Supply Chain in Cross-Border E-Commerce

2021 ◽  
pp. 54-77
Author(s):  
Md. Nuruzzaman ◽  
Alicia Neva Weber
Keyword(s):  
Supply Chain ◽  
Inventory Management ◽  
Supply Chain Performance ◽  
Internet Infrastructure ◽  
Cross Border ◽  
Blockchain Technology ◽  
Fast Development ◽  
Key Issues ◽  
International Aspects ◽  
Significant Attention

Cross-border e-commerce has emerged with significant attention in the field of international trade. Exports and imports are more integrated with the revolutionary e-commerce platforms where people can buy things from other countries at their fingertips. However, the supply chain behind the business transactions beyond the country's boundaries is more complicated than traditional businesses. The successful supply chain performance of e-commerce depends on many local and international aspects. Issues and challenges of the supply chain rapidly change due to the fast development of internet infrastructure. The chapter identifies some key issues like supply chain facility, inventory management, legal obstacles with today's supply chain performance of international e-commerce. Comprehensive solutions and recommendations are given here with focusing the integration of blockchain technology, which tells how the businesses can initiate the combination of both e-commerce and cryptography for effective intercountry supply chain performance.

scholarly journals Evolutionary game analysis of Chinese cross border logistics enterprises adopting blockchain technology in supply chain

2021 ◽  
Vol 275 ◽  
pp. 03078
Author(s):  
KunYang Liu ◽  
Yong Zhang
Keyword(s):  
Supply Chain ◽  
Evolutionary Game ◽  
Game Model ◽  
Game Analysis ◽  
Technological Revolution ◽  
Cross Border ◽  
Technical Ability ◽  
Blockchain Technology ◽  
Logistics Enterprises ◽  
Mathematical Derivation

Blockchain technology is considered to be the representative technology of the fourth technological revolution, and logistics and supply chain field has been considered as the main application direction in the next step by industry and academia. In order to study the behavior and intention of Chinese cross-border logistics enterprises to introduce blockchain into internal supply chain, this paper constructs a model of cross-border logistics enterprises adopting blockchain technology on the basis of bounded rationality based on the game model, this paper attempts to find out the factors that affect the introduction of blockchain into the internal supply chain through mathematical derivation and numerical analysis. The game results show that the willingness of cross-border logistics enterprises to adopt blockchain is closely related to the technical ability of blockchain, the incremental performance after the introduction of blockchain, the conversion cost of blockchain technology, and other factors. Enterprises should coordinate various factors and choose to adopt blockchain technology according to their own situation.

scholarly journals Inventory Management Practices and Supply Chain Performance of Antiretroviral Medicines in Public Hospitals in Nyamira County, Kenya

2021 ◽  
Vol 4 (2) ◽  
pp. 257-268
Author(s):  
Anyona Johnson ◽  
Karimi Peter ◽  
Maru Shital
Keyword(s):  
Supply Chain ◽  
Inventory Management ◽  
Lead Time ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Performance Metrics ◽  
Public Hospitals ◽  
Supply Chain Performance ◽  
Key Informant ◽  
Wastage Rate ◽  
Reporting Rates

BackgroundUnreliable supply systems have plagued the provision of an uninterrupted supply of life- saving medicines in many developing countries, with antiretroviral (ARV) medicines having the worst repercussions.ObjectiveTo identify the inventory management practices used, evaluate the supply chain performance, and determine the challenges affecting inventory management of ARV medicines in public hospitals.MethodsThe study used a descriptive cross-sectional design, gathering snapshot data on inventory management practices happening in all the 8 public hospitals across Nyamira County. Data collection was done using structured questionnaires, key informant interviews, checklists and data from the national health information system.ResultsThe response rate was 97.3% for the questionnaires and 100% for the key informant interviews. The prevailing inventory management practices were: use of scheduled inventory control model (80.95%), forecasting demand using previous consumption data (100%), keeping accurate and updated stock records for each commodity (92.31%), having essential logistical data in reports (100%), including safety stock (61.54%) when ordering and keeping ARV medicines in dedicated stores (75%). With the exception of order lead time (17.98 days), the other supply chain performance metrics namely stock out rate (52.12%), stock wastage rate (43.2%), and reporting rates (70.84%) were found to be deficient. The challenges mostly affecting inventory management included inadequate staff and training, lack of proper storage, and unreliable supply of medicines.ConclusionInventory management practices were according to the recommended best approaches despite various challenges. The supply chain performance metrics evaluated, with the exception of order lead time, were all found to be unsatisfactory owing to the high stock out rates, below par reporting rates and high stock wastage rate due to expiries discovered. Adoption of an electronic inventory system, use of data for decision making, dedicated storage of ARV medicines, and inclusion of buffer stock, are some strategies to improve inventory management.Rwanda J Med Health Sci 2021;4(2): 257-268

