A Small to Medium-Size Enterprise Oriented Methodology for Optimizing Product and Supply Chain Design Decisions

Disruption tails and revival policies: A simulation analysis of supply chain design and production-ordering systems in the recovery and post-disruption periods

In the decline phase of product lifecycle, industrials need to re-design their products to introduce new functions and/or customers’ new preferences. These changes may not only affect the product’s bill of material, but also its supply chain network. Consequently, new supply chain costs are generated. This paper addresses the problem of supply chain configuration considering new product re-design using a multi-agent system (MAS). The objective of the system is to ensure good collaboration between two different points of view, supply chain partners and product designers, to make better decisions. To model the proposed system, we select the multi-agent system engineering (MaSe) methodology. The MAS framework contains three types of agents, namely, “product design agent” and “supply chain agents” which are fitted with optimization tools. These tools allow costs’ optimization and selection of supply chain means (suppliers, technologies, etc.). Finally, the system contains a “communication agent” acting like a mediator; it facilitates data exchange between designers. To support distributed decision-making, two models of mixed integer linear programming are adopted and implemented within the framework for supply chain optimization. The overall MAS approach was tested in simulation with a case study. The objective of the simulation is to choose among three product alternatives the cheapest one based on its supplying and production costs, under capacity constraints. The MAS was able to find the best product alternative among three alternatives proposed by product design team and select optimal supply chain means. The optimal supply chain contains two suppliers: one machine and one subcontractor to satisfy customer’s demand.

During the New Product Development (NPD) cycle, it is important to focus and integrate relevant information into the stages of product conceptualisation, design and development so that they can be used for product and process design effectively. In this paper, a Generic Product and Process Development System (GPDS), which integrates knowledge-based technologies of Rule-Based Expert System (RBES) and Case-Based Reasoning (CBR), is proposed to facilitate product and process development. Although RBES is adopted for sorting product design criteria, relevant past cases are retrieved by the CBR system during product and process design stages. In doing so, previous knowledge in terms of rules and past practices will be made use of during the product and process design stages, resulting in an enhancement of the efficiency of design and operations. By applying GPDS in Hasbro Fast East Limited, the new product design life cycle is greatly shortened with significant reduction in the total development cost.

ABSTRACTIntroduction: In recent years, demand to improve child immunization coverage globally, and the development of the latest vaccines and technology has made the vaccine market very complex. The rise in such complexities often gives birth to numerous issues in the vaccine supply chain, which are the primary cause of its poor performance. Figuring out the cause of the performance problem can help you decide how to address it. The goal of the present study is to identify and analyze important issues in the supply chain of basic vaccines required for child immunization in the developing countries.Research Design & Methods: Twenty-five key issues as various factors of the vaccine supply chain have been presented in this paper. Fuzzy MICMAC analysis has been carried out to classify the factors based on their driving and dependence power and to develop a hierarchy based model. Further, the findings have been discussed with the field experts to identify the critical factors.Results & Conclusion: Three factors: better demand forecast, communication between the supply chain members, and proper planning and scheduling have been identified as the critical factors of vaccine supply chain. These factors should be given special care to improve vaccine supply chain performance.

Impact of supply chain digitalization on supply chain resilience and performance: A multi-mediation model

PurposePrevious research has shown that firms are struggling to incorporate collaboration among supply chain partners. This paper presents a new approach to incorporate collaboration using metric-alignment. The analysis provides key insights regarding the usefulness of this approach to synchronize decision-making that leads to reduced bullwhip effect, less backordering and lower supply chain costs.Design/methodology/approachThis research is based on a large-scale behavioral study comprising 556 participants in multi-echelon supply chain games. Supply chain decisions from these experiments are evaluated to study the impact of metric-alignment on managerial decision-making and the corresponding effects on the overall supply chain performance.FindingsResults show that the metric-alignment approach offers an informal and self-enforced governance mechanism that changes managerial decision-making behaviors and improves supply chain performance. Results also show this approach to yield operational and financial benefits for all supply chain partners in the form of reduced bullwhip effect, less backordering and lower supply chain costs.Originality/valueThis is the first behavioral study of its kind that evaluates a new approach to incorporate collaboration in supply chains using metric-alignment. This approach avoids the shortcomings of current industry practices of using monetary penalties, such as on-time in-full (OTIF) mandates in supply contracts. The study shows that metric-alignment approach can improve overall supply chain performance while offering mutually beneficial rewards for all supply chain partners.

