Complicated Supply Chain Research Articles

Innovative Resource Distribution Through Multi-Agent Supply Chain Scheduling Leveraging Honey Bee Optimization Techniques

Many people and things involved in the supply chain can be represented by a network of linked agents in a multi-agent system. To achieve distribution and manufacturing targets efficiently, actions in a supply chain must be scheduled by tracking and organizing the allocation of resources. Healthcare, energy, aerospace, agriculture, and manufacturing are some of the industries that make use of it to better allocate and coordinate resources in complex networks. The goal of multi-agent supply chains is to lower costs and meet demand in dynamic contexts through efficient resource allocation and planning. Traditional approaches, such as linear programming and heuristic algorithmic approaches, have problems with adaptation and scalability. This study offers a novel scheduling method, Resource Distribution by Honey Bee Optimization (RDHBO), to circumvent these issues. It is based on a tactic that the honey bee uses when foraging. In this model, scout bees and foragers take on the role of actors, investigating and making the most of potential new ways to divide up resources by employing HBO strategies. The foraging agents look for places that have been profitable in the past, and the scouting agents carefully examine the supply chain to find places where resources might be available. The proposed RDHBO architecture allows for better supply chain scheduling by encouraging effective utilization and investigation, better communication, dynamic adaptability, autonomous decision-making, and efficiency of complicated systems. This method leads to an adaptable supply chain, lower operational costs, and more scalability and adaptability. This paper presents a formidable alternative to conventional optimization methods by demonstrating an efficient approach to dealing with complicated supply chain challenges.

Decision-Making Techniques for Supply Chain Management: An Empirical Analysis of Just-In-Time Inventory System

Many organizations face a severe problem in developing decision-making frameworks for complicated supply chain management (SCM), which has driven them to keep improving supply chain models. This study examines Just-in-time (JIT) factors and its effect on SCM in the Nigerian manufacturing sector, with a specific focus on Olam PLC in Ilorin, which was used because it is the only international agricultural manufacturing firm that competes for supplies in the region. The survey research design was used to gather data through a questionnaire from 265 members of Olam employees selected randomly, of which 253 were valid. The data was analyzed, and hypotheses were tested through PL-SEM at a significance threshold of 0.05 using SmartPLS3. Results demonstrated that JIT has a standardized beta value and the P value of 0.981 and 0.000 on SCM, and its r2 indicated 96% on SCM, indicating that JIT has a significant effect on SCM. In conclusion, therefore, effective integration of JIT inventory management in business processes enhances continuous improvement and enhanced supply chain management.

An Effective Supply Chain Model using Blockchain in IoT with Trust Enabled Hybrid Concensus Algorithm

With the rapid growth of multiagent systems, concerns about privacy and security have assumed a position of paramount importance. Blockchain technology has gained a lot of attention since it first appeared because of its benefits in terms of decentralization, accessibility, traceability, and the capacity to be trustless. The increasingly complicated supply chains in today's world face significant issues regarding traceability and integrity. Blockchain technology holds out the possibility of developing a new concept for supply chain traceability, lapping these worries. Thus, in this research, the trust enable hybrid consensus algorithm is proposed for establishing consistency in the network with the irrelevant traders. The authorization is identified by the proposed model for accessing the Blockchain network depending on the accessibility rules. Depending on the various information sources, the authenticity of data is calculated, which makes the interaction between both the agent as well as the resource. The efficiency of the proposed model is determined by three different measures for secure data transfer. The attained minimal transaction time is 0.856 ms, memory usage is 87.684 KB, and responsiveness is 3.599 ms, respectively.

Data-driven supply chain monitoring using canonical variate analysis

The monitoring of supply chain operations and the ability to detect abnormal operation in a timely manner is important to the functioning and economics of a supply chain system. This paper presents a data-driven supply chain monitoring method based on canonical variate analysis (CVA). A sparse CVA algorithm is used to address singular covariance matrices. In addition, a fault impact prediction method that utilizes the time-dependent relationships inherent in the CVA model is proposed. The proposed monitoring scheme is validated on two case studies — the classical beer distribution game, and a more complicated supply chain that has material flow in forward and reverse directions. The performance of CVA in fault detection is examined and compared against dynamic principal component analysis (DPCA) under cross-correlated and autocorrelated demand. Results show that CVA is effective in detecting abnormal supply chain operations, and achieves comparable performance to DPCA in a lower-dimensional latent space.

