Integrated Supply Chain Model Research Articles

Innovative decision support tools for perishable food supply chain management

PurposeWe introduce decision support tools aimed at optimizing perishable food supply chain management, effectively balancing conflicting objectives such as the exporter’s product collection cost and the importer’s profit. This involves considering factors like perishability, selling price, discount rate, and order quantity to achieve optimal outcomes.Design/methodology/approachThis study considered a three-echelon supply chain comprising farmers, a single exporter, and a single importer providing a single, random-lifetime, perishable product under deterministic customer demand. The proposed mathematical model derived the optimal order quantity, selling price, and discount rate for the entire supply chain. This integrated optimization model treats both demand and supply sides as a multi-objective problem, employing a nonlinear program and a two-stage capacitated vehicle routing problem formulation. Numerical examples and a case study focusing on Thailand durian supply chain were conducted to illustrate the approach of the proposed model.FindingsTaking into account both the importer’s profit and the exporter’s product collection cost, the proposed integrated supply chain model and tools maximize profitability, minimizes waste, and meets demand by optimizing perishable product collection costs and proposing a discount system for selling prices.Research limitations/implicationsLimited to a single perishable product in a three-echelon international food supply chain. Future research can explore different products and supply chain contexts.Practical implicationsThe tools enhance decision-making for supply chain managers, improving efficiency, reducing costs, and enhancing customer satisfaction in the perishable food industry.Social implicationsThe proposed model aids in local workforce management by forecasting required manpower for upcoming seasons. By factoring in product quality and pricing, it ensures customers receive fresh products at fair prices. Furthermore, the near-zero waste concept enhances storage conditions at importers' facilities, contributing to improved environmental hygiene.Originality/valueThe integrated model and decision support tools offer a novel approach to address complexities and conflicting objectives in perishable food supply chains, providing practical insights for researchers and practitioners.

A Novel Integrated Supply Chain Model to Manage Perishable Products Demand and Quality by Applying IoT in Vendor-Managed Inventory

A Novel Integrated Supply Chain Model to Manage Perishable Products Demand and Quality by Applying IoT in Vendor-Managed Inventory

Proposing an integrated supply chain model using multiple approaches

Proposing an integrated supply chain model using multiple approaches

Unlocking the Story: Piloting Interviews to Illuminate the Journey of Indigenous Chicken Micro-farming

Qualitative interviews provide invaluable insights into human experiences, but they can be challenging, especially for novice researchers. Therefore, conducting a preliminary study becomes crucial to refine interview techniques and improve the overall research process. The present study focuses on the importance of a preliminary study in understanding indigenous chicken micro-farming and aims to gain insights into the interview process and associated issues before conducting a full-scale study. This study represents the first attempt, to the best of our knowledge, to pilot interviews before conducting a comprehensive investigation in the context of indigenous chicken micro-farming. It highlights the methods employed in designing and conducting the preliminary study, as well as the valuable lessons learned throughout the process. The interviews were conducted with indigenous chicken micro-farmers as part of the preparation for a dissertation centered on developing an integrated supply chain model for indigenous chicken in Malaysia. Additionally, this study outlines the modifications made based on the preliminary study for the main study, which subsequently led to the implementation of a pilot study. These adaptations include changes to the interview guide, adjustments in vocabulary to enhance participant understanding, rephrasing of certain questions, and the addition of more interview questions to gain a comprehensive understanding of the issues related to indigenous chicken operations. This study underscores the significance of a preliminary study and its role in informing and shaping the subsequent main study. The findings and insights derived from this preliminary investigation contribute to the development of a robust research design for the main study in indigenous chicken micro-farming.
 Keywords: indigenous chicken, preliminary study, pilot study

Research on the Influencing Factors of Sustainable Supply Chain Development of Agri-Food Products Based on Cross-Border Live-Streaming E-Commerce in China.