Enhanced Inventory Management Using Blockchain Technology Under Cloud Sector Enabled by Hybrid Multi-Verse with Whale Optimization Algorithm

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-38
Author(s):  
Chinnaraj Govindasamy ◽  
Arokiasamy Antonidoss
Keyword(s):  
Supply Chain ◽  
Inventory Management ◽  
Optimization Algorithm ◽  
Transportation Cost ◽  
The Other ◽  
Hybrid Optimization ◽  
Setup Cost ◽  
Blockchain Technology ◽  
Hybrid Optimization Algorithm ◽  
Whale Optimization

Inventory cost control is an essential factor in supply chain management. If the supplier’s inventory is insufficient, then the chance to trade the product will be reduced. The manufacturer’s inadequate material inventory will have an effect in termination of production, delays, and a waste of resources and time. On the other hand, postponed transportation will certainly raise costs such as transportation costs and cancellation of orders. Therefore, the operation costs of enterprises will be more, which will lower profits. In conventional supply chains, inventory costs control is not feasible for the view of the entire supply chain. The main intent of this paper is to plan for intelligent inventory management using blockchain technology under the cloud sector. The inventory management of the supply chain includes “multiple suppliers, a manufacturer, and multiple distributors”. The proposed inventory management models consider some significant costs like “transaction cost, inventory holding cost, shortage cost, transportation cost, time cost, setup cost, backordering cost, and quality improvement cost”. This multi-objective cost function is minimized by a novel hybrid optimization algorithm; the concept of WOA is integrated to produce the new algorithm which is termed as Whale-based Multi Verse Optimization (W-MVO) algorithm. For securing the data of distributors, using blockchain technology in a cloud environment helps from the leakage of data to other unauthorized users. Once the cost is reduced in all aspects based on the proposed hybrid optimization algorithm, the distributer will store the concerning data in the blockchain under the cloud sector, where each distributer holds a hash function to store its data, which cannot be restored by the other distributers. The valuable performance analysis over the conventional optimization algorithms proves the effective and reliable performance of the proposed model over the conventional models.

scholarly journals INVENTORY MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS ON SUPPLY CHAIN PERFORMANCE OF FAST-MOVING CONSUMER GOODS MANUFACTURERS IN KENYA

2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
pp. 1
Author(s):  
Eric Jepherson Muhalia ◽  
Dr. Patrick Karanja Ngugi ◽  
Dr. Makori Moronge
Keyword(s):  
Supply Chain ◽  
Inventory Management ◽  
Consumer Goods ◽  
Fast Moving ◽  
New Technology ◽  
Management Systems ◽  
Primary Data ◽  
Supply Chain Performance ◽  
Sampling Frame ◽  
Fast Moving Consumer Goods

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to determine the influence of inventory management systems on supply chain performance of fast-moving consumer goods manufacturers in KenyaMethodology: The study adopted descriptive research design. The unit of observation was the operations manager of the 51 FMCG manufacturers located in Nairobi. The sampling frame of the current study consisted of operations managers in the manufacturers of the FMCGs in Nairobi. The study used the census method to select 51 manufacturers of the FMCGs in Nairobi, thus the sample of the study was 51 respondents. Primary data was used in the study. The study used questionnaires to collect data. Mixed methods technique of analyzing data was used where both descriptive and inferential analysis were used. The data collected from the field was analyzed using SPSS 23 program. The questionnaires were referenced and the items in them coded for easier data entry. The presentation of the findings was done using tables.Results: The study found that inventory management systems positively and significantly influences Supply chain performance of FMCG in Kenya. The study found that respondents agreed that inventory management systems promotes improved supplier, vendor, and partner relationships; inventory management systems enables the company to maintain a centralized record of every asset; inventory management systems helps in reduction in storage costs; inventory management systems helps to keep track on current stock levels which enables the company to reorder with greater accuracy; and that inventory management systems promotes better reporting and forecasting capabilities.Unique contribution to theory, practice and policy: The study recommended that the recommends the company to adopt new technology (updated inventory management system) to ensure that the processes in the company are efficient; this can be achieved by upgrading operation standards and implementation of new technology and software. Because of technological itches, it is possible for the company to lose data, therefore it is recommended that the company should always have backup of inventory data.

