Value tailored transportation

Tailoring transportation based on customer density and distance, customer size, or product demand and value allows a supply chain to achieve appropriate responsiveness and low cost. 

Third, a serious need exists for a data base containing transport properties of complex fluids, analogous to thermodynamic data for nonideal molecular systems. Most measurements of viscosities, pressure drops, etc. have little value beyond the specific conditions of the experiment because of inadequate characterization at the microscopic level. In fact, for many polydisperse or multicomponent systems sufficient characterization is not presently possible. Hence, the effort probably should begin with model materials, akin to the measurement of viscometric functions [27] and diffusion coefficients [28] for polymers of precisely tailored molecular structure. Then correlations between the transport and thermodynamic properties and key microstructural parameters, e.g., size, shape, concentration, and characteristics of interactions, could be developed through enlightened dimensional analysis or asymptotic solutions. These data would facilitate systematic... 

Design a tailored supplier portfolio. Firms should select a combination of responsive and low-cost sources that may be onshore, near-shore, or offshore. Responsive, onshore sources are best suited for high-value products with volatile demand and relatively low labor content. Low-cost, offshore sources are best suited for products with high labor content, large predictable demand, and low transportation cost relative to product value. 

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