Perishable Goods – A Simulation Study

Abstract: The lifetime of perishable goods is influenced by environmental conditions such as temperature, relative humidity, and shock. Sensors can monitor these parame-ters and enhance logistic decision-making based on the actual quality level of goods. In our simulation study we show that a sensor based approach is superior to established practices even when considering the abilities of individuals to judge the goods ’ quality by visual and tactile inspections. With sensor information, retailers can achieve higher profits, increased resource efficiency, higher quality, and a reduced amount of perished goods on the sales floor