Intermediate Service Research Articles

The influence of oxidative aging and wax structure on bitumen physical hardening: Insights from model wax compounds

Physical hardening (PH) significantly affects bitumen's low-temperature performance. This paper investigates the effect of oxidative aging and wax structure on PH using 4-mm dynamic shear rheometer (4-mm DSR) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) tests. The results show that the wax chain length has a pronounced effect on the PH. Short-chain waxes, such as C18 and C24 affect the PH while longer-chain n-paraffins like C40 or Sasobit have almost no effect. In addition, the physical hardening index (PHI) is not linearly increasing with wax content but shows a maximum at a particular wax percentage. Wax-doped samples that crystallize before reaching the hardening temperatures typically show a reduced PHI compared to those with crystallization temperatures just below the hardening temperature. When crystallization and melting temperatures are not close to the hardening temperatures, the PHIs are typically reduced. Oxidative aging also influenced the PHI and in most cases the hardening decreased after aging. The highest PHI of almost all investigated samples occurs at 0 °C among the four typical temperatures. This investigation provides insights in the mechanism of PH and in the relations between wax contents, the hardening temperature, and the PHI. It also shows that while long-chain waxes used as warm mix additives, will not cause a PH risk, short-chain waxes present in pyrolyzed waste plastic, for example, should be handled with care. In addition, PH is also crucial for the intermediate service temperatures and not exclusively for thermal cracking at low temperatures.

Strategic Taxpayer Compliance During the Covid-19 Pandemic: A Study at the Medan Two Intermediate Tax Service Offices

This study aims to analyze strategic taxpayer compliance during the Covid-19 pandemic at the Medan Madya Dua Tax Office using quantitative methods. The research population is 1,966 taxpayers, consisting of 1,800 corporate taxpayers and 166 individual taxpayers. Independent variables include tax incentives, tax counseling, tax sanctions, supervision by Account Representative (AR), and tax audits, while the dependent variable is taxpayer compliance. Data were measured using dummy variables and nominal scales, and analyzed by multinomial logistic regression. The results showed that tax sanctions with a fine category of more than 2,000,000 tended to make taxpayers report tax returns on time with a probability of 59.63% higher than those on time. AR supervision with the SP2DK issuance category also increases the probability of late SPT reporting by 59.23%. The study shows that the variables of incentives, counseling, sanctions, AR supervision, and tax audits significantly affect taxpayer compliance in reporting annual tax returns. It is recommended that further research be carried out at the Primary and post-pandemic Tax Service Offices.

Implementation of Step-Down Intermediate Care (IC) in Buckinghamshire, UK: A Qualitative Evaluation Study of Healthcare Professionals’ Experiences and Perspectives

Step-down intermediate care aims to offer short-term care for people who are medically optimised for discharge but needing a period for further assessment and/or rehabilitation. The aim of this study, which was nested in a larger evaluation project, was to explore the experiences and perspectives of healthcare professionals to understand the implementation of a step-down IC service in Buckinghamshire, UK. The evidence is used to inform the service providers of what elements worked well and what areas require improvement. A qualitative study using semistructured interviews was conducted in May 2022. Ten healthcare professionals participated. Interviews were transcribed verbatim and reflexive thematic analysis was used to analyse the data. The following five core themes were developed: (1) the developmental period of step-down IC, (2) providing care together, (3) perceived functions of the integrated hub, (4) communication, and (5) resources. Findings from the interviews highlighted the excellent working relationships among healthcare professionals from different disciplines, which contributed to their job satisfaction and the efficiency of the service. In addition, healthcare professionals stressed the importance of the integrated hub, as it facilitated the communication between the teams and speeded up the decision-making. Several organisational challenges, such as communication issues, healthcare professionals’ capacity, and the need for further funding were also voiced. Involving staff in the evaluation of a step-down intermediate care service has provided useful information on the service’s implementation process and will inform the development of a long-term strategy for intermediate care.

