No description available.

An escalating concern about the environment amongst the general population, businesses trying to make their way forward on the hunt for market shares and profitability, and customers that nowadays are used to extreme flexibility in their purchase and return process due to the immense growth of e-commerce. These observations can all be considered facts, but do they correlate with each other when a customer tries on a pair of pants and decides to return them to the retailer? The purpose and reason for why this thesis was conducted was to gain an understanding of how fashion e-tailers in Sweden balance the needs of consumers, company finances and environmental concerns when designing their return policy. The thesis was conducted as a multiple case study, using a qualitative research method where the primary data was collected from six in-depth semi-structured interviews with practitioners within the field, representing e-tailers in the fashion industry. The findings obtained from the interviews were put in context, analysed, discussed and compared with literature from previous research using a thematic analysis approach. The authors can conclude that balance in the return policy is difficult to achieve. Various avoidance techniques are being used in order to maintain balance, and customer satisfaction is seen as a vital part of the return process. Sustainability is difficult to define and the participants interpreted the phrase in various ways. It was therefore complicated to analyse the environmental impact from product returns. Basically, it is difficult to know what the most sustainable initiatives are, and even though our participants take some environmental initiatives, there is room for improvement. The research provides valuable managerial implications from a new perspective that the researchers believe is more comprehensive, and gives suggestions for future research within the field of study.

No description available.

As world population grows, so does the demand for resources exploitation and transformation. This, in turn, has an effect in the increase of the related wastes. Facing these challenges by designing and developing sustainable products and supply chains, processes, operations, and management is becoming increasingly important. From a business point of view, optimization of operational processes and resource management is expected to provide sustainability from economic and environmental perspectives. Often, Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) do not have enough knowledge or resources to measure their performance. This thesis investigates which are the most common measurement performance systems to assess separate operational and environmental assessments seeking to develop a combined approach for SMEs. Literature review revealed that SCOR model from an operational perspective, and LCA from an environmental point of view, are the most accepted methodologies for performance measurement.  The aim of this research is to understand the complementariness, benefits, limitations, and challenges of a combined methodology that includes also SustainableSCOR. SustainableSCOR is an application of SCOR model that integrates the efficiency of resources and emissions management. A combined methodology is developed and explained with a qualitative case study for the food industry. As outcome, a structured and flexible approach is presented. This combined approach allows a company to measure the efficiency of its operations and resources managements and wastes throughout a product lifecycle in a sequential manner. Moreover, the company can understand the potential environmental impact of the operational and resources management from a cradle-to-gate approach, breaking down all operations involved into different levels of detail. Although some limitations arise, the combined methodology is of benefit for many types of supply chains and triggers further research to include Life Cycle Costing (LCC) and Social Life Cycle (S- LCA) for a more comprehensive analysis of the Triple Bottom Line (TBL). / I takt med att världens befolkning växer ökar också efterfrågan på resursexploatering och omvandling. Detta har i sin tur en effekt i ökningen av det relaterade avfallet. Att möta dessa utmaningar genom att designa och utveckla hållbara produkter och försörjningskedjor, processer, verksamhet och ledning blir allt viktigare. Ur affärsmässig synvinkel förväntas optimering av operativa processer och resurshantering ge hållbarhet ur ekonomiskt och miljömässigt perspektiv. Ofta har små och medelstora företag (SMF) inte tillräckligt med kunskap eller resurser för att mäta sina resultat. Denna avhandling undersöker vilka som är de vanligaste mätprestandasystemen för att bedöma separata drifts- och miljöbedömningar i syfte att utveckla ett kombinerat tillvägagångssätt för små och medelstora företag. Litteraturgenomgång visade att SCOR-modellen ur ett operativt perspektiv, och LCA ur miljösynpunkt, är de mest accepterade metoderna för prestationsmätning.  Syftet med denna forskning är att förstå komplementariteten, fördelarna, begränsningarna och utmaningarna med en kombinerad metodik som även inkluderar SustainableSCOR. SustainableSCOR är en tillämpning av SCOR-modellen som integrerar effektiviteten av resurser och utsläppshantering. En kombinerad metodik utvecklas och förklaras med en kvalitativ fallstudie för livsmedelsindustrin. Som resultat presenteras ett strukturerat och flexibelt förhållningssätt. Detta kombinerade tillvägagångssätt gör att ett företag kan mäta effektiviteten i sin verksamhet och resurshantering och slöseri under en produktlivscykel på ett sekventiellt sätt. Dessutom kan företaget förstå den potentiella miljöpåverkan av drift- och resurshantering från en vagga-till-grind- metod, som bryter ner alla inblandade verksamheter i olika detaljnivåer. Även om vissa begränsningar uppstår, är den kombinerade metoden till nytta för många typer av försörjningskedjor och utlöser ytterligare forskning för att inkludera livscykelkostnad (LCC) och Social Life Cycle (S-LCA) för en mer omfattande analys av den tredubbla bottenlinjen (TBL).

