Supply Chain Architecture Research Articles

Hybrid Blockchain Network for Drug Traceability in Secure Pharmaceutical Supply Chain

Several stakeholders are involved in the pharmaceutical supply chain (PSC), including those who provide raw materials, make and sell drugs, and oversee the industry, hospitals, pharmacies, and patients. An efficient traceability system is necessary to ascertain the present and all prior ownership of products because of the intricate nature of product and transaction flows in PSC. Furthermore, regulatory supervision and product safety can be significantly improved by digitizing the track and trace procedure. A permanent, trustworthy, responsible, and transparent system in the PSC can be achieved using blockchain-based medication tracing, which provides a distributed shared data platform. A hybrid blockchain network (HBN) based on secure pharmaceutical supply chain architecture (SPSCA) has been proposed for this research. The suggested system relies on smart contracts to record significant events and track how all the parties engaged in the supply chain perform their respective tasks. In this way, everyone concerned can remain informed of developments and protect the supply against manipulations of supply records and counterfeit pharmaceuticals. All parties involved benefit from a secure, immutable record of transactions due to the smart contract, which additionally guarantees the provenance of data and deals with mediators. Detailed methods and the system architecture that enable the solution's functioning are laid out here. We perform testing and validation to assess the system's efficacy in improving pharmaceutical supply chain traceability and provide cost and security evaluations.

A quality-based sustainable supply chain architecture for perishable products using image processing in the era of industry 4.0

In India, approximately one-third of agricultural produce is wasted every year due to the different issues present in the post-harvest supply chain stages. The supply chain management of perishable products becomes complex and challenging due to the inclusion of its perishability dynamics. Quality is the main factor that governs the buying or discarding of perishable products by consumers. Therefore, the main aim of this research work is to develop an accurate and efficient image processing model for the classification of the product (Tomato) based on its quality for managing the supply chain. There are three novelties in this research work. A four-stage supply chain architecture integrated with the image processing system at mandi, and warehouses is proposed (First). This image processing system is developed in two stages. In stage I, the acquired images of tomato during its life cycle are labelled with the help of machine learning algorithms (Second). This labelled data is used in stage II for the development of a classification model to segregate the product into various grades. For this, an optimized architecture of seven-layer Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) model is developed followed by optimization of its hyperparameters simultaneously using Design of Experiments (DOE) technique (Third). The optimized CNN model achieved maximum accuracy of 88.40% and reported an execution time of 7 min. Further, the results of standard hyperparameter optimization techniques like Grid search, Random search, Bayesian, and Hyperband are compared with the proposed DOE technique on the optimized CNN architecture. The work done in this paper enables the supply chain managers to take accurate and rapid decisions for pricing, procurement, storage, and transportation at various stages of the supply chain leading to Industry 4.0. This will result in reduced post-harvest losses and simultaneously achieve the benefits across social, economic, and environmental dimensions of sustainability leading to better supply chain management.

ASBlock:An Agricultural based Supply Chain Management using Blockchain Technology

Blockchain is a distributed digital ledger technology that allows for the immutable and auditable logging of transactions without needing a central authority or centralized database. First introduced in 2008 as the technology behind the digital currency Bitcoin, blockchain has now found use in a wide range of sectors. Modern agriculture supply networks have emerged to accommodate intricate interactions between regional actors and the agricultural environment. Interactions between various participants in the supply chain, including those involved in manufacturing, processing, and delivery. One of the main reasons fraud happens so often in agriculture is the lack of transparency in the supply chain. Businesses that aren’t transparent run the risk of losing money, alienating their customers, and seeing their brands decline in value. To encourage the growth of an efficient and trustworthy trading environment, several fundamental adjustments to the current supply chain architecture are necessary. The potential for blockchain technology to enhance food and agricultural supply chain transparency is well acknowledged. Companies utilize IoT and blockchain to create more equitable, sustainable, and customer-friendly food manufacturing systems. In this current work, a blockchain-based decentralized application (dApp), ‘ASBlock’, is developed for agricultural-based supply chain management. The primary focus of this developed application is to bring transparency and security to all participating users of the application; the users of this application include farmers or producers, suppliers or retailers, hotels, and end users. The performance analysis shows that the average gas utilization of the proposed ASBlock dApp is ∼ 2.8 ⋆ 104. The average smart contract execution time for all use cases is ∼ 112sec.

