A three-dimensional framework for multi-tier sustainable supply chain management

In recent years, the interdisciplinary research of supply chains and sustainability has received extensive, yet gradual, attention; when compared to the rapid economic growth of the service industry, however, sustainable supply chain management has not been systematically explored yet. It has not only great theoretical significance, but also positive practical significance to provide a framework for the operation of a sustainable service supply chain from a sustainable development point of view. Based on the triple bottom line (TBL), we have analyzed related sustainable supply chain management research between 2006 and 2015, reviewed papers involving two or three bottom lines as well, and then introduced some classical frameworks for manufacturing supply chain management and service supply chain management. Afterward, by analyzing the differences between the manufacturing and service industries, we propose a framework of sustainable service supply chain management (SSSCM). Based on the impacts of sustainable development TBL on service supply chain participants, we have finally made a framework for sustainable operation facing triads service supply chain and proposed a future research agenda.

Supply chain inventory management decisions are complicated by the presence of both downstream (demand) and upstream (supply) uncertainties. Prior research shows that each type of uncertainty leads to specific decision biases. Demand uncertainty induces a pull‐to‐center bias, wherein orders are drawn away from the optimal ordering decision in the direction of expected demand. Supply uncertainty elicits a diversification bias, wherein inventory managers tend to source from multiple suppliers, even when sole sourcing is optimal. Our research employs a controlled laboratory experiment to study these biases when both types of uncertainty—that is, supply and demand uncertainty—are present. Our results show that the presence of both supply and demand uncertainty has a more nuanced effect on decision biases than does either type of uncertainty alone. Demand uncertainty can elicit and influence the diversification bias, even in the absence of supply uncertainty. Moreover, supply uncertainty affects the magnitude of the pull‐to‐center bias. Our work reveals the need for further attention from supply chain academics and managers on how supply and demand uncertainty jointly affect inventory managers’ decisions.

PurposeThis paper seeks to examine the factors which influence the ability of SMEs to align their enterprise‐planning systems with the requirements and constraints of supply chain relationships in order to meet their own and their customers' strategic and operational requirements. The objectives are to: identify the range of trading relationships that exist between an SME in the manufacturing sector and its customers and suppliers; examine the implications of these external relationships for the SME's internal enterprise‐planning system; develop a composite framework of enterprise planning and supply chain management which allows manufacturing SMEs to understand how these interact and can be aligned.Design/methodology/approachThe paper develops a composite framework that allows first‐ or second‐tier manufacturing SMEs to identify the types of relationships in which they are involved and how they can understand and address their internal arrangements in order to meet their external obligations. In developing a composite framework, the primary objective is to understand how short‐term enterprise planning and supply chain trading relationships interact.FindingsThe paper has shown the developed understanding of aligning trading relationships and enterprise planning for the benefit of the supply chain. It has shown the importance of a manufacturing SME's strategic and operational requirements in achieving this alignment.Research limitations/implicationsThe next stage of the research is to undertake an in‐depth longitudinal case study of a number of manufacturing SMEs with the aim of gaining a greater understanding of the issues emanating from the developed composite framework. Since these mechanisms will be the responsibility of a small group of people within the SME it is planned to collect data that focus on the interactions of both short‐term operational issues and a longer‐term strategic view within each of the selected businesses.Practical implicationsA manufacturing SME's strategic and operational requirements may be an area where those supplying products upstream have an advantage over their bigger manufacturing brethren. For a manufacturing SME, these issues and mechanisms will be the responsibility of only a few people whose interactions are likely to focus on short‐term issues, but they can begin to move their perspective from day‐to‐day pressures and take a more holistic, long‐term view of the business. By so doing, they can achieve a more effective alignment of external and internal requirements and mechanisms which will benefit themselves, their customers and the entire supply chain.Originality/valueThis composite framework of supply chain management and enterprise planning should enable those who run manufacturing SMEs to take an overview of their business and better align their internal priorities with the external requirements of their customers. Understanding these convergent topics is central to improving supply chain performance.

