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Smart warehouses require software-based decision-making tools to manage the receiving, storing, and picking of products. A major challenge in achieving efficient operations is deciding where to store products associated with incoming orders. The storage location assignment problem (SLAP) is more complex in large-size warehouses due to several functional objectives and numerous possible shelving solutions. This paper introduces an artificial intelligence algorithm that seeks to find an acceptable solution to SLAP with presented linear and nonlinear objective functions. The near-optimal technique exploits basin-hopping and simulated-annealing algorithms to find a solution when considering four functional objectives including worker safety, which has not been optimized using similar approaches. The algorithm is experimentally evaluated, and results demonstrate that reasonablely achieved solutions are comparable to those obtained by well-known existing solvers. Furthermore, the problem could be solved with non-linear objectives which is beyond the commercial solvers' like SCIP capability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Eyeing superior operational performance, transportation, and warehousing management, researchers have turned their much‐needed attention to autonomous and IoT‐driven intralogistics systems. Despite its potential, a systematic evaluation of its overall business needs and the criteria for its success at each stage of adoption is missing in the literature. Using the business analysis framework, augmented by the technology adoption model, this study seeks to provide the business context for adopting autonomous and IoT‐driven intralogistics by identifying business requirements and critical success factors for such systems. We thematically analyze 85 recent research articles on autonomous and IoT‐driven intralogistics systems to identify business requirements that are linked to the mission of maximizing operational profit for the warehousing and storage industry. Then, using the identified business requirements as a base, we thematically analyze those 85 research articles again to identify critical success factors at different stages of technology adoption, namely information, analysis, acquisition, and utilization. We use the findings to develop propositions for future researchers. These findings provide a foundation for developing empirical, descriptive, and normative research on adopting and managing these systems for the warehousing and storage industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many online retailers apply scattered (or mixed-shelves) storage in the picking areas of their warehouses. Instead of keeping unit loads together, individual pieces of stock keeping units (SKUs) are stored on various shelves throughout the warehouse. This storage strategy increases the probability that—whatever it is that customers order jointly—somewhere in the warehouse these products will be located in close proximity. Hence, a picker can retrieve them without excessive unproductive walking. The price for this advantage on the picking side, however, is additional effort for the replenishment workers (also denoted as stowers) when restocking the shelves. Instead of moving only a single homogeneous unit load toward an SKU's designated storage position, each stower has to travel along multiple open shelf spaces until all products on the cart are stored on shelves. The resulting stower routing problem is equivalent to the well-known prize collecting traveling salesman problem (PCTSP). While the PCTSP for general graphs is known to be strongly NP -hard, we show that in a warehousing environment, where all open storage positions are located along parallel aisles, it is only binary NP -hard. The special parallel-aisle structure allows us to derive an exact solution algorithm with pseudo-polynomial runtime, which solves even instances with hundreds of open storage positions to proven optimality in just a few seconds. Our computational tests show that the performance gains of an optimized stowing process over the status quo, where stowers operate without decision support, are significant. Especially, when the fill level of a warehouse is high, directing stowers on optimized routes promises huge improvements. History: Accepted by Andrea Lodi, Area Editor for Design & Analysis of Algorithms – Discrete. Funding: This work was supported by the German Science Foundation/Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) by the grant "Routing of human and automated order pickers in modern warehouses" (BO 3148/14-1 and BO 1972/2-1). Supplemental Material: The e-companion is available at https://doi.org/10.1287/ijoc.2022.0173. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Licensed warehouse system is a system that aims to store agricultural products in healthy conditions and facilitate trade. It offers producers the opportunity to sell their quality products at better prices. It has a versatile construction that allows to supply with the desired quality product at any time for industrial. The licensed storage system, which is becoming increasingly widespread in Turkey, is very important for agricultural markets. The purpose of this study is to determine attitudes and behavior of producers on the licensed storage system. This study of cover the cereals producers in Yerköy district of Yozgat province by means of 2021-2022 production periods. For this purpose, a survey of 76 sample the producers were conducted using the Proportional Distribution Method. According to the findings, 55.3% of cereals producers prefer licensed warehouses. 51.4% of the cereals produced, 18.13 tons of average wheat and 3.15 tons of average barley were found to be stored in licensed warehouses. It has been determined that factors such as the possibility of paying in advance, the proximity of warehouses, and the possibility of high prices sales are effective in producers' preference for licensed warehouses. In addition, there are producers who use their own warehouse (19.4%) in the production of cereals. It has been determined that these producers do not store for commercial purposes, but evaluate their products for animal feed use. The study also found that the amount of cereals not stored is high (29.2%). This situation is related to the direct sales of the producers in order to meet the need for cash due to the loss of yield, excessive increase in product prices and increasing costs in recent years. As a result of the research, it was observed that producers have sufficient information about licensed warehouses and find licensed storage useful. In a addition, It has been determined that 40.5% of producers using licensed warehouses will not leave products in warehouses if government grants are removed. In this respect, the licensed warehouse system may be said to require incentive and support policies to be developed in the short and medium for include producers in the system and to gain a functional structure of the system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents the development of the modern warehouse real estate market in Poland (from 2004 to 2022). The reference area is the European market. Against its background, Poland has become a fast-growing bank next to Germany and the fifth largest in terms of modern warehouse space. This happened despite the unstable and unpredictable macroeconomic and political situation in recent years, as well as the dangerous epidemic effects, e.g. connecting supply chains. The article is an attempt to find the sources of success of this Polish phenomenon, the search for a specific spatial configuration of the market and short- and long-term perspectives for the development of the warehouse market in Poland. