Review Reports

Round 1

Reviewer 1 Report

Comments and Suggestions for Authors

This paper has a very interesting idea. However, I have some suggestions for improving the quality of this paper before publication.

1. Authors should distinguish between introduction and literature review. Readers may need clear research questions and theoretical and practical implications in the introduction. In addition, the authors should present the structure of the paper at the end of the introduction.

2. Many literature reviews have been cited and tried to be linked to this paper, especially those related to supply chain elasticity in the introduction. However, could the authors add articles with the title supply chain elasticity? As I only found 1-2 references regarding it. Furthermore, how did the authors define the meaning related to supply chain elasticity and other derived terms? Are there any references used that have not been cited?

3. The model has been very well built and structured. Unfortunately, in the experimental part, I do not understand how the authors calculated and obtained the values for "Range of Shear Elastic Strain and Tensile Elastic Strain". Could the authors provide an example of the calculation? It is recommended that authors also present examples of input data to be calculated either in this paper or as supporting material.

4. Naming categories based on the magnitude of their shear elastic strain values and tensile elastic strain should use ordinal terms, such as low, moderate, and high.

5. Discussion should be presented before the conclusion. The discussion should also be deepened, for example the authors can link the experimental results of each supply chain elasticity classification with country characteristics, macro-economic conditions, or others.

This paper has a significant contribution considering the large number of supply chain design papers involving elasticity values. Therefore, I hope that authors can improve their papers comprehensively before publication.

Comments on the Quality of English Language

Minor editing of English language required

Author Response

Thank you very much for the reviewer's suggestions, which are very helpful in improving the quality of the paper.
Yang ZH

Author Response File: Author Response.docx

Reviewer 2 Report

Comments and Suggestions for Authors

The paper introduces the concepts of shear elastic strain (ε−) and tensile elastic strain (ε+), aiming to explore new avenues in the field of supply chain elasticity. 

The application of the derived formulas to assess the supply chain elasticity of agricultural commodities provides practical relevance to the research. The results indicate that the metrics of supply chain elastic strain can serve as direct measures of the supply chain's anti-interference capability, safety, and stability. This empirical validation strengthens the paper's contributions and highlights the potential utility of the proposed metrics in real-world supply chain management scenarios.

Points to be improved:

The authors must reorganize the text of the introduction: it is written in a single paragraph, as well as Section 2.  Authors must highlight, with more details, the objectives and contributions of the study.

The paper lacks clarity in explaining the concepts of shear elastic strain and tensile elastic strain, especially in the context of supply chains. Providing more intuitive explanations and examples would enhance the understanding of these concepts, especially for readers who may not have a background in material science.

Discussion of Limitations: The paper does not adequately discuss the limitations of the proposed approach. Addressing potential challenges or constraints associated with measuring supply chain elasticity using elastic strain metrics would provide a more balanced perspective on the applicability of the proposed framework.

Author Response

Thank you very much for the reviewer's suggestions, which are very helpful in improving the quality of the paper.
Yang ZH

Author Response File: Author Response.docx

Round 2

Reviewer 2 Report

Comments and Suggestions for Authors

In the new version of the paper, the authors have reorganized the text, distinguishing the introduction from the literature review.

Also, they have reformulated the concepts and meanings, specially of "shear strain in supply chain elasticity" and "tensile strain in supply chain elasticity"

Therefore, the reviewers' recommendations were promptly addressed.