Panalpina World Transport Ltd (inventory reductions)

Developing a demand-driven inventory forecasting model to facilitate inventory reductions.

CAMSAC investigators are working with Panalpina World Transport Ltd, a global leader in logistics and freight forwarding, to improve the firm’s ability to forecast inventory demand and facilitate inventory reduction for their customers.

Professor Aris Syntetos, Chair in Operational Research and Operations Management at Cardiff Business School, has established a Knowledge Transfer Partnership aimed at developing a demand-driven inventory-forecasting model to facilitate inventory reduction.

Project aims

The Panalpina Group is one of the world’s leading providers of supply chain solutions, combining intercontinental air and ocean freight with comprehensive value-added Logistics and Supply Chain Services.

The logistics product is currently a high priority for Panalpina and its development is key to the overall group strategy. 

One way the company can differentiate itself from its major competitors is by becoming the first logistics provider in the world to actively buy and manage customer’s inventory. To do this, the company needs:

• to develop a demand-driven inventory-forecasting model to facilitate inventory reductions at the customers’ businesses, and
• to develop a commercial model to allow the organisation to cost-effectively buy and manage the customer inventories.

This KTP will enable the company to achieve both those objectives.

KTP associate

The project is driven by one full time KTP Associate, Nicole Ayiomamitou. Nicole has a first class honours degree (BSc) in Mathematics from the University of Surrey and an MSc in Operational Research from the School of Mathematics at the University of Edinburgh. 

Nicole’s work is co-supervised by Andrew Lahy, who is the Global Head of Continuous Improvement in Logistics at Panalpina.

Further information

Further information on this project can be obtained by contacting Professor Syntetos.

Funders

The project is co-funded by the Technology Strategy Board and the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council.