D5 Annex report WP 3: ETIS Database methodology ... - ETIS plus

D5 Annex WP 3: DATABASE METHODOLOGY AND DATABASE USER
MANUAL – FREIGHT TRANSPORT DEMAND
1. Who do we define to be the consumer of the computer?; which type of transhipment to
include?
2. How to include simultaneous mode use in the database?
3. How to include loading units (containers, swap bodies) in the database?
4. Should there be a restriction on the number of links in a transport chain?
Something that does not occur in the example is the case in which a container is empty. The
following question can therefore be added:
5. How to include empty loading units flows in the database?
These problems will be discussed in the following paragraphs.
A way to a “pragmatic” approach of transport chains
Who do we define to be the Consumer of the Computer?; which Type of Transhipment to
include?
The first question to be answered is whom we will define to be the customer. Another and more
general way of looking at this problem is which type of transhipment we should include. If it
has been decided which transhipment locations to include this implicitly means that also the
production and consumption locations are defined.
Several types of transhipment can be identified:
1. VAL (Value Added Logistics)
2. Distribution
3. Wholesale
4. Change of mode
5. Entrepot
In our example VAL and change of mode can be identified.
In the case of VAL a change of the characteristics of the commodities take place. The elements
of this commodity that have to be considered the basic products find the end location at the
VAL location while in fact they are transported in combination with the other basic products to
another final location of consumption. In the computer example one of the basic products can
even be given the same name as the final product.
Distribution is another logistic phenomenon resulting in registration problems. Is the
distribution centre the end point or just a transhipment location? Furthermore the transport from
the distribution centre to the customers might be done with routing where different deliveries
are combined into one trip, resulting in double countings in the database.
For wholesale there is still another nuance. Here the commodity changes of owner, but is
eventually transported to another location where it is consumed.
Document2
27 May 2004
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