Pallet inventory management at a centralized distribution center using (s, S) policy

This paper primarily focuses on the resource allocation problem within the context of managing six warehouses which are Warehouse 1, Warehouse 2, Warehouse 03, Warehouse Fittings, Warehouse 12 and Warehouse Consolidate. The central issue revolves around the insufficient availability of pallets for retail distribution. Firstly, warehouses can source pallets from retailers who return them to the Distribution Center (DC). This method ensures a continuous supply of pallets and allows for their recycling within our system. Secondly, the Consolidation team plays a pivotal role in pallet provision. They are responsible for consolidating pallets from every warehouse and sending them to the retail locations. Consequently, they have pallets left over at the end of each day. Thirdly, purchasing second-hand pallets at a price of 80 baht each serves as a solution to cover shortages that may arise during our operations.On a daily basis, pallets are distributed from a designated pallet placement point. Warehouses with a greater number of forklifts receive more pallets. Towards the end of each month, we receive an excess of products from our suppliers and send them to retail at the same time, leading to a pallet shortage. To address this challenge, we have adopted the practice of purchasing additional second-hand pallets. We will create a simulation spreadsheet to optimize the total cost with real demand data. The findings of this study will help determine inventory levels and annual costs in warehouse environments, allowing for more complicated and realistic investigations in warehouse systems.

本论文主要聚焦于管理6座仓库时的资源分配问题，涉及的仓库分别为1号仓库（Warehouse 1）、2号仓库（Warehouse 2）、03号仓库（Warehouse 03）、配件仓库（Warehouse Fittings）、12号仓库（Warehouse 12）以及综合仓库（Warehouse Consolidate）。本次研究的核心问题在于零售配送可用托盘供应不足。其一，仓库可从向配送中心（Distribution Center, DC）归还托盘的零售商处获取托盘，该方式可保障托盘的持续供应，并支持托盘在本系统内循环复用。其二，整合团队在托盘供给环节发挥关键作用，其负责归集各仓库的托盘并配送至零售网点，因此每日作业结束后会留存部分托盘。其三，以单价80泰铢采购二手托盘，可用于填补运营过程中可能出现的托盘缺口。每日托盘均从指定托盘存放点出库，叉车配置数量更多的仓库可获得更多托盘。每月月末阶段，我方会从供应商处接收超额商品并同步配送至零售网点，由此引发托盘短缺问题。为应对该挑战，我方已采取额外采购二手托盘的应对策略，并将通过结合真实需求数据搭建仿真电子表格以优化总成本。本研究的结论可辅助确定仓库场景下的库存水平与年度成本，为仓库系统开展更复杂、更贴合实际的研究提供支撑。