Automatic Replenishment Research Articles

System Design for Information Monitoring at Drug Sales End

It is an important task for Drug Administration to utilize information technology to strengthen the management of drug sales end, prevent the flow of expired pharmaceuticals into market, and ensure drug safety of consumers. The paper first put forward the three main functions the information monitoring system at drug sales end (IMSDSE) should have, namely, monitoring and early warning for drugs validity, automatic inventory replenishment and recycling of expired drugs. The paper then analyzes the necessity and feasibility of constructing the IMSDSE based on web service, and the structure and working principle of the web-service –based system. Finally, the paper describes the overall design of IMSDSE from technical perspective.

Research on Time-Efficiency Oriented Mechanism of After-Sale Service Logistics Operation - China's Automobile Maintenance Industry as Example

In recent years, with the quick development of domestic automobile industry, the after market’s demand is demonstrating strong progress. However, due to lack of customer quick responsive system of after-sale service logistics, quite a few enterprises suffer from gradual loss of profit and customer resource. The article summarize the as-is status for time-efficiency management of after sale logistics, explaining the driving factor of current issues, i.e., task oriented current system, capacity constraint of logistics activities, lack of customer time efficiency evaluation and blank of after sale logistics operation staff. Based on these, together with investigation of companies, bring forward the mechanism of time-efficiency oriented after-sale logistics operation. This mechanism consists of eight sub-systems: organization structure, network planning and layout, reverse logistics operation procedure, time window evaluation mechanism, automatic replenishment system, reverse forecasting system, Kan-ban message system as well as disposal & reuse system. Furthermore, the article makes analysis of the internal operations and external relevance of these eight sub-systems.

Optimizing inventory and store results in big box retail environment

Purpose – This paper seeks to examine key factors within the control of store managers to optimizing inventory and store results.Design/methodology/approach – This research integrates principles of action research and traditional research in a big box retail environment.Findings – While this study confirms theories that link inventory to sales, merchandise selection, and technology, it emphasizes the role of people. Furthermore, it proves that different stores within same companies and different departments within same stores deliver different results due, mainly, to human factors – specifically, critical thinking, functional knowledge, and leadership.Research limitations/implications – This study does not address inventory assortment, space allocation, automatic replenishment, planograms design, technology, logistics, and other factors that may impact inventory but mostly outside the control of big box store managers.Originality/value – This study proposes practical tools and ideas to optimizing inventor...

Supplier perceptions of quick response systems

PurposeThe purpose of this research is to explore supply chain management issues in the Scottish textile and clothing industry, such as company awareness of automatic replenishment (AR) systems, quick response implementation (QRI), and relationships within the supply chain.Design/methodology/approachFace‐to‐face interviews were undertaken with 33 Scottish suppliers.FindingsResults indicate that less than a third of the companies surveyed in Scotland had implemented AR/QRI systems and that many supply chain members had not fully understood the benefits of implementing information technology (IT) to support an AR/QRI strategy. They perceive it more as a strategy for retailers than as a virtual supply chain strategy.Research limitations/implicationsSince this study was limited to 33 Scottish suppliers, findings can only be used as a guide for further research into the area. The next stage of this research will be to gather more responses from UK and US suppliers of fashion garments, as well as to undertake in‐depth interviews with retail buyers in order to explore the criteria they now use for establishing supplier relationships.Practical implicationsThe paper identifies advantages which manufacturing management could achieve: namely to improve planning, reduce stockholdings, increase production and by improved communication become a preferred supplier.Originality/valueIn order to survive, Scottish suppliers have to sustain competitive advantage by ensuring that they have an efficient stock management system. For manufacturers of fashion goods, speed is a priority that incurs higher production and transportation costs that can be offset against fewer mark‐downs and higher gross margins. Thus, QRI is a must for multiple fashion retailers selling “own brand” merchandise, to provide them with competitive differentiation in the high fashion end of the market. This means that suppliers need to build relationships with these retailers and implement QR systems to stay in business.

Environmental Justice Issues Related to Transponder Ownership and Road Pricing

Electronic transponders used on toll roads often reduce delays at toll facilities and sometimes offer customers a discount in the toll. Nonetheless, many people avoid using toll roads or acquiring electronic transponders. Their reasons include a dislike for toll roads based on a belief that roads should be a public good or on infrequent use of the roadway. Obtaining a transponder requires an application process and an initial prepayment of tolls as a minimum requirement. In worst cases, applications must be mailed (rather than obtained at a distribution center, online, or through a phone call), transponder deposits are demanded, and credit cards are required for automatic replenishment of tolls. In addition to the impediment of submitting an application, at least 20% of U.S. households do not have a credit card, and 10% do not have a bank account; such households would essentially be barred from obtaining transponders from most U.S. toll authorities. This paper analyzes these barriers by presenting the costs and benefits of the various toll transponder “tags” available in the United States in addition to models of toll road corridor users. Results show that higher-income households are more likely to have transponders and to use toll roads frequently. Other demographic and trip characteristic variables have less influence on toll road frequency choices but do influence transponder acquisition. Several agencies insist on large transponder deposits and initial prepayment amounts and require payment methods that are not available to a large percentage of the U.S. population.