Until recently, the concept of green logistics has been disregarded by various logistics and transport companies in South Africa. The study on which this dissertation is based explored the green logistics practices that these companies are currently implementing in terms of the key drivers, benefits and barriers. A quantitative research approach was followed, were a survey (Lime) served as the primary research instrument. A census was conducted among 160 companies in Gauteng. The results of the study revealed a significant difference between SMEs (<200) and large (200 and above) companies with regard to their importance rating on green logistics practices. To achieve the primary objective of the study, a framework in green logistics was drafted for SMEs and large companies in South Africa, which outlined practices and opportunities companies can implement in their own businesses to benefit from ‘going green’. The usefulness of the latter mentioned guidelines needs to be tested in future research. / Public Administration and Management / M.. Com. (Logistics Management)

在全球化的經濟蓬勃發展下，環保事件層出不窮，地球環境遭受重大破壞，各種環保議題引起國際矚目與熱烈討論。歐洲議會在2003年初公布了針對十項電機電子設備的兩個環保相關規範，分別是歐盟電機電子設備有害物質限制使用指令(RoHS)與歐盟電機電子設備廢棄物指令（WEEE），另外，歐盟能源使用產品生態化設計指令（EuP）也已在2005年8月11日公布，這些指令對相關產業的營運與發展將造成重大衝擊，其影響深遠供應鏈上下游成員無一倖免。 產業界為因應此一環保規範限制，將環境因素納入到傳統供應鏈管理當中，而形成了所謂「綠色供應鏈管理」的熱門議題。其主要差異乃是後者將生命週期思維融入產品設計、製造、使用與最終的廢棄回收處理的整個範疇。 本研究嘗試由資訊製造業的個案公司實際發展綠色供應鏈的過程中，以個案分析的方式收集其產品發展流程的各種資料，包括綠色設計、綠色採購、綠色供應商評鑑與稽核、綠色資訊平台建置等，並予以整理分析，建立個案公司的綠色供應鏈管理策略架構與協同運作模式。 本研究結果顯示綠色供應鏈管理策略的核心是「源頭管理」，源頭管理落實之後，加上其所衍生出來的綠色供應商評鑑與稽核、綠色產品管理系統、綠色資訊整合等各項活動，始能達到符合環保規範的目標，做到完整的風險控管，讓企業穩健發展。同時，本研究也顯示，建立協同設計機制及PDM資訊平台可以有效分析處理供應鏈上下成員間流通的資料，譬如，原物料、零組件等源頭綠色資料被有效地整合於綠色資訊平台，企業因應環保法規落實到資訊管理裡，營運風險因而獲得保障。 / Accompanying the vigorous economic development, the environment of the earth has been impacted tremendously. There are so many environmental issues that occurred in past decades turning into hot topics among nations. European Parliament published RoHS, and WEEE Directives in early 2003 that mandate ten categories of electric and electronic equipments to be restricted in the use of hazardous substances and wastes disposal respectively. Also, the setting of ecodesign requirement for Energy-Using Products newly announced in August of 2005. All the three mandatory EU Directives has definitely influenced significantly the foregoing development of the related industries. To react to the environmental regulations, the industries try to put environmental element into conventional Supply Chain Management, SCM. Thus, come out with Green SCM. The key differences are the latter mingling life cycle thought through out the whole scope of product life span. This research attempt to establish a collaborative structure and strategy for Green Supply Chain Management, by means of analyzing the information collected from the real developing process, including green design, green procurement, green suppliers’ appraisal, building up green information platform, of an information manufacturing firm. The research revealed that the core strategy of Green SCM is “Source Management”. Only if source management has fully implemented at the site of raw materials and component manufacturers, the environmental regulations can compliant thoroughly. Thus, the risk management is well controlled, so that the firm would operate soundly. Meanwhile, the research also showed that building up collaborative mechanism to link with PDM platform may process effectively the flowing data between the parties of supply chain. As a result, the restricted hazardous substances data of raw material and components are integrated into the green information platform and well managed. The operation risk of enterprise would be secured because of the entire implementation of information management for the environment regulations.

