The design of the vaccine supply network under uncertain condition

2019 ◽  
Vol 14 (4) ◽  
pp. 841-871 ◽  
Author(s):  
Seyed Jafar Sadjadi ◽  
Zahra Ziaei ◽  
Mir Saman Pishvaee

Purpose This study aims to design a proper supply chain network for the vaccine industry in Iran, which considers several features such as uncertainties in demands and cost, perishability of vaccines, wastages in storage, limited capacity and different priorities for demands. Design/methodology/approach This study presents a mixed-integer linear programming (MILP) model and using a robust counterpart approach for coping with uncertainties of model. Findings The presented robust model in comparison with the deterministic model has a better performance and is more reliable for network design of vaccine supply chain. Originality/value This study considers uncertainty in the network design of vaccine supply chain for the first time in the vaccine context It presents an MILP model where strategic decisions for each echelon and tactical decisions among different echelons of supply chain are determined. Further, it models the difference between high- and low-priority demands for vaccine.

2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (2) ◽  
pp. 110-130 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dave C. Longhorn ◽  
Joshua R. Muckensturm

Purpose This paper aims to introduce a new mixed integer programming formulation and associated heuristic algorithm to solve the Military Nodal Capacity Problem, which is a type of supply chain network design problem that involves determining the amount of capacity expansion required at theater nodes to ensure the on-time delivery of military cargo. Design/methodology/approach Supply chain network design, mixed integer programs, heuristics and regression are used in this paper. Findings This work helps analysts at the United States Transportation Command identify what levels of throughput capacities, such as daily processing rates of trucks and railcars, are needed at theater distribution nodes to meet warfighter cargo delivery requirements. Research limitations/implications This research assumes all problem data are deterministic, and so it does not capture the variations in cargo requirements, transit times or asset payloads. Practical implications This work gives military analysts and decision makers prescriptive details about nodal capacities needed to meet demands. Prior to this work, insights for this type of problem were generated using multiple time-consuming simulations often involving trial-and-error to explore the trade space. Originality/value This work merges research of supply chain network design with military theater distribution problems to prescribe the optimal, or near-optimal, throughput capacities at theater nodes. The capacity levels must meet delivery requirements while adhering to constraints on the proportion of cargo transported by mode and the expected payloads for assets.


2017 ◽  
Vol 117 (9) ◽  
pp. 1782-1799 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ahmed Mohammed ◽  
Qian Wang ◽  
Xiaodong Li

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate the economic feasibility of a three-echelon Halal Meat Supply Chain (HMSC) network that is monitored by a proposed radio frequency identification (RFID)-based management system for enhancing the integrity traceability of Halal meat products and to maximize the average integrity number of Halal meat products, maximize the return of investment (ROI), maximize the capacity utilization of facilities and minimize the total investment cost of the proposed RFID-monitoring system. The location-allocation problem of facilities needs also to be resolved in conjunction with the quantity flow of Halal meat products from farms to abattoirs and from abattoirs to retailers. Design/methodology/approach First, a deterministic multi-objective mixed integer linear programming model was developed and used for optimizing the proposed RFID-based HMSC network toward a comprised solution based on four conflicting objectives as described above. Second, a stochastic programming model was developed and used for examining the impact on the number of Halal meat products by altering the value of integrity percentage. The ε-constraint approach and the modified weighted sum approach were proposed for acquisition of non-inferior solutions obtained from the developed models. Furthermore, the Max-Min approach was used for selecting the best solution among them. Findings The research outcome shows the applicability of the developed models using a real case study. Based on the computational results, a reasonable ROI can be achievable by implementing RFID into the HMSC network. Research limitations/implications This work addresses interesting avenues for further research on exploring the HMSC network design under different types of uncertainties and transportation means. Also, environmentalism has been becoming increasingly a significant global problem in the present century. Thus, the presented model could be extended to include the environmental aspects as an objective function. Practical implications The model can be utilized for food supply chain designers. Also, it could be applied to realistic problems in the field of supply chain management. Originality/value Although there were a few studies focusing on the configuration of a number of HMSC networks, this area is overlooked by researchers. The study shows the developed methodology can be a useful tool for designers to determine a cost-effective design of food supply chain networks.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Prem Chhetri ◽  
Mahsa Javan Nikkhah ◽  
Hamed Soleimani ◽  
Shahrooz Shahparvari ◽  
Ashkan Shamlou