The organization and coordination of cross-border e-commerce platforms in agricultural product trading are continuously increasing, and the involvement of digital platforms has driven the integration and development of cross-border agricultural product supply chains with live-streaming e-commerce, effectively facilitating the comprehensive development of producers, sellers, and professional service providers within the ecosystem. However, despite the growing importance of this integration model in the market, there are still numerous unresolved issues from a supply chain perspective, and existing research provides relatively limited guidance on the effective operation of this integrated supply chain model. To address this gap in theoretical research, this study first delves into the essence and fundamental characteristics of sustainable cross-border agricultural product supply chains in the context of live streaming. Secondly, employing grounded theory as the primary research method and combining platform theory and ecosystem theory, an influencing factor system and an impact model for the development of sustainable cross-border agricultural product supply chains in the context of live streaming are constructed to gain a more comprehensive understanding of the complexity of this integrated supply chain model. Finally, from the perspectives of government agencies and practitioners, development pathways for sustainable cross-border agricultural product supply chains in the context of live-streaming e-commerce are proposed, aiming to enhance existing research and provide decision-making support for relevant stakeholders in formulating development strategies. The findings of this study contribute to expanding the research perspective on the ecosystem of live-streaming e-commerce and sustainable cross-border agricultural product supply chains, providing theoretical support for the establishment and operation of sustainable cross-border agricultural product supply chains in the context of live streaming. Additionally, it offers important references for promoting the sustainable development of live-streaming e-commerce and cross-border agricultural product supply chains, facilitating industry upgrading, global agricultural trade, and achieving mutually beneficial outcomes.

Integrated Supply Chain Model for Imperfect and Deteriorating Items with Inflation and Delay in Payments Under Carbon Emission Constraint

Integrated Supply Chain Model for Imperfect and Deteriorating Items with Inflation and Delay in Payments Under Carbon Emission Constraint

A Sustainable Green Supply Chain Model with Carbon Emissions for Defective Items under Learning in a Fuzzy Environment

Assuming the significance of sustainability, it is considered necessary to ensure the conservation of our natural resources, in addition to minimizing waste. To promote significant sustainable effects, factors including production, transportation, energy usage, product control management, etc., act as the chief supports of any modern supply chain model. The buyer performs the firsthand inspection and returns any defective items received from the customer to the vendor in a process that is known as first-level inspection. The vendor uses the policy of recovery product management to obtain greater profit. A concluding inspection is accomplished at the vendor’s end in order to distinguish the returned item as belonging to one of four specific categories, namely re-workable, reusable, recyclable, and disposable, a process that is known as second-level inspection. Then, it is observed that some defective items are suitable for a secondary market, while some are reusable, and some can be disassembled to shape new derived products, and leftovers can be scrapped at the disposal cost. This ensures that we can meet our target to promote a cleaner drive with a lower percentage of carbon emissions, reducing the adverse effects of landfills. The activity of both players in this model is presented briefly in the flowchart shown in the abstract. Thus, our aim of product restoration is to promote best practices while maintaining economic value, with the ultimate goal of removing the surrounding waste with minimum financial costs. In this regard, it is assumed that the demand rate is precise in nature. The learning effect and fuzzy environment are also considered in the present model. The proposed model studies the impacts of learning and carbon emissions on an integrated green supply chain model for defective items in fuzzy environment and shortage conditions. We optimized the integrated total fuzzy profit with respect to the order quantity and shortages. We described the vendor’s strategy and buyer’s strategy through flowcharts for the proposed integrated supply chain model, and here, in the flowchart, R-R-R stands for re-workable, reusable, and recyclable. The demand rate was treated as a triangular fuzzy number. In this paper, a numerical example, sensitivity analysis, limitations, future scope, and conclusion are presented for the validation of the proposed model.

