bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Communications Forum
Authors: King Derek
Published: February 2008

Since 1962 the world trades in bulk commodities as a whole have undergone two great changes: a large increase in the volume, and a large increase in the distance of the average route. In these years, trade in the five main dry bulk commodities doubled in tonnage, and in crude oil trebled in tonnage. During the same period, the length of the average route for the former rose from 3,400 miles to 4,650 miles, and for the latter from 4,500 miles to 6,750 miles. In short, three to five times as much ship capacity was required in 1973 as in 1962.
Centralisation of Inventories and the “Square Root Law”
Authors: Maister D.H.
Published: February 2008

Introduction The purpose of this paper is to discuss the effect on inventory levels of centralisation, i.e., moving from a logistics system formed from a number of field warehouses to one where all demands are met from a single location. In particular, we shall examine the “square root law of locations”, a result which asserts that the total inventory in a system is proportional to the square root of the number of locations at which a product is stocked.
Supplier Environment of Food Retailers in a Developing Economy
Authors: Kaynak Erdener
Published: February 2008

Frequently distribution planners when looking at distributive channels and institutions in countries other than their own are confronted with considerable contrasts to their own, more familiar, systems. This article is presented here as an illustration of one country's distribution environment for a selected range of products.
A Reply to Rand's Criticisms
Authors: Merchant J.
Published: February 2008

It was good of Mr. Rand to take the trouble to comment on my paper. However, I really cannot let some of his comments pass without some reply, partly because many of the remarks are so inaccurate and partly because he illustrates what seems to me to be a fundamental principle in management science.
Channel Change Agents in Developing Countries
Authors: Bucklin Louis P.
Published: February 2008

The marketing of food products in the rapidly growing urban centres of developing countries is one of the major distribution challenges facing government planners, marketing analysts, and nutritionists. The small, undercapitalised and weakly managed firms; the clogged retail and wholesale terminals, the high food spoilage rates, and the pervasive distrust of the middleman are all too painfully evident. For the broad masses of the urban poor these problems are particularly critical. The pattern of existing studies of food distribution in such countries has been to focus upon the price‐cost margins of existing middlemen or upon the efficiency of the distributive chain. While such studies are of great importance, the vital issue of whether existing forces are operating to produce desired change is seldom directly addressed. If appropriate public policy is to be developed, it is necessary to know if the pace and direction of existing change is sufficient to meet the requirements of the expanding population. Is meaningful relief underway or, indeed, is the system deteriorating? Studies of food marketing in developing countries are incomplete unless these questions are answired.
PDM Communications The Diseconomies of Large‐Scale Distribution
Authors: Christopher Martin
Published: February 2008

It has often been argued that all our thinking on management and organisation is cyclical. That is we move from one extreme to another as we realise that current concepts and structures are not achieving the tasks that we set for them as effectively and efficiently as we would wish. For example, some companies have experienced changes in organisational patterns from decentralised to centralised to decentralised within a space of ten years. Some of this constant change can be attributed to managerial fashion but some of it can also be linked to the fact that the environment within which the company operates is itself constantly changing. Thus there will always be a need for the survival‐conscious firm to re‐appraise its current stance and adapt to changed circumstance.
Accounting Analysis of Distribution Activities—A Critique
Authors: Shirley R.E.
Published: February 2008

Distribution costs have a significant impact on product prices as they can represent as much as 60 per cent of the cost of consumer goods. A paucity of research and scholarly writing regarding distribution costs may contribute to a less than vigorous control of these costs which in turn could be aggravating the recent inflation of product prices. The purpose of this paper is to analyse the current state of distribution cost analysis and to suggest changes in present methods.
Organising For Physical Distribution
Authors: Maister D.H.
Published: February 2008

This report discusses the problem of how to organise the activities of the firm in order to achieve efficient logistics performance. In reviewing over 50 books and articles (professional and academic) published before 1975, the author identifies seven major themes, ranging from timing the establishment of logistics departments to modern theories of “matrix” organisations. The results of a survey conducted by the author in 1974 are presented, and the difficulties of developing definitive conclusions or guides to action in this area are discussed. (This report was written while the author was a graduate student at the Harvard Business School.)
The Energy/Ecology Impacts On Distribution
Authors: Stock James R.
Published: February 2008

The distribution sector has been hard hit by the energy/ecology crisis. Higher fuel costs coupled with reduced availability of many energy sources have adversely affected distribution activities. Growing levels of pollution have caused global concern. As a part of the physical distribution activity, the transportation modes have been particularly vulnerable to the energy/ecology crisis because they rely so heavily on energy resources. It is important that those involved in physical distribution understand the distribution‐energy/ecology interface. Recognition of the effects that the energy/ecology crisis has had, and will have, on distribution is an integral part of logistics planning and control. The energy/ecology crisis will not go away and it behoves the physical distribution manager, educator and public policy maker to: (1) Understand the Problem, (2) Recognise how the problem pertains to him directly and/or indirectly, and (3) Determine how he and others will react to the problem in the future.
A Reappraisal of the Square Root Law
Authors: Das Chandrasekhar
Published: February 2008