Supply Chain Threats Persist

Since early 2020, critical infrastructure sectors have endured myriad conditions that have threatened their continuity of operations. Most business entities are not autonomous or self-sufficient; rather they depend on a complex and often global supply chain of essential goods and services—this is certainly true of drinking water and wastewater systems. Supply chain matters were a roller coaster last year, and several of those challenging supply chain conditions will persist into 2023 and beyond. The following is a high-level summary of supply chain challenges and their effects on operational continuity in the water sector. The February 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine exacerbated existing COVID-19-related stress on commodity markets, triggering price shocks in food and fuel. The reduction in natural gas exports from Russia has caused significant increases in the cost and availability of anhydrous ammonia—prices have spiked over last year to roughly $1,400 per ton in late 2022. This has direct budgetary impacts on water treatment operations, especially systems that use chloramines as a disinfectant. Also, Russia is the world's largest producer of fertilizer, and reductions in fertilizer exports have had far-ranging effects. Shifts in fertilizer markets have caused China—the world's largest exporter of phosphorus—to restrict exports in 2023. In addition to escalating costs, water systems in several states have reported availability issues with phosphate corrosion inhibitors. In mid-2022, a long-term railroad labor dispute resulted in government intervention to negotiate a contract. An 11th-hour agreement in September averted a strike that came very close to cutting off the supply of chlorine and other critical treatment products that are transported by rail. Subsequent votes by the various labor unions to ratify terms had mixed results and again threatened a strike in early December. Water sector associations urged President Biden and Congress to intervene, and ultimately Congress passed legislation that prevented a nationwide rail strike; it should be noted that the contract will end in 2024. Policy factors have also complicated supply chain issues. The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) proposed new rules in 2022 that could have direct impacts on the water sector. The most concerning change was the proposal to ban the use of asbestos diaphragms in chlorine production, which would affect 50% of the retail market that supplies the water sector. This rule would require chlor-alkali plants to switch to an alternative method within two to three years, with an estimated cost burden that is 119,000–287,000 times greater than the expected health benefits. Water associations called on EPA to provide a more reasonable timeline for the transition to ensure the availability of chlorine for water sector operations. This request noted the statutory obligation that EPA has under Section 1441 of the Safe Drinking Water Act to ensure the reasonable availability of critical drinking water and wastewater treatment chemicals and materials. This regulatory pressure is amplified by external factors and basic economic principles. Overall demand for various materials slumped during the height of the pandemic. In late 2021, as economic activity returned, the demand for products quickly outpaced supply. Currently, pipe manufacturers are reporting delivery timelines of 15–24 months, and similar delays in other manufactured goods have been observed. If you factor in the massive infusion of federal infrastructure funds for projects of all types, including water-related improvements, the inflationary impacts are notable. The boost in funding for infrastructure programs is welcomed, but the reality is that current economic conditions mean utility customers will be paying more for less. Chemical supply is a prime example of recent challenges. Numerous systems throughout the nation experienced significant delivery disruptions and major spikes in the unit cost of chlorine. AWWA has found that the average cost for each ton of chlorine delivered has increased more than 120%. That alone has had significant budgetary impacts on many water systems and ultimately the rate payers. Last year, one southeastern utility reported that it recently spent an additional $1 million on chlorine—money that will not be spent on operations and maintenance needs. In some instances, chlorine production has been reduced because of disasters, equipment malfunctions, and facility closures. As a result, systems must adjust to chemical costs that are 10 times what systems budgeted. Rate payers will bear the burden of these economic changes. These supply chain issues will likely persist into 2024. Assessing supply chain dependencies will help utilities consider options to mitigate the impacts. Kevin M. Morley is manager of federal relations at the AWWA Government Affairs Office in Washington, D.C. He can be reached at [email protected].

