The 3rd edition of the Logistics Work of the Year competition, organized by Schenker under the patronage of “Logistyka”, has concluded. The competition rules allowed me to present fragments of the Logistics Work of the Year 2005, titled: “Computer-aided design of logistics system components”. This work, written under the supervision of Prof. Tomasz Ambroziak, consists of a traditional design of logistics system components (headquarters, office, and warehouse) and information technology that improves the work of logisticians when sizing both existing and newly designed logistics systems. The aforementioned logistics system concerns a company that deals with the distribution and transport of cargo. The company is supplied by any number of suppliers (DS), and its functional areas include:
BR1+MR1,…, BRn+MRn
in regions: SD11,…, SDhg
In times of widespread use of computer techniques, the use of IT support in the field of knowledge that is logistics is becoming increasingly common. Nevertheless, “IT in logistics” is still an interesting topic, which is why in this article I would like to focus on the written program and the practical aspects of its application. Searching for the best solutions from the point of view of enterprises involves performing a whole mass of calculations combined with complicated arithmetic. The EXA program is designed to facilitate this work by flawlessly performing tedious calculations, the goal of which is to search for improvements in the supply chain, allowing for cost reduction while maintaining service quality. This is especially important in the face of unplanned changes in logistics systems, to which one must react quickly by determining the best strategy of action. Changing the number of suppliers or recipients, or the structure of deliveries and shipments, should not affect the quality of services, even though it will likely affect the size of warehouse space, the number of loading docks, the number of internal and external transport means, and employees.