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Efficient Logistics and Unit Loads

Logistics involves organizing products into families based on shared characteristics like weight, size, and storage needs. Companies evaluate inventory using physical metrics like storage capacity and monetary metrics like holding costs. Products are moved using handling systems like forklifts and stored using systems like racks and shelves. Order processing involves picking, sorting, packaging, and shipping items. Transportation involves organizing cargo into standardized containers then moving them using multiple modes of transport like ship, truck, and plane depending on distance.

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104 views1 page

Efficient Logistics and Unit Loads

Logistics involves organizing products into families based on shared characteristics like weight, size, and storage needs. Companies evaluate inventory using physical metrics like storage capacity and monetary metrics like holding costs. Products are moved using handling systems like forklifts and stored using systems like racks and shelves. Order processing involves picking, sorting, packaging, and shipping items. Transportation involves organizing cargo into standardized containers then moving them using multiple modes of transport like ship, truck, and plane depending on distance.

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piping stress
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9/15/2020 Logistics - Wikipedia

A logistic family is a set of products that share a common characteristic: weight and volumetric
characteristics, physical storing needs (temperature, radiation,...), handling needs, order frequency,
package size, etc. The following metrics may be used by the company to organize its products in different
families:[20]

Physical metrics used to evaluate inventory systems include stocking capacity, selectivity, superficial
use, volumetric use, transport capacity, transport capacity use.
Monetary metrics used include space holding costs (building, shelving, and services) and handling
costs (people, handling machinery, energy, and maintenance).

Other metrics may present themselves in both physical or monetary form, such as the standard
Inventory turnover.

Handling and order processing

Unit loads are combinations of individual items which are moved by


handling systems, usually employing a pallet of normed
dimensions.[21]

Handling systems include: trans-pallet handlers, counterweight


handler, retractable mast handler, bilateral handlers, trilateral
handlers, AGV and other handlers. Unit loads for transportation of
luggage at the airport. In this case,
Storage systems include: pile stocking, cell racks (either static or the unit load has a protective
movable), cantilever racks and gravity racks.[22] function.

Order processing is a sequential process involving: processing


withdrawal list, picking (selective removal of items from loading units), sorting (assembling items based
on the destination), package formation (weighting, labeling, and packing), order consolidation
(gathering packages into loading units for transportation, control and bill of lading).[23]

Picking can be both manual or automated. Manual picking can be both man to goods, i.e. operator using
a cart or conveyor belt, or goods to man, i.e. the operator benefiting from the presence of a mini-load
ASRS, vertical or horizontal carousel or from an Automatic Vertical Storage System (AVSS). Automatic
picking is done either with dispensers or depalletizing robots.

Sorting can be done manually through carts or conveyor belts, or automatically through sorters.

Transportation

Cargo, i.e. merchandise being transported, can be moved through a variety of transportation means and
is organized in different shipment categories. Unit loads are usually assembled into higher standardized
units such as: ISO containers, swap bodies or semi-trailers. Especially for very long distances, product
transportation will likely benefit from using different transportation means: multimodal transport,
intermodal transport (no handling) and combined transport (minimal road transport). When moving
cargo, typical constraints are maximum weight and volume.

Operators involved in transportation include: all train, road vehicles, boats, airplanes companies,
couriers, freight forwarders and multi-modal transport operators.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Logistics 8/15

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