Local Supply Research Articles

Can the expansion of cosmetic product manufacturing outsourcing raise cosmetic private label value? A comparative case study of Nardo's Natural and Cosmax

While the scale of cosmetic product manufacturing outsourcing in the United States has been expanding, the global private label values have risen, for both U.S.-based private label suppliers and overseas private label suppliers. This correlation points to the central research question of this paper, which is whether the expansion of cosmetic product manufacturing outsourcing raises cosmetic private label value. Meanwhile, looking at the development of U.S. private label suppliers and overseas private label suppliers, overseas private label suppliers are more famous in the American cosmetic market. Does this mean that overseas private label suppliers benefit more from this wave? If so, what are the reasons for this difference? Based on this set of research questions, this paper selects one representative from each of the local private label suppliers and overseas private label suppliers, i.e. Nardo's Natural and Cosmax, and conducts a comparative case study of the two. The findings show that the expansion of cosmetic product manufacturing outsourcing raises cosmetic private label value and the value of overseas private label suppliers achieved benefits more due to their larger scale, more comprehensive service, and more global strategic perspectives.

Application of the holism of body-qi-spirit in needle knife treatment for cervical vertigo

This paper introduces Professor WANG Haidong's approach to treat cervical vertigo with needle knife based on the holism of body-qi-spirit. Professor WANG Haidong, considering the etiology and pathogenesis of cervical vertigo, starting from the holism of body-qi-spirit, based on the anatomical structure, employs the "seven-neck points" technique to improve local blood supply and address the physical issue; guided by the Jingjin theory, he utilizes the "knot releasing technique" to disperse knots and relax sinews, thereby regulating qi. In addition, he uses the "bone puncturing technique at governor vessel" to uplift yang-qi and nourish the brain, thereby nurturing the spirit.

Stimulating investments in manufacturing: can policy create supply chains from a void?

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to evaluate the effectiveness of a policy, the 2014 UK Supply Chain Plan, which aimed to create a local supply chain in a sector (offshore wind) where the central manufacturing node capabilities and knowledge are not possessed locally. It aims to address the following question: can policy create a new manufacturing supply chain from a void?Design/methodology/approachA qualitative field research approach is used to derive an original set of theoretical propositions explaining the motivation behind the Supply Chain Plan policy. The outcomes of this policy are examined 10 years later in order to provide an opportunity to observe the impact of the policy.FindingsThe conclusion is that the policy has been successful in increasing local content, and some of that local content has benefited local manufacturers. However, a lot of the increase in local content has been achieved in non-manufacturing areas or in new areas. The main issue, i.e. the lack of a central manufacturing capability, remains unaddressed. The impact of the local content policy on cost is undocumented.Originality/valueThere is an increasing amount of interest in regional/local supply chains after the COVID-19 pandemic and increasing geopolitical tensions. This paper's originality is to document with an industry case study the fact that manufacturing knowledge and capabilities are the central growth engine of supply chains and that creating a new manufacturing supply chain competing with well-established clusters is not a simple matter that can be achieved through a local content policy. Such policies raise critical questions about the policy makers' implicit valuation of manufacturing technology.

Calculative trust, benevolent trust and supplier opportunism: the double edged role of IT infrastructure capability

PurposeThis paper aims to explore how two dimensions of trust, calculative trust and benevolent trust, affect supplier opportunism, and further investigates how information technology (IT) infrastructure capability moderates the relationship between calculative trust, benevolent trust and local supplier opportunism.Design/methodology/approachThis study uses ordinary least square regression to test the hypotheses, using survey data from 164 buyer–supplier relationships.FindingsThe findings suggest that both rational and emotional dimensions of trust, calculative trust and benevolent trust, have negative effect on the opportunistic behavior of suppliers. Furthermore, IT infrastructure capability amplifies the inhibitory effect of calculative trust on supplier’s opportunism, while diminishing the effect of benevolent trust on suppressing supplier’s opportunism.Originality/valueThis study investigates the impacts of both rational and emotional dimensions of trust on opportunistic behavior, thereby enhancing the comprehension of the multifaceted nature of trust in interfirm relationships and contributing valuable insights into interorganizational relationship governance. Moreover, this study reveals the double-edged moderating roles of IT infrastructure capability in supply chain relationships, presenting innovative perspectives within the research on exploring the role of IT capability in business-to-business marketing relationships.

