Creating technological innovation via green supply chain management: An empirical analysis

This study sets out to empirically test the research framework and identify the relationship between green supply chain management (GSCM) practices and technological innovation (TI) in manufacturing firms. It is one of the first studies that experimentally validate the relationship between GSCM practices and TI from the perspective of a developing nation. In this study, 133 usable sets of data were collected from manufacturing firms in Malaysia. Results obtained from the partial least square-structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) approach supported the significant positive relationship between three GSCM practices (i.e. internal environmental management, eco-design and investment recovery) and TI, but the study found that green purchasing and cooperation with customers do not have a significant positive correlation with TI. The importance of GSCM practices has been proven to enhance firms’ TI, in addition to improving the environment, bringing about a positive impact on the manufacturing establishment. Therefore, this study has relevance to all manufactures seeking to enhance their TI through the effective use of GSCM practices.     

The impact of supply contracts on supply chain product-flow management

One of the performance issues faced by the supply chain (SC) is the competitive production and delivery of products to all partners of the SC. The supply contract linking the Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) with its suppliers currently represents an important decision tool influencing the production and delivery of final products.     

Information security in networked supply chains: impact of network vulnerability and supply chain integration on incentives to invest

Recent supply chain reengineering efforts have focused on integrating firms’ production, inventory and replenishment activities with the help of communication networks. While communication networks and supply chain integration facilitate optimization of traditional supply chain functions, they also exacerbate the information security risk: communication networks propagate security breaches from one firm to another, and supply chain integration causes breach on one firm to affect other firms in the supply chain. We study the impact of network security vulnerability and supply chain integration on firms’ incentives to invest in information security. We find that even though an increase in either the degree of network vulnerability or the degree of supply chain integration increases the security risk, they have different impacts on firms’ incentives to invest in security. If the degree of supply chain integration is low, then an increase in network vulnerability induces firms to reduce, rather than increase, their security investments. A sufficiently high degree of supply chain integration alters the impact of network vulnerability into one in which firms have an incentive to increase their investments when the network vulnerability is higher. Though an increase in the degree of supply integration enhances firms’ incentives to invest in security, private provisioning for security always results in a less than socially optimal security level. A liability mechanism that makes the responsible party partially compensate for the other party’s loss induces each firm to invest at the socially optimal level. If firms choose the degree of integration, in addition to security investment, then firms may choose a higher degree of integration when they decide individually than when they decide jointly, suggesting an even greater security risk to the supply chain.     

Monopolistic competition model: The impact of technological innovation on equilibrium and social optimality

This paper considers a monopolistic competition model with the endogenous choice of technology in the closed economy case. Our aim is to obtain the comparative statics of the equilibrium and socially optimal solutions with respect to the technological innovation parameter that affects costs. The key findings are the following: consumption and investments in productivity both increase with the growth of technological innovation; the behavior of the equilibrium variables depends on the elasticity of demand only; the behavior of the socially optimal variables depends on the elasticity of utility only; finally, the behavior of the equilibrium and socially optimal variables does not depend on the properties of the costs as a function of investments in R&D.     

基于遗传算法的战略供应链集成研究

在战略供应链研究中,考虑供应链的三个主要阶段,采购、生产、配送和它们之间的相互作用,不同客户需求,设施配对关系,供应商优先权以及现有供应链设计模型的局限性,建立了混合整数非线性规划（MINLP）模型。为有效地解决这种大规模混合整数非线性规划模型的约束,采用自适应遗传算法（AGA）对该模型进行求解优化。实验结果表明,所提混合整数非线性规划模型能够有效解决战略供应链设计中的供应链协同优化问题,并能得到较优的供应链设计方案。     

基于区块链技术的供应链融资创新研究

从传统供应链金融现状着手,分析了当前供应链金融面临的挑战,包括数据的有效性问题、信用传递问题、贸易真实性审核问题等。针对这些挑战,将区块链技术引入供应链金融,着重分析了利用联盟链解决供应链金融多方信任关系问题、解决供应链信任传递及拆分流转问题以及提高供应链金融业务效率的可行性。结合实践详细描述了在合同签约、债权确权、企业融资、债权转让等各个环节,如何应用联盟链特点解决实际问题。最后对基于区块链的供应链金融应用进行了总结和展望。     

An agent-based approach for e-manufacturing and supply chain integration

A major problem facing manufacturing organisations is how to provide efficient and cost-effective responses to the unpredictable changes taking place in a global market. This problem is made difficult by the complexity of supply chain networks coupled with the complexity of individual manufacturing systems within supply chains. Current systems such as manufacturing execution systems (MES), supply chain management (SCM) systems and enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems do not provide adequate facilities for addressing this problem. This paper presents an approach that would enable manufacturing organisations to dynamically and cost-effectively integrate, optimise, configure, simulate, restructure and control not only their own manufacturing systems but also their supply networks, in a co-ordinated manner to cope with the dynamic changes occurring in a global market. This is realised by a synergy of two emerging manufacturing concepts: Agent-based agile manufacturing systems and e-manufacturing. The concept is to represent a complex manufacturing system and its supply network with an agent-based modelling and simulation architecture and to dynamically generate alternative scenarios with respect to planning, scheduling, configuration and restructure of both the manufacturing system and its supply network based on the coordinated interactions amongst agents.     

