Evolutionary Approaches to Solve an Integrated Lot Scheduling Problem in the Soft Drink Industry

This chapter studies a two-level production planning problem where, on each level, a lot sizing and scheduling problem with parallel machines, capacity constraints and sequence-dependent setup costs and times must be solved. The problem can be found in soft drink companies where the production process involves two interdependent levels with decisions concerning raw material storage and soft drink bottling. Models and solution approaches proposed so far are surveyed and conceptually compared. Two different approaches have been selected to perform a series of computational comparisons: an evolutionary technique comprising a genetic algorithm and its memetic version, and a decomposition and relaxation approach.

This chapter presents a memetic framework for solving the Synchronized and Integrated Two-level Lot Sizing and Scheduling Problem (SITLSP). A set of algorithms from this framework is thoroughly evaluated. The SITLSP is a real-world problem typically found in soft drink plants, but its presence can also be seen in many other multi-level production processes. The SITLSP involves a two-level production process where lot sizing and scheduling decisions have to be made for raw material storage in tanks and soft drink bottling in various production lines. The work presented here extends a previously proposed memetic computing approach that combines a multi-population genetic algorithm with a threshold accepting heuristic. The novelty and its main contribution is the use of tabu search combined with the multi-population genetic algorithm as a method to solve the SITLSP. Two real-world problem sets, both provided by a leading market soft drink company, have been used for the computational experiments. The results show that the memetic algorithms proposed significantly outperform the previously reported solutions used for comparison.

A genetic algorithm/mathematical programming approach to solve a two-level soft drink production problem

The objective of this study was to establish the influence of customer perception on the relationship between green marketing practices and Customer Satisfaction in the soft drink industry in Kenya. This study was anchored on consumer behavior theory and was guided by positivistic philosophy. The study adopted a descriptive cross-sectional research design to determine how green marketing practices affect customer satisfaction in soft drink companies in Nairobi County, Kenya and how the relationship is influenced by customer perception. The study targeted a sample of 180 trade customers but, the researcher managed to successfully collect data from 130 of the trade customers. The study adopted Cronbach’s Alpha. Descriptive statistics (mean scores and measures of dispersion) and inferential statistics (correlation, analysis of variance and regression analysis) was conducted to determine the expected relationships between green marketing practices and customer satisfaction. R 2 increased from .121 to .223 when customer perceptions were included (.223-.121=.102). The results imply that customer perception explain an additional 10.2% of the variation in customer satisfaction. The results indicate that the effect of green marketing practices on customer satisfaction in the final step of the analysis (path c) is significant at 0.05 significance level. The regression coefficient reduced from β=.389 in path “a” to β=.349 in path c’ and was statistically significant at 0.05 level of significance. Based on the overall study results obtained from the tests of the study hypotheses, it is concluded that customer perception had a statistically insignificant mediating effect on the relationship between green marketing practices and customer satisfaction Keywords: Customer Perception, Green Marketing Practices, Customer Satisfaction, Soft Drink Industry, Nairobi Kenya DOI : 10.7176/EJBM/11-3-17

Minimum mileage and maximization of utilities will help the product distribution process to be optimal. Soft drink companies in the city of Medan have problems in distributing products to consumers who are not on time. This is related to the lack of regulation of product distribution channels by the company. Therefore this research was conducted to optimize product distribution routes in order to minimize distribution costs. With the Traveling Salesman Problem (TSP) method, it will combine several closest distribution routes and improve the route sequence. Then the development of sub-routes that are formed from the travel time and utility of transportation equipment used. Formation of sub-routes is still done manually while increasing the order of sub-routes is done by using the Software Quant System (QS) version 3.0. and produce minimum mileage on each sub-route. In planning product distribution, 6 proposed sub-routes are formed in one week and are served by 1 transportation car with a capacity of 220 crates. The proposed sub-route is 171 km shorter than the available sub-routes, thus shortening the travel time of 302 minutes to transport the product.

The aerosol number size distribution is the main parameter for characterizing aerosol optical properties and physical properties, it has a major influence on radiation forcing. With regard to some disadvantages in the traditional methods, a method based on the multi population genetic algorithm (MPGA) is proposed and employed to retrieve the aerosol size distribution of dust particles. The MPGA principles and design are presented in detail. The MPGA has better performance compared with conventional methods. In order to verify the feasibility of the inversion method, the measured aerosol optical thickness (AOT) data of dust particles taken by a sun photometer are used and a series of comparisons between the simple genetic algorithm (SGA) and MPGA are carried out. The results show that the MPGA presents better properties when compared with the SGA with smaller inversion errors, smaller population size and fewer generation numbers to retrieve the aerosol size distribution. The MPGA inversion method is analyzed using the background day, dust storm event and seasonal size distribution. The method proposed in this study has important applications and reference value for aerosol particle size distribution inversion.

