Supply Chain and Logistics

This week is about packaging, which is Chapter 10.
For  Wednesday you are to bring a package to class — and be prepared to tell us in 2 minutes or less everything of interest about the package from a logistics standpoint.  At the end of the class there will be a vote to select the best package.  A very desirable prize will be awarded to the winner!!

You had better read the chapter in advance to find out what is important about a package from a logistics standpoint.

I’m giving you both the chapter 10 presentation and one from Murphy from his packaging chapter.  Enjoy.  We will also have a demonstration of how to design a warehouse, probably on Friday.

Here is one about McGraw-Hill’s new warehouse. This is why they can sell you your textbook so cheap.

Warehouse giants.

The latest issue of Modern Material Management – you can get free email updates.  It’s where I found the other two articles.

The simulation run is complete this week.  Please get your week 7 input in asap.  I will try to have it run by Monday night if all input comes in.

There’s a recurring problem with input that I have to ask you to check for rigorously!  If you accidentally order a large amount of production, such as 35000 instead of 3500,  you will be hit with large penalty fees, and will have an enormous amount of inventory, since demand averages around 2400 per week.  That is what happened to the Lions in the Central division when they went $1M in the hole.  When you send me your spreadsheets, and I create the input files, I try to have a look, and I have warned some of you when it looked suspicious.  But sometimes I miss it.  That is what happened to the Lions.

The problem is, the program won’t handle numbers that are too big, such as losses over $1Million.  so to make it run after that, I have to go in and change numbers in the history file to -$999999.99, which actually distorts the results for everyone in that division.
I don’t want to have to modify the program to handle this type of error– it would be a big job.  It affects both the report (which I did fix) but also the history data which is passed to the next week, and also the computer input to the next week’s run.   Because of the problem for the Lions I am having to modify the history next week as well.

SO PLEASE CHECK YOUR PRODUCTION INPUT FOR THE CORRECT NUMBER OF DECIMAL PLACES! THIS IS ON THE FIRST DECISION SHEET IN THE SPREADSHEET!

Thanks a lot!