Realignment of the physical distribution process in omni-channel fulfillment

2016 ◽  
Vol 46 (6/7) ◽  
pp. 543-561 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rafay Ishfaq ◽  
C. Clifford Defee ◽  
Brian J Gibson ◽  
Uzma Raja
Keyword(s):  
Classification Tree ◽  
Qualitative Evaluation ◽  
Distribution Networks ◽  
Order Fulfillment ◽  
Physical Distribution ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Quantitative Classification ◽  
Online Sales ◽  
Distribution Process ◽  
Online Channel

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to identify the realignment of the physical distribution process for store-based retailers in their efforts to integrate the online channel into their business model. Multiple attributes of the physical distribution process are evaluated to identify associations with order fulfillment methods adopted by omni-channel retailers. Design/methodology/approach – A multi-method approach is used which includes qualitative evaluation of 50 interviews of supply chain executives from large retailers. Additionally, secondary data about firm size, store and distribution networks, online sales, distribution configuration, and order delivery options are used. The findings of qualitative analysis are incorporated into a quantitative classification-tree analysis to identify associations among distribution attributes, order fulfillment methods and order delivery services. Findings – Retailers are developing a consistent omni-channel physical distribution process in which stores undertake a bigger role in order fulfillment and delivery. Level of online sales, size of distribution network, number of sales associates at a store, and number of years engaged in the online channel are identified as having strong associations with the type of order fulfillment method used by omni-channel retailers. The study finds that retailers are focussed on integrating their store and DC inventories and have the benefit of scale with a large store network. Practical implications – Retailers are reconfiguring their physical distribution processes in the complex omni-channel environment can use the findings of this study to evaluate their strategy and identify the level of realignment effort that is needed. A better understanding of the requirements of physical distribution in an omni-channel setting will guide retailers in developing requisite operational capabilities. Originality/value – This paper provides a first in-depth look at order fulfillment choices in omni-channel retail and identifies efforts that are underway to realign key elements of the physical distribution process.

Determining the core activities in the order fulfillment process: an empirical application

2014 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
pp. 2-24 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tomas F. Espino-Rodríguez ◽  
Manuel Rodríguez-Díaz
Keyword(s):  
Supply Chain ◽  
Competitive Advantage ◽  
Order Fulfillment ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Core ◽  
Core Competences ◽  
Distribution Process ◽  
The Creation ◽  
Relational Capabilities ◽  
The Relationship

Purpose – This work examines the relationship between internal and relational capabilities and the creation of value to the end consumer in the case of the process of receipt, manufacture, and delivery of orders within the supply chain. This work develops a methodology to identify operations that generate core competences and those that do not, with the aim of improving the management of the supply chain. Design/methodology/approach – This work analyses the order fulfillment process in a representative sample of firms operating in a region of Spain. To accomplish the research objectives, a personal survey was conducted using a questionnaire to evaluate 13 activities of the order distribution process in the supply chain. Findings – The results of the study reveal that internal and relational capabilities explain the creation of value to the consumer. They also identify two groups of operations in line with their ability to be sources of relational or internal competitive advantage. With regard to the activities, it was shown that there are some activities that form part of the core competences, while others constitute non-core competences. This work demonstrates that the core activities generate higher value to the end consumer; however, it also shows how important the non-core activities may be to the creation of value. Practical implications – The work offers orientation as to how the analyzed process should be redesigned to obtain a competitive advantage. Thus, this higher value to the end consumer will enable the firm to reduce prices or at least maintain them, in which case the firm will be able to offer additional services that differentiate it from the competition. Originality/value – Finally, although the literature contains some works that analyze capabilities or relational performance, none to date have used variables such as activity simplification, integration and relational competitiveness in the framework of relational capabilities in the order fulfillment process. Another significant innovation of this work is the analysis at operation level, in which 13 activities belonging to an important process in the supply chain are analyzed.