The traditional single intelligent algorithm has slow convergence speed in the frequency assignment, and the effect cannot meet the increasing frequency equipment in the naval battlefield. Based on the single intelligent frequency assignment algorithm and the frequency conflict analysis model between systems, this paper proposes three heuristic frequency assignment algorithms based on hybrid genetic algorithms, namely, Genetic Algorithm and Tabu Search (GATS), Hybrid Genetic Simulated Annealing Algorithm (HGSAA) and Genetic Algorithm-ant Colony Algorithm (GAA). The simulation results show that the hybrid algorithm can quickly converge to a better allocation result than the single intelligent algorithm in the frequency assignment problem, and the optimal value is better than the single intelligent algorithm. Among them, the convergence speed and optimal value of the GAA are the best of the three algorithms. Therefore, this algorithm can be applied to frequency assignment with more frequency-using equipment within a fixed range.

Anglian Water membrane hybrid system for the soft drinks industry

A hybrid genetic local search algorithm for the permutation flowshop scheduling problem

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to explore changes in corporate social responsibility (CSR) policies in food, soft drinks and packaging industries to capture changes in CSR implementation given increased environmental activism. The paper takes an exploratory approach in reviewing CSR policy changes to explore to what extent companies change CSR policies with increased environmentalism.Design/methodology/approachA comparative website analysis was used to analyse CSR policies of companies in the food, soft drinks and packaging industries in the UK. The companies were selected for the analysis based on their annual turnover and 23 companies were analysed (seven for the soft drinks industry, eight for the food industry and eight for packaging industry). Five interviews were conducted with packaging and retail professionals, and the findings were analysed by using thematic analysis, which captured trends in responses.FindingsThe findings show that companies are implementing and communicating CSR policies heavily focussed on reducing the environmental impact of their work and matching social debates on human rights, with which traditional CSR policies (corporate governance, supporting local communities and consultation with stakeholders) are fading away. Instead, companies have shifted attention towards the gender pay gap, modern slavery and extensive environmentalism. The interviews with packaging professionals and CSR managers from the retail industry show that the packaging industry designs CSR policies in line with requests from supermarkets, which are, in turn, influenced by consumer activism.Practical implicationsThis paper shows the circular relationship between media coverage, consumer activism, which comes as a result, and the impact and changes this brings to the industry. To avoid reputation damage, companies should closely follow media debates to pre-empty consumer criticism and activism.Social implicationsThe findings show that companies are “mirroring the zeitgast” and going with trends to meet consumer expectations, which brings into question the sincerity of CSR policies and revives the criticism of capitalism and raises a question whether CSR is used by companies as a smokescreen that on the outset makes a difference to the society but keeps status quo intact.Originality/valueThe paper provides an insight into CSR implementation of three industries that faced heavy criticism from campaigners and the general public for their environmental impact. The paper shows how the CSR policy shifted to match this expectation and thus provides a good ground for studying the evolution of CSR using a case study from three selected industries.

Recovery of Retinol in Soft-Drink Beverages Made with Fortified Unrefined and Refined Sugar: Implications for National Fortification Programs

Genetic algorithm is a frequently used evolutionary algorithm that cannot avoid premature convergence. Multi-population is usually used to overcome this disadvantage, obtaining multi-population genetic algorithm (MGA). If sub-populations and communications among them are considered as nodes and edges, respectively, an MGA can be represented as a complex network. After reviewing previous researches, we find that the network structures used to design MGAs are limited and some parameters (SPS, sub-population size, and SPN, sub-population number) under a certain total individual number (TIN) are always ignored. Using seven network structures (BAnet, BDnet, CTnet, ERnet, HAnet, LCnet, and SWnet) to design MGAs that are used to solve some flexible job shop scheduling problems, how the network structures and parameters affect the performances of MGAs is addressed. The simulation results indicate that: (i) the MGA with ERnet rather than the famous BAnet often performs well although their performances are problem-dependent; (ii) the Hamming distance index proposed here can properly capture the phenomenon that the smaller the average path length, the higher the propagation rate; and (iii) under a certain TIN, their performances first increase and then decrease gradually as SPN increases, and their performances first increase rapidly and then remain almost unchanged as SPS increases.

