Reprint of "Decision support models for supplier development: Systematic literature review and research agenda"

The continuing trend towards sourcing components and semi-finished goods for less vertically integrated manufacturing systems globally leads to a dramatic increase in supply options for companies. To ensure that companies benefit from the potentials global sourcing offers, supplier-buyer relationships need to be managed efficiently. Due to the decreasing share of value-adding activities provided in-house, suppliers are more and more considered as an essential contributor to the buying company's competitive position. Consequently, to realize and sustain competitive advantages, companies try to establish institutionalized long-term relationships to their most important suppliers and to actively improve the productivity and performance of their supplier base. To support supplier development in practice, researchers have developed decision support models that provide assistance in selecting and implementing suitable supplier development activities. The aim of this paper is to provide a comprehensive and systematic overview of decision support models for supplier development and to develop a research agenda that helps to identify promising areas for future research in this area. First, typical applications for supplier development as well as potential development measures that can be adopted to improve the performance of suppliers are identified. Secondly, a systematic literature review with a focus on decision support models for supplier development is conducted. Based on the analysis of the literature, we define a research agenda that synthesizes key trends and promising research opportunities and thus highlight areas where more decision support models are needed to foster supplier development initiatives in practice

Economic ordering and payment policies under progressive payment schemes and time-value of money

Trade credits have received considerable attention in recent years and have become one of the most important sources of short-term funding for many companies. The paper at hand studies the optimal ordering and payment policies of a buyer assuming that the supplier offers a progressive interest scheme. The contribution to the literature is twofold. First, the different financial conditions of the companies involved are taken into account by assuming that the credit interest rate of the buyer may, but not necessarily has to, exceed the interest rate charged by the supplier. In addition, the time-value of money is considered in this scenario which is relevant when trade credit terms are valid for a long period of time and payment flows need to be evaluated by their net present value to ensure long-term profitability. The models proposed enable decision makers to improve ordering and payment decisions and the results reveal that taking into account the temporal allocation of payments, the prevailing interest relation influences replenishment policies significantly

The influence of financial conditions on optimal ordering and payment policies under progressive interest schemes

In many business-to-business transactions, the buyer is not required to pay immediately after the receipt of an order, but is instead allowed to postpone the payment to its suppliers for a certain period. In such a situation, the buyer can either settle the account at the end of the credit period or authorize the payment later, usually at the expense of interest that is charged by the supplier on the outstanding balance. Some payment terms, which are often referred to as trade credit contracts, contain progressive interest charges. In such cases, the supplier offers a sequence of credit periods, where the interest rate that is charged on the outstanding balance usually increases from period to period. If a buyer faces a progressive trade credit scheme, various options for settling the unpaid balance exist, where the financial impact of each option depends on the current credit interest structure and the alternative investment conditions. This paper studies the influence of different financial conditions in terms of alternative investment opportunities and credit interest structure on the optimal ordering and payment policies of a buyer on the condition that the supplier provides a progressive interest scheme. For this purpose, mathematical models are developed and analyzed

The value of screening tests in the detection of prostate cancer. Part II: Retrospective analysis of free/total prostate-specific analysis ratio, age-specific reference ranges, and PSA density

Objectives: The ratio between free and total prostate-specific antigen (PSA) in serum (F/T ratio) was shown to improve the specificity of total serum PSA for the detection of prostate carcinoma in selected populations. In this study, the value of the F/T ratio for screening of prostate cancer was compared with that of age-specific reference ranges for PSA and PSA density (PSAD) by a simulation experiment. Methods: In 1726 men between 55 and 76 years old, 67 prostate carcinomas were detected by application of digital rectal examination (DRE), transrectal ultrasonography (TRUS), and tota

The value of screening tests in the detection of prostate cancer. Part I: Results of a retrospective evaluation of 1726 men

Objectives: The ratio between free and total prostate-specific antigen (PSA) in serum (F/T ratio) was shown to improve the differentiation between prostate carcinoma and benign conditions in selected series of patients. In this study the F/T ratio was analyzed for its ability to improve the specificity of total serum PSA, digital rectal examination (DRE), and transrectal ultrasonography (TRUS) for the detection of prostate cancer in an unselected screening population of men identified in the Rotterdam popu