M. Tech. (Logistics, Faculty of Management Sciences), Vaal University of Technology. / This study explored the implementation of green supply chain with regard to minimizing environmental risk in the South African manganese and phosphate mining industries. A qualitative research paradigm methodology was used. Theoretical assumptions were utilized. References by other researchers in the green supply chain and mining supply chain were also used to broaden the knowledge horizons for the study. A total number of twelve supply chain and environmental professionals from the key role players in the South African manganese and phosphate mining industries were interviewed and provided valuable input to the study. The study determined lack of information sharing between the role players in the supply chain that lead to the discovery of themes and sub–themes. The study identified seven main themes and eleven sub-themes as challenges in the implementation of green supply chain. Recommendations to address the challenges areoutlined and include the introduction of cleaner production practices by using cleaner technologies, inclusion of environmental aspects in the sourcing strategy, among others. The achievement of all these will ensure sustainable development. Originating from the study are research recommendations for the South African manganese and phosphate mining industries. The recommendations include further research to establish a green supply chain model as well as perception and expectations of policy makers in the industries.

Le développement et l'application de modèles de réapprovisionnement d’articles périssables est l'une des principales préoccupations des experts en la matière, le nombre et la variété des produits périssables augmentant de façon spectaculaire. L'une des lacunes majeures dans la littérature pour la gestion des produits périssables est que les chercheurs n'ont pas accordé suffisamment d'attention à deux aspects importants dans leurs modèles: i) les conditions stochastiques ; en particulier le délai stochastique est presque négligé car rendant les défis mathématiques plus compliqués ; ii) l'élaboration de politiques innovantes de réapprovisionnement prenant en compte les critères environnementaux ; en particulier la minimisation des émissions de CO2 comme second objectif dans un contexte de modélisation multi-objectif qui est tout à fait nouvelle. Dans cette thèse, nous étudions les politiques de réapprovisionnement pour les produits périssables sous conditions stochastiques sous forme de trois problématiques différentes. Dans la première, nous développons un modèle de réapprovisionnement à révision continue (r, Q) pour un détaillant qui offre un produit périssable en prenant en compte : un horizon de planification infini, un délai d’approvisionnement stochastique, un taux de demande constante et la livraison tardive (backorder). Pour modéliser le processus de détérioration, un coût de possession de stock non linéaire est défini. La prise en considération du délai stochastique et d'un coût de possession de stock non linéaire rend le modèle mathématique plus complexe. Nous avons donc adapté le modèle proposé pour une fonction de distribution uniforme afin de résoudre de façon optimale ce problème par une approche exacte. Pour le second problème, nous étudions la stratégie de mutualisation des risques de délai de livraison par la passation de commandes de réapprovisionnement fractionnées par lots entre plusieurs fournisseurs simultanément pour un détaillant vendant un produit périssable. Enfin, dans le dernier problème, nous prenons en considération les coûts de stockage et de transport, ainsi que les impacts sur l'environnement, dans une chaîne d'approvisionnement centralisée sous condition de demande incertaine et pénurie partielle (partial backordered). Pour faire face à l'incertitude de la demande, est adoptée une approche de programmation stochastique en deux étapes. Par la suite, en tenant compte de la capacité de transport de véhicules, nous développons un modèle mathématique de programmation mixte en nombres entiers. De cette façon, les meilleurs véhicules de transport et les politiques de réapprovisionnement sont déterminés par la recherche d'un équilibre entre les critères financiers et environnementaux. Un exemple numérique du monde réel est également présenté pour démontrer l'applicabilité et l'efficacité du modèle proposé. / The development and application of inventory models for deteriorating items is one of the main concerns of the experts in the domain, since the number and variety of deteriorating products are dramatically increasing. One of the major gaps in the deteriorating inventories literature is that researchers have not paid enough attention to two important features in their models: i) Considering stochastic conditions; especially stochastic lead time is almost overlooked since makes the mathematical challenges complicated, ii) designing innovative inventory policies by taking into account the environmental issues and particularly the CO2 emission as a new objective in a multi-objective framework that is quite new. In this thesis, we study replenishment policy for deteriorating products under stochastic conditions in form of three different problem areas. In the first one, we develop a continuous (r,Q) inventory model for a retailer that offers a deteriorating product by considering infinite planning horizon, stochastic lead time, constant demand rate and backordered shortages. For modeling the deterioration process, a non-linear holding cost is defined. Taking into consideration the stochastic lead time as well as a non-linear holding cost makes the mathematical model more complex. We therefore customize the proposed model for a uniform distribution function that could be tractable to solve optimally by an exact approach. In second problem, we study the strategy of pooling lead time risks by splitting replenishment orders among multiple suppliers simultaneously for a retailer that sells a deteriorating product. Finally, in the last problem, we consider inventory and transportation costs, as well as the environmental impacts in a centralized supply chain by taking into account uncertain demand and partial backordered shortages. In order to deal with demand uncertainty, a two stage stochastic programming approach is taken. Then, by considering transportation vehicles capacity, we develop a mixed integer mathematical model. In this way, the best transportation vehicles and replenishment policy are determined by finding a balance between financial and environmental criteria. A numerical example from the real world is also presented to show the applicability and effectiveness of the proposed model.

