Search Results (47)

Considering the continuous diversity of the supply chain and the increasing risks involved, small and medium enterprises are overly concerned about managing related risks because these firms hardly have the capacity to bear major shocks. Furthermore, considering the resource scarcity of these firms, the moderating roles of entrepreneurial networking, and the current pace of change in technology, the moderating effect of technological turbulence has also been added to the research. Quantitative methods have been applied in this research. The data have been collected using adapted questionnaires from prior studies. A purposive sampling technique has been applied to collect the data. A sample of 99 small and medium enterprises was chosen, and their owners and managers were chosen as representatives. The framework has been evaluated using Structural equation modelling with the help of SMART PLS-3. The findings drawn from the analysis of the empirical data confirmed that supply chain risk management holds a significant impact on product innovation performance and sustainability in SMEs. Additionally, entrepreneurial networking and technological turbulence both hold a significant direct impact on product innovation performance and sustainability as well. Moreover, entrepreneurial networking and technological turbulence hold a significant moderating effect on the relationship between supply chain risk management and product innovation performance. Full article

The Critical Raw Materials Act (CRMA), enacted by the European Union (EU) in May 2024, represents a strategic framework that aims to address the growing demand for critical raw materials (CRMs) and reduce dependency on non-EU sources. The present study explores the potential of CRMs recovery from granite extractive waste (EW) at a granite quarry in Buddusò (Sardinia, Italy). A significant quantity of granite EW, stored in piles within designated disposal areas at the quarry under study, is estimated in terms of mass and volume using GISs and digital elevation models (DEMs). Analysis performed using a scanning electron microscope attached to an energy-dispersive spectrometer (SEM-EDS) reveals the presence of allanite, a rare-earth-bearing mineral with substantial light rare-earth elements (LREEs), which can potentially be exploited for LREEs recovery. A combined working process including gravity and magnetic separations yields CRMs-enriched fractions with concentrations of REEs, Sc, and Ga, reaching levels of potential economic interest for different industrial applications. Despite promising concentrations, limited knowledge of allanite processing represents significant challenges for CRMs recovery from this waste. Therefore, the present study was conducted to assess the efficiency of these gravity and magnetic separation methods in order to concentrate CRMs from granite EW. Economic evaluations, including potential market value estimates, suggest that CRMs recovery from granite EW can be very profitable under optimized processing conditions. Expanding studies to other quarries in the region can provide valuable insights into the feasibility of establishing a recycling hub, offering a sustainable supply chain solution for CRMs within the EU’s strategic framework. Full article

Bearings, as an indispensable part of modern industry, and the related supply chain resilience in regard to maintaining the overall operational efficiency and competitiveness of the manufacturing industry, are highly significant. Integrating the triangular fuzzy number (TRFN), cross-influence analysis (CIA), and the adversarial interpretive structure model (AISM), this paper proposes a TCIA-AISM scenario model to analyze the resilience of the bearing supply chain. A hierarchical structure diagram is formed to clarify the transmission path of events that affect bearing supply chain resilience, identify the root cause and direct events that affect the results, and realize the visual analysis of such events. The probability of the outcome is predicted and the simulation of the scenario development trajectory provides a scientific basis for decision-makers to formulate reasonable emergency strategies. The validity of the method is verified by using an interruption event involving the G-enterprise case study as an example. Full article

The “Belt and Road Initiative” (BRI) drives international trade more and more frequently, making exchange rates and taxes unavoidable issues for multi-national companies. Thus, exchange risk uncertainty and tax saving planning should be considered in the operational decisions of a multi-national supply chain. This paper constructs a Stackelberg game model with four composite modes to explore the risk-taking and hedging strategy of retailers with reference-dependent psychology. The results show that: (1) exchange rate risk is transmitted through all subjects under the cost-plus transfer pricing strategy, while it is transmitted only between headquarters and retailers under the resale-price transfer pricing strategy. (2) No matter which subject bears the exchange rate risk, the motivation is stronger under the resale-price transfer pricing strategy. (3) The effect of futures hedging exchange rate risk is influenced by retailer reference-dependent psychology. When the reference dependence coefficient is low, and the risk of positive exchange rate fluctuations is too high, the retailer chooses to hedge its exchange rate risk. At this time, the transfer pricing strategy should shift to cost-plus, and the exchange rate fluctuation range that each entity can afford is larger than before hedging. Full article

