Current trends in material management in the shipbuilding industry
by S.N. Dwivedi, John Crisp
International Journal of Computer Applications in Technology (IJCAT), Vol. 16, No. 1, 2003

Abstract: Material management in the shipyard industry has aroused considerable interest in recent years. It has been emphasised that the effective handling, storage, and flow of materials determine the successful operation of a warehouse. Production, planning, and scheduling are also important and vital in determining shop floor schedules because they minimise processing cost and material inventory cost. There is a need for proper planning and control of processes and materials, including procurement, storage, and inventory, making the process cost effective. Monitoring and tracking in the industry are thus very important in fulfilling the aforementioned objectives. Group technology also plays an important role in material management for grouping and coding. It has been reported that proper grouping and coding of materials not only reduce labour and material handling, but also reduce time and the shifting of parts to different places. This paper addresses several aspects of material management that need to be considered for efficient material handling and inventory management processes. The various aspects of material management, including material handling, inventory management, planning and scheduling, procurement and receiving, monitoring and tracking, controlling, and statusing are highlighted. It should, however, be mentioned that these facets of material management may overlap, and should not be considered in isolation. For best results, the interactions of different facets should be considered in controlling the overall economy of the industry. Recent trends of material management are also summarised. An effort has been made in this perspective to visualise the state-of-the-art in material management with special emphasis on the shipbuilding industry. Several new techniques and trends have been reported for a more efficient and cost-effective material management. These new techniques have great potential for implementation in the shipbuilding industries and need to be explored in relation to greater competition in the global market.

Online publication date: Wed, 16-Jul-2003

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