project3.1~totalresourcemanagement.docVIP

Project 3.1 ~ Total Resource Management Mission To develop a tactical decision-making framework for optimising profitability in a beef supply chain. For this project, the core of the supply chain is defined as the breeding, growing and finishing components of the beef industry. Specific Objectives Develop and implement a program to optimise some key management factors (such as mating dates, patterns of feeding and stock purchases) to maximise an objective function that includes consistent supply to retailers. Extend development to optimise management at the individual-animal or subdivided cohort level. Extent development to accommodate individual group member business autonomy. Develop a framework useful for developing supply chain decision-support tools for other supply chains. Progress Required function of the TRM software The problem scenario to be solved is as follows: At any given stage, at any time of year, the members of the industry partner group (the Ebony Hills Quality Beef (EHQB) alliance) are faced with present and/or upcoming decisions on a range of management issues (stock purchase, stock movements, stocking rates, supplementary feeding, sending stock to feedlot, sending stock to slaughter, breed choice, sire choice, mating dates, use of genetic markers, drafting groups to target different market end points, etc.) The planned function of the prototype was to address a good number of these issues in a tactical decision framework. What drives the recommendations is a function based largely on the need for consistent supply of the branded product, but also minimization of costs and handling of logistical constraints. The result is a recommendation of actions to be taken now, and also actions to be taken in the future. We need to plan future actions, as the best thing to do now depends on what you think you will do in the future. However, the program is rerun frequently, such that planned actions change in the face of ch