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dc.contributor.advisorDavid Simchi-Levi and Steven J. Spear.en_US
dc.contributor.authorKasenga, Matthew Oen_US
dc.contributor.otherLeaders for Global Operations Program.en_US
dc.date.accessioned2013-09-24T19:36:11Z
dc.date.available2013-09-24T19:36:11Z
dc.date.copyright2013en_US
dc.date.issued2013en_US
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/81001
dc.descriptionThesis (M.B.A.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Sloan School of Management; and, (S.M.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Engineering Systems Division; in conjunction with the Leaders for Global Operations Program at MIT, 2013.en_US
dc.descriptionCataloged from PDF version of thesis.en_US
dc.descriptionIncludes bibliographical references (p. 89-90).en_US
dc.description.abstractAmazon has been enjoying a rapid pace of growth over the last few years. One unfortunate side effect of this growth is the overall increased complexity of the network Amazon utilizes to deliver packages from the Amazon warehouses (coined "fulfillment centers" or "FCs") to the final customers. Specifically, Amazon now requires the outbound docks of the FCs to handle more volume that needs to be delivered to more locations. The increased number of outbound locations necessitates more package sorting operations on the dock. This thesis focuses on the operation of the outbound docks and performs time studies, capacity analyses, various warehouse case studies, and discrete event simulations to discover the ultimate bottleneck of a dock as more of these sorts are added. This sorting capacity analysis uncovers that the space available on a dock as an inventory buffer between the sorting and truck loading operations to ultimately be the source of constraint as more sorts are required from a building. This buffer constraint is then explored and quantified to create a mathematical formulation for estimating the ultimate outbound sorting capacity of an FC. Given the max sorting capacity of an FC, this thesis then dives in to the practical applications of operations management principles for executing on a sort plan. The principles of minimizing non-value added work, optimizing the number of packages going through the most labor efficient process paths, worker interference on labor efficiencies, and employing flexible capacity will be explored and applied to the outbound dock.en_US
dc.description.statementofresponsibilityby Matthew O. Kasenga.en_US
dc.format.extent90 p.en_US
dc.language.isoengen_US
dc.publisherMassachusetts Institute of Technologyen_US
dc.rightsM.I.T. theses are protected by copyright. They may be viewed from this source for any purpose, but reproduction or distribution in any format is prohibited without written permission. See provided URL for inquiries about permission.en_US
dc.rights.urihttp://dspace.mit.edu/handle/1721.1/7582en_US
dc.subjectSloan School of Management.en_US
dc.subjectEngineering Systems Division.en_US
dc.subjectLeaders for Global Operations Program.en_US
dc.titleTheoretical and practical ramifications of altering the amount of sorts required from an outbound docken_US
dc.typeThesisen_US
dc.description.degreeS.M.en_US
dc.description.degreeM.B.A.en_US
dc.contributor.departmentLeaders for Global Operations Program at MITen_US
dc.contributor.departmentMassachusetts Institute of Technology. Engineering Systems Division
dc.contributor.departmentSloan School of Management
dc.identifier.oclc857789515en_US


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