Green supply chain performance measurement using the analytic hierarchy process: a comparative analysis of manufacturing organisations

The main purpose of this research is to develop and deploy an analytical framework for measuring the environmental performance of manufacturing supply chains. This work's theoretical bases combine and reconcile three major areas: supply chain management, environmental management and performance measurement. Researchers have suggested many empirical criteria for green supply chain (GSC) performance measurement and proposed both qualitative and quantitative frameworks. However, these are mainly operational in nature and specific to the focal company. This research develops an innovative GSC performance measurement framework by integrating supply chain processes (supplier relationship management, internal supply chain management and customer relationship management) with organisational decision levels (both strategic and operational). Environmental planning, environmental auditing, management commitment, environmental performance, economic performance and operational performance are the key level constructs. The proposed framework is then applied to three selected manufacturing organisations in the UK. Their GSC performance is measured and benchmarked by using the analytic hierarchy process (AHP), a multiple-attribute decision-making technique. The AHP-based framework offers an effective way to measure and benchmark organisations’ GSC performance. This study has both theoretical and practical implications. Theoretically it contributes holistic constructs for designing a GSC and managing it for sustainability; and practically it helps industry practitioners to measure and improve the environmental performance of their supply chain.     

基于混合CVaR的供应链绿色研发-广告决策与协调机制研究

针对消费者绿色偏好异质性而引发产品需求不确定性的情形,构建了基于混合CVaR准则的绿色供应链双层风险决策模型,研究了一个具有不同风险态度制造商与一个具有不同风险态度零售商所组成供应链的最优绿色研发投入及广告宣传水平等决策问题,分析了成员不同风险态度对供应链相关决策的影响。在此基础上,提出一个基于风险补偿的双向成本分担契约协调机制,并给出实现供应链协调的合理转移支付区间,最后通过数值分析验证该协调机制的有效性。结果表明,无论供应链成员表现为何种风险态度,该契约均能实现供应链协调,并且对由风险规避制造商与风险追逐零售商所组成的供应链协调效果最为显著。     

Big-data analytics framework for incorporating smallholders in sustainable palm oil production

Abstract

This paper aims to address the constraints faced in incorporating smallholders in sustainable palm oil production. There exists literature that acknowledges the need for incorporating smallholders in the production of sustainable palm oil but none has proposed a solution beyond ‘Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil’ (RSPO) certification. In the current business scenario, several organizations are struggling to procure RSPO certified palm oil even after committing huge resources. RSPO, though a good first step, has a major process and capacity constraints resulting in long processing times, delays, and lack of traceability for the customers. This paper proposes a Big Data Analytics framework enabled by cutting-edge technologies to incorporate smallholders in the RSPO certification process. The data used was collected through farm visits, stakeholder meetings, key stakeholder interviews, and, secondary sources. The proposed framework not only addresses the limitation of the current certification process but also converts it from being punitive to preventive. The outcomes of this research will be extremely useful for all the stakeholders in the palm oil supply chain.     

考虑努力水平和决策风险偏好的供应链期权销量担保模型

对销售商和供应商组成的简单两级供应链,在供应链参与企业的风险偏好影响其决策选择,以及在需求随机并受销售商营销努力水平影响的市场环境下,建立了基于销量担保期权的供应链契约模型。提供了一种基于期望损失的期权定价方法,分析了努力水平和决策风险偏好双重因素对参与企业的决策及其供应链协调的影响。研究表明在考虑努力水平和决策风险偏好差异时,单纯的期权销量契约无法实现供应链协调。为此,引入收益共享和努力成本共担策略,对原契约模型加以修正。在修正契约中,当收益共享比例和努力成本共担比例满足一定条件时,修正的期权销量担保契约可以实现供应链协调。最后,提供了一种模型优化分析方法,并通过案例分析说明了研究结论的有效性。     

Measuring the logistics performance of internal hospital supply chains – A literature study

The patient care processes in hospitals are supported by a range of operational activities including inventory management and distribution of supplies to point-of-care locations. Hospitals carry large amounts and a great variety of items, and the issues of storing and distributing these items throughout the hospital supply chain are of great importance to providing high-quality patient service. Healthcare logistics encompasses the process of handling physical goods (e.g. pharmaceuticals, surgical medical products, medical equipment, sterile items, linen, food, etc.) and the associated information flows, from the reception of the goods within a hospital to their delivery at patient care locations. The medical supply costs constitute the second largest expenditure in hospitals, after personnel costs. A high-performing supply chain may realize improved outcomes (e.g. safe and quality patient service) and greater efficiency. Logistics managers need to identify opportunities to improve the logistics processes in order to lower costs and to improve patient care quality. However, in order to improve the logistics processes, you must understand how the healthcare supply chain is currently performing. Measuring the performance of the supply chain is fundamental to identify and address deficiencies in the logistics activities, and it serves as a good input for managerial decision-making. The purpose of this article is to present existing research on performance measurement at the internal hospital supply chain (e.g. inventory management, distribution activities), and more specifically in the operating theatre since it is among the most critical resources for a hospital. At the operating theatre, the requested items should be available at the right time at the right place, in the right condition, at the lowest cost possible. Furthermore, we will also discuss literature on multi-criteria decision-making techniques. It enables researchers to build a performance measurement framework and to prioritize between multiple performance indicators since a diverse group of stakeholders with conflicting interests is involved in the internal operating room supply chain.     

