Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) / Affordable and reliable supply chain visibility is becoming increasingly important as the complexity of the network underlying supply chains is becoming orders of magnitudes higher compared to a decade ago. Moreover, this increase in complexity is starting to reflect on the cost of goods and their availability to the consumers. Optimizing the physical distribution phase in supply chain by providing increased visibility to trading partners can directly reduce product cost. Current supply chain information systems often lack the ability to cost-effectively relay ground truth in- formation in near real time to all stakeholders and most importantly to the supplier and the customer during the transport of the shipment. This thesis presents a solu- tion that addresses this gap through a distributed architecture. The solution enables small, medium and large businesses to interact in a dynamic and shipment-centric manner through a private blockchain sub-ledger that digitizes the transfer of custody for each shipment. Information in this private ledger is augmented by a public event ledger that reflects the movement of the shipment in real time. Third party monitors are engaged in the validation of the geolocation of the shipments by posting their physical proximity in the form of events to the public ledger.

Plantilla para elaborar Tesis de Maestría en Supply Chain Management para optar el grado académico de Maestro en Supply Chain Management en el Programa de Maestría en Supply Chain Management. Escuela de Postgrado. Universidad Peruana de Ciencias Aplicadas.

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Supply chains are complex systems. Researchers in the Social and Decision Analytics Laboratory (SDAL) at Virginia Tech worked with a major global supply chain company to simulate an end-to-end supply chain. The supply chain data includes raw materials, production lines, inventory, customer orders, and shipments. Including contributions of this author, Pires, Sabin, Higdon et al. (2017) developed simulations for the production, customer orders, and shipments. Customer orders are at the center of understanding behavior in a supply chain. This dissertation continues the supply chain simulation work by improving the order simulation. Orders come from a diverse set of customers with different habits. These habits can differ when it comes to which products they order, how often they order, how spaced out those orders times are, and how much of each of those products are ordered. This dissertation is unique in that it relies extensively on Dirichlet and multiscale methods to tackle supply-chain order simulation. Multiscale model methodology is furthered to include Dirichlet models which are used to simulate order times for each customer and the collective system on different scales. / Doctor of Philosophy / This dissertation continues the supply chain simulation work of researchers (Pires et al. (2017)) in the Social and Decision Analytics Laboratory (SDAL) at Virginia Tech by improving the order simulation. Orders come from a diverse set of customers with different habits. These habits can di er when it comes to which products they order, how often they order, how spaced out those orders times are, and how much of each of those products are ordered. This dissertation is unique from the previous work at SDAL which considered few of these factors in order simulation and introduces statistical methodologies to deal with the complex nature of simulating an entire supply chain's orders.

This dissertation focuses on understanding the impact of systems thinking on supply chain management. The first essay presents a systematic literature review, examining the current state of systems thinking research within the context of supply chain management. It explores the similarities and differences in various studies, identifies research gaps, and outlines future opportunities in the field. The second essay investigates the current state of systems thinking in individuals working in supply chains at different stages of their careers. This is achieved through the use of a specially created game called the systems thinking game. The game is designed to assess and enhance systems thinking skills among supply chain professionals. The findings from this study provide valuable insights into the effectiveness of interactive learning tools in developing systems thinking abilities and suggest ways to incorporate these tools into professional development programs. The third essay explores the holistic management of supply chain complexity, emphasizing its critical impact on business performance, including lead times, costs, and operational efficiencies. It highlights the importance of a comprehensive approach to foster innovation and adaptability in response to rapid market changes and technological advancements. By addressing detail and dynamic complexities and leveraging advanced information systems, the essay demonstrates how holistic management and technical skills can enhance decision-making processes, leading to improved supply chain performance and resilience. Overall, this dissertation aims to bridge the gap between theoretical frameworks and practical applications of systems thinking in supply chain management, providing a holistic approach to understanding and managing supply chain complexities.