The Influence of Human Resource Quality, Organizational Commitment, and Work Motivation on Employee Performance at Two Medan Madya Tax Services Offices

This study aims to assess the impact of human resource quality, organizational commitment, and work motivation individually and collectively on employee performance at the Medan Moderate Tax Service Office. The research was conducted at the Medan Transitional Tax Service Office, located at Jalan Sukamulia No. 17A, Medan, with a population of 117 and a research sample of 54 individuals. Data collection involved interviews, surveys, and documentation. The IBM Statistics for Product and Service Solution (SPSS) version 24 was utilized for data analysis, employing multiple regression analysis. The findings of the study reveal that the quality of human resources significantly influences the performance of employees at the Medan Dua Intermediate Tax Service Office. This is supported by the results of the t-test analysis (3.894 > 2.009) at n = 54 with a 95% level of significance. Organizational commitment also impacts the performance of employees at the Medan Two Intermediate Tax Service Office, as indicated by t-test > t-table analysis (2.861 > 2.009) at n = 54 with a 95% level of significance. Similarly, work motivation affects the performance of employees at the Medan Two Moderate Tax Service Office, with t-test > t-table results (5.751 > 2.009) at n = 54 and a 95% level of significance. Furthermore, the F-test results (F-count > F-table) indicate that collectively, there is a positive and significant influence of human resource quality, organizational commitment, and work motivation on the performance of employees at the Medan Intermediate Tax Service Office (31.463 > 2.79).

Intermediate service input distortions and total factor productivity: Evidence from China.

China has the most minimal proportion of intermediate service inputs among the input-output datasets encompassing 43 countries and regions within the WIOD database. This study employs a non-parametric estimation methodology to compute the appropriate input levels for two distinct categories of intermediate goods. Furthermore, it evaluates the decline in total factor productivity resulting from distortions in intermediate input. The research findings are as follows: 1) China's producer services exhibit an output elasticity approximately twice that of industrial intermediate goods. However, the input for producer services is only about half of that for the latter. This points to a notable deviation of China's input for producer services from the optimal level. 2) Upon achieving an optimal level of input allocation for intermediates, the entire industry could experience an 11.48% boost in total factor productivity. In particular, the manufacturing sector could witness an impressive surge of 33.91%. 3) A positive correlation is discerned between intermediate input distortions and the import of intermediate products.

Assessing levels of urban public electric vehicle charging service in different-level cities: A case study of the 35 cities of the Chengdu–Chongqing Urban Agglomeration, China

Urban Public Electric Vehicle Charger (PEVC) services are crucial for sustainable development in countries with low rates of single-family home ownership, promoting vehicle electrification and contributing to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). PEVC provision differs across Chinese regions and cities, especially among various city levels. However, this disparity has not been adequately addressed, impeding strategic PEVC development planning. To clarify these disparities, this study combines an analysis of the supply-demand and usage costs of PEVCs, which are the main factors affecting vehicle electrification, and evaluates the disparities in PEVC service among 35 cities of varying levels in Chengdu–Chongqing Urban Agglomeration. The results indicate that mega-cities demonstrate the highest service levels, attributed to their robust supply capacity and well-developed pricing mechanisms, but they also face higher actual demand pressures. Medium-sized and small cities show intermediate PEVC service, while large cities unexpectedly demonstrate the lowest supply-demand level and highest usage costs due to the mismatch between PEVC supply and demand size. Additionally, the study highlights the priority of PEVC station scale in enhancing the supply. These findings inform policymakers in shaping targeted strategies and policies, adapting to the varying PEVC service levels across different cities.

A realist evaluation of the development of extended pharmacist roles and services in community pharmacies

BackgroundInternationally, community pharmacy models of care have been moving away from a focus on dispensing to extended, clinically-focused roles for pharmacists. ObjectivesTo identify how community pharmacy strategies were being implemented in Aotearoa New Zealand; how changes were expected to influence health and health system outcomes; what extended services were being delivered; the responses of pharmacists, other health professionals and consumers to these developments; and the contexts and mechanisms supporting the successful implementation of new community pharmacy services. MethodsA realist evaluation methodology was employed, to explore a complex policy intervention. Realist evaluation explores the contexts (C) within which initiatives are introduced and identifies the mechanisms (M) triggered by different contexts to produce outcomes (O). Realist evaluation processes iteratively develop, test, and refine CMO configurations. In this study, initial programme theories were developed through key government and professional policy documents, then refined through key informant interviews, a survey and interviews with pharmacists and intern (pre-registration) pharmacists, and finally, 10 case studies of diverse community pharmacies. ResultsFour intermediate health service outcomes were identified: development of extended community pharmacist services; consumers using extended community pharmacist services; more integrated, collaborative primary health care services; and a fit-for-purpose community pharmacy workforce. Enabling and constraining contexts are detailed for each outcome, along with the mechanisms that they trigger (or inhibit). ConclusionsThere are wide-ranging and disparate levers to support the further development of extended community pharmacy services. These include aligning funding with desired services, undergraduate educators and professional leaders setting expectations for the pharmacists’ role in practice, and the availability of sufficient funding and time for both specific extended service accreditation and broader postgraduate training. However, no simple “fix” can be universally applied internationally, nor even in pharmacies within a single jurisdiction, to facilitate service development.