Hierarchical joint optimization of modular product family and supply chain architectures considering sustainability

Since sustainability is a growing concern, businesses aim to integrate sustainability principles and practices into product and supply chain architecture (SCA) design. Modular product architecture (MPA) is essential for meeting sustainability demands, as it defines shareable and detachable modules to facilitate assembly/disassembly and recovery. However, Traditional architectural modularity overlooks interface complexity and fails to balance commonality, complexity, and cost for effective facility sharing and ensuring ease of disassembly and upgradeability. Therefore, it is inefficient for economic design, modular recycling, and assembly/disassembly operations. Furthermore, the existing modular clustering methods cannot characterize components that may generate complex modular structures and decrease compatibility for remanufacturing and upgrading. Therefore, such methods cannot offer guidance on modular granularity to reduce premature product discarding through economic upgrading. This paper outlines a modular PFA and SCA by bi-level programming prioritizing sustainability. It emphasizes reducing product discarding and waste generation by focusing on lower remanufacturing costs and higher upgradeability in modular products and SCA. Here, the similarity of operation, ease of disassembly, and upgradability have been used for SCA with architectural and interface modularity. A fuzzy inference system (FIS) differentiates each product component and provides a basis for remanufacturing and upgrading compatibility. The developed leader-follower decision structure allows the selection of suitable and sustainable module candidates to share among product families, considering product architecture, processing activities, and upgrading opportunities. The designed case study on refrigerator PFA shows that the proposed approach saves 23.93 %, 7.21 %, and 17.2 % of SCA costs compared to non-modular, random clustering, and sequential approaches. Further numerical analysis evaluates the proposed model's economic, social, and environmental implications. Accordingly, the model is suitable for guiding modularization for financial gains while promoting environmental and social sustainability.

AgriBlock: A Blockchain based Framework for Agricultural Supply Chain Management

To facilitate complex interactions between regional players and the agricultural environment, modern agriculture supply chains have arisen. Supply chain processes that include several parties, such as production, processing, and delivery, interacting with one another. Lack of transparency in the agricultural supply chain is a major contributor to the incidence of fraud in this industry. A lack of openness on the part of organisations leads to worries about potential financial losses, diminishing customer trust, and dwindling brand value. Several fundamental changes to the existing supply chain architecture are required to foster the development of an effective and reliable trade environment. It is widely recognised that blockchain technology has the potential to increase visibility across agricultural and food supply chains. Businesses are using blockchain and IoT to implement more egalitarian, sustainable, and consumer-friendly methods of food production. Based on what we learned, blockchain technology may be useful in the push for a more transparent and responsible food supply chain. The primary goal of this study is to create a decentralised application framework called AgriBlock that can be used for managing the supply chains of agricultural products using blockchain technology. The developed work AgriBlock will aid in making the supply chain process more open and clear to every participant involved.

Harmonizing Sustainability, Functionality, and Cost: Navigating Responsible Packaging Innovations in Modern Supply Chains

The notion of responsible packaging innovation has become a key tenet in the current supply chain architecture. This essay examines the complex interplay between cost, usability, and sustainability in the context of packaging methods. The shifting nature of packaging trends from traditional uses to modern sustainable solutions emphasizes the role's flexibility. The sustainability imperative is examined, with a focus on how packaging materials affect the environment and how the regulatory environment is changing. Responsible packaging integration into supply chains necessitates multi-stakeholder cooperation, where manufacturers, suppliers, retailers, and consumers all work together to influence the course of sustainable projects. By transforming packaging from a passive defender to an active player in the customer experience, functional packaging innovations are being driven by advances in material science and user-centric design. The complicated balance between sustainability and financial feasibility is revealed by taking into account cost, including both initial investments and long-term consequences. Case studies from leading businesses in the sector highlight effective methods for implementing sustainable packaging while also highlighting the lessons discovered from difficulties encountered. Technological advancements transform the packaging industry by merging IoT-driven data and cutting-edge materials that support ecological obligations. The significance of packaging as a communication tool that communicates brand values and encourages loyalty has increased as a result of consumer perception and demand. The importance of packaging that connects with sustainability-conscious values is highlighted by the influence of the conscientious consumer on purchase decisions. But navigating problems like cost, convoluted supply networks, and consumer education calls for tact. The view for the future predicts trends including improved materials, digital integration, the adoption of the circular economy, and eco-design principles that will continue to influence supply chain packaging innovation. As a result, striking a balance between sustainability, usability, and cost within responsible packaging is not only a transformative journey but also a crucial step towards a more sustainable and resilient global supply chain landscape.

