Developing and implementing standard logistics solutions for Eastman Kodak Company's inbound supply chain

Abstract

Eastman Kodak Company managed its supply chain operations at a regional level until 2002 when it created the Global Logistics group. Prior to this, there had not been much corporate focus on the inbound supply chain; in addition, Kodak lacked a standard process for the definition, selection, and implementation of inbound logistics solutions. As a result, inventory optimization occurred at a local level without insight into what was best for the corporation as a whole. This led to situations where material inventories were not managed effectively, implementations of inbound logistics methods varied widely across the corporation, and suboptimal inbound logistics solutions were created or selected. Ultimately these practices led to inefficient supply chain management and excessive inventory and operating costs for Kodak. The purpose of this thesis is to develop a set of standardized inbound logistics solutions for the company, create a decision tool that can be used to aid in the selection of the most appropriate solution, and implement this standard process across the corporation. This thesis is the result of work done during a 6.5 month LFM internship at Eastman Kodak Company in Rochester, New York.