Exploring high-throughput synchrotron X-Ray powder diffraction for the structural analysis of pharmaceuticals

Synchrotron radiation offers a host of advanced properties, surpassing conventional laboratory sources with its high brightness, tunable phonon energy, photon beam coherence for advanced X-ray imaging, and a structured time profile, ideal for capturing dynamic atomic and molecular processes. However, these benefits come at the cost of operational complexity and expenses. Three decades ago, synchrotron radiation facilities, while technically open to all scientists, primarily served a limited community. Despite substantial accessibility improvements over the past two decades, synchrotron measurements still do not qualify as routine analyses. The intrinsic complexity of synchrotron science means experiments are pursued only when no alternatives suffice. In recent years, strides have been made in technology transfer offices, intermediate synchrotron-based analytical service companies, and the development of high-throughput synchrotron systems at various facilities, reshaping the perception of synchrotron science. This article investigates the practical application of synchrotron X-Ray Powder Diffraction (s-XRPD) techniques in pharmaceutical analysis. By utilizing concrete examples, we demonstrate how high-throughput systems have the potential to revolutionize s-XRPD applications in the pharmaceutical industry, rapidly generating XRPD patterns of comparable or superior quality to those obtained in state-of-the-art laboratory XRPD, all in less than 5 s. Additional cases featuring well-established pharmaceutical active ingredients (API) and excipients substantiate the concept of high throughput in pharmaceuticals, affirming data quality through structural refinements aligned with literature-derived unit cell parameters. Synchrotron data need not always be state-of-the-art to compete with lab-XRPD data. The key lies in ensuring user-friendliness, reproducibility, accessibility, cost-effectiveness, and the streamlined efforts associated with synchrotron instrumentation to remain highly competitive with their laboratory counterparts.

Intermediate service facility planning in a stochastic and competitive market: Incorporating agent-infrastructure interactions over networks

This paper presents a network-based multi-agent optimization model for the strategic planning of service facilities in a stochastic and competitive market. We focus on the type of service facilities that are of intermediate nature, i.e., users may need to deviate from the shortest path to receive/provide services in between the users’ planned origins and destinations. This problem has many applications in emerging transportation mobility, including dynamic ride-sharing hub design and competitive facility location and allocation problems for alternative fuel vehicle refueling stations. The main contribution of this paper is establishing a new multi-agent optimization framework considering decentralized decision makings of facility investors and users over a transportation network and providing rigorous analyses of its mathematical properties, such as uniqueness and existence of system equilibrium. In addition, we develop an exact convex reformulation of the original multi-agent optimization problems to overcome computational challenges brought by non-convexity. Extensive analysis on case studies showed how the proposed model can capture the complex interaction between different stakeholders in an uncertain environment. Additionally, our model allowed quantifying the value of stochastic modeling and information availability by exploring stochastic metrics, including value of stochastic solution (VSS) and expected value of perfect information (EVPI), in a multi-agent framework.

Imperative role of SBS molecular structure on the performance properties of modified binders and asphalt mixes

ABSTRACT The current study evaluates the impact of SBS molecular structure (L-SBS, B-SBS, HV-SBS, and DB-SB) and concentration on asphalt mix performance. Polymers were characterized using GPC, FTIR, melt rheology, and DSC analysis. GPC analysis indicates that BSBS has the highest molecular weight, while DB-SB has the lowest. FT-IR studies show differences in vinyl content among the four polymers. Asphalt mixture study resonated binder study where B-SBS polymer outperformed their counterparts. Results showed that compared to widely used L-SBS polymer, B-SBS copolymer generates ≈ 33 %, 26 % and 18 % more fatigue resistance, rutting resistance and stiffness behaviour, respectively, at a polymer content of 4.5 wt.%. The combined effect of higher molecular weight, triblock structure and the long-chain branching in B-SBS copolymer contributes to the discussed outcome which facilitates its utilization for high-stressed pavement sections at upper and intermediate service temperatures. However, L-SBS and HV-SBS polymers depict almost similar mixture performance due to their alike molecular structure. Moreover, the presence of a di-block structure and lower molecular weight results in inferior performance for mixes prepared with DB-SB polymer. The results clearly signify the dominance of polymer molecular structure in identifying the mixes’ performance properties at respective polymer content.