In a recent article Maister discusses the role of centralised inventory in a logistics system and provides a proof of the square root law recognised to be useful for this purpose by several authors (Starr and Miller, Brown, and Heskett et al.). However, the previous authors applied the law to describe the distribution of safety stocks whereas Maister attempts to extend it to the case of cycle stocks as well. The present paper re‐examines the law critically and raises some questions regarding its applicability, especially to the case of cycle stocks. Certain pertinent issues are also discussed at the end.
Inventory Management Techniques
Authors: Lancioni Richard A. , Howard Keith
Published: February 2008

Inventory management is an extremely important function to any business, since inadequacies in control can result in serious problems. If inventories are managed in an inefficient manner, it is likely that delays in production, dissatisfied customers, or curtailment of working capital will result.
Shipper Versus Carrier Perceptions of Carrier Selection Variables
Authors: Jerman Roger E. , Anderson Ronald D. , Constantin James A.
Published: February 2008

A great deal of attention in physical distribution management has been raised by both practitioners and academicians as to what type of carrier service is desired by shippers and consignees. From the viewpoint of the buying system, the selection of an appropriate transport mode and the selection of a given carrier and particular services offered by the carrier is an important decision. Billions of dollars are spent annually by the shipping public. The sheer magnitude of the expenditure coupled with the limitation on customer service which can result from the carrier selection choice is making it an increasingly important decision. Purchasing systems need better information concerning carrier selection variables than they now have to enable them to design the organisation for buying carrier services, and to select, train, and supervise traffic people as well as to decide how much of the process can be computerised.
Institutional Issues in Urban Freight Consolidation
Authors: Cadotte Ernest R. , Robicheaux Robert A.
Published: February 2008

The distribution of freight in most urban areas is characterised by high concentrations of truck activity in central business districts (CBD's). In this context, the movement of freight from suppliers, to resellers to ultimate customers is typically performed by a very large number of small carriers who duplicate each other's paths with partially filled trucks while each is in the process of picking up and delivering a large number of very small shipments. In many communities, this distribution structure results in unnecessarily high levels of congestion, pollution and energy consumption, as well as high distribution costs which are passed on to consumers in higher product costs. Several decades ago, business organisations responded to these pressures and initiated shippers' associations and freight forwarder operations to achieve the economies of consolidated shipments. Since 1942, however, the growth in the number of freight forwarders has been drastically curtailed.
Intermodal Energy Efficiencies: Perspectives of the Distribution Manager and Public Policy Maker
Authors: Beier Frederick J. , Edwards Jerry. L. , Rakowski James P.
Published: February 2008

Since the 1973–74 oil embargo, many comparisons have been made relative to the fuel efficiency of various modes for different trip characteristics. The most commonly cited comparison is between truck and rail. No doubt this is due to the natural competition between these modes and the availability of data for making head to head comparisons. While no clear consensus has emerged from these studies, there is at least the conventional wisdom that intercity rail is more energy efficient than truck. We intend to show that making intermodal comparisons between truck and rail is more complex than the conventional wisdom suggests. In so doing, we examine these procedures which rely exclusively on the use of one‐dimensional measures of energy efficiency, e.g., Btu/ton‐mile. We suggest alternative measures, which are multi‐dimensional and include a variable for various aspects of service.
Inventory Carrying Costs: Current Availability and Uses
Authors: Lambert Douglas M. , Mentzer John T.
Published: February 2008

Inventory carrying costs, the costs associated with the quantity and value of inventory stored, represent a large portion of the expense attached to distribution activities. These costs also are influenced by the configuration of the physical distribution system utilised. Therefore, accurate assessment of inventory carrying costs is essential to not only controlling the cost area, but also for the analysis of the cost effectiveness of different physical distribution systems. Traditionally, managers who do consider the cost of holding inventory use estimates, industry benchmarks that range from 12 to 35 per cent of the value of the inventory, or textbook figures of 25 per cent. Many sources have quoted the 25 per cent figure and have not changed it in the last 30 years, thus ignoring the impact of inflation on the cost of capital. Also, it is believed that many firms do not even consider inventory carrying costs.
CASE ANALYSIS I
Authors: O'Neil Brian F.
Published: February 2008