How do imports drive the domestic value added of China? The roles of input imports and demand imports

AbstractA comprehensive exploration into the effects of imports on China's economic growth is crucial for coping with fluctuating import dependency shocks. This paper proposes an integrated domestic value added accounting framework incorporating the roles of imports, that is input imports and demand imports and then employs the chaining structural decomposition analysis (SDA), the international geographic decomposition method, and the domestic sectoral decomposition models to further evaluate how imports affected the formations and changes in domestic value added by final demand category. Using the input–output tables from the ADB database, we find that, at the aggregate level, the input import effect fluctuates more significantly than the demand import effect, and its changing trend shows an opposite relationship with that of import dependency. At the sectoral level, input import changes that impact domestic economic growth from the supply and demand side are mainly attributed to the transmission of critical downstream and upstream sectors along industry chains. The governments should thus focus their attention on industry linkages to guarantee the security and resilience of critical domestic supply chains. The sectoral demand import effect shows the importance of improving local supply for people's essential life requirements and upgrading the domestic industry chains of some knowledge‐intensive sectors.

Integrating supply and benefits of ecosystem services into ecological security pattern: A spatial flow perspective

Ecological security pattern (ESP) is an effective way to alleviate the conflict between social development and ecological conservation. Previous studies on ESP mostly identified ecological sources derived from local supply and demand of diverse ecosystem services (ESs), overlooking the spatial flow of ESs and thus limiting its significance in both local and regional scales. This study proposed a framework integrating ESs supply and benefit from a spatial flow perspective for ecological sources identification. After modifying resistance surface by nighttime light data and extracting ecological corridors by MCR model, the ESP was finally constructed and optimized for sustainable land use management in the Yangtze River Delta (YRD) in 2020. The findings indicated that ecological sources were predominantly concentrated in the southwestern forestland and central Taihu Lake region, accounting for 18.47 % of the total area in the YRD. Totally 1035 ecological corridors were extracted, including 45 main corridors with a distance of 4284.47 km, overall exhibiting a “one vertical and three horizontals” shape distribution. Finally, an ESP of “four areas and four lines” was constructed after optimization, and targeted suggestions were proposed for regional sustainability. This study introduced spatial flow perspective and ESs benefit into ESP construction, which provides a scientific basis for sustainable land use management in a regional integration perspective.

Propose Strategic Marketing Initiatives to Accelerate Market Share and Revenue of MEDTECH Company for Trauma Implant Device in Indonesia (Case Study at MEDTECH Company)

Trauma is a critical global health issue, leading to millions of serious injuries and significant fatalities worldwide, particularly from traffic accidents. In Indonesia, traffic accidents were the fifth leading cause of death in 2023, highlighting the urgent need for effective trauma care. Despite the pandemic, the trauma device market in Indonesia experienced growth, with MEDTECH’s portfolio outperforming the market but still underperforming in revenue generation. This research aims to address MEDTECH’s challenges and formulate strategies to enhance its market presence and sales performance. The study is divided into three phases: identifying core business issues, establishing a theoretical foundation using PESTLE and Porter’s Five Forces, and conducting a SWOT analysis. The PESTEL analysis revealed opportunities such as economic growth and technological advancements, and threats including local content regulations and supply chain issues. The Porter analysis suggests moderate market attractiveness due to competition and innovation needs. The STP analysis identifies key targets, including Tier 1 hospitals for advanced Variable Angle (VA) implants and Tier 2 hospitals for cost-effective Mono Angle (MA) implants. The Marketing Mix analysis highlights the need for product updates, pricing adjustments, expanded distribution, and enhanced promotional activities. To strengthen its position, MEDTECH should focus on immediate product development and market penetration strategies, while also planning for long-term local manufacturing and regulatory compliance to ensure sustainable growth in the Indonesian market.

Concept and Modeling of Participation Opportunity for Large-Scale Renewable Energy Plants

Citizen participation in the energy transition is desirable for many reasons: it increases acceptance of renewable energies, fulfils the wish to make one's own contribution to the energy transition and generates relevant parts of the necessary capital for the transformation of the energy system. This paper presents a scalable participation concept for the German legal framework which allows citizens to invest in and partially consume electricity from large-scale renewable energy plants at the time of generation. The developed concept provides a method for direct financial involvement via a direct contract with local electricity suppliers and virtual self-consumption by matching demand with PV generation – without the need for property ownership or new subsidies. Different consumer types and participants shares of a large-scale PV plant are modelled and simulated for the years 2019-2021. The financial advantage of citizen participation depends on the type of energy generation plant, yearly (solar) yield, on the remuneration for the surplus energy quantity, on the electricity procurement costs, on the customer's energy consumption, on the amount, and time flexibility and others. This paper shows that all analysed consumer types have the potential to profit from the model every year, although simulations are dependent on variable annual factors and assume the energy supplier's short-term procurement. The approach’s scalability and organizational simplicity could expedite the development of local participatory projects and contribute significantly to Germany's energy transition.

