• Journal of Distribution Science
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• v.12 no.4
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• pp.47-54
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• 2014

Purpose - The postponement strategy, which delays the form, place, and production of products as late as possible, has been widely considered as a competitive supply chain management scheme in an era of mass customization and modular manufacturing. An interesting business phenomenon is that not all manufacturing/logistics firms choose the postponement strategy. Given that postponement is a counter-measure to speculation, which has some advantages under certain environments, the current imprudent inclination toward the postponement strategy may cause firms to lose the potential of the speculation strategy, an alternative strategy in supply chain management. Building on the logistics and manufacturing literature, this study examines characteristics of two contrasting strategies, postponement and speculation, and major factors favoring each strategy. Research design, data, and methodology - We apply the profiling approach to two business cases, HP printer and LG mobile phone. The profiling approach is a method of choosing a particular strategy aligned with environmental factors. While various approaches have been used to check the fit between a business strategy and environmental factors, the literature on manufacturing strategy and logistics has commonly adopted the profiling approach. Major factors used in profiling variables are derived from the literature. Two samples, HP printer and LG mobile phone, are selected, because they represent major characteristics appropriate for each strategy. The profiling is based on data from semi-organized interviews with managers. Results - The profiling approach shows that the postponement strategy is a suitable one for HP printers. Most factors, such as product life cycle, large production volume, low-price, product value, and monetary density, support delaying end products until as late as possible. Despite some exceptions, such as delivery time and economy of scale, our analysis states that the overall profile of HP printer is favorable for the postponement strategy. On the other hand, LG mobile phone may adapt the speculation strategy. Although it has large production volume and low delivery frequency, most characteristics support the speculation strategy for this product. An interesting finding is that, despite common perception that advanced technology products such as mobile telephones favor the postponement strategy, profiling proposes the speculation strategy for this product. Conclusions - Our analysis shows that speculation is not the universal option for supply chain management, and that, when choosing a specific strategy, one should consider many factors simultaneously. A major implication of our work is to emphasize the role of environmental factors such as supply chain variables in choosing an inventory strategy, and the importance of fit rather than solely strategic orientation. A theoretical contribution is to demonstrate the benefit of the simultaneous consideration of business variables in choosing specific strategies. For practitioners, our work leads us to consider the existence and the potential of speculation as a counter-measure to postponement. In addition, the comprehensive framework in this research may be instantly used in examining a practical strategy.

• Journal of Distribution Science
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• v.14 no.2
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• pp.41-45
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• 2016

Purpose - Finding an optimal path is an essential component for the design and operation of smart transportation or logistics network. Many applications in navigation system assume that travel time of each link is fixed and same. However, in practice, the travel time of each link changes over time. In this paper, we introduce a new transportation problem to find a latest departing time and delivery path between the two nodes, while not violating the appointed time at the destination node. Research design, data, and methodology - To solve the problem, we suggest a mathematical model based on network optimization theory and a backward search method to find an optimal solution. Results - First, we introduce a dynamic transportation problem which is different with traditional shortest path or minimum cost path. Second, we propose an algorithm solution based on backward search to solve the problem in a large-sized network. Conclusions - We proposed a new transportation problem which is different with traditional shortest path or minimum cost path. We analyzed the problem under the conditions that travel time is changing, and proposed an algorithm to solve them. Extending our models for visiting two or more destinations is one of the further research topics.

• The Journal of Society for e-Business Studies
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• v.24 no.3
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• pp.111-128
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• 2019

In the current procurement system in Korean military, the army, navy and air force have their own distributors, military branches and warehouses. However, especially, it has been hard to have the economy of scale because most of suppliers have shipped their order from the suppliers to each of Korean military directly. Koran military considers the transportation cost as one of the management cost factors among various kinds of cost. Furthermore they have contracted with the suppliers in annual and collectively on the transportation. Hence they have been in trouble with getting efficiency of Defense budget execution because it is hard to make a decision of Defense budget with real transportation cost. Moreover Korean army, navy and air force have their own supply chain separately, so they can not cooperate flexible and quickly when they need. Therefore, in this research, we provide a benchmarking of DTCI (Defense Transportation Coordination Initiative) which has been proved that it has improved the procurement system in US implementing the integrated transportation system with 3PL and military. In addition we propose advanced integrated shipping model using Hub & Spoke system for Korean military. In order to prove its effect, we simulate our model based on the real data of the suppliers' delivery to compare with the current system when it comes to how much we can save the cost. Our research can provide evidence that the integrated procurement system in Korean military will improve Korean military procurement system.

