Aspects Of Supply Chain Research Articles

A Multiperiod Supply Chain Network Optimization Model with Investments in Labor Productivity Enhancements in an Era of COVID-19 and Climate Change

We are living in a very challenging time in history with the COVID-19 pandemic upon us plus the impacts of climate change now being notable with the frequency of various disasters increasing as well as their impacts. Nevertheless, products still must be produced, transported, and consumed in order to sustain humanity, and labor has revealed itself to be a critical resource in supply chain networks. In this paper, we construct the first multiperiod supply chain network model, which captures labor associated with the various supply chain network activities of production, transportation, storage over time, and distribution, and also includes link labor productivity enhancements that allow for investments in enhanced safety and health of the workers. We utilize a net present value (NPV) approach with the optimization model being formulated and solved as a variational inequality problem. We report the complete input and solution results for a series of numerical examples in terms of product flows, labor required, wages, as well as link labor productivity enhancements. We then further illustrate the relevance of the framework by conducting sensitivity analysis. We find that investing in link labor productivity can benefit workers also in terms of higher wages earned and the firm in terms of an increase in the optimal value of its objective function represented by the NPV, provided that consumers are aware of and responsive to such investments. This work adds to the literature on the integration and extension of concepts of operations research and economics in order to provide deeper insights into highly relevant aspects of supply chains during this time of their expanded importance.

A digital readiness check for the evaluation of supply chain aspects and company size for Industry 4.0

PurposeWhile there are several readiness assessments regarding digital transformation (DT) and Industry 4.0 in extant literature, this study aims to contribute to (a) a better understanding of digital readiness in supply chain (SC) aspects and (b) elaborate on differences between small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and large enterprises.Design/methodology/approachThe study is based on 409 companies that participated in the Digital Readiness Check (DRC) in the region of Salzburg (Austria) and Bavaria (Germany) – an online assessment for self-evaluating the digital readiness of companies.FindingsThe study's results provide insights for the categories of strategy, employees, initiation of business transactions and SC. These are further differentiated for SMEs and large enterprises.Research limitations/implicationsThe study is limited to two regions in Austria and Germany, based on a self-evaluation of companies in a single point of time perspective. For future research, the results of this study should be expanded for different regions. Further, the results could be validated regarding external observations and measuring results at a later point of time.Practical implicationsThe DRC may help companies in benchmarking themselves and gaining a better understanding about categories that must be improved, especially regarding SC aspects of DT.Originality/valueThe DRC extends extant literature regarding the differentiation between SMEs and large enterprises as well as focussing on SC aspects of DT.

Addressing sustainable food management in hotels: proposing a framework and examining hotel groups

Purpose Sustainable food practices have been recognised as a key issue in efforts to improve and report sustainable tourism practices, given the importance of the social, environmental and economic impacts of the food industry throughout its entire chain of production – from farm to fork. From this standpoint, the aim of the present paper is to propose a comprehensive framework for reporting or making decisions concerning sustainable food management in hotels, taking into account the various facets of the food supply chain.Design/methodology/approach Several dimensions are proposed for dealing with sustainable food management, involving all aspects of food supply chains that may be relevant for hotel decision-making. Furthermore, some key criteria for creating and using indicators of different types (qualitative and quantitative) to address these various dimensions of sustainable food management are suggested. Subsequently, the proposed framework is validated with the sustainability criteria and indicators provided by the top eight hotel groups, according to the 2019 SAM Annual Corporate Sustainability Assessment.Findings Hotels neglect a number of aspects of sustainable food management identified in the framework. The quality and the quantity of the information provided by hotels are limited.Practical implications There is a need to improve sustainability in food management in the hotels under analysis in several areas. A comprehensive framework such as that proposed in this paper may be of great value in seeking to remedy this situation. It may also assist users of hotel services and communities in making more informed decisions.Originality/value The proposed framework may be beneficial in advancing academic debate towards a more embracing and relevant understanding of sustainable food management in hotels and on the indicators required in this regard.