Competition model and contract design for supply chain with green products under yield uncertainty

This paper considers a supply chain (SC) in which the manufacturer produces and sells green products to consumers through two competing retailers. We assume that the manufacturer's yield is uncertain, and then conduct the integrated and the decentralized SC models. A comparison analysis of these two SC models is further performed. The results show that the profit under the integrated SC model is higher than that under the decentralized SC model, which means that there exists double marginalization under the decentralized SC. Then, the cost-sharing contract and the revenue-sharing contract are introduced to improve the decentralized SC. We find that both contracts can not only enable the manufacturer to improve the green degree, but also enable the retailers to order more green products. The main difference between these two contracts is dug out: Compared the situation without any contract, the manufacturer charges a higher wholesale price under the cost-sharing contract, but charges a lower wholesale price under the revenue-sharing contract. In addition, the profits of all SC members can be improved after reasonable designs of these two contracts, thus achieving the Pareto improvements. Finally, we introduce numerical analysis to illustrate and exhibit theoretical conclusions.

Proposing an integrated supply chain model using multiple approaches

Proposing an integrated supply chain model using multiple approaches

Healthier Construction: Conceptualising Transformation of Mental Health Outcomes through an Integrated Supply Chain Model

The construction industry is undoubtedly one of the most significant global sectors that contributes to sustainable development across physical, social, environmental and economic objectives. Globally the value of the construction industry is USD 10 trillion annually. The robustness of the sector is in serious question with a crisis in mental health. The rebuilding of economies is often led by significant capital works programs and therefore in response to the global pandemic, it is anticipated that this problem will only be exacerbated. The construction sector has a unique project-based structure of numerous intersecting subsectors, which influence the behaviours and culminate in highly demanding work environments on a project-by-project basis. We propose that to institute transformational change to the mental health problem, we need to challenge current problematisations towards presenting a new conceptual framework. The aim of this paper is to analyse the industrial organisation and the structural and behavioural context of the industry and propose a new approach to understanding interactions at multiple levels in relation to root causes of the mental health problem. Aligned to the UN SDG that we are to ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all, this paper responds to high rates of depression, anxiety and suicide in the construction industry. There is a need to generate new knowledge about the interactions between multi project supply chain, construction project supply chain environment and construction supply chain performance in relation to mental health outcomes. Literature indicates that there is a wealth of research on stressors, coping and interventions at an individual level, however very little from an ‘insider’ construction management perspective which contextualise mental health outcomes with the environmental stressors. Coupled with this, past research designs predominantly utilised quantitative approaches reliant on questionnaires. We critique past problematisations of the mental health problem and show how it has been represented to enable the development of a reframed conceptualisation. There is a need to identify contextual evidence-based stressors throughout the construction project supply chain. We present a transformational change model integrating construction industry specific context knowledge with psychosocial expertise to improve workers’ mental health. Future research could lead to outcomes including recommendations and guidelines to engage management actors who can influence positive change through preventative strategies leading to effective and measurable mental health and project performance improvements.

A study on pollution sensitive sponge iron based production transportation model under fuzzy environment

Over the last few years, sponge iron-based production transportation and pollution problems for major sponge iron producing countries are triggering a critical issue. The excess of marginal pollution from production industries and their disintegration takes drives towards the change of policymaking. The sustainable development of any country signifies the reduction of biohazards, which in turn improves the health index and livelihood status of people across the world. Keeping this in mind, a cost depreciation problem for the bi-layer integrated supply chain model has been built up. We consider the functional dependencies among all considerable decision variables like production rate, consumption rate which leads to the pollution rate of different countries exclusively. In this study, we have shown how production and rail freight transport relates to pollution. To draw several graphs and numerical computations we use MATLAB software and LINGO software via solution algorithm respectively. The comparative study has been presented using general fuzzy as well as cloudy fuzzy systems. Lastly, we have justified our proposed model using sensitivity analysis along with graphical interpretation.

Taguchi Analysis for Improving Optimization of Integrated Forward/Reverse Logistics

AbstractThe distribution–allocation problem is known as one of the most comprehensive strategic decisions. In real-world cases, it is impossible to solve a distribution–allocation problem completely in acceptable time. This forces the researchers to develop efficient heuristic techniques for the large-term operation of the whole supply chain. These techniques provide near optimal solution and are comparably fast particularly for large-scale test problems. This paper presents an integrated supply chain model which is flexible in the delivery path. As solution methodology, we apply a memetic algorithm with a novelty in population presentation. To identify the optimum operating condition of the proposed memetic algorithm, Taguchi method is adopted. In this study, four factors, namely population size, crossover rate, local search iteration and number of iteration, are considered. Determining the best level of the considered parameters is the outlook of this research.