A Colored Petri Net-based modeling method for supply chain inventory management

SIMULATION ◽  
2021 ◽  
pp. 003754972110387
Author(s):  
Maria Drakaki ◽  
Panagiotis Tzionas
Keyword(s):  
Supply Chain ◽  
Inventory Management ◽  
Petri Net ◽  
Simulation Modeling ◽  
Modeling Method ◽  
Operating Conditions ◽  
Supply Chain Performance ◽  
Colored Petri Net ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
The Impact

Supply chain planning and control approaches need to include a wide range of factors in order to optimize production. Supply chain simulation modeling has been identified as a potential methodology toward increasing the efficiency of current systems to this end. The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the impact of inventory management decisions on supply chain performance using a Colored Petri Net based simulation modeling method. The presented method uses hierarchical timed Colored Petri Nets to model inventory management in a multi-stage serial supply chain, under normal operating conditions, and under the presence of disruptions, for both traditional and information sharing configurations. Disruptions are introduced as canceled orders and canceled deliveries, in a time period. Supply chain performance has been evaluated, in the context of order variance amplification and stockout amplification. Validation of the method is done by comparing results obtained for the bullwhip effect with published literature results, as well as by state space analysis results.

scholarly journals RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN INVENTORY MANAGEMENT POLICIES AND SUPPLY CHAIN PERFORMANCE OF RETAIL SUPERMARKETS IN NAIROBI CITY COUNTY IN KENYA.

2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (2) ◽  
pp. 63
Author(s):  
Audilia Mkamburi Mkonu ◽  
Dr. James Ongwae Gichana
Keyword(s):  
Information Technology ◽  
Supply Chain ◽  
Inventory Management ◽  
Stakeholder Management ◽  
Pearson Correlation ◽  
Supply Chain Performance ◽  
Independent Variables ◽  
Study Results ◽  
Management Policies ◽  
The Relationship

Purpose: To explore the relationship between inventory management policies and supply chain performance of supermarkets in Nairobi City County in Kenya. The study specifically sought to examine the relationship between inventory control policies, risk management policies,  information technology policies,  and stakeholder management policies and supply chain performance of retail supermarkets in Nairobi City County in Kenya. The study’s theoretical review was based on the Balanced Score Card, Contingency theory, Resource Based View and Stakeholder theory.Methodology: Descriptive research design which employed both qualitative and quantitative approaches was used to investigate the relationship between inventory management policies and supply chain performance. The target population was 112 supermarkets in Nairobi City County as listed in the 2016 master file of the Nairobi City County licensing department. Stratified random sampling was used to determine the study sample of 88 using Slovin’s sample size formula. Primary data was collected through questionnaires that were administered to supermarkets’ supply chain managers by drop and pick technique. Statistical Package for Social Scientists (SPSS) version 21 was used to code, enter, process and analyze data into descriptive and inferential statistics.Results:The study’s response rate was 84.1%. Pearson correlation Coefficient (r) and multiple regression models were used to determine the relationship between the study variables. ANOVA was also used to test the significance level of the independent variables on the dependent variable at 95% confidence level. The regression model study results had an adjusted R2 value of 0.672 which showed that the independent variables in the study were able to explain 67.2% variation in supply chain performance with the remaining 32.8 % being explained by other variables outside the model. The study findings established that a positive significant relationship exists between inventory management policies and supply chain performance of retail supermarkets in Nairobi City County in Kenya.Contribution to policy and practice: The study recommended that supermarkets supply chain managers to periodically assess their inventory management policies to ensure that they were effective and adequate in controlling inventory levels and the associated inventory risks while regulating the use of information technology and supporting stakeholder management policies that encourage good relations, timely payment to suppliers, employee efficiency and customer loyalty.

scholarly journals The Effect of Procurement Practices on Supply Chain Performance of Selected Public Universities in Kenya

2020 ◽  
pp. 954-961
Author(s):  
Linda Joan Ntinyari Kaaria ◽  
Kirema Nkanata Mburugu ◽  
Lucy Karimi Kirima
Keyword(s):  
Supply Chain ◽  
Inventory Management ◽  
Public Universities ◽  
Principal Component ◽  
Target Population ◽  
Component Analysis ◽  
Supply Chain Performance ◽  
Strategic Partnerships ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Staff Members