Environmental Justice Issues Related to Transponder Ownership and Road Pricing

Electronic transponders used on toll roads often reduce delays at toll facilities and sometimes offer customers a discount in the toll. Nonetheless, many people avoid using toll roads or acquiring electronic transponders. Their reasons include a dislike for toll roads based on a belief that roads should be a public good or on infrequent use of the roadway. Obtaining a transponder requires an application process and an initial prepayment of tolls as a minimum requirement. In worst cases, applications must be mailed (rather than obtained at a distribution center, online, or through a phone call), transponder deposits are demanded, and credit cards are required for automatic replenishment of tolls. In addition to the impediment of submitting an application, at least 20% of U.S. households do not have a credit card, and 10% do not have a bank account; such households would essentially be barred from obtaining transponders from most U.S. toll authorities. This paper analyzes these barriers by presenting the co...

Determining retail buyers' negotiation willingness for automatic replenishment programs

The purpose of this study was to empirically evaluate a modified version of Sheth's model (1981) of buying behavior, in order to determine retail buyers’ willingness to trade off on negotiation variables when placing items on automatic replenishment (AR). A total of 103 usable questionnaires were returned from corporate buyers from five major department store chains located throughout the USA, yielding a 41 percent response rate. Multiple regression analysis indicated that the modified portion of Sheth's model used in this study was satisfactory in exploring relationships that exist between buyers and vendors when determining what products can be placed on AR. The model was significant and respectable in explanatory power, and the significant or highly related variables were: merchandise driven mentality; price/value; color; design; and type of merchandise category. These were all significant or highly related to the buyer's willingness to trade off on the negotiation variables (price, packaging, delivery and assortment). Future research is needed to explore the development of a model that explains the process and decision criteria for successful AR programs.

THE ECOLOGY OF INTERORGANIZATIONAL INFORMATION SHARING

Increasingly, companies use interorganizational information systems to support business process partnerships, such as automatic replenishment systems and other supply chain initiatives, invoicing and payments, and insurance claims processing. Inter-firm networking in turn can increase the visibility of information generated and used by business partners. These business partners may experience intended and unintended impacts from the changes in the partnering relationship, in effect altering the ecology of the organization. Yet IT researchers rarely study an organization’s ecology, focusing instead on impacts upon internal processes. Our goal in this paper is to propose a definition of interorganizational information ecology, to provide IT researchers with a lens through which interorganizational information sharing should be studied. We begin by reviewing principles of ecology from the natural and social sciences and then discuss the emergence of principles of organizational ecology and information ecology within the management literature. We then argue that advances in information technology have been a primary enabler for companies’ focus on interorganizational business processes and that field research on IT-enabled business partnerships must include the impacts upon each partner and the information shared among them. An example from health care demonstrates the usefulness of the concept, and we conclude with suggestions for field-based research on the ecology of interorganizational information sharing.

AUTOMATIC REPLENISHMENT PROGRAMS: THE IMPACT OF ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE

Many firms have shifted to response‐based supply chain systems instead of traditional push systems. Research results are presented covering a specific type of response‐based system, Automatic Replenishment Programs (ARPs), in which inventory restocking is triggered by actual sales. The paper looks at the influence of organizational structure, i.e., centralization versus decentralization, on ARP performance and information systems capabilities. Results are mixed. Decentralized firms reported higher performance relating to specific ARP‐related goals. However, no differences were found at a more global level when ARP relationship performance and profitability were examined. Even fewer differences were found between centralized and decentralized firms with respect to their information systems capabilities.

The effectiveness of automatic inventory replenishment in supply chain operations: antecedents and outcomes

The issue of buyer-seller relationships in supply-chain management research is becoming increasingly critical. Global competition and maturing domestic markets have driven supply-chain members to reassess their distribution techniques to remain competitive in the market. Firms need inventory replenishment systems that enhance customer service whereas at the same time reduce inventory costs. Many retailers are demanding time-phased replenishment. They want delivery made just as they need the stock for sale. High levels of anticipatory inventory are no longer acceptable. Retailers want high-volume, high-turn items delivered on a just-in-time basis. In this study, we investigate the use of automatic replenishment programs (ARPs) and the effectiveness of these ARPs in today’s markets. Through a survey of U.S. retailers and manufacturers, we examine the transaction specific, strategic, and organizational antecedents that drive automatic replenishment efforts, as well as the effects of these efforts on the firms’ strategic and economic performance.

Collaborative planning: supporting automatic replenishment programs

Automatic replenishment systems that restock inventory based on actual demand triggers rather than relying on long‐range forecasts and layers of safety stock have been implemented in a great number of firms in recent years. Now these same firms are taking supply chain cooperation to another level through involvement in collaborative planning/forecasting/replenishment (CPFR). The results of a recent survey assessing current levels of involvement in cross‐organizational collaboration among firms utilizing automatic inventory replenishment are presented. The results provide strong support for positive associations between high levels of CPFR and implementation of operating process change and information system capabilities. Results supported only a very weak association between CPFR and effectiveness in achieving operational performance goals.