Achieving Firm Financial Performance Through the Just-In-Time Supply Chain, Quality Management, and Supply Chain Integration: The Moderating Role of IT Advancement

Global competition and uncertainties call for manufacturers to adopt advanced supply chain practices that help them achieve competitive advantages in a volatile business environment. In this essence, the current research examines how supply chain integration, just-in-time practice, and quality management boost a firm operational and financial performance during a pandemic crisis like COVID-19. Similarly, this study examines the moderating effect of IT advancement on the relationship between a firm operational and financial performance. The sample size of this study is assessed with a priori power analysis. Data were collected from employees working in manufacturing firms, including construction equipment, transportation, electronic products, engineering, chemical, pharmaceutical, and healthcare manufacturers. For empirical analysis, 380 responses were estimated with a structural equation modeling approach. Constructs validity and reliability are tested in the measurement model. Empirical findings revealed that factors such as internal integration, process integration, product integration, just-in-time, and quality management collectively explained R^2 75.4 % variance in firm operational performance. In addition, effect size analysis 〖 f〗^2 shows that product integration has the highest importance in determining a firm operational performance. The research model has shown substantial predictive power Q^2 54.2% to predict firm operational performance. The moderating impact of IT advancement is established and revealed that IT advancement in the supply chain will strengthen the relationship between the firm’s operational and financial performance. Theoretically, this research has developed an integrated supply chain model that combines supply chain integration factors, just-in-time, quality management, and IT advancement to investigate the firm’s operational performance. To practice, this study suggests that policymakers should concentrate on process integration, just-in-time supply chain strategy, and IT advancement, which boosts the firm’s operational and financial performance. This study is unique as it discloses several useful findings which would help manufacturers deal with an unprecedented situation like the COVID-19 pandemic.

A New Multi-Objective Integrated Supply Chain Model with Environmentally-Friendly Heterogeneous Vehicle Routing

A New Multi-Objective Integrated Supply Chain Model with Environmentally-Friendly Heterogeneous Vehicle Routing

A Comparison between Memetic Algorithm and Genetic Algorithm for an Integrated Logistics Network with Flexible Delivery Path

The distribution/allocation problem is known as one of the most comprehensive strategic decision. In real-world cases, it is impossible to solve a distribution/allocation problem in traditional ways with acceptable time. Hence researchers develop efficient non-traditional techniques for the large-term operation of the whole supply chain. These techniques provide near optimal solutions particularly for large-scale test problems. This paper presents an integrated supply chain model which is flexible in the delivery path. As the solution methodology, we apply a memetic algorithm with a neighborhood search mechanism and novelty in population presentation method called “extended random path direct encoding method.” To illustrate the performance of the proposed memetic algorithm, LINGO optimization software serves as comparison basis for small size problems. In large-size cases that we are dealing with in real world, a classical genetic algorithm as the second metaheuristic algorithm is considered to compare the results and show the efficiency of the memetic algorithm.

The joint determination of process mean, quality investment, replenishment cycle time, and credit period for the integrated supply chain model

In this work, the authors proposes the modified Banu and Mondal’s model for obtaining the optimal process mean, quality investment, replenishment cycle time, and trade credit period. Assume that the product quality is normally distributed with unknown process mean and known standard deviation. The product is considered under the larger-the-better characteristic. The declining exponential reduction of process standard deviation is the function of quality investment. Numerical results show that (1) the production cost per item and the parameter of quality investment function for the process standard deviation have the effect on the process mean; (2) the production cost per item, the non-conforming cost per item, the parameter of quality investment function for the process standard deviation and the known process standard deviation have the major effect on the quality investment; (3) the production cost per item has the effect on the retailer’s replenishment cycle time; (4) the production cost per item has the major effect on the expected total profit including the manufacturer and the retailer per unit time.

