The Role of Cloud Computing in Global Supply Chain

Agriculture, food and global value chains: issues, methods and challenges

Contents: Introduction, James Wang, Daniel Olivier, Theo Notteboom and Brian Slack. Part 1 Conceptualization of Port-Cities and Global Supply Chains: Supply chain and supply chain management: appropriate concepts for maritime studies, Valentina Carbone and Elisabeth Gouvernal Global supply chain integration and competitiveness of port terminals, Photis M. Panayides The terminalisation of seaports, Brian Slack Re-assessing port-hinterland relationships in the context of global supply chains, Theo Notteboom and Jean-Paul Rodrigue. Part 2 Shipping Networks and Port Development: The development of global container transhipment terminals, Alfred J. Baird Mediterranean ports in the global network: how to make the hub and spoke paradigm sustainable?, Enrico Musso and Francesco Parola Northern European range: shipping line concentration and port hierarchy, Antoine Fremont and Martin Soppe Factors influencing the landward movement of containers: the cases of Halifax and Vancouver, Robert J. McCalla. Part 3 Inserting Port-Cities into Global Supply Chains: Globalization and the port-urban interface: conflicts and opportunities, Yehuda Hayuth A metageography of port-city relationships, Cesar Ducruet Chinese port-cities in the global supply chains, James Wang and Daniel Olivier The economic performance of seaport regions, Peter W. De Langen. Part 4 Corporate Perspectives on the Insertion of Ports in Global Supply Chains: The success of Asian container port operators: the role of information technology, Daniel Olivier and Francesco Parola Which link in which chain? Inserting Durban into global automotive supply chains, Peter V. Hall and Glen Robbins Sustainable development and corporate strategies of the maritime industry, Claude Comtois and Brian Slack References Index.

In the network era, the concept of supply chain management is a customer-centric. Through the analysis of the customer's actual needs and the prediction of the customers' future needs to pull the products and services. Based on such idea, many new modern supply chain management strategies constantly produced. Such as rapid response strategy, electronic ordering system and enterprise network-based supply chain system and so on. In the overall structure of the supply chain management, distribution, warehousing, transportation and other areas all have developed very well. But the supply chain management is still facing great difficulties. Although there are some difficulties in the technical and financial resources support the implementation of supply chain management. But the organization, trade partnerships, logistics costs and information-sharing and other issues will be the implementation of supply chain management. The demand has become increasingly evident in the optimization of the modern supply chain management for the virtual structure of the supply chain business contact. Through the cloud computing technology the efficiency of communications between supply chain enterprises can be maximized. The cloud computing can enhance the degree of information sharing in supply chain management.

This article examines the theoretical issues and reasons for the emergence of the concept of supply chain management. The essence and definition of supply chains are disclosed. It is indicated that supply chain management determines the strategy and measures concerning planning, search, production and delivery of goods, logistics is only a part of the supply chain, which focuses on the fact that the right products are in the right place and at the right time. The purpose of the research is to study the principles of supply chain management in modern enterprise logistics, the advantages of this approach and methods to improve it, to show the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on supply chain management and actions taken by enterprises in the new environment. Five main elements of supply chain management (planning, delivery, manufacturing, delivery, return), without which it is impossible to optimize the work of enterprises, are identified. It has been determined that the effective organization of supply chain management is an important direction of increasing the competitiveness and profitability of enterprises. The main advantages of this management approach and assessment methods (financial, non-financial and quantitative parameters) are specified. The concept of responsible supply chain management, the importance of using this approach by enterprises to support the acquired image in modern conditions of existence are defined. Conditions are presented due to which companies can create a responsibly organized supply chain. The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on logistics supply and the actions taken by enterprises in the new operating environment are described: improving the flexibility of supply chain strategy, digitalization of the supply chain, building reliable partnerships of supply chain participants. Keywords: logistics, enterprise, supply chain, effective supply chain management, responsible supply chain management.

