Search results for "Operation"
showing 10 items of 2969 documents
A Decisional Multi-Agent Framework for Automatic Supply Chain Arrangement
2013
In this work, a multi-agent system (MAS) for supply chain dynamic configuration is proposed. The brain of each agent is composed of a Bayesian Decision Network (BDN); this choice allows the agent for taking the best decisions estimating benefits and potential risks of different strategies, analyzing and managing uncertain information about the collaborating companies. Each agent collects information about customer's orders and current market prices, and analyzes previous experiences of collaborations with trading partners. The agent therefore performs a probabilistic inferential reasoning to filter information modeled in its knowledge base in order to achieve the best performance in the sup…
Impact of reverse logistics on supply chain performance
2013
Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to analyse the impact of reverse logistics on order and inventory variance amplification in a single-echelon supply chain (SC) and to propose a new order policy for dampening such amplification. Design/methodology/approach – A general review of the literature on sustainable operations and on the impact of reverse logistics on SC performance provides the foundation for the study. The authors use difference equation math approach for modelling and analysing a closed SC. A proper design of experiment and data collected from the European Union statistics validate the obtained numerical results. Findings – The variability of reverse flow in a closed loop S…
A Behavioral Approach for Logistics System Analysis and Design: A Reverse Logistics Case
2002
Traditional logistic system analysis quite often assumes a single decisionmaker (the planner) operating in a state of complete information and full decision power. He pursues the objective of designing an efficient logistic network by solving a sequence of operational problems mainly in the form of optimization models. More realistically, one should consider that the decision power is actually distributed within the logistics system among different actors (agents or holons) having different (conflictual or cooperative) goals, following different behavioural rules and generating interdipendencies. The shift from a SAS (single-agent system) approach to a MAS (multi-agent system) one induces s…
An Innovative Shelf Life Model Based on Smart Logistic Unit for an Efficient Management of the Perishable Food Supply Chain
2015
Despite the recent interest towards food safety and control, it is generally difficult to ensure full products traceability through industrial food chains, due to the lack of efficient information and communication systems. Consequently, nowadays, the protection of food products often ends at the gates of the producer without any investigation about the status of their quality at the consumer's location. The aim of this paper was the development of a supply chain monitoring system based on a smart logistic unit (SLU) to support the integrated management of the food supply chain from “farm to fork” in order to guarantee and control food safety and shelf life (SL) of products in agreement wit…
Sustainability and supply chain infrastructure development
2012
PurposeThis study aims to examine logistics infrastructure, trade differences, and environmental and social equity factors, for a set of 89 countries.Design/methodology/approachFollowing recent work which uses secondary data sources for supply chain research at the country‐level, data were obtained from the World Bank and International Monetary Fund databases. Data envelopment analysis (DEA) was used to compute country‐level efficiencies and ANOVA was used to do regional comparisons.FindingsThe analysis shed light on country‐level dimensions of logistics infrastructure and trade performance. It also provided insights regarding environmental (e.g. CO2 emissions) and social equity (e.g. healt…
Do horizontal relationships matter to production and operations managers?
2014
This paper shifts the focus of production, operations and supply chain management business relationships from the vertical to the horizontal side and calls for more research on this issue. The main intent is to provide managerially oriented arguments regarding the linkages between the achievement of operations-related goals and decisions related to horizontal business relationships. Specifically, we address the following research question: Does a linkage exist between production and operations objectives and the decisions a company makes about horizontal agreements, particularly horizontal governance mode choice? To answer this research question, we develop literature-based hypotheses and c…
Multi-criteria risk classification to enhance complex supply networks performance
2021
[EN] Management of complex supply networks is a fundamental business topic today. Especially in the presence of many and diverse stakeholders, identifying and assessing those risks having a potential negative impact on the performance of supply processes is of utmost importance and, as a result, implementing focused risk management actions is a current lively field of research. The possibility of supporting Supply Chain Risks Management (SCRM) is herein explored from a Multi-Criteria Decision-Making (MCDM)-based perspective. The sorting method ELimination Et Choix Traduisant la REalite (ELECTRE) TRI is proposed as a structural procedure to classify Supply Chain Risks (SCRs) into proper risk…
The modes of supply net management: a capability view
2007
Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to identify the key capabilities required in supply net management.Design/methodology/approach – Uses the Management Capability Framework to break down supply net management into different modes and identify capabilities required in them.Findings – Reveals that the supply activity of companies increasingly takes place in intentionally developed strategic networks called supply nets. These networks pose distinctive challenges for supply chain management. Identifies four diverse but simultaneously extant modes of management in the supply net context, and discusses the key managerial capabilities in each mode.Originality/value – Provides a conceptual fram…
Simulation analysis of cold chain performance based on time–temperature data
2011
Perishable goods are a fundamental source of revenue for the retail sector; their management, however, constitutes a severe challenge for retailers and supply chain partners. A significant cost in particular is the fraction of products perished through the supply chain, which also constitutes an ethical and environmental concern. Supply chain organisation and operative characteristics have a significant influence on this matter, as in fact ensuring suitable temperature conditions for the stock-keeping units throughout the supply chain is mandatory for perishable products. Recent developments in sensing and communication technologies allow detailed monitoring and control of cold chain; howev…
New Alliances in Post-Brexit Europe: Does the New Hanseatic League Revive Nordic Political Cooperation?
2020
As Brexit removes the Nordic countries’ most powerful ally from the EU, what does this imply for their approach to European affairs? The literature on small states within the EU suggests that they can counterbalance limited bargaining capacities by entering two types of alliances: strategic partnerships with bigger member states and institutionalised cooperation on a regional basis. Against this backdrop we ask whether, by significantly raising the costs of non-cooperation for Nordic governments, the Brexit referendum has triggered a revival of Nordic political cooperation. We scrutinise this conjecture by analysing Nordic strategies of coalition-building on EU financial and budgetary polic…