The supply chain coordination model based on sales return and efforts

Taking a two-stage supply chain model of a single manufacturer and a single retailer as the research object, this paper initially proposes the random demand function of retailers’ effort to establish an integrated supply chain model based on dual factors of retailer effort and selling price. Then it discusses how to optimize the reward and punishment contracts to realize the win-win situation of supply chain members under decentralized decision-making by analyzing the coordination and optimization of supply chain under centralized and decentralized conditions. Finally, the conclusion is verified by numerical simulation experiment, effort and quantity will decrease along with the increase of the distribution coefficient and will increase with the increase of the buy-back price’s coefficient.

Sustainability and innovation of bamboo winding composite pipe products

Bamboo Winding Composite Pipe (BWCP) is a novel product that reintroduces and modernizes the use of bio-based pipes in below ground water reticulation infrastructure, and can replace PVC and concrete pipe in many low to medium pressure water service and sewerage applications. Pipes are built to accommodate service pressures of up to 1.6 MPa, with a long-term hydrostatic pressure projection of 50 years. Maximum burst pressures are up to 3.75 MPa. The new technology overcomes the structure and performance limitations of earlier wood veneer-based hollow tubes by encasing helically wound layers of thin but strong bamboo sliver curtains in a protective matrix of gauze wrap, thermosetting resin and powdered bio-filler. Bamboo has unique and very high tensile strength fiber and aligning this around the pipe circumference produces a high strength, ductile and pressure resistant pipe. This fabrication technology is extremely versatile, producing pipes ranging from 150 mm to 5000 mm in diameter with a wall thickness of 9 mm–38 mm for a wider range of applications including non-round shells for train cars and modular housing construction. An integrated supply chain model of satellite fabrication sites for curtain winding elements at the source and centralized manufacturing of pipes close to market locations can provide employment and income for remote villages and increase transportation efficiency. BWCP is energy efficient, requiring less than a quarter of the energy of steel pipes per meter. It presents a significant potential for carbon storage over time, holding an estimated 0.5 t of sequestered atmospheric CO2 per t of pipe manufactured.

The integrated supply chain model considering process mean, replenishment cycle time and credit period

Banu and Mondal (2018) proposed an integrated inventory model with/without manufacturer’s product warranty and customer’s trade credit. Their model needs to obtain the optimal product warranty, retailer’s cycle length, and customer’s credit period with the maximum of the expected total profit per unit time. Their model can be further applied in the process control. In this paper, the authors present a modified Banu and Mondal’s model without product warranty for obtaining the optimal process mean, retailer’s replenishment cycle time, and customer’s trade credit period. Assume that the product quality is normally distributed with unknown process mean, known standard deviation, and larger-the-better characteristic. Numerical example and sensitivity analysis of some parameters will be provided for illustration.

Safety stock management in a supply chain model with waiting time and price discount dependent backlogging rate in stochastic environment

In today’s dynamic global economy, with highly oscillated demand for any product, safety stock and lead-time management have become even more challenging. In this paper, we develop an integrated supply chain model under continuous-review inventory policy where the lead-time demand is uncertain and the lead-time consists of two components: production time and transportation time; the production time being dependent on ordered quantity and the transportation time being in a range between minimum and normal durations which can be crashed to minimum duration with some additional investment. The unsatisfied demands are partially backlogged with the backlogging parameter being dependent on the time the customers wait before receiving the item. The buyer provides a certain range of price discount to increase the backorder rate. Unlike the previous research, this study considers that the safety factor for the first shipment is different from the rest of the shipments. The model is formulated to find the optimal solution for order quantity, safety factors, price discount, transportation time, and the number of shipments from the vendor to the buyer so that the joint total cost attains the minimum value. Some theoretical results are derived to demonstrate the existence and uniqueness of the optimal solution. It is seen from the numerical study that lead-time reduction is more profitable when the backorder rate depends on both price discount and lead-time.