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study presents the development of an upgrading program for a supermarket-type warehouse that supports the supply of goods in a manufacturing company located in northwestern Mexico. The tool Kanban is applied to achieve and improve the redistribution, reorganization, and identification of replenishment points for the production process. A five-step methodology is followed and 70 materials are selected to update their storage and inventory levels on the warehouse management system. The results show an increase of 33.53% on overall delivery metric compliance and a 5.49% increment on supermarket maximization. It is concluded that upgrading the warehouse management system improves the efficiency of materials supply since it increments successful on-time delivery objetives and since it increments the supermarket's share on supply. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Multiple automatic guided vehicles are widely involved in industrial intelligence. Path planning is crucial for their successful application. However, achieving robust and efficient path planning of multiple automatic guided vehicles for real-time implementation is challenging. In this paper, we propose a two-layer strategy for multi-vehicle path planning. The approach aims to provide fast computation and operation efficiency for implementation. The start–destination matrix groups all the vehicles, generating a dynamic virtual leader for each group. In the first layer, the hybrid A* algorithm is employed for the path planning of the virtual leaders. The second layer is named leader–follower; the proposed Weight-Leader-Vicsek model is applied to navigate the vehicles following their virtual leaders. The proposed method can reduce computational load and achieve real-time navigation by quickly updating the grouped vehicles' status. Collision and deadlock avoidance is also conducted in this model. Vehicles in different groups are treated as dynamic obstacles. We validated the method by conducted simulations through MATLAB to verify its path-planning functionality and experimented with a localization sensor. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

PT. Sinarmas, Tbk is a cooking oil producer that has several cooking oil product lines. In the downstream business, our processing facilities are capable of producing high quality cooking oil products to supply international and national markets throughout Indonesia. The high consumption of cooking oil has motivated the cooking oil industry to boost its production. To fulfill this, a good flow of supply chain is needed, especially in terms of Edible Oil Packaging Warehousing. This study aims to determine the risks that exist in the raw material warehouse activities of PT. Sinarmas, Tbk Plant Surabaya and designed a risk mitigation strategy for the raw material warehouse activities for PT. Sinarmas, Tbk. The next step is to map warehouse activities using the Supply Chain Operation Reference (SCOR) model to find out which activities are included in the core processes of the SCOR model. After that, risk identification and assessment was carried out based on the HOR (House Of Risk) Method. The results of the HOR assessment became a priority in preparing the mitigation strategy for PT. critical occurs in Risk agent A5, i.e. data updating is not carried out regarding raw materials that have been used. Occurs in the Plan Process with the highest Risk value of 35. Then priority is needed for handling mitigation. And there are 5 risk agents, namely A1, A13, A20 which are risk agents. Lack of supporting facilities for loading and unloading has the smallest risk value of 8, A25, A29 Those in the Yellow area have a moderate level of risk where risk management needs to be carried out routinely and must be carried out This Happens in the Plan, Source, Delivery and Return Processes, And At Low Risk Levels Occurs in the Source Process on Risk Agent A1, Namely Information Regarding Delivery Schedules Changed From the risk conditions obtained, it is necessary to design a mitigation strategy so that there is no disruption to the inventory system at the Warehouse at PT. Sinarmas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A study of two warehouse inventory systems with a production unit is developed in this article with some constraints which are of practical applicability to optimize the total production cycle and its cost. A production unit evolves in three different states to retain its quality and prolong its lifetime: the state of producing items, the state of reworking the identified defective items, and the state of being idle. It processes the items up to a certain time point. The screening process starts immediately after a product comes out of the production unit. The classified non-defective items are first stored in own warehouse ( O W ), after filling to its maximum capacity, and the remaining items fill in the first block R W 1 of the rental warehouse R W . All identified defective items are stored in the second block R W 2 of R W . The holding cost of an item is higher in R W than O W . All defective items are sent to the production unit for re-do processes as a single lot immediately after the stop of the production and re-do items are stored in R W 1 to satisfy the demand. The items in the R W 1 are of higher priority in satisfying the demands after the stop of the production unit in producing new items as to deduce the total cost. Demand is assumed as both time and advertisement dependent and is encouraged once production starts. The deterioration rate differs in both warehouses. No backlog is entertained. The study is directed to achieve optimum total cycle cost towards the attainment of the optimum production time slot and the entire cycle of the system. We have arrived at explicit expressions for the total cost function of the entire production cycle. An analytic optimization process of the discriminant method is employed in the form of an algorithm to arrive at the optimum total cost. It provides a numerical illustration of a specific environment. The implications of the current research work are as follows. The optimum utility of production units in three different states in arriving at the optimum total cost is extensively studied with respect to deterioration, demand, and production rates. It also examined the influence of fluctuating deterioration, demand, and production parameters in arriving at optimum deterioration