PurposeThis paper designs an optimal closed-loop supply chain network with an integrated forward and reverse logistics to examine the possibility of remanufacturing end-of-life (EoL) ships.Design/methodology/approachExplanatory variables are used to estimate the number of EoL ships available in a closed-loop supply chain network. The estimated number of EoL ships is used as an input in the model and then it is solved by a mixed-integer linear programming (MILP) model of the closed-loop supply chain network to minimise the total logistic costs. A discounted payback period formula is developed to calculate the length of time to recoup an investment based on the investment's discounted cash flows. Existing ship wrecking industry clusters in the Western region of India are used as the case study to apply the proposed model.FindingsThe MILP model has optimised the total logistics costs of the closed-loop supply network and ascertained the optimal number and location of remanufacturing for building EoL ships. The capital and variable costs required for establishing and operating remanufacturing centres are computed. To remanufacture 30 ships a year, the discounted payback period of this project is estimated to be less than two years.Practical implicationsShip manufacturing businesses are yet to re-manufacture EoL ships, given high upfront capital expenditure and operational challenges. This study provides management insights into the costs and benefits of EoL ship remanufacturing; thus, informing the decision-makers to make strategic operational decisions.Originality/valueThe design of an optimal close loop supply chain network coupled with a Bayesian network approach and discounted payback period formula for the collection and remanufacturing of EoL ships provides a new integrated perspective to ship manufacturing.


2015 ◽  
Vol 26 (6) ◽  
pp. 853-867 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sajan T John ◽  
R Sridharan

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to develop a mathematical model for the design of a multi-stage reverse supply chain. Design/methodology/approach – A mixed-integer linear programming formulation is used to model the network. Different data sets are generated randomly. Lingo, an optimisation package is used to solve the model developed. Findings – The model is able to provide optimum solutions regarding the number and location of different facilities to be established in the network. The flow of different items through the network is also obtained. Analysis of the results shows the sensitivity of design decisions with respect to the changes in the input parameter value. Research limitations/implications – The authors consider only a single-product and single-period situation for this study. Further research can be done by considering a multi-product and multi-period situation. Uncertainty in data can also be included for future research. Practical implications – The developed model can aid the managers in taking optimum decisions regarding the network design of a reverse supply chain. The analysis of the model for the variations in the input parameter values can also help the decision makers to take better decisions in a reverse supply chain. Originality/value – The present research simultaneously considers two types of product return, namely, end-of-life and end-of-use product return, in a seven stage supply chain. Different recovery options such as recycling and remanufacturing are also incorporated into the model.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mohammad Ehsan Zerafati ◽  
Ali Bozorgi-Amiri ◽  
Amir-Mohammad Golmohammadi ◽  
Fariborz Jolai

Abstract Recently, due to the efficiency of cultivating microalgae, researchers and investors have paid considerable attention to the production of different biofuel products that are environmentally friendly. In this study, a two-stage deterministic model is proposed to design a microalgae-based biofuels and co-products supply chain network (MBCSCN). In the first stage, the appropriate locations for the cultivation of microalgae are identified through the analytical hierarchy process (AHP). In the second stage, a deterministic mathematical mixed integer linear programing (MILP) model is developed for a period of five years based on the criteria of economic and environmental impacts. The economic objective function maximizes the overall profit, while the environmental impacts objective function seeks to minimize the consumed fossil fuel throughout the supply chain. Then, a multi-objective MILP optimization problem is solved using the ε-constraint method. The proposed model is evaluated through a case study in Iran. It has helped to identify appropriate locations for the cultivation of microalgae and to specify the required quantity of feedstock, the species of microalgae, the required technology, and the transportation modes in each step of the supply chain.


Author(s):  
Peng Li ◽  
Di Wu

The rapid development of e-commerce technologies has encouraged collection centers to adopt online recycling channels in addition to their existing traditional (offline) recycling channels, such the idea of coexisting traditional and online recycling channels evolved a new concept of a dual-channel reverse supply chain (DRSC). The adoption of DRSC will make the system lose stability and fall into the trap of complexity. Further the consumer-related factors, such as consumer preference, service level, have also severely affected the system efficiency of DRSC. Therefore, it is necessary to help DRSCs to design their networks for maintaining competitiveness and profitability. This paper focuses on the issues of quantitative modelling for the network design of a general multi-echelon, dual-objective DRSC system. By incorporating consumer preference for the online recycling channel into the system, we investigate a mixed integer linear programming (MILP) model to design the DRSC network with uncertainty and the model is solved using the ε-constraint method to derive optimal Pareto solutions. Numerical results show that there exist positive correlations between consumer preference and total collective quantity, online recycling price and the system profits. The proposed model and solution method could assist recyclers in pricing and service decisions to achieve a balance solution for economic and environmental sustainability.


Forests ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (8) ◽  
pp. 964
Author(s):  
Komeyl Baghizadeh ◽  
Dominik Zimon ◽  
Luay Jum’a

In recent decades, the forest industry has been growingly expanded due to economic conditions, climate changes, environmental and energy policies, and intense demand changes. Thus, appropriate planning is required to improve this industry. To achieve economic, social and environmental goals, a supply chain network is designed based on a multi-period and multi-product Mixed-Integer Non-Linear Programming (MINLP) model in which the objective is to maximize the profit, minimize detrimental environmental effects, improve social effects, and minimize the number of lost demands. In addition, to improve forest industry planning, strategic and tactical decisions have been implemented throughout the supply chain for all facilities, suppliers and machinery. These decisions significantly help to improve processes and product flows and to meet customers’ needs. In addition, because of the presence of uncertainty in some parameters, the proposed model was formulated and optimized under uncertainty using the hybrid robust possibilistic programming (HRPP-II) approach. The -constraint technique was used to solve the multi-objective model, and the Lagrangian relaxation (LR) method was utilized to solve the model of more complex dimensions. A case study in Northern Iran was conducted to assess the efficiency of the suggested approach. Finally, a sensitivity analysis was performed to determine the impact of important parameters on objective functions. The results of this study show that increasing the working hours of machines instead of increasing their number, increasing the capacity of some facilities instead of establishing new facilities and expanding the transport fleet has a significant impact on achieving predetermined goals.


2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 178-193
Author(s):  
Juliana Emidio ◽  
Rafael Lima ◽  
Camila Leal ◽  
Grasiele Madrona

PurposeThe dairy industry needs to make important decisions regarding its supply chain. In a context with many available suppliers, deciding which of them will be part of the supply chain and deciding when to buy raw milk is key to the supply chain performance. This study aims to propose a mathematical model to support milk supply decisions. In addition to determining which producers should be chosen as suppliers, the model decides on a milk pickup schedule over a planning horizon. The model addresses production decisions, inventory, setup and the use of by-products generated in the raw milk processing.Design/methodology/approachThe model was formulated using mixed integer linear programming, tested with randomly generated instances of various sizes and solved using the Gurobi Solver. Instances were generated using parameters obtained from a company that manufactures dairy products to test the model in a more realistic scenario.FindingsThe results show that the proposed model can be solved with real-world sized instances in short computational times and yielding high quality results. Hence, companies can adopt this model to reduce transportation, production and inventory costs by supporting decision making throughout their supply chains.Originality/valueThe novelty of the proposed model stems from the ability to integrate milk pickup and production planning of dairy products, thus being more comprehensive than the models currently available in the literature. Additionally, the model also considers by-products, which can be used as inputs for other products.


Kybernetes ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Maedeh Bank ◽  
Mohammad Mahdavi Mazdeh ◽  
Mahdi Heydari ◽  
Ebrahim Teimoury

PurposeThe aim of this paper is to present a method for finding the optimum balance between sequence-dependent setup costs, holding costs, delivery costs and delay penalties in an integrated production–distribution system with lot sizing decisions.Design/methodology/approachTwo mixed integer linear programming models and an optimality property are proposed for the problem. Since the problem is NP-hard, a genetic algorithm reinforced with a heuristic is developed for solving the model in large-scale settings. The algorithm parameters are tuned using the Taguchi method.FindingsThe results obtained on randomly generated instances reveal a performance advantage for the proposed algorithm; it is shown that lot sizing can reduce the average cost of the supply chain up to 11.8%. Furthermore, the effects of different parameters and factors of the proposed model on supply chain costs are examined through a sensitivity analysis.Originality/valueAlthough integrated production and distribution scheduling in make-to-order industries has received a great deal of attention from researchers, most researchers in this area have treated each order as a job processed in an uninterrupted time interval, and no temporary holding costs are assumed. Even among the few studies where temporary holding costs are taken into consideration, none has examined the effect of splitting an order at the production stage (lot sizing) and the possibility of reducing costs through splitting. The present study is the first to take holding costs into consideration while incorporating lot sizing decisions in the operational production and distribution problem.


2017 ◽  
Vol 33 (2) ◽  
pp. 4-6
Author(s):  
Richard Calvi

Purpose According to Christopher (2000), in a lot of sectors, the competition is a question of supply chain against supply chain. The winner in term of competitive advantage should be the one, who is able to obtain more than the competitor from the available resources. In strategic literature, Dyer and Singh (1998) are the first who introduced the concept of “relational competency” to explain why some companies gain their competitive advantage not directly from their internal resources but mainly because they are able better to combine external resources. Design/methodology/approach This paper is a case study. Findings The author describes the different phases and strategic decisions in the building of a real supplier eco-system. Research limitations/implications It is a sole case study. Practical implications This study is a description of a success story. Originality/value This study is a description of an external resource management in action.


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