12 research outputs found
Increasing Sustainability of Logistic Networks by Reducing Product Losses: A Network DEA Approach
This paper considers a multiproduct supply network, in which losses (e.g., spoilage of perishable products) can occur at either the nodes or the arcs. Using observed data, a Network Data Envelopment Analysis (NDEA) approach is proposed to assess the efficiency of the product flows in varying periods. Losses occur in each process as the observed output flows are lower than the observed input flows. The proposed NDEA model computes, within the NDEA technology, input and output targets for each process. The target operating points correspond to the minimum losses attainable using the best observed practice. The efficiency scores are computed comparing the observed losses with the minimum feasible losses. In addition to computing relative efficiency scores, an overall loss factor for each product and each node and link can be determined, both for the observed data and for the computed targets. A detailed illustration and an experimental design are used to study and validate the proposed approach. The results indicate that the proposed approach can identify and remove the inefficiencies in the observed data and that the potential spoilage reduction increases with the variability in the losses observed in the different periods.Ministerio de Ciencia DPI2017-85343-PFondo Europeo de Desarrollo Regional DPI2017-85343-
Analysing the Structure of the Global Wheat Trade Network: An ERGM Approach
Nº ArtÃculo: 1967This paper studies the relationship between wheat trading countries using both descriptive
and statistical inference methods for complex networks. The global Wheat Trade Network (WTN) and
its evolving topological characteristics is analysed for the periods 2009–2013 and 2014–2018, using the
Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) data. The network characterisation measures in both
periods are rather stable. There are some differences, however, in the magnitude of some measures
(e.g., connectivity or disassortativity), and a higher degree of inequality in the distribution of the
number of partners and the distribution of trade volume in the period 2014–2018. An Exponential
Random Graph Model (ERGM) has been applied to identify significant determinants associated with
the presence/absence of trade links between countries. The results indicate that wheat trade links are
driven mainly by country openness, reciprocity (mutual importer-exporter relationship), whether the
exporting country is US or Canada and the geographical location of importer and exporter. Other
factors, such as the economic size of the importing country, if the importing country is US or Canada
and the land surface of the exporting country also contribute less to capture interlinkages of WTN.Ministerio de EconomÃa, Industria y Competitividad DPI2017-85343-
Control dinamico de la produccion en entornos industriales mediante la aplicacion de heuristicas basadas en reconocido simultaneo y busqueda tabu
Available from Centro de Informacion y Documentacion Cientifica CINDOC. Joaquin Costa, 22. 28002 Madrid. SPAIN / CINDOC - Centro de Informaciòn y Documentaciòn CientìficaSIGLEESSpai
A DEA approach for merging dairy farms
This paper proposes a model for determining the most advantageous merger within a set of dairy farms.
It uses data envelopment analysis (DEA) to estimate the total technical efficiency improvement that the merger would
produce and for decomposing it into a learning effect and a pure merger effect. A design of experiments has also been
carried to test the effects of various factors (the total number of farms, the standard deviation of herd size, the percentage of farms exhibiting increasing returns to scale, the standard deviation of the current technical efficiency of the
farms) on different response variables (the percentage of farms involved in the merger, the reduction of herd size and
the efficiency improvement obtained by the merger). The results show that the disparity in the herd size of the farms
in a region and the percentage of farms that exhibit increasing returns to scale increase the number of farms that enter
into the most advantageous merger. The disparity of herd size also increases the number of cows that are not needed
after the merger. Finally, the expected efficiency improvement increases with the total number of farms.Ministerio de Ciencia de España DPI2017--85343-
A decision-making model to design a sustainable container depot logistic network: the case of the port of Valencia
In this paper, the design of a maritime container depot logistic network in a hinterland is studied. Containers
are a basic tool in multimodal product transportation and all related operations have an impact on the environment
due to different externalities such as noise, atmospheric and visual pollution. A three objective optimization model is
used to minimize the total network cost, the environmental impact generated by the road transport operations associated
with the depots (TI) and the environmental impact generated by the setting up and maintenance of the depots
(FI). To determine the environmental impacts of each depot, Fuzzy Analytic Hierarchy Process (F-AHP) is used in
both cases. In addition, a fuzzy multiobjective optimization approach has been used to solve the problem. The application
case study is based on the Port of Valencia (Spain)