A qualitative and quantitative comparison between Web scraping and API methods for Twitter credibility analysis

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Irvin Dongo ◽  
Yudith Cardinale ◽  
Ana Aguilera ◽  
Fabiola Martinez ◽  
Yuni Quintero ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
San Francisco ◽  
Data Extraction ◽  
Qualitative Evaluation ◽  
Application Programming Interface ◽  
Extraction Methods ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Qualitative And Quantitative ◽  
Advantages And Disadvantages ◽  
Web Scraping ◽  
Shared Information

Purpose This paper aims to perform an exhaustive revision of relevant and recent related studies, which reveals that both extraction methods are currently used to analyze credibility on Twitter. Thus, there is clear evidence of the need of having different options to extract different data for this purpose. Nevertheless, none of these studies perform a comparative evaluation of both extraction techniques. Moreover, the authors extend a previous comparison, which uses a recent developed framework that offers both alternates of data extraction and implements a previously proposed credibility model, by adding a qualitative evaluation and a Twitter-Application Programming Interface (API) performance analysis from different locations. Design/methodology/approach As one of the most popular social platforms, Twitter has been the focus of recent research aimed at analyzing the credibility of the shared information. To do so, several proposals use either Twitter API or Web scraping to extract the data to perform the analysis. Qualitative and quantitative evaluations are performed to discover the advantages and disadvantages of both extraction methods. Findings The study demonstrates the differences in terms of accuracy and efficiency of both extraction methods and gives relevance to much more problems related to this area to pursue true transparency and legitimacy of information on the Web. Originality/value Results report that some Twitter attributes cannot be retrieved by Web scraping. Both methods produce identical credibility values when a robust normalization process is applied to the text (i.e. tweet). Moreover, concerning the time performance, Web scraping is faster than Twitter API and it is more flexible in terms of obtaining data; however, Web scraping is very sensitive to website changes. Additionally, the response time of the Twitter API is proportional to the distance from the central server at San Francisco.

Minimizing area of VLSI power distribution networks using river formation dynamics

2018 ◽  
Vol 20 (4) ◽  
pp. 417-429 ◽  
Author(s):  
Satyabrata Dash ◽  
Sukanta Dey ◽  
Deepak Joshi ◽  
Gaurav Trivedi
Keyword(s):  
Power Distribution ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Distribution Network ◽  
Distribution Networks ◽  
Power Distribution Networks ◽  
Power Distribution Network ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Ir Drop ◽  
Formation Dynamics ◽  
River Formation Dynamics

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to demonstrate the application of river formation dynamics to size the widths of power distribution network for very large-scale integration designs so that the wire area required by power rails is minimized. The area minimization problem is transformed into a single objective optimization problem subject to various design constraints, such as IR drop and electromigration constraints. Design/methodology/approach The minimization process is carried out using river formation dynamics heuristic. The random probabilistic search strategy of river formation dynamics heuristic is used to advance through stringent design requirements to minimize the wire area of an over-designed power distribution network. Findings A number of experiments are performed on several power distribution benchmarks to demonstrate the effectiveness of river formation dynamics heuristic. It is observed that the river formation dynamics heuristic outperforms other standard optimization techniques in most cases, and a power distribution network having 16 million nodes is successfully designed for optimal wire area using river formation dynamics. Originality/value Although many research works are presented in the literature to minimize wire area of power distribution network, these research works convey little idea on optimizing very large-scale power distribution networks (i.e. networks having more than four million nodes) using an automated environment. The originality in this research is the illustration of an automated environment equipped with an efficient optimization technique based on random probabilistic movement of water drops in solving very large-scale power distribution networks without sacrificing accuracy and additional computational cost. Based on the computation of river formation dynamics, the knowledge of minimum area bounded by optimum IR drop value can be of significant advantage in reduction of routable space and in system performance improvement.

Hitting the right note for child and adolescent mental and emotional wellbeing: a formative qualitative evaluation of Sistema Scotland’s “Big Noise” orchestral programme

2016 ◽  
Vol 15 (1) ◽  
pp. 25-36 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christopher Harkins ◽  
Lisa Garnham ◽  
Aileen Campbell ◽  
Carol Tannahill
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Mental Health Problems ◽  
Early Stage ◽  
Qualitative Evaluation ◽  
Qualitative Assessment ◽  
Potential Contribution ◽  
Emotional Wellbeing ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Causal Pathways

