Useful Web-sites
• https://www.tractonomy.com/
• https://www.mckinsey.com/industries/travel-logistics-and-infrastructure/our-insights/automation-in-logistics-big-opportunity-bigger-uncertainty
• https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbestechcouncil/2021/08/12/the-roi-of-supply-chain-automation-where-the-rubber-meets-the-road/?sh=1bd2d8c4379f
• https://www.visualcapitalist.com/supply-chains-automation-future/
1. Your Assignment
CW 2.1: Executive Summary – Individual, 2-3 minutes Video Recording of the professional presentation of the executive summary. (20% marks)
Please provide the link for the video within the assignment document, under the heading Executive Summary.
CW 2.2: You will produce an Individual Management Report for the Managers of Tractonomy about certain key operational aspects of the company if they establish an operational base in the UK. Your focus must be on providing knowledge about the current operations of the Tractonomy and suggestions to improve some of these. Please note that this assignment is not about technical aspects of designing the robots, instead it focuses on the operational aspects of this technology in the context of warehousing/logistics. Your research should focus on UK market only (Partner institutes can adapt to their countries).
Section 1 (see below) is designed for you to provide the Managers with knowledge about how the company currently operates and its analysis. On the other hand, in Section 2 you will provide suggestions regarding how various aspects of the company can be improved and to what outcome. Your analysis and recommendations need to be underpinned by relevant ‘operations theory’ to support your arguments.
1. As an initial step, you are required to investigate and discuss various operational aspects of Tractonomy Robotics and Warehouse Operations. To do this, you will:
a) Identify and discuss what you may consider the most important (for a warehouse):
• Inputs (including the transforming and transformed resources),
• Transformational operation/process,
• Outputs (pure products, a mixture of products and services, pure services) of the warehouse operations
b) Conduct the value chain analysis of warehouse operations and define the importance/impact of automation and utilisation of Tractonomy Robotics to enhance the value chain of a warehouse. (In other words, how can the Tractonomy products satisfy market needs?)
c) Collect primary data (complemented with secondary data) to understand following:
i. To understand the profile (segmentation) of potential market for Tractonomy within the UK
ii. What technologies companies utilise presently in their warehouse operations and for what type of processes
iii. Identify/validate the factors that require the integration of technology and/or autonomous robots in internal logistics (in a warehouse) processes.
iv. The role and expectation from automation/robotics in warehouse operations (Market needs analysis and segmentation among different industries to expand market share).
d) Discuss the importance of layout design to integrate automation/robotics in warehouse operations, and identify potential challenges.