The Zatega Division case is a very interesting case which presents several very realistic problems that are indeed facing a number of different corporations today. There is a very large need to control effectively the logistics function. When the logistics function is not properly controlled many problems can and do arise and some of these problems are made effectively apparent in the Zatega Division case.
CASE ANALYSIS 4
Authors: McKee James
Published: February 2008

In my opinion, there are 10 basic problems which must be addressed to insure effectiveness in materials management and market penetration:
CASE ANALYSIS 5
Authors: Maister David
Published: February 2008

What is the problem at the Zatega Division of Matheson Foods? The attention of the managers involved is focused upon the large number of overflow warehouses, the dispute over the use of available plant storage space, and the relatively high levels of both raw materials and finished product inventory levels. Of these concerns, the question of inventory levels appears to be of least concern to the participants, since we are given a number of rationalisations for this “problem”, (expanding markets, preparation of new plant, problems of raw materials quality control). As a consequence of their (conflicting) concerns over these matters, the managers also face the problem of a high level of tension and interpersonal conflict.
The Application of Gert Modelling and Simulation to Logistics
Authors: Mentzer John T. , Cosmas Stephen C.
Published: February 2008

The application of computer modelling and simulation to logistics networks has been quite common. The primary reason is that logistical systems possess inherent characteristics which are compatible to computer modelling and simulation. One such technique which provides modelling and simulation capabilities and has yet to be applied to logistical networks is GERT (Graphical Evaluation and Review Technique). This article discusses the application of GERT to the area of logistics. The first section presents a brief background on the applicability of computer simulation in logistics. The second section presents an overview of the GERT simulation model. The third section describes an application of the GERT model to a logistics problem. Finally, the fourth section discusses areas of potential research in logistics utilising GERT.
Modular Data Base System: An Appraisal of its Usefulness in Physical Distribution Costing
Authors: Barrett T.F.
Published: February 2008

The modular data base approach has been developed as an accounting device since 1972, when the American Accounting Association published the findings of the committee which it had set up “to prepare a report setting forth appropriate cost and revenue concepts and reporting techniques for planning, control and decision making in marketing, including physical distribution systems which may encompass the totality of production and marketing”. In that year two of the authors of the report, Mossman and Fischer, presented their initial findings to the James R. Riley Symposium on Business Logistics. Since then Mossman, Crissy and Fischer have further developed the concept, while Constantine and Lusch and Lambert and Armitage have concentrated on the implementation of the system, the latter being currently at the midpoint of a five year research project whose objective is the operationalisation of the concept.
Evaluation of a Regional Blood Distribution Information System
Authors: Kendall Kenneth E.
Published: February 2008

Evaluating information systems has proven to be a most difficult task. Methodologies of analytical frameworks for evaluating information systems can be placed into four categories:
Buyers and Monopolies
Authors: Farmer David
Published: February 2008

In the West, at least, monopolies are generally thought to be threatening. An illustration of this concern about the potential consequences of a dominant presence in a market is the fact that most Western countries have introduced anti‐monopoly legislation. Rightly or wrongly, the presence of a monopolist suggests to many that the purchaser of goods or services from such an organisation will not get value for his money. It is often argued that the monopolist will seek to make unnecessarily large profits, or that he will be inefficient and in turn that this will result in his selling prices being higher than they ought. Little attention is usually paid in such discussion to what the economists call “non‐price variables”. However, by implication at least, in this respect too, the seller is thought to perform at a lower level than he might under competition (for example, specification, delivery and service).
Diminishing Returns for Customer Service
Authors: Levy Michael
Published: February 2008

The power of a distribution channel member represents “(his) ability to control decision variables in the marketing strategy of another member operating at another level”. Bucklin and Alderson stress that power relationships are essential for strong marketing channels. The five bases of power which have been identified and discussed in the marketing channel literature include rewards, coercion, expertness, legitimacy and identification. These power bases are useful in understanding the nature and use of customer service in channels of distribution. For example, reward power is based on the belief by one channel member that another member has the ability to mediate rewards for him. The customer services, fill rate and lead time can be viewed as bases for reward power. Expert power is based on one channel member's belief that another member has some special knowledge or expertise. The ability of a manufacturer to provide market information and/or assistance in inventory management is a potential basis for expert power. Thus, a supplier's strategy for achieving power bases is by providing customers with packages of customer service which they find particulary important.
The Impact of Supply Markets on Corporate Planning
Authors: Farmer David
Published: February 2008

Many writers have commented on the difficulties associated with the reduction of the myriad of functional objectives within the company to a consistent corporate objective. The author contends that the mechanisms which exist within many companies to attempt this task are out of balance because insufficient attention is paid to source planning. This article illustrates some of the consequences of omitting sourcing data from the base from which the corporate plan is evolved. The author suggests that the interdependence of corporations necessitates careful consideration of external strengths in supply markets as well as in relation to the company's own capabilities.
Getting your Structure Right
Authors: Farmer David
Published: February 2008

