Packaging usage for spare parts distribution - A case study of packaging products at a spare parts distribution center
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Typ
Examensarbete på grundnivå
Program
Economics and manufacturing technology (180 hp)
Publicerad
2016
Författare
Dahlén, Hilda
Språng, Sandra
Modellbyggare
Tidskriftstitel
ISSN
Volymtitel
Utgivare
Sammanfattning
E2016:096 Volvo Cars is a manufacturer of cars and currently there are approximately six million Volvo cars on the roads. To manage the distribution of spare parts for the cars, Volvo have implemented Local Distribution Centers (LDC’s) that handle the spare part distribution to dealers within a twohour radius driving distance. This distribution process requires packaging for the spare parts. The processes and procedures connected to packaging are not standardized and Volvo want to improve the control of the packaging flow. To get a better understanding of the packaging connected to the spare parts distribution, an investigation has been conducted that consists of mapping of the current state, examination of the packaging products that are used and a study of the costs and ordering connected to the packaging flow. The investigation has been made on a selected LDC in Maastricht. The mapping of the packaging flow showed that improvements regarding the information flow as well as the return flow can be made. If the information flow is improved regarding better and more standardized routines connected to updating the inventory, the control of the flow can be improved as well. If the return flow is improved and further utilized, more packaging products can be reused and the costs may decrease. The investigation of packaging types showed which secondary packaging was preferred by the operators and which types that were easiest to handle. This investigation showed that the blue boxes were seen as preferable, with comparison to the other secondary packaging types. Furthermore, the same process was made for the tertiary packaging as the secondary packaging. It was shown that the HD boxes are beneficial, with comparison to the One Way boxes. There is also an analysis of which secondary and tertiary packaging that is most economical. This investigation showed that the plastic bags were most beneficial, with comparison to the other secondary packaging types. Furthermore, the HD boxes, if reused, are the most beneficial in comparison to the other tertiary packaging types. When investigating the ordering of packaging products, it was found that the LDC orders less packaging products than expected. This can be due to wrong estimations or because the inventory before and after the period of investigation is unknown. Furthermore, an analysis of the number of packaging products showed that it is possible to reduce this number. The approaches chosen to investigate the usage of packaging in Maastricht have been sufficient for the purpose of the thesis.
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Ämne/nyckelord
Transport , Övrig industriell teknik och ekonomi , Transport , Other industrial engineering and economics