Optimization strategies for the integrated management of perishable supply chains: A literature review

Purpose: The main purpose of this article is to systematically review the papers published in the period 2005-2020 about the integration of production, inventory and distribution activities in perishable supply chains. Design/methodology/approach: The proposed research methodology is based on several steps. First, database and keywords are selected, with the aim to search and collect the main papers, dealing with the integration of production, inventory, distribution activities in perishable supply chains. Then, a bibliometric analysis is carried out, to detect: the main publishing sources, the chronological distribution, the most used keywords, the featured authors, about the selected papers. A five-dimension classification framework is proposed to carry out a content analysis, where the papers of the literature review are classified and discussed, according to: supply chain structure, objective, perishability type, solution approach, approach validation. Findings: Interest in the application of optimization models for integrated decision-making along perishable supply chains is strongly growing. Integrating multiple stages of the supply chain into a single framework is complex, especially when referring to perishable products. The vast majority of the problems addressed are then NP-Hard. Only a limited quantity of the selected papers aims to solve real-life case studies. There is a need for further research, which is capable of modeling and quantitatively improving existing supply chains. The potentials of Industry 4.0 are currently little explored. Originality/value: Based on the analysis of the papers published, this article outlines the current state of the art on the optimization strategies for the integrated management of perishable supply chains, which are very complex to be managed. Research trends and gaps are discussed, future challenges are presentedPeer Reviewe

Integrated production-distribution scheduling with energy considerations for efficient food supply chains

Abstract Quantitative approaches for the integration of production and distribution planning are attracting the interest of scholars and companies in recent years. They can significantly improve supply chain performance and sustainability. In this paper, we propose an optimization model for the integrated scheduling of production and distribution activities, with reference to a real-life company in the food sector. The model takes into consideration changeover times and perishability, and aims to jointly minimize energy, storage and distribution costs. Its applicability is shown through a set of computational experiments, carried out on instances generated from historical data. Two different rescheduling strategies, where the first one reproduces the current behaviour of the firm, are compared. The results show that the current practices of the company can be improved and the model is a valid tool for supporting operational business decisions

Blockchain and agricultural supply chains traceability: research trends and future challenges

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Human Ergonomic Simulation to Support the Design of an Exoskeleton for Lashing/De-Lashing Operations of Containers Cargo

Lashing and de-lashing operations of containers cargo on board containerships are considered as quite strenuous activities in which operators are required to work continuously over a 6 or 8 hours shift with very limited break. This is mostly because containerships need to leave the port as soon as possible and containers loading and unloading operations must be executed with very high productivity (stay moored in a port is a totally unproductive time for a ship and a loss-making business for a shipping company). Operators performing lashing and de-lashing operations are subjected to intense ergonomic stress and uncomfortable working postures. To this end, the authors of this article are participating to a research project for the design of an exoskeleton that will help operators to reduce ergonomics and working posture problems while increasing, at the same time, the productivity. This paper presents the results of a human ergonomic simulation devoted t

The Impact of ESG Practices in Industry with a Focus on Carbon Emissions: Insights and Future Perspectives

In recent years, interest in economic, environmental and social sustainability has increased significantly. Companies are gradually adopting behaviors aimed at achieving the Sustainable Development Goals, which represent a crucial aspect of the 2030 Agenda. In practice, they are currently incorporating organizational strategies that jointly consider environmental, social and corporate governance (ESG), with the aim of generating value for all stakeholders. This paper aims to review, through a recognized seven-step procedure, the current literature on the impact that ESG practices have in industry, with a focus on the reduction of carbon emissions. The results are extremely useful for both researchers and entrepreneurs. The bibliometric analysis shows that interest in the ESG paradigm has grown considerably in the last three years. Furthermore, through the analysis of 13 key documents, it emerges that (i) the European community is pushing significantly towards the adoption of ESG practices through new regulations, (ii) the link between industrial operations and carbon emissions can no longer be neglected within the factory of the future, and (iii) significant efforts are still needed to standardize, in terms of variables and KPIs, the adoption of ESG-centric strategies

Shaping the role of the digital twins for human‐robot dyad: Connotations, scenarios, and future perspectives

Abstract The field of Human‐Robot Interaction (HRI) represents one of the fast‐growing focus areas of Digital Twins (DTs). However, the role of DTs applications in human‐robot collaborative systems is still uncertain. This review article provides a comprehensive perspective of DTs' critical design aspects (i.e. Objectives, associate technologies, and application scenarios) in the broad application areas of human‐robot systems. This article uses a multi‐faceted approach to comprehend 43 DTs' state‐of‐the‐art applications in HRI. The study investigates the literature body across two dimensions (i.e. DT roles and HRI application characteristics). The conclusion of this work draws the attention of the relevant scientific community towards potential DTs' application scenarios and provides insights into DT's future research directions

A Simulation-Based Framework for Manufacturing Design and Resilience Assessment: A Case Study in the Wood Sector

The advent of modern digital technologies offers new opportunities to improve the performance of manufacturing systems from design to monitoring and control during operation. At the same time, the recent COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the fragility of all global supply chains and manufacturing systems. In this paper, a simulation-based framework, exploiting the benefits of the digital model concept, is proposed. It aims at: (1) supporting manufacturing design to effectively start a new business, (2) assessing the resilience of a manufacturing system in the face of disruptions, (3) evaluating the goodness of possible strategies to deal with COVID-like crises. The validity of the proposed framework is successfully demonstrated through a real-life case study, referring to the wood sector. The results show that a lack of system preparedness can lead to productivity reductions of up to 31.8%. At the same time, having the ability to react to unexpected events can limit damage and increase productivity by 26% compared to not reacting

An overview of approaches and methodologies for supporting smallholders: ICT tools, blockchain, business models, sustainability indicators, simulation models

The recent COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted all the weaknesses of manufacturing systems and supply chains. In this challenging context, smallholders have faced several crises mainly related to the difficulty of finding manpower for harvesting activities and the impossibility of distributing food, due to the forced closure of many distribution channels. The main consequences were lost sales and wasted food. With the aim of increasing the responsiveness of smallholders in the face of COVID-like crises, this paper provides an overview of methodologies and approaches currently available in the literature in terms of: ICT tools, blockchain-based solutions, business models, sustainability-oriented frameworks, simulation models. The analysis of the literature provides two main outputs: (1) a list of challenges to be faced in the coming years to improve the working conditions of smallholders, (2) the definition of future research developments, which mainly concern the design of an ICT platform, which integrates multiple technological aspects