Short Essay on the Literature Review of the Service Supply Chain

Purpose: This study aimed to examine the concrete type of service supply chain, which has been remaining on a conceptual level in previous studies. For this purpose, this study analyzed the differentiation of service supply chain, which could be hardly explained by the traditional manufacturing supply chain architecture.
 Design/methodology/approach: The research method was conducted through in-depth literature review. It was intended to identify the structure and characteristics of the service supply chain through an in-depth literature review in the service and supply chain fields.
 Findings: The service industry is made up of a wide range of fields and has various characteristics. The characteristics of the service industry are expected to be more diverse and complicated depending on the tangibility spectrum or servitised degree of the combination of tangible products and intangible services. According to the literature review, remarkable differences were shown between the type of the traditional manufacturing-oriented supply chain and that of the logistics service supply chain in respect of industrial architecture and direction of the entities in the supply chain.
 Research limitations/implications: This study cannot suggest general service supply chain types through literature review. The reason may be that it was difficult to generalize the types of service supply chains due to the diversity of the service industry and the characteristics of services that are different from tangible products. It was also difficult to apply the methodology to scientifically distinguish service supply chain to the traditional supply chain.
 Originality/value: The research results of this study on the service supply chain are meaningful in both academic and practical aspects. Academically, it provides the foundation for research on the service supply chain structure. In practice, it suggests the possibility that service companies can also use supply chain management as a business strategy.

Modelling and application of hierarchical joint optimisation for modular product family and supply chain architecture

Modelling and application of hierarchical joint optimisation for modular product family and supply chain architecture

Integrated Production and Distribution Planning using Mathematical Model for Maximizing Profit

In three-dimensional concurrent engineering context, product, process, and supply chain designs are approached by the imperative of concurrency principle. The imperative of concurrency proposes product architecture and supply chain architecture conducted simultaneously. The detailed product design and production process design are conducted simultaneously. While manufacturing system design is conducted simultaneously with logistic system design. This study concerns on integrating production planning with distribution planning in a new plastic bags plant. Since the plant is relatively new, the number of orders is still scarce. Therefore, production planning becomes critical. Producing more products than required creates inventories while producing as many as the order required creates an intermittent production schedule. A mathematical is developed to simultaneously schedule production and distribution to maximize profit. The model provides solutions on the number of materials to be delivered, the number of products produced and delivered within its period for the planning horizon.

산업연관분석을 이용한 라스트마일 배송산업 공급사슬구조의 탐색적 연구

The purpose of the study is to identify the degree of production induction effects and industrial synergy effects of the last mile delivery service industry. It also connects the industrial linkage structure of the last mile delivery industry with the concept of the supply chain. Ultimately, it identifies the structure of the service supply chain centered on the last mile delivery. It approaches research problems from a service science perspective. The philosophical basis of the study is the concept of service dominant logic. In addition, the research methodology is an inter-industry analysis of economics, and WIOD is used for analysis data. Petroleum product manufacturing and warehousing are the backward industries of the last mile delivery industry. And it seems clear that wholesale and retail industry are forward industries. Therefore, the last mile delivery industry plays a role in connecting the relationship between the supply industry, the manufacturing industry, and the distribution industry on the supply chain. In addition, the supply chain architecture of the last mile delivery service is significantly different from the existing manufacturing-oriented supply chain structure. Academically, the concept of a traditional manufacturing-oriented supply chain has been expanded to the service sector. And it identified the supply chain structure of the last mile delivery service. In practice, if a strategic industry is selected with limited resources, it will be an important indicator for determining investment priorities.

