Yes / The concept of waste and how it can be reduced, recycled, refurbished or reused in its current form has been widely discussed in industry. The importance of waste reduction from an environmental and economic perspective has also heightened in both industry and within the research arena. Thus said, stringent steps have been taken to facilitate the collection of and capture residual value in waste items. This article explores this premise in relation to medicines waste as part of the wider medicines optimisation agenda.

Yes / This study explores the downstream Pharmaceutical Supply Chain (PSC) and provides insight to the delivery process of medicines and associated operational inefficiencies. Design/methodology/approach: An exploratory, qualitative approach was adopted to examine PSC inefficiency within two European contexts: the UK and Greece. Data was gathered through interviews and a thematic analysis conducted to analyse the data and identify challenges faced by both supply chains. Findings: The medicines delivery system needs to be enhanced in terms of quality, visibility, speed and cost in order to perform effectively. The findings demonstrated that although the healthcare supply chains in the two European contexts have different operational structures, the results are in concordance with each other. Financial, communication, waste and complexity issues were the major concerns. Research limitations/implications: To our knowledge this is the first study to examine aspects of the medicines supply chain via a cross-case analysis in the UK and Greece and extends the body of knowledge. A broader sample of responses is warranted to further validate these findings. Practical implications: The study outputs can inform pharmacies’ strategic to instigate targeted improvement interventions. The implications of which may be extrapolated further to other European healthcare organisations. Originality/value: This research contributes to the academic literature by adding further theoretical insights to supply chain strategy development, especially those that have been characterised as highly complex. The study identifies 4 key areas of intervention needed within this supply chain (in both countries) to promote higher level efficiencies and effectiveness.

Services and service-based business are a major part of any economy. However, service-based supply chains require a greater level of interaction between provider and consumer than the traditional manufacturing or product-based supply chain. Therefore, they require optimization and resiliency models that acknowledge the constraints and goals unique to service-based industries. Value co-creation and service-dominant logistics (SDL) are relatively new to operations research. Existing literature in management science provides a framework for value co-creation but does not provide a model for optimizing value cocreation and resiliency in a complex or dynamic systems such as education supply chains (ESC). This dissertation addresses these knowledge gaps through 3 essays. The first essay establishes a method for optimizing investment in resiliency measures when utilizing parallel supply chains. The essay examines the intersection of value co-creation theory between higher education and service-dominant logistics (SDL) to understand the role of supply chain elements in value cocreation. The second essay provides a theoretical approach to incorporating resilience planning into the customer relationship management model. The final essay establishes a method for optimizing investment in resiliency measures when utilizing parallel service supply chains.

The paper describes implementing an information-sharing approach for companies that are connected via supply chains. In contrast to previous and existing solutions, no raw data is exchanged in this kind of system; only agreed information is shared. The concept is therefore data-saving and suitable for protecting the intellectual property of the interacting companies. The implementation of the concept, the design and the components used for implementation are described. Furthermore, the concept is placed in the context of existing approaches to data exchange between companies. In addition to demonstrating the necessity of such a concept, the questions of what risks the proposed architecture poses for the participating companies in terms of IT security are addressed. Furthermore, it is explained how these risks can be counteracted. In doing so, the proposed architecture will be examined for the potential to minimise possible misuse. The paper ends with an outlook on future activities within the project.

