In order to better prepare The International University of Logistics and Transport students for a leading position in the global labour market, the classes for our students attending the Logistics courses are now conducted in the specialised information systems laboratories. Each laboratory has the workstations equipped with an appropriate software to simulate issues encountered in logistics environment and utilizes systems to support business management.

The IULT in Wrocław is a leading university in the field of TSL - Transport Spedycja Logistyka (Transport, Shipping and Logistics) - guaranteeing that our students gain extensive and in-depth practical knowledge. This is now supported by the opportunity to study in the new, comprehensively equipped, specialised laboratories.

Thanks to such an introduction of practical teaching elements, and knowledge of the operating logistics software, the students and graduates of the IULT can now become valued professionals immediately after graduation.
The laboratories at the IULT are equipped in accordance with the scientific and technical background in three thematic areas and correspond to the specialties of the logistics faculty:

• Center of industry skills in logistics
• Laboratory of logistics engineering
• Laboratory of basic engineering problems
• Computer technology laboratory

CENTER OF INDUSTRY SKILLS IN LOGISTICS

Centre of industry skills in Logistics addresses the needs of the labour market in an era of Green Deal challenges, sustainability and technological change. The ongoing project has received support from the National Recovery and Resilience Plan.

Classes enabling the acquisition of practical skills will take place in a modern logistics laboratory equipped, among other things, with:

• forklift simulator - allowing simulation of forklift driving in various conditions, including hazardous conditions
• teaching station on production logistics - demonstrating transport and storage of components in the production proces
• RFID gates - including readers and label printers
• drones - monitoring cargo transport
• exoskeletons - to relieve the burden on warehouse workers

LABORATORY OF LOGISTICS ENGINEERING

The logistics engineering laboratory includes classes in automatic identification, automation, and warehouse technology. The programme for these classes includes experiments aimed at providing a practical insight into the equipment and technologies used in the industry. Classes are conducted at experimental stations in groups of two people.

LABORATORY OF BASIC ENGINEERING PROBLEMS

The laboratory of basic engineering problems was created for engineering students. Thematically, it covers subjects such as physics, electronics, electrical engineering and chemistry. The laboratory is located in 5 rooms. By extending the programme to include practical activities on experimental workstations, students have the opportunity to gain a more personal insight into the technical issues they are exposed to during their studies. Working in groups of three helps to master the more difficult theoretical issues and develops group problem-solving skills.

COMPUTER TECHNOLOGY LABORATORY

The computer technology laboratory serves as a template to improve the professional skillset in modern industry environment. With seven computer rooms, individual workstations provide the opportunity to learn about the currently used software related to logistics and transport operations. It also supports the acquisition of modelling and problem-solving skills encountered in professional activities. For these purposes, the classrooms are equipped with both ERP or WMS systems and specialised modelling and simulation software. Systems used at the university include: SAP R/3, Anylogic, Flexsim, TRANS.EDU, RFID, EDI, ERP, MRP, WMS.

      

The laboratories described above are the teaching facilities in which both full-time and part-time studies are carried out. With the aim of providing the best possible preparation for work in transport and logistics companies, these laboratory stations are set up so that the student can learn about the specific issues encountered in practice - and to gain knowledge about the technical and theoretical mechanism of operation.

Barcode technology stations could serve as a great example of such activities. Within the framework of these positions, students not only learn about the advantages and disadvantages of the individual symbols, but also find out which problems they may encounter when implementing them - in order to prevent negative consequences of their use in specific cases.

New developments that are still rarely seen in industry today, e.g. RFID, are presented in the classroom. Therefore, at several stands, it is possible for the student to get acquainted to the technology itself, all while using different types of readers (LF, HF, UHF). This includes usage of both passive and active tags, along with specific industrial solutions. As an example, different types of transponders are collected so that each student can see how they physically differ depending on the application and experiment with them on their own.

Solutions considered to be very common are also discussed during the classes. For this purpose, contact and contactless card stand has been set up, which brings together many different technologies in one application, allowing a cross-sectional demonstration of the topic. Such a blend of different technologies within a single stand allows among other things, to raise awareness pertaining to the usage of bank cards or security solutions used in an access control to guarded facilities.

It is not always possible to familiarise students with the technical objects in a real scale conditions. Therefore the models of physical objects and simulations on many computer workstations were prepared. Didactic work with the students includes, for example, a model of a warehouse where large-scale operations are simulated on large racks and incorporates the utilization of the WMS-class software. That being said, where the size allows, real-life warehouse equipment is being used. It is not always possible to operate on real-life objects due to their size, safety or economy. Software tools have been prepared for such cases, to support the solution of the selected problems, and allowing the enablement of the transferable skills in modelling, design and simulation development. For this reason, the computer rooms are equipped with the software (e.g. SAP R/3) that is often utilized in the industry and allows a very wide range of problems to be addressed (e.g. Anylogic, Flexsim).

Systems used at the university include:

• TRANS.EDU
• RFID (Radio-frequency identification)
• EDI (Electronic Data Interchange)
• ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning)
• WMS (Warehouse Management System, WMS)
• MRP (Material Requirements Planning)

SYSTEM TRANS.EDU

System Trans.Edu is a program that allows the students to impersonate the owner of a transport company. It is a platform enabling the exchange of information, guaranteeing the timely delivery of cargo, and settling the payments on time. During their classes, students have the opportunity to confront processes reflecting the daily work. This tool is used by the specialists all throughout Europe.

RFID (RADIO-FREQUENCY IDENTIFICATION)

RFID (Radio-frequency identification) - a system for controlling the flow of goods based on the remote data reading and writing (e.g., GUID identifier) using special electronic devices attached to the monitored items. Sometimes RFID technology is called a radio barcode. A global standardization was needed to spread the barcodes globally – and the same kind of effort is needed required for the RFID technology.

EDI (ELECTRONIC DATA INTERCHANGE)

EDI (Electronic Data Interchange) - the transfer of business transaction information from a computer to computer using the standard, widely accepted message formats. The goal of the EDI is to eliminate the repeated data entry and to speed up and increase the accuracy of the information flow by connecting the appropriate computer applications between participating companies. Using EDI improves the timeliness of logistics information, expands and refines data, and reduces the labor intensity of the process. To fully leverage the benefits of the EDI, logistics channel users ought to communicate via the computer. An effective EDI implementation requires a direct communication between the computer systems, and the buyers and sellers of the product alike.

ERP (ENTERPRISE RESOURCE PLANNING)

ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) - refers to the integrated application system that integrates the enterprise processes at all levels. The ERP system is designed to cover all the processes that are taking place within the enterprise and allows for an optimization of work in many facets of an organization – starting with finance and human resource management all the way to the logistics and production activities. ERP systems are designed for manufacturing, commercial, and service enterprises.

WMS (WAREHOUSE MANAGEMENT SYSTEM, WMS)

WMS (Warehouse Management System) - a program designed to manage the product movement in warehouses. WMS solutions are used to coordinate the warehouse operations. These are a highly specialized systems that improve all the processes that take place in warehouses. They are particularly important for logistics operators who handle a large number of diverse shipments from multiple shippers to a large quantity of recipients in their warehouses and terminals on a daily basis.

MRP (MATERIAL REQUIREMENTS PLANNING)

MRP (Material Requirements Planning) - a set of processes for determining material resource requirements (raw materials, materials, components, etc.). They were designed to calculate the exact amount of materials and delivery schedules to meet the constantly changing demand for individual products. These techniques are often supported by an appropriate computer systems. Their main goal is to reduce the financial resources needed by a manufacturing organization. This is achieved through the inventory optimization and the production process itself.