cost, holding cost, and total cycle cost, as they have important managerial insights. The effect of rental charges on the optimum total cost is examined as the system is used for multi-purpose storage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research report examined the use of a voice-directed warehouse management system (WMS) to increase worker performance in a large industrial setting. Order selectors in distribution centers that use voice-directed systems (listening to instructions via a headset and speaking into a microphone and receiving immediate audio feedback) were tracked for units per hour performance of products selected for store orders. The voice-directed application was enhanced with a personal performance productivity prompt so that each order selector now heard their units per hour performance after each completed store order assignment. Upon activation of the newly developed personal performance productivity prompt, selector performance increased to match and exceed the labor standards established for three warehouse zones (accessories, batteries, and tires). This is an example in which an Organizational Behavior Management (OBM) professional can play a vital role in helping large industrial settings adapt to new technologies for the workforce, in this case, for increased performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In an intelligent distribution warehouse, latent AGVs are used for horizontal handling, and forklift AGVs are used for horizontal or vertical handling. Studying the path planning and task assignment problem when the two types of AGVs are mixed can help improve the warehouse operation efficiency and reduce the warehouse operation cost. This paper proposes a two-stage optimization method to solve this problem. In the first stage, the warehouse plan layout is transformed into a raster map, and the shortest path between any two points of the warehouse without conflict with fixed obstacles is planned and stored using the A* algorithm combined with circular rules, and the planned shortest path is called directly in the subsequent stages. In the second stage, to minimize the task completion time and AGV energy consumption, a genetic algorithm combining penalty functions is used to assign horizontal handling tasks to submerged AGVs or forklift AGVs and vertical handling tasks to forklift AGVs. The experimental results show that the method can meet the 24 h operation requirements of an intelligent distribution warehouse and realize the path planning and task assignment of forklift AGVs and latent AGVs. And furthermore, the number of AGVs arranged in the warehouse can be further reduced. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper reports the raticidal effect of the powder and the two extracts of Daphne gnidium against Wistar rats at the laboratory level and Rattus norvegicus in wheat storage warehouses. A quantitative phytochemical study was conducted alongside a histopathological study of the liver, lungs, kidneys, and intestine. The yield values obtained from the methanolic and aqueous fractions were 18% and 21.2% respectively. The content of polyphenols (mg EqAG/g DM (Dry Matter)), flavonoids (mg EqQr/g DM (Dry Matter)) and tannins (mg EqCat/g DM (Dry Matter)) were 23.02 ± 2.02, 21.22 ± 1.24; 8.64 ± 0.87, 5.94 ± 0.19 and 6.37 ± 0.26, 4.14 ± 0.17 in the methanolic and aqueous extract. Clinical signs were noted. The powder caused the highest dose-dependent mortality rate with LD50 and LD90 values of 2754, 3981 mg/kg/d and 3020, 4365 mg/kg/d in males and females respectively. The powder recorded a reduction rate of 53% against the R. norgevicus in wheat storage warehouses. The histopathological examination revealed the presence of abnormalities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Strategies to densify urban fabric for both environmental and market purposes, place built heritage under increasing pressure. Over the last decade, a shift can be noted in the discourse on built heritage in Norway, where the requirements for 'dynamic management' that recognises these pressures is emphasised. There is also an increasing awareness of the connection between cultural heritage and sense of place. This paper examines the row of wooden warehouses in the historic core of Trondheim, how cultural heritage values are interpreted by different actors. The paper concludes that despite unanimous agreement about the need to preserve the warehouses, reasoning and solutions vary depending on differences and positions in the cultural heritage discourse. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cloud warehouses have been exploiting multi-tenancy in CPU-FPGA collaborative environments, so clients can share the same infrastructure, achieving scalability and maximizing resource utilization. Therefore, the distribution of tasks across CPU and FPGA must be well-balanced so performance and energy are optimized in a highly variant workload scenario. In this paper, we take a step further and, in contrast to existing approaches, exploit DVFS (Dynamic Voltage and Frequency Scaling) on the CPU, together with an intelligent CPU-FPGA resource provisioning mechanism, to further improve energy. For that, we propose EASER, an end user-transparent framework that employs multiple strategies and dynamically selects the most appropriate one to optimize resource provisioning and DVFS according to the warehouse needs, workload properties, and target architecture. Our synergistic DVFS optimization brings up to 22% additional energy gains over our dynamic provisioning alone. Compared to fixed single strategies with DVFS, EASER brings, on average, 71% of energy gains. • We explore voltage/frequency scaling and provisioning in multi-tenant CPU-FPGA Cloud. • Different strategies are needed depending on the architecture and workload properties. • EASER is end-user transparent and fully-adaptive. • EASER achieves energy improvements without harming makespan. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Online order picking has become one of the key issues for ensuring the service level of modern retail e-commerce. This paper studies the online order batching and batch assignment problem (OOBBAP) with multiple pickers of picker-to-parts warehouses. First, we establish a biobjective optimization model that minimises the total picking time and order response time. Then, an online order batching algorithm embedded with the sequencing algorithm and optimal path algorithm is designed to solve the model. Finally, we use retail ecommerce from China with data on 87,277 orders of an online shopping festival to examine the optimization results of the model. The optimization results of the key indicators are satisfactory. The optimization rates of the maximum order response time, average order response time, total picking time, average picking time of picking posts, picker total walking distance and average walking distance are between 7.45% and 30.20%. The model demonstrates an excellent ability to solve the OOBBAP in multiple picker warehouses, which can provide a reference solution for similar picking problems in picker-toparts