Agile Supply Chain Management Research Articles

Addressing uncertainty in closed-loop supply chain networks: a multi-objective approach to integrated production and transportation problems

Purpose This study aims to address the inherent uncertainties within closed-loop supply chain (CLSC) networks through the application of a multi-objective approach, specifically focusing on the optimization of integrated production and transportation processes. The primary purpose is to enhance decision-making in supply chain management by formulating a robust multi-objective model. Design/methodology/approach In dealing with uncertainty, this study uses Pythagorean fuzzy numbers (PFNs) to effectively represent and quantify uncertainties associated with various parameters within the CLSC network. The proposed model is solved using Pythagorean hesitant fuzzy programming, presenting a comprehensive and innovative methodology designed explicitly for handling uncertainties inherent in CLSC contexts. Findings The research findings highlight the effectiveness and reliability of the proposed framework for addressing uncertainties within CLSC networks. Through a comparative analysis with other established approaches, the model demonstrates its robustness, showcasing its potential to make informed and resilient decisions in supply chain management. Research limitations/implications This study successfully addressed uncertainty in CLSC networks, providing logistics managers with a robust decision-making framework. Emphasizing the importance of PFNs and Pythagorean hesitant fuzzy programming, the research offered practical insights for optimizing transportation routes and resource allocation. Future research could explore dynamic factors in CLSCs, integrate real-time data and leverage emerging technologies for more agile and sustainable supply chain management. Originality/value This research contributes significantly to the field by introducing a novel and comprehensive methodology for managing uncertainty in CLSC networks. The adoption of PFNs and Pythagorean hesitant fuzzy programming offers an original and valuable approach to addressing uncertainties, providing practitioners and decision-makers with insights to make informed and resilient decisions in supply chain management.

Effective concepts of management against the challenges of the modern world: Lean and Agile: competition or cooperation?

Motivation: For a long time, new strategies, concepts and solutions regarding both process management in enterprises and managing the supply chains have been presented in the literature and implemented in business practice. They are to be an alternative to existing concepts. Considerations regarding these concepts focus on the speed of adaptation to changing conditions in the environment, flexibility, diversification and reducing the risk of disruption. The justification for the implementation of new solutions are the conditions and challenges in the environment of enterprises, especially the Covid-19 pandemic, but also economic crises, wars, terrorism, natural disasters, changes in energy prices. An example of such a concept is the Agile strategy. According to some authors, this strategy is a competitive concept to Lean Management. Other authors believe that they are complementary and that there are opportunities to combine them and thus achieve a synergy effect.Aim: The aim of the article is to compare the effectiveness of Lean and Agile process and supply chain management strategies in conditions of environmental instability, based on literature review and own research.Results: Lean and Agile strategies can be combined to some extent. In addition, such a combination may prove to be more effective and more resistant to interference than using “clean” strategies. The result of proper application of both strategies are lower costs, better product quality, higher level of logistics service, greater customer satisfaction and employee involvement, and thus the trade-up effect.

A review of lean, agile, resilient, and green (LARG) supply chain management in engineering, business and management areas

Supply chain management (SCM) that is Lean, Agile, Resilient, and Green (LARG) are required for competitiveness in today's complex, high-demand market. SCM must consider LARG paradigms concurrently, a rarely investigated topic. This study provides a comprehensive review of publications that combine all four LARG principles in engineering, business, and management domains. According to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) approach, two Scopus and Google Scholar databases were exhaustively examined. Thirty-two manuscripts were selected for a comprehensive review. The year of publication, document type, countries, authors, journals, keywords, and topics was analyzed from 2000 to 2023. Also, each paper's methodology, central topic, findings, limitations, and future recommendations were outlined. Consequently, the current systematic literature review (SLR) revealed that the proposed topic is in its infancy, with promising prospects. By emphasizing the findings of this study, managers and businesses can increase consumer satisfaction and reduce costs.