• International Commerce and Information Review
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• v.7 no.3
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• pp.195-212
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• 2005

International trade has been changed from traditional trade to e-trade due to the fast expanding of information technology like e-marketplace, EDI (Electronic data interchange) using Internet since mid of 1990's. e-Trade, as a new trade method, could handle every trade procedure such as market research, contract, customs clearance, logistics and payment using IT like internet without restriction of time and space. The evolution of transaction-based business model is upon us. The business models of many e-Marketplace in their early stages have typically been based on transaction fees. Many e-Marketplaces have even called out transaction revenues as a core element of their business plans. The transaction business represents the most simple of business models, but it does not provide a long-term sustain able advantage. For buyer's convenience, wide selection and test price hold appeal. For suppliers, the extended global market reach and direct access to customers and consortiums of customers is powerful. To maximize leverage of these new e-marketplace, you must from both a buyer perspective as well as a supplier perspective. Also required is a strategy that takes in account all of the various e-Marketplace transaction standards and one that allows the easy accomodation to new e-marketplace as the market change. These new e-marketplace will need to be factored into the sales channel strategies. To be successful, integration with these e-marketplaces should occur at a complete business process level. This study would suggest on the role of buyers and sellers for e-trade which could maximize effect of e-trade in order to cope with rapid changing IT environment and global trade environment. Therefore, this study suggests top priority tasks for implementing on the specialization strategy of e-trade process.

• Asia pacific journal of information systems
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• v.23 no.1
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• pp.1-19
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• 2013

The market for commercial open source software (OSS) has been rapidly growing with the proliferation of OSS. One way to commercialize OSS is the support model, which has been adopted by leading OSS firms such as Red Hat and JBoss. Despite the growing interest in OSS commercialization, little research has provided OSS support providers with a pricing guideline. In this paper, we examine the optimal pricing strategies for OSS support providers. Our benchmark is a monopoly case in which we investigate a startup software vendor's incentive to choose the OSS support regime over the proprietary one. Then we extend the model to a duopoly case in which OSS under the support regime competes against proprietary software. We characterize the conditions under which the OSS support model is viable under competition. We believe that our results offer insights to the OSS vendors who consider commercializing their OSS with a support model.

• Journal of Distribution Science
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• v.10 no.12
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• pp.19-24
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• 2012

Purpose - This paper discusses the heterogeneous fixed fleet vehicle routing problem with pick-up and delivery (HFFVRPPD), for vehicles with different capacities, fixed costs, and travel costs. Research Design, data, methodology - This paper made nine assumptions for establishing a mathematical model to describe HFFVRPPD. It established a practical mathematical model, and because of the non-deterministic polynomial-time hard (NP-hard), improved the traditional simulated annealing algorithm and tested a new algorithm using a certain scale model. Result - We calculated the minimum cost of the heterogeneous fixed fleet vehicle routing problem (HFFVRP) with a single task and, on comparing the results with the actual HFFVRP for the single task alone, observed that the total cost of HFFVRPPD reduced significantly by 46.7%. The results showed that the new algorithm provides better solutions and stability. Conclusions - This paper, by comparing the HFFVRP and HFFVRPPD results, highlights certain advantages of using HFFVRPPD in physical distribution enterprises, such as saving distribution vehicles, reducing logistics cost, and raising economic benefits.

• Journal of Navigation and Port Research
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• v.31 no.6
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• pp.545-553
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• 2007

Due to the change of global production network, the establishment of new strategy in Korea ports is required Especially, the trade pattern has been mainly concentrated in Northeast Asia region according to economic growth of the Asia including China, Japan, and Korea. Hence, Korea major ports with the competition of price and service has to meet the need of Northeast port alliance and has to compete against other countries in variable trade environment. Therefore, the objective of this study is to propose a port alliance strategy in order to promote the transshipment of Korea major ports such as Pusan port and Gwangyang port. In order to establish the logistics business model in the ports, we provided the direction of the Northeast port alliance and candidate ports in China and Japan.

