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    Achieving effective traceability systems for the domestic fresh produce industry in New Zealand : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master in Food Technology at Massey University, Albany Campus, New Zealand
    (Massey University, 2019) Gao, Jiaojiao
    A reliable and effective traceability system is important to the food industry especially when a foodborne illness outbreak occurs. In particular, fresh fruit and vegetables are highly perishable, fragile, seasonal, diverse products with relatively short shelf life, thereby making their value chain complex and fast-paced. Hence, the traceability system in the fresh produce industry becomes critical in the event of a food crisis where products need to be tracked and traced in a timely manner. The objective of this study was to investigate current traceability systems in the fresh produce industry in New Zealand and also to explore potential improvement in the traceability system along the domestic supply chains. There were four different methods applied in this study: observation of traceability information available on fresh produce products, interviews with industry participants using a questionnaire, survey strategy by means of a questionnaire that was sent to growers, and a pilot study using GS1 technology to examine a modelled traceability system in two supply chains of strawberries. There were 336 fresh produce samples observed for traceability information analysis throughout the supply chain. Four growers, three wholesalers and one retailer from the fresh produce industry participated the face to face interviews. The questionnaire developed in the survey was sent to 578 growers with 40 of them responded and answered. Two pallets of strawberries were selected and GS1 (Global Standards One) barcodes and systems were used in the pilot study to track and trace each strawberry punnet throughout the supply chains. Qualitative and quantitative data were collected from produce traceability data samples, interviewed industry stakeholders, surveyed growers, and the pilot study to generate empirical information on traceability systems along fresh produce supply chains in New Zealand. Subsequently, data were analysed using quantitative tools such as frequency distributions, Chi-Square test (X2) and Fisher’s Exact test, and qualitative descriptions in this study. The findings show that fragmentation of product traceability information, lack of standardisation in data format and information asymmetry exist in the domestic fresh produce industry. As only a ‘one-up, one-down’ traceability system for food businesses is required by regulators in New Zealand, industry players intend to solely focus on their own or internal needs without recognising the importance of an industry-wide traceability system in the fresh produce supply chain. The findings pose a question mark as to whether or not the ‘one-up, one-down’ traceability requirement is sufficient for the fresh produce industry. The findings also indicate that an effective and efficient external traceability system throughout the fresh produce value chain in New Zealand is feasible to implement by industry-wide cooperation from growers, packers, transporters and receivers/buyers. This study fills the gap found in the literature where few academic papers focused attention on traceability systems in the fresh produce industry in New Zealand.
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    A method to assess the application of additive manufacturing to inventory replenishment : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the Master of Supply Chain Management at Massey University, Albany, New Zealand
    (Massey University, 2018) Fonseca Garcia, Raphael da
    Companies have historically struggled to deal with their stock, especially the long inventory tail. As most of the inventory management techniques that deal with slow-moving stock have proved to be rather inefficient, this research investigates the use of additive manufacturing to 3D print items on demand and therefore mitigate the inventory carrying and associated costs. This research has been applied to a Hydraulic Equipment Business in New Zealand, which was tested through an inequation that models the traditional manufacturing and 3D printing costs, yielding the ‘tipping point’ for the use of the 3D printing technology. Even though the results obtained herein were negative for this particular case regarding the use of additive manufacturing, this research has developed a methodology to assess the trade-off between traditional manufacturing and 3D printing and also provides insights into the characteristics of the inventory of the businesses that are most likely to benefit from the use of the technology.
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    Controlling inventory by improving demand forecasting within the alcoholic beverage industry : a case study : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Logistics and Supply Chain Management at Massey University, Auckland, New Zealand
    (Massey University, 2011) Deng, Xiaomu
    This thesis explores how combing statistical demand forecasting methods and causal forecasting methods with judgmental forecasts via a Sales and Operation Planning process can improve inventory control through improving inventory replenishment strategies within an Australian alcoholic beverage importer and distributor. The implementation of a Sales and Operation Planning process has enabled the company to involve all necessary functions of the company in the demand forecasting and requirement planning process and in this way improve the balance of inventory between demand and supply. The implementation of the improved inventory management strategies and Sales and Operation Planning process is described here-in. The constantly evolving process of the Sales and Operation Planning process and the four stages of the process development are also described. The key demand and supply performances before and after implementation of new processes are measured. The results demonstrate a significant improvement in demand forecasting accuracy as well as improved inventory efficiency and customer service levels.