Interrelationship Performance Indicators Model of Agile Supply Chain Management in Palm Oil Industry

This paper tries to model agile supply chain management performance indicators in the palm oil industry. The interpretative Structural Modeling (ISM) method is used to find the relationship between these indicators. The ISM stages begin with identifying indicators, compiling contextual relationships, compiling reachability matrices, compiling level partitions, compiling digraphs, and compiling ISM models. Then MICMAC analysis is used to group each of these indicators into four categories based on their driving power and dependence power. In this study, 16 hands of agile supply chain management in the palm oil industry were obtained, of which the four-level ISM model could be constructed. Two indicators are at level 4, six hands are at level 3, three indicators are at level 2, and five indicators are at level 1. Meanwhile, through MICMAC analysis, five indicators are found in the independent indicators category, six hands are in the linkage indicator category, four indicators are included in the dependent indicator category, and one indicator is in the autonomous indicator category. This research can be used by managers in the palm oil industry who want to increase agility in their supply chain. In general, indicators at level 4 can affect indicators at level 3, and so on. So that management can start fixing the indicators at level 4 first. In addition, indicators that have a driving power value in MICMAC analysis can be prioritized to improve their performance.

Agile supply chain management based on critical success factors and most ideal risk reduction strategy in the era of industry 4.0: application to plastic industry

Agile supply chain management based on critical success factors and most ideal risk reduction strategy in the era of industry 4.0: application to plastic industry

A novel stochastic fuzzy decision model for agile and sustainable global manufacturing outsourcing partner selection in footwear industry

PurposeThe decision-making to outsource and select the most suitable global manufacturing outsourcing partner (MOP) is complex and uncertain due to multiple conflicting qualitative and quantitative criteria as well as multiple alternatives. Vagueness and variability exist in ratings of criteria and alternatives by group of decision-makers (DMs). The paper provides a novel Stochastic Fuzzy (SF) method for evaluation and selection of agile and sustainable global MOP in uncertain and volatile business environment.Design/methodology/approachFour main selection criteria for global MOP selection were identified such as economic, agile, environmental and social criteria. Total 16 sub-criteria were selected. To consider the vagueness and variability in ratings by group of DMs, SF method using t-distribution or z-distribution was adopted. The criteria weights were determined using the Stochastic Fuzzy-CRiteria Importance Through Intercriteria Correlation (SF-CRITIC), while MOP selection was carried out using Stochastic Fuzzy-VIseKriterijumskaOptimizacija I KompromisnoResenje (SF-VIKOR) in the case study of footwear industry. Sensitivity analysis was performed to test the robustness of the proposed model. A comparative analysis of SF-VIKOR and VIKOR was made.FindingsThe worker’s wages and welfare, product price, product quality, green manufacturing process and collaboration with partners are the most important criteria for MOP selection. The MOP3 was found to be the best agile and sustainable global MOP for the footwear company. In sensitivity analysis, significance level is found to have important role in MOP ranking. Hence, the study concluded that integrated SF-CRITIC and SF-VIKOR is an improved method for MOP selection problem.Research limitations/implicationsIn a group decision-making, ambiguity, impreciseness and variability are found in relative ratings. Fuzzy variant Multi-Criteria Decision-Making methods cover impreciseness in ratings but not the variability. On the other hand, deterministic models do not cover either. Hence, the stochastic method based on the probability theory combining fuzzy theory is proposed to deal with decision-making problems in imprecise and uncertain environments. Most notably, the proposed model has novelty as it captures and reveals both the stochastic perspective and the fuzziness perspective in rating by group of DMs.Practical implicationsThe proposed multi-criteria group decision-making model contributes to the sustainable and agile footwear supply chain management and will help the policymakers in selecting the best global MOP.Originality/valueTo the best of the authors’ knowledge, SF method has not been used to select MOP in the existing literature. For the first time, integrated SF-CRITIC and SF-VIKOR method were applied to select the best agile and sustainable MOP under uncertainty. Unlike other studies, this study considered agile criteria along with triple bottom line sustainable criteria for MOP selection. The novel method of SF assessment contributes to the literature and put forward the managerial implication for improving agility and sustainability of global manufacturing outsourcing in footwear industry.