The impact of service system on the implementation of cluster supply chain

As a new management pattern, ??cluster supply chain?? (CSC) can help small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in China to face the sharp global competitions through all kinds of collaboration. However, a major challenge in implementing CSC is the gap between the related theories and practices in the field. In order to bridge the gap, this paper presents the JingCheng Mechanical & Electrical Holding co., Ltd. (JCH) as a case study to explain the key problems in the practice of cluster supply chain: What are the specific conditions for the implementation of cluster supply chain? What are the advantages and challenges of implementing cluster supply chain? Furthermore, the role of service supporting system is emphasized, which has driven a process of transforming CSC theories into practices. Through the case study of JCH, we clarify the role of service system in the actual construction and operation of cluster supply chain, which can promote the rapid adoption of CSC and show successful results as it should be.     

基于面向服务架构的敏捷供应链信息集成研究

在分析敏捷供应链信息系统的特性及需求的基础上结合Web Service技术和面向服务架构（SOA）思想,从生命周期角度描述了整个敏捷供应链信息集成的整个生命周期过程,并且提出了基于面向服务架构和Web Service实现技术的信息集成系统框架,简要分析了如何采用Web Service技术来实现整个系统,分析了实现过程中可能遇到的实际问题及将来进一步的研究方向.     

How to build supply chain resilience: The role of fit mechanisms between digitally-driven business capability and supply chain governance

Drawing upon resource orchestration theory, we argue that deploying digitally-driven business capability aligned with supply chain governance may improve supply chain resilience. Using a sample of Chinese agriculture firms, the empirical analysis verified three fit mechanisms (complementing fit, balancing fit, and configuring fit) between digitally-driven business capability and supply chain governance and their effects on supply chain resilience. This research offers novel insights into the specific actualization mechanisms by which digitally-driven business capability and supply chain governance jointly improve supply chain resilience. Implications for management and future Information Systems (IS) research are provided.     

Study on product quality tracing technology in supply chain

Nowadays, the product quality collaborative control technology in supply chain have been concentrated on by many researchers, however, tracing is still a less talking topic among them. Aiming to solve the quality tracing problem in supply chain, a methodology of designing information systems for traceability is proposed in this paper. Based on the former theories, the structures and models of quality tracing in supply chain are firstly introduced, also with a deep discussion on failure diagnosis technology and tracing system design, then a product quality tracing system in supply chain is established, which can provide an easier way and a new sight for the quality control in SCM (Supply Chain Management). Finally, a sample system is showed to illustrate the methodology.     

The effects of business systems leveraging on supply chain performance: Process innovation and uncertainty as moderators

Rooted in the profit-seeking motives of social exchange theory, this study aims to investigate the factors that facilitate leverages of firm’s business systems and their sharing of information with group members, as well as the impacts of business systems leveraging (BSL) on information sharing and supply chain performance. Simultaneously, the moderating effects of uncertainty and the degree of process innovation on the relationship between BSL and supply chain performance are also estimated. The analytical results indicated that proactive technological orientation, information technology (IT) connectivity, supply chain member pressure, and member relationship quality encourage firms to combine their business systems with those of other business partners. Interestingly, in a situation where there is high demand and an uncertain supply, the impact of BSL on supply chain performance is low, while the moderating effect of process innovation on the relationship between BSL and supply chain performance is significant. Finally, it is suggested that firms implementing BSL work to upgrade their technology maintain tight relationships with supply chain partners and create innovation in all aspects of their business processes in order to survive in the highly competitive IT environment.     

Enterprise modelling methodology for forward and reverse supply chain flows integration

The paper proposes a new enterprise modelling methodology called ERE-GIO applicable to supply chain reengineering and integration. It is based on two major phases: reverse engineering of the supply chain and then forward engineering. It takes advantages of previous enterprise modelling methodologies, especially CIMOSA. The application of the defined methodology on the logistics flow of an industrial company has allowed the integration of the reverse logistics flows in the traditional supply chain, thanks to the modelling of business processes and the flows related to it.     