Purpose – Previous research emphasises the need for preventative interventions to reduce mental health problems among disadvantaged children and adolescents. There is however little consensus concerning the delivery and impacts of such interventions particularly non-clinical, arts-based models delivered within community settings. The purpose of this paper is to begin to address this deficit through a qualitative assessment of the short- to medium-term impacts to participants’ mental and emotional wellbeing within Sistema Scotland’s Big Noise orchestral programme. Design/methodology/approach – Semi-structured interviews, observation, participant drawing exercise, participatory filmmaking, focus group and analysis of programme engagement were undertaken to examine the mental and emotional wellbeing impacts of the programme which are observable at this early stage of programme delivery and participants’ lives. Findings – The qualitative findings indicate that participation in the Big Noise programme enhances participant mental and emotional wellbeing in three ways; first, the happiness and enjoyment of taking part in the programme and orchestra, particularly from music making; second, the security, belonging and relationships fostered through participation; the quality of musician/participant relationship is important here as is programme design which enables support, routine and structure; and third, increased pride, confidence and self-esteem, as a result of acquiring difficult musical skills, receiving regular praise and having frequent opportunities to demonstrate these acquired skills through regular orchestral performances. Originality/value – There is little evidence or understanding of community-based, preventative, arts interventions like Big Noise: their delivery, their life-course impacts and their potential contribution to mental health and to addressing social and health inequalities. The causal pathways in the field are under-theorised. These early findings are important as they serve as an important basis from which to consider the programme’s wider and longer term impacts, which will be assessed through an on-going longitudinal, mixed method summative evaluation.

scholarly journals Distribution Channel Reengineering: A Case Study

1970 ◽  
Vol 24 (1) ◽  
pp. 35-43 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marinko Maslarić ◽  
Aleš Groznik ◽  
Nikolina Brnjac
Keyword(s):  
Information Technologies ◽  
Business Processes ◽  
Distribution Channel ◽  
Distribution Networks ◽  
Business Decisions ◽  
Modern Information Technology ◽  
Distribution Process ◽  
Effective Use ◽  
Oil Company

For the last few decades there has been growing interest in making more integrated business decisions across larger segments of the logistic and distribution networks. Modern information technology is allowing this idea to be implemented, but there is need to develop a way of effective use of information technologies that support this business direction. In this paper a methodology to assist distribution networks reengineering with the aim of integrating logistic processes within the distribution supply chain has been promoted. The emphasis of methodology is on the business processes modelling and reengineering in the distribution network. Finally, this paper presents an oil company case study to illustrate how the methodology can be applied in practice. Keywords: distribution process, business process modelling, reengineering, information sharing, logistics

Modelling identity types through agency: part 2, personal identity and mindsets

Kybernetes ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 46 (7) ◽  
pp. 1112-1130
Author(s):  
Davide Di Fatta ◽  
Maurice Yolles
Keyword(s):  
Content Analysis ◽  
Agency Theory ◽  
Personal Identity ◽  
Qualitative Evaluation ◽  
Public Identity ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Behavioural Patterns ◽  
Self Interest ◽  
The Us ◽  
Theory Framework

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the personal identity of Donald Trump in the US presidential election using the mindset agency theory framework and content analysis. Design/methodology/approach The qualitative evaluation of identity type is determined by the personality mindset agency theory (PMAT). This measures qualitatively by assigning a type to the personal identity. The methods being adopted are content analysis, and a coding frame is constructed that arises from the key words defined in PMAT. Findings Using PMAT, the authors determine that Trump’s personal identity is of the type hierarchical popularism (HP), from which behavioural patterns are derived, supposing that this is consistent with his public identity type measured using agency MAT (AMAT), which will be assessed in part 3 of this paper. Originality/value Appropriate image management can be used in an attempt to hide problematic purely self-interest aspects of a personality. This paper shows that it is possible to evaluate personality mindsets using content analysis. In a later paper, exploration of agency mindsets will occur that is indicative of the potential for behaviour.