Impacts of COVID-19 on the value chain of the hake small scale fishery in northern Peru

All aspects of fish supply chains have been severely affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, with jobs, income and food security at risk. In Peru, small scale fisheries are fundamental for food security, contributing to about 2/3 of all fish consumed nationally. One of the most important resources which is more affordable for local and regional consumption is hake (Merluccius gayi peruanus). This study is a first attempt to describe the small-scale hake fishery value chain and to quantify the impact of COVID-19 from March to August 2020 in two fishing communities in northern Peru. The levels of fishing and primary buying were the most affected, and we estimate that ~ 23,000 fishing trips were not conducted, ~ 1680 t of hake was not landed (83% decrease), and 620 jobs were negatively impacted during this period. The gross income of vessel owners and primary buyers decreased by ~ $US 913,000. Marked differences were observed in the way each community responded to the pandemic and in their resilience to cope with COVID-19, despite being located less than 10 km away. In El Ñuro, which relied more heavily on the international market for hake trade, the value chain was affected for longer, while in Los Órganos which supplied national markets, the chain was restored after an initial period of adjustment. Our study suggests that government efforts should focus on facilitating a formalisation process in all levels of the chain, develop indicators to monitor the resumption of activities and the inclusion of a value chain approach to small-scale fisheries management.

Nestlé United States, Inc. v. Doe. 141 S. Ct. 1931.

On June 17, 2021, the United States Supreme Court reversed and remanded a suit filed against Nestlé USA and Cargill under the Alien Tort Statute (ATS) for lack of jurisdiction. This case has already garnered attention over the nature of the dispute (child slaves in Africa), the Supreme Court's treatment of jurisdiction under the ATS, and the finding shared by five of the nine Supreme Court justices that domestic corporations can potentially be sued under the ATS. This analysis focuses on the child slavery and global supply chain aspects of the decision.

Blockchain-based secured traceability system for the agriculture supply chain of ginger in Nepal: A case study

For the past few years, ginger export to India and through India to other countries has become a perennial problem for the farmers and traders. In this paper, we discuss about the impact of blockchain technology in ginger supply chain, which faces intermittent deterring of ginger worth millions in the Nepal-India border. Extensive literature reviews and execution of Delphi method in the study showed that blockchain as an emerging technology capable of transforming the food supply chain maintaining transparency in each step. In this paper, we study the potentiality of blockchain technology in transforming the ginger supply chain system through its potential benefits in Nepalese agriculture. The technology is capable of making various aspects of supply chain like tracing, monitoring and sustainability efficient. Thus, can reduce the trade-trust deficit between nations with technology.

Quantifying Food Loss and Waste in Saudi Arabia

Using the FAO model calculations proposed by Gustavsson et al. (2013) and FAO (2014), food loss and waste (FLW) is measured in Saudi Arabia with a special focus on wheat, rice, dates, poultry, vegetables, fruits, fish, and meat. Results show that the overall FLW rate is 33.1%, where the food loss rate is 14.2%, and the food waste rate is 18.9%. Acceding to the disaggregated results, we find that FLW rates are distributed as follows: 29.7% for wheat, 33.6% for rice, 21.4%, for dates 29.1% for poultry, 39.5% for vegetables, 39.6% for fruits, 33% for fish, and 31.3% for meat. The Sustainable Development Goal (SDG 12.3) target is to reduce the rates of food loss and waste by 50% in 2030, and to help achieve that goal, we employed a nonlinear optimisation simulation model with the objective function of reducing FLW by 50% over the period 2020–2030. Based on the findings achieved, recommendations are made to cover the various aspects of the whole food supply chain (FSC) and to aim at more efficiency and higher levels of productivity. Our findings have significant implications by estimating the FLW baseline indicator and providing the different stakeholders of FSC with the optimal actions to do to reduce FLW rates.

Sustainable Supply Chains: Evidence from Small and Medium-Sized Manufacturers

As a result of the 1997 Kyoto Protocol, numerous countries have become highly interested in sustainability. Manufacturers have been triggered to develop sustainable supply chain strategies in consideration of their value-added processes and stakeholders. This study was conducted, in the context of small- and medium-sized enterprises in the Taiwanese manufacturing industry, in order to examine the relationship between sustainability and business performance from the perspective of the supply chain aspects of business cooperation, operation integration, and enterprise commitment. A total of 290 companies were surveyed and structural equation modeling was applied to analyze the figures from the samples. The results reveal that the implementation of sustainable practices in the context of enterprise commitments, supply chain cooperation, and operation integration has a positive impact on sustainability and business performance. Furthermore, in high-value manufacturing, supply chain cooperation significantly affects sustainable business performance through internal operation integration. These results may serve as a reference for the realization of supply chain sustainability in small- and medium-sized enterprises.

