Construction Supply Chain
Construction Supply Chain Planning
Our scheduling tools provide logistics, manufacturing and employee planning software solutions which are ideally suited to address the challenging optimization problems faced by organisations operating in this sector:
- Distribution & Transport: bulk tankers - cranes/MOL vehicles - multidepot optimization
- Low Emission Zones: low emission vehicle routing & scheduling - consolidation
- Multimodal Logistics: multimodal planning - integrated rail & barge scheduling
- Manufacturing Planning: capacity planning - real-time production scheduling
- Workforce Optimization: rostering software - shift planning - mobile workforce
Typical applications include: scheduling bulk delivery of aggregates & cement, logistics planning for building materials distribution, production planning for concrete products & bricks manufacture, and strategic optimization of construction logistics and workforces.
Building Materials Distribution
Our distribution scheduling software DISC can model the complex rules and constraints which apply to the distribution and transport of building materials.
Factors such as tight delivery windows, complex load building constraints, vehicle and driver constraints, routing and access rules, multiple distribution centres and complex shift patterns are taken into account.
DISC automatically creates optimized transport and logistics schedules based on real-time information about customer orders and availability of resources.
Dynamic re-optimization of the transport operation is provided by our real-time dispatch software REACT, which includes real-time vehicle tracking and automatic re-scheduling based on the latest information about vehicles and orders.
DISC and REACT provide an integrated transport and logistics optimization solution which can plan at an operational and real-time level and provide visibility and control across the whole network.
Low Emission Zones
Low emission zones (LEZs, ULEZs, even ZEZs) are becoming more prevalent, increasing the complexity of urban delivery operations, with a wider range of vehicle types and sizes to consider.
MJC²'s strategic logistics optimization software provides tools to plan and analyse the impact of low emission zones on the transport operation, facilitating the optimization of consolidation centres and strategies, and corresponding trunking and linehaul schedules.
At the operational level, our real-time logistics scheduling systems and dynamic vehicle routing software can plan multiple vehicle types in terms of emissions characteristics (Euro 5, Euro 6, electric, LNG, etc.) and configuration (rigid, drawbar, mechanical offload, moffett, MOL, etc.).
Integration with telematics and GPS ensures delivery plans stay up to date, with AI-based real-time scheduling algorithms automatically re-optimizing activity in response to delays, traffic problems and last-minute orders.
Multimodal Logistics
The logistics industry is under increasing pressure to use greener transport modes:
- Long-haul movements can be done by rail or even short sea shipping in some cases.
- Increased congestion in urban areas means that using alternative modes such as rail or barge to bring bulk materials into the city is becoming more viable.
MJC² has been at the forefront of multimodal logistics optimization for many years, pioneering the concept of "synchromodal" logistics with global shipping companies such as DHL, Kuehne+Nagel and Cosco.
Our award-winning synchromodal logistics scheduling software addresses the complexities presented by multimodal logistics planning:
- AI-driven optimization engines search for the best routing for each freight shipment, taking into account schedules, capacity, cost and GHG emission profiles.
- Real-time truck and driver scheduling systems automatically plan and replan last-mile operations to integrate seamlessly with other modes.
- Backhaul and multidrop algorithms optimize vehicle fill and reduce empty running.
- Queue avoidance strategies minimise congestion at busy depots and terminals and reduce turnaround times.
Our real-time scheduling software allows complex synchromodal operations to be continuously optimized in response to delays, schedule changes and last-minute orders, while our strategic planning tools enable supply chain managers to assess the impact of new multimodal strategies on cost, resilience and environmental impact.
Building Materials Manufacturing
MJC²'s manufacturing planning system PIMSS automatically generates factory schedules based on anticipated demand, availability/capacity of production lines and inventory constraints.
PIMSS can be used for operational scheduling of factories or for longer term capacity and strategic-level planning.
Our lean manufacturing solutions are very flexible and take into account the complex issues associated with planning building materials production (e.g. seasonal trends, variable demand, short lead-times, multi-stage processing, employee training/availability).
Integration with our i-Data and e-Stock systems provides forecasting, demand planning, inventory control and replenishment optimization, modelling both manufacturing and transportation constraints to optimize inventory levels and production orders along the supply chain.
Staff Rostering & Workforce Planning
Rostering, shift planning, job allocation and staff scheduling are covered by our ROCS and MOBi solutions.
ROCS automatically creates employee rosters and shift patterns, and can be used for planning factory staff, drivers and sales/admin personnel.
MOBi enables mobile workforces (e.g. drivers, engineers, field sales staff, etc.) to be scheduled in real-time, including not only dynamic rescheduling of job assignments but also mobile data capture and real-time communication/tracking capabilities.