Part I Introduction and Review. - 1.1a. of Supply Chains with Risk-Averse Agents, Xianghua Gan, Houmin Yan, Suresh P. Sethi. - 1.1b. Addendum to Coordination of Supply Chains with Risk-Averse Agents , Xianghua Gan, Houmin Yan, Suresh P. Sethi. - 1.2. A Review on Supply Chain Coordination: Mechanisms, Managing Uncertainty and Research Directions, Arshinder Kaur, Arun Kanda, S.G. Deshmukh. - 1.3. Control Policies for Multi-Echelon Inventory Systems with Stochastic Demand, Qinan Wang. - 1.4. Supply Chain Models with Active Acquisition and Remanufacturing, Xiang Li, Yongjian Li. - Part II Analytical Models for Innovative under Uncertainty. - 2.1. Facilitating Demand Risk-Sharing with the Percent Deviation Contract, Matthew J. Drake, Julie L. Swann. - 2.2. Value-added Retailer in a Mixed Channel: Asymmetric Information and Contract Design, Samar K. Mukhopadhyay, Xiaowei Zhu, Xiaohang Yue. - 2.3 Capacity Management and Price Discrimination under Demand Uncertainty using Option Contracts, Fang Fang, Andrew B. Whinston. - 2.4. Dynamic Procurement, Quantity Discounts, and Supply Chain Efficiency, Feryal Erhun, Pinar Keskinocak, Sridhar Tayur. - 2.5. of the Supplier-Retailer Relationship in a Multi-period Setting: The Additional Ordering Cost Contract, Nicola Bellantuono, Ilaria Giannoccaro, Pierpaolo Pontrandolfo. - 2.6. Use of Supply Chain Contract to Motivate Selling Effort, Samar K. Mukhopadhyay, Xuemei Su. - 2.7. Price and Warranty Competition in a Duopoly Supply Chain, Santanu Sinha, S.P. Sarmah. - 2.8. Supply Chain for Newsvendor-type Products with Two Ordering Opportunities, Yong-Wu Zhou, Sheng-Dong Wang. - Part III Channel Power, Bargaining and Coordination. - 3.1. Bargaining in a Two-Stage Supply Chain through Revenue-Sharing Contract, Jing Hou, Amy Z. Zeng. - 3.2. Should a Stackelberg-Dominated Supply-Chain Player Help Her Dominant Opponent to Obtain Better System-Parameter Knowledge? Jian-Cai Wang, Amy Hing Ling Lau, Hon-Shiang Lau. - 3.3. Supply Chain under Demand Uncertainty Using Credit Option, S. Kamal Chaharsooghi, Jafar Heydari. - 3.4. Supply Chain under Consignment Contract with Revenue Sharing, Sijie Li, Jia Shu, Lindu Zhao. - Part IV Technological Advancements and Applications in Supply Chain Coordination. 4.1. DEAL - A Heuristic Approach for Collaborative Planning in Detailed Scheduling, J. Benedikt Scheckenbach. - 4.2. Inventory Record Inaccuracy, RFID Technology Adoption and Supply Chain Coordination, H. Sebastian Heese. - 4.3. Possibilistic mixed integer linear programming approach for production allocation and distribution supply chain network problem in the consumer goods industry, Bilge Bilgen. - 4.4. of Converging Material Flows under Conditions of Uncertainty in Supply Chains, Liesje De Boeck, Nico Vandaele. - Part V Empirical Analysis and Case Studies. - 5.1. Bioenergy Systems and Supply Chains in Europe: Conditions, Capacity and Coordination, Kes McMormick. - 5.2. Three is a Crowd: On the Benefits of Involving Contract Manufacturers in Collaborative Planning for Three-Echelon Supply Networks, Henka Akkermans, Kim van Oorschot, Winfried Peeters. - 5.3. Managing IT Suppliers: A Capability-Based Approach, Carlos Brito, Mafalda Nogueira. - 5.4. Methodology for Assessing Collaboration Strategies and Incentives in the pulp and Paper Industry, Nadia Lehoux, Sophie D'Amours, Andre Langevin.

The escalating demand for items and their consumption has exerted immense pressure on industrial production and supply chain systems, leading to adverse environmental and societal consequences. The rise in pollution rates and ecological disasters resulting from industrial production has prompted numerous scholars and industry specialists to focus on Sustainable Production and Consumption matters within the framework of Sustainable Supply Chain Management (SSCM). The interest in sustainable supply chain management has significantly increased in recent years, spanning both business and academic sectors. This phenomenon is seen in the growing prevalence of papers, conferences, specialized periodicals, and websites exclusively focused on the subject matter. Nevertheless, the importance of sustainable development in developing economies has only just started to be acknowledged. This literature review aims to assess existing research on sustainable supply chain management (SSCM) in developing nations while considering a worldwide perspective. This paper thoroughly examines the rapid expansion of the subject from an evolutionary perspective; aimed at comprehending the progression of sustainability concerns by examining patterns across different industries, and economies, and employing diverse approaches. An extensive thematic analysis was conducted on 56 selected publications published between 2010 and 2023, emphasizing the growth and significance of the knowledge base. The analysis is conducted utilizing a descriptive and content-oriented methodology. Subsequently, the results are presented, demonstrating an increasing interest in Sustainable Supply Chain Management (SSCM). Nevertheless, there is a conspicuous discrepancy in the extent of research carried out on this subject in emerging economies as opposed to industrialized ones. The findings indicate that the context in less developed countries plays a crucial role in carrying out empirical or case study research. Moreover, it is crucial to analyze how the integration of the three dimensions of sustainability impacts the efficiency of the supply chain, especially when considering the perspective of an emerging economy. Hence, the limitations of this investigation are delineated. Ultimately, it is crucial to do further research from multiple angles within the supply chain, encompassing collaboration, sustainable practices, innovation, sourcing, and supplier growth, with a special emphasis on the position and background of rising countries.