The analogy that an organisation structure is like a suit of clothes is apt. Not only does it suggest the necessary individuality of “fit”, it also indicates something of the inevitability of change over time. As with a suit, where wear and tear and fashion are relevant indicators of the need for change, so it is with organisations. To those who might query the need to draw this analogy, it is worth pointing out that many organisational problems arise simply because the comparisons are ignored. Just as there are no suits which will fit everybody, so are there no organisation structures which can be applied universally. Then in the same way as the suit bought ten years ago would not meet the buyer's needs today, yesterday's organisation structure is unlikely to meet today's needs.
Effectiveness and Efficiency Between Firms
Authors: Farmer David , MacMillan Keith
Published: February 2008

Materials Administration, Materials Management and most of the other integrative concepts which have been proposed, have one feature in common. They emphasise the need to view the system to which they relate as a whole. A key argument of those who promote these concepts is often that problems occur between departments or functions more often than in them. Thus is follows, continues the argument, that a system‐wide view aimed at co‐ordinating objectives, strategies and operations would help to increase the effectiveness and efficiency of the whole system. But what is this “whole system”? Where do its boundaries lie? Are we talking about the firm, the industry or the economy? As far as this paper is concerned, the relevant system comprises more than the individual firm and includes the set of suppliers to the firm. It is the main theme of the paper that the benefits of taking a holistic perspective in this way may be the prelude to achieving enhanced efficiency not only to the individual firms concerned but possibly to the economy as a whole. It is argued that the traditional competitive model of buyer‐supplier behaviour in industrial materials markets is inadequate and that the incumbents of both roles can benefit by taking a longer term and wider perspective and working together to improve the effectiveness of the overall relationship.
Voluntary Collaboration vs Disloyalty
Authors: Farmer David , MacMillan Keith
Published: February 2008

There was an air of artificial heresy about the paper published by Green and Nordstrom in 1974. They hailed the merits of being a “disloyal buyer” at a time when the world reality was one of oil and other raw material shortages, when the scales of market power were tipping inevitably towards the seller rather than the buyer. They argued that too often the loyal buyer is taken for granted by the supplier who is always more eager, led by his greed, to pursue the potential market at the expense of “good old Sam” whose longstanding custom is deliberately expoited. Green and Nordstrom therefore believe that greater opportunism will pay higher dividends to the buyer.
Confessions of an “Academic”
Authors: Farmer David
Published: February 2008

When David Farmer began his career in purchasing education, “academic” was a word he fought shy of. Now he is recognised as the foremost purchasing “academic” in the UK today. In this article he talks about the transformation that has taken place in attitudes to purchasing education and looks to the future.
Developing Purchasing Strategies
Authors: Farmer David
Published: February 2008

The concept of strategy as applied to purchasing has not attracted the attention of many writers in the management field. The reasons are not difficult to find. They reflect the diminished attention paid by top management and management academics to the purchasing field as a whole. The point has been made by Ammer that top management often perceives purchasing as performing a “passive” role: “His (the purchasing manager's) performance is considered to be satisfactory (a) if he operates his department efficiently (as measured by operating costs…) and (b) if he does not antagonise the executives who really do make a direct contribution to company objectives.”
Computer Based Export Systems
Authors: Davies G.J.
Published: February 2008

This paper reviews the use of computers in the international distribution of manufactures, concentrating on their application in order processing and documentation. It identifies the potential for a much wider use of computers by manufacturing exporters, especially exporters of high repeat order products. The paper documents many of the principles upon which a number of export systems have been based.
UK Sources of International Freight
Authors: Hayter D.M.
Published: February 2008

A variety of published material is available from which the value, volume and direction of UK international trade can be readily determined. However, this information provides a measure of freight movements across a UK trade boundary (ports, airports) only, and allows no straightforward means of determining the magnitude and origins of international freight flows inland of such boundaries.
Changing Maritime Transport Patterns in the 80s
Authors: Dicer G.N. , Sentell G.D.
Published: February 2008

The maritime industry is one of the oldest international economic institutions still existing in the modern world. It can trace its beginnings in the West to as early as 3000 BC, with the Minoan civilization on the Isle of Crete. By 600 BC the Phoenicians had circumnavigated the African continent and established a fleet which was trading throughout the Mediterranean region. During the five millennia of its recorded history the industry has operated under a variety of market structures and organisational patterns. As the historical trading environment evolved the industry adapted its service operations to continue meeting world needs. It changed as the world changed. Therefore, it should not be too surprising to realise that the maritime industry is currently undergoing some basic structural alterations in keeping with world trends.
Trends in Air Freight Capacity
Authors: Shaw S.
Published: February 2008