Logistics Case study---DELL Company

this article examines the operations of DELL, a technology business that produces and sells PCs, servers, data storage devices, and networking equipment, are examined in this article. The article examines the significance of capacity management and inventory management, two critical components of a company's operations that can have a considerable impact on its profitability. Capacity management is concerned with matching supply and demand by planning and regulating supply or processing, whereas inventory management is concerned with having the right items in the right place at the right time. DELL has acquired a competitive advantage by implementing the build-to-order (BTO) approach, which allows the corporation to construct products only when a validated order is received, allowing consumers to receive personalized products on an individual basis.
 In conclusion, DELL's successful operations highlight the significance of excellent capacity and inventory management, supply chain management, and new business models. The use of the BTO model and an agile supply chain management approach by the company has allowed it to respond swiftly to changing market demands, supplying tailored products to specific clients. The company's inventory and data management operations have been optimized thanks to effective information exchange, vendor-managed inventory, and enterprise resource planning tools. To achieve long-term success in today's technology-driven company environment, cloud computing, and data security threats must be carefully considered.

ПОРІВНЯЛЬНА ХАРАКТЕРИСТИКА LEAN- ТА AGILE-МЕТОДОЛОГІЇ УПРАВЛІННЯ ЛАНЦЮГАМИ ПОСТАВОК В УМОВАХ НЕВИЗНАЧЕНОСТІ

The article identifies the main challenges in supply chain management in 2023. Factors influencing the choice and application of Lean / Agile methodology were also analyzed, their differences were outlined, and a Lean / Agile matrix was constructed, which can be used in supply chain management depending on the characteristics of supply and demand. It is reasoned that as a result, it will enable organizations to optimize operations, reduce costs, improve quality and increase customer satisfaction in a dynamic and competitive business environment. It is also important to understand how lean thinking and the agility method can strengthen and optimize the efforts of business structures in the field of digital transformation. The future of logistics is expected to be shaped by various trends and developments. The key aspects that can determine the future of logistics and the specifics of supply chain management are characterized. The main of them are: automation and robotics; artificial intelligence and machine learning; Internet of Things (IoT); sustainable business practices and green logistics; blockchain technology; customer orientation. The expediency of future implementation of a combined (hybrid) supply chain management methodology ("LEAGILE strategy"), which is a combination of both lean and agile supply chain management, is asserted. Speaking of synergy, combining Lean and Agile methodologies in supply chains can lead to the best results by leveraging the strengths of both approaches. Lean focuses on eliminating waste and increasing efficiency, while Agile emphasizes flexibility and the ability to respond to customer demands. By integrating these two approaches, organizations can achieve a balance between cost reduction and customer satisfaction. Some ways to combine Lean and Agile in supply chains for best results are outlined: 1. Demand-driven manufacturing; 2. Cross-functional collaboration; 3. Continuous improvement; 4. Partnership with suppliers; 5. Technology integration; 6. Flexibility in production; 7. Customer-oriented approach. It is worth implementing a situational approach to choosing a supply chain management methodology in conditions of uncertainty, taking into account the nature of demand, the product life cycle, marketing goals, etc.

Intertwining green SCM- and agile SCM-based decision-making framework for sustainability using GIVTFNs