In the face of both supply and demand uncertainty, the forest products industry needs advanced supply chain management models that can significantly improve their competitiveness in global markets. This paper aims to provide a decision support tool for integrating operational planning decisions with inventory management of all agents in a multi-product forest industry supply chain under supply and demand uncertainty. A pulp mill is considered as the nodal agent and an integrated simulation-based optimization model is developed, which minimizes the cost of the entire supply chain for different customer satisfaction levels, while material and information flow both upstream and downstream of the pulp mill. The incorporation of a merchandizing yard helps in managing risks associated with supply and demand uncertainty in the forest products industry supply chain. There is a net annual cost saving of $17.4 million by including a merchandizing yard in the supply chain. However, there is an increase in handling, holding and transportation costs. Comparing the shortage cost to the handling, holding and transportation costs, it is observed that as long as the shortage cost is above $6.80 per m3, it is viable to keep the merchandizing yard. The merchandizing yard not only absorbs supply shocks for the pulp mill, but also reduces the safety stocks on the downstream side. This integrated supply chain model can be used for operational planning decisions that minimize overall cost for any agent in the supply chain.

In the literature, several frameworks have been proposed to help sustainability management in supply chains. Nevertheless, they present a number of shortcomings. With the aim of overcoming these shortcomings, this paper proposes a framework for sustainable supply chain management composed of six dimensions: methodology, organization, stakeholders, maturity model, human resources, and technology. The main innovations of the framework are that (1) it includes a methodology that acts as a guide to sustainability management and improvement in a holistic way by using a balanced scorecard for any type of supply chain and covering the whole project life cycle; (2) it combines quantitative and qualitative methods for sustainability assessment; (3) it describes the techniques and technology to be used in each task of the methodology; and (4) it identifies the past impact of SC sustainability, as well as predicting its future impact, using Big Data analytics. The practical utility, completeness, and level of detail of the framework were validated through questionnaires answered by both five academics and three professionals. In addition, the framework was applied to a case study to (1) validate its usefulness and (2) to improve it with the feedback obtained.

Reducing demand uncertainty in the platelet supply chain through artificial neural networks and ARIMA models

Purpose – The concept of uncertainty is a relevant yet little understood area within supply chain risk management. Risk is often associated with uncertainty, but in reality uncertainty is a much more elaborate concept and deserves more in-depth scrutiny. To bridge this gap, the purpose of this paper is to propose a conceptual framework for assessing the levels and nature of uncertainty in this context. Design/methodology/approach – The aim of the study is to link established theories of uncertainty to the management of risk in supply chains, to gain a holistic understanding of its levels and nature. The proposed conceptual model concerns the role of certainty and uncertainty in this context. Illustrative examples show the applicability of the model. Findings – The study describes in detail a way of analysing the levels and nature of uncertainty in supply chains. Such analysis could provide crucial information enabling more efficient and effective implementation of supply chain risk management. Practical implications – The study enhances understanding of the nature of the uncertainties faced in supply chains. Thus it should be possible to improve existing measures and analyses of risk, which could increase the efficiency and effectiveness of supply chain and logistics management. Originality/value – The proposed conceptual framework of uncertainty types in the supply chain context is novel, and therefore could enhance understanding of uncertainty and risk in supply and logistics management and make it easier to categorise, as well as initiate further research in the field.

Recent disruptions in global supply chains have led to increased interest in supply chain risk management investigation. On the other hand, increased environmental regulation has urged firms to compulsorily have their routine operations environmental friendly. Last few years, researchers have investigated these two streams as distinct but have mentioned them to be related in the long run. The current study attempts to bridge this gap of allied literature by conceptually arguing that it to arrive at sustainability in supply chain operations, firms must co-integrate their supply chain risk management and green practices in supply chain. While risk management broadly aims to reduce the exposure to a risky situation coupled with minimizing the negative impact of disruption of firm performance; green practices aims to make operational, tactical and strategic operations of the firm environment friendly. Based on sufficient theoretical tenets from related literature, the study attempts to develop a theoretical model linking supply chain risk management, green supply chain practices and sustainable supply chain. In doing so, the study provides an indicative list of various risk classifications and proposed risk mitigating strategies till date. Finally, the study indicates managerial implications and suggests further research opportunities.

