The impact of collaborative transportation management on demand disruption of manufacturing supply chains

This paper describes the impact of collaborative transportation management (CTM) on the performance of manufacturing supply chains using a multi-agent approach. Two supply chain models (with and without CTM) are proposed to show how it realises the real operational interactions between different supply chain partners under demand disruption. Simulation results of the proposed models reveal the evolution of the CTM supply chain with demand disruption. The dynamic delivery ability and order point which are caused by demand disruption in the CTM supply chain are investigated. The results indicate that CTM can significantly reduce costs and improve the flexibility of companies in handling demand disruption problems. It is suggested that CTM is an efficient mechanism to manage supply chains, especially under a demand disruption environment.     

商业信用与促销努力下垄断制造商和竞争性双寡头零售商的协调

在垄断制造商和竞争性双寡头零售商构成的两级供应链中,通过考虑零售商所做的促销努力和制造商提供的商业信用,建立两个零售商之间Nash均衡、合谋和Stackelberg均衡3种情况下的供应链分散和集中决策模型,分析供应链成员和整个渠道的绩效,得到信用期限和促销努力的最优值。在此基础上,同时考虑供应链成员的竞争与协调,通过兼顾供应链成员的个体利益和渠道整体利益,确定实现协调的契约参数与条件。最后通过数值算例对模型进行比较和验证。结果表明,所建立的协调机制既能保证供应链成员的参与,又提高了渠道的整体利益,从而实现供应链的协调。     

Product variety strategies for vertically differentiated products in a two-stage supply chain

In this paper, we study how the presence of coordination, competition and cost structures affect the product variety and pricing decisions in a two-stage supply chain. We consider vertically differentiated industries. Products reach the end customers via assembly companies positioned in the middle-tier between the producers and end customers. The assembly operations incur bill-of-materials (BOM) cost, which includes the cost of raw materials and components as well as the cost of producing, managing and synchronising supply, storage and distribution of these materials and components. We consider three coordination scenarios in the supply chain, and compare an uncoordinated supply chain with a horizontal and a vertical coordination scenario using the Nash equilibria of a multi-leader Stackelberg game between the producers and assembly companies. For exogenously given quality levels, we show that producers and assembly companies should either differentiate their product offering, or offer the high-end product only depending on the BOM cost. In addition, the uncoordinated scenario helps reduce the intensity of competition in the supply chain. For endogenous quality levels, partial product-differentiation equilibrium can emerge. Numerical experiments are performed to illustrate the impacts of BOM cost and quality levels on the equilibrium.     

Operational and environmental decisions for a two-stage supply chain under vendor managed consignment inventory partnership

Supply-chain-based organisations are nowadays facing intense pressure to abide to environmental regulatory requirements while they are striving to be responsive to customers’ needs at the least cost possible. As supply chain activities are among the top contributors to carbon emissions, several recent research works have investigated the impact of carbon regulation policies on economic and environmental supply chain performance. This paper presents integrated economic and environmental models for the one-vendor one-buyer supply chain problem under a vendor managed consignment inventory (VMCI) arrangement. Through the developed models, we study the impacts of two carbon reduction policies, namely carbon cap and carbon tax policies, on supply chain wide costs and carbon emissions. We first provide a much simpler and more compact formulation for the basic single-vendor single-buyer supply chain under VMCI agreement. We also present an environmental-based VMCI model where reduction of carbon footprint is considered as the only objective function. We then extend these two basic models to include each of the two carbon emissions reduction policies. We identify structural properties for the optimal solutions of the two hybrid economic and environmental models and propose algorithms to generate optimal solutions. The results of the computational experiments reveal that the implementation of carbon reduction policies, through carbon cap and carbon tax, may call for the adjustment of the vendor’s production and buyer’s delivery quantities to reduce carbon footprint without significantly increasing the operational costs.     