Decision optimization analysis on supply chain resource integration in fourth party logistics

In recent years, the successful operation of the fourth party logistics (4PL) in practice has gradually demonstrated that it is an effective mode to integrate the complicated resources of a supply chain reasonably, efficiently and flexibly. However, there are no effective quantitative methods to guide the resource integration practices of enterprises and this situation will inevitably limit the practical application of 4PL and will become a major bottleneck of showing its superiorities. To solve this operational bottleneck in 4PL, this paper analyzes thoroughly the characteristics of the supply chain resource integration in 4PL mode from a quantitative view, set up an operational framework by case studies of surveyed enterprises combined with the empirical analyses of the supply chain resource integration. On this basis, this paper puts forward a decision optimization method of supply chain resource integration in 4PL based on the discovery, analyses and judgment about the dominant factors in the integration operations, then, sets up a mathematics optimization model for integration decision and an improved ant colony optimization (ACO) algorithm to solve the decision problem. Finally, the paper uses a case simulation to illustrate that the optimization method and algorithm are feasible and valid.     

The impact of partnership attributes on EDI implementation success

The growing interest in the use of electronic data interchange (EDI) to revolutionize the way in which business conducts trading activities leads to research questions concerning the characteristics of electronic partnerships that promote implementation success. The research model in this study shows that partnership attributes affect EDI implementation, which has three dimensions: integration, utilization, and diversity, and performance. Partnership attributes encompass partner trust, interdependence, and commitment. Results show that partner trust, interdependence, and commitment affect the extent to which companies undertake EDI integration and increase the percentage of EDI exchange and performance. This suggests that companies contemplating EDI should set up compatible business processes and a high-quality partner relationship for implementation and performance.     

直销渠道选择对供应链成员决策的影响研究

在考虑直销渠道单位产品运作成本和消费者区域性差异特点的情况下,研究了处于主导地位的制造商开通直销渠道的条件,探讨了直销渠道对渠道需求、制造商和零售商的最优定价和利润的影响。结果表明,开通直销渠道不影响制造商的批发价定价,但可以迫使零售商降低零售价格;开通直销渠道使制造商在分散式供应链中和协调式供应链中都能获得更多利润,使零售商利润减少;只有当运作成本和消费者区域性差异都很大时,开通直销渠道对双方都是有利的,实现“双赢”局面。     

Accessing information sharing and information quality in supply chain management

This paper empirically examines the impact of environmental uncertainty, intra-organizational facilitators, and inter-organizational relationships on information sharing and information quality in supply chain management.Based on the data collected from 196 organizations, multiple regression analyses are used to test the factor impacting information sharing and information quality respectively. It is found that both information sharing and information quality are influenced positively by trust in supply chain partners and shared vision between supply chain partners, but negatively by supplier uncertainty. Top management has a positive impact on information sharing but has no impact on information quality. The results also show that information sharing and information quality are not impacted by customer uncertainty, technology uncertainty, commitment of supply chain partners, and IT enablers.Moreover, a discriminant analysis reveals that supplier uncertainty, shared vision between supply chain partners and commitment of supply chain partners are the three most important factors in discriminating between the organizations with high levels of information sharing and information quality and those with low levels of information sharing and information quality.     

Dynamics of creativity and technological innovation

This article concerns the struggle between artistic expression and technological innovation. The perspective that is articulated is drawn from the work of the Interactive Cinema group at the MIT Media Laboratory. Situated at the boundary of evolving technologies and media storytelling, research of the group iterates between shaping and presenting cinematic expressions using emerging technologies and developing the required tools and platforms to support its creation and delivery. This dynamic is integral to collaborative expression on largescale projects, as well as in more individual research endeavours such as a current investigation, which conjoins new tangible display technologies with interactive stories.     

E-collaboration within one supply chain and its impact on firms’ innovativeness and performance

The central premise of this paper is that e-collaboration plays a major role in achieving a sustainable competitive edge. In particular, we propose to examine the relative efficiency of electronic collaboration tools and to assess their impacts on the innovativeness and performance of individual firms positioned along a single supply chain. Empirical data from both the upstream and downstream perspectives for firms positioned at different points of one supply chain suggest that e-collaboration and its impacts create a one-sided benefit for the upstream side of the chain: the overall efficiency of e-collaboration tools is higher and the impacts of e-collaboration are more beneficial when used with suppliers than when used with customers. The results also point to a stage model for implementing collaboration tools in a supply chain: efficiency is higher for e-collaboration tools that support strongly that collaboration tools can have significant impacts on the supply chain and that these tools need to be implemented progressively, both upstream and downstream, thereby yielding different and, most probably, cumulative benefits over time. An earlier version of this paper was published in the Proceedings of the 36th Hawaii International Conference on System Sciences (HICSS-36).