To increase flexibility in today’s global marketplace is needed to remain competitive and respond to rapidly changing markets. From that point of view, supplier selection represents one of the most important functions to be performed by the purchasing department. The supplier selection is a multi-criterion problem which includes both quantitative and qualitative criteria. In order to select the best suppliers, it is necessary to make a trade off between these criteria. The article deals with supplier selection using the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP). AHP provides a framework for making effective decisions in complex decision situations (e.g. vendor selection), helps to simplify and accelerate the natural process of decision making. AHP is a method of decomposition of complex unstructured situation into simpler components, thus creating a hierarchical system problem. The paper describes the general design of model supplier selection using the AHP with an application of the proposed model in a manufacturing company that selects a suitable supplier of three potential suppliers. The aim of this paper is to understand the strategic operating decision area of the supplier selection process and to aid decision makers with varying degrees of importance to reach consensus in rating alternative suppliers.

AbstractThe issue of sustainable city logistics has steadily been developed over the last decades. Urban public transport companies can make a significant contribution to the concept of sustainable city logistics. The customers’ perception and satisfaction regarding urban public transport companies can be associated with the increased use of their services. The preference for urban public transport reduces the use of individual car transport, which is linked to the environmental pillar of sustainability. For the customers, the level of the provided service is very important. The article is focused on the evaluation of the outcomes from the primary research concerning the service quality performed by the urban public transport companies in the Hradec-Pardubice residential agglomeration. The goal lies in identifying gaps in service quality. The method used in this article is representative primary research. The primary research was carried out in the form of structured personal interviews with a representative sample of respondents. Selected statistical methods were used to evaluate the data. The results are discussed in the context of published research studies. Research in this article found that respondents are more satisfied with the quality of services performed by the urban public transport companies, but the perception of individual service quality factors varies from one user group to another. The research also confirms a different perceptions regarding customer care and comfort by different age groups of respondents. The article implies that public transport companies should pay attention to setting fare prices for different groups of passengers.

A procedure for the radioimmunoassay of ovine and bovine serum progesterone is described which does not require extraction and chromatography. Serum samples are assayed directly, and a highly specific antiserum that was prepared in rabbits against 11 alpha-hydroxyprogesterone conjugated to bovine serum albumin is used. Interference from serum binding proteins is alleviated by use of a phosphate buffer containing 5% BSA and separation of bound and free tritiated progesterone by a double antibody procedure. Serum samples are assayed in a mini-vial, the bound fraction (double antibody precipitate) is mixed with scintillation solution and the radioactivity is counted in the same vial. The assay procedure is sensitive (10 pg, 100 pg/ml) and has acceptable accuracy and precision. Because there is no extraction or chromatography, serum progesterone is not lost. Most important, the procedure is specific for progesterone and measures serum progesterone concentrations in the ewe and cow which are comparable with those obtained with conventional assay techniques. The progesterone assay described herein provides a rapid, economical procedure that can facilitate the study of ovarian cyclicity and aid in the early diagnosis of pregnancy.

The freight transport performance is growing. The transport sector is also one of the largest producers of emissions. This must be reflected not only by production companies but also by other stakeholders. The issue of transport emissions is particularly important for city residents, so today the concept of sustainable city logistics is emphasized. Companies should deal with the amount of produced emissions. The use of emission calculators would support operational, tactical and strategic business decision-making. The aim of this article is to analyse the approaches used in available free calculators of emission arising from the freight transport. The focus was on the transport modes that calculators include, input data, output data and methodologies used to calculate emissions. The method of systematic review was used to search analysed freight transport emissions calculators. The method of content analysis was used to analyse inputs, outputs and freight transport emissions calculator’s methodologies. The method of qualitative comparative analysis was used to analyse and compare the freight transport emissions calculators.

RFID systems work on communication between data carriers and data readers. This basic data transmission is provided in virtual network, which have to be steady. Reading range of data readers is depending on many factors, as devices parameters, surroundings and type of data carrier.Nowadays, technology provides better communication between devices, which dramatically increases distance, in which devices are able to communicate with each other. With proper setting, interaction in logistic processes could be faster and stable. This paper explores equipment needed for transport information from data carrier through data readers to software devices, which are responsible for information processing.