Automatic Replenishment Programs and Level of Involvement: Performance Implications

In Today's increasingly complex business environment, many firms are working more closely and sharing greater information with trading partners. The utilization of automatic replenishment programs (ARPs) for inventory management represents an example of how firms are cooperating to improve overall efficiency and service. However, ARP is still a relatively new phenomenon, and ARP‐related benefits cannot be realized without changes to working practices that require considerable time and financial commitment. Whether such commitments are warranted has yet to be established. Little empirical work is available detailing ARP performance to date. This research examines the implementation of ARP components, firms' effectiveness at achieving ARP‐related goals and associations between firms' level of involvement with ARP and ARP‐related performance. Findings suggest that more extensive involvement with ARP is beneficial. Firms that handle a larger proportion of their sales volume with ARPs reported greater success in terms of profitability and trading partner relationships.

Automatic replenishment: the relationship between resource commitment and program performance

Some firms have adopted a new approach to order fulfillment, i.e., automatic inventory replenishment. With automatic replenishment programs (ARPs), sellers replenish or restock inventory based upon actual product usage and stock level information provided by buyers. This paper reports on a recent survey of logistics professionals regarding .ARP involvement. In addition to providing a profile of current usage, the research also examines the relationship between investment in automatic replenishment related resources and .ARP performance. Firms making a greater commitment to ARP (in terms of resource allocation) reported enhanced day-to-day operational performance and greater success in the overall performance of the trading relationship.

A device for automatic soil moisture control and registration of water use in pot experiments

An apparatus was made for automatic replenishment of water lost by evapotranspiration in pot experiments. The system can handle 80 pots. The upper and lower weight limit for each pot, and the weighing frequency can be set. In this way, constant soil moisture levels as well as fluctuations can be arranged. The apparatus can be programmed for continuous cycling, thus minimizing position effects within an experiment. Cumulative daily water use per pot or transpiration per plant is recorded on tape and printed. Special applications, e.g. controlled nutrient dosage and determination of transpiration coefficients are discussed.

Automatic replenishment of the gas mixture in excimer lasers

The possibility of automatic circulation of a gas mixture in cells subjected to pulse-periodic pumping was demonstrated experimentally.

Separation of solutes from aqueous solutions by contained liquid membranes

AbstractThe hollow fiber contained liquid membrane (CLM) is a thin liquid film contained in the interstices of two sets of intermingled microporous hollow fine fibers. Organic CLM‐s have been used here for the separation of solutes from an aqueous feed into an aqueous strip. Solutes studied are phenol and acetic acid. The separations are carried out in either hydrophilic or hydrophobic hollow fiber CLM permeator modules, using a variety of organic liquids (e.g., decanol, methyl isobutyl ketone, xylene) as membranes. First‐order models have been developed to predict the overall solute transfer coefficients adequately. The transfer coefficient can be enhanced significantly when a chemical reaction is carried out on the strip side using NaOH. The advantages of the CLM structure include operational stability, independent control of membrane phase pressure, automatic replenishment of the lost membrane liquid, and absence of the need for preequilibration. These features are demonstrated here, even for systems with considerable aqueous‐organic mutual solubilities.

4680266 Cell culture chamber with means for automatic replenishment of nutrient: Alexander Tschopp, Claudy-Gabriell Gruenblat-Nordau, Beat Huber, Augusto Cogoli, Zswitzerlana assigned to Contraves AG

4680266 Cell culture chamber with means for automatic replenishment of nutrient: Alexander Tschopp, Claudy-Gabriell Gruenblat-Nordau, Beat Huber, Augusto Cogoli, Zswitzerlana assigned to Contraves AG

Evaluating the Performance of Technician Trainees

The development and use of a behavioral performance evaluation form for pharmacy technicians in a hospital-based training program is described. The behavior anchors for the evaluation form were derived from a task analysis of the technician position and a modified critical-incident technique. The appraisal factors were classified under six basic work areas: (1) procurement, (2) intravenous admixtures and sterile solutions, (3) automatic replenishment, (4) manufacturing and prepacking, (5) outpatient dispensing, and (6) inpatient dispensing or unit dose. Five rating categories ranging from exceptional to unsatisfactory were given point values. After an evaluation is completed, the supervising pharmacist reviews it with the trainees and sets objectives for the next appraisal period. The form can be used at regular intervals to assess the trainees' progress, and it can be used in the annual review of a technician's performance. The performance evaluation of technician trainees can determine the proficiency gained from a training program and identify areas where further instruction is needed.

Artificial Organs: Thoughts & Progress:Determination of Cardiac Output of the Artificial Heart from the Drive Air Flow

An indication chamber, inserted between the right heart drive and the pump proper, was designed to provide continual measurement of the quantity of blood pumped by the pneumatic artificial heart. The flow is evaluated from the motion of a piston provided with a photoelectric transducer. The effect of compressibility of the drive gas on measurement accuracy is eliminated. The indication chamber provides for automatic replenishment of gas that escapes by diffusion and through minor leakage. During testing in an artificial circulation within the range of physiological conditions, measurement in accuracies did not exceed 5%.

An automatic replenishment system for liquid nitrogen traps

An automatic replenishment system for liquid nitrogen traps