Vulnerabilities of the neoliberal global food system: The Russia–Ukraine War and COVID‐19

AbstractThe coronavirus 2019 (COVID‐19) pandemic and the Russia–Ukraine war have demonstrated that the neoliberal system is unstable during global crises. In times of crisis, exporter countries adopt protectionist policies in the form of export restrictions to safeguard their local food supply and curb inflation. Consequently, low‐income countries might find themselves unable to access essential food products. In this regard, the aftermath of the COVID‐19 pandemic and the Russia–Ukraine war has gradually increased export restrictions, causing severe food supply disruptions. In particular, import‐dependent countries cannot access essential food products and face famine. To this point, this study explores the vulnerabilities of neoliberalism when exporter countries turn to protectionism. Moreover, it asks whether food sovereignty and self‐sufficiency could act as a safeguard for import‐dependent states against such vulnerabilities. In doing so, the study aims to contribute to the literature by linking protectionism with export restrictions, diverging from the more common association of protectionism with solely import restrictions.

Exploring Xylazine Awareness, Health Impacts, and Harm Reduction Strategies: Findings From a Multimethods Study in Lowell, Massachusetts.

Xylazine, an adulterant in local drug supplies, has been detected in approximately 30% of opioid samples submitted for testing in Massachusetts. A better understanding of local risks, harms, and use preferences is needed to combat xylazine-related impacts on local communities. Through the STOP-OD Lowell study, we aimed to assess local xylazine awareness through in-depth interviews with local community stakeholders (n = 15) and local people who use drugs (PWUD; n = 15) and surveys with local PWUD (n = 94). The qualitative interviews focused on the current drug landscape and knowledge of adulterants in Lowell, and the results informed subsequent survey design. Through our survey, we examined whether PWUD were aware of xylazine and their willingness to use xylazine test strips. Most community stakeholders and PWUD had limited awareness about the presence and impact of xylazine as an adulterant. Forty-seven (50%) survey respondents were aware of xylazine. When provided with more information about xylazine, 65% of all respondents expressed a willingness to use xylazine test strips. PWUD who had received naloxone training, reported using with others, and using tester shots were more willing to use xylazine test strips. Our findings are congruent with existing literature that indicates that there is limited awareness of xylazine among PWUD, and they consider xylazine an unwanted adulterant. We also found that PWUD who use other harm reduction measures are more willing to use xylazine test strips. The increase in xylazine warrants additional community-level interventions such as wound management and local testing infrastructure. Further research is needed to understand better the impacts associated with xylazine use, effective harm reduction techniques, and perceptions of xylazine test strips.

The Role of Local Supplier Perceived Unfairness in International Exchanges: A Contingency View

The Role of Local Supplier Perceived Unfairness in International Exchanges: A Contingency View

Water Quality Identification and Analysis of Saguling Reservoir, West Bandung Regency

The Saguling Reservoir in West Bandung Regency is crucial for local water supply and biodiversity. However, water quality has significantly declined due to human activities, environmental changes, and poor waste management. This degradation jeopardizes the reservoir's clean water supply and the ecological health of surrounding communities. This research used the STORET (Storage and Retrieval) method to assess water quality through purposive sampling in the most affected zones, analyzing physical, chemical, and biological parameters at multiple depths. Key indicators, such as dissolved oxygen, nutrient concentrations, and heavy metal presence, were measured. Results show severe water quality deterioration, especially in deeper sections with less sunlight and aeration. Elevated nitrate and phosphate levels, mainly from agricultural runoff and residential waste, exceeded environmental safety standards. Toxic heavy metals like lead and mercury were also detected, posing serious risks to aquatic life and human health. The study highlights that deeper water zones are critically impacted by pollutants, stressing the need for better regulatory frameworks and waste management. Immediate strategic interventions are crucial to restore and protect the Saguling Reservoir's water quality for future generations.

