The study surveys the relationship of logistics cost and total factor productivity (TFP). The paper discusses the theoretical aspect of TFP growth estimation and the concept of logistics cost as percentage of GDP as the factor indicating efficiency in logistics operations. Calculation of TFP...

Supply contracts are used to maximize profits in a supply chain by coordinating order quantities between the suppliers and retailers. In traditional supply contracts, retailers use a newsvendor approach to maximize their profits, while the supplier's profits increase linearly as a function of...

The terrorist attacks undertaken by Osama bin Laden's al Qaeda organization on the morning of September 11, 2001 ushered in a new era of indiscriminate global terrorism characterized by an unprecedented focus on security, risk management, and business continuity. The probability of future...

A business-to-business (B2B) e-marketplace brings together buyers and sellers using the Internet to conduct or facilitate business transactions. They came onto the scene in the late 1990's. There are independent exchanges, those formed by industry consortia, and private exchanges which are...

The federal surface transportation program in the United States stands at a crossroads. Short on money and lacking vision, the program is in need of reevaluation and reform. This thesis attempts to illustrate the current issues affecting the program within the historical context of...

Engineering Systems, such as offshore petroleum exploration and production systems, generally require a significant amount of capital investment under various technical and market uncertainties. Choosing appropriate designs and field development strategies is a very challenging task for decision...

As the public health system in Burundi transitions from a mode of emergency humanitarian response to a sustainable operation, there is a significant opportunity to reduce costs by eliminating the duplication of functions served by multiple parties. Numerous multi-lateral agencies and NGOs play a...

The United States aerospace and defense budgets are shrinking, resources are scarce and requirements are more demanding: aerospace and defense enterprises are expected to deliver a more capable product in less time and with fewer resources. To achieve this tough mission, the enterprises that...

This dissertation contributes toward the building of a theory of the evolution of business ecosystems. In the process, it addresses a question that has been posed by evolutionary theorists in the economics and sociology literatures for decades: "Why do firms in the same industry vary...

Many firms worldwide have adopted the process of Sales & Operations Planning (S&OP) process where internal departments within a firm collaborate with each other to generate a demand forecast. In a collaborative demand planning process buyers and sellers collaborate with each other to generate a...