Digitalizing supply chain planning and control

This research project presented a framework for an integrated management system to use information from BIM and RFID to support iterative look-ahead planning processes to help major stakeholders shield material flows from negative impact by last-minute changes of design or schedule. To functionally demonstrate the framework, four functional modules were devised; (1) design-change module, (2) schedule-change module, (3) production module, and (4) transport module. They were linked via a central database system built for a common data environment.

November 6, 2020

Optimizing supply chain of a project portfolio

This research project proposed a two-step transshipment approach to help the contractor to conduct lateral sharing of unused perishable materials in a project portfolio, where the supply and demand fluctuation could be well managed with minimal cost. The first step is to link 3D models in BIM authoring software with task information to calculate the daily net material supply and demand quantities regarding transshipment. The second step is to use this data to construct a math model, which aims to optimize the material quantities to be transshipped within the project portfolio.

October 19, 2020

Reconfiguring the concrete supply chain

This research project proposed a two-step coordination approach that contractors should take to help both suppliers and contractors responsively cope with the demand fluctuations with the minimal cost over the dynamic construction processes. The first step is to automatically calculate the demand fluctuations from a 4D model that monitors the as-built site progress and helps the contractor update the look-ahead schedules. The second step is to make decisions on the material orders at the occurrence of the demand fluctuation determined in the first step.