Optimization Models for Restructuring BASF North America's Distribution System

Slava Sery, Vince Presti and Donald E. Shobrys
Additional contact information
Slava Sery: 7500 Southwind Drive, Apartment 207, Chesterfield, Virginia 23832
Vince Presti: BASF Corporation North America, 3000 Continental Drive North, Mount Olive, New Jersey 07828
Donald E. Shobrys: 186 Blackburn Road, Summit, New Jersey 07901

Interfaces, 2001, vol. 31, issue 3, 55-65

Abstract: By 1995, annual distribution costs for BASF North America's packaged goods were nearly $100 million. The firm explored trade-offs between customer service and operating costs in a redesign effort using linear-programming-based models. The project team adapted formulations to the extensive available data and used a series of formulations to cope with the scale of the project. A flexible modeling tool aided the team in implementing these formulations. The resulting revised distribution system reduced costs and improved customer service, and the modified distribution network took next-day deliveries from 77 percent to 90 percent. Although the team expected reduction in annual costs of 10 percent, subsequent customer service initiatives reduced the potential savings. In studies following the initial distribution changes the team estimated annual costs savings at six percent, but also identified a one-time nine-percent improvement in cash flow from inventory reductions. BASF also applied the models to operations in Scandinavia, Europe, and the Asia-Pacific area.

Keywords: INDUSTRIES—CHEMICAL; DECISION ANALYSIS—APPLICATION (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2001
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (3)

Downloads: (external link)
http://dx.doi.org/10.1287/inte.31.3.55.9635 (application/pdf)

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:inm:orinte:v:31:y:2001:i:3:p:55-65

Access Statistics for this article

More articles in Interfaces from INFORMS Contact information at EDIRC.
Bibliographic data for series maintained by Chris Asher ().