In product design fields where the demand for an efficient usability is critical to its final success, it is essential to integrate user requirements into the design process from the earliest design stages. Particularly in the medical context, it is essential to systematically control the design phases in order not to neglect the strict constraints related to engineering design quality, safety, and usability requirements for the end user. Hence, in this work, an integrated user-centered product design and process simulation method is proposed. This method is aimed at enriching the state of the art in integrated product design and process simulation in the early design stages, as well as providing a novel design example of a device thought for medical contexts. The case study consists in the design of an intercom, aimed at improving patient-doctor communication in the case of bedridden patients on with helmet for Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) therapy during COVID-19 pandemic emergency. Patients undergoing helmet-assisted ventilation are often immersed in a highly noisy environment, unable to fully communicate their needs to the doctors. Intercom devices are addressed to the doctors for improving ease communication with the patient. The proposed user-centered design for manufacturing and assembly proved to be efficient in such a complex design context.KeywordsUser-centered designIntegrated product and process design methodProcess simulation

Measuring the influence of digital twins on the sustainability of manufacturing supply chain: A mediating role of supply chain resilience and performance

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate the complex interrelationships among the key constructs, supply chain orientation (SCO), supply chain integration (SCI) and supply chain performance (SCP) in Indian manufacturing industries. These relationships have been studied using the relational view (RV) and the knowledge-based view (KBV) theoretical perspectives. Design/methodology/approach The conceptual model was derived from the existing body of knowledge in the supply chain domain. The study is based on a sample size of 122 data collected via face-to-face meetings with the Indian manufacturers using well-established scales. The covariance-based structural equation modeling was used to test the proposed hypotheses. Findings In Indian manufacturing and supply chains, SCO has a positive relationship with SCI and SCP. Moreover, the direct impact of SCO on SCP diminishes when SCI is used as a mediating variable. This study also observes positive impact of: i) SCO on SCP, ii) SCI on SCP and iii) discovery of mediating role of SCI on SCP under the theoretical lenses of RV and KBV. Research limitations/implications Cross-sectional survey of manufacturing firms of one country (using one response per firm) calls for validation covering other parts of the world and demands a longitudinal survey. This research will trigger more scholarly, practice and policy debate among researchers studying Indian and emerging economies context. Practical implications The notion of a holistic view of the SC with a focus on improving the customer value can enhance strategic partnerships among the SC partners (i.e. SCI) and overall SCP. Firms should make efforts to include SCI in SC designs to successfully transform SCO into SCP. Originality/value The originality of the research lies in studying the complex interrelationships among key concepts of SC in a unique Indian manufacturing context. The Indian supply chains operate in a set of unique characteristics, which have been detailed out in this paper. This paper not only establishes the mediating role of SCI for overall SCP in emerging economies but also enhances the scholarly knowledge in the SC domain. Most studies report SCO as a single-order construct, measured by scales comprising of only few items. The second-order SCO measures in this study bring credibility to the findings. Additionally, it contributes to both academicians and practitioners alike in the context of an integrated SC in emerging economies.

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to identify and explain competition between buyers and sellers within the same supply chain network. It suggests that supply chain can be best described as an opportunistic coalition between the powerful and ambitious ones.Design/methodology/approachThis paper discusses the arguments and counter‐arguments on outsourcing and also supply chain management as presented in the academic literature. Then it analyses some of the prevailing practices in supply chain, and uses concepts of power, team and opportunistic alliance to suggest that supply chain could best be described as an opportunistic alliance.FindingsBuyers and suppliers are always engaged in power struggles, even though they may be cooperating to run the supply chain smoothly. The degree of one party's success in such a struggle is determined by the extent of the others' dependence on it. The dependence is reliant on one's control over the process of defining, designing and producing the goods and services required to fulfil the needs of the end customers.Research limitations/implicationsWhile success in the market is equally important, this paper elaborates on the supply chain issue only.Practical implicationsThe article is useful for managers, making “make‐or buy” decisions and entering into (supply chain) alliances. Similarly, students engaged in analysis and understanding of issues pertaining to supply chain management and strategy can find this article useful.Originality/valueCompetition within supply chain has been a missing link in the discussions of the supply chain strategy. The paper has conceptualized and elaborated this very important issue.

This study aims at investigating the roles of supply chain integration and innovation on supply chain performance through a mediation mechanism of supply chain. This study develops a theoretical framework based on resource-based view and dynamic capability theory. Based on a quantitative study of 214 Saudi hospitals, an empirical analysis was made using a structural equation modelling with AMOS. Results revealed that supply chain integration and innovation positively affect supply chain resilience and performance. In addition, supply chain resilience has a positive and significant relationship with supply chain performance. Most significantly, the relationships of supply chain integration and of innovation to supply chain performance were found to be partially mediated by supply chain resilience. These results showed that integration and innovation have direct effects to improve supply chain performance and indirect ones when hospitals make efforts in developing their resilience. This study is important for top managers of Saudi hospitals to integrate their supply chains and innovate them to improve their resilience and performance.