Rethinking picking processes in e-grocery: A study in the multichannel context

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mar Vazquez-Noguerol ◽  
Iván González-Boubeta ◽  
Iago Portela-Caramés ◽  
J. Carlos Prado-Prado
Keyword(s):  
Statistical Analysis ◽  
Best Practices ◽  
Business Processes ◽  
Order Picking ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Online Sales ◽  
Online Business ◽  
Order Fulfilment ◽  
Practical Implications ◽  
Working Method

PurposeGrocery sellers that have entered the online business must now carry out order fulfilment activities previously done by the customer. Consequently, in a context of online sales growth, the purpose of this study is to identify and implement best practices in order to redesign the order picking process in a retailer with a store-based model.Design/methodology/approachTo identify different work alternatives, an approach is developed to analyse the methods used in distinct stores of one large Spanish grocer. The methodology employed is a three-step statistical analysis that combines ANOVA and MANOVA techniques to settle on the best alternatives in each case.FindingsSubstantial improvements can be achieved by analysing the different working methods. The three-step statistical analysis identified best practices in terms of their impact on preparation time, allowing a faster working method.Practical implicationsTo manage business processes efficiently, online grocers that operate store-based fulfilment strategies can redesign their working method using a criterion based on their own performance.Originality/valueThis is one of the few contributions focusing on the improvement of e-grocery fulfilment operations by disseminating best practices through decision-making criteria. This study contributes by addressing the lack of approaches studying the order picking process by considering its various features and applying best practices.

Physical Distribution Problems of Textile Companies in Turkey

2016 ◽  
pp. 328-346
Author(s):  
Murat Selim Selvi
Keyword(s):  
Descriptive Analysis ◽  
Analysis Data ◽  
Physical Distribution ◽  
Interview Guide ◽  
Distribution Process ◽  
Research Findings ◽  
Chain Of Evidence ◽  
A Chain ◽  
Product Description ◽  
Thrace Region

The purpose of this study is to discover what sort of similar and different problems textile companies face in physical distribution process and provide suggestions. The research includes only six textile companies operating in the Thrace region, Tekirdag province, Çorlu and Çerkezköy districts. This research is an exploratory study. The interview guide used in the paper includes open-ended questions focusing on certain issues. The data are coded systematically and direct quotations were provided in the descriptive analysis. The participants' own words were the units for analysis. Data triangulation and a chain of evidence can be mentioned in this regard. These points ensure the reliability and construct validity of the research. Findings indicate that companies make mistakes and errors in product stacking, product codification, and product description. In addition, storage spaces of companies are insufficient; warehouses cannot be managed well. Companies face many problems such as the imbalance arising from working on minimum-maximum stock, faulty orders, and packaging materials.

Competition in multichannel expert services in duopoly

2019 ◽  
Vol 14 (4) ◽  
pp. 1088-1104
Author(s):  
Hanyu Xiao
Keyword(s):  
Service Providers ◽  
Vertical Differentiation ◽  
Heterogeneous Preferences ◽  
Online Services ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
Online Channel ◽  
Quality Difference ◽  
Differentiation Model ◽  
Duopoly Market

Purpose This study aims to describe the general picture of the competition in multichannel expert services in duopoly market and discuss how the quality difference may affects the competition between service providers with different quality levels, where both providers offer face-to-face channel and one of providers offers online channel additionally and service quality that consumers have heterogeneous preferences for is vertically differentiated. These results can be used to determine which service providers should offer online expert services and understand the competition in multichannel expert services in duopoly. Design/methodology/approach This paper uses the stylized vertical differentiation model to investigate the role of quality in expert services market, assuming that two services providers offer the same services with different quality levels and one of them having additional online services. Taking into account the differences of services from products and the particularity of online service, this paper extends the vertical differentiation model to expert services market. Findings The quality difference is the key factor in the competition of expert services. Service prices and the profits of providers, independent of the quality levels, are positively related to the quality difference, whereas the demand of online services is in the opposite direction regardless of which provider offers online channel. It demonstrates that provider with low-quality level should open online channel from the point of view of social welfare if it is closely related to the expert services, even though any provider can make more profits by opening online channel. Research limitations/implications This extended vertical differentiation model, taking into account the importance of vertical differentiation in expert service, ignores the horizontal differentiation. More accurate strategies for multichannel expert services providers with what level of the quality a provider should offer is needed in future work. Moreover, this paper does not consider the different waiting costs of consumers in face-to-face channel and assumes that their problem will be solved eventually. Originality/value To the best of the author’s knowledge, no study has focused on the quality difference in multichannel expert services market or discussed how to offer online expert services in the duopoly market. This study extends the vertical differentiation model to the multichannel expert service market. Therefore, it fills this research gap and extends research to expert services market in the new network environment, aiming to help understand the competition in multichannel expert services.

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