Blockchain and the carbon credit ecosystem: sustainable management of the supply chain

Purpose Businesses must now track the complicated supply chains of their products, which involve different manufacturers and suppliers. However, because supply chains are scattered across multiple countries and involve many institutions, it becomes an overwhelming practical challenge to ensure transparent recording and reporting of greenhouse gas emissions. The myriad issues necessitate a technological solution that will improve supply chain transparency, assist in managing carbon assets and allow all parties to obtain credible information on carbon output. As a potential solution, this study offers a unique architecture that effectively combines “blockchain technology” with the carbon supply chain of a multi-institution business network. Design/methodology/approach This research and proposed framework are based on publicly available reports on carbon emissions tracking, sustainability, carbon trade and emerging blockchain technologies. The authors also interviewed industry experts to obtain their input and feedback. Findings Businesses must support the pledges made by their respective governments towards meeting the objectives of the Paris Agreement. Although the emissions trading system encourages businesses to move in this direction, it can be challenging for them to efficiently manage their carbon assets owing to issues such as lack of standardised methods for tracking emissions across suppliers and manufacturers and the fragmentation of carbon markets. The carbon supply chain can maintain a record of the chronological flow of carbon emissions and eventually of all carbon assets by integrating a centralised ledger system based on blockchain technology. Originality/value Global warming, climate change and carbon emissions are among humanity’s pressing problems today. To achieve net zero emissions by the middle of the 21st century, emissions must be drastically reduced. Global supply chains have a crucial role to play in this context. This article provides a blockchain-based technology framework for carbon emissions visibility and tracking. The authors believe such a platform will provide critical visibility and tracking support to globally dispersed supply chains, moving a step closer towards carbon emissions control and net zero operations.

Slow fashion as a possible route to SDG 12 within the fashion industry

As many may not know, the textile and fashion manufacture combined are the second largest polluting industries. This can mostly be traced back to their complicated supply chain, next to their growth focused business models. Although there have been approaches towards researching the topic, it seems like there is still an undiscovered potential of detecting what slow fashion designates as in regard of production and operation practices. The paper aims to pinpoint the main principles of slow fashion through a thorough literature review, with collecting relevant papers related to slow fashion in the database of SCOPUS. The research also conducts a content analysis from existing descriptions by experts, in order to reveal the possible dissimilarities and parallels in slow fashion and SDG 12 principles. The paper’s goal is to see whether slow fashion can act as a supporter of SDG 12’s main production aims within the fashion industry.

The Change in Fertilizer Prices Due to the Russo-Ukraine War

This article examines the significant changes in fertilizer prices due to the Russo-Ukrainian war and its broader economic implications. Historically, crisis cycles have periodically reshaped economic conditions, disrupting standard processes such as currency exchange rates and trade balances. The Russo-Ukrainian conflict escalated pre-existing tensions from the 2014 Crimea annexation and further complicated supply chain issues exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. This article explores the correlation between natural gas prices and key agricultural inputs, highlighting how energy prices influence fertilizer costs and food prices. The analysis covers the impact of the conflict on global fertilizer markets, specifically focusing on nitrogen-based fertilizers, the strategic shifts in European supply chains, and food security in Africa. Additionally, the article discusses geopolitical maneuvers such as the Black Sea Grain Initiative and their effects on food security and agricultural productivity. The findings underline the intertwined nature of energy, agriculture, and geopolitical stability, emphasizing the need for adaptive strategies in response to such crises.

Sustainability agricultural supply chain in improving the welfare of North Toraja Arabica coffee farmers

This form of agricultural acceleration requires considerable effort as a form of capacity building, agricultural production, as well as developing agricultural product innovations into processed products that have economic value, and are multipurpose. Business in the field of coffee farming has a long and complicated supply chain that is often encountered from upstream to downstream and is also one of the obstacles in developing business in the Arabica coffee sector. The success of sustainable rural agricultural development in Indonesia is very important so that the expected results can ultimately contribute to the country’s economic stability and support the country’s economic growth. Indonesia’s agricultural sector has played a major role in supporting the country’s stability, as well as in improving quality and production to meet the growing national food needs. Thus, agricultural development efforts are focused on increasing production levels through land expansion and agricultural intensification. The increasing adoption of sustainable agriculture is attracting the attention of governments and farmers, especially companies and end consumers, with the increasing awareness of sustainability in agriculture which has become the concern of the global market, many producers are competing to improve their products from year to year. On the one hand, the benefits of sustainable agriculture can also be seen from consumer interest, starting with an increasing preference for environmentally friendly products and services. On the other hand, the enthusiasm of several parties in establishing relationships with other companies that have implemented sustainable agriculture programs is an effective and good way in agriculture.

