An evaluation of three DoE-guided meta-heuristic-based solution methods for a three-echelon sustainable distribution network

This article evaluates the efficiency of three meta-heuristic optimiser (viz. MOGA-II, MOPSO and NSGA-II)-based solution methods for designing a sustainable three-echelon distribution network. The distribution network employs a bi-objective location-routing model. Due to the mathematically NP-hard nature of the model a multi-disciplinary optimisation commercial platform, modeFRONTIER®, is adopted to utilise the solution methods. The proposed Design of Experiment (DoE)-guided solution methods are of two phased that solve the NP-hard model to attain minimal total costs and total CO2 emission from transportation. Convergence of the optimisers are tested and compared. Ranking of the realistic results are examined using Pareto frontiers and the Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution approach, followed by determination of the optimal transportation routes. A case of an Irish dairy processing industry’s three-echelon logistics network is considered to validate the solution methods. The results obtained through the proposed methods provide information on open/closed distribution centres (DCs), vehicle routing patterns connecting plants to DCs, open DCs to retailers and retailers to retailers, and number of trucks required in each route to transport the products. It is found that the DoE-guided NSGA-II optimiser based solution is more efficient when compared with the DoE-guided MOGA-II and MOPSO optimiser based solution methods in solving the bi-objective NP-hard three-echelon sustainable model. This efficient solution method enable managers to structure the physical distribution network on the demand side of a logistics network, minimising total cost and total CO2 emission from transportation while satisfying all operational constraints

Sustainable supply chain network design: a case of the wine industry in Australia

Abstract not availableMohsen Varsei, SergeyPolyakovski

A heuristic approach for index tracking problem: A case study of the Tehran exchange price index

ndex tracking, the most popular form of passive fund management, is a portfolio selection problem in which the return of one of the stock market indexes is reproduced by creating a tracking portfolio consisting of a subset of the stocks included in the index. Index tracking has been known as an NP-Hard problem, and sophisticated approaches have been proposed in the literature to solve this problem. This paper presents an easy-to-implement heuristic solution to this complex problem. The proposed approach was implemented to develop a tracking portfolio of 438 stocks listed in the Tehran Exchange Price Index. The numerical results indicate that the approach is able to identify quality solutions within reasonable model runtime

Diseño de una red de cadena de suministro sostenible

12 páginasThis paper deals with the design of a sustainable supply chain in a high variety production environment. To respond to this challenge, a Mixed-Integer Linear Programming model is proposed. The economic criteria are the costs of transportation, and that of opening and operating manufacturing facilities; the environmental criterion is the level of CO2CO2 emissions due to transportation and storage; and the social criterion is the number of created jobs and supplier assessment. A numerical experiment is derived from industrial data of the textile sector. The results show the existing trade-offs between sustainability goals in the supply chain design context. Moreover, the differences between network structures when the decision is guided by just one of the dimensions of sustainability are compared. Finally, future research opportunities are identified to include the dynamic evaluation in the sustainable supply chain network design context.Este artículo trata sobre el diseño de una cadena de suministro sostenible en un entorno de producción de alta variedad. Para responder a este desafío, se propone un modelo de Programación Lineal Entera Mixta. Los criterios económicos son los costos de transporte y los de abrir y operar instalaciones de fabricación; el criterio ambiental es el nivel de emisiones de CO2 debido al transporte y almacenamiento; y el criterio social es el número de puestos de trabajo creados y valoración de proveedores. Se deriva un experimento numérico a partir de datos industriales del sector textil. Los resultados muestran las compensaciones existentes entre los objetivos de sostenibilidad en el contexto del diseño de la cadena de suministro. Además, se comparan las diferencias entre estructuras de red cuando la decisión se guía por una sola de las dimensiones de la sostenibilidad. Finalmente, se identifican futuras oportunidades de investigación para incluir la evaluación dinámica en el contexto del diseño de redes de cadenas de suministro sostenibles

Vogue or Vague: Sustainability Performance Appraisal in Luxury Fashion Supply Chains

Pressure over sustainability is constantly growing. Luxury goods companies are thus required to prioritize their corporate goals and to integrate sustainability into upstream supply chains (SCs). Nevertheless, it is getting difficult to find sustainable partners as a consequence of globally dispersed fashion SCs (FSCs). In order to commit to business sustainability, a luxury goods company must address and appraise not only its own but also its suppliers’ social and environmental performance. While there have been efforts in assessing environmental sustainability, to date, there are still gaps in the current literature in terms of social sustainability assessment and to what extent social sustainability could be integrated into contemporary decision-making processes. Prior research stress that having an integrated approach to investigate interactions among social, economic, and environmental dimensions is more practical than applying deep yet disconnected investigation in only one dimension. Nonetheless, it is important to underline that sustainability indicators do not ensure the same impact on all industries; henceforth sector-specific assessment frameworks need a further investigation. This study therefore attempts to synthesise both current and novel components in a comprehensive framework to appraise sustainability performance. The main contribution of this study is the proposition of a 360 Degrees Performance Appraisal model to evaluate the impact of SC operations on sustainability. Hence, this chapter provides an understanding of (i) how SC of a luxury goods company must be configured toward sustainability, (ii) how sustainability performance must be assessed through incorporation of a wide range of stakeholders, and (iii) how sustainability could be further advanced in luxury FSCs. Not only could this tool provide an integrated approach to value sustainability by encompassing all related stakeholders associated, but it could also help luxury fashion companies monitor, interpret and further improve their suppliers’ and sub-contractors’ sustainability performance

Linking sustainable supply chain management with the sustainable development goals: indicators, scales and substantive impacts

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