Chapter 6 introduces concepts of global business process, business process design, business process reengineering, and business process management, to present a process-based view of global operation strategy and to introduce the primary processes of global operation strategy. First, we discuss global supply chain strategy, including its concepts, global sourcing strategy, global internal supply chain strategy, global distribution strategy, global supply chain coordination, global supply chain strategic alliances, and global sustainable supply chain strategy. Second, we introduce concepts of global revenue management strategy, present its globally evolving process, and discuss strategies for global revenue management. Third, we discuss global technology strategy, including its concepts, global product development strategy, R&D internationalization modes, global R&D coordination and communication, global R&D sourcing strategy, and technology strategies for global sustainable operations. Finally, we discuss global risk management strategy, including its concepts, basic operational strategies, basic approaches and the operational risk management framework. In this chapter, we use case examples including Etam Distribution Center, Global Supply Chain of H&M, SkyTeam Alliance, Microsoft Research Worldwide, Mattel’s Global Risks and Supply Chains, and a case Tiffany to illustrate process-based fundamentals.KeywordsSupply ChainBusiness Process ManagementGlobal Supply ChainRevenue ManagementBullwhip EffectThese keywords were added by machine and not by the authors. This process is experimental and the keywords may be updated as the learning algorithm improves.

Forecasting disruptions in global food value chains to tackle food insecurity: The role of AI and big data analytics – A bibliometric and scientometric analysis

The demand for international logistics service providers has been increasing due to the reduction of international trade restrictions, improvement of trade integration, and free trade areas that cause global competition. The business has been competing for taking advantage of the opportunities to offer goods or services that respond to the needs of consumers with the best offerings under the limitation of the organization’s time and expense. However, some of them still fail to control cost, resources, and a slow adaptation to the changes of business environments. The revolution has forced the organization to increase capability to manage both internal and external expectations together to accomplish the organization. Therefore, service providers need to have good practices in every process and procedure, from upstream to downstream, where products and services are delivered to consumers. On the other hand, the service providers hold a crucial role in ensuring high-quality service offerings throughout the supply chain. This paper aims to explore the role of logistics service providers (LSPs) to support competitive advantage in the global supply chain. It also conceptualizes the LSP and competitive advantage relationship based on theory and concept of competitive advantage and supply chain management through literature reviews, secondary sources information from books, research papers, published documents, and online databases. The descriptive method is used to obtain the final results. The findings indicated that the relationship between the firm’s capabilities and competitive advantage based on theoretical perspectives is relatively recognized. Therefore, the logistics providers need to develop strategies and the capability to provide a high quality of service such as logistics competencies and innovation abilities. The Information Technology (IT) skills are essential to strengthen organizational resources and perform highly satisfying services in every part of the supply chain to maintain global competitiveness.

Amidst the renewed quest for supply chain resiliency, finance outgrows its traditional role in B2B; instead, finance position itself to become a more integrated partner in supply chain management activities. Areas such as global trade management and supply chain risk management are fluid areas for finance to flourish, coupled with increasing demands for finance to take a more active role in supply chain management. The global supply chain has experienced several disruptions, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, extreme climate change-induced events, natural disasters, conflict, financial crises, recessions, shortages of raw materials for manufacturing, and macroeconomic imbalances; however, futuristic disruptions are already projected by several stakeholders in the logistics and transport sector. Hence, companies must concentrate on building their resilience to all manner of supply chain disruptions. The initial motive of firm management to increase leverage and engage in financial goods is diminished when the economic dilemma of supply chain value is resolved; by so doing, the internal financial situations could facilitate the advancement of enterprise value. Keywords: supply chain, financial service innovations, distribution dimension, COVID-19 DOI: 10.7176/EJBM/15-7-01 Publication date: April 30 th 2023

The goal of this paper is twofold: to comparatively analyze the social performance of global and local berry supply chains and to explore the ways in which the social dimension is embedded in the overall performance of food supply chains. To achieve this goal, the social performance of five global and local food supply chains in two countries are analyzed: wild blueberry supply chains in Latvia and cultivated raspberry supply chains in Serbia. The study addresses two research questions: (1) What is the social performance of the local and global supply chains? (2) How can references to context help improve understanding of the social dimension and social performance of food supply chains? To answer these questions, two interlinked thematic sets of indicators (attributes) are used—one describing labor relations and the other describing power relations. These lists are then contextualized by examining the micro-stories of the actors involved in these supply chains. An analysis of the chosen attributes reveals that global chains perform better than local chains. However, a context-sensitive analysis from the perspective of embedded markets and communities suggests that the social performance of food chains is highly context-dependent, relational, and affected by actors’ abilities to negotiate values, norms, and the rules embedded within these chains, both global and local. The results illustrate that the empowerment of the chains’ weakest actors can lead to a redefining of the meanings that performance assessments rely on.