Linear Economy versus Circular Economy: New raw material

The fashion industry plays a key role in the road to sustainability and around financial system. Indeed, the fashion industry is a sector with a strong impact on the environment; it requires a very long and complicated supply chain linked to the high use of water and resources, the use of chemical substances, the contamination of water and air, the production of waste and, finally, the generation of microplastics. Textile and textile waste has become a huge international concern. Against this context, the objective of this paper is to evaluate existing measures of the European Union (EU) that have an impact on the development of sustainable practices and the transition to a round financial system in the style industry, with a specific emphasis on the need for clothing in the EU (for paintings and pleasure). However, what we put on places a huge strain on the atmosphere. In the past 15 years, growing prosperity and the churn of rapid manner have contributed to the doubling of the development of world clothing. It is grown at a faster fee than Gross Domestic Product (GDP), and on the identical time, use of clothes isdiminishing, with lots much less than one percent of the fifty-three million tons of fibers produced every 12 months, 1/2 of one million tones turning into recycled returned into production. Most style finally ends up in a landfill and maximum of it, an extraordinary waste of money, within 12 months of being made. Therefore, the Ellen MacArthur Foundation (EMAF) is organizing an international alliance to show the linear discard put on style financial system right into a round one. Big manufacturers such Burberry, Gap, H&M, and Nike, have come on board to paintings to expand a round financial system that levels out dangerous substances and maintains garments in use. Revised waste legislative framework followed inside the 2015 Circular Economy Action Plan.

RISK OF FRAUD AND SUSTAINABILITY OF E-COMMERCE

This paper aims to investigate the challenges and opportunities faced by e-commerce businesses in mitigating fraud risks and promoting sustainability. The literature review delves into the complexities associated with fraud mitigation, including the need for a balance between fraud prevention and customer experience. Additionally, the review explores the potential of innovative technologies such as AI and blockchain for fraud prevention. Sustainability challenges for e-commerce businesses are also discussed, including the lack of awareness and the complicated supply chain. However, the review identifies opportunities for businesses to address these challenges using sustainable materials and renewable energy. The research methodology employed semi-structured interviews with 10 e-commerce businesses in Pakistan, from various industries and business sizes. Results suggest that while significant challenges exist, businesses can take advantage of technological advancements and sustainable practices to mitigate risks and promote sustainability. AI and blockchain technology for fraud prevention, sustainable packaging materials, and renewable energy sources for sustainability were highlighted as potential opportunities for e-commerce businesses.

Resilience of U.S. Rail Intermodal Freight during the Covid-19 Pandemic

The rapid onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020 marked a challenging time for the US and its freight industry. Manufacturing slowed, consumer purchasing patterns changed, and for many, shopping moved online. The freight industry suffered a sharp decline in shipments, followed by a surprisingly quick rebound. The industry had to adapt quickly to meet fast-changing demand and supply patterns upended by global supply chain disruptions. This paper uses U.S. intermodal activity data, supported by in-depth interviews with leaders of railroads, intermodal carriers, equipment manufacturers, car leasing companies, shippers, and e-commerce players to characterize and assess how the rail industry met the challenge of this demand whiplash and other performance impediments. What emerges is a rich picture of the multi-actor intermodal supply chain, the impacts of COVID-19 on it, the performance of the logistics system in general, and railroads in particular during the pandemic. Industry interviews revealed that a handful of choke points, many of which were outside the rail industry, complicated supply chain responses to COVID-19. The paper shows how the rail industry was an essential component of pandemic resilience, demonstrating a high level of adaptability to meet consumer and business demands. Through the use of depth interviews it reveals the complexity of the intermodal supply chain, and it accurately foretells the subsequent disruptions that continued to plague that supply chain long after the initial impacts of the pandemic.

