Browsing by Author "Baker, Peter"
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Item Open Access Aligning Distribution Centre Operations to Supply Chain Strategy.(Emerald Group Publishing, 2004) Baker, PeterA major focus of modern day logistics is on achieving a higher level of responsiveness to marketplace demand, but with less inventory. Achieving the dual targets of lower cost and higher service has implications for every stage in the supply chain and in particular for distribution center operations. What is the extent to which organizations are adjusting their distribution center operations to match current supply chain concepts? Using a survey, roles that these facilities play are explored in order to determine the extent to which modern supply chain theory and distribution center operations are aligned.Item Open Access The design and operation of distribution centres within agile supply chains.(Elsevier, 2008-01) Baker, PeterAlthough the need to respond to volatile market places has been addressed in recent years by the concept of agility, the precise role of distribution centres within agile supply chains has only been partially explored. This paper examines this particular area by means of nine case studies into how individual business units design and operate distribution centres to provide a rapid response to their markets. The solutions used by these companies are categorised to form a framework for addressing this subject and as a basis for further research into the practical application of agility at the distribution centre level.Item Open Access Designing distribution centres for agile supply chains(Taylor and Francis, 2006-09) Baker, PeterIncreasing globalisation and market volatility represent major challenges for many supply chains, and particularly for the distribution centres within them. This paper examines how distribution centres are being designed to be agile even though they are, by their nature, long-term fixed assets. The research is based on semi-structured interviews with warehouse design companies to identify the range of agility types that were regarded as necessary during the design phase, and how these were addressed. The research also explores the cost, time and service level implications, whilst handling variances in demand or supply. The interviewee responses are expressed in terms of qualitative measures on Likert scales. The results indicate that there is generally a slightly or moderately higher cost to design for agility. Based on the literature and the case study responses, a methodology is developed of how to address agility within warehouse design, and areas of further research are identified.Item Open Access An Exploratory Framework of the Role of Inventory and Warehousing in International Supply Chains.(Emerald Group Publishing, 2007) Baker, PeterThe aim of this paper is to explore the role of inventory and warehousing within international supply chains and, from this, to develop an exploratory framework that assists understanding in the area.Item Open Access Going live....lessons from Terminal 5(2008-09-01T00:00:00Z) Baker, PeterA key measure of success for any project must be what customers experience immediately after the ‘go live’ date. When projects become fully operational, how often is there a negative impact on customer servItem Open Access The Role, Design and Operation of Distribution Centres in Agile Supply Chains(Cranfield University, 2008-01) Baker, Peter; Christopher, MartinThe aim of this research is to explore the role of distribution centres (DCs) in agile supply chains, together with how they should be designed, operated and their performances measured within this context. The research is based, first of all, on a survey to ascertain the current situation, and then a series of case studies of international supply chains, DC designs, DC operations, and warehouse automation projects. The techniques used include questionnaires, semi-structured interviews, quantitative measures where appropriate and qualitative measures based on 5-point Likert scales. A number of constructs are used, particularly from supply chain agility and manufacturing agility literature, and these are refined and extended to form the basis for the research. The findings indicate that a prime role of distribution centres, particularly in terms of inventory-holding, is consistent with the decoupling point concept. Further roles for distribution centres in agile supply chains include cross-docking, postponement activities, and returns. The research identifies five types of agility, namely volume, time, unit quantity, presentation and information. The responses to these different types can then be categorised according to the combination of levels (i.e. supply chain, business unit, distribution network, and distribution centre), by the type of resource used (i.e. land / building, equipment, staff, and process / systems), and by how these are deployed (i.e. extra capacity, additional resources when needed, and flexible resources). Agility measurement can be undertaken using the categories of range, mobility and uniformity. With markets becoming more volatile, agility can offer a key source of competitive advantage. However, warehouses are by their nature long-term fixed assets and therefore difficult to incorporate into an agile strategy. The series of frameworks developed during this research begins to address this important area and thus forms a basis for further research as well as providing some initial frameworks to assist practitioners.Item Open Access Warehouse design: A structured approach.(Elsevier, 2009-03-01) Baker, Peter; Canessa, MarcoIn spite of the importance of warehousing to the customer service and cost levels of many businesses, there is currently not a comprehensive systematic method for designing warehouses. In this paper, the current literature on the overall methodology of warehouse design is explored, together with the literature on tools and techniques used for specific areas of analysis. The general results from the literature have then been validated and refined with reference to warehouse design companies. The output is a general framework of steps, with specific tools and techniques that can be used for each step. This is intended to be of value to practitioners and to assist further research into the development of a more comprehensive methodology for warehouse design.