Internal Control at Tax Office Pratama Madya Makassar

A control environment is crucial to preventing businesses at the Makassar Tax Office from committing fraud. Due to its collection of state funds and access to private taxpayer data, including financial and personal identification, it is susceptible to fraud. This study assesses the various elements of the control environment at the Makassar Intermediate Tax Service Office using the COSO Internal Control Framework, 2021 edition. A case study and a qualitative descriptive method are both used in this research. There are 85 workers in this tax office. Semi-structured interviews with twenty informants from different departments were used to gather primary data. Literature reviews, reports, regulations, and internet sources were used to gather secondary data. The use of theme analysis is one of the novel ideas in this study. 37 themes were the outcome, and these served as measurements to assess if the environmental control components were appropriate. The Makassar Intermediate Tax Service Office possesses 28 out of 37 measures, as indicated by the research findings. The findings show that working hours violations are a component of "The organisation demonstrates commitment to integrity and ethical values." The Indonesian Financial Audit Agency's research indicates that for components to function independently, an internal compliance unit is necessary.

Pengaruh Himbauan Pajak, Pemeriksaan Pajak dan Penagihan Pajak Terhadap Tingkat Kepatuhan Wajib Pajak dalam Pelunasan Pajak Penghasilan Badan

That the government's policy in increasing domestic revenue for financing development and public services from the tax sector, among others, is through changing the official assessment levy system to a self-assessment, namely by giving trust to taxpayers to calculate, deposit and self-report taxes owed in accordance with tax regulations. through the submission of an annual notification letter. Annual notification letter is a means for taxpayers to report all business activities of taxpayers during a certain period. As a consequence, the Directorate General of Taxes is obliged to provide services, supervision, guidance and law enforcement, among others through the issuance of tax appeals, tax audit processes and tax collection actions. This study uses quantitative research through a survey method based on a Likert scale by distributing questionnaires to respondents as many as 28 statements. The population used is corporate taxpayers who pay corporate income tax at the office, totaling 104 taxpayers as a sample of all registered taxpayers. Because this research method is parametric statistics, while the research questionnaire made using a Likert scale which is an ordinal scale and is usually used in non-parametric statistical methods, before processing the data obtained is first converted from ordinal data to interval data using the Method of Succesive Interval ( MSI). Data processing was carried out using the IBM SPSS version 26 application. The results showed that partial tax appeals have a positive effect on taxpayer compliance, partial tax audits have a positive effect on taxpayer compliance, partial tax collections have a positive effect on taxpayer compliance and tax appeals, joint tax audits and tax collections, they have a positive influence on taxpayer compliance in the payment of Corporate Income Tax at the Palembang Intermediate Tax Service Office.

Navigating Policy and Local Context in Times of Crisis: District and School Leader Responses to the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Purpose: To examine how federal/state-level policy guidance and local context have influenced district and school leader responses to the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as how these external/internal factors might provide a window into K-12 crisis leadership and policy sensemaking more broadly. Research: Investigating two districts over two years (2020-2022), data gathered include 39 hours of interviews with K-12 leaders (n = 41) and teachers (n = 18), federal/state-level policy documents (N = 64) governing these districts, and school staff responses to the Comprehensive Assessment of Leaders for Learning survey (N = 111). Drawing theoretically upon sensemaking, crisis leadership/management, law/policy implementation, and organizational theory, these data were analyzed using both inductive and deductive coding over several phases. Findings: In tracing the confluence of federal/state-level guidance and local capacities, we find both influenced K-12 leaders' sensemaking and subsequent responses to COVID-19. However, districts that possessed adequate expertise and organizational resources were better positioned to respond to the crisis, whereas those lacking such capacities experienced increased anxiety/stress. Conclusion: We argue that the COVID-19 pandemic provides a new window into the critical external/internal factors influencing K-12 leader sensemaking and subsequent responses to crises more broadly. We also discuss the potential role intermediate service agencies might play in the development of a stronger crisis response infrastructure for associated districts and schools. Finally, we point out how principal preparation programs and professional development efforts could prospectively address such crisis-related challenges faced by K-12 leaders.