This study aims to detect faults in wheelset bearings by analyzing vibration-sound fusion data, proposing a novel method based on Grey Wolf Optimizer (GWO) and Support Vector Machine (SVM). Wheelset bearings play a vital role in transportation. However, malfunctions in the bearing might result in extensive periods of inactivity and maintenance, disrupting supply chains, increasing operational costs, and causing delays that affect both businesses and consumers. Fast fault identification is crucial for minimizing maintenance expenses. In this paper, we proposed a new integration of GWO for optimizing SVM hyperparameters, specifically tailored for handling sound-vibration signals in fault detection. We have developed a new fault detection method that efficiently processes fusion data and performs rapid analysis and prediction within 0.0027 milliseconds per data segment, achieving a test accuracy of 98.3%. Compared to the SVM and neural network models built in MATLAB, the proposed method demonstrates superior detection performance. Overall, the GWO-SVM-based method proposed in this study shows significant advantages in fault detection of wheelset bearing vibrations, providing an efficient and reliable solution that is expected to reduce maintenance costs and improve the operational efficiency and reliability of equipment. Full article

As important nodes of the global coal supply chain, coal export terminals bear the tasks of coal storage, processing, and handling, whose efficiency and stability are of great importance with the growing coal shipping market in recent years. However, poor working conditions of the handling equipment in the coal export terminal, together with its relatively fixed layout and poor flexibility, allow frequent equipment failures to seriously affect the ship-loading operations. To solve the problem, this paper constructs a scheduling optimization model for ship-loading operation systems considering equipment maintenance and proposes an opportunity-maintenance-based two-layer algorithm to solve the model. The upper layer aims to optimize the scheduling scheme of the ship-loading operation system under a certain maintenance plan. The lower layer of the algorithm, an opportunity-maintenance-based “equipment-level–flow-level” maintenance optimization method, determines the best equipment maintenance plan. A coal export terminal in China is employed as the case study to verify the effectiveness of the proposed method. The results show that the proposed method can reduce the average dwell time of ships at the terminal by 15.8% and save total scheduling and maintenance costs by 10.3%. This paper shows how to make full use of equipment failure historical data and integrate equipment maintenance schemes into the scheduling problem of the ship-loading operation system, which can effectively reduce the impact of equipment failures on ship-loading operations and provide decision support for coal export terminal management. Full article

Supply chain green technology collaborative innovation is an important means for enterprises to improve the greenness of their products. This paper takes supply chain green technology innovation collaboration as the research object and constructs a stochastic differential game model, which not only provides reference for enterprises to choose the optimal type of technology innovation by combining with their own characteristics, but also provides a reference for their innovation decision-making in different market competition environments. The study shows the following: (1) in green product innovation, the formation of the cost-sharing contract is less affected by the intensity of competition in the green market when the market preference for greenness is relatively low. Therefore, government subsidies become an important tool to effectively guide the market mechanism to achieve the desired goal. As market competition intensifies, manufacturers’ incentives to suppliers will shift from reducing costs to increasing demand. (2) In green process innovation, when the intensity of green competition is low and suppliers’ process innovation efficiency is high, manufacturers should bear more costs; when the market preference for greenness is low, the market competition is intense, and the suppliers’ process innovation efficiency is low, the suppliers should bear more costs to help the manufacturers gain more market shares. (3) When retailers’ preference for greenness is relatively low, the government subsidy becomes an important tool to effectively guide the market mechanism to achieve the desired goal. (4) When the retailer’s green promotion performance is higher than the manufacturer’s, the manufacturer should bear more green promotion costs; conversely, the retailer should bear more green promotion costs. (5) Over time, the marginal increase in price over the marginal increase in greenness helps stabilise price volatility, considering consumer preferences. Conversely, it helps to increase the average value of prices. Full article