PurposeSupply chain management (SCM)-embedded valuable resources, such as capital, raw-materials, products, partners, customers and finished inventories, where the evaluation of environmental texture and flexibilities are needed to perceive sustainability. The present study aims to identify and evaluate the directory of green and agile (G-A) attributes based on decision support framework (DSF) for identifying dominating measures in SCM.Design/methodology/approachDSF is developed by exploiting generalized interval valued trapezoidal fuzzy numbers (GIVTFNs). Two technical approaches, i.e. degree of similarity approach (DSA) and distance approach (DA) under the extent boundaries of GIVTFNs, are implicated for data analytics and for recognizing constructive G-A measures based on comparative study for robust decision. A fuzzy-based performance indicator, i.e. fuzzy performance important index (FPII), is presented to enumerate the weak and strong G-A characteristics to manage knowledge risks in allied business environment.FindingsThe modeling is illustrated from the insights of decision-makers for augmenting business value based on cognitive identification of measures, where the best performance score is identified by the “sustainable packaging” under the traits of green supply chain management (GSCM). “The use of Web-based applications” under the traits of agile supply chain management (ASCM) and “Outsourcing flexibility” under traits of ASCM is found as the second and third most significant performance characteristics for business sustainability. Additionally, the “Reutilization (recycling) and reprocessing” under GSCM in manufacturing and “Responsiveness and speed toward customers needs” under ASCM are found difficult in attainment.Research limitations/implicationsThe G-A evaluation will assist in attaining performance excellence in day-to-day operations and overall functioning. The outcomes will help executives to plan strategic objectives and attaining success.Originality/valueTo reinforce the capabilities of SCM, wide extent of G-A dimensions are presented, concept of FPII is reported to manage knowledge risks based on identification of strong attributes and two technical approaches, i.e. DSA and DA under GIVTFNs are presented for attaining robust decision and directing managerial decision-making process.

Transformation of supply chain management to agile supply chain management: Creating competitive advantage for the organizations

Agility and resilience have become increasingly important in recent years as sudden shocks to the supply chain have become more frequent. To improve the level of integration to increase the level of agile supply chain operations, coordinated supply metrics, supplier collaboration in product design, trust between suppliers are required, coordination within the organization, correspondence of information within the organization, products design based on interaction and sharing common interests are highlighted. When there is no integration and synchronized process of the supply chain, the relationship between the company and the supplier is poor, the distribution becomes unequal and the customer is not satisfied, which will lead to failure of business. To stay sustainable in time-based competition, companies must have a supply chain that responds to customer demand for shorter lead times and can meet expectations during times of high demand.

Transformation of supply chain management to agile supply chain management: Creating competitive advantage for the organizations

Transformation of supply chain management to agile supply chain management: Creating competitive advantage for the organizations

Prioritize the Dimensions of Agile Hospital Supply Chain with Combination of Interpretive Structural Modeling and Analytic Network Process

Background: Hospital supply chain management (SCM) agility requires finding the main and effective dimensions, prioritizing, communicating between them and analyzing these dimensions in relation to each other. Objective: The purpose of this study was to identify different dimensions of the hospital SCM agility, proposing a model of the hospital SCM agility and determining the relationships between dimensions of agility, and prioritizing, analyzing, and interpreting dimensions of the hospital SCM agility. Materials & Methods: This cross-sectional study was performed on the physicians, nurses and staff working at public hospitals affiliated to Guilan University of Medical Sciences. Delphi technique was used to determine the dimensions of agility, interpretive-structural modeling approach was used for analysis. Network analysis was used to prioritize the dimensions of agility Results:‌ In the literature review 16 dimensions of agility were identified. The final model of agile supply chain management has 8 levels; cost reduction placed at the highest level and organizational leadership commitment was at the lowest level. Cost reduction dimensions were the highest priority and organizational culture was the lowest priority in the final network analysis. Conclusion: Agile supply chain management has very important and complex elements. Neglecting to monitor their changes can cause irreparable and profound damage to the medical sector. Interpretive-structural approach and network analysis create a constructive and effective method to model, analyze, and prioritize the dimensions of agile supply chain management.

The effects of business environment and supply chain governance on business strategies and company performance

This study aims to examine the effects of the business environment and supply chain governance on business strategies and their impact on the performance of state-owned enterprises in Indonesia. Using Partial Least Square (PLS) and quantitative research, this study took state companies management and commissioners as the respondents. The study concludes that the business environment has a positive and significant effect on business strategy, and supply chain governance has a positive and significant effect on business strategy. Moreover, the results show that the business environment influences corporate performance, and supply chain governance has an effect on corporate performance. Business strategy influences corporate performance, and business strategy can mediate the influence of the business environment on corporate performance. Lastly, business strategy can mediate the influence of supply chain governance on corporate performance. The results theoretically confirm the supply chain governance in business practice and practically encouraged the company management to develop risk-management and effective internal controls to create competitive business climate and more agile supply chain management.