THE COMPLEXITY OF SUPPLY CHAIN SYSTEM’S LOGISTICS FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT AND DYNAMIC NONLINEAR SYSTEM

The aim of this paper is to discuss the accidental events’ impacts on the complicated supply chain systems and reveal the dynamic nonlinear system’s role in enterprises’ logistics financial management. First, the logistics distribution network and nonlinear system are analyzed and introduced, revealing the complexity of enterprises’ supply chain systems. Second, considering the situation of enterprises’ financial management, four major entities, the supplier, the distributor, the retailer, and the manufacturer, are introduced to construct a dynamic nonlinear model for the supply chain system. Finally, the model before and after accidental events are simulated and analyzed using the AnyLogic software. Results demonstrate that in normal states, each node’s inventory in the system changes periodically, while the distributor’s state is the most stable. A notable decrease in market demand has the largest impact on the distributor. Once the market demand is recovered, the decrease in the distributor’s inventory is the most apparent, and the inventories of the supplier, the retailer, and the manufacturer also decrease. The supplier has the highest cost at the beginning of system operation, and the distributor’s cost is the highest after the operation becomes stable. Once an accidental event caused a sharp decrease in market demand, the costs of all major entities in the system show an increasing trend. Once the market demand is recovered, the costs of different node entities will increase instead. As for the profits, the distributor has the highest profit initially, which is significantly influenced by the accidental events. The results provide a reference for revealing the changing laws of complicated supply chain systems and promoting the development of enterprises’ financial management.

Development of a supply chain risk mitigation index for distillery

PurposeA huge number of events can affect the operations of a long and complicated supply chain. This paper deals with the development of a supply chain risk mitigation index (SCRMI) based on a risk mitigation maturity framework. A comprehensive list of supply chain risks has been ascertained and segregated into risks faced at various supply chain echelons through a detailed literature review.Design/methodology/approachThis paper is based on an extensive literature review and questionnaire to identify risks. order of magnitude analytic hierarchy process (OM-AHP) was used as the methodology to assess the prioritization of supply chain risks under two clusters, viz., Probability and severity leading to risk were tested in a distillery.FindingsSCRMI was determined and used to categorize their maturity level in facing supply chain risks. Thus, organization can focus on improvements for their specific needs.Research limitations/implicationsThe model was tested in the distillery industry. It should be tested in other contexts with other methods to provide generalizability.Practical implicationsThis research provides direction to managers for choosing risk mitigation strategies based on the global supply chain environment. SCRMI can be a performance metric for the supply chain managers.Originality/valueThe manufacturer's readiness to take action in the face of disruptions in the supply chain is a critical challenge in today's complex business environment and SCRMI framework is instrumental in such business environment.

The Impact of Lead Time Uncertainty on Supply Chain Performance Considering Carbon Cost

In supply chain operation practices, lead time uncertainty is a common management issue. Uncertain lead time can lead to increased inventory costs and unstable service levels, which will directly affect the overall operation performance of the supply chain. While considering environmental performance in supply chain, it is important to understand how an uncertain lead time will affect sustainable performance. In this paper, we constructed a supply chain model with stochastic lead time and explored the relationship between uncertain lead time and supply chain performance. We considered carbon cost, inventory cost, and service level as a supply chain performance. System dynamics methodology was employed to observe and explore the dynamic change trend of the overall performance in the complicated supply chain model. This was done under both different levels of lead time standard deviation and different order policies. The results demonstrate how stochastic lead times can significantly increase inventory costs and carbon costs. Therefore, we propose appropriate ordering policies which mitigate the negative impacts of stochastic lead times.

Circular Economy and Waste in the Fashion Industry

The fashion industry has to play an important role in the path towards sustainability and the circular economy. Indeed, the fashion industry is a sector with a high environmental impact; it involves a very long and complicated supply chain, which is associated with large consumption of water and energy, use of chemical substances, water and air pollution, waste production and finally microplastic generation. In particular, textiles and clothing waste has become a huge global concern. Against this background, this paper aims at analysing the existing EU measures that have an impact on the development of sustainable practices and the transition to a circular economy in the fashion industry, with a particular focus on the EU revised legislative framework on waste adopted within the Circular Economy Action Plan of 2015.

Supply risks of lithium-ion battery materials: An entire supply chain estimation

Lithium-ion batteries, as the essential technology for global energy transition, require the combined support of several metallic resources and the complicated supply chains that follow. The risk of supply disruptions to these resources has been widely observed and measured. However, system boundaries of previous studies were conventionally limited to the mine stage. Possible supply risks inherent in the downstream processing stages were not adequately taken into account. To fill this gap, we generalize the idea of supply risk to the whole supply chain to describe the comprehensive threats for the steady consumption of lithium-ion batteries. Based on such concept, this study assesses the risks of the lithium-ion battery related materials in the three major stages of the entire supply chain: mining, refining and manufacturing. Results indicate that lithium and cobalt are the most critical materials for lithium-ion battery industry. Risks hidden in the downstream stages of nickel and manganese should also not be overlooked. We further argue that for important energy-related materials with complicated supply chains, the risks should be identified and safeguarded comprehensively throughout the entire supply chain. Such work calls for further database establishment and analysis.

