Analyzing the impact of implementing a logistics center for a complex forest network
2018; NRC Research Press; Volume: 49; Issue: 2 Linguagem: Inglês
10.1139/cjfr-2018-0346
ISSN1208-6037
AutoresFrançois Sarrazin, Luc LeBel, Nadia Lehoux,
Tópico(s)Forest Management and Policy
ResumoThe challenges faced recently by the North American forest products industry have forced it to review many of its key operations. Implementing logistics centers for such a context may therefore help in allocating the wood fibre more efficiently and in reducing sorting and transportation costs. This paper aims to better understand the interaction between a forest logistics center and a complex forest network while exploring the business environment favoring the use of such a structure. A profit maximization model is proposed and applied to a real case in the Mauricie region in Quebec, Canada. A total of 18 groups of scenarios are tested, based on the use of a sort yard and of backhauling. Results show that a logistics center already in operation adds $0.52 in profits for each cubic metre of wood available for harvest (over 2 580 411 m 3 per year) for the network under study ($1.4 million annually). A sensitivity analysis also highlights that higher prices and sorting error rates have the greatest impact on the logistics center’s profitability.
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