The question of the role to be played by air freight in international distribution systems has always been controversial. Airlines have been only too willing to extol what are, by now, the well‐known benefits of air freight: that it can reduce packing, insurance, inventory and warehousing costs, and allow for comparatively risk‐free test marketing. However, within the distribution industry, whilst the usefulness of air freight for emergency and perishable shipments is not in doubt, there is still concern over the high levels of air freight rates compared to those of surface transport, the often poor standards of air freight ground handling, and the limited speed and service advantage which air transport holds over surface operators on short haul routes.
Logisticians of the Third Kind
Authors: Ostrofsky Benjamin
Published: February 2008

In the US today there exists two kinds of logisticians, one produced from the business college and the other from the engineering college. Each is usually not aware the other exists; each type is in approximately the same dollar market, and both use the title “logistician”. With the increasing complexity of technology and size of systems today, there exists a growing need for a third kind of logistician. This paper describes the need and offers some suggested reorientation for colleges of business and of engineering to meet this need.
Technological Developments in Order Processing Systems
Authors: Mentzer John T.
Published: February 2008

Probably one of the earliest applications of computer technology to logistics was in the area of order processing. When the digital computer began to be introduced into business operations in the middle 1950s, applications were primarily restricted to operations which could be readily routinised. Order processing was such an easily routinised area. Originally the order data had to be processed and input at the location of the central computer. By 1974, a study of US firms found that 90 per cent of the respondents had comparable or more sophisticated computerised order processing systems.
Financial Planning Considerations for Distribution in the 1980s
Authors: Walter C.K.
Published: February 2008

Plus ca change, plus c'est la même chose.
Product Recall: A Challenge for the 1980s
Authors: Chandran Rajan , Lancioni Richard A.
Published: February 2008

Product recalls are no longer in the realm of theoretical possibilities; it is a regular fact of business life among manufacturers of both industrial and consumer products. Machine tools, automobiles, television sets, appliances, cosmetics, clothes — no product is immune and the list is virtually endless. The actual number of product units recalled every year among the various classes of products is mind‐boggling, and the cost of recalling them runs into millions of dollars. And as for the future, the prognostication from the evidence so far is that the number and types of products as well as the companies involved will continue to grow. The principal reasons for this prognostication are:
The Desk Top Computer Aids Product Design and Distribution
Authors: Bischoff E. , Dowsland W.B.
Published: February 2008

The desk top computer has already made a considerable impact in many spheres of production and management. However, its application in the field of physical distribution management has so far been very limited. This article illustrates the use of the micro‐computer to investigate the effect of product design strategies upon packaging and distribution. As an example, a suite of programs concerned with the packaging and palletisation of primary products is presented. It is shown that the combination of computer speed with the skill and experience of design staff can lead to considerable cash savings.
Management Education for Physical Distribution and Logistics
Authors: Dadzie K.Q.
Published: February 2008

Since the emergence of physical distribution/logistics management as an applied discipline in the early 1960s, the search for requisite skills has dominated the concerns of professionals in this new field. While there had been some earlier attempts to organise educational approaches in this field, the first real national and cohesive attempts were launched with the founding of the Annual Transportation and Logistics Educators' Conference. The enthusiasm of the participants and the heavy focus of the first conference proceedings on this issue marked a really strong inertia towards the search for, and development of, status in this field of management concern.
Industry Co‐operation: Key to Productivity in Physical Distribution
Authors: Bloom Gordon F.
Published: February 2008

Physical distribution is essentially a service function and a critical component of marketing. Generation of productivity improvement in a service function raises quite different problems and may require different approaches and techniques than in a production or manufacturing function. In manufacturing, the principal avenue to productivity improvement lies in substitution of capital for labour in the individual firm. The impact of improved productivity resulting from increased capital inputs tends to be reflected primarily in a reduction of labour requirements. The nature of the product produced need not be affected by the process of mechanisation or automation, and the impact of the change on suppliers or customers can be minimal. It will make little difference to automobile dealers whether assembly of automobiles is accomplished by labour or robots.
Implementing a Procurement Strategy
Authors: Spekman Robert E.
Published: February 2008