The lot sizing problem: A tertiary study

This paper provides a survey of literature reviews in the area of lot sizing. Its intention is to show which streams of research emerged from Harris' seminal lot size model, and which major achievements have been accomplished in the respective areas. We first develop the methodology of this review and then descriptively analyze the sample. Subsequently, a content-related classification scheme for lot sizing models is developed, and the reviews contained in our sample are discussed in light of this classification scheme. Our analysis shows that various extensions of Harris' lot size model were developed over the years, such as lot sizing models that include multi-stage inventory systems, incentives, or productivity issues. The aims of our tertiary study are the following: firstly, it helps primary researchers to position their own work in the literature, to reproduce the development of different types of lot sizing problems, and to find starting points if they intend to work in a new research direction. Secondly, the study identifies several topics that offer opportunities for future secondary research

Tumor-Microenvironment Characterization of the MB49 Non-Muscle-Invasive Bladder-Cancer Orthotopic Model towards New Therapeutic Strategies.

Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) instillations for the treatment of non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer patients can result in significant side effects and treatment failure. Immune checkpoint blockade and/or decreasing tumor-infiltrating myeloid suppressor cells may be alternative or complementary treatments. Here, we have characterized immune cell infiltration and chemoattractant molecules in mouse orthotopic MB49 bladder tumors. Our data show a 100-fold increase in CD45 <sup>+</sup> immune cells from day 5 to day 9 tumors including T cells and mainly myeloid cells. Both monocytic myeloid-derived suppressor-cells (M-MDSC) and polymorphonuclear (PMN)-MDSC were strongly increased in day 9 tumors, with PMN-MDSC representing ca. 70% of the myeloid cells in day 12 tumors, while tumor associated macrophages (TAM) were only modestly increased. The kinetic of PD-L1 tumor expression correlated with published data from patients with PD-L1 expressing bladder tumors and with efficacy of anti-PD-1 treatment, further validating the orthotopic MB49 bladder-tumor model as suitable for designing novel therapeutic strategies. Comparison of chemoattractants expression during MB49 bladder tumors grow highlighted CCL8 and CCL12 (CCR2-ligands), CCL9 and CCL6 (CCR-1-ligands), CXCL2 and CXCL5 (CXCR2-ligands), CXCL12 (CXCR4-ligand) and antagonist of C5/C5a as potential targets to decrease myeloid suppressive cells. Data obtained with a single CCR2 inhibitor however showed that the complex chemokine crosstalk would require targeting multiple chemokines for anti-tumor efficacy

CD40 Agonist Restores the Antitumor Efficacy of Anti-PD1 Therapy in Muscle-Invasive Bladder Cancer in an IFN I/II-Mediated Manner.

Bladder cancer is one of the most common malignancies and has poor prognosis for patients with locally advanced, muscle-invasive, disease despite the efficacy of immune checkpoint blockade. To develop more effective immunotherapy strategies, we studied a genetic mouse model carrying deletion of Tp53 and Pten in the bladder, which recapitulates bladder cancer tumorigenesis and gene expression patterns found in patients. We discovered that tumor cells became more malignant and the tumor immune microenvironment evolved from an inflammatory to an immunosuppressive state. Accordingly, treatment with anti-PD1 was ineffective, but resistance to anti-PD1 therapy was overcome by combination with a CD40 agonist (anti-CD40), leading to strong antitumor immune responses. Mechanistically, this combination led to CD8 <sup>+</sup> T-cell recruitment from draining lymph nodes. CD8 <sup>+</sup> T cells induced an IFNγ-dependent repolarization toward M1-like/IFNβ-producing macrophages. CD8 <sup>+</sup> T cells, macrophages, IFN I, and IFN II were all necessary for tumor control, as demonstrated in vivo by the administration of blocking antibodies. Our results identify essential cross-talk between innate and adaptive immunity to control tumor development in a model representative of anti-PD1-resistant human bladder cancer and provide scientific rationale to target CD40 in combination with blocking antibodies, such as anti-PD1/PD-L1, for muscle-invasive bladder cancer