Achieving arsenic concentrations of

Consumption of drinking water containing arsenic at concentrations even below the World Health Organization provisional limit of 10 μg/L can still lead to unacceptable health risks. Consequently, the drinking water sector in the Netherlands has recently agreed to target 1 μg/L of arsenic in treated water. Unfortunately, in many poor, arsenic-affected countries, the costs and complexity of current methods that can achieve <1 μg/L are prohibitive, which highlights the need for innovative methods that can remove arsenic to <1 μg/L without costly support infrastructure and complicated supply chains. In this work, we used Fe(0) electrolysis, a low cost and scalable technology that is also known as Fe(0) electrocoagulation (EC), to achieve <1 μg/L residual dissolved arsenic. We compared the arsenic removal performance of green rust (GR), ferric (oxyhydr)oxides (Fe(III) oxides) and magnetite (Mag) generated by EC at different pH (7.5 and 9) in the presence of As(III) or As(V) (initial concentrations of 200–11,000 μg/L). Although GR and Fe(III) oxides removed up to 99% of initial arsenic, neither Fe phase could reliably meet the 1 μg/L target at both pH values. In contrast, EC-generated Mag consistently achieved <1 μg/L, regardless of the initial As(V) concentration and pH. Only solutions with initial As(III) concentrations ≥2200 μg/L resulted in residual arsenic >1 μg/L. As K-edge X-ray absorption spectroscopy showed that Mag also sorbed arsenic in a unique mode, consistent with partial arsenic incorporation near the particle surface. This sorption mode contrasts with the binuclear, corner sharing surface complex for GR and Fe(III) oxides, which could explain the difference in arsenic removal efficiency among the three Fe phases. Our results suggest that EC-generated Mag is an attractive method for achieving <1 μg/L particularly in decentralized water treatment.

Can Lean and Agile organisations within the UK automotive supply chain be distinguished based upon contextual factors?

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to robustly establish whether firms are implementing Lean or Agile production in the automotive supply chain (SC) and, by drawing on contingency theory (CT) as our theoretical lens, independently determine whether Lean and Agile firms can be distinguished based upon contextual factors.Design/methodology/approachPrimary quantitative data from 140 firms in the West Midlands (UK) automotive industry were obtained via a constructed survey. Analysis incorporated the use of logistic regressions to calculate the probability of Lean and Agile organisations belonging to different groups amongst the contextual factors investigated.FindingsLean and Agile firms co-exist in the automotive SC and Lean firms were found to be at higher tiers of the SC, while Agile firms were found to be at lower tiers.Originality/valueThe originality of this study lies within the novel methodological attempt used to distinguish Lean and Agile production, based upon the contextual factors investigated. Not only is the importance of CT theoretically approved, but “received wisdom” within SC management is also contested. Extant literature propagates that the automotive SC is comprised of organisations that predominantly adopt Lean production methods, and that in SCs comprised of both Lean and Agile organisations, the firms closer to the customer will adopt more flexible (Agile) practices, while those that operate upstream will adopt more efficient (Lean) practices. The findings from this study have implications for theory and practice, as Lean and Agile firms can be found in the automotive SC without any relationship to the value-adding process. To speculate as to why the findings contest existing views, resource dependence theory and, more specifically, a power perspective, was invoked. The authors provide readers with a new way of thinking concerning complicated SCs and urge that the discipline of SC management adopts a “fourth” SC model, depicting a new Lean and Agile SC configuration.

Operationalizing the Triple Bottom Line in Models for Operations and Supply Chain Management

Sustainability where profits do not come at the expense of people or the plant demands that environmental impact and social responsibility be balanced with costs and profit. Meanwhile, globalization has brought about very complicated global supply chains used to fulfill the demand for products. Operations management has traditionally been focused on mathematical models and there has been much discussion on how to incorporate people and planet alongside profit. In this work we start by providing a very basic model, and show how social responsibility and environmental sustainability can be incorporated.