In the supply chain management of electronic products, asymmetric cost information is a prevalent issue that can lead manufacturer to misreport costs, thereby exacerbating supply chain imbalances. This study focuses on the electronic product supply chain with an extended warranty service, where the manufacturer bears the after-sales responsibility during the extended warranty period. It explores the decision-making (DM) issues within the supply chain under different information environments and power structures. The Stackelberg game theory is employed to solve and analyze these models, and the main findings are as follows: (1) When supply chain information is symmetrical, centralized DM is the best choice. However, in cases where the supply chain adopts decentralized DM, it is more beneficial for the retailer and the supply chain if the retailer assumes the role of DM leader. Additionally, when the retail price sensitivity coefficient is low, the manufacturer will compete with the retailer for DM priority. Conversely, when the retail price sensitivity coefficient is higher, the manufacturer is better off as a follower in DM; (2) When the supply chain information is asymmetric, the manufacturer may engage in misreporting, which benefits the manufacturer but is detrimental to both the supply chain and the retailer. Moreover, if the price sensitivity coefficient is low, the manufacturer should lead the supply chain DM. Otherwise, the retailer should take the lead in supply chain DM. Adopting such a flexible strategy will prove advantageous for all parties involved in the supply chain. (3) The strategy of “reducing the retail price and increasing the extended warranty price” is a favorable strategy for the supply chain. Full article

Preservation of perishable food produce is a major concern in the cold chain supply system. Development of an energy-efficient on-farm cold storage facility, hence, becomes essential. Integration of thermal storage into a vapor compression refrigeration (VCR)-driven cold room is a promising technology that can reduce power consumption and act as a thermal backup. However, designing a latent heat energy storage heat exchanger encounters challenges, such as low thermal conductivity of phase change materials (PCMs) and poor heat exchanger efficiencies, leading to ineffective charging–discharging cycles. The current study investigates the effect of the integration of a Phase Change Material (PCM) in terms of the selection of the PCM, the optimal positioning of the PCM heat exchanger, and the selection of heat exchanger encapsulation material. Numerical analysis was undertaken using 3D Experience software (version: 2024x.D31.R426rel.202403212040) by creating a 3D model of a 3.4 m³ micro-cold storage unit to understand the inner temperature distribution profile. Further, the experimental setup was developed, and tests were conducted, during which the energy consumption of 1.1 kWh was recorded for the total compressor run time of 1 h. Results indicated that an improved cooling effect was achieved by positioning the PCM trays on the wall opposite the evaporator. It is seen that a temperature difference in the range of 5 to 7 °C exists between the phase change temperature of PCM and the optimal storage temperature depending on the encapsulation material. Hence, PCM selection for thermal storage applications would have an important bearing on the material and configuration of the PCM encapsulation. Full article

To reduce the losses caused by insufficient preservation efforts during transportation, the preservation effort level has been the focus of research. In the fierce competition of online sales, it is particularly important to reduce the cost of damaged goods by improving the level of preservation efforts. Therefore, according to Stackelberg game theory, this article establishes five decision-making models and incorporates the damage rate and preservation effort level into the research. Finally, this article coordinates the online shipping supply chain (SC) through a joint contract. After comparing and analyzing the model results, research has found that: (1) in centralized model, the level of preservation effort reaches its optimal level and the system benefit is maximized; (2) under third-party logistics (TPL) leading decision-making, the different bearers of cargo damage costs will not affect the profits of both parties and the system; (3) among the four decentralized models, the level of preservation efforts and system profit are highest when the decision is led by online store and TPL bears the cost of damaged goods; and (4) under a given sharing ratio, when the logistics service quotation satisfies a certain range of condition, the online shopping SC can achieve Pareto improvement. This paper studies the differences and reasons for decision models in the supply and demand relationship between online stores and TPL, which provides fresh product e-commerce decision-makers with a theoretical basis. Full article

As economic fluctuations and market uncertainty intensify, supply chain members face enormous challenges. To explore the role of revenue-sharing contracts in supply chain members with different risk preferences, we study the risk-averse two-stage supply chain coordination in a revenue-sharing contract under three different scenarios: the supplier is risk-averse and the retailer is risk-neutral, or the retailer is risk-averse and the supplier is risk-neutral, or both are risk-averse. We find that the revenue-sharing contract mechanism allows the supplier to offer a lower wholesale price, effectively bearing part of the retailer’s cost risk. In return, the retailer compensates the supplier with a larger portion of their revenue, and the lower wholesale price also stimulates the retailer’s desire to order more products. In addition, risk aversion always reduces the optimal order quantity in the supply chain. Interestingly, when the retailer’s risk aversion level is low, the supplier charges a higher wholesale price under the risk-averse supply chain than that under the risk-neutral supply chain. However, if the retailer’s risk aversion level is high enough, the supplier should charge a lower price to stimulate the retailer under the risk-averse supply chain to retain the order size to maintain the channel profit. Full article