An integrated production and transportation scheduling problem with order acceptance and resource allocation decisions

In the global market competition, coordinating decisions and integrating different aspects of supply chains would help managers promote the overall performance of systems, and reduce the overall costs. The integration of production and transportation is one of the essential considerations of manufacturers to achieve more efficiency levels. In this paper, an integrated production and transportation scheduling problem is addressed. The objective is to maximize the revenue of accepted orders and to minimize the sum of delivery cost, weighted tardiness cost, and fixed cost of vehicles, by considering resource allocation and resource-dependent processing times. The problem is regarded as strong NP-Hard. A Mixed Integer Linear Programming (MILP) is proposed. Also, two meta-heuristic solution approaches, based on Adaptive Genetic Algorithm (AGA) and Tabu Search (TS) are proposed to solve this problem. The computational experiments based on small-scale and large-scale analyses are provided to assess the effects of different parameters of the problems on both optimality and solving time criteria. It is deduced that the proposed AGA has a better performance and higher efficiency, rather than the proposed TS, in terms of optimality. The results indicate the capability of the proposed algorithms in solving the real-life problems in an efficient manner.

Sustainable Supply Chain Management Practices

This paper made an effort to compile the relevant research articles in the last 18 years on sustainable supply chain management practices. The author has classified the review based on sustainability in manufacturing and supply chain aspects using the dimensions of sustainability (i.e., economic, environment social aspects, and sustainable supply chain management performance evaluation). The authors summarized the relevant work published in noted refereed national and international journals and conference proceedings. The work suggested some research directions as well as propositions for researchers, especially with reference to the Indian context.

Making Hemp a 21st Century Commodity in Oregon—and Beyond

AbstractWith passage of the 2018 farm bill, hemp has been re‐established as a legal crop, and with that has come a resurgent enthusiasm for its production. The Global Hemp Innovation Center (GHIC) was launched in June of 2019 as the largest and most comprehensive hemp research center in the nation. Since its launch, the GHIC has been busy engaging the many industry sectors that touch on all aspects of hemp supply chains and organizing faculty around these sectors to help solve the challenges hemp faces to become a 21st century commodity. Following are general observations about hemp specifically grown in Oregon but with reference to production elsewhere. Earn 1.5 CEUs in Crop Management by reading this article and taking the quiz at www.certifiedcropadviser.org/education/classroom/classes/996.

New Αpplication of FMEA Αnalysis in the Ηeavy Ιndustry Supply Chain

Purpose: The purpose of the publication is to indicate the validity of building industry supply chains and to present a modified FMEA analysis for the heavy industry supply chain. Approach/Methodology/Design: The research was carried out with reference to companies operating in the heavy metal industry between 2016 and 2020 on a European scale. The presented results concern one aspect of the conducted research related to the identification of key areas and determinants shaping industry supply chains. Findings: The results obtained determine the specificity of the heavy industry supply chain, where social and societal aspects had the greatest impact on industry supply chains, mainly related to the lack of qualified staff, the increase in labour costs and social benefits and the need to meet staffing needs with foreign human resources. Practical Implications: The relationships of companies operating in the heavy industry sector, the specifics of the supply chain and the risk factors affecting the companies in question are examined, as well as relating the risk elements to the heavy industry sector. Originality/Value: The article contains important determinants for the development of the heavy industry explained along with the presentation of an innovative method combining FMEA analysis with the emergence of determinants shaping the industry.

Sustainability-oriented research and innovation in ‘farm to fork’ value chains

• Innovation is classified based on value chain actors. • Farmers, food processors, retailers, advisory services act as innovation providers. • Consumers, policy makers and researchers act as agents of change. • Sustainability in agrifood concerns private actors and public stakeholders of the value chain. The European Green Deal clearly declares the ambitious goal of making European food ‘the global standard for sustainability’ on the basis of an integrated approach encompassing all aspects of food supply chains. The Farm to Fork Strategy asserts that research and innovation are key drivers in accelerating the transition to sustainable, healthy and inclusive food systems, from primary production to consumption. Therefore, in this paper, the most promising fields of innovation towards this transition in the agrifood sector have been reviewed with reference to the value chain actors engaged in their implementation. Although not exhaustive, this short survey presents a selection of solutions that have in recent years been viewed as ‘first mover’ opportunities for innovation in the agrifood sector where changes have been initiated but need to be further implemented. The paper first discusses options that allow agrifood businesses to operate directly as innovation providers, and then expands on the role of public stakeholders, namely consumers, policy makers and researchers, to act as agents of change and contribute to pave the way to a ‘green deal’ in Europe. The survey concludes by highlighting the possibility of developing integrated approaches to research and innovation to ensure the sustainability of the food system through cooperative actions engaging both private and public actors in the value chain.

