Find words or phrases in the article which match these meanings.

1.	locked away (so that it can’t be used for anything else) (paragraph B)
2.	considering (paragraph C)
3.	from start to finish (paragraph D)
4.	the moment when one particular result of a process becomes the most likely one, after a period when the result was not sure (paragraph E)
5.	taking up a lot of space (paragraph E)
6.	an acceptable balance between two very different things (paragraph G)
7.	the extent to which a truck has a full load (paragraph H)
8.	when trucks travel without carrying goods (paragraph H)
9.	less busy times of day for travelling (paragraph H)
10.	the amount of carbon emissions an activity products (paragraph I)
11.	joined part of their operations together (paragraph I)
12.	factors, limits on how much should be allowed (paragraph J)
13.	when several deliveries are combined together (paragraph K)

B Sentence completion

Use the words and phrases from Exercise A to complete these sentences.

1.	It is expensive to store __________ products in a warehouse, as they take up a lot of space.
2.	For environmental reasons, most transport companies are trying to reduce their __________ __________ .
3.	One way to reduce carbon emissions is to deliver in _________-_________ periods, when there is less traffic.
4.	Another way is to avoid __________ __________, when trucks return to a warehouse with no goods.
5.	A third way is to increase average __________ __________ by making sure that trucks have as full a load as possible.
6.	The traditional strategy of supply chains was to avoid having too much capital __________ __________ in inventory.
7.	Supply chains in the future will have to take new __________ into account, such as carbon emissions and road congestion.
8.	In the planning of distribution systems, it is often necessary to make a __________-__________ between inventory costs and transport costs.
9.	In the future, deliveries from different suppliers will be __________ so that trucks can carry full loads.
10.	Some companies have __________ their logistics operations in order to reduce transport costs.
11.	The __________ of when it is cheaper to store goods closer to the customer rather than using just-in-time delivery depends on the transport cost and the type of product.
12.	The company had to rethink its supply chain strategy ________ ________ ________ ________ new developments in just-in-time management.
13.	The consultant carried out an ________-________-________ assessment of the supply chain to understand more clearly the impact of holding inventory.

C Prepositions

Complete the phrases from the article using the prepositions in the box.

at

at

between

by

from

in

in

of

of

on

on

to

to

to

to

1.	the economics _____ which supply chains were built.
2.	the amount of money tied up _____ inventory
3.	_____ the expense _____ increased transport frequencies
4.	_____ the light _____ fuel prices.
5.	to understand _____ what point inventory should be held further forward in the supply chain
6.	depending _____ the type and nature of the product
7.	places distribution centres closer _____ its key customers
8.	a trade-off _____ more energy-efficient, centralised warehouses and transport costs
9.	switch _____ road and air _____ rail or water
10.	reschedule deliveries _____ off-peak periods
11.	transport costs have fallen _____ 15 to 20 per cent
12.	final distribution _____ stores, pick-up points and homes will use consolidated deliveries.

D Definitions

Match the sentence halves to form definitions.

1.	A method of production that aims to cut costs by producing…		a)	… from areas of the world where manufacturing costs are lower.
2.	The activity of finding and buying materials, parts or products …		b)	… where things are done, supplied or made only when they are needed.
3.	A system, especially for manufacturing, …		c)	… only the quantity of goods that has been ordered and by reducing the amount of time and space that the production process uses.

Match each definition from Exercise 1 with the strategy for reducing the costs of production that it describes.

i)	just-in-time
ii)	lean manufacturing
iii)	low-cost country sourcing

Speaking practice

	To what extent do you agree with the findings of the report The 2016 Future Supply Chain that, in future, companies will use shared warehouses close to customers and deliveries will be consolidated? Give your reasons.

MODULE 3

УЭ – 1

Transportation Management

I. Vocabulary Work