Under the unifying theme of supply chain learning, this three essay dissertation extends scholarship by investigating these multi-tier relationships. Theory is emerged, grounded in data, gathered from functioning supply chains in an effort to provide scholars and practitioners with an increased understanding of the SCL phenomena. Essay 1, entitled "Supply Chain Learning: An Exploratory Literature Review" examines the current literature in an attempt to address the shortcomings and emerge areas that have been less explored and less understood. By exposing these areas of research opportunities using a grounded theory methodology, a framework was emerged allowing identification of the limitations of extant literature and providing a springboard for future research. This framework also allowed further investigation into the SCL processes and expansion of the current understanding by providing academia with a comprehensive review of the literature and revealing the shortcomings that exist related to SCL. Using the framework emerged in Essay 1, Essay 2 entitled "Toward Supply Chain Learning: A Focus on the Customers of Logistics Service Providers" explores the rationalization and cognitive processes of senior level executives of firms utilizing national or global supply chains. These respondents are directly engaged in creating, establishing and operating relationships with third party logistics (3PL) providers within a functioning supply chain. By examining the relationships and processes from the point of view of customers of third party logistics providers, a unique perspective provides insight into these relationships. Using semi-structured interviews with these executives, grounded theory was once again used to emerge theory explaining the phenomena of SCL. In particular, this research examines the elements studied from the perspective of customers of third party logistics providers as they seek to develop new processes and solutions in hopes of obtaining a competitive advantage by adaptive learning with the help of their providers and trading partners. In addition, this research increases our understanding of SCL by examining a relationship between customers and 3PL providers, their experiences and outcomes. Essay 3, entitled "Practical Application of Supply Chain Learning" focuses on the implications of the learning relationship and its impact on the practitioner. By providing the findings of the research in a context relatable to practitioners, this culmination of findings allows practitioners to relate the findings directly to their existing supply chains. Realizing that many supply chains are relationship driven, this research focuses on the findings of previous research to provide a more holistic view of the learning relationship process as it exists in multiple tiers of their existing supply chain. Providing a step-by-step explanation of the SCL process as emerged from previous research, executives are provided a tool to better identify, analyze and understand these processes as relatable in their existing environment. As a methodical analysis of the IOL process, these essays provide the foundation for understanding the relationship process that exists between learning partners in a supply chain. Essay 1 provides basis for theory development by examining current literature and exposing the shortcomings while also emerging a preliminary framework on which to build future research. Essay 2 follows up on these deficiencies and attempts to saturate understanding of the IOL process, particularly from the point of view of 3PL customers in an existing supply chain. Essay 3 delivers these findings to executives in a relatable format, providing a holistic understanding of the phenomena. In summation, this dissertation provides theory emerged from data, explaining the learning relationship from the point of view of the customers of 3PL services, the cognitive dimensions and outcomes of these decisions as they relate to learning in the supply chain.

The research study focused on assessing the potential risk of failing to maintain water supply in the Rand Water area. The study analysed all factors and areas that contributes to water supply in the Rand Water area; this included municipalities supplied by Rand Water, the Department of Water Affairs and other factors that directly affect Rand Water supply such as population growth, increased urbanisation and acid mine drainage. The objectives of the study were: (a) is to determine the potential risk of failing to maintain supply in the Rand Water supply area, in other words, the likeliness of water not being supplied adequately to customers. (b) generate timely and credible information to determine the understanding, awareness, and acknowledgement by the sampled management group of the existence of the potential water supply risk in the Rand Water supply area. This will be done through a quantitative study. The research study approach that was utilized was a quantitative methodology; this approach included the distribution of questionnaires to all relevant stakeholders in the Rand Water supply area. To address the problems that are highlighted in the problem statement and achieve the objectives of the study these answered questionnaires were then sent to a Statistical consultant at North-West University‟s Potchefstroom Campus, to be analysed using an SPSS Version 21 statistical program. The questionnaires were divided into the three big municipal customers, these municipalities combined takes a total of 74.35% of Rand Water supply; these are Johannesburg Water which is part of the City of Johannesburg Metropolitan Municipality, Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Municipality, Tshwane Metropolitan Municipality and other small municipalities and the Department of Water Affairs‟ officials. Many previous studies also were assessed to be able to help this study establish the seriousness of the water challenge, the amount of work that has already been done, factors contributing to the problem and finally, measures that can be put in place to address the problem. The results that were obtained for this study provided many relationships between this study‟s selected variables and also highlighted the need to put certain strategies in place to be able to control the growing demand for water in the Rand Water system. The name of the Department of Water Affairs has changed many times over the year. It used to be called DWAF (Department of Water Affairs and Forestry, then DWEA (Department of Water and Environmental Affairs, then DWA (Department of Water Affairs) and it has recently been changed to DWS (Department of Water and Sanitation. For the purposes of this study this department will be called DWA (The Department of Water Affairs) The results were very relevant as most of the relationships were found between variables that are practically supposed to be related in order for the problem to be dealt with fruitfully. From these results it could be concluded that the risk of failing to maintain water supply in the Rand Water supply area does exist, if certain factors were allowed to trend the way they‟ve been trending without measures in place to counteract them. It could also be concluded that certain measures have been initiated to deal with the problem; this included water demand management. Results indicated that collective efforts from all stakeholders in the Rand Water supply area will be crucial in addressing the water supply challenge and avoid future failure to supply. To close the gap between previous research studies and this research study recommendations were made. Areas of future research were also highlighted; these are areas that can add value in providing valued information to help the challenge of water shortage in the Rand Water supply area. This area of future research studies will also be crucial in identifying other external factors that were not highlighted in the study but contribute to the problem. This area of future research studies will also help when implementing turnaround strategies to avoid the risk of failing to maintain supply in the Rand Water area as it will be able to highlight a different strategy that deals with the problem holistically. / MBA, North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2015