Supply Chain Resilience Assessment With Financial Considerations: A Bayesian Network-Based Method

Supply chain resilience assessment and strengthening has become a strategic topic in supply chain management. Extant literature on the subject of supply chain resilience assessment mainly focuses on evaluating the operational performance (e.g., inventory, capacity, lead time) while overlooking aspects of the financial performance. This article presents an event-based Bayesian approach as an effective tool for modeling the causal relationships among variables at different time intervals to evaluate resilience across operational and financial criteria. The model focuses on two key elements of resilience—reliability (the ability of the system to sustain an original state) and recoverability (the ability of a system to recover following a disruption), which allows us to investigate how different operational and financial factors affect the network reliability, recoverability, and resilience. This article contributes to the literature in three ways—first, we incorporate a financial perspective to the quantitative study of supply chain resilience; second, we evaluate both the financial and operational aspects from a longitudinal perspective; third, we show that the financial performance of individual supply chain entities has a strong influence on the overall supply chain resilience. From a practical standpoint, the article presents a model that can help managers identify the weakest nodes in their supply chain, considering operational and financial aspects over time, allowing them to design and operate more resilient supply networks.

Simulasi Produksi E-Bike ITSB Model Pertama

Program Studi Desain Produk ITSB, melalui Tugas Akhir mahasiswa Prodi DP, telah melakukan inovasi konsep scootpad bertenaga surya yang dieksekusi hingga tahap prototipe dengan nama E-Bike ITSB. Untuk mendistribusikan hasil pengembangan kepada masyarakat, Pusat Desain Produk Industri yang berada di bawah Lembaga Penelitian dan Pengabdian kepada Masyarakat (LPPM) ITSB melakukan persiapan tahap produksi E-Bike ITSB untuk memperoleh standar produk yang baik sehingga layak didistribusikan kepada pengguna. Hal ini mendesak untuk dilakukan karena keberadaan kendaraan ini telah mendapat sambutan positif dari masyarakat melalui beberapa publikasi nasional di media cetak dan televisi. Secara khusus, beberapa pihak menunjukkan keberminatan terhadap kendaraan ini untuk digunakan sebagai kendaraan commuter di kawasan terpadu. Persiapan produksi dilakukan melalui metode comprehensive prototyping, yaitu menguji produk dalam skala utuh yang dioperasikan dalam kondisi maksimal serta disimulasikan dalam tahap in line produksi untuk menguji aspek kedayagunaan serta kesiapan rantai pasol dan produksi. Penelitian menghasilkan lima unit E-Bike ITSB. Kerjasama rekanan dan resources untuk pemenuhan komponen kelistrikan dan pembuatan rangka juga mulai terjalin. Kegiatan ini dapat diklaim telah meningkatkan kesiapan inovasi E-Bike ITSB menjadi level 5 karena rantai pasok komponen dan rangka sudah teridentifikasi dan mulai terbangun.

Impact of product perishability on agri-food supply chains design

Perishability of agri-food products impacts the economic, environmental, and social aspects of agri-food supply chains (AFSCs). Product perishability is, usually, considered in tactical and operational decisions, but not in strategic ones, such as the design of the AFSC. The contribution of this paper is that it investigates the impact of product perishability on an AFSC design. To do so, first, a novel mixed-integer linear programming model is proposed to design entire AFSCs with multiple-products, which considers capacity, planting, harvesting, transporting and perishability constraints for a multiple-period horizon. A set of scenarios is generated by varying products’ shelf life and analysed. The results show that product perishability is relevant when designing AFSCs, especially for products with a short shelf life. The results show that an AFSC's economic performance improves when product perishability is considered. The model can also help in determining the investment needed extend products shelf life while remaining profitable. Other uses could include tactical planning for chains already in place.

The human side of humanitarian supply chains: a research agenda and systematization framework.

Humanitarian operations are increasingly receiving attention due to the numerous recent disasters and crises caused by both natural and man-made events, from mass human exodus to pandemics such as COVID-19. The successful management of humanitarian supply chains requires the effective use of human resource practices, which in turn requires strong leadership in the so-called ‘soft side’ of management. This study aims to investigate the current status of research on the human aspects of humanitarian supply chains. Through a systematic and comprehensive literature review, encompassing an original codification and in-depth analysis of journal articles, this work provides a research agenda and a number of lessons concerning human resource management (HRM) in humanitarian operations. The main findings reveal that: (i) HRM impacts the ability of humanitarian organizations to adequately prevent, prepare for and respond to disasters; (ii) training programs for aid personnel are a vital aspect of humanitarian responsiveness; (iii) humanitarian operations require a workforce with a variety of soft and hard skills; (iv) lack of trained staff is one of the main challenges in this field; and (v) building relationships and strengthening networks can enlarge the human resource pool available. Therefore, the findings of this study and its proposed research agenda have implications for both theory and practice. In terms of theory, this work provides seven recommendations, representing opportunities for scholars to advance this body of knowledge. For humanitarian practitioners, this paper offers insightful lessons to guide them in the management of human resources in humanitarian operations.