The Construction of Intelligent Supply Chain System for Agricultural Products Based on Improved Ant Colony Algorithm

With the rapid development of China itself, the supply chain system has become an effective tool to enhance economic competitiveness, and the intelligent supply chain system integrates innovative technologies such as the Internet, the Internet of Things, cloud computing, and big data into the industrial supply chain management. The ant colony algorithm shows super flexibility and robustness at the level of optimizing many combination problems; the intelligent supply chain architecture of agricultural products is essentially the rational allocation of resources, which is a dynamic combination of resources and tasks that combines a variety of combinations to select the most appropriate and optimal performance. In this paper, the architecture of the intelligent supply chain of agricultural products is studied in combination with the improved ant colony algorithm, and some improvement strategies are adopted to avoid falling into local optimization or local convergence in order to avoid falling into local optimization or local convergence. The improvements of the algorithm mainly include the following: improving the path search of individual ants, improving the pheromone update strategy, improving the selection probability, and improving the dynamic growth mechanism of ants. In this paper, the VRPTW mathematical model, the dataset TSPLIB, and the operation data of the intelligent supply chain of agricultural products are used for test verification; the results can be obtained by verifying the results of the experiment closer to the optimal solution, and the efficiency of the algorithm is significantly improved. Therefore, through the improvement and optimization of the ant colony algorithm, it is very suitable for solving and optimizing the intelligent supply chain system of agricultural products.

Multi-objective multi-echelon distribution planning for perishable goods supply chain: a case study

The growing concern of leading a healthy and balanced lifestyle has instigated the rise of the global consumption of fresh fruits and vegetables. However, the overall supply chain, particularly the product delivery system, is significantly hampered due to uncertain circumstances, such as a pandemic, natural disaster, and political strikes. Thus, better strategical decisions such as improved and optimised distribution planning have to be made to reduce this wastage and spoilage and ensure sustainability across its chain. Therefore, to ensure a sustainable supply chain architecture, this research proposes a tri-objective optimisation model for multi-echelon and multi-products aiming to lessen the annual supply chain cost, cold storage setup cost, and enhance the freshness of perishable by establishing a proper distribution channel. First, a mixed-integer linear programming model with three competing goals is proposed to solve the supply chain distribution network design problem. Then, to deal with the multi-criteria problem, a weighted sum method is considered. This was solved using CPLEX optimisation studio. A case study is considered to check the feasibility of the model with two common fruits of Bangladesh, i.e. guava and lemon. Finally, several cost-effective options and trade-offs between three factors are presented to aid the decision-making process. Highlights A unique flexible distribution planning model for multi-product fresh produce Allocating a new echelon, refrigerated DC between production and consumption zone Considering waste minimization and carbon emission to improve sustainability Determining the most preferred location of DCs from potential locations Establishing cold storages, considering perishable nature for developing countries

Connections Between System of System Sustainability and Resilience in an Electric Motor Manufacturing Supply Chain

Systems of Systems combine constituent systems (such as financial, transportation, energy, food, and water) to improve performance. System of Systems employment, however, often requires additional material and infrastructure investment. Due to their widespread use, it is essential that Systems of Systems are sustainable. One approach to increasing Systems of Systems sustainability is to increase its resilience (e.g. a less-resilient System of Systems would require additional resources to recover from a fault). The need for increased Systems of Systems resilience inspired our research question: How does SoS resilience change environmental impact during post-fault operation? To examine this research question, a model of an electric motor supply chain is examined. The supply chain architecture is divided into two parallel supply chains servicing four distribution centers. If supply to a distribution center is disrupted, the non-impacted supply chain can provide motors, but at a changed use-phase impact due to new shipping routes (e.g. further geographic distance). To answer our research question, each of the 14 constituents were disrupted one at a time, supply rerouting occurred as necessary, and the change in operational impact is reported (additional km of supply chain travel per week. This study provides key evidence that even if System of System infrastructure repair could occur without impact, changes in operational impact is an important factor for decision makers. Additionally, this paper provides case study evidence supporting the claim that improved resilience can improve System of Systems sustainability.

