The practical problems in the European pallet exchange have not noticeably improved in recent years. In particular, forwarders but also shippers and consignees of palletized goods sometimes bear high costs for pallet exchanges, which add up to 4.96 € per circulation. The biggest parts are repair and replacement costs of damaged pallets. With more than half a billion pallets in worldwide circulation this results in high costs for all actors involved. For the loss in value it is of vital importance that pallets are used as required. This means that for the demanded quality class an appropriate pallet is used. Pallets with higher quality levels are required for the transportation of food or medical technology. Pallets with lower quality levels are sufficient for the transportation of building materials, which due to their nature also lead to high abrasion or soiling of the pallets. In this way, foreseeable losses in value can be prevented.
Within the SUPa project, a simulation model will be developed with the help of which the effects of different behaviour patterns of actors involved in pallet exchanges can be investigated. The objective is to evaluate different behaviours under variable environmental conditions. In particular, the influence of incentive systems on cooperative behaviour between shippers and freight forwarders will be investigated and evaluated. The model can also help to allocate costs of pallet exchanges based on causation and to calculate the expected costs of pallet exchanges for consideration in the offer.
Key Data:
Project Duration: October 2018 to September 2020
Funding: The IGF project (19953 N) of the Forschungsvereinigung Bundesvereinigung Logistik e.V. – BVL, Schlachte 31, 28195 Bremen was supported by the AiF within the framework of the programme for the promotion of joint industrial research (IGF) of the Federal Ministry of Economics and Energy on the basis of a resolution of the German Bundestag.
Project lead: Roland Lehner
SUPa -Simulation-based investigation of alternative courses of action in pallet exchange in consideration of different actor behaviours
- Modeling approach: Agent-based
- Performance criterion: Investigation of the cost level and distribution for pallet exchange depending on the exchange behavior of the different actors.
