Syllabus academic year 2009/2010
(Created 2009-08-11.)
INTERNATIONAL PHYSICAL DISTRIBUTIONMTT045

Higher education credits: 7,5. Grading scale: TH. Level: A (Second level). Language of instruction: The course might be given in English. Optional for: I4lp, M4, M4lp, RH4. Course coordinator: Professor Marianne Jahre, marianne.jahre@tlog.lth.se, Teknisk logistik. Prerequisites: MTT105/MTTF01 Logistics or MTT202/MTTN01 Logistics in the building process. Recommended prerequisits: MTT091 or MTT021/MTTF10 Materials Handling. Assessment: To qualify for a final grade, the student must have passed the written examination and completed a compulsory project and a cases. Evaluation of course performance is based on the written examination and the project. Parts: 2.

Aim
The course will give to students both fundamental and more advanced knowledge about physical distribution systems solutions and related transport means. The entire distribution network will be taken into consideration. The scope of the course is to provide the most important theories, concepts, models and methods used by theorists and industries to identify, describe, analyse and design diverse solutions for physical distribution of goods. The course will furnish an understanding of the important roll played by distribution into modern industries and supply chains. It will also convey the knowledge and skills to methodically analyse transportation needs, and consequently to choose and design transport and distribution systems.

Knowledge and understanding
For a passing grade the student must

This means that the students will have:

Skills and abilities
For a passing grade the student must

independently be able to:

Judgement and approach
For a passing grade the student must

Contents
Freight transportation and characteristics of transport modes and related infrastructures: road, rail, sea and air. Systems thinking and transport modes collaboration: design and control of distribution and transportation systems from an international perspective. Distribution Channels and Transportation Networks. Transport security and sustainability: environmental aspects of transportation and HAZMAT regulation. Transport economics: transportation costs and pricing. A heuristic method for solving the VRP (Vehicle Routing Problem). Analysis of transport requirements; choice and design of distribution systems. Terminals, forwarding, documentation, insurance and customs. IT systems. Transport regulations and public policy. Trends in transportation.

Literature
Lumsden, K: Fundamentals of logistics (English version of “Logistikens grunder”, which can be downloaded on course homepage).
Various articles published on the course homepage.

Parts

Code: 0106. Name: International Physical Distribution.
Higher education credits: 4,5. Grading scale: UG. Assessment: Passed written examination. Contents: Literature, lectures and cases.

Code: 0206. Name: Project Work.
Higher education credits: 3. Grading scale: UG. Assessment: Satisfactorily completed project work. Contents: The project is compulsory and is carried out in groups of 4-6 students who can choose the subject from a list provided by the teacher. Students are expected to present their own work as well as to act as critical examiners of another project.