Battery Swapping Stations- A Viable Option for Faster Adoption of EVs in India

Total electrification of road transport has its own major constraints. The industry struggles to reduce the plug-in charging times and impact on the grid of battery-powered electric vehicles. Battery swapping is one of the best concepts to overcome the constraints where Vehicles swap low state charge batteries for charged ones at Battery Swapping Stations (BSS). A Battery Swapping Stations (BSS) is a charging place/fuelling station equipped with number of standards and certified charging units and battery swapping robots. A BSS has a certain amount of battery inventory of fully charged batteries of different sizes and types thus providing a faster and intermediate service to the customer looking for recharging their batteries. This paper studies the challenges and opportunities for the use of BSS in India.

Appraisal of Asphalt Mixtures’ Cracking Resistance Modified with Waste Aluminum Scrap Powder (WASP) at Intermediate Temperatures

Considering that most asphalt concrete pavement distresses are fracture-related, evaluating and quantifying mix fracture properties is essential to improved pavement design. Therefore, the first step of the study, a pre-development phase, determines the optimal value for adding waste aluminum scrap powder (WASP) with a fraction size of 2.36-0.075 mm to mixes. Based on previous digital image analysis (DIA), AlDoz and AlNibaa’e aggregates were selected from seven central, northern, and southern Iraq sources. The second post-development phase studies the testing factors of a reliable and practical semi-circular bending (SCB) test for assessing asphalt concrete mixture fracture properties at intermediate service temperatures. The development and calibration of the Marshall System into the SCB-Tester, which switched from analog to digital and computerized control, accurately predicted reference and modified mix fracture characteristics at 50.8 mm/min. Three notch lengths (25, 32, and 38) mm were selected to be studied. Five percentages of WASP (0.5, 1.0, 1.5, 2.0, and 2.5) percent were added by weight to the entire mix and compared to the reference mixture. Results indicate that 1.5% WASP decreases fracture severity and stiffen AlNibaa’e and AlDoz mixes. Increased fracture strength and toughness of modified mixes relative to the reference may dramatically increase asphalt concrete fracture resistance. Even though a higher evaluation for AlNibaa’e mixes than AlDoz with an expected difference, the impact of modifying appears to be an effective influence for AlDoz mixes with determination factors (R2) of 0.9788 and 0.9889 than that of AlNibaa’e modified coarse and fine mixes, which have R2 of 0.8535 and 0.8461, respectively.

Evolution and Drivers of Energy Embodied in Intermediate and Final Trade Between China and the World

AbstractThe increasing fragmentation of global supply chains has led to a new phase of international trade with intermediate products comprising a remarkable share. For China as the biggest energy consumer and trading nation, its energy use related to the trade of intermediate products has not yet been fully understood. To fill the gap, this study develops the concept of embodied energy resources to establish an all‐inclusive energy trade budget for China, from exploitation to intermediate production and to final consumption. By combining the input‐output analysis and structural decomposition analysis, the evolution and drivers of energy resources embodied in China's intermediate and final trade are systematically explored for the period 1995–2018. We find that energy resources embodied in China's intermediate trade grew faster than those in final trade. Mining stood out in intermediate trade, while Transport and Service were prominent in final trade. The Global North played a key role in China's trade for final consumption, whereas the Global South had a close relationship with China in production‐driven intermediate trade. Energy efficiency gains made more obvious contributions to saving energy resources embodied in intermediate trade, while production structure changes posed more evident impacts on energy resources embodied in final trade. Taking full account of trade heterogeneity, this study highlights the importance to distinguish intermediate trade from final trade, especially when the former accounted for around 80% of energy use embodied in China's international trade.

Implementation of 2008 System of National Accounts (2008 SNA) In Georgia – Main Changes And Challenges