A framework for a sustainable craft beer supply chain

PurposeThis study aims to propose a framework for developing strategies for the supply chain of craft beer that can make the business efficient and profitable, and at the same time, generate sustainability benefits from reducing waste, conserving natural resources and reducing pollution.Design/methodology/approachBased on an extensive review of the literature of academic and industry publications, source material from craft brewers primarily situated in the USA and industry experience in craft brewing, the proposed framework describes strategies to establish sustainable craft beer supply chains.FindingsThe framework for craft beer supply chain consists of four categories that contribute to craft beer sustainability: ingredient procurement, recycling efforts, energy usage and distribution systems – some of these mimicking those used by macrobrewers. Each of the categories is further subdivided. Successful practices and examples are highlighted for each of the subcategories.Research limitations/implicationsThis proposed framework was built upon current practices and available literature in the USA and focused on the environmental pillar of sustainability. Further, the proposed framework arises from the fact that current best practices in sustainability were available primarily from larger craft brewers, like Sierra Nevada and New Belgium.Practical implicationsBy paying attention to operational changes in their supply chains, craft brewers can manage costs and improve their sustainability track record by reducing waste, conserving natural resources and improving upon their pollution footprint. Craft brewers can economize in the use of water, grains, hops and yeast by using practices discussed in this paper.Originality/valueThis is the first time that all aspects of supply chain and sustainability considerations in craft beer production are discussed in a comprehensive manner to propose a framework for analysis and enhancement of productivity and sustainability at the same time. The fact that the proposed framework can be used in future studies to empirically evaluate the utility of various sustainability strategies adds to the originality and value of this research.

Feasibility Analysis of Compact-Mobile Biomass Pallet Technology as Renewable Fuel for Small and Medium Industries

Wood or biomass pallets as renewable energy are possible to use like B20 to meet small and medium industries (SMEs). This research aims to analyze the feasibility of the compact-mobile wooden pallet biomass production to meet the needs of a case study on Food SMEs. Specifically analyzed aspects of raw materials and supply chains, market and marketing, compact-mobile pallet technology, and financial feasibility. The data collected consists of primary and secondary data. Primary data is obtained through expert interviews related to recommendations, while secondary data is compiled from relevant company report results, production and consumption data, investment data, and operational costs. The compact-mobile wood pallet supply chain starts from raw materials, processing, transportation, and end-use. The compact-mobile wood pallet industry is designed to have 5 tons/hour with a defect rate of 5%. The capital cost requirement is projected to be IDR 30 billion. The BEP is at a minimum capacity of 2.82 tons of compact-mobile wood pellet per hour. Financially, the compact-mobile pallet industry deserves a WACC of 10.95%, NPV value of IDR 28.94 billion, IRR 21.82%, and 6-year PBP. The simulation results from the pallet's selling price at least IDR 1,038,145 per ton but the PBP increased to 11 years. The development of a wood pellet industry is related to the efforts of diversification and saving the use of fossil energy fuels; therefore, the form of infrastructure that must be prepared is not only physical needs.

Waste-to-energy supply chain management with energy feasibility condition

Waste-to-energy (WTE) is the focus of academia and industry triggered by the over-increasing amount of waste and rapidly depleting energy resources. Designing a waste-to-energy supply chain, focusing on its supply chain aspects, this study aims at converting the waste into profit, reducing the environmental pollution, and generating the energy from bio-waste. The proposed model considers a two-echelon supply chain consisting of a waste collection center and a biogas production plant. The rate of return at collection center is improved by employing effective return policy, which is modeled by using the sigmoid function. The collected bio-waste is converted into biogas and fertilizer at a biogas production plant. An energy feasibility condition is developed to decide the supply of required energy for operating the production plant from its own output. Besides fulfilling the plant’s energy requirements, excess amount of the biogas and all the amount of fertilizer is sold in market for earning profit. The study objective is defined as total profit of the supply chain in form of a mathematical model, which is maximized by searching the optimal solution for cycle time and acquisition/incentive cost. The results of the study exhibit almost complete (97%) removal of the organic waste, production of a substantial amount of energy (14.8 MW), and creation of a significant amount of profit ($23908/month) for the considered setup. Based on the proposed feasibility condition, the environmental, economic and energy feasibilities of the WTE system are calculated in three different scenarios. The proposed model is applicable to the domestic as well as commercial setup of biogas production plants for optimizing the supply chain system and obtaining the aforementioned benefits.