Made available in DSpace on 2010-04-20T20:15:10Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 61080100066.pdf: 1081236 bytes, checksum: b3a0ff32bf2aa84a9c349bd4092963c9 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2009-12-17T00:00:00Z / Ao longo da década de 1990, uma grande sensibilização com as mudanças climáticas, a depreciação de recursos naturais e a geração de desperdícios redirecionaram as questões ambientais da periferia à linha de frente da gestão empresarial. Decorrente desta sensibilização é possível citar algumas das práticas mais utilizadas pelas indústrias no processo de esverdeamento de sua produção: Produção Mais Limpa, Produção Enxuta, Eco-Eficiência e Gestão da Qualidade Total Ambiental. Neste trabalho pretende-se focar a Produção Mais Limpa (P+L) no processo de esverdeamento da produção da cadeia que será objeto de estudo: a cadeia de suprimentos de artefatos de couro, devido à grande geração de resíduos (sólidos, líquidos e gasosos) que ocorrem durante o processo de transformação do couro. Tal pesquisa se justifica pelo fato da não existência de estudos que propiciem uma identificação do estágio de adoção das práticas de P+L nesta cadeia e a contribuição que os resultados relativos ao estudo da P+L podem trazer aos grupos de interesse (parceiros, sociedade, pesquisadores, entre outros). Além disso, grande parte das pesquisas se propõe a estudar a indústria calçadista apenas e não os artefatos de couro como integrantes dos processos da cadeia do couro. A partir da identificação desses estágios, por meio do estudo de caso de seis empresas desse setor, ações de melhoria podem ser propostas para que se alcancem estágios mais avançados de práticas de P+L ou que, no mínimo, se mantenha o estágio já atingido, caso a empresa se encontre em um estágio avançado de práticas de P+L, para uma efetiva preservação ambiental e redução de desperdícios, beneficiando o meio ambiente e a sociedade assim como proporcionando o desenvolvimento econômico empresarial com a redução de desperdícios. Os resultados mostram que dentre as práticas de P+L mais utilizadas por esta cadeia estão: a reutilização e conseqüente redução no consumo de água limpa através de métodos de tratamento de efluentes, a redução do consumo de energia elétrica e a limpeza e sinalização de cada etapa dos processos industriais. O investimento de esforços na formação do Ecotime e o investimento financeiro na capacitação e treinamento constante desta equipe constituíram a base para o desenvolvimento de novas oportunidades de P+L. / Throughout the 1990s, a great awareness about climate change, the depreciation of natural resources and generating waste redirected environmental issues from the periphery to the forefront of business management. Due to this awareness is possible to mention some of the practices used by most industries in the greening of production: Cleaner Production, Lean Production, Eco-Efficiency and Total Quality Management Environment. This paper aims to focus on Cleaner Production (CP) in the process of greening the production chain which is an object of study: the supply chain of leather, due to the generation of waste (solid, liquid and gaseous) that occur during the processing of leather. Such research is justified by the non-existence of studies that provide an identification of the stage of adoption practices of CP in the chain and the contribution that the results for the study of CP can bring interest groups (partners, society, researchers, among others). Moreover, much of the research aims to study the footwear industry and not just the leathergoods as integral to the process the leather. By identifying these stages, through a case study of six companies in this sector, improvement actions can be proposed for reaching the advanced stages of practice CP or at least maintain the stage already reached If a company is in an advanced stage of practice CP, for effective environmental conservation and waste reduction, benefiting the environment and society as well as providing economic development business by reducing waste. The results show that among the practices of CP most commonly used by this chain are: the reuse and consequent reduction in the consumption of clean water by methods of effluent treatment, the reduction of energy consumption, cleaning and signs of each stage industrial processes. The investment of effort in training Ecotime and financial investment in training and constant training of this team formed the basis for the development of new opportunities for CP.

Until recently, the concept of green logistics has been disregarded by various logistics and transport companies in South Africa. The study on which this dissertation is based explored the green logistics practices that these companies are currently implementing in terms of the key drivers, benefits and barriers. A quantitative research approach was followed, were a survey (Lime) served as the primary research instrument. A census was conducted among 160 companies in Gauteng. The results of the study revealed a significant difference between SMEs (<200) and large (200 and above) companies with regard to their importance rating on green logistics practices. To achieve the primary objective of the study, a framework in green logistics was drafted for SMEs and large companies in South Africa, which outlined practices and opportunities companies can implement in their own businesses to benefit from ‘going green’. The usefulness of the latter mentioned guidelines needs to be tested in future research. / Public Administration and Management / M.. Com. (Logistics Management)