Title: Holistic approach of optimising cross-docking in supply chain

Authors: Jyoti Mishra

Addresses: Department of Production and Industrial Engineering, Vellore Institute of Technology, VIT University, Vellore-632014, Tamil Nadu, India

Abstract: An initiative took in 1930s by the US trucking industries, cross-docking. The aim behind the initiative was to have lower inventory levels and optimised lead times by having an unbroken flow of product/material from the supplier to the end-customer. In order to have the seamless flow one must ensure that the operations are synchronising. Hence the optimisation of the overall supply chain to be more efficient in terms of lead time and cost, requires an interconnected and explicable connection of all the factors that has to be taken into consideration. The study conducted takes a real time model as an example and illustrates how cross-docking can be managed more holistically to synchronise cross-docking operations at the distribution centre with its inbound and outbound network logistics.

Keywords: cross-docking; lower inventory; lead time; inbound; outbound; operations; synchronise; optimisation; efficient; holistically; distribution centre; logistics; management; supply chain.

DOI: 10.1504/IJPMB.2021.115008

International Journal of Process Management and Benchmarking, 2021 Vol.11 No.3, pp.332 - 366

Received: 29 Mar 2018
Accepted: 28 Sep 2018
Published online: 14 May 2021 *

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