Blockchain technology has been adopted to improve traceability and authenticity in wine supply chains (WSCs). However, whether through outsourcing or self-implementation of a blockchain-based wine traceability system (BTS), there are significant costs involved, as well as concerns regarding consumer privacy. Motivated by observations of real-world practice, we explore the value of blockchain in enhancing traceability and authenticity in WSCs through a Stackelberg game-theoretical analysis. By comparing the equilibrium solutions of the scenarios with and without blockchain, we uncover the value of blockchain in tracing wine products. Our findings show that blockchain adoption can increase WSC prices under certain conditions. We derive the threshold for a third-party BTS service fee that determines blockchain adoption for tracing wine products and reveal the moderating effect of consumer traceability preferences and privacy concerns. Furthermore, the investigation of who should lead the implementation of BTS finds that the equal cost sharing between the manufacturer and the retailer results in no difference in BTS implementation leadership. Otherwise, the manufacturer always benefits from taking the lead in the implementation of BTS, and the retailer should undertake a leadership role in BTS implementation if they need to bear higher costs. Full article

Maritime transportation plays a critical role for many Arab countries and their food security and has evolved into a complex system that involves a plethora of supply chain stakeholders spread around the globe. This inherent complexity brings huge security challenges, including cargo loss and high burdens in cargo document inspection. The emerging blockchain technology provides a promising tool to build a unified maritime cargo tracking system critical for cargo security. This is because blockchains are a tamper-proof distributed ledger technology that can store and track data in a secure and transparent manner. Using the State of Qatar as a case study, this research introduces the Global Maritime Ledger (GM-Ledger), which will aid authorities in verifying, signing and transacting food certificates in an efficient manner. The methodology of this research includes reviewing past publications, identifying the requirements of various players in the Qatari food import–export industry and then creating a smart contract framework that will efficiently manage the work with necessary human intervention as and when required. The result of this work is the formation of a solid framework that can be employed in future works. This work realized that employing web3 solutions for the food import sector is highly viable and that with the right social, economic and policy reforms, it is possible to transform the entire food system to bear healthy transparency and power balance in global supply chains. In conclusion, this study argues that BCT has the ability to assist the government and other players to minimize fraud and maximize food supply chain stakeholder participation. Full article

Serbia is a significant producer of tobacco in Europe and the only country in Europe where tobacco production is growing. Due to privatization, some of the most important multinational companies are now producing tobacco products in Serbia. Bearing in mind the liberalization of the market and the harmful effect tobacco products have on health, this research tried to analyze the tobacco and tobacco products sector in Serbia. The study’s main goal was to analyze the characteristics of the tobacco and tobacco supply chain in Serbia and determine comparative advantages and levels of integration with the world market. The methodology used in this study included the index of concentration of tobacco manufacturers, followed by a panel regression analysis to determine factors that affected profitability in this industry. Also, foreign trade performances were analyzed using the indices of revealed comparative advantages and integration. The research was conducted for the period from 2013 to the last available year. The results indicate the growth of tobacco production despite the decline in the number of farms, the highly concentrated production of tobacco products, and the significant intensification of foreign trade despite modest comparative advantages. Full article

This article focuses on the return problem of electronic products caused by the low level of quality control in the production process. Based on previous research, a centralized decision model (DM) and four kinds of decentralized DMs are constructed according to the differences in the supply chain decision order and the return loss bearers. Moreover, the impact of quality control on the return rate and market demand is also considered in the model research to achieve the optimization of the model. Using Stackelberg game knowledge to compare and analyze supply chain decisions, profits and influencing factors in different models, the final conclusions are drawn: (1) the decision is optimal and the profit is the highest in the centralized DM; (2) when the manufacturer dominates the supply chain decision, the difference in return loss bearers does not affect the supply chain decision and profit; (3) compared with other decentralized DMs, when the retailer dominates the supply chain decision and the manufacturer bears the return loss, the supply chain decision is better and the profit is higher; (4) the quality control level and the total profit in the five supply chain models are proportional to the quality control effect and the consumer perception of quality control. In addition, this paper introduces a joint contract to coordinate the supply chain under the decentralized DM and achieves the desired results. Finally, the relevant research findings and the validity of the contract are verified in the arithmetic analysis. Full article