In the process of active globalization, an important task of the economic agenda of any country is to ensure mutual comparability of statistical indicators. This can be achieved through the implementation of internationally approved methodologies and modern standards. The System of National Accounts is at the top of the economic pyramid. The implementation of SNA 2008 was envisaged by the Association Agreement with the European Union. In 2008, the United Nations, European Commission, International Monetary Fund, World Bank and the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development jointly released The System of National Accounts, 2008 (2008 SNA). This update better reflects the changing economic landscape and the advances in methodological research, data sources and compilation methods and provides clarification on a number of issues not clearly stated in the 1993 SNA. Timely, relevant and comprehensive national account information is a significant intellectual asset for any country, and serves important functions. Like any asset the national accounts depreciate with time. Therefore, periodic new investments are crucial, to ensure that they continue to provide high quality services to their users. Implementing 2008 SNA improved the relevance of a country’s national accounts information. In the new version of SNA, changes were introduced in various directions: updates in calculation methods, improvement of data sources, introduction of an international approach to the coverage of the economy and other methodological changes, which include the introduction of new classifications, the use of the accrual method for taxes, a change in the base period (instead of 2010, the base period 2015 is used instead of the period) and many others. Updated calculation methods were introduced in the following direction: Changes in the Financial Intermediation Services Indirectly Measured (FISIM); Improving the calculation of Imputed Rent of Own Occupied Dwellings; Capitalization of costs related to Research and Development (R&D) and others. The factor of improving the data source should also be emphasized. In this regard, it is worth noting: updating the structure of intermediate consumption on the basis of a special surveys; Special survey conducted in various sectors of economy, such as agriculture, construction, hotels and restaurants and ect. Other methodological changes include also the use of new classifications, change of the base year (2015 instead of 2010). During the implementation of new standards and methodologies, many countries face a number of challenges. In many ways, national accounts data represent an important part of a country's economic history. Of course, it is more acceptable for users to have a continuous and consistent time series, which simplifies its use in economic modeling. However, as already mentioned, this process is associated with certain difficulties, among which access to historical rows of updated data sources is noteworthy. In such cases, they need to develop models that put new concepts and methodologies into historical perspective. In order to harmonize with the indicators of the previous period, Georgia has recalculated the historical data series since 2010. The introduction of the new methodology and the above-mentioned updates caused changes in the total volume of GDP. During the implementation of new methodologies and standards, and therefore the recalculation of historical dynamic series, another important challenge is to inform users about all changes and how each change affected the main macroeconomic indicators. At the same time, users should understand that the change of methodologies and their implementation in practice is an ongoing process by which the country strives to comply with international standards. This is vitally necessary to ensure continuity of the country's integration into the world economic system and future sustainable development. Keywords: The System of National Accounts 2008, Financial Intermediate Service Indirectly Measured (FISIM), Non-observed economy, Research and Development (R&D).

Integrity Moderates the Relationship between Work Experience and Tax Inspector Performance at the Intermediate Tax Service Office Within the Regional Office of the Directorate General of Taxes of Central Java I

The purpose of the study is toanalyze the effect of work experience on the performance of tax inspectors. Analyzing the integrity of moderating work experience to the performance of tax inspectors. The research design used Multiple Regression Analysis (MRA). The research sample was a tax inspector at the Associate Tax Service Office in the Regional Office of the Directorate General of Taxes of Central Jaw I, which totaled 60 respondents. The results of the study explained that work experience contributes to improving the performance of tax inspectors, integrity strengthens the relationship between work experience and tax inspector performance.

Modelling artificial intelligence in economics

We provide a partial equilibrium model wherein AI provides abilities combined with human skills to provide an aggregate intermediate service good. We use the model to find that the extent of automation through AI will be greater if (a) the economy is relatively abundant in sophisticated programs and machine abilities compared to human skills; (b) the economy hosts a relatively large number of AI-providing firms and experts; and (c) the task-specific productivity of AI services is relatively high compared to the task-specific productivity of general labor and labor skills. We also illustrate that the contribution of AI to aggregate productive labor service depends not only on the amount of AI services available but on the endogenous number of automated tasks, the relative productivity of standard and IT-related labor, and the substitutability of tasks. These determinants also affect the income distribution between the two kinds of labor. We derive several empirical implications and identify possible future extensions.

Parcel delivery using the hyperconnected service network

The small parcel delivery industry is experiencing rapid growth, primarily driven by the growth of the e-commerce sector. We introduce a logistic model for delivering parcels to service points that are used as drop-off, pickup, and intermediate storage locations. A parcel may be carried from its origin to its destination in several legs via several possible intermediate service points. Such a system constitutes a hyperconnected service network (HCSN). The HCSN is a generalization of the current practice of using a hierarchical, tree-like service network (TLSN), where a parcel can switch vehicles only in a large sorting facility (hub) and a service point is served by a single route. The HCSN topology presents an opportunity to improve the delivery process by reducing the total distance that parcels are carried while still exploiting the possibility of shipment consolidation. In addition, such a system may save resources that are associated (and tied for an extended period) with the construction and operation of a large sorting facility. In this paper, we develop tools to design and operate a successful HCSN for parcel delivery – a parcel routing mechanism and a math heuristic for routing and scheduling of the vehicles that transfer the parcels in the network. The effectiveness of the proposed tools and the advantages of the HCSN are demonstrated by a simulation study.