Strategic discontinuities in growth and profitability over the past decade suggest that, for the most part, the traditional planning models employed by American industry are less than adequate. Indeed, both corporate planners and purchasing executives are beginning to recognise that corporate strategic planning must balance a historical concern for product/market decisions with an understanding of and an appreciation for those factors that impact on the supply side of corporate performance. Generally speaking, the purchasing profession has contributed little to our understanding of strategic procurement primarily because the practice and principles of planning have been slow to diffuse to the purchasing function. In addition, academicians have offered little guidance. It is clear that formal planning models either ignore totally purchasing‐related factors or tend to treat them as an after‐thought. Part of the difficulty stems from the fact that the planning literature separates strategy formulation from strategy implementation and the focus seems to over‐emphasise strategy formulation. Although it is useful conceptually to distinguish between the two phases of the planning process, in practice they must be integrated if organisational purpose is to be accomplished.
Participation in Marketing Channel Functions and Economic Performance
Authors: Cron William L. , Levy Michael
Published: February 2008

The relationship between functional participation and several measures of channel member financial performance are evaluated. Channel theory suggests that greater participation in channel functions should be positively associated with channel member compensation. Support for the theory was found for gross margins and total operating expenses. However, return on assets were not found to be positively related to channel function participation.
Delivery Performance and Throughput Efficiency in UK Manufacturing Industry
Authors: New C.C. , Sweeney M.T.
Published: February 2008

Results have shown that the actual delivery performance of a company is often significantly worse than management's own assessment of its performance.
Motor Gasoline Distribution Systems in Times of Change
Authors: Kaynak Erdener
Published: February 2008

In order to be successful, gasoline marketing strategies must anticipate social, economic and technological trends as well as adapt to rapid and somewhat unpredictable changes in the consumer market. Distribution strategies, which affect the selection of merchandise, advertising and selling, inventory management and other functions, evolve from and adjust to a dynamic, changing environment.
The Logistics Input‐Output Model and its Application
Authors: van der Meulen P.R.H. , Spijkerman G.
Published: February 2008

As a development of the study of the possibilities for improvement in logistics productivity in the United States conducted by A.T. Kearney on behalf of the NCPDM (National Council of Physical Distribution Management) a similar enquiry has been carried out in a number of Western‐European countries. The results indicate that the potential savings in logistics in Europe are at least as big as those in the United States. To inform Dutch industrial top management of these results NEVEM (the Dutch distribution management association) organised a seminar, “Productivity through logistics”, in Amsterdam. The conclusions of this seminar were that, in order to achieve productivity improvement, a “top‐down approach” in the organisation is necessary and also continuous attention to such improvements. Based on the interest of Dutch industry, NEVEM instituted a working group with the following assignment:
Using Inventory for Competitive Advantage through Supply Chain Management
Authors: Jones Thomas C. , Riley Daniel W.
Published: February 2008

Competitive pressures will force major changes in inventory management in the next few years. Changes will result from businesses identifying and capitalising on the opportunities to manage their entire supply chains as single entities. Supply chain management techniques deal with the planning and control of total materials flow from suppliers through end‐users (see Figure 1).
Implementing Logistics Strategy
Authors: Christopher Martin
Published: February 2008

It is probably the case that a point has been reached where many companies understand the “total distribution concept” and the need for a logistics orientation in managing the flow of materials and goods through their business and their marketing channels. Whilst this recognition is by no means universal, we might be justified in claiming that at least the level of awareness of the importance of “thinking logistically” is higher than ever before.
Information Technology in Delivery Control
Authors: Peters Melvyn
Published: February 2008

Delivery control is a key requirement in all distribution operations. It is, however, a highly complex undertaking since it embraces a variety of activities (e.g., order processing, consignment tracing and vehicle round planning — (see Figure 1)). Moreover, delivery control invariably requires information channels to be established between the distribution function and other parts of the manufacturing/retailing organisation. The potential for misunderstandings and disagreements over, say, the design of a delivery control system is therefore great.
Approaches to Managing the Cost of Materials
Authors: Schroeder Roger G. , Scudder Gary D. , Pesch Michael J.
Published: February 2008

The cost of materials has often been neglected by managers faced with the problem of reducing manufacturing costs. However, as direct labour, the classical cost reduction target, is reduced by automation the task of reducing materials cost has become much more urgent. As a result of this pressure new approaches have been developed to address the reduction of materials costs. This article reviews and describes five such approaches.
Effective Spares Management
Authors: Lawrenson James
Published: February 2008

Organisations either keep spares for their own use, or‐for‐sale to other organisations. In either case, the ultimate need is to be able to replace worn or defective parts in operational machinery or equipment. In an economic sense, spares are kept to meet the needs of the situation in the cheapest way.
Field Service Management: A Means to Competitive Advantage
Authors: Mathe Herve
Published: February 2008

“Rarely is customer service discretionary. It is a requisite of getting and holding business, just like the generic product itself.” Theodore Levitt thus defined the importance of the services a firm can offer in support of the sale of tangible goods.
The Determination of Purchasing Objectives and Strategies: Some Key Influences
Authors: Caddick J.R. , Dale B.G.
Published: February 2008

