The influence of green practices on supply chain performance: A case study approach

The main objective of this exploratory paper is to investigate the relationships between green practices of supply chain management and supply chain performance. This relationship is investigated in the context of the automotive industry. Five research propositions are suggested and tested with empirical data derived from five case studies taken from the Portuguese automotive supply chain. The data analysis identifies the most important green practices considered by managers, as well as the performance measures that are most appropriate and most widely used as means to evaluate the influence of green practices on supply chain performance. A conceptual model was derived from the data analysis and it can be used to assess the influence of green practices on supply chain performance. This model provides evidence as to which green practices have positive effects on quality, customer satisfaction and efficiency. It also identifies the practices which have negative effects on supply chain performance.     

Integration of inland waterway transport in the intermodal supply chain: a taxonomy of research challenges

This paper identifies research opportunities which will enable the further integration of inland waterway transport in the intermodal supply chain. Intermodal transport may be interpreted as a chain of actors who supply a transport service. Inland navigation can play a crucial role in increasing supply chain service performance. A first group of research challenges lies in the evolving relationship between transport geography and logistics activities. The next set of research challenges has the objective to encourage efficient operations in IWT: development of a system wide model for IWT, integration of operational planning systems and analysis of bundling networks. A third group of research efforts is directed towards shippers and consignees who use the intermodal transport chain to send or receive their goods: further development of models that integrate intermodal transport decisions with supply chain decisions and creation of green supply chains. A fourth cluster of research challenges concerns the problem domain of external cost calculations. Finally detailed time series data on freight transport should be collected to support these future research tracks.     

On returns and network configuration in supply chain dynamics

This research focuses on how two common modeling assumptions in the Bullwhip Effect (BWE) literature (i.e., assuming the return of the excess of goods and assuming a serial network) may distort the results obtained. We perform a robust design of experiments where the return condition (return vs. no return) and the configuration of the Supply Chain Network (SCN) (serial vs. divergent) are systematically analyzed. We find an important interaction between these assumptions: the impact of returns on the BWE strongly depends on the SCN configuration. This study highlights the importance of accurately modeling SCNs to properly assess SCNs managers.     

Optimal vendor selection in a multiproduct supply chain with truckload discounts

When products are sold by multiple vendors in various locations, the purchaser must decide what to order from each vendor and where to send it. To solve this decision problem, a novel optimization model is developed and applied to a situation involving the nationwide wholesale distribution of grocery products. Comparing the model’s solution with the actual record of shipments reveals instances in which the model selected higher-priced vendors in order to capitalize on truckload cost savings, which are seen to be an important factor in vendor selection. Additional models are developed to reduce computation time and assign shipments to vehicles.     

Marrying supply chain sustainability and resilience: A match made in heaven

Sustainable supply chain management has become an integral part of corporate strategy for virtually every industry. However, little is understood about the broader impacts of sustainability practices on the capacity of the supply chain to tolerate disruptions. This article aims to explore the sustainability–resilience relationship at the supply chain design level. A multi-objective optimization model featuring a sustainability performance scoring method and a stochastic fuzzy goal programming approach is developed that can be used to perform a dynamic sustainability tradeoff analysis and design a “resiliently sustainable” supply chain. Important managerial and practical insights are obtained from an empirical case study.     

Dynamics of liner shipping network and port connectivity in supply chain systems: analysis on East Asia

The study of ports in supply chain systems is an emerging area of importance which has drawn more attention from researchers in recent years. This paper presents a new perspective in this research area by examining the calling patterns of container shipping services in order to understand the dynamics of port connectivity and inter-port relationships in the supply chains. Empirical evidence is drawn from four major ports in East Asia, namely Shanghai, Busan, Kaohsiung and Ningbo. The study identifies the shipping capacity, trade routes and geographical regions connected to the ports, shipping lines involved, and the extensity and intensity of inter-port relationships among the four container ports from liner shipping network’s perspective. The findings show that most of the shipping capacity employed on the major east–west trade routes became non-exclusive and involved calls at two or more of the four ports. Port planners, terminal operators and carriers could capitalise on opportunities through exploitation of complementary relationships that exist among the selected ports, such as offering a package for shipping lines to call at a portfolio of terminals owned by the same terminal operator. Policy and research implications as well as recommendations are discussed for various stakeholders concerned with port planning and regional development.