The world of logistics has also changed considerably thanks to globalization. The most important term of logistics is the supply chain (SC). With the advent of globalization, managing SC activities has become more complex. Supply chain management (SCM) is an integral part of most businesses and is essential to company success and customer satisfaction. Supply chains (SCs) represents the paths between suppliers and buyers (customers or consumers). The role of (SCs) is to ensure a product from inception all the way into a consumer´s hands. Marketing plays an increasingly important role in the process; it balances procurement by providing essential demand information and building the relationships that help improve the efficiency of SC operations. In order to reach as many markets as possible, these products must cross international borders. Without SCs, the products that suppliers produce would not efficiently get out into the world markets therefore are vital for markets all over the world. The aims of the paper are following: to define the concept of SC and SCM, to list what advantages arising from participation in global supply chain and finally, to refer the mistakes made by companies operating in international markets in SCM.

This study clarifies the impact of global supply chain risks on global logistics companies, with a focus on the potential implications for sustainable supply chain management. The study employs the vector auto-regression model to examine the relationship between the Global Supply Chain Pressure Index (GSCPI) and the stock prices of global logistics companies, yielding the following results. First, the GSCPI does not have a statistically significant effect on most global logistics firms, except for shipping companies, which tend to be negatively impacted by supply chain disruptions. The t-statistics of the GSCPI on air cargo, integrated logistics, and pipeline companies were below the threshold of 1.291, corresponding to a 90% confidence level, which indicates that these results were not statistically significant. Therefore, logistics companies should prioritize the development of resilient and sustainable supply chain strategies incorporating alternative energy sources, such as liquefied hydrogen, ammonia, green methanol, and liquefied natural gas, to enhance their ability to respond to unexpected situations. Second, contrary to other logistics sectors, shipping enterprises have been positively impacted by the GSCPI, suggesting that they may find new opportunities during periods of global instability. By adopting eco-friendly fuel alternatives and green technologies, shipping companies can capitalize on these opportunities and contribute to the global transition toward sustainable logistics practices. These findings suggest that global logistics companies, including pipeline, air cargo, and integrated logistics companies, should develop resilient global supply chain management strategies that incorporate supply chain platforms, nearshoring, and import diversification. This study offers important implications for entrepreneurs and policymakers, emphasizing the role of sustainable energy solutions in stabilizing global supply chains.

Global value chain (GVC) analysis and supply chain management (SCM) research have been following parallel paths of development. However, they share the same premises: the fragmented and global nature of production chains and the importance of interaction across actors for innovation and competitiveness. While GVC analysis follows a more holistic and global approach, SCM provides a more nuanced view on company strategies and the processes that ultimately shape governance and upgrading in GVCs. Consequently, this chapter first establishes the common ground between the two disciplines and then presents how selected concepts from these different branches of literature can be combined, with a special focus on how to better understand the concept of upgrading. The chapter ends with a discussion of potential areas of joint investigation for SCM and GVC scholars, including the impact of new technologies and platforms, the dynamics of reshoring and relocation, and the evaluation of risks in complex and multi-country supply chains.