Optimization of Lean and Agile Supply Chain Management Practices in the Aviation Industry

Organizations that provide products and/or services must be able to execute fast, adaptive supply and (fluctuating) demand practices. From producers to consumers, and every stakeholder involved throughout the supply chain network processes, a collaborative relationship promotes sharing information that is beneficial to all. This long-term relationship then flourishes and in return stimulates the growth, health, and stability of the supply chain. Understanding the organizational processes and requirements is a complex endeavor. However, with technological advances and with the right type of data collected, it is possible to optimize entire supply chain networks.

Industry 4.0 technologies as enablers of lean and agile supply chain strategies: an exploratory investigation

PurposeLean and agile are essential supply chain management (SCM) strategies that enhance companies' performance. Previous studies have reported the capabilities of different SCM strategies to enhance performance; however, the emergence of Industry 4.0 technologies has bred focus on the possibility of attaining more levels of operational performance. Despite being demonstrated helpful at enabling supply chain (SC) strategies, the literature linking Industry 4.0 with SCM strategies is still in its infancy. Thus, this work investigates the degree to which “Industry 4.0 technologies” enable the implementation of lean and agile practices and subsequently assesses the potential performance implications of integrating Industry 4.0 technologies with the SC operations.Design/methodology/approachThe work employs an exploratory case study approach using empirical data from selected organisations drawn from an Estonian manufacturing cluster and digital solution providing companies. The data collected via interviews were used to assign numerical scores and subsequently aggregated across the five cases for the research variables of interest. The work is crowned with a model grounded on the cross-case analysis to depict which technologies impact each of the lean and agile practices.FindingsThe analysis enabled comprehension of the potential impact and level of importance of the main Industry 4.0 technologies on lean and agile practices and ultimately the potential implication on performance. The findings revealed that the technologies have a high impact on the practices. Although the impacts are of varying degrees, the analysis provides means to identify the technologies with the most significant impact on lean and agile SCM and the sets of practices with the greatest likelihood of being enabled by various digital technologies.Practical implicationsThe work presents various lean and agile practices that practitioners can deploy to operations, alongside the technologies that could support the implementation of the practices towards achieving the various performance measures. Also, it provides some guides for the digital solution providing companies towards understanding the SCM practices that can be improved upon by various digital technologies. This enables them to have more saleable proposals for intending companies who might be sceptical about transiting into the digital operation phase.Originality/valueThis is the first attempt to empirically address the connection between Industry 4.0 technologies and the integrated lean and agile strategies despite literature backing of the complementary nature of the two SCM strategies.

Introducing a New Supply Chain Management Concept by Hybridizing TOPSIS, IoT and Cloud Computing

Supply Chain Management (SCM) is becoming more complex day by day. Functional silos on demand and supply fronts of products are required to be addressed to implement the de-coupling point in preferences of consumers involved in a supply chain for optimization of operational efficiency, and nowadays, it has become a challenge. Again, ‘Amazon Effect’ has forced others to reset their strategies for optimizing their effectiveness. For the optimization of operational efficiency, three technologies have been used in the present work. TOPSIS, one of the Multi-Criteria Decision Making (MCDM) Techniques, has been applied to provide preferences of consumers of different criteria against different attributes (products). For tracking the products on transit, Radio Frequency IDentification (RFID) method can be employed in SCM to collect and share data of event(s) or ‘Things’ for a broad range through the Internet of Things (IoT) application. Finally, Cloud Computing has been proposed to be applied for managing Big Data that will be generated during this entire process of SCM. The optimization method of a quick or agile SCM based on TOPSIS, IoT and Cloud Computing is discussed in detail in this work to benefit industries.