PurposeA risk, when it occurs, causes negative effects on outputs. Typically, risks are not independent as multiple risks occur simultaneously. The purpose of this paper is to compare the impact various risks have on the performance of manufacturing-oriented and service-oriented firms from a supply chain (SC) perspective.Design/methodology/approachFirst, SC risks were identified and classified into two criteria: context and probability. Then, the different characteristics between manufacturing- and service-oriented firms were distinguished by the theory of goods-dominant logic (GDL) and service-dominant logic (SDL). Structural equations modeling and multiple-group analysis were then used to validate research hypotheses and compare the two groups.FindingsThe empirical evidence, gathered from the Vietnamese construction sector, indicated that in a serious situation all of the five risks proposed occur at the same time, thus the remarkable 87.1% variance in SC performance was explained. Furthermore, this rate is significant when the two groups are compared: manufacturing-oriented firms (88.3 percent) and service-oriented firms (85.6 percent), implying that risks in the manufacturing-oriented group have a greater effect on SC performance. While manufacturing-oriented companies should pay close attention to the operational and demand risks that adversely affect SC performance, they should treat information risk as an opportunity to improve. Service-oriented companies, however, need to manage supply risk which, in their case, can be attributed to a 51.2 percent variance in SC performance. Moreover, service quality can also be improved remarkably if information risk is well managed.Research limitations/implicationsThis study provides a detailed picture of the relationship between risks and performance in the SC. Risks are illustrated as affecting the SC performance simultaneously, (not separately) and so the approach outlined here will give firms a comprehensive view of their SCs and provide guidelines for predicting the impact risks will have on the SC performance. Moreover, by comparing manufacturing- and service-oriented firms, a thorough overview of risk behaviors is provided and appropriate solutions for each type of company can be determined.Originality/valueThe “novelty of approach” of this study is in applying GDL and SDL theory to classify the manufacturing-oriented and service-oriented firms. The different characteristics between the two groups are identified and explained in terms of resources, value, network, effectiveness vs efficiency and communication, thus providing an insight into risk management activities in the SC network.

The key objective of this research study is to delve into the factors affecting supply chain resilience to enhance supply chain performance through the mediation of supply chain resilience. A quantitative method of research was applied to perform this particular research. Data collection was performed using the questionnaire technique. As it was impossible to collect data from every member of the targeted population, a sample of data was calculated using G*power software and a sample size of 129 respondents. It was concluded that supply chain artificial intelligence, adaptive capability, and collaboration positively and significantly influence supply chain resilience and performance. At the same time, supply chain resilience also positively impacts supply chain performance. Thus, adopting resilience and other dynamic capacities can enhance organizational and supply chain performance. This research study provides insight to the manufacturing firms' practitioners and managers for improving their resilience level in the supply chain. This specific research study plays a significant role in literature by highlighting the concept of supply chain resilience and the supply chain performance of organizations.

PurposeDespite the economic growth in Ghana, the manufacturing industry faces numerous challenges in their supply chains. The study aims to investigate the mediated-moderated role of supply chain technological innovation (SCTI) in the relationship between supply chain resilience (SCR) and supply chain performance (SCP) of manufacturing firms. By exploring this relationship, the study seeks to provide insights that can help manufacturing firms overcome the challenges they face and improve their overall supply chain performance.Design/methodology/approachThe quantitative research approach and explanatory research design were utilised. A sample of 345 manufacturing firms was drawn from a population of 2495 manufacturing firms in the Accra metropolis. Analysis of this study was performed using the Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM).FindingsIt was revealed that SCTI positively mediates the nexus between SCR and SCP. However, we document that SCTI negatively moderates the nexus. It is instructive to advocate that a mere presence of a more enhanced SCTI is not enough to improve upon SCP of manufacturing firms, but should be a channel through which SCR can improve SCP.Practical implicationsThis study highlights the need for managers of firms to prioritise investment in technological innovation as a means of enhancing SCR and ultimately improving supply chain performance. By understanding the SCTI mediated-moderated relationship between SCR and SCP, supply chain managers, logistics managers, operation managers, as well as procurement managers can develop more effective strategies to optimise their operations. This study provides valuable insights for managers and policymakers in developing and implementing supply chain resilience strategies that take into account the important role of SCTI.Originality/valueThe originality of the study lies in exploring the mediated-moderated effect of technological innovation on the nexus between resilience and performance of supply chains in developing economies, where firms often face unique challenges such as infrastructure limitations, political instability and economic uncertainty. By investigating the interplay of SCTI between SCR and SCP, researchers can develop new insights and strategies to help navigate these challenges and achieve success.

Purpose Existing supply chain (SC) performance models are not able to cope with the potential of intensive SC digitalisation and establish a relationship between decisions and decision criteria. The purpose of this paper is to develop an integrated knowledge-based system (KBS) that creates a link between decisions and decision criteria (attributes) and evaluates the overall SC performance. Design/methodology/approach The proposed KBS is grounded on the fuzzy analytic hierarchy process (fuzzy AHP), which establishes a relationship between short-term and long-term decisions and SC performance criteria (short-term and long-term) for accurate and integrated Overall SC performance evaluation. Findings The proposed KBS evaluates the overall SC performance, establishes a relationship between decisions (long-term and short-term) and decision criteria of SC functions and provides decision makers with a view of the impact of their short-term or long-term decisions on overall SC performance. The proposed system was implemented in a case company where the authors were able to develop a SC performance monitoring dashboard for the company’s top managers and operational managers. Practical implications The proposed KBS assists organisations and decision makers in evaluating their overall SC performance and helps in identifying underperforming SC functions and their associated criteria. It may also be considered as a tool for benchmarking SC performance against competitors. It can efficiently point to improvement directions and help decision makers improve overall SC performance. Originality/value The proposed KBS provides a holistic and integrated approach, establishes a relationship between decisions and decision criteria and evaluates overall SC performance, which is one of the main limitations in existing supply chain performance measurement systems.