retail e-commerce warehouses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite all the technological progress in the arena of automated and robotized systems, humans will continue to play a significant role in the warehouse of the future, due to their distinctive skills and economic advantages for certain tasks. Although industry and engineering have mainly dealt with the design and functionalities of automated warehouses, the role of human factors and behavior is still underrepresented. However, many novel warehousing systems require human–machine interactions, leading to a growing scientific and managerial necessity to consider human factors and behavior, particularly for operational activities. This is the first study that comprehensively identifies and analyzes relevant behavioral issues of interactions between warehouse operators and machines. To do so, we develop a systematic framework that links human–machine interactions with behavioral issues and implications on system performance across all operational warehouse activities. Insights generated by interviews with warehousing experts are applied to identify the most important issues. We develop a comprehensive research agenda, consisting of a set of potential research questions associated to the identified behavioral issues. The discussion is enriched by providing theoretical and managerial insights from related domains and existing warehousing research. Ultimately, we consolidate our findings by developing overarching theoretical foundations and deriving unifying themes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this paper is to introduce a combination of Basic Uncertain Information (BUI) and a Bag Based Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (BBTOPSIS), which is further applied to multi-attribute decision making (MADM) with BUI. To realize the decision process, a novel comparison law is developed to derive the superiority, inferiority and noninferiority multi-attribute canonical fuzzy bags. Mathematical properties of the developed comparison law is discussed. Besides, to extend traditional TOPSIS method in BUI, a novel distance measure between BUI is also introduced, which is composed by distance between transformed intervals and similarity between BUI. Superiority of the developed distance measure is illustrated. Finally, a decision algorithm is presented to solve MADM with BUI by using the developed BBTOPSIS under BUI. A numerical example on location of medical warehouse is presented to illustrate the feasibility and validity of the developed decision method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A warehouse delivery problem consists of a set of robots that undertake delivery jobs within a warehouse. Items are moved around the warehouse in response to events. A solution to a warehouse delivery problem is a collision-free schedule of robot movements and actions that ensures that all delivery jobs are completed and each robot is returned to its docking station. While the warehouse delivery problem is related to existing research, such as the study of multi-agent path finding (MAPF), the specific industrial requirements necessitated a novel approach that diverges from these other approaches. For example, our problem description was more suited to formalizing the warehouse in terms of a weighted directed graph rather than the more common grid-based formalization. We formalize and encode the warehouse delivery problem in Answer Set Programming (ASP) extended with difference constraints. We systematically develop and study different encoding variants, with a view to computing good quality solutions in near real-time. In particular, application specific criteria are contrasted against the traditional notion of makespan minimization as a measure of solution quality. The encoding is tested against both crafted and industry data and experiments run using the Hybrid ASP solver clingo[dl]. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper is devoted to the study of the impact of volumetric planning solutions and the main production and technological parameters of a modern warehouse on the effectiveness of its functioning. The object of analysis is a class A warehouse complex located in Almaty. Simulation modeling was utilized to find and substantiate management decisions. The software product AnyLogic was used as the environment for the simulation. This paper develops a generalized algorithm for creating simulation models of warehouse complexes and a simulation model consisting of 114 blocks. The model is presented in the form of a black box, which made it possible to identify and establish correlations and relations between the input and output parameters of the warehouse, as well as its resources. A simulation experiment was conducted consisting of 63 model calculations. Variation parameters were the number of loading and unloading docks, as well as the number of forklifts in the storage area. As a result of the simulation, four options for the operation of the warehouse were established to ensure the unloading and loading of the required number of cars during the day. The optimal variant of the functioning of the warehouse complex was chosen on the basis of the proposed comprehensive criterion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on the data of existing warehouse supermarkets in Liaoning Province, China, spatial autocorrelation analysis, kernel density analysis, composite correlation coefficient analysis and other methods have been adopted to analyze their spatial-temporal evolution pattern to reflect the general law of the development of China's existing warehouse supermarkets and fill the gap in this research field. The results show that the spatial distribution of warehouse supermarkets in Liaoning Province is extremely uneven, and areas with high nuclear density are distributed along the "Shenyang-Dalian" line belonging to the aggregation distribution. The Lorentz curve shows a downward trend with a large degree of spatial imbalance, that is, the regional concentration of warehouse supermarkets is high. Through global and local autocorrelation analysis, the regions with similar development levels of warehouse supermarkets in Liaoning Province tend to gather together, and the spatial distribution has a strong correlation. The distribution of warehousing supermarkets in Liaoning Province is affected by traffic location conditions, economic conditions, population quantity and population density, the number of urban functional areas, policy conditions and the role of the government, especially by economic conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The rapid and severe outbreak of COVID-19 caused by SARS-CoV-2 has heavily impacted warehouse operations around the world. In particular, picker-to-parts warehousing systems, in which human pickers collect requested items by moving from picking location to picking location, are very susceptible to the spread of infection among pickers because the latter generally work close to each other. This paper aims to mitigate the risk of infection in manual order picking. Given multiple