The research study focused on assessing the potential risk of failing to maintain water supply in the Rand Water area. The study analysed all factors and areas that contributes to water supply in the Rand Water area; this included municipalities supplied by Rand Water, the Department of Water Affairs and other factors that directly affect Rand Water supply such as population growth, increased urbanisation and acid mine drainage. The objectives of the study were: (a) is to determine the potential risk of failing to maintain supply in the Rand Water supply area, in other words, the likeliness of water not being supplied adequately to customers. (b) generate timely and credible information to determine the understanding, awareness, and acknowledgement by the sampled management group of the existence of the potential water supply risk in the Rand Water supply area. This will be done through a quantitative study. The research study approach that was utilized was a quantitative methodology; this approach included the distribution of questionnaires to all relevant stakeholders in the Rand Water supply area. To address the problems that are highlighted in the problem statement and achieve the objectives of the study these answered questionnaires were then sent to a Statistical consultant at North-West University‟s Potchefstroom Campus, to be analysed using an SPSS Version 21 statistical program. The questionnaires were divided into the three big municipal customers, these municipalities combined takes a total of 74.35% of Rand Water supply; these are Johannesburg Water which is part of the City of Johannesburg Metropolitan Municipality, Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Municipality, Tshwane Metropolitan Municipality and other small municipalities and the Department of Water Affairs‟ officials. Many previous studies also were assessed to be able to help this study establish the seriousness of the water challenge, the amount of work that has already been done, factors contributing to the problem and finally, measures that can be put in place to address the problem. The results that were obtained for this study provided many relationships between this study‟s selected variables and also highlighted the need to put certain strategies in place to be able to control the growing demand for water in the Rand Water system. The name of the Department of Water Affairs has changed many times over the year. It used to be called DWAF (Department of Water Affairs and Forestry, then DWEA (Department of Water and Environmental Affairs, then DWA (Department of Water Affairs) and it has recently been changed to DWS (Department of Water and Sanitation. For the purposes of this study this department will be called DWA (The Department of Water Affairs) The results were very relevant as most of the relationships were found between variables that are practically supposed to be related in order for the problem to be dealt with fruitfully. From these results it could be concluded that the risk of failing to maintain water supply in the Rand Water supply area does exist, if certain factors were allowed to trend the way they‟ve been trending without measures in place to counteract them. It could also be concluded that certain measures have been initiated to deal with the problem; this included water demand management. Results indicated that collective efforts from all stakeholders in the Rand Water supply area will be crucial in addressing the water supply challenge and avoid future failure to supply. To close the gap between previous research studies and this research study recommendations were made. Areas of future research were also highlighted; these are areas that can add value in providing valued information to help the challenge of water shortage in the Rand Water supply area. This area of future research studies will also be crucial in identifying other external factors that were not highlighted in the study but contribute to the problem. This area of future research studies will also help when implementing turnaround strategies to avoid the risk of failing to maintain supply in the Rand Water area as it will be able to highlight a different strategy that deals with the problem holistically. / MBA, North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2015

The World Trade Centre terror attack in 2001 changed the world and with it the conditions for logistics worldwide. The aftermath of the attack brought needed attention to the vulnerability of modern supply chains. This thesis addresses the antagonistic threats that exploit the vulnerability in a supply chain. Antagonistic threats are a limited array of risks and uncertainties and can be addressed with risk management tools and strategies. There are three key demarcations between antagonistic threats and other risks and uncertainties: deliberate (caused), illegal (defined by law), and hostile (negative impact, in this thesis, for transport network activities). This thesis makes a theoretical contribution to the usage of theories from criminology in supply chain risk management to handle antagonistic threats against the transport network. The recognition that antagonistic threats toward the transport network are a problem leads to verification of the research questions from the background and the theoretical framework. This is done to place or relate the research questions closer to the context. Furthermore, it leads to the conclusion that the answers may or may not contain competing and/or incompatible parts which differ depending on the perspective or viewpoint at the moment. One of the most important things to understand is that antagonistic threats toward freight always have been a feature in both business and politics. The different functions and goals for all stakeholders mean that all stakeholders and actors may use similar methods to manage antagonistic threats but the effects and consequences will change according to the circumstances.The system approach in this thesis is a soft-system thinking where reality is described in subjective terms and the whole system has the distinctive trait of vague or undefined boundaries between system components and the surrounding environment. Therefore, this thesis uses a complex system approach in which paradoxes and bounded rationality describes the system’s behaviour. This thesis defines the legal descriptions and criminal threats against and within supply chain management activities that entail both the systems context and boundaries. Managing of the antagonistic threats through the risk management perspective is separated into two sides, pre-event and post-event measures, which means the system needs to be robust and resilient, using logistics terms. It should be robust to automatically handle small risks (normally with high likelihood and low impact). The system also needs resilience in order to adapt, improvise, and overcome any disturbance greater than the system’s robustness can handle. Both robustness and its resilience can constitute of the full range of prevention, mitigation, and transferring tools and methods. Regardless of which perspective or viewpoint is chosen for analysing the problem, the same basic set of tools and methods are valid, but in practical use they need to be adapted to the actors’ needs and wants for managing their exposure to antagonistic threats. / <p>Thesis to be defended in public at 8 May 2009 at 13.00 in Vasa A, Chalmers University of Technology, Gothenburg, for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy</p><p>Avhandlingen har tilldelats den prestigefyllda utmärkelsen ”The 2011 Emerald/EFMD Outstanding Doctoral Research Awards”. The thesis has been awarded with the prestigious honor of ”The 2011 Emerald/EFMD Outstanding Doctoral Research Awards”</p><p><b>Sponsorship</b>:</p><p>VINNOVA</p>

