## 4 Case Study--Numerical Experiments
### Out-Bound Logistics Process  
SM organisation serves two customer types: Standard customers and spot customers. Standard customers, often large manufacturing companies, have long-term contracts, such as contracts of affreghment with SM, ensuring a stable flow of predictable orders. SM can efficiently plan and allocate resources for these known orders, benefiting from established trust and coordination. In contrast, spot customers have short-term or one-time orders, often with short notice and varying requirements. SM must promptly respond to these demands, adapting quickly to their unpredictability. Despite their shorter engagement, spot customers contribute to SM's growth and resource optimisation.  
The outbound logistics process for customer trucks carrying steel rebars within the manufacturing company's premises begins with the gate entry process. This involves recording the entry of trucks and initiating necessary security and safety checks. For spot order trucks, an additional process of creditworthiness evaluation is conducted between the gate entry and the order processing process. This evaluation verifies the customer's ability to pay back by assessing their financial stability and credit history. Figure 8 shows the flowchart of the whole outbound logistics process for both standard and spot customers.  
After the gate entry and creditworthiness evaluation, the subsequent processes are initiated. Process 2, order processing, involves receiving and verifying the customer's order for steel rebars, confirming pricing and payment details, and generating an order confirmation. The order processing process for standard and spot customers differs in terms of time requirements. The order processing process takes an average amount of time for standard customers whose orders are previously known to the company. Since the company has established relationships with standard customers and has their order details on record, the process can be streamlined and expedited. However, when it comes to spot customers who place orders on short notice or for one-time purchases, the order processing process tends to take longer. The company must allocate additional time for spot customers, as their orders require thorough verification and may require additional documentation and checks. The extended processing time for spot customers is necessary to ensure these special orders' accuracy, compliance, and proper handling.  
In process 3, steel rebar preparation, the requested steel rebars are retrieved from the inventory or production area within the manufacturing company and checked for compliance with the required specifications. This process includes packaging and labelling and focuses on securely packaging the steel rebars for transport. This may involve bundling the rebars, placing them on pallets, and labelling the packages with relevant information. In process 4, documentation and compliance, the necessary shipping documents, invoices, and paperwork are prepared, ensuring compliance with internal procedures and legal requirements. Process 5, loading and staging, entails loading the packaged steel rebars onto the customer trucks within the manufacturing company's premises. This process includes utilising appropriate equipment, such as forklifts or cranes, to ensure the safe and efficient loading of the rebars onto the trucks. Process 6 involves inspecting the loaded trucks to verify that the steel rebars are adequately secured and that the trucks are in suitable transportation conditions. Any identified concerns or issues are addressed during this truck inspection process.  
The truck dispatch process is the final step in outbound logistics, closely coupled with the delivery confirmation. The truck dispatch process comes into play once the trucks carrying steel rebars are loaded and ready to depart from the manufacturing company's premises. Table 7 shows the average service time of sub-processes of outbound logistics operations.  
Figure 8: Process flowchart of outbound logistics at SM.