pickers, each associated with a given sequence of picking tours for collecting the items specified by a picking order, we aim to execute the tours in a way that minimizes the time pickers simultaneously spend in the same picking aisles, but without changing the distance traveled by the pickers. To achieve this, we exploit the degrees of freedom induced by the fact that picking tours contain cycles which can be traversed in both directions, i.e., at the entry to each of these cycles, the decision makers can decide between the two possible directions. We formulate the resulting picking tour execution problem as a mixed integer program and propose an efficient iterated local search heuristic to solve it. In extensive numerical studies, we show that an average reduction of 50% of the total temporal overlap between pickers can be achieved compared to randomly executing the picking tours. Moreover, we compare our approach to a zone picking approach, in which infection risk between pickers can be almost eliminated. However, compared to our approach, the results show that the zone picking approach increases the makespan by up to 1066%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper proposed a multi-layered 3D NDT (normal distribution transform) scan-matching approach for robust localization even in the highly dynamic environment of warehouse logistics. Our approach partitioned a given 3D point-cloud map and the scan measurements into several layers regarding the degree of environmental changes in the height direction and computed the covariance estimates for each layer using 3D NDT scan-matching. Because the covariance determinant is the estimate's uncertainty, we can determine which layers are better to use in the localization in the warehouse. If the layer gets close to the warehouse's floor, the degree of environmental changes, such as the cluttered warehouse layout and position of boxes, would be significantly large, while it has many good features for scan-matching. If the observation at a specific layer is not explained well enough, then the layer for localization can be switched to other layers with lower uncertainties. Thus, the main novelty of this approach is that localization robustness can be improved even in very cluttered and dynamic environments. This study also provides the simulation-based validation using Nvidia's Omniverse Isaac sim and detailed mathematical descriptions for the proposed method. Moreover, the evaluated results of this study can be a good starting point for further mitigating the effects of occlusion in warehouse navigation of mobile robots. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Automated Rack Supported Warehouses, consisting of huge steel buildings offering optimized storage solutions, have been facing a huge diffusion in the last decade, mainly due to the necessity of having bigger and more efficient places to stock and handle goods through automated systems. However, there is not a specific regulatory framework for them, and they are currently being designed to adopt the approach used for traditional steel racks. Even if traditional steel racks and ARSWs have several common aspects, there are relevant differences that do not allow to adopt the same design approach, especially for seismic actions. To highlight the factors and parameters currently influencing the seismic design and the behavior of these constructions, and the consequent need for a different design approach, the present paper presents a critical analysis of the seismic design approach currently adopted by technicians and designers. Then, a set of 5 structures designed by 5 of the major European companies specialized in this field is used to perform both the critical analysis of the different design approaches adopted and the assessment of the seismic performance. The seismic assessment results highlight the typical criticalities and the necessity of a novel proper design approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In warehouse operations, stock allocation that reduces shipment-work man-hours is necessary. The existing stock allocation recommended method (i.e., Sequential Storage Location Recommendation (SSLR) method) evaluates the storage period considering lot order and the delivery frequency of each product on the storing target pallet (PL), and stores the PL with a high delivery frequency and short storage period in a high-priority area. On the other hand, in SSLR, even if the PL is stored in a low-priority area, there is a problem that picking occurs from the low-priority area when days elapse and delivery from the PL is started. Therefore, we have developed a stock movement method in which the stored PL in the warehouse is evaluated with the evaluation value that considers the delivery frequency and storage period similar to SSLR, and which moves PLs with a short remaining storage period and high delivery frequency to a high-priority area. By combining SSLR and the proposed method, it is possible to reduce the number of deliveries from low-priority areas and prevent unnecessary occupancy of PLs having a long storage period in high-priority areas. Using simulations, it was confirmed that, by combining the method with SSLR, the man-hours for shipping can be reduced when compared to the case of SSLR alone. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The importance of efficient logistics processes in literature and practice has been recognized. In this paper, a new methodological approach for logistics process improvement, Logistics Field Audit (LFA) is proposed. The approach comprises seven interconnected steps: identification of needs and goals for LFA; priority definition of different LFA aspects for different subsystems; processes mapping, audit, and questionnaire preparation; implementation in each subsystem according to priorities; analysis and evaluation; the definition of preventive and corrective measures, continuous improvement and periodical audit. Basic aspects of LFA such as the operational, safety, environmental, and service quality aspect are identified. The approach is applicable in both logistics and non-logistics systems with special emphasis on logistics subsystems such as procurement, distribution, transport, warehouse, etc. The paper presents a case study of a warehouse system, with an emphasis on labor safety. Four types of warehouse workers were determined. The developed methodology provides the basis for future theoretical research and practical implementation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, the increasingly pressing problem for any commercial company is that of being flexible in order to respond to market demands. One of the places where continuous adaptation to market requirements is needed are warehouses. Depending on the needs, the warehouse must be able to redefine its routes for storing and delivering products. FlexSim software can be used for modelling, simulation, and improvement systems such as manufacturing, warehousing, health, material handling, logistics, etc. The aim of this paper is to improve the existing flow in a warehouse. For this, in the first stage, the warehouse is simulated in its existing state in order to be able to see the reception times, the storage mode, the package preparation times as well as the transport times. Based on the data obtained, in the second part, a simulation will be carried out in which the flow in the warehouse will be improved, starting from the different aspects identified in the initial simulation. FlexSim software is used to define the model, simulate and improve the warehouse. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to the lack of medical materials in some emergency public events, for example, the outbreak of COVID-19, it is urgent to establish a medical emergency material warehouse. Taking Xi'an, China, as an example, this study aims to select suitable sites of Xi'an medical emergency material warehouse. In this study, the problem of site selection models as a multiobjective optimization problem. The coverage function and comprehensive efficiency function are designed as two conflicting objectives. Then, a multiobjective evolutionary algorithm based on multiple memetic direction is proposed to optimize the two objectives concurrently. The crossover and mutation operators are designed for evolutionary multiobjective site selection. The proposed crossover operator is able to balance the global and local search abilities, and the proposed mutation operator fuses the distribution information of hospital location, service population, and the overall coverage. Experiments on real dataset verify the superiority of the proposed evolutionary multiobjective site selection method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The finished goods must be stored in a warehouse before the items are dispatched. Due to the increasing demand in 2020, there will be an increase in the quantity of items, which will cause the finished goods warehouse at PT X to reach capacity. This issue lengthens the flow through the warehouse and makes it easier for the items to sustain damage. To improve capacity, the firm is building a new finished goods warehouse, and it wants to organize the two warehouses so that the displacement time is as short as possible. This study utilized simulations to calculate the time and dedicated and class-based storage strategies to establish the layout. This study utilized simulations to determine the time and dedicated and class-based storage approaches to establish the layout. According to the findings, the dedicated storage technique has a total displacement distance of 703,952 meters and an average moving duration of 3.37 minutes per pallet. These findings are not as useful as the class-based storage technique, which has 705,961 meters and an average pallet turn time of 3.53 minutes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the continuous progress of the chemical industry, warehouse design needs to be diversified on account of the increasing complex and multitudinous perilous chemicals. In this situation, this study projects the conception of the interconnected warehouse. By taking the storage points as the quantity and the path as the variable, this study establishes a quadratic allocation model on the operations of this novel kind of warehouse. Then, an improved neural network algorithm is proposed to ascertain the optimal solution. The innovation of this study is that it releases the space resources of the classic dangerous goods warehouse and improves the operational efficiency of the dangerous goods warehouse under the premise of ensuring safety. Finally, the proposed model and algorithm is tested and verified with a data of Shanghai Lingang dangerous Material Warehouse. The empirical research demonstrates that the interconnected warehouse has ideal performance for lifting the handling efficiency on the basis of ensuring safety. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

What mechanisms has Amazon deployed in its effort to control the labor of its warehouse employees? This question holds both practical and theoretical interest, given Amazon's prominent position in the economy and the wider importance of the logistics sector for consumer capitalism. This paper, part of a broader mixed-methods study of Amazon's workplace regime, uses a small national sample of interviews with Amazon warehouse workers (N = 46) to identify the mechanisms of labor control the company invokes. In keeping with accounts propounded by activists and journalists, we find evidence of highly coercive labor controls, chiefly in the form of what we call techno-economic despotism (which applies algorithmic technology to a precariously employed workforce). Yet many workers also experience forms of labor control that rely not on coercion but on the generation of consent. We identify three such mechanisms of hegemonic labor control - normative, relational, and governmental – that Amazon uses to foster workers' consent. The efficacy of Amazon's workplace regime stems largely from its ability to deploy a multiplicity of labor controls that resonate with different groups holding distinct positions in the labor process. Given shifts in the social and economic conditions that bear on the company's regime, cracks have begun to appear in Amazon's armor, potentially reducing the traction its labor control mechanisms have gained with segments of its employees. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

On-demand warehousing platforms match companies with underutilized warehouse and distribution capabilities with customers who need extra space or distribution services. These new business models have unique advantages, in terms of reduced capacity and commitment granularity, but also have different cost structures compared with traditional ways of obtaining distribution capabilities. This research is the first quantitative analysis to consider distribution network strategies given the advent of on-demand warehousing. Our multi-period facility location model – a mixed-integer linear program – simultaneously determines location-allocation decisions of three distribution center types (self-distribution, 3PL/lease, on-demand). A simulation model operationally evaluates the impact of the planned distribution strategy when various uncertainties can occur. Computational experiments for a company receiving products produced internationally to fulfil a set of regional customer demands illustrate that the power of on-demand warehousing is in creating hybrid network designs that more efficiently use self-distribution facilities through improved capacity utilization. However, the business case for on-demand warehousing is shown to be influenced by several factors, namely on-demand capacity availability, responsiveness requirements, and demand patterns. This work supports a firm's use of on-demand warehousing if it has tight response requirements, for example for same-day delivery; however, if a firm has relaxed response requirements, then on-demand warehousing is only recommended if capacity availability of planned on-demand services is high. We also analyze capacity flexibility options leased by third-party logistics companies for a premium price and draw attention to the importance of them offering more granular solutions to stay competitive in the market. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To improve picking performance, many warehouses apply order batching and/or zoning in their picking areas. The former policy collects multiple customer orders jointly on a picker tour to increase picking density, and the latter partitions the picking area into smaller zones to enable a parallel order processing. Both picking policies require an additional consolidation stage, where bins filled with partial orders arriving from multiple zones are sorted according to customer orders. To connect both stages, a conveyor system is applied on which the picked products, each being a piece of a specific Stock Keeping Unit (SKU), move from the picking area toward the consolidation stage. If multiple pieces of the product sequence, approaching the consolidation area on the conveyor, refer to the same SKU, these products are interchangeable among customer orders, and our product-to-order assignment problem arises: Given a product sequence where each product refers to some SKU, we assign products to customer orders, such that demands are fulfilled and order-related objectives, e.g., the sum of completion times, are optimized. We investigate different objectives for this very basic optimization task and show that some problem versions are solvable in polynomial time, whereas others turn out to be NP-hard. Furthermore, we provide exact and heuristic solution approaches. By applying these algorithms in a comprehensive simulation study, we show that our product-to-order assignment problem can be an impactful lever to improve consolidation performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This technical note provides the mathematical demonstration for obtaining the optimal aspect ratio for a rectangular storage area with a lateral receive/ship dock, representing the standard configuration of modern distribution centers and logistic warehouses. The proposed aspect ratio is the one that minimizes the travel times of operators, keeping the common assumption of a storage area having a uniform access probability. Design/methodology/approach: To obtain the optimal aspect ratio of the storage area, the entry point of the uniformly distributed dock is modeled with a random variable, with a continuous uniform distribution, and the average travel path of the operator is consequently assessed as a function of the latter. Successively, the average roundtrip length of the operator is evaluated and minimized, leading to the optimal aspect ratio of the storage area. Findings: It is found that the optimal aspect ratio between the warehouse width (U) and length (V) equals 1.5. The obtained result - which is novel for the warehouse design research since no other contribution discussed it - shows that the operators' travel times are minimized with a storage area where 1 = 1.5V. Research limitations/implications: Warehouses with a dock on one side now represent the standard configuration of modern distribution centers'. However, no optimal aspect ratio for the storage area has been discussed. For this reason, the paper fills this lack of scientific literature in the warehouse optimization research by providing indications on how to design this class of warehouses. Practical implications: Distribution managers find here guidance for defining a proper design of logistics centers and evaluating the operators' 'travel times to perform a roundtrip within the storage area. Indeed, the found aspect ratio indicates the optimal design for a storage area with the abovementioned assumptions. Originality/value: Traditional warehouse shape optimization models assume a single input/output point to the storage area. To our knowledge, no formal demonstration has been proposed for a warehouse with a dock on one entire side. Hence, the added value and novelty of this contribution are given by the possibility to adopt the optimal aspect ratio to perform an adequate design of distribution centers and warehouses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The routing strategy for order picking is an important factor in the efficiency of warehouse picking, and improvements to the warehouse layout provide more routing options for picking. The number of storage locations to be visited during the picking operation also has an impact on the selection of routing strategies. In order to achieve an effective improvement in the efficiency of picking operations in warehouse distribution centers, this paper focuses on the leaf warehouse layout based on the previous single-command operation strategy and extends it to study the multi-command operation strategy, in which three heuristic routing strategies, the S-shape, the return, and the composite, are introduced to solve the walking distance problem of picking operations, with the study of the selection of the routing strategy for different numbers of storage locations to be visited. Based on the distance equation between any two storage locations to be visited in the leaf layout warehouse, travel distance models corresponding to the three routing strategies in the picking operation are constructed, and the cuckoo search algorithm is introduced to solve and calculate the travel distance of the composite strategies for the experiments. In addition, the computational experiments of the three path strategies are carried out according to the different numbers of storage locations to be visited in the picking operation. By analyzing the numerical results, we find that the composite strategy has the best overall results among the three routing strategies, with the average values of optimization rates exceeding 30% (the S-shape) and 40% (the return), respectively. At the same time, the return strategy outperforms the S-shape strategy when the number of locations to be visited is less than seven. As the number of locations to be visited increases, the S-shape strategy gradually outperforms the return strategy. From a managerial and practical perspective, compared to the single-command operation strategy that is the focus of the current research, the multi-command operation strategy we studied is more relevant to the actual situation of order merging picking in warehouses and can effectively improve the efficiency of picking operations, the competitiveness of enterprises, and customer satisfaction of e-commerce enterprises. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper models the multi-tier shuttle warehousing system and optimizes the system structure and control strategy. This kind of system is a discrete event dynamic system because it only takes place at discrete time points, while previous warehousing system models. We propose the object-oriented timed colored Petri net to model it, to improve the accuracy of the model and avoid the problem of status explosion in the process of Petri net modeling. We propose two control strategy optimization methods: one is to balance the task assignment, and the other is to change the return time point of the buffer status information. The results of numerical experiments show that consideration of both optimization strategies can reduce the total picking time by 40 % ∼ 62 %. Additionally, we analyze the influence of the buffer capacity. The results show that the buffer capacity can reduce the total picking time, and enough amount of buffer capacity has the same effect as control strategy optimization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The location of warehouses is strategic for urban goods distribution, and the decision factors are subjective. This paper aims to analyse the contributing factors to warehouse location and describe the association between local attributes and the explanatory variables of a Warehouse Freight Trip Generation Model (WFTGM). We developed this study using data from 42 warehouses located in Belo Horizonte (Brazil). The results indicated that the accessibility to/from warehouses and the land cost are the most critical factors contributing to warehouse location decision. Additionally, the accessibility of trucks for delivery has a strong positive correlation with the accessibility of freight vehicles for loading. The land cost negatively correlates with all factors except the employee's accessibility, indicating an antagonistic relationship with other variables. Considering the Warehouse Freight Trip Generation Model, the warehouse-size related variables provided the best-fit models. Additionally, the warehouse size is not independent of the neighbourhoods' population and distance to the main ring roads traversing this city. The results support the development of public policies related to new warehouses' licensing process and offer guidance on warehouses' location in urban areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to improve the picking efficiency of warehouses, shorten the time cost and promote the development of the logistics industry, this study analyzes the routing strategies in fishbone layout warehouses under the class-based storage strategy. The fishbone layout was divided into three storage areas for class A, class B, and class C items according to the proportion using the straight line, to meet the classification requirements of items. Under the class-based storage strategy, to evaluate the performance of the return routing strategy and the S-shape routing strategy, the stochastic models of the expected walking distance of the two routing strategies in the fishbone layout warehouse are established by calculating the sum of the expected walking distances in diagonal cross-aisles and picking aisles. Finally, the stochastic models of the two routing strategies are simulated and verified, and the impacts of the two routing strategies on walking distances are analyzed by comparing the expected distances under different ordering frequencies and space allocation strategies. The numerical results show that the return routing strategy has an advantage over the S-shape routing strategy when determining the relevant parameters of the fishbone layout and picking orders. Meanwhile, it also provides a theoretical basis for research on stochastic models of routing strategies in fishbone layout warehouses under the class-based storage strategy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It has been widely demonstrated by many research works that the distribution of a factory can condition its productivity. Because of this, a factory in Santiago, Chile, asked the authors for advice to evaluate the current situation in the company and what alternatives could be proposed to improve performance by increasing productivity without incurring too high costs. Among the most important requirements requested was a study of the current design of the raw materials warehouse within the plant since this is a main pillar in the design of the plant. For this purpose, the current layout ws analyzed and alternative designs were proposed under two scenarios: use the same area that is currently available or make the design from scratch considering land purchases to build the warehouse. In order to give a precise answer to many possible design decisions, formulations were developed and deduced to calculate the optimal dimensions of the warehouse, and qualitative criteria were incorporated for decision making. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, with the integration and development of the internet and various industries, the social economy has begun to develop toward diversification. The rise of e-commerce logistics has driven the transformation and upgrading of the manufacturing industry and injected new vitality into e-commerce. It also promotes the new development of cargo warehousing as one of the important components. Traditional warehousing began to gradually develop toward intelligent informatization, relying on emerging science and technology. Smart warehousing also brings valuable development opportunities and challenges to the manufacturing industry. On the basis of the existing achievements, this paper proposes a solution of an intelligent warehousing system for e-commerce logistics based on multimedia technology. It, firstly, introduces the structure of the intelligent warehousing system in detail, and then, it analyzes the requirements for the functions of the intelligent warehousing system based on multimedia technology. It includes user management, receiving business, storage business, tally business, and outbound business. In the end, the intelligent warehousing system based on multimedia technology and the traditional intelligent warehousing system are compared and tested for system function and experience. The test results show that the work efficiency of the intelligent warehousing system based on multimedia technology is significantly higher than that of the traditional intelligent warehousing system. In terms of user experience, the performance of the intelligent warehousing system based on multimedia technology has reached 8 points and above. It proves its usefulness and effectiveness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Developing a promising technology that copes with the industrial warehousing environment requires special preparation. It includes infrastructure, equipment, resources, knowledge, efficiencies, and strategies for dealing with failures. This study examines Technology 4.0 driven warehouse practices and performance based on a thorough literature review. The study presents a unique proposition as it considers a two-fold fuzzy Delphi analysis to rank the Technology 4.0 driven practices using best-worst method (BWM) based on experts' responses. Warehouse performance measures are evaluated by the Combined Compromise Solution (CoCoSo) method. The results indicate the contributions of a 'Man-machines or robots for facilitating human'; 'Planning system for management'; 'Storage systems' as as leading practices contributing to 'improved inventory management', 'effective storage and distribution', and 'improved distribution and shipping or delivery process'. Using this study, researchers and managers will better understand how to adopt technology in warehouse management system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]