This Study is on the relationship among strategic groups, organigational conduct and performance of company. It is based on the strategic posture (static viewpoint) and strategic movement (dynamic viewpoint) of firms in the industry. An emprical study is conducted in soft drink industry. Four questions are raised: 1) Are there strategic groups in the industry studied? 2) What is the relationship between strategic group and performance of firms in the group? 3) What is the relationship between strategic group and organizational conduct? 4) What is the relationship among strategic group, organizational conduct and perfomance? Seventy-Four samples are collected and clustered into seven strategic groups. From the study, following results are discovered: 1) Seven strategic groups are present in the soft drink industry. 2) The market share of the group is significantly related to the strategic groups position. 3) The organizational conduct of companies is related to strategic groups classifications. 4) There in a relationship among strategic groups classifications, organizational conduct and perfomance.

IN 1959, THE PEOPLE OF THE UNITED STATES consumed a volume of soft drinks equal to almost 200 bottles per person. Presently, this rate of per-capita consumption is even higher, a pattern of growth which has characterized the soft-drink industry almost without interruption since its beginnings. Last year, carbonated beverage manufacturers sold 1,500,000,000 cases, each of 24 bottles, for $1,500,000,000. With allowable variances of high and low periods, despite wars, recessions, inflations and depressions, the industry has grown steadily and continuously for over 100 years-at a rate averaging out to about five percent each year. And all this may be said to have begun with man's search for pure water. Prior to 1800, pure water was regarded as the only refreshing liquid. For centuries, the search for pure water-with no disease and death-carrying germs-was a constant quest, often determining the moving and settling of whole tribes and nations. About 1800, artificially carbonated waters were advertised and sold in England. Though not conclusive, evidence indicates that the addition of flavors, such as fruit juices, ginger ale, or vanilla extracts, to artificially carbonated water, was an American innovation, first compounded and dispensed for immediate consumption -the beginning of the fountain drink. Later, the successful bottling of waters of the famous Saratoga Springs in New York, previously available only at the Springs, led to experiments with the bottling of flavored drinks in the United States. The earliest available records show the appearance of carbonated beverage bottling establishments in the United States about 1835. It did not take long for the industry to be officially noted by the U. S. Census. In 1850, 64 non-alcoholic beverage bottling organizations were reported. Aggregate production for the year was valued at $760,000, and total capital at $228,650. By 1875, 512 bottling plants were making products valued at $4,740,000, a figure exceeded today by many individual plants. In the Nineteenth Century touring medicine-man shows criss-crossed the nation, offering entertainment and selling cure-all concoctions that promised to cure almost everything; many of the present-day patent medicines got their start during this era. In 1880, with no real market for any refreshment, except pure water, the soft drink industry got its initial foothold through the already established patent medicine field. Jamaica ginger, herbs and roots, the coca leaf, cola nut and citric acids-already in use in patent medicines-were blended with pure carbonated water and sugar, and sold oftentimes for both their refreshing and their therapeutic values. Thus, a new industry was born, featuring cure-alls containing magic ingredients, advertised as delicious. This was the prevailing atmosphere into which PepsiCola made its entrance at the turn of the century in New Bern, North Carolina-and, of course, at the soda fountain. Many other drinks featuring the flavoring of extract of cola nut also came into being in this period of 50 to 75 years ago. For instance, Coca-Cola was first sold in Georgia in 1886.

The soft drink market and industry are gaining importance due to growing awareness, rapid urbanization and changing lifestyles. This study aims to assess the consumer preference for soft drinks, analyse the factors influencing consumer buying behaviour and to identify the key constraints faced by consumers in purchasing soft drinks. The study considered key variables such as taste, price, health benefit, digestion, refreshment, convenience, flavour variety, brand image, packaging, size option, size option, lifestyle, consumption occasion, friend circle, peerinfluence and social media. These variables are selected for the study because they cover all the aspects, such as core sensory, brand influence, cultural and social interaction attributes. The research employs primary data collected through a well-structured questionnaire and secondary data from credible industry sources. The collected data were subjected to percentage analysis, factor analysis and the Garrett ranking techniques. Factor analysis extracted three major components that influenced buying behaviour, explaining a cumulative variance of 53.68 %. These included the essential satisfaction factor (23.59 %) comprising taste, price, health benefits, digestion, convenience, refreshment and flavour variety; the brand influence factor (17.91 %) including brand image, packaging, lifestyle, size option and consumption occasion; and the social interaction factor (12.19 %) involving peer influence, social media and friend circle. Garrett’s ranking technique revealed that the primary constraint faced by consumers are unhealthy (Garrett mean score: 69.68), followed by price sensitivity (59.45) and diet consciousness (56.60). The results show that consumers prefer a particular type of soft drink, with components like essential satisfaction and brand influence factors influencing the purchase decision more, major constraints like healthier options and price hinder the buyingbehaviour of consumers towards soft drinks. The study recommends that soft drink manufacturers and marketers prioritize health-based product innovation, competitive pricing and lifestyle-aligned branding strategies to meet the evolving preferences of urban consumers.