Leveraging advanced technologies in Supply Chain Risk Management (SCRM) to mitigate healthcare disruptions: A comprehensive review

The Healthcare sector is undeniably one of the most critical sectors in any given economy and disruptions in this industry have dire consequences that affect patient care, the efficiency of healthcare systems and by far public health. This publication seeks to analyze and discuss the vital role of supply chain risk management in addressing disruptions, becoming resilient and ensuring that healthcare services function effectively. The pandemic (COVID-19) brought to fore just how critical it is to have a robust and agile system for supply chain risk management in healthcare, the sudden and unprecedented surge in demand for essential medical equipment like personal protective equipment (PPE) left millions of people at risk thereby jeopardizing their safety and health. This crisis echoed the urgent need for efficient and effective supply chain risk management strategies to mitigate such risks and ensure the availability of vital medical supplies. This review paper will be sharing different strategies and actionable tips to develop contingency plans, identify, reduce potential disruptions and recommended practices for risk management in the healthcare supply chain. This will highlight key areas such as inventory management and stockpiling, which focuses on maintaining safety stock levels to buffer against sudden disruptions, using advanced analytics to forecast demand and manage inventory levels. It will also examine risk assessment and identification by pinpointing potential attacks, threats, and vulnerabilities within the healthcare supply chain through thorough risk assessments. Additionally, it will cover supplier base diversification, emphasizing the importance of engaging multiple suppliers to reduce dependency on a single source and enhance supply chain resilience by balancing global and local suppliers to mitigate geographic disruption risks. Furthermore, it will explore the integration of technology, leveraging innovative solutions like blockchain for enhanced transparency, security, and traceability of supply chain transactions.

Double standards? The adverse impact of chairperson hometown ties on corporate green innovation

Using a sample of Chinese firms from 2000 to 2018, we document that hometown firms (firms with hometown chairpersons) engage in less green innovation than non-hometown firms. Evidence suggests that local stakeholders offer hometown chairpersons more protection from environmental consequences than non-hometown chairpersons. We identify two possible mechanisms: government patronage and accommodation by local supply chain partners. Furthermore, we find that the double standards are alleviated with insignificant difference in corporate green innovation when non-hometown chairpersons marry hometown spouses or build local political relationships. Additional analyses suggest that (1) the double standards drive hometown firms to emit more pollutants than non-hometown firms, (2) when a firm is under government scrutiny for environmental issues, located in the city with severe air pollution, or in heavily polluting industries, the adverse effect of a chairperson's hometown on green innovation is minimal, and (3) our findings on green innovation also extend to a decrease in the number of pollutant treatment facilities and treatment capacity in a firm.

Enhancing sustainable energy production in the Canary Islands: Valorization of local biomass resources through thermochemical processes

Diverse biomass sources from the Canary Islands (vineyard, tomato plant residues, Canary pine needles and Pennisetum setaceum) were assessed due to their local abundance, availability, and low supply cost. Based on their physico-chemical properties, various thermochemical processes were conducted to assess their thermal degradation behaviour, using simultaneous thermal analysis, and their potential for energy production. The results indicate that while tomato plant biomass is unsuitable for thermochemical processes because of its elevated ash content and limited volatile matter, the other biomass sources show promising potential for pyrolysis and gasification, characterized by high fixed carbon content and reactivity. The yearly production of residual biomass in the Canary Islands was quantified at 87,253 tonnes. This biomass could generate an estimated 88.5 GWh of electricity annually. Considering that electricity consumption in the Canary Islands reached 8750 GWh in 2023, biomass-derived electricity could contribute approximately 1.0 % to the archipelago's energy needs. These findings highlight the significant role of local biomass resources in advancing renewable energy goals and reduce dependence on non-renewable sources, promoting a greener energy landscape for the Canary Islands.

“Heating where it hurts”: Electromagnetic induction remote energy transfer to a solid catalyst enables waste polymer upcycling

Electromagnetic induction heating currently attracts significant attention as a means to electrify catalytic processes and leverage a highly specific and localized energy supply. This Comment article features the application of this unconventional energy input for waste polymer conversion to fuel hydrocarbons.

Physiological Roles of Eumelanin- and Melanogenesis-Associated Diseases: A Look at the Potentialities of Engineered and Microbial Eumelanin in Clinical Practice.

This paper aims to highlight the physiological actions exerted by eumelanin present in several organs/tissues of the human body and to rationalise the often conflicting functional roles played by this biopolymer on the basis of its peculiar properties. Besides pigmentary disorders, a growing number of organ injuries and degenerative pathologies are presently ascribed to the modification of physiological eumelanin levels in terms of alterations in its chemical/structural features, and of a partial loss or uneven distribution of the pigment. The present review analyses the more recent research dedicated to the physiological and pathological actions of eumelanin and provides an insight into some melanogenesis-associated diseases of the skin, eye, ear, and brain, including the most significant neurodegenerative disorders. Also described are the potentialities of therapies based on the localised supply of exogeneous EU and the opportunities that EU produced via synthetic biology offers in order to redesign therapeutical and diagnostic applications.

An Ultra-Low-Voltage Approach to Accurately Set the Quiescent Current of Digital Standard Cells Used for Analog Design and Its Application on an Inverter-Based Operational Transconductance Amplifier

An approach to design analog building blocks based on digital standard cells is presented in this work. By ensuring that every CMOS inverter from a standard-cell library operates with a well-defined quiescent current and output voltage, the suggested method makes it possible to construct analog circuits that are resistant against PVT variations. The method uses the local supply voltages connected to the source terminals of the p-channel and n-channel MOS transistors of the standard-cell inverters as control inputs. It is based on adaptive supply voltage generator (ASVG) reusable blocks, which are comparable to those used in digital applications to handle process variations. All of the standard-cell inverters used for analog functions receive the local supply voltages produced by the ASVGs, which enable setting each cell’s quiescent current to a multiple of a reference current and each cell’s static output voltage to an appropriate reference voltage. Both the complete custom design of the ASVG blocks and a theoretical study of the feedback loop of the ASVG are presented. An application example through the design of a fully synthesizable two-stage operational transconductance amplifier (OTA) is also provided. The TSMC 180 nm CMOS technology has been used to implement both the OTA and the ASV generators. Simulation results have demonstrated that the proposed approach allows to accurately set the quiescent current of standard-cell inverters, dramatically reducing the effect of PVT variations on the pmain performance parameters of the standard-cell-based two-stage OTA.

Selection of Official and Unofficial Lemon Raw Material Suppliers (Case Study of Tasikmalaya City Branch Mixue)

Mixue is one of the most popular contemporary drink brands in Indonesia. One of the important raw materials for Mixue is lemon. In Indonesia, there are two types of lemon raw material suppliers, namely imported suppliers and local suppliers. This research aims to examine and compare the use of lemon raw materials from official suppliers of PT. Zhisheng Pacific Trading (MIXUE) imports raw materials from local suppliers in the context of use by Mixue retail stores operating in the food and beverage sector. This research uses mixed methods between qualitative methods and quantitative methods. Data collection techniques in this research were observation, interviews and questionnaires. Mixue is one of the most popular contemporary drink brands in Indonesia. Based on the results of this research, it can be concluded that local suppliers are superior to most of the factors considered than official suppliers. There is positive interest from experts involved in research regarding the use of lemon raw materials from local suppliers. From this research, recommendations and suggestions were obtained to consider updating policies related to regulations on the use of raw materials from third parties by considering all the advantages possessed by local suppliers in various factors. The results of this research state that local suppliers are superior in price and logistics efficiency. Official suppliers offer stable and reliable product quality.

Shallow groundwater and river baseflow: Interconnection evidences and integrated water management strategies. Case study in the upper Descoberto watershed, Federal District, Brazil

Aquifer discharge in the form of baseflow is intimate related to river replenishment. In this manner, it is reasonable that water management practices consider an integrated approach including surface and groundwater. Effective regulatory measures, however, require the understanding of the mechanisms and the degree of such interconnection. In the Federal District, capital of Brazil, research focused on this theme are scarce, despite the relevance addressed by some authors. In the present study, shallow groundwater of Upper Descoberto Watershed was monitored for four years (2019–2023). The area responds to 60% of local population public water supply and has been facing land use conflicts and water crisis. Data were collected with 2-h resolution and compared to fluviometric stations discharge and water height records. Graphical analyses demonstrate that river baseflow is highly dependent on shallow aquifer discharge. The decrease of the phreatic aquifer water level results, in a short period, in streams flow reduction. This result is contrasting to the former agreement that considered the connection would take more time to be established. Statistical correlation coefficients are as high as 0.920 for the entire monitoring range and 0.998 for the dry season. The results evidence that soils have important reservoir and regulatory functions, even though they might not be relevant for high water demand activities. In this way, water grant process should account for correlated components, such as territory planning, estimation of total extraction by sensitive areas and properly characterization of insignificant uses, alternative and independent water sources evaluation, and definition of environmental constraints. The mitigation practices of hydric problems must include the implementation of artificial recharge devices, use of sustainable farming methods and control of rainwater overland flow. It is desirable the maintenance and enlargement of the current monitoring net so that former patterns that culminated in water crisis can be early identified and mitigated.