Improving the resilience of maritime supply chains: The integration of ports and inland transporters in duopoly markets

The adverse impact of the outbreak of COVID-19 has reduced ports’ operational efficiency. In addition, ports and inland logistics providers are generally independent of each other and difficult to work together, which leads to time loss. Thus, as the core player, ports can integrate with inland logistics providers to improve the efficiency and resilience of maritime supply chains. This study examines the strategic options of two competing maritime supply chains consisting of ports and inland logistics providers. We investigate the impact of cooperation between ports and inland logistics providers and government regulation on the maritime supply chain by comparing members’ optimal pricing and overall social welfare under centralized, decentralized, and hybrid scenarios. Results indicate that the hybrid scenario is an equilibrium strategy for maritime supply chain, although this strategy is not optimal for governments seeking to improve supply chain resilience and maximize social welfare. Furthermore, observations show that through government economic intervention, both seaborne supplies can be incentivized to adopt an integrated strategy, and business and society can achieve a win–win situation.     

凝汽机组高背压供热改造后的性能指标与调峰能力分析

介绍了135 MW、300 MW等级凝汽机组高背压供热改造技术,由机组改后的性能试验,得到机组高背压运行的性能指标,高背压纯凝工况下的热耗率为3 690~3 740 kJ/（kW·h）,高背压抽汽工况下的热耗率在3 690~4 060 kJ/（kW·h）之间。并分析了改造技术、冷端设计参数与运行参数对机组性能指标的影响,同样135 MW等级机组,满负荷工况下,循环水流量差3 500 t/h,凝汽器背压差15 kPa,机组额定工况下的发电功率差26.7 MW。由机组供热期调峰能力试验,确定机组高背压运行的调峰区间和调峰适应性,300 MW机组的调峰能力为65 MW,为改造前额定容量的22%;而135 MW等级机组的调峰能力为35~60 MW,为改造前额定容量的26%~44%。并分析了造成机组调峰区间变窄、调峰适应性降低的原因。     

多供应链间的Nash和Stackelberg博弈决策模型

以N条包含一个制造商和一个零售商的单链式供应链为研究对象,分别讨论了多供应链间Nash博弈和Stackelberg博弈问题,对N条供应链间博弈均衡解进行了分析和求解,证明了N条供应链博弈下均衡解的存在性和唯一性。在实例分析中,以两条供应链为例,比较了不同博弈框架下定价策略和系统利润的差异。结果表明,对于供应链1来说,链间Nash博弈时的零售商利润、制造商利润和供应链利润均大于链间Stackelberg博弈情形,也即无论从零售商、制造商还是整条供应链的角度,他们均乐于放弃作为领导者的先动优势;对于供应链2来说,情况则相反,也即无论从零售商、制造商还是整条供应链的角度,他们均乐于作为追随者发挥后动优势。     

Integrated supply chain risk management via operational methods and financial instruments

Supply chain risk management (SCRM) is an emerging field that generally lacks integrative approaches across different disciplines. This study contributes to narrowing this gap by developing an integrated approach to SCRM using operational methods and financial instruments. We study a supply chain composed of an aluminium can supplier, a brewery and a distributor. The supply chain is exposed to aluminium price fluctuation and beer demand uncertainty. A stochastic optimisation model is developed for managing operational and financial risks along the supply chain. Using this model as a base, we compare the performance of an integrated risk management model (under which operational and financial risk management decisions are made simultaneously) to a sequential model (under which the financial risk management decisions are made after the operational risk management decisions are finalised). Through simulation-based optimisation and using experimental designs and statistical analyses, we analyse the performance of the two models in minimising the expected total opportunity cost of the supply chain. We examine the supply chain performance as a function of three factors, each at three levels: risk aversion, demand variability and aluminium price volatility. We find that the integrated model outperforms the sequential model in most but not in all cases. Furthermore, while the results indicate that the supply chain improves its performance by being less risk averse, there exists a threshold beyond which accepting a higher risk level is not justified. Managerial insights are provided for various business scenarios experimented with.     

Vendor-managed inventory and the effect of channel power

We analyze decentralized supply chains that follow general continuous review (Q, R) inventory policies subject to vendor-managed inventory agreements where the supplier chooses the order quantity Q, and the retailer chooses the reorder point R. Within the VMI scenario, we explore the effect of divisions of channel power on supply chain and individual agent performance by examining different game theoretic models. Optimal policies and analytical results, including existence and uniqueness proofs for equilibrium solutions under VMI, are derived. Numerical results are provided to compare the effectiveness of VMI and to analyze different channel power relationships under a variety of environmental conditions. We find that VMI can result in considerable supply chain savings over traditional relationships and that the relative division of channel power can significantly effect the performance of VMI. Interestingly, we find that the greatest system benefits from VMI arise in asymmetric channel power relationships, but that individual agents lack the incentive to assume a leadership role.     