In any institution, success is majorly determined by the procurement practices adopted and how well these procurement practices are implemented. The study sought to establish the effect of procurement practices on the supply chain performance of selected public Universities in Kenya. The study adopted a cross-sectional descriptive survey research design and the target population was all public Universities in Counties in the Eastern and Central Region of Kenya. The sample size comprised of 66 staff members. The study used multiple regression analysis to determine the significance of the relationship between the dependent variable and all the independent variables pooled together. Principle component analysis was used to obtain the regression models. Kaiser Meyer Olkin (KMO) sample adequacy and Bartlett’s sphericity tests were used to identify whether the output from the principal component analysis were suitable for regression. The results indicated strategic partnerships ranked first, followed by inventory management, procurement planning, and finally financial resource management in terms of significance influence on supply chain performance. The policy implication is that Universities should embark on training of supply chain players to equip them with relevant knowledge. The research findings will be of help to both public and private entities in improving on their supply chains.

scholarly journals CLEARING AND FORWARDING MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS ON SUPPLY CHAIN PERFORMANCE OF FMCG MANUFACTURERS IN KENYA

2021 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 23-32
Author(s):  
Muhalia Jepherson ◽  
Patrick Ngugi ◽  
Makori Moronge
Keyword(s):  
Supply Chain ◽  
Inventory Management ◽  
Data Entry ◽  
Business Environment ◽  
Management Systems ◽  
Primary Data ◽  
Supply Chain Performance ◽  
Unique Contribution ◽  
Sampling Frame ◽  
The Government

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to determine the influence of clearing and forwarding management systems on supply chain performance of FMCG manufacturers in Kenya Methodology: The study adopted descriptive research design. The unit of observation was the operations manager of the 51 FMCG manufacturers located in Nairobi. The sampling frame of the current study consisted of operations managers in the manufacturers of the FMCGs in Nairobi. The study used the census method to select 51 manufacturers of the FMCGs in Nairobi, thus the sample of the study was 51 respondents. Primary data was used in the study. The study used questionnaires to collect data. Mixed methods technique of analyzing data was used where both descriptive and inferential analysis were used. The data collected from the field was analyzed using SPSS 23 program. The questionnaires were referenced and the items in them coded for easier data entry. The presentation of the findings was done using tables. Results: The study found that inventory management systems positively and significantly influences Supply chain performance of FMCG in Kenya. The study also established that there are challenges faced by use of clearing and forwarding in logistics management systems. There is the challenge of cost forwarding; the most common currency used is US dollar which changes at any particular time and therefore affecting the freight cost. This also affects the price of customer goods and the charges by the bank. Another challenge is with service charges and fees. Unique contribution to theory, practice and policy: The study recommended that the government to adjust regulations and create a business environment that allows the process of clearing and forwarding to be efficient, straight forward and quick. here is also need for the government to develop systems and software that allows transparency and ease in submission of documents and therefore reduce the clearing time. It is also important for the government to ensure that there are clear regulations by custom department and ensure that the employees in this department are well knowledgeable of their task and are well organized and motivated to conduct their duties.

scholarly journals Research on the Information Tracing Model for Cross-border E-commerce Products based on Blockchain

2021 ◽  
Vol 235 ◽  
pp. 03018
Author(s):  
Zheng Hua ◽  
Keran Be ◽  
Qinwen Shi
Keyword(s):  
Supply Chain ◽  
Information Asymmetry ◽  
Product Information ◽  
Asymmetry Information ◽  
Cross Border ◽  
Smart Contract ◽  
Regulatory Cost ◽  
Fast Development ◽  
Effective Role ◽  
Information Tracing

Information asymmetry, information island, high regulatory cost, etc., emerge from the fast development of cross-border e-commerce in China, for which the blockchain, with its capabilities in information sharing, information traceability, smart contract, and so on, can play an effective role in product information tracing. Based on blockchain, this paper builds the product information tracing model using information chains of two different degrees of openness. The model includes the three major bodies of cross-border e-commerce—the supply chain alliance, the consumers and the regulatory departments, so as to produce information tracing, ensure information authenticity and integrity, and be applicable to all kinds of e-commerce platforms.

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