Yes / The effective management of pharmaceuticals in the National Health Service (NHS) is critical to patient welfare thus any risks attached to this must be identified and controlled. At a very basic level, risks in the pharmaceutical supply chain are associated with product discontinuity, product shortages, poor performance, patient safety/dispensing errors, and technological errors (causing stock shortages in pharmacies) to name but a few, all of which incur risk through disruption to the system. Current indications suggest that the pharmaceutical industry and NHS practitioners alike have their concerns as to the use of generic supply chain strategies in association with what is perceived to be a specialist product (pharmaceuticals). The aim of the study undertaken was to gain a more realistic understanding of the nature and prevalence of risk in the Pharmaceutical Supply Chain (PSC) to be used as a basis for a more rigorous research project incorporating in-vestigation in the UK, Europe and USA. Data was collected via a workshop forum held in November 2005. The outputs of the workshop indicated that there were thirty-five prevalent risks. The risks were rated using risk assessment catego-ries such as impact, occurrence and controllability. The findings indicated that the risks identified are similar to those prevalent in industrial supply chains, regardless of the idiosyncrasies of pharmaceuticals. However, the group consen-sus was that caution must be applied in how such risks are addressed, as there are aspects of the product that highlight its uniqueness e.g. criticality.

A Gestão da Cadeia de Suprimentos (GCS) vem sendo um tema em evidência nos dias atuais para a busca de vantagens competitivas, as quais não se limitam mais nos limites das empresas, mas sim no escopo de cadeia de suprimentos (CS), através de iniciativas interempresariais que se estendem desde controles e reposição de estoque conjuntos até uma gestão colaborativa na CS. Um dos grandes desafios na GCS é desenvolver uma coordenação da cadeia de suprimentos (CCS) que, além de atender os níveis de serviço desejados com os estoques controlados, também seja capaz de lidar com as variáveis cada vez mais complexas, buscando uma racionalização dos recursos, uma melhoria de produtos e processos e, ainda, lidar com as possíveis ameaças que afetam a vulnerabilidade da CS (VCS). O objetivo geral desta tese é propor um modelo de CCS que inclua atividades de melhoria da CS (MCS) e VCS, para assim auxiliar no desempenho da CS. A fim de alcançar o objetivo geral, foram propostos objetivos específicos, correspondentes aos quatro artigos que compõem esta tese. O primeiro artigo teve como objetivo realizar uma revisão sistemática da literatura, com o propósito de identificar os métodos colaborativos mais disseminados, suas características e desafios de implementação. O segundo artigo também realizou uma revisão sistemática da literatura, mas direcionada à identificação dos métodos de otimização e melhoria em CS implementados atualmente, como e por que são implementados. O terceiro artigo realizou um aprofundamento teórico sobre VCS, entendendo seus componentes e outros elementos relacionados. Após isso, demonstrou a contribuição de métodos colaborativos para mitigá-la. O quarto artigo traz uma retomada dos achados nos três primeiros artigos e consolida os mesmos como bases conceituais para a proposição do modelo de CCS que inclui atividades de MCS e VCS. Os principais resultados da tese iniciaram por mostrar que os métodos colaborativos em CS possuem características puramente de CCS e o CPFR foi encontrado como método colaborativo mais abrangente e mais abordado na literatura pesquisada, cuja estrutura de funcionamento foi utilizada como arcabouço para o modelo de CCS proposto. A literatura mostrou a MCS com foco atualmente em melhoria contínua através do Lean Manufacturing. Outro resultado da tese foi a criação de um framework de VCS, no qual foi possível entender a VCS, seus elementos e constatar que a mesma pode ser mitigada através da utilização de métodos colaborativos. Os resultados finais da tese apresentam um modelo de CCS que inclui atividades de MCS e VCS. Essas atividades inseridas no processo de CCS permitem a identificação de oportunidades de melhoria, pontos restritivos e vulnerabilidades que, se trabalhados de acordo com as prioridades para os objetivos da CCS, podem gerar um aumento de desempenho competitivo da CS. As discussões apresentadas na presente tese mostraram a pertinência e necessidade dessas atividades para um aumento do desempenho competitivo da CS, bem como o fato dessas atividades poderem interagir com outras atividades isoladas de gestão de riscos ou melhorias dentro da CS. / Supply Chain Management (SCM) has been a theme in evidence in the present day in seeking competitive advantages, which are being sought not within the limits of companies, but in the supply chain (SC) scope, through intercompany initiatives, that extend from controls and inventory replenishment to a collaborative SCM. One of the major challenges in SCM is to develop a Supply Chain Coordination (SCC) that in addition to meeting the desired service levels with inventory levels controlled should also be able to handle the variables, increasingly complex, seeking a resource reduction, products and process improvement and also deal with possible threats to the Supply Chain Vulnerability (SCV). The overall objective of this thesis is to propose a SCC model that includes improvement activities in SC (SCI) and SCV, so as to help improve the SC performance. In order to achieve the overall goal, specific objectives have been proposed, corresponding to the four articles that make up this thesis. The first paper aimed to perform a systematic literature review in order to identify the most widespread collaborative methods, their characteristics and implementation challenges. The second paper also held a systematic literature review, but directed in identifying the optimisation and improvement methods currently implemented, how and why they are implemented. The third paper conducted a theoretical study on SCV, understanding of its components and other related elements and analyzed the contribution of collaborative methods to mitigate it. The fourth article brings a resume of the findings in the three previous papers and consolidates them as conceptual basis for the SCC model proposition that includes SCI and SCV activities. The main thesis results began to show that the SC collaborative methods have features purely as CCS and CPFR was found as most comprehensive and further discussed collaborative methods in the literature, which its operating structure was used as a framework for the proposed SCC model. The literature showed the SCI currently focusing on continuous improvement through Lean Manufacturing. Another result of the thesis was to create a SCV framework in which it was possible to understand the SCV, in its entirety and find that it can be mitigated through the use of collaborative methods. The final results of the thesis presented a SCC method that includes SCI and SCV activities, which generated discussions and showed the relevance and necessity of these activities to increase the SC competitive performance. The pointed competitive performance increase is towards increasing its operating reliability, rationalize resources and improve restrictive points, linked to priorities stated during SCC process. This fact may interact with other isolated activities of risk management or improvements in the CS.

