Projects

Efficient Supply Chains

Research Theme: Globalization

Project Objective Statement: To investigate global supply chain configuration and management, and to identify structures and factors inhibiting and enabling global trade in the pulp and paper industry.

Project summary:

The proposed research will identify a) drivers and objectives for globalization and the critical areas where value is added to the products in the global supply chain, b) factors such as tariffs and other trade barriers, government policies towards foreign investments etc., that impact the location, efficiency and flexibility of the supply chain, and c) opportunities for improving the efficiency, flexibility, and effectiveness of the global supply chain. The relevant factors and constraints will be identified by examining the industry as a whole, the individual supply chains of industrial partners, and the trends in international trade, taxation, and environmental regulations. The pertinent information will be gathered from site visits to all organizations in the supply chain, a comprehensive mail survey, case studies with industrial partners, and publicly available reports. The proposed research will focus first on identifying the relevant factors, objectives and drivers of globalization and global supply chains, and second on the development of preliminary semantic model of the global supply chain for companies in the pulp and paper industry.

Contact:

Prof. Marc Goetschalckx, School of Industrial and Systems Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology

Tel: 404 894-2317

marc.goetschalckx@isye.gatech.edu

Planned Duration: 3 years; started in Fall 2001