Browsing by Author "Samarasekera, N"

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item: Conference-Abstract
Case study on application of satellite system based vehicle tracking technology in logistics industry in Sri Lanka
(Sri Lanka Society of Transport and Logistics, 2019-09) Thennakoon, U; Samarasekera, N; Gunaruwan, TL
Logistics operations are becoming more advanced with demand for responsive and reliable integration of complex dispersed suppliers, manufacturers and distribution centres. Freight transport facilitates material flow among these supply chain strata in logistics operations. In order to have successful freight transport, there should be greater visibility for freight movements, cross-organizational connectivity with real time synchronization and seamless information sharing. Absence of these requirements may cause issues such as lack of security of cargo, difficulty to optimize and schedule routes, shipment delays and lack of proper communication. If it is possible to reduce the communication gap between vehicles and operational personnel, these issues would be reduced considerably. Remote vehicle tracking is one of the solutions that can reduce this gap. With the improvements and cost reductions in GPS (Global Positioning System) technology and wireless communication, telematic systems which connects wireless communication with sensor-based monitoring and location tracking software based on GPS have been widely initiated in current freight operations globally. GPS is the most popular version of the GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) used by the global logistics industry. As a country which plays a pivotal role in the global logistics industry, it is timely that Sri Lanka adopts this advanced technology. Several local companies have already initiated GPS based vehicle tracking with the primary objective of fraud detection. Apart from fraud detection, there are many other applications of GPS vehicle tracking technology which are used globally to increase operational efficiency while reducing unnecessary costs. It will be a significant value addition, if these applications can be adopted locally. This research is an in-depth study, of how GNSS technology is applied in the logistics industry of Sri Lanka to overcome the complexities and issues in freight logistics, using a case study research approach. Further, this study elaborates how GPS technology can be integrated with other technologies, thus generating valuable information for better decision making in freight transport operations. As a key finding of the study a framework on utilizing GPS technology in the logistics industry in Sri Lanka is proposed so that future GPS users in the logistics industry can use this to gain better return on investment.
item: Thesis-Full-text
Factors influencing on optimizing the supply chain of shreddabel waste for cement kiln co processing in Sri Lanka
Batheegama, BP; Samarasekera, N
INSEE Ecocycle is the waste management business unit of Siam City Cement Company (Lanka ) Limited and they are serving over 300 number of customers and covers every sorts of industries in the country. Their focus is on industrial waste co processing using the cement kilns at Puttalam cement factory. This waste management business integrates comprehensive supply chain management concepts on customer management, large volumes of hazardous and non hazardous waste material transport, inventory management, material handling, Millions of rupees of financial transactions, all sorts of communication channels with customers, suppliers and internal stake holders and other sustainability drivers such as safety and compliance are always prioritized in this business. On the waste co processing operation model for Ecocycle Sri Lanka, always there is a supply demand mismatch due to acceptance limitations of the co processing facility. General reverse logistics drivers are also different on this business model. When evaluating the nature of the Supply Chain managed by the INSEE Ecocycle, gaps are visible in almost every aspect of the characteristics in which need to drive for best supply chain management practices. Optimum Supply Chain characteristics of Inventory Optimization, Rapid fulfilment, Flexibility are not visible on the INSEE Ecocycle supply chain while very limited usage of big data by the organization. Different scenarios are disrupting the smooth operation for INSEE Ecocycle and those are known by the management. However the optimization is always been a challenge. This research aims to identify the influential factors on optimizing the textile and polythene waste supply chain optimization via internal organization aspects using internal employees at 100% response rate. Factor analysis is used to identify the variables and the analysis results suggested five factors influential to waste supply chain optimization as distribution planning, immediate next day planning, behavior of accounts in charge, organization facts, and acceptance considerations. Beyond those factors, operational team is on dilemma situations on selecting the most suitable customer to be served out of several customers who are having opposite characteristics such as large volume vs small volumes or accurate planning vs poor planning. Also different opinions among the team members for the same situations such as planned maintenance or space unavailability situations are impacting adversely on for the optimization of the waste supply chain.