• Journal of Distribution Science
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• v.12 no.6
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• pp.49-57
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• 2014

Purpose - The world now recognizes environmental disruption as a serious issue when regarding growth-oriented strategies; therefore, environmental preservation issues become pertinent. Consequently, green distribution is continuously emphasized. However, studying the prediction and association of distribution and the environment is insufficient. Most existing studies about green distribution are about its necessity, detailed operation methods, and political suggestions; it is necessary to study the distribution service industry and environmental service industry together, for green distribution. Research design, data, and methodology - ARIMA (auto-regressive moving average model) was used to predict the environmental service and distribution service industries, and the Granger Causality Test based on VAR (vector auto regressive) was used to analyze the causal relationship. This study used 48 quarters of time-series data, from the 4th quarter in 2001 to the 3rd quarter in 2013, about each business type's production index, and used an unchangeable index. The production index about the business type is classified into the current index and the unchangeable index. The unchangeable index divides the current index into deflators to remove fluctuation. Therefore, it is easy to analyze the actual production index. This study used the unchangeable index. Results - The production index of the distribution service industry and the production index of the environmental service industry consider the autocorrelation coefficient and partial autocorrelation coefficient; therefore, ARIMA(0,0,2)(0,1,1)4 and ARIMA(3,1,0)(0,1,1)4 were established as final prediction models, resulting in the gradual improvement in every production index of both types of business. Regarding the distribution service industry's production index, it is predicted that the 4th quarter in 2014 is 114.35, and the 4th quarter in 2015 is 123.48. Moreover, regarding the environmental service industry's production index, it is predicted that the 4th quarter in 2014 is 110.95, and the 4th quarter in 2015 is 111.67. In a causal relationship analysis, the environmental service industry impacts the distribution service industry, but the distribution service industry does not impact the environmental service industry. Conclusions - This study predicted the distribution service industry and environmental service industry with the ARIMA model, and examined the causal relationship between them through the Granger causality test based on the VAR Model. Prediction reveals the seasonality and gradual increase in the two industries. Moreover, the environmental service industry impacts the distribution service industry, but the distribution service industry does not impact the environmental service industry. This study contributed academically by offering base line data needed in the establishment of a future style of management and policy directions for the two industries through the prediction of the distribution service industry and the environmental service industry, and tested a causal relationship between them, which is insufficient in existing studies. The limitations of this study are that deeper considerations of advanced studies are deficient, and the effect of causality between the two types of industries on the actual industry was not established.

• The Journal of Society for e-Business Studies
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• v.23 no.3
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• pp.159-171
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• 2018

The imported foods, which are imported and sold domestically, are on the rise every year, and the scale is expected to be larger, including processing the imported raw materials. However, the origin of raw materials is indicated when declaring cargo for finished products of agricultural products, but the standardization of inspection information management system for raw materials is insufficient. In addition, there is a growing concern about the presence of residual pesticides or radioactivity in raw materials or products, and customer want to know production history information when purchasing agrifoods. It manages the hazard analysis of imported agricultural products, but most of them are global issues such as microorganisms, residual pesticides, food additives, and allergy components, etc. Therefore, it is necessary to share among the logistics entities in the entire transportation process the related data. Additionally, to do this, it needs to design an architecture and standardize business model. In this paper, it defines the architecture and the work-flow that occurs between the business process for collecting, processing, and processing information for tracking the status of imported agricultural products by steps, and develops XML message with UBL and the extracted conceptual information model. It will be easy to exchange and share information among the logistics entities through the defined standard model and it will be possible to establish visibility, reliability, safety, and freshness system for transportation of agricultural products requiring real-time management.

• The Journal of Society for e-Business Studies
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• v.21 no.2
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• pp.47-59
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• 2016

Parcel service is to deliver goods from one place to the designated destination requested according to user request. Parcel operations such as sorting, distributing, etc. or the managed information are heterogeneous by the companies. Additionally, it is impossible to support interoperability between companies with unformatted data of manual processing. Most parcel package boxes attached to paper typed waybill is attached is delivered to consignee. So, security problems such as personal information leaking are occurred, or extra processing time and logistics costs are needed due to wrong or the damaged information. Business environment of parcel service is rapidly changed as introducing unmanned delivery or the advanced technology such as Internet of Things. User want to know the accurate status or steps from parcel service request to delivery. To provide these requirements, the unified and integrated waybill information for reliable transportation of parcel service is needed. This information will provide to pickup or delivery carrier, warehouse or terminal, and parcel service user per pickup, transport, and delivery stage of parcel delivery service. Therefore, this paper defines the simplified and unified information model for parcel service waybill by analyzing information systems used for logistics unit processes that is occurred to parcel service, and manual work processes, and developing the relevant information of work flows occurred between business processes or transactions with the collected or processed information by from parcel service's stages. It is possible to share these standard model between business entities, and replacing paper typed waybill will improve national life safety as preventing security threats by paper typed waybill. As a result, it will promote the public interest from the stakeholder's perspective.