The performance impact of supply chain agility and supply chain adaptability: the moderating effect of product complexity

Even though research has suggested that supply chain agility and supply chain adaptability are distinct capabilities, little is known about their performance effects and about the contextual conditions under which they are effective. Based on a sample of 143 German firms, we empirically investigate the effects of supply chain agility and supply chain adaptability on cost performance and operational performance using hierarchical regression analysis. We ground our investigation in the dynamic capabilities view and contingency theory. We find that supply chain agility and supply chain adaptability positively affect both cost performance and operational performance. We further find evidence for a mediating role of supply chain agility in the links between supply chain adaptability and performance. Product complexity positively moderates the links between supply chain adaptability and cost performance, and supply chain adaptability and operational performance. The results contribute to the literature by offering a more nuanced understanding of the performance implications of supply chain agility and supply chain adaptability, thereby addressing the crucial question of why their benefits may or may not materialise under varying levels of product complexity.     

Information sharing and coordination mechanisms for managing uncertainty in supply chains: a simulation study

The study aims to investigate the effectiveness of information sharing and coordination mechanisms in reducing uncertainty. Supply chains are constantly subject to unpredictable events that can adversely influence its ability to achieve performance objectives. This paper primarily aims at managing uncertainties originating from unexpectedly large demand spikes. The supply chain literature is full of effective supply chain uncertainty management practices. This paper reviews the different practices for improving management of uncertainty and proposes several combinations of information sharing and coordination mechanism for reducing the uncertainty in supply chains. Next, the proposed combinations are tested on the make-to-stock supply chain of a paper tissue manufacturer using an agent-based simulation approach to show how the use of different levels of information sharing and coordination can be effective in managing uncertainty under daily operations facing a huge mismatch of actual and forecast demand. The findings of this research suggest that, a centralised information structure without widespread distribution of information and coordination is not effective in managing uncertainty of supply chain networks, even with increased frequency of information flow. Similarly, coordinating material flows without widespread information sharing does not improve supply chain uncertainty management. Central coordination of material flows with supply chain wide information sharing across different members is found to be essential in managing supply chains effectively under uncertainty.     

浅论我国节水制度的问题及对策

本文在科学界定“水资源”概念内涵和外延基础上,提出建立政府宏观调控、市场为基础、社会公众积极参与良性互动的节水管理综合治理模式,并加快梳理和更新标龄在10年以上的节水标准,同时填补工业节水、农业节水和生活节水标准中的空白点。     

物流服务供应链质量监控行为博弈分析

研究了物流服务供应商和集成商之间的质量监控博弈行为,分析双方的行为对物流服务质量的影响,从而提升物流服务质量。在两级物流服务供应链结构模型的基础上,构建了多级复杂物流服务供应链模型,运用博弈论方法分别给出了不同模型下的混合Nash均衡解,并考虑长期利益情况,得出模型的新Nash均衡解。结果表明,加强集成商的监督力度以及增加供应商之间的竞争等具体措施都可以显著改善物流服务供应链的质量监控和协调。     

考虑回购和价格补贴契约的易逝品供应链协调机制

在随机需求的市场环境下,研究基于回购和价格补贴契约的易逝品供应链协调问题。分析了分散式供应链系统在没有协调情况下零售商的最优决策,以及在缔结回购和价格补偿契约下零售商的最优决策,并与集成式供应系统下的最优决策进行了比较,得出仅依赖系统各方成本结构的供应链完美协调的必要条件。算例分析验证了基于回购和价格补偿契约的随机动态规划模型能够反映易逝品分阶段采用不同营销策略的现实,同时也验证在不确定的市场环境下,供应商是缔结契约的积极倡导者,而零售商是缔结契约的积极响应者,通过缔结契约实现供应商和零售商的双赢。     

不同碳排放政策下考虑碳减排投入的供应链协调

在考虑碳减排技术投入下,为了实现不同碳排放政策下的供应链协调,通过建立集中式和分散式决策下的供应链模型,根据供应链协调的条件,给出了供应链实现协调的契约形式及契约参数。为了确定不同碳排放政策下的最优订货量和最优碳减排率,通过对博弈模型进行优化,提出了具体的求解方法。数值计算结果表明：随着碳排放政策的变化,供应链的最优订货量、最优碳减排率和供应链的利润也将发生相应的变化,而生产成本、缺货损失、产品残值、销售价格、批发价格等参数变化不仅会影响最优订货量、最优碳减排率和供应链利润,还会影响收益共享比例、碳减排技术投入和碳排放成本的分摊比例。     