A introdução efetiva da sustentabilidade em empresas exige ações que extrapolam os limites organizacionais, abarcando o ambiente interorganizacional. Dessa maneira, as empresas deixam de ser consideradas isoladamente e passam a ser analisadas de acordo com suas cadeias de suprimentos, compostas por organizações que contribuem para o alcance dos mesmos objetivos de desempenho. Nesse sentido, uma cadeia de suprimentos é considerada mais sustentável quando insere as dimensões econômica, ambiental e social em suas operações, nas estratégias e na tomada de decisão, possuindo bons níveis de desempenho em tais dimensões. A adoção de práticas de sustentabilidade em cadeias de suprimentos pode ser analisada em um contínuo, formado por dois extremos: a resposta reativa e proativa. Nesse contexto, a proatividade de práticas sustentáveis pode ser definida como a adoção de ações, realizadas voluntariamente por empresas, com a finalidade de melhorar o desempenho ambiental e o desempenho social, além das exigências legais. A empresa proativa afirma sua preocupação e seu compromisso com a sociedade e o ambiente natural, em que está inserida. Diante dessas considerações, tem-se a premissa dessa pesquisa: a postura proativa de empresas em relação a práticas sustentáveis estimula melhor articulação com os elos de sua cadeia de suprimentos, o que colabora para a introdução da sustentabilidade nessa cadeia. O objetivo desta pesquisa é analisar a contribuição da articulação de uma empresa proativa com seus elos para a introdução da sustentabilidade na sua cadeia de suprimentos. Para tanto, foi realizada uma pesquisa qualitativa, distribuída em duas etapas (exploratória e descritiva), envolvendo uma empresa focal proativa e parceiros de sua cadeia de suprimentos. Ressalta-se que, em virtude da complexidade e da extensão de cadeias de suprimentos, optou-se por analisar a cadeia à montante, isto é, foram entrevistados colaboradores da empresa focal (Mercur S.A.) e de empresas fornecedoras (LKC Transportes; PAMF Indústria e Comércio de Confecções; Caeté Embalagens; e, Artecola Química). Primeiramente, foi analisada a proatividade de práticas sustentáveis da Mercur. Os resultados indicam que a Mercur pode ser considerada uma empresa proativa, em função da implantação total de 37 ações em prol da sustentabilidade ao core business da organização e da implantação parcial de seis práticas. Em segundo lugar, investigou-se a articulação e o relacionamento da empresa proativa com os elos de sua cadeia de suprimentos. Verificou-se que os entrevistados consideram que os elos estão em processo de integração. Diante disso, pode-se observar que existem diferentes níveis de articulação na cadeia de suprimentos, envolvendo a Mercur e seus fornecedores. Em seguida, averiguou-se a existência de práticas sustentáveis ao longo da cadeia de suprimentos estudada, as quais foram descritas a partir de cinco categorias de análise (orientação estratégica, continuidade da cadeia de suprimentos, colaboração, gestão de risco, proatividade). Incentivos foram identificados para que práticas pró-sustentabilidade passem a ser concebidas e implantadas por todos os membros da cadeia, colaborando para um desenvolvimento mais sustentável. Nessa perspectiva, diante dos resultados encontrados, assume-se que a premissa de pesquisa foi confirmada, uma vez que a postura proativa de práticas sustentáveis da Mercur estimula maior articulação com os parceiros de sua cadeia de suprimentos, contribuindo para a inserção da sustentabilidade nessa cadeia. Entretanto, a articulação da Mercur com os parceiros também pode incentivar que posturas proativas em benefício da sustentabilidade sejam incorporadas pelas empresas da cadeia de suprimentos. / The effective introduction of sustainability in business requires actions that go beyond organizational boundaries, encompassing the inter-organizational environment. Thus, companies are no longer considered individually; they are analyzed according to their supply chains, composed by organizations that contribute to the achievement of the same performance goals. A supply chain is considered more sustainable when it enters the economic, environmental and social dimensions in their operations, strategies and decision making, possessing good levels of performance on these dimensions. The incorporation of sustainability practices in supply chain can be analyzed in a continuous, formed by two extremes: reactive and proactive response. The sustainable proactivity can be defined as the adoption of actions, performed voluntarily by companies, in order to improve the environmental and social performance beyond legal requirements. A proactive company states its concern and commitment to society and the natural environment in which it operates. Given these considerations, this research premise is: the proactive approach of companies towards sustainable practices encourages better integration with the partners in their supply chain, which contributes to the incorporation of sustainability in the supply chain. In this context, this research aims to analyze the contribution of proactive company integration with its partners to the introduction of sustainability in their supply chain. Therefore, a qualitative research was performed, composed by two phases (exploratory and descriptive), involving a proactive focal company and its supply chain partners. It is emphasized that, because of the complexity and the extent of supply chains, we chose to analyze the upstream chain, i.e., focal company (Mercur S.A.) and supplier firms (LKC Transportes; PAMF Indústria e Comércio de Confecções; Caeté Embalagens; and Artecola Química). The employees of these companies were interviewed. First, it was analyzed the proactivity of sustainable practices of Mercur. The results indicate that Mercur can be considered a proactive company, due to the full adoption of 37 actions for sustainability in the core business of the organization and the partial implementation of six practices. Secondly, it was investigated the integration and the relationship of a proactive company with its supply chain partners. It was found that the interviewees consider that the supply chain is in process of a complete integration. Thus, it can be observed that there are different levels of integration in the supply chain, involving the Mercur and their suppliers. Thirdly, it was examined the existence of sustainable practices throughout the supply chain. These practices were described considering five categories of analysis (strategic orientation, supply chain continuity, collaboration, risk management, and proactivity). Incentives were identified for the design and the implementation of sustainable practices by all supply chain members, contributing to a more sustainable development. From this perspective, given the results, it is assumed that the research premise was confirmed, since the proactive sustainable practices Mercur encourages greater integration with partners in the supply chain, contributing to the sustainable supply chain. However, the integration of Mercur with partners can also encourage that proactive practices in favor of sustainability be incorporated in the supply chain.

This study shows that the supply chain management of a company                                    using the fast fashion strategy is where the company combines their traditional supply chain with the modern demand driven Quick Response and Agile supply chain. In theory so far fast fashion is described only in terms of demand driven supply chain management however according to this research the fast fashion strategy is shown to be applied by fashion companies characterized by a mix of the traditional and modern demand driven supply chain.

ABSTRACT Due to the change of consumption patterns, the shorter product life cycle coupled with the global competitions, how to provide customers quickly the best quality of products and to maintain a certain profit in changing markets , become the best weapon when competitions. So companies have to put in efforts in supply chain management, from raw material supply to product sales, distribution, various species of strategies set to achieve the best management of the results. The most widely discussed and use of supply chain strategies , that is lean and agile strategies . The purpose of this study is to discuss the impact on supply chain capability and business performance with the implementation of lean strategy and agile strategy , and using the questionnaires, to specify the statistics showing the correspondence of lean /supply chain strategy and business performance.