Research on Agricultural Supply Chain Architecture Based on Edge Computing and Efficiency Optimization

This paper proposes the classification standard of supply chain structure from three different aspects: the complexity of the supply chain node enterprises, the reliability of the supply chain, and the optimization goal. In addition, this article starts from the characteristics of agriculture itself, according to the actual needs of the agricultural supply chain, considers the feasibility of the solution strategy from different sides, and gives related models, which solve the related problems in the agricultural supply chain to a certain extent. At present, there are many resource allocation algorithms at the edge of mobile networks, but the existing resource allocation algorithms still have the problem of high computational complexity and can still solve the above problems in resource utilization optimization. In order to solve these problems, this paper proposes a system architecture of the agricultural industry Internet of Things based on edge computing. The main motivations of this article are to improve the stability and usability of the system, and to enhance agricultural wisdom, so as to provide a reference for the development of precision agriculture. According to this method, Firstly, from the perspective of how to improve the energy efficiency of mobile terminals, methods to improve the energy efficiency of mobile terminals are studied in multi-user systems where mobile terminals compete for MEC servers with limited computing resources. Then, this paper focuses on the waste of computing resources caused by user movement under the scenario of limited server coverage in MEC system and studies the problem from the perspective of effective management of computing resources. Experimental results show that the proposed algorithm has good performance.

Blockchain-Based Supply Chain Information Sharing Mechanism

This paper proposes a blockchain-based supply chain information operation method to solve the current shortage of business information sharing in the supply chain. These approaches include the idea of blockchain application to realize the sharing of supply chain information, the supply chain architecture of production enterprises based on blockchain, and the hierarchical model of supply chain information flow based on blockchain. This paper proposes the information block recording method of internal and external data sources in the supply chain, including the composition structure and the analysis of the multisource data inside and outside the supply chain. In addition, the multisource data information block recording method is also proposed. Building a blockchain-based supply chain system can improve the integration and reconstruction capabilities of the supply chain. The information recording of the internal data of the supply chain and the external related multisource data in the block can improve the learnability of the supply chain. The internal and external information block connection of the supply chain system is the further integration and reconstruction of the supply chain information resources in the blockchain system. The information storage and access control of the blockchain-based supply chain is an information security guarantee system in the supply chain information sharing environment. Through the method of this study, the system can form a business architecture system based on blockchain-based supply chain information sharing.

Agriculture-Food Supply Chain Management Based on Blockchain and IoT: A Narrative on Enterprise Blockchain Interoperability

Modern-day agriculture supply chains have evolved from sovereign and autonomous local stakeholders to a worldwide interconnected system of multiple participants linked by complicated interactions, impacting the production, processing, transportation, and delivery of food to end consumers. Regular instances of fraudulent acts reveal a lack of openness in agriculture supply chains, raising worries about financial losses, eroding customer trust, and lowering corporate brand value. To develop an efficient and reliable trading environment, several fundamental modifications in the present supply chain architecture are required. There is broad consensus that blockchain can improve transparency in agriculture-food supply chains (agri-food SCs). Consumers now demand safe, sustainable, and equitable food production processes, and businesses are using blockchains and the internet of things to meet these needs. For enhanced responsiveness in agri-food SCs, new concepts have evolved that combine blockchains with various Industry 5.0 technologies (e.g., blockchain technology, big data, internet of things (IoT), radio frequency identification (RFID), near field communication (NFC), etc.). It is critical to cut through the hype and examine the technology’s limits, which might stymie its acceptance, implementation, and scalability in agri-food supply chains. This study presents Agri-SCM-BIoT (Agriculture Supply Chain Management using Blockchain and Internet of things) architecture to address the storage and scalability optimization, interoperability, security and privacy issues security, and privacy of personal data along with storage concerns with present single-chain agriculture supply chain systems. We also discussed the classification of security threats with IoT infrastructure and possible available blockchain-based defense mechanisms. Finally, we discussed the features of the proposed supply chain architecture, followed by a conclusion and future work.