Measuring agri-food supply chain performance and risk through a new analytical framework: a case study of New Zealand dairy

Abstract

Many researchers and practitioners have long recognized the significance of measuring performance. Although general guidelines for measuring business performance are widely available, no appropriate measurement frameworks have been developed for measuring agri-food supply chain performance. Particularly, food quality and risk-related indicators have not been well integrated into existing performance measurement systems. Our research, therefore, addresses this knowledge gap by first providing an in-depth review of extant performance measurement systems and frameworks. It then develops an analytical framework by extending the Supply Chain Operations Reference (SCOR) model which has been extensively implemented across non-food industries. The analytical framework is further validated by utilizing a case study of 50 farmers and 10 dairy companies, operating in the New Zealand dairy industry.

Our pilot testing and subsequent findings show that the individual metrics interlocked with the analytical framework are in-line with the key industrial practices adapted by the New Zealand dairy industry. In addition, the framework is flexible and scalable to evaluate and benchmark other agri-food supply chains – ranging from fresh products such as fruits and vegetables to processed foods such as canned fruits. The findings further show that the detailed information required for measuring the level-3 SCOR metrics is not easily available in the industry, as researchers need to access specific company records that may be confidential. Consequently, this study provides how agri-food supply chain managers can employ our new analytical framework in-conjunction with the SCOR model for a deeper understanding of the complicated performance measurement indicators applied in their agri-food production systems and relevant supply chains.     

Sustainable planning strategies in supply chain systems: proposal and applications with a real case study in fashion

Abstract

Pollution generated by the fashion industry drives people to pay attention to fashion companies’ sustainability practice. This increase in attention has induced vast literature studying the related area. Since the fashion apparel supply chain is complicated which involves a lot of interrelated steps and decisions, how fashion companies can identify the demand in sustainable fashion and make the right decision in resource allocation throughout the supply chain becomes a critical issue. As a result, this paper examines how a fashion company can develop a successful sustainable planning strategy throughout the sustainable fashion supply chain. The sustainability attributes and the sustainable planning strategy mechanism are also discussed. Based on the institutional theory and resource-based theory, we first analyse the external pressure and internal motivations for companies to adopt a sustainable planning strategy in the fashion supply chain. We then identify the core stakeholders related to the sustainable planning strategy and propose how the decision-making theory can help develop the sustainable supply chain management mechanism. Next, we establish a sustainable planning strategy framework. Finally, via a case study with public data on the fashion giant brand Nike, we explore the application of our proposed sustainable planning strategy framework. The finding suggests that the strategic planning of fashion companies on sustainability can improve the performance of the stakeholders throughout the whole sustainable fashion supply chain.     

风险规避型供应链的收益共享机制研究

探讨了由风险规避型零售商与风险规避型供应商组成的两级供应链协作激励问题.首先研究了Stackelberg主从对策模型下风险规避型零售商与风险规避型供应商的决策行为,并分析了双方的风险规避系数对双方决策行为的影响.然后,研究了垂直一体化模型下风险规避型供应链的决策行为,同样分析了双方风险规避系数对供应链决策行为的影响程度.最后,提出采用收益共享契约机制来协调该供应链.并通过数值实验进一步分析供应商与零售商的风险规避系数对双方的决策行为及收益共享系数的影响程度.     

Linking global value chains and supply chain management: evidence from the electric motors industry

The global value chain (GVC) framework and its central concept of governance are increasingly advocated as powerful tools for interpreting managerial issues with particular reference to global supply chain (SC) management. However, a gap still exists about how the GVC concepts, which have been developed at the industry level, can be applied at the company level. The aim of this work is therefore to investigate how the concepts of GVC structure and governance are related to the way the SC is managed. Several research propositions drawn from the literature are investigated by means of seven case studies in the electric motors industry. The results show that the GVC can be a useful framework for understanding and deploying SC management at the company level. Moreover, the analysis of the governance modes provides an effective tool to explain the existing degree of technological and operational collaboration in the SC. Finally, we show the importance of considering such contextual factors as company size and the competitive priorities of the company to move seamlessly between the GVC, at the industry level, and SC management, at the company level.     