There is no great reservoir of literature available to the serious student of that part of management sciences known as purchasing. Although there are a number of textbooks prepared by academics in purchasing, much of the authorship of other purchasing‐related literature has been undertaken by practitioners and academics in the field of marketing. This is regrettable but quite logical, for it arises out of the fuller explanation of the subject. Here, marketers have perceived a legitimacy in researching inter alia such areas as buyer behaviour, buyer perceptions, the organisation of buying and the decision‐making process of the purchasing function. Although many of these pieces of work are helpful to those studying purchasing subjects, they are necessarily written from the marketing perspective and therefore not entirely adequate for the serious student of purchasing. As an example, such authors naturally see the buyer as part of the customer market and references to markets is within this context. The buyer himself has a perspective of his/her supply markets which recognise their wider scope and increased complexity more accurately than can be perceived by an author taking a marketing viewpoint.
Expert Systems: A Role in Transportation Planning
Authors: Lukka Anita , Lukka Markku
Published: February 2008

Knowledge‐based techniques can enhance the effectiveness of mathematical methods. Here the application of artificial intelligence approaches to freight transportation planning is examined.
Salesvans or not? A Case Study
Authors: Mercer Alan , Clarke Stephen R.
Published: February 2008

Should small customers be supplied from salesvans? The costs are compared with the traditional practice of salesmen taking orders for subsequent delivery.
An Evaluation of Proactive vs. Reactive Replenishment Systems
Authors: Hummel John W. , Stenger Alan J.
Published: February 2008

Traditional inventory replenishment decisions in distribution systems have been reactive, but the availability of information throughout the distribution system means that other methods should be considered.
Distribution Channels: A Validation Study
Authors: Gaski John F.
Published: February 2008

The author sets out to achieve a better measurement of interorganisational power in distribution channels.
Speculative Inventory Management: A Total Channel Perspective
Authors: Zinn Walter , Levy Michael
Published: February 2008

What is the best place for a speculative inventory in a marketing channel? Here is a theoretical analysis.
Distribution Networks: Facility Location, Transportation and Inventory
Authors: Perl Jossef , Sirisoponsilp Sompong
Published: February 2008

An integrated model for distribution network design is proposed which explicitly represents the required level of customer service.
A Simple Location Approach to Picking in Small to Medium‐sized Warehouses
Authors: Davies Martin , Duffhauss Jan , Mercer Alan
Published: February 2008

The smaller warehouse cannot afford to use the most sophisticated computer systems but here is an introduction to what can be done to improve their picking systems.
READERS' SUGGESTIONS
Authors: Harris T.R.
Published: February 2008

TEACHING CALCULATIONS, SCIENCE and drawing to craft students always presents problems. Making the basic principles of foundry science understood to the average foundry apprentice is even more difficult.
PROGRESS REPORT NUMBER 4
Authors: Wellens John
Published: February 2008

More than half of those who work in manufacturing industry work in firms with less than 500 employees; one in five of the total actually work in firms employing less than 100 people, and there are more than a quarter of a million working in firms employing less than 25. Despite this fact, an official of the Industrial Training Council has said that it is doubtful whether the small firm has any contribution to offer in solving the problem posed by the bulge. The aim of this article is to show how the small firms could make, not only an effective contribution, but, given the will, a major and decisive contribution.
Notes and News
Authors: Wellens John
Published: February 2008

The Industrial Training Council has published its first report at the end of the first seventeen months of its existence. To describe it adequately one needs the language of the modern teenager: it adds up to a big nothing.
Progress Report Number 6
Authors: Wellens John
Published: February 2008

THE MOST powerful formative influence in the English educational system is its own flexibility. Let other countries have their rigid codes and systems: give us a system which permits experiment. Anyway, that is what we have got.
Caribbean College
Authors: Wellens John
Published: February 2008

Events in the last year have tended to focus attention on education in the Colonies and Commonwealth. In February, at the ‘Teachers for the Commonwealth Conference’, Sir David Eccles said,
Project Hercules
Authors: Ferguson I.K.
Published: February 2008

JUust a year ago the Industrial Welfare Society launched in this country an anglicised version of the French Zellidja Scholarship scheme — Project 59. It was hoped that it would fill the need for an imaginative and contemporary character development scheme which has been felt for some time.
The Anderson Report — and the Schools
Authors: Wellens John
Published: February 2008

In this country it is a mark of the Education Acts and other educational reforms that their by‐products have often proved more significant than the direct changes.
Progress Report Number 10
Authors: Wellens John
Published: February 2008

