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Publications

Publications by CESE

2021

Product allocation planning with handling constraints: a case study analysis

Authors
Trindade, MAM; Sousa, PSA; Moreira, MRA;

Publication
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MANAGEMENT SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING MANAGEMENT

Abstract
The storage policy has a tremendous impact on the efficiency of order-picking operations, which can account for up to 50% of operating costs. The coronavirus pandemic has reinforced the importance of managers making the right operational decisions, namely regarding the definition of the storage policy. It is therefore important to consider handling constraints. This article is inspired by a Portuguese retail company and it considers two handling constraints: weight and shape. We define the location of products by using a zero-one quadratic assignment model. In this model, in addition to the demand and similarity, we considered the weight and shape of the products. We used both weight and shape parameters to set products with similar shapes together, placing aside products with odd shapes. Our analysis shows that the inclusion of the shape and weight into the problem improved the current operations. We found that our method allowed for a reduction of up to 24% in the picking distance, a percentage higher than the one that only considers weight constraints. The inclusion of the shape parameter into the study enabled the company to increase the flow and efficiency of the order-picking operations. Thus, it can be an asset for other warehouses.

2021

Improving order-picking operations with precedence constraints through efficient storage location assignment: Evidence from a retail company

Authors
Trindade, MAM; Sousa, PSA; Moreira, MRA;

Publication
U.Porto Journal of Engineering

Abstract
This paper is inspired by a manual picking retail company where shape and weight constraints affect the order-picking process. We proposed an alternative clustering similarity index that considers the similarity, the weight and the shape of products. This similarity index was further incorporated in a storage allocation heuristic procedure to set the location of the products. We test the procedure in a retail company that supplies over 191 stores, in Northern Portugal. When comparing the strategy currently used in the company with this procedure, we found out that our approach enabled a reduction of up to 40% on the picking distance; a percentage of improvement that is 32% higher than the one achieved by applying the Jaccard index, a similarity index commonly used in the literature. This allows warehouses to save time and work faster.

2021

Lean direction in literature: a bibliometric approach

Authors
Jiang, WX; Sousa, PSA; Moreira, MRA; Amaro, GM;

Publication
PRODUCTION AND MANUFACTURING RESEARCH-AN OPEN ACCESS JOURNAL

Abstract
This research establishes a comprehensive chronological and geographical overview of the recent topics mostly debated about the use of Lean thinking in services, disclosing its main trends, gaps and weaknesses. An ample compilation of research from Web of Science and Scopus was examined, and bibliometric analyses were performed, namely publication counting, and abstract, co-citation and co-word analysis. Unfolding Lean implementation projects and evaluating its outcomes are the most frequent themes. Reducing waste and increasing efficiency are often mentioned as the benefits. There are clear gaps in research density between multiple service sectors and healthcare; lack of established models and extensive use of case study method are the weaknesses of the studies in this field. This paper allows Lean practitioners having a sketch of the landscape of this field and its trends. This is the first effort to synthesize those topics in service industry as a whole, using bibliometric methods.

2021

DEFINING A STORAGE-ASSIGNMENT STRATEGY FOR PRECEDENCE-CONSTRAINED ORDER PICKING

Authors
Trindade, MAM; Sousa, PSA; Moreira, MRA;

Publication
OPERATIONS RESEARCH AND DECISIONS

Abstract
A zero-one quadratic assignment model has been proposed for dealing with the storage location assignment problem when there are weight constraints. Our analysis shows that operations can be improved using our model. When comparing the strategy currently used in a real-life company with the designed model, we found that the new placement of products allowed a reduction of up to 22% on the picking distance. This saving is higher than that achieved with the creation of density zones, a procedure commonly used to deal with weight constraints, according to the literature.

2021

A bibliometric view on the use of total quality management in services

Authors
Zhang, C; Moreira, MRA; Sousa, PSA;

Publication
TOTAL QUALITY MANAGEMENT & BUSINESS EXCELLENCE

Abstract
This research aims to highlight the major domains of and address the most prominent topics in the Total Quality Management (TQM) field in the service sector. Although there are numerous studies related to TQM, systematic quantitative reviews on TQM in services are scarce. The objective of this paper is to present a thorough analysis of the current mostly discussed issues related to the use of TQM in services by conducting a bibliometric analysis of the extant literature on TQM collected from Web of Science and Scopus databases. The findings indicate that TQM implementation is not a fading topic. The studies in the field of 'TQM use in services' are growing and becoming more intensive. TQM-related practices are gaining more attention while the TQM implementation framework is still under development. Healthcare is the most researched industry. Top management commitment/leadership is a critical construct and managers should be aware of the obstacle caused by lacking it. TQM professionals and managers in the service sector can benefit from this paper by having a sketch of the latest and most prominent academic findings and thus gaining insights on techniques that fit into TQM implementation. For academic professionals, several research avenues are pointed out.

2021

The impact of supply chain fit on business and innovation performance in Brazilian companies

Authors
Zimmermann, R; Ferreira, LMDF; Moreira, AC; Barros, AC; Correa, HL;

Publication
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF LOGISTICS MANAGEMENT

Abstract
Purpose This paper investigates the effect of the fit between supply and demand uncertainty (SDU) and supply chain responsiveness (SCR) (SC fit) on business and innovation performance in Brazilian companies. Design/methodology/approach The study presented an analysis carried out on an empirical study based on a sample of 150 manufacturing companies. Business and innovation performance of companies with different types of SC fit ( high-high and low-low fits) and misfit (positive and negative) are compared and discussed. Findings The results indicated that SC fit had a positive effect on both business and innovation performance. Further analyses suggested that companies with SC fit present similar business performance, independent of the level of SDU that characterizes the environment where they compete, while companies in environments with higher levels of uncertainty tend to present superior innovation performance. Companies with positive and negative misfit present similar performance. Originality/value An analysis of the literature showed that there is no consensus when it comes to the definitions and measurements of SC fit. The paper investigates the effects of SC fit on business and innovation performance, while previous empirical studies have mainly addressed its impact on financial performance. Moreover, this study compares the effects of two types of fit and two types of misfit and assesses SC fit in Brazilian manufacturing companies, analyzing the context of an under-researched reality.

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