Automotive Returnable Container Management with RFID: A Simulation Approach

Abstract

Returnable containers are essential and critical for manufacturing operation and logistics in the automotive industry. However, container management is still affected by problems such as container shortage, losses or inefficient handling. These problems lead to a lack of accurate and timely data about container flow throughout the automotive supply chain. In this work, we study a RFID based automotive container supply network, and a discrete-event simulation (DES) approach is used to evaluate the impact of RFID on real case of an automotive returnable container supply chain. The simulation model and method provide the tool to analyze container supply chain performances. Computational results show that using RFID can bring relevant benefits to the supply chain.