PurposeThis paper aims to review the concept of supply chain management. The typical problems facing with textile and apparel supply chain are short product cycle for fashion articles, long production lead‐time and forecasting errors for fashion items. The Hong Kong textile and apparel supply chain faces additional problems of distance from customers in the US and European markets, long production lead‐times and minimum batch sizes for production, and, recently, elimination of quota restriction in the US market, all of which force them to improve efficiency and enhance competitiveness through supply chain management. Seeks also to provide a selective bibliography for industrial practitioners with sources which can help them develop their supply chain strategies for the fashion market in Hong Kong.Design/methodology/approachA range of recent published (1993‐2005) works, which aim to provide practical advice are critiqued to aid the individual practitioner to manage its supply chain strategies in Hong Kong. These sources are sorted into sections: supply chain management in Hong Kong, textile and apparel supply chain management in Hong Kong, and problems faced by small and medium‐sized enterprises for textile and apparel supply chain.FindingsThe differentiation of product demands into functional and innovative products helps the supply chain company to employ different supply chain strategies for different products, namely responsive supply chain strategy for innovative products and efficiency supply chain strategy for functional products. These two supply chain strategies are focused on the downstream supply chain aiming at shortening the time to research the market and also to reduce the stock levels in the retailing industry.Research limitations/implicationsThis is not an exhaustive list and cases are mainly from the Hong Kong textile and apparel industry, which perhaps limits its usefulness elsewhere.Practical implicationsA very useful source of information and impartial advice for industrial practitioners to develop their own supply chain strategies for the fashion market in Hong Kong. Especially recently with the elimination of quota to the US market, the management of the supply chain is critical.Originality/valueThis paper fulfils an identified information/resources need and offers practical help to industrial practitioners on then supply chain management for the Hong Kong textile and apparel industry.

As global supply chains become increasingly complex, traditional systems face challenges in ensuring efficiency, transparency, and innovation. Block chain technology has emerged as a transformative force in addressing these issues, offering a decentralized and secure framework for supply chain management. This paper presents a comprehensive review of the impact of block chain on supply chains, focusing on its potential to enhance efficiency, transparency, and foster innovation. The efficiency gains facilitated by block chain in supply chain management are examined through the elimination of intermediaries, reduction of paperwork, and real-time visibility into the entire process. These improvements result in streamlined operations, reduced costs, and enhanced responsiveness to market dynamics. Moreover, block chain’s decentralized nature ensures data integrity, mitigating the risk of fraud and errors in the supply chain. Transparency is a critical aspect of modern supply chains, and block chain provides an immutable and transparent ledger that enables end-to-end visibility. The technology ensures traceability and accountability, allowing stakeholders to access real-time information about the origin, movement, and status of products. This transparency not only enhances trust among supply chain participants but also facilitates compliance with regulatory requirements. The role of block chain in fostering innovation within supply chains is explored, emphasizing its potential to enable new business models, collaborative ecosystems, and the integration of emerging technologies such as the Internet of Things (IoT) and Artificial Intelligence (AI). The paper highlights case studies and pilot projects where block chain has been successfully applied to drive innovation in supply chain processes. Challenges and considerations related to the implementation of block chain in supply chain management are also discussed, including interoperability, scalability, and regulatory issues. The paper concludes by outlining future research directions and emphasizing the need for industry-wide collaboration to unlock the full potential of block chain in revolutionizing supply chain management. Overall, this review contributes to the understanding of how block chain can serve as a catalyst for efficiency, transparency, and innovation in contemporary supply chains

Modern dietary habits in communities are linked and are part of the global food supply chain. To achieve sustainable food production and consumption, communicating the impact associated with food production and dietary choices at community level to consumers is important. However, previous footprint studies have primarily focussed on food consumption at the national level and neglected community–level consumption activities. This study surveyed the diets of a small island community and linked the results with multi-region land footprint analysis in Ollei Village, Republic of Palau. The analysis was used to determine the extent to which the dietary lifestyles of communities depend on external land use through the global supply chain. We showed that the global food supply chain has reached this corner of the world, and the dietary habits of the community are already heavily dependent on processed and imported foods. The community and country are highly dependent on large land use in some major producer/exporting countries through the global food supply chain. In addition, the amount of external land used for food production exceeds the biocapacity of the agricultural land in the community and country. This study bridges the gap between community–level consumption activities and national-scale footprint analysis, and quantitatively assesses the impact of consumption activities at the community level on the global environment. The results and approach of this study could contribute to the development and implementation of vertically integrated food policies between the national and community level in Palau.