Blockchain integrated flexible vaccine supply chain architecture: Excavate the determinants of adoption

Infectious diseases a curse for humanity can be curbed through immunization. Vaccination can make people more resilient toward infectious diseases and the safety of the vaccine is of prime importance for public health. A smart vaccine management system can address the issue of vaccine expiration and counterfeiting. The study was conducted in twofolds: Stage I, a quantitative cross-sectional survey design was deployed to understand stakeholder adoption intention (ADI) toward blockchain-enabled vaccine supply chain through extended technology adoption model using partial least square structural equation modeling. Findings entail stakeholders' trust and perceived ease of use for blockchain-enabled vaccine supply chain directly affect perceived usefulness (PUS) and individual subjective norm. PUS significantly influences the ADI of stakeholders toward blockchain in the vaccine supply chain. Stage II, a blockchain integrated vaccine supply chain architecture with Internet of things devices was proposed to bring transparency and flexibility to the vaccine supply chain. Architecture would benefit the beneficiary to approve or disapprove the vaccines through the self-generated report and medical health centers can see the efficacy of vaccines before clinical delivery to patients.

Distributed architecture for a supply chain by integrating a multi- agent approach using simulation

This study proposes an architecture based on multiple agents through a Colored Petri Net model (CPN), which enables the integration of supply chain links and information technology to speed up the production process and services. The methodology was developed based on three fundamental concepts: CPN as design tool, Supply Chain (SC) Architecture and Multi-Agent Systems (MAS). As a case study, a typical supply chain in the Colombian production system was considered. As a case study, a typical supply chain in the Colombian production system was considered. For this, the study developed a modeling procedure to transform its supply chain architecture from a typical structure to a multi-agent structure. This procedure consists of seven phases. Initially, the case study is characterized as a supply chain, then the information is collected, next the limitations of the supply chain are identified, then the variables and their interactions are defined. In the following two phases, three models are developed: the structural model, representing the physical distribution of the plant; the conceptual model, that relates the system components and their interactions; and the functional model, which integrates the previous models and associates them with the behavior of the variables during the process ow. Finally, a qualitative and quantitative validation of the models are performed, simulating different scenarios. The results show that a distributed supply chain structure, using multi-agent architecture, first, offers robust information and physical flows, and secondly, contributes to supply time reduction, communication quickness, efficiency and quality of information for operational decision making. The results could also motivate organizations to integrate the supply chains considering MASs in resource management.

서비스 공급사슬구조에 대한 탐색적 연구: 서비스사이언스의 서비스지배논리적 접근

With the development of the service economy, IBM introduced the concept of service science in 2004. Since then, service management and service supply chain management (SSCM) have become increasingly interested in academia and industry. Supply chain management (SCM) is spreading around the world, and there are many successful cases. However, the application of supply chain management is still in its early stages in the service industry compared to the manufacturing industry, which has successfully applied supply chain management. Therefore, this study carries out a literature review with service-dominant logic (S-D Logic) as a research philosophy. Through this, we attempt an exploratory study of the service supply chain architecture, which is difficult to explain in existing manufacturing supply chains. Moreover, this work proposes research propositions and architecture model related to the service supply chain structure based on literature research. This research will provide the foundation for the Multi-disciplinary Convergence Study, aiming to generalize the service supply chain architecture.

IMPROVING DECISION MAKING IN PRODUCT MODULARIZATION BY GAME-BASED MANAGEMENT TRAINING

AbstractTo deal with the complexity caused by a constantly increasing need for product customization many companies have adopted a product modularization strategy. Product modularization has the potential to give benefits both in the design of products, in manufacturing as well as in the supply chain. But, it poses great challenges in its implementation, which includes complex decision-making that will affect the whole value-chain. The purpose of this paper is to describe how a game-based approach can be used for academic education, and management training, with the aim of improving decision-making in product modularization. This by visualizing, and practice, the complex interplay between product, manufacturing and supply chain architecture. The paper describes the development of the LEGO Exploratorium game set up, based on the LEGO minifigures, and how it has been used for both teaching engineering students and in company workshop. Using this game set up will increase companies' possibilities to develop modularized products that are designed for both efficient manufacturing and supply chain management.