ETS Chapter 22 Flashcards
What are structural losses in transportation?
Structural losses occur when there is an imbalance in goods flow between two locations, leading to inefficient use of transport resources.
Example: A transport company delivers more goods from City A to City B than vice versa, resulting in empty return trips.
What are operational losses in transportation?
Operational losses arise when goods and transport resources are not efficiently matched due to poor planning or scheduling.
Example: A delivery truck assigned to transport furniture but left idle due to scheduling errors.
How does cycle time impact resource utilization?
If cycle times are not optimized, resources may remain unused or underutilized, leading to inefficiency.
Example: A train that arrives at a station but waits too long before departing wastes valuable time.
What is the role of time adjustment in reducing losses?
Time adjustment ensures that goods and transport resources are synchronized to minimize idle time.
Example: A bakery ensures delivery trucks arrive just as fresh bread is ready, reducing waiting time.
How does volume adjustment help reduce transport inefficiencies?
Volume adjustment matches the amount of goods transported with available capacity to prevent underutilization.
Example: A shipping company consolidates packages from multiple customers to fill up a truck instead of sending it half-empty.
What is link adjustment in transportation?
Link adjustment ensures that transport units are loaded to their maximum efficient capacity across the entire network.
Example: A logistics company schedules trucks to pick up goods from multiple locations to ensure full loads before reaching the final destination.
How can structural and operational losses be minimized?
- Better planning to reduce mismatches between transport and goods.
- Improved scheduling to ensure efficient use of transport resources.
- Use of data and forecasting to predict demand fluctuations.
Example: A ride-sharing company optimizes driver routes to minimize empty trips.