Agile supply chain management: where did it come from and where will it go in the era of digital transformation?

In today's dynamic business environment, agile supply chain (ASC) has become a key strategic move to cope with market instability, handle competitive pressures and strengthen operational and organizational performance. Meanwhile ASC is a good example of a strategy drawing heavily on digitization since as a demand chain management it was information-centric and technology-centric from its inception. Yet, despite this relationship, a lack of coherence and clarity around the input of technology for ASC has impeded to portray accurately the relative importance of digitization in ASC strategies. This study provides a comprehensive and integrative review of 90 articles on ASC. By so doing, we contribute to the discussion about digitization in the supply chain in several ways. First, the paper reports descriptively and analytically how technology was addressed within the ASC literature. Second, it maps a nomological network of ASC research. Third, it finds that technology appears as a necessary but not-sufficient enabling factor for ASC deployment. Finally, a research agenda is proposed to suggest future research avenues to improve contributions to ASC performance.

Identification of Critical Factors and Their Interrelationships to Design Agile Supply Chain: Special Focus to Oil and Gas Industries

This research identifies the critical factors that drive agile supply chain management, especially to oil and gas industries. An extensive literature review and questionnaire survey was conducted within the oil and gas industries supply chain to identify the critical factors. Besides, several brainstorming sessions were held with the experts in the oil and gas industries supply chain to know the contextual relationship between the identified factors. Furthermore, with the help of a total interpretive structural modeling tool, a digraph was developed to analyze the relationships between the identified factors. From the analysis, out of the twelve identified factors, top management commitment, strategic alignment, competency of management and integration of information technology were found to be the main drivers to offer an agile supply chain. On the other hand, factors such as government regulations, transportation and logistics flexibility and production planning fell under the category of dependent factors.

RETRACTED ARTICLE: Design of prototype system for multi-agent supply chain information sharing benefit distribution management

As the international market environment changes more and more fierce, the potential for enterprises to improve their ability to adapt to market changes and improve their competitiveness will become smaller and smaller, and the difficulty will increase, such as product delivery speed, quality, cost and service. The level will obviously be constrained by the relationship between product manufacturers and suppliers of raw materials and components, product distributors, etc. More and more enterprises are beginning to effectively carry out internal management changes, and the traditional competitive relationship among enterprises gradually transforming into a new type of partnership. The supply chain plays an increasingly important role in the process of enterprise competition. High-level supply chain operation and management are the key to successful operation of the company. The supply chain is a complex system, which requires members to reduce the “bullwhip effect” through information sharing, to achieve decision synchronization, reduce inventory, and improve market response. Therefore, information sharing is an important part of supply chain research. The competition in the century is the competition between supply chains. The end-customer’s individualization of products, the increasing requirements for diversification, and the increasing uncertainty of the economic environment have prompted enterprises to pay more and more attention to the coordination of relations among members of the supply chain. The key to coordinate the supply chain is to realize information sharing. This paper proposes an architecture of agile supply chain management system based on the multi-agent information sharing under the guidance of self-organization theory. At the same time, the prototype of the supply chain management system was established by using web technology, distributed object technology (CORBA/DCOM) and related information resource organization and management technology.

Development and validation of a lean supply chain management measurement instrument

It is widely argued that to be competitive, a company not only needs to focus on internal aspects but on the entire supply chain. Lean supply chain management has become a means of enhancing competitiveness by improving efficiency and increasing flexibility at all stages of the supply chain. This research develops and validates a lean supply chain management measurement instrument. A two-phase approach is used for scale development and refinement. In the first phase, a literature review is conducted to identify definitions of lean supply chain management and agile supply chain management and their corresponding measurement items. In the second phase, the lean supply chain management measurement instrument is validated using survey data based on scales developed in the first phase by 59 scholars with experience in lean management and/or supply chain management. The results provide a structured and comprehensive measure of lean supply chain management indicating that there are two differentiated dimensions in the measurement instrument: one related to the operational aspects of lean supply chain strategy implementation and the second related to lean supply chain planning.