Decision knowledge sharing: flexible supply chains in KM context

Supply chain excellence has a real impact on business strategy. Building supply chains as flexible systems represents one of the most exciting opportunities to create value and one of the most challenging tasks for the policy makers. It requires integrated decision making amongst autonomous chain partners with effective decision knowledge sharing between them. The key to success lies in knowing which decision has more impact on the overall performance and this can be achieved by appropriate knowledge sharing. In this context, knowledge management (KM) can be used as an effective approach to achieve knowledge sharing and decision synchronisation in supply chains. Flexible supply chains (FSC_s) are more complex and involve multiple autonomous players with varying technical cultures (affects knowledge mindsets), managerial background (affects decision knowledge) and supply chain management (SCM) exposures (affects knowledge sharing attitudes). Thus there is a need to develop demo models that can encourage chain managers towards collaborative knowledge sharing in the supply chains. This paper presents the application of one such model based on decision knowledge sharing (DKS) for improved supply chain management. A simulation model of a flexible supply chain based on DKS framework is developed for demo purposes. The key results are highlighted along with industry implications. The cost based performance of DKS at different levels of flexibility is studied. Thus a careful analysis of the chain with a focus on collaborative decisions is useful to ensure success. This paper addresses this interesting and challenging domain.     

Disruptions in tightly coupled supply chain networks: the case of the US offshore oil industry

Managers have paid increasing attention to the exposure of their supply chains to disruptions and seek ways to mitigate supply chain vulnerability. The interconnectedness of tightly coupled supply chain networks makes this a challenging task, because interconnectedness and tight coupling of nodes in the network lead to an amplification of the actual risk exposure. This phenomenon can be attributed to the propagation of losses through the network, which exhibits certain dynamics. In order to investigate this mechanism, we studied the complex supply chain network of the oil industry in the Gulf of Mexico. Our results provide an estimate of the economic impact of eventual random and hurricane-related disruptions and can be used as a decision support tool for risk management of supply disruptions in interconnected supply chain networks.     

O2O模式下考虑消费者参考效应和成员互惠利他的产品——服务供应链微分博弈

成员的互惠利他行为是影响企业决策的重要行为因素,消费者的质量和服务水平参考效应也是影响消费者购买决策的重要行为因素,本文将三者纳入到一个制造商和一个O2O销售模式的零售商构成的产品-服务供应链中,同时考虑运作模式的内在动态性,构建了制造商和零售商间的微分博弈模型。借助贝尔曼连续型动态规划理论,分析了分散、集中、互惠利他三种决策模式下的制造商质量水平策略、零售商服务水平策略以及供应链系统绩效,并对其进行了对比分析。研究表明:相比于分散决策模式,互惠利他行为有助于成员制定更高的质量和服务水平,提高品牌商誉,获得更大效用。数值算例验证了所得结论,并进行了消费者质量和服务水平参考效应、渠道偏好以及成员互惠利他行为对供应链绩效影响的敏感性分析。算例结果表明:1)消费者的参考效应使消费者产生“锚定心理”,导致制造商降低质量水平,零售商降低服务水平,也损害了产品-服务供应链的绩效。消费者的渠道偏好对供应链成员策略和绩效有着重要影响;2)零售商应鼓励消费者进行线上购买产品,并以线下渠道的服务作为销售辅助措施,满足消费者的体验效用;3)成员的互惠利他行为作为一种正向社会偏好能够对分散决策模型下的供应链绩效进行帕累托改进,并且会获得额外的社会福利;4)当且仅当制造商和零售商具有纯利他行为偏好,即具有最低回报程度和最高利他程度时,供应链的总利润能够达到集中决策情形。     

Communicating supply chain risks and mitigation strategies: a comprehensive framework

Concerning the increasing emphasis on risk management in this uncertain global environment, there is an urgent demand for practical decision support tools that support supply chain risk communication and management. This research proposes an integrated framework that takes explicit account of multiple types of risk in aiding decision-making, and compares and ranks alternative risk mitigation strategies individually and collectively in indicator basis using fuzzy set theory and multiple criteria decision analysis methods. Through an illustrative case, the research demonstrates that the proposed framework provides a holistic view of supply chain risks and enables firms to foresee, spot and respond to the exposed risks in an effective and efficient manner.     

A combined optimization and agent-based approach to supply chain modelling and performance assessment

The main objective of this paper is to give an example of how expert systems techniques for distributed decision-making can be combined with contemporary numerical optimization techniques for the purposes of supply chain optimization and to describe the resulting software implementation. In this paper, multi-agent modelling techniques are applied to simulate and control a simple demand-driven supply chain network system, with the manufacturing component being optimized through mathematical programming. The system measures supply chain performance and the effect of different parameters in the replenishment control system, and can be used to simulate the behaviour of a system that uses optimization for part of its decision-making. The objective of this supply chain network system is to reduce operating cost, while maintaining a high level of customer order fulfilment.     