Coordinating a supply chain under demand and cost disruptions

In this paper, we investigate the coordination of a supply chain consisting of one manufacturer and n Bertrand competing retailers under disruptions of market demand and production cost. We present a coordination model of a supply chain under normal scenarios. Our findings demonstrate that the coordination scheme designed for the initial production plan should be revised when disruptions of market demand and production cost occur. To resolve this issue, we consider the possible deviation costs caused by disruptions and propose optimal decision models for different disruptions under centralised decision-making. We present an improved revenue-sharing contract model to coordinate the decentralised supply chain under disruptions. The proposed models are then further analysed through numerical examples.     

绿色和保鲜消费导向的生鲜农产品供应链协调

运用博弈论的方法,在考虑消费者绿色偏好和新鲜度敏感的情况下,针对电商环境下由生鲜农产品生产商、物流服务商和线下超市组成的三级生鲜农产品供应链,通过建立供应链Stackelberg博弈模型,得出供应链各成员在集中决策和分散决策下的最优决策,发现集中模式的供应链最优决策远优于分散模式,并且两种模式下供应链的最优目标值均与绿色偏好系数和新鲜度敏感系数成正比,说明引导消费者绿色和保鲜消费是提升供应链绩效的关键。最后通过设计“成本共担+收益共享”契约,实现供应链协调和帕累托改进,并通过数值分析证明该契约的有效性。     

Coordinating loan strategies for supply chain financing with limited credit

In this paper, we design a supply chain financing (SCF) system with a manufacturer, a retailer and a commercial bank where the retailer is capital constrained under demand uncertainties. We formulate a multi-level Stackelberg game in which the manufacturer acts as the leader and the bank as the sub-leader. Considering the bankruptcy risks of the retailer, we analyze the optimal credit line for the commercial bank, the optimal order for the retailer and the optimal wholesale price for the manufacturer, respectively. Comparing the benchmark scenarios of no capital constraint and constrained capital without financing, interdependencies between the operational and financial decisions are explored, as well as coordination analysis of the wholesale price contract with different credit lines. Finally, by conducting numerical studies, interactions between the operational and financial decisions and the impacts of credit lines on contract coordination are illustrated. The results validate our theoretical analysis. Our analysis suggests that a suitable financing scheme with limited credit would motivate the capital-constrained retailer to order more and the wholesale price contract with finite loans would achieve coordination in the SCF system.     

A review of coordination studies in the context of supply chain dynamics

Supply chain management is and has been a popular research topic in recent years. Among the reported studies, coordination is an important ingredient to improve the performance of supply chains subject to the presence of system dynamics. This paper sets out to review some recent supply chain studies in the last decades that are related to coordination among supply chain members regarding supply chain dynamics. Focus is put on inventory management problems. More than a hundred research papers are reviewed and they are broadly categorised into analytical approaches and simulations approaches. They are further divided into sub-categorises. Observations of each category are summarised in this paper so that characteristics of each of which could be comprehended. In addition, the concluding section reveals some insights that could be considered for future research regarding coordination in supply chains and supply chain systems dynamics.     

Dynamic supply chain decisions based on networked sensor data: an application in the chilled food retail chain

With large volume of product flows and complex supply chain processes, more data than ever before is being generated and collected in supply chains through various tracking and sensory technologies. The purpose of this study is to show a potential scenario of using a prototype tracking tool that facilitate the utilisation of sensor data, which is often unstructured and enormous in nature, to support supply chain decisions. The research investigates the potential benefits of the chilled food chain management innovation through sensor data driven pricing decisions. Data generated and recorded through the sensor network are used to predict the remaining shelf-life of perishable foods. Numerical analysis is conducted to examine the benefit of proposed approach under various operational situations and product features. The research findings demonstrate a way of modelling pricing and potential of performance improvement in chilled food chains to provide a vision of smooth transfer and implementation of the sensor data driven supply chain management. The research finding would encourage firms in the food industry to explore innovation opportunities from big data and develop proper data driven strategies to improve their competitiveness.