Design of a Computational Tool to Replace Goods in Intelligent Warehouses in Function of the Seasonal Demand

• Grant number: 11/00354-1
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: April 01, 2011
• End date: March 31, 2012
• Field of knowledge: Engineering - Production Engineering - Operational Research
• Principal Investigator: Marcelo Becker
• Grantee: Daniel Felipe de Oliveira
• Host Institution: Escola de Engenharia de São Carlos (EESC). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Carlos , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Today the global market is extremely competitive. Due to this, companies are eagerly seeking for improving their productivity and efficiency. In this context, the logistics is becoming an essential tool for achieving these goals, especially in material handling processes. The massive use of computers and automated systems in logistics systems may optimize the transportation of cargo and improve the facility control, reducing costs. In addition to this, taking into account that the market fluctuates at different periods of the year, one can establish the seasonal demand of the product portfolio based on the company sales data for a given period. In this project, we propose to develop a computational tool that takes into account the sales seasonality in order to rearrange the products in the warehouse. It is essential to note that this tool will use real data from Warehouse Management Systems (WMS) provided by partner companies in the state of Sao Paulo and this tool will reduce storage space and ensure optimal handling of inventory based on seasonal demand.