Bachelor graduation
assignment
Nathalie Koopman
Outline
• UCA: Unmanned Cargo Aircraft
• Problem statement
• Research question
• Research approach
• Literature study
• Conduct two surveys
• Results of the first survey
Unmanned Cargo Aircraft
Advance the development of Unmanned Cargo Aircraft
• Development of UCA stays put: “everyone is waiting for everyone”
Advance the development of UCA
• Focus on shippers
• Research question: What is the opinion of the members of the shipper’s
councils about the possibilities and the limitations of UCA to fulfil their
future transportation needs?
Research approach (1)
• Literature study to gain required knowledge
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Transportation needs of shippers
Transportation process
The role of transportation in the supply chain
SWOT-analysis
Optimization possibilities of UCA
• Opinion of shippers about UCA
• Conducting two surveys by translating acquired knowledge into survey
questions
• Co-operation with European and Belgian Shipper’s Councils
Research approach (2)
First survey
• Current transportation needs: primary freight flow
→ Optimal transportation mode (Q4-Q7)
→ Ranking of the transportation needs (Q9) and to
what extent their transporters meet those needs (Q11)
• Transportation barriers (Q12+Q13): all freight
Second survey
• Description of the capabilities of UCA
• Statements about possibilities and limitations of UCA
Analysed results – First survey
• 75 respondents
• 75 respondents answered first 8 questions
• 64 respondents answered first 11 questions
• 60 respondents answered all questions
• Members of evofenedex
• Questions 1 – 11: transportation needs of primary freight flow
• Questions 12 and 13: transportation barriers of all freight
Questions 1 – 3: background information
about the respondents
• All different company sizes are
represented (Q1)
• The primary freight flow is for most
respondents an exporting freight flow
(Q2)
• Almost every respondent ships their
primary freight flow at least ones a day
(Q3)
Questions 4 – 7: identifies the optimal transportation mode for
every respondent
• Translating the transportation needs (Q4 – Q7)
in the optimal transportation mode, based on
literature
→ Use of Excel
• #1. Air transport: 25,5%
• 42,9% of the average weight that is shipped by Air
transport as optimal transportation mode, matches
with the capabilities of UCA
• #2. UCA: 20,9%
• Conclusion: Similarities between shippers’
transportation needs and the capabilities of
UCA
Analysis of questions 9 and 11
• Blue: ranking of the transportation needs that leads to weighted averages (question 9)
• Green: weighted average to what extent the transporter meets the transportation
needs of the respondent (question 11)
Highest weighted averages
• Reliability
• Safety
• Costs
• Transit time
Conclusion: The 4 most
important transportation
needs are most often met by
their transporters
Analysing question 12: Transportation barriers
• Questions 12: Transportation barriers
for all freight
• Weighted average between 1 and 5
• All weighted averages are between
1,50 and 2,49
→ all weighted averages ≈ 2
→ Respondents rarely experience all
transportation barriers
Conclusions – first survey
• Primary freight flow (Q1-Q11):
• Similarities between shippers’ transportation needs and the capabilities of
UCA (Q4-Q7)
• Most of the transportation needs are often met by their transporters (Q11)
• All freight (Q12)
• Respondents experience rarely transportation barriers
Conclusions – first survey
• The need for UCA has to be created: shippers need to know that
UCA can optimize their transportation process
• Conducting the second survey
• Informing shippers about UCA
• Second survey
• Description of the capabilities of UCA; statements about possibilities
and limitations of UCA
• The possibilities show that UCA can optimize their transportation
process: UCA can meet the (4 most important) transportation needs
better
Advance the development of Unmanned Cargo Aircraft
• The results of the first survey are positive
• Conducting second survey
Thank you for your attention!
• Are there any questions?