In this, the last Progress Report but one, Mr Wellens examines the chances of increasing the opportunities open at ‘staff’ level and in commercial training
Progress Report Number 11
Authors: Wellens John
Published: February 2008

In this report, which concludes the series, the author surreys the whole scene and attempts to integrate the separate arguments put forward in previous reports.
Apprentice English through Tutorials
Authors: Morris M.A.V.
Published: February 2008

In this second article about the Yeovil experiment in English, Mr Morris outlines the important part played by tutorials. The excellent response made by the engineering apprentices to the demands of this scheme, carried out as it is in their leisure time, is inspired by the tutorial system.
Works Schools for External Students—British Oxygen Gases Ltd.
Authors: Wellens John
Published: February 2008

John Wellens describes the aims and scope of this type of school, referring particularly to British Oxygen's Welding School at Cricklewood, London. In the section seen above there are stations for 48 students on gas welding; each student has a separate bench and his own welding equipment. Gas is piped to each station from a central storage depot outside. This group indicates the very wide range in age and background of the students.
Designing for Manufacture — a new HND Subject
Authors: Peck H.
Published: February 2008

Mr Peck's first article (June 1960 issue) introduced the subject and dealt in particular with ‘Dimensioning in Relation to Operation Sequence’. The next will discuss ‘Methods for obtaining Larger Machining Tolerances’ — a very important topic in economies of manufacture
Education and Training in UKAEA's Production Group
Authors: Arthur H.
Published: February 2008

THE ATOMIC energy industry is of recent origin and has many problems peculiar to itself. It uses new processes and techniques and is evolving rapidly. In these conditions the provision of adequate education and training facilities assumes increased importance, and it may be of interest to see how the Production Group of the Authority has accepted the challenge and developed schemes of education and training to meet its special needs.
All‐Change at ‘A’‐level
Authors: Wellens John
Published: February 2008

IN A COMPACT report of 17 pages the Council has presented an exhaustive, though eminently readable, study of the problems that attend the ‘A’‐level examinations. While all its readers will not agree with the conclusions or even with some of the assumptions on which these are based, the facts are clearly set out in a rkmanlike fashion. The Minister has not rushed to indorse the recommendations of the report and, in king for the views of interested parties, he has precluded why immediate action. There will now follow that sequence of conferences, sub‐committees and working parties through which the associations and organisations make known their views to the Minister. With this mechanism grinding out relentlessly over the months — perhaps years — to come, new arrangements can hardly brought in before 1962 and possibly not before 1963.
Some Craft Course Problems
Authors: Hansbury J.
Published: February 2008

THhis response has been prompted partly by No. 3 in the series ‘The Teaching of Craft Subjects’ (Vol. 3, No.1, TECHNICAL EDUCATION), partly by the recent White Paper on ‘Better Opportunities in Technical Education’, but mainly because of difficulty experienced with City and Guilds Course 194 in what might be called a ‘special’ area.
Unguided Careers
Authors: Allen Keith R.
Published: February 2008

To meet the economic and political challenge of our time involves constant critical examination of our institutions. Following last month's article, which described a study of the views of some two thousand young men on the guidance they received on leaving school, Mr Allen here examines the main sources of information briefly, and outlines an integrated system which would make the most of the present organisation
‘O’‐level Chemistry Books …
Authors: Simpson O.J.
Published: February 2008

I read with interest ‘A Field Review of ‘O’‐level Chemistry Textbooks’ by Dr Michael Bassey. A short time before, I had read the enclosed review of Dr Pollock's book, ‘A Practical School Chemistry’ which appeared in Catholic Teachers Journal. You will notice it refers to many errors of fact and concludes that the book is unsuitable for use in schools at any level. Yet this is one of the best six recommended by Dr Bassey. It would appear that Dr Bassey has probably been so intent on the style and contents of each book that he has not been able to read them in detail, I know it is not unusual for reviewers to differ, out when one thoroughly recommends where another can find nothing good to say, one wonders what reliance to place upon them. I should be interested in Dr Bassey's comments on the matter.
Technical Teacher Training
Authors: O'Shea G
Published: February 2008

The article on Technical Teacher Training by A. MacLennan in the last issue makes one or two statements which do not stand up to examination. He says that we can no longer depend on recruitment from industry, and makes a few observations on why industry skilled men may not be suitable. This is not to understand when Teacher Training advertisements offer a basic starting figure of £520 per annum. Would any skilled tradesman now in the engineering industry even consider this as a reasonable salary? Most of them now receive almost double this.
The First Two Years
Authors: Beveridge A.
Published: February 2008

ON THE 1st June 1959, I was appointed to be the Training Officer to the Engineering Employers' Association in the Birmingham, Wolverhampton and Stafford district. The policy of my Association was that: