scholarly journals Fast Algorithms for Basic Supply Chain Scheduling Problems

Mathematics ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (11) ◽  
pp. 1919
Author(s):  
Nodari Vakhania ◽  
Badri Mamporia
Keyword(s):  
Supply Chain ◽  
Optimal Algorithm ◽  
Linear Time ◽  
Real Life ◽  
Fast Algorithms ◽  
Release Time ◽  
Fixed Cost ◽  
Supply Chain Scheduling ◽  
Order Release ◽  
Delay Cost

A basic supply chain scheduling problem in which the orders released over time are to be delivered into the batches with unlimited capacity is considered. The delivery of each batch has a fixed cost D, whereas any order delivered after its release time yields an additional delay cost equal to the waiting time of that order in the system. The objective is to minimize the total delivery cost of the batches plus the total delay cost of the orders. A new algorithmic framework is proposed based on which fast algorithms for the solution of this problem are built. The framework can be extended to more general supply chain scheduling models and is based on a theoretical study of some useful properties of the offline version of the problem. An online scenario is considered as well, when at each assignment (order release) time the information on the next order released within the following T time units is known but no information on the orders that might be released after that time is known. For the online setting, it is shown that there is no benefit in waiting for more than D time units for incoming orders, i.e., potentially beneficial values for T are 0<T<D, and three linear-time algorithms are proposed, which are optimal for both the offline and the online cases when T≥D. For the case 0<T<D an important real-life scenario is studied. It addresses a typical situation when the same number of orders are released at each order release time and these times are evenly distributed within the scheduling horizon. An optimal algorithm which runs much faster than earlier known algorithms is proposed.

Managing Transportation in Supply Chain

2021 ◽  
pp. 198-218
Author(s):  
Fatma Selen Madenoğlu
Keyword(s):  
Supply Chain ◽  
Supply Chain Management ◽  
Transportation Network ◽  
Experimental Studies ◽  
Real Life ◽  
Transportation Cost ◽  
Fixed Cost ◽  
Distribution Centers ◽  
Solution Quality ◽  
Chain Management

Supply chain management is the managing of all processes of goods, services, and information from suppliers to customers. Transportation network design is an important part of effective supply chain management. This chapter presents the two-stage fixed-charge transportation problem in a supply chain to minimize the total cost containing the opening cost of distribution centers, transportation cost from manufacture to distribution centers and from distribution centers to customers, and fixed cost for transportation from distribution centers to customers. There are the capacity constraints on distribution centers in order to consider real life situations in this chapter. A constructive based algorithm and a population-based algorithm are proposed to solve this complex optimization problem. Taguchi experimental design is applied for determining the best combinations of parameters. The experimental studies are conducted to compare the performance of the proposed algorithms according to solution quality.

Competitive Negotiation Tactics and Kraljic Portfolio Category in SCM

2016 ◽  
Vol 5 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sundar Narsimhan ◽  
Devi Prasad Ungarala
Keyword(s):  
Supply Chain ◽  
Real Life ◽  
Relational Self ◽  
Business Negotiation ◽  
Value Sharing ◽  
Conflict Situations ◽  
Carrier Selection ◽  
Negotiation Tactics ◽  
Cost Competitiveness ◽  
Almost All

Negotiation outcomes are broadly classified as Distributive/Competitive and Integrative/Collaborative. Substantial academic and research negotiation literature of the past two decades commend adoption of a collaborative style for almost all real-life conflict situations. Business negotiation materials and relational self-construal psychology studies present a picture of contrast. Negotiations being at the heart of buyer-supplier interactions drive value sharing and value co-creation aspects of modern Supply Chains. Pricing, product selection, delivery terms, shipment schedules, carrier selection, volume discounts, product training, and quality standards are all more often than not subject to negotiation between supply chain members. Negotiation interactions ensuing preparation and determination of BATNA, entail use of Competitive or Collaborative Tactics. Buyers are the protagonists in procurement organizations. And procurement often accounts for the lions share of an organizations budget. Small wonder, they drive cost competitiveness together with the firms partners. Indeed this is true of the overall Supply Chain. An Indian pharmaceutical company was chosen for the qualitative research in the form of a case study. The most popular competitive negotiation tactics were chosen for this study and buyers were asked to spell out the negotiation techniques that they deployed, material-wise (with the corresponding suppliers). This data when plotted material-wise and grouped Kraljic category-wise circumstantiates the use of competitive tactics in all Kraljic categories, marked by a refreshing nuanced approach for different categories, with intensity varying for different categories. Interviews with buyers and the key informant to discern the rationale behind use of those negotiation tactics, however, brought out a pattern despite the refreshing tendency not to straight-jacket.

scholarly journals Decisions and Coordination in E-Commerce Supply Chain under Logistics Outsourcing and Altruistic Preferences

Mathematics ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (3) ◽  
pp. 253
Author(s):  
Yuyan Wang ◽  
Zhaoqing Yu ◽  
Liang Shen ◽  
Runjie Fan ◽  
Rongyun Tang
Keyword(s):  
Supply Chain ◽  
Supply Chains ◽  
Stackelberg Game ◽  
Consumer Preferences ◽  
Third Party ◽  
Altruistic Behavior ◽  
Fixed Cost ◽  
Equilibrium Solutions ◽  
Factors Affecting ◽  
Dual Channel

Considering the peculiarities of logistics in the electronic commerce (e-commerce) supply chain (ESC) and e-commerce platform’s altruistic preferences, a model including an e-commerce platform, third-party logistics service provider, and manufacturer is constructed. Based on this, three decision models are proposed and equilibrium solutions are obtained by the Stackelberg game. Then, an “altruistic preference joint fixed-cost” contract is proposed to maximize system efficiency. Finally, numerical analysis is used to validate the findings of the paper. The article not only analyzes and compares the optimal decisions under different ESC models, but also explores the intrinsic factors affecting the decisions. This paper finds that the conclusions of dual-channel supply chains or traditional supply chains do not necessarily apply to ESC, and that the effect of altruistic behavior under ESC is influenced by consumer preferences. Moreover, there is a multiparty win–win state for ESC, and this state can be achieved through the “altruistic preference joint fixed-cost” contract. Therefore, the findings of this paper contribute to the development of an e-commerce market and the cooperation of ESC members.

scholarly journals A Framework for Assessing the Value of RFID Implementation by Tier-One Suppliers to Major Retailers

2008 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 55-70
Author(s):  
Dharmaraj Veeramani ◽  
Jenny Tang ◽  
Alfonso Gutierrez
Keyword(s):  
Supply Chain ◽  
Radio Frequency ◽  
Radio Frequency Identification ◽  
Return On Investment ◽  
Real Life ◽  
Data Capture ◽  
Automatic Identification ◽  
Rfid Technology ◽  
Frequency Identification ◽  
The Impact

Radio frequency identification (RFID) is a rapidly evolving technology for automatic identification and data capture of products. One of the barriers to the adoption of RFID by organizations is difficulty in assessing the potential return on investment (ROI). Much of the research and analyses to date of ROI in implementing RFID technology have focused on the benefits to the retailer. There is a lack of a good understanding of the impact of RFID at upper echelons of the supply chain. In this paper, we present a framework and models for assessing the value of RFID implementation by tier-one suppliers to major retailers. We also discuss our real-life application of this framework to one of Wal-Mart’s top 100 suppliers

scholarly journals A Generalized Minimum Cost Flow Model for Multiple Emergency Flow Routing

2014 ◽  
Vol 2014 ◽  
pp. 1-12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jianxun Cui ◽  
Shi An ◽  
Meng Zhao
Keyword(s):  
Flow Model ◽  
Time Window ◽  
Programming Model ◽  
Real Life ◽  
Minimum Cost ◽  
Emergency Evacuation ◽  
Mixed Integer ◽  
Fixed Cost ◽  
Minimum Cost Flow ◽  
Cost Flow

During real-life disasters, that is, earthquakes, floods, terrorist attacks, and other unexpected events, emergency evacuation and rescue are two primary operations that can save the lives and property of the affected population. It is unavoidable that evacuation flow and rescue flow will conflict with each other on the same spatial road network and within the same time window. Therefore, we propose a novel generalized minimum cost flow model to optimize the distribution pattern of these two types of flow on the same network by introducing the conflict cost. The travel time on each link is assumed to be subject to a bureau of public road (BPR) function rather than a fixed cost. Additionally, we integrate contraflow operations into this model to redesign the network shared by those two types of flow. A nonconvex mixed-integer nonlinear programming model with bilinear, fractional, and power components is constructed, and GAMS/BARON is used to solve this programming model. A case study is conducted in the downtown area of Harbin city in China to verify the efficiency of proposed model, and several helpful findings and managerial insights are also presented.

An optimal scheduling policy for upgraded software with updates

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Adarsh Anand ◽  
Subhrata Das ◽  
Mohini Agarwal ◽  
Shinji Inoue
Keyword(s):  
Cost Analysis ◽  
Optimization Model ◽  
Real Life ◽  
Economic Benefits ◽  
Release Time ◽  
Analysis Model ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Software Upgrades ◽  
Stop Time ◽  
Combined Use

PurposeIn the current market scenario, software upgrades and updates have proved to be very handy in improving the reliability of the software in its operational phase. Software upgrades help in reinventing working software through major changes, like functionality addition, feature enhancement, structural changes, etc. In software updates, minor changes are undertaken which help in improving software performance by fixing bugs and security issues in the current version of the software. Through the current proposal, the authors wish to highlight the economic benefits of the combined use of upgrade and update service. A cost analysis model has been proposed for the same.Design/methodology/approachThe article discusses a cost analysis model highlighting the distinction between launch time and time to end the testing process. The number of bugs which have to be catered in each release has been determined which also consists of the count of latent bugs of previous version. Convolution theory has been utilized to incorporate the joint role of tester and user in bug detection into the model. The cost incurred in debugging process was determined. An optimization model was designed which considers the reliability and budget constraints while minimizing the total debugging cost. This optimization was used to determine the release time and testing stop time.FindingsThe proposal is backed by real-life software bug dataset consisting of four releases. The model was able to successfully determine the ideal software release time and the testing stop time. An increased profit is generated by releasing the software earlier and continues testing long after its release.Originality/valueThe work contributes positively to the field by providing an effective optimization model, which was able to determine the economic benefit of the combined use of upgrade and update service. The model can be used by management to determine their timelines and cost that will be incurred depending on their product and available resources.

A robust possibilistic programming model for production-routing problem in a three-echelon supply chain

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mohammad Ali Beheshtinia ◽  
Narjes Salmabadi ◽  
Somaye Rahimi
Keyword(s):  
Supply Chain ◽  
Real Life ◽  
Model Parameters ◽  
Pickup And Delivery ◽  
Distribution Centers ◽  
Routing Problem ◽  
Remarkable Feature ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Proposed Model ◽  
Production Routing

Purpose This paper aims to provide an integrated production-routing model in a three-echelon supply chain containing a two-layer transportation system to minimize the total costs of production, transportation, inventory holding and expired drugs treatment. In the proposed problem, some specifications such as multisite manufacturing, simultaneous pickup and delivery and uncertainty in parameters are considered. Design/methodology/approach At first, a mathematical model has been proposed for the problem. Then, one possibilistic model and one robust possibilistic model equivalent to the initial model are provided regarding the uncertain nature of the model parameters and the inaccessibility of their probability function. Finally, the performance of the proposed model is evaluated using the real data collected from a pharmaceutical production center in Iran. The results reveal the proper performance of the proposed models. Findings The results obtained from applying the proposed model to a real-life production center indicated that the number of expired drugs has decreased because of using this model, also the costs of the system were reduced owing to integrating simultaneous drug pickup and delivery operations. Moreover, regarding the results of simulations, the robust possibilistic model had the best performance among the proposed models. Originality/value This research considers a two-layer vehicle routing in a production-routing problem with inventory planning. Moreover, multisite manufacturing, simultaneous pickup of the expired drugs and delivery of the drugs to the distribution centers are considered. Providing a robust possibilistic model for tackling the uncertainty in demand, costs, production capacity and drug expiration costs is considered as another remarkable feature of the proposed model.

Blockchain in operations for food service distribution: steps before implementation

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mauro Vivaldini
Keyword(s):  
Supply Chain ◽  
Single Case ◽  
Real Life ◽  
Food Service ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Blockchain Technology ◽  
The Social ◽  
Safe Food ◽  
Social Importance ◽  
Operational Processes

PurposeConsidering the importance of a safe food chain for consumers and the advent of blockchain technology (BT), this research studies a food service (FS) distributor. The research aims to understand the implications related to the functional processes of distribution in FS in which it would be possible to use blockchain to achieve agility, transparency of information and improvements in food safety.Design/methodology/approachFirstly, theory regarding blockchain technology in the supply chain (BT-SC) and FS was analyzed to contextualize the theme conceptually. A single case study including 11 supply chain companies was applied in a BT implementation study in an FS distributor.FindingsInvestment in infrastructure is often identified as a barrier to adoption of BT-SC. This was, however, not found in this case. Furthermore, the validation of users was only necessary for those parties directly participating in the process or information input. Finally, findings differentiate between qualifying criteria and operational processes when considering BT projects in FS.Research limitations/implicationsThe findings are restricted to this single case that provided an in-depth understanding of the topic. Statistical generalization is not possible at this stage of the research.Practical implicationsThe study is a practical example and can provide several insights to anyone looking to implement BT in their SC.Social implicationsThe social importance of the study lies in the importance of FS in the food sector, and by presenting ways that contribute to mitigating risks to consumers.Originality/valueReal-life cases of application of BT-SC illustrate its functionalities in operational processes.

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