<abstract> <p>It is widely agreed that properly establishing a sustainable supply chain strategy to yield competitive advantages is essential for business enterprises, and a number of research papers on sustainable supply chains have been produced over the last two decades. However, many past studies on sustainable supply chain strategies emphasized either classification schemes or various coordination mechanisms, and few of them have focused on an integrated framework for sustainable supply chains. Therefore, the objective of this study is to develop a strategic framework for the sustainable supply chain management. The study is based on the abductive reasoning process through literature review to establish a strategic framework which is ranked through grey relational analysis (GRA). The weighted data of various strategies collected from the elite interview prove to be comprehensive and evaluable, so it can create values for supply chain members in practice. The results further suggest that each sustainable supply chain in different fields can select the best combination of strategies through GRA to constantly facilitate performance of sustainability. The main contribution is the submission of a strategic framework which makes up the insufficiency of past research papers lacking an integrated strategic framework. At the same time, the proposed strategic framework has also been illustrated through a case study.</p> </abstract>

Purpose Blood, like fresh produce, is a perishable element, with platelets having a limited lifetime of five days and red blood cells lasting 42 days. To manage the blood supply chain more effectively under demand and supply uncertainty, it is of considerable importance to developing a practical blood supply chain model. This paper proposed an essential blood supply chain model under demand and supply uncertainty. Methods This study focused on how to manage the blood supply chain under demand and supply uncertainty effectively. A stochastic mixed-integer linear programming (MILP) model for the blood supply chain is proposed. Furthermore, this study conducted a sensitivity analysis to examine the impacts of the coefficient of demand and supply variation and the cost parameters on the average total cost and the performance measures (units of shortage, outdated units, inventory holding units, and purchased units) for both the blood center and hospitals. Results Based on the results, the hospitals and the blood center can choose the optimal ordering policy that works best for them. From the results, we observed that when the coefficient of demand and supply variation is increased, the expected supply chain cost increased with more outdating units, shortages units, and holding units due to the impacts of supply and demand fluctuation. Variation in the inventory holding and expiration costs has an insignificant effect on the total cost. Conclusions The model developed in this paper can assist managers and pathologists at the blood donation centers and hospitals to determine the most efficient inventory policy with a minimum cost based on the uncertainty of blood supply and demand. The model also performs as a decision support system to help health care professionals manage and control blood inventory more effectively under blood supply and demand uncertainty, thus reducing shortage of blood and expired wastage of blood.

This study systematically reviews the integration of Human Resources (HR), sustainability, and ethics within the framework of supply chain management, illuminating the pivotal role of HR practices in enhancing the sustainability and ethical integrity of supply chains. Employing a systematic literature review coupled with content analysis, this research scrutinizes scholarly articles and case studies across various databases, focusing on the period from 2000 to 2024. The methodology hinges on precise inclusion and exclusion criteria to distill relevant literature, which is then subjected to rigorous content analysis to identify prevailing themes and insights. Key findings reveal that strategic HR practices, including talent management, training and development, and leadership cultivation, are central to embedding sustainability and ethical considerations into supply chain operations. These practices not only foster a culture of sustainability and ethics but also drive organizational change towards more sustainable supply chain models. The review identifies a dual challenge for sustainable supply chain management: the complexity of global supply chains and the increasing demands for transparency and ethical conduct, presenting both significant challenges and opportunities for innovation. Finally, the study underscores the critical role of HR in sustainable and ethical supply chain management, highlighting the necessity of integrating sustainability into HR practices. Strategic recommendations for organizations and HR professionals are provided to navigate the evolving landscape of supply chain sustainability. The study calls for further research into the dynamic interplay between HR practices and supply chain sustainability, particularly in the context of emerging technologies and global supply chain complexities.

In recent years, companies are under increasing pressure from consumers, grassroots and community organizations, governments, and shareholders to develop and practice sustainable business practices. While individual companies’ sustainability efforts are important, a true sustainability can be achieved only if all members of a supply chain participate in sustainable practices. This study proposes a conceptual hospitality supply chain framework that is developed based on a comprehensive review of sustainability literature in hospitality. This study also discusses the antecedents, consequences, actions, evaluation mechanisms, and sustainability practices that can be implemented by all members of the supply chain on three dimensions (environmental, social, and economic) of the sustainable supply chain management in hospitality business following the principles of triple bottom line reporting (3BL) approach. Managerial implications and future research extensions are also discussed.

Sustainability is a timely topic. A sustainable supply chain is one which aims to maximize the system's performance in three dimensions, namely environment, economics, and society. In the fashion industry, with the advance of big data related information technologies, achieving a sustainable supply chain is no longer a dream. In this paper, we first establish that a fashion supply chain is in fact a typical system of systems. Then, we examine several critical big data related technologies and applications which are related to sustainable fashion supply chain management. After that, we develop and present the design principles, from a system of systems perspective, for developing a sustainable fashion supply chain. Based on these principles, we further propose a novel five steps framework for achieving sustainable fashion supply chain management in the big data era. A sustainable fashion supply chain system of systems matrix is also constructed.