This work builds on the use of several Mathematical Modeling tools to develop approaches that address relevant, real and previously unanswered questions related to the improvement of Public Health Systems, in three particular instances. First, this thesis analyzes the variation in state-level vaccination coverage during the emergency response to the 2009 H1N1 pandemic influenza outbreak in the United States. The analysis considers the overall adults population and two priority sub-populations: children and high-risk adults. We focus on quantifying the association between vaccination coverage and the supply chain and distribution system decisions, during the vaccine shortage period, while controlling for other commonly recognized factors such as previous vaccinations, socio-economic characteristics, health seeking behavior and health infrastructure. The variables analyzed are generally correlated, and the problem has a limited sample size with a much larger number of independent variables. The findings of this research have been published in Vaccine and presented to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Second, the research approaches the problem of estimating childhood obesity prevalence in small geographic areas in the U. S. Obesity is recognized as one of the major health problems in the country, and attending this condition in children is of major importance to deal with the sources of the overall problem. The ability to target interventions to the most affected children populations is necessary to achieve cost effective solutions. But local accurate obesity data is hard to obtain and missing for most of the small areas in the country. The research focuses on estimating prevalence of obesity and overweight status in children in small geographical areas in the absence of surveillance and detailed sampling. Our modeling approach is built in two stages. The first one uses a logistic regression model that links individual characteristics to high-BMI status, and generates samples of the empirical distribution of its coefficients though bootstrap re-sampling. The second uses simulation to generate virtual population samples of the small areas, which are then combined with the logistic model samples to estimate prevalence. Confidence intervals are built though re-sampling. A very important feature of our approach is that all of its inputs are from publicly available data, which gives availability for the replication of the methodology to any health stakeholder in the US. The model estimates were validated by using separate models for adults and children in a state with available data. Estimates obtained from our modeling approach were used by a large healthcare provider to geographically target interventions for pediatric obesity. Third, the thesis presents an introductory analysis of the possible effects of partial disruptions to critical supply chains due to absenteeism caused by a generalized flu-like illness in the US. For this analysis, we first construct a plausible national food supply chain for milk and then we simulate its disruption. To build the supply chain we used public information regarding production, consumption, and major milk processors and bottlers, and fitted it into a supply network though optimization. Then, to analyze the effects of flow disruptions of the supply chain, we built a simulation of the operation of the network and virtually generated absenteeism, mildly disrupting the supply chain flows by the proportional absences. We used information on potential absenteeism in work groups from an influenza simulator. Our initial analysis shows that absenteeism may create variations along the supply chain, similar to those described in the bullwhip effect analysis literature, even in the absence of supply shortages and without variations in pricing or demand, for which we find no prior reference in the literature.

The concept of ‘social supply’ has emerged as a term used both in the UK, and internationally, to describe drug distribution that is non-commercially motivated and almost exclusively found between friends and acquaintances. Social suppliers have increasingly been presented as actors who are qualitatively different to drug dealers (proper), in relation to their motivation and their activity. As a result, they have increasingly become identified as a group who should be distinguished as such legally (Police Foundation, 2000; Release, 2009). While social supply behaviours can be identified in wider research literature relating to recreational drug use, there is a relative gap in regard to in-depth accounts of social supply activity, and in regard to a social supply definition. In a similar way, heroin and crack cocaine user-dealers - a group who are also perhaps not best understood as profit motivated suppliers - have received insufficient academic attention, with the majority of research references failing to go beyond typologies that recognise them simply as suppliers who also use. With research indicating that social supply permeates a meaningful section of adolescent and adult drug markets, along with evidence to suggest that drug supply embodies one of limited options for addicted drug users to fund their habit, this thesis explores how far we can understand these behaviours as drug dealing (proper). Using qualitative in-depth interviews and case studies, this interpretivist research design develops existing ideas, as well as highlighting emergent social supply and user-dealing themes. Findings from this research indicate that social supply behaviours are usefully understood through a theoretical application of ‘normalisation’ (Parker et al., 1998) and ‘drift’ (Matza, 1964) and are wider in scope than those currently recognised by the literature base. The research findings also indicate the importance of the notion of ‘economies of scale’ - an incentive for drug users to obtain a larger quantity of substance for a cheaper price. Notions of reciprocity also feature, with group obligation providing a rationale for involvement in social supply. The findings are also suggestive of the idea that user-dealing - understood through the theoretical gaze of Bourdieu’s ‘Theory of Practice’ (1990) - is characterised by limited distribution, minimal profit and explicated as a less harmful option than other crimes undertaken to fund drug dependence. This thesis concludes with the proposal that a conceptual shift towards ‘minimally commercial supply’ offers a more realistic and inclusive means of conceptualising both social supply and user-dealing activity. Possible ways forward therefore include the implementation of this term as a distinct offence that focuses on intent, thereby presenting a more proportionate approach than current policy responses for these groups allow.