风险承担机制视角下企业汇率管理的供应链分析

“一带一路”的国家发展战略引导企业走出国门的同时也使企业面临着更多的汇率波动风险。本文刻画了一个跨国二级供应链，引入了供应链运作的主导结构，探究汇率风险的承担机制对供应链决策与绩效带来的影响。我们对比了供应商与零售商主导下的汇率风险承担机制，发现：虽然供应商或零售商承担汇率风险对供应商主导下供应链不会带来运作差别（这与Arcelus （2013）研究结论一致），但零售商主导下的汇率风险承担对供应链运作产生实质影响与冲击。进而，建议了收益共享契约来调整汇率风险承担的影响，发现了风险应对的合作途径。     

销售成本信息不对称下供应商风险规避的回购契约

在价格随机条件下,销售成本信息不对称且供应商规避风险时,本文探讨回购契约协调供应链的最优决策。在前提假设的基础上构建新的回购契约模型,求解并用算例进行仿真验证,考虑信息不对称与风险规避共同发生耦合作用后对供应链相关决策变量的影响。研究结果表明：在价格随机条件下,不管信息是否对称,只要供应商有风险规避意识,供应链相关决策变量均发生分岔突变;不管市场价格是否随机,也不管供应商是否风险规避,只要零售商隐瞒私人销售成本信息,就会给自己带来额外的收益,但会给供应商与整个供应链带来损害;供应链上的信息越不对称,在分岔突变区域,相关决策变量的振荡幅度越大。分岔突变现象是市场价格随机和供应商风险规避耦合作用后特有的现象;零售商能够利用信息不对称给自己带来额外的好处,但会损害供应商和供应链的利益;供应商防范零售商这种损人利己行为的最好对策,就是通过设计一种合作机制,以最低成本的方式来促使零售商将销售成本信息公开化;另外,供应商以平稳的心态(风险中性)应对外部风险,更有利于提高其自身决策的水平。     

Monitoring the production of a supply chain with a revisited MRP approach

This paper examines the centralised monitoring of an upstream supply chain (USC) in the context of a mass customisation production system. We propose an adaptation of the material requirement planning framework to manage demand uncertainty at each stage of the USC. New analytical relations that exploit structural information on demand beyond the frozen horizon are developed for efficient decision-making and appropriate information sharing among the productive supply chain units. A numerical example to illustrate the implementation of the new analytical relations is provided, and a synthesis of benchmarks performed in the automotive industry is presented.     

A Model for Setting Performance Objectives for Salmonella in the Broiler Supply Chain

A stochastic model for setting performance objectives for Salmonella in the broiler supply chain was developed. The goal of this study was to develop a model by which performance objectives for Salmonella prevalence at various points in the production chain can be determined, based on a preset final performance objective at the end of the processing line. The transmission of Salmonella through the broiler production chain was modeled. The prevalence at flock level was calculated from the measured prevalence at sample level. The transmission model is based on data on the occurrence of Salmonella collected in the Dutch broiler production chain during several years. The developed model can be used by policymakers and industry to determine economically and politically acceptable performance objectives for various points of the production chain and to draw conclusions about which interventions are most appropriate.     

Loss-averse测度下考虑政府补贴的双第三方回收再制造闭环供应链

以制造商、零售商及两个第三方回收商构成的再制造闭环供应链为背景,使用Loss-averse函数测度零售商的风险规避特性、古诺(Cournot)模型刻画第三方回收商的竞争特性,将政府补贴作为内生变量,构建了第三方回收再制造闭环供应链模型,分析了风险特性、政府补贴及竞争特性对供应链的影响,证明了收益费用共享契约可以克服双重边际效应和风险规避效应,优化loss-averse测度的考虑政府补贴的双第三方回收再制造闭环供应链;最后,通过仿真研究,验证了该模型的有效性及实用性,得出了政府补贴、风险特性、竞争特性等与供应链成员期望利润等之间的关联关系,为再制造产业发展的科学决策提供决策支持和参考。     

Improving innovation performance through environmental practices in the fashion industry: the moderating effect of internationalisation and the influence of collaboration

In recent years, the scientific literature on supply chain management has increasingly debated on environmental sustainability as well as collaboration, presenting these issues as an important source of innovation along the supply chain. By combining literature streams on environmental sustainability, supply chain collaboration and innovation at the supply chain level, this paper aims to analyse whether the adoption of environmental sustainability practices and collaboration along the supply chain implies better innovation performance, in terms of differentiation from the competitors for higher quality, product or process. The paper also investigates whether the internationalisation, in terms of both production and distribution activities, negatively moderates this relationship. The study focuses on the fashion industry, and a survey of major Italian fashion companies was conducted. The main results of the research clearly show the positive impact of these practices on innovation performance. The paper also proves the existence of a moderating effect exerted by internationalisation on the relationship between environmental sustainability and innovation performance.