPMENT OF LOGISTICAL PERFORMANCE ELEMENTS: This chapter identifies and analyzes the critical effect factors on logistical performance, such as product lifecycle, organization structure, and physical layout, and links these to actionable data groups.
7 CONCEPTION OF A HOLISTIC LOGISTICAL MODEL: This chapter presents the core conceptual model, including the meta-model, solution concepts for lot size optimization, and the architecture of the developed simulation tool in Microsoft Excel.
8 APPLICATION OF THE SYSTEM SOLUTION AND EVALUATION: This chapter validates the model through a practical case study, demonstrating its effectiveness in evaluating different logistical scenarios and their economic impacts.
9 CONCLUSION: This chapter recapitulates the findings, summarizes the benefits of the developed methodology, and provides an outlook on future research directions in logistical process optimization.
Key Keywords
Automotive logistics, Supply-Chain Management, Plastic injection moulding, Cost minimization, Simulation model, Material flow analysis, Production lot size, Process modelling, SCOR-model, Logistical performance, Areal dimensional company size, JIT, JIS, Product development process, Decision support systems.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the core focus of this work?
The work focuses on creating a comprehensive model to simulate logistical concepts and evaluate performance and economic factors for small and medium-sized automotive plastics suppliers.
Which specific industry is analyzed?
The thesis focuses on the automotive supplier industry, specifically companies involved in plastic injection moulding for automotive interior components.
What is the primary goal of this research?
The goal is to provide logistics managers with a decision-support tool that allows for the evaluation of supply chain configurations and their impact on costs and performance during the early product development phases.
Which scientific methods are employed?
The study utilizes a combination of system theory, production and cost theory, as well as heuristic and model-based learning methods for simulating supply chain scenarios.
What does the main part of the thesis cover?
The main part covers the theoretical foundations of logistics, a detailed situation analysis of logistical performance factors, the development of a holistic meta-model, and the practical application of a simulation tool based on this meta-model.
What are the primary keywords characterizing the research?
The research is characterized by terms such as automotive logistics, supply-chain management, logistical cost minimization, material flow analysis, and process modelling.
How does the thesis handle the increasing number of product variants?
The model addresses product variety complexity by providing calculations for sequencing zones and preparation areas, showing how variety influences floor space requirements and overall logistical costs.
What is the significance of the "five-day-car" concept mentioned in the study?
It represents the industry's drive toward extremely short lead times and stockless supply chains, which forces suppliers to adopt highly flexible and reactive logistical strategies.
- Arbeit zitieren
- Dr Michael Wiggen (Autor:in), 2008, Model Development of Logistical and Economic Performance Evaluation as Decision Support, München, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/123925
