Despite the claim that blockchain will revolutionise business and redefine logistics, existing research so far is limited concerning frameworks that categorise blockchain application potentials and their implications. In particular, academic literature in transport and logistics to date has not sufficiently distinguished between blockchain adoption ('what to adopt') and the identification of the right business opportunity ('where to start'). In response, this paper (1) uses Rogers¿ (2003) 'attributes of innovation framework' to identify potential blockchain applications and (2) presents a framework explicating four transformation phases to subsequently categorise the identified areas of application according to their effects on organisational structures and processes. Using academic and practitioner literature, we classify possible applications for adoption and provide a framework to identify blockchain opportunities in the logistics industry, thereby helping managers to systematically assess where to start building organisational capabilities in order to successfully adopt and deploy blockchain-based technology.

Made available in DSpace on 2014-06-11T19:26:17Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2011-02-23Bitstream added on 2014-06-13T18:29:53Z : No. of bitstreams: 1 torres_ma_me_bauru.pdf: 3096697 bytes, checksum: 96356c853b90b7ce2797a1db02b1f2aa (MD5) / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES) / O entendimento dos processos de Modelo de Referência de Operações da Cadeia de Suprimentos (ou Supply Chain Reference - SCOR model) pode ser facilitado pelo uso de uma metodologia de modelagem de processos. O emprego de uma notação com semântica adequada para representar esses modelos de processos, associadas a ferramentas de modelagem e gestão, podem contribuir para a melhor compreensão e o gerenciamento de uma cadeia de suprimentos. Existem várias notações propostas na literatura, como por exemplo, a Notação para Modelagem de Processos de Negócios (ou Bussiness Process Modeling Notation - BPMN), a Cadeia de Processos Dirigida por Eventos (ou Event-Driven Process Chain - EPC) e a Linguagem de Modelagem Unificada (ou Unified Modeling Language - UML). Também podem ser identificadas algumas ferramentas de suporte computacional para a modelagem dos processos, como por exemplo, o Bonita Studio, o ARIS Express e o Intalio Designer. Este trabalho analisou e comparou algumas notações e ferramentas de suporte computacional para melhor representar os modelos de processos SCOR. Definidos as notações, ferramentas e critérios de comparação, as análises indicaram a notação BPMN e a ferramenta Intalio como sendo as mais adequadas. Como resultado final, a notação e a ferramenta foram utilizadas para a geração de uma biblioteca de modelos a partir de processos padrão de terceiro nível do modelo SCOR. Exemplos de desenvolvimento de modelos são apresentados, visando demonstrar a adequação da notação e ferramenta, e exemplificar como a biblioteca de modelos pode ser usada visando o desenvolvimento de modelos de quarto nível, a partir da bibioteca de modelos, por possível usuários. Como trabalho futuro, propõe-se a geração de modelos de referência de software com base nos modelos SCOR / The understanding of the process of Supply Chain Operation Reference - SCOR model can be facilitated by use of a methodology for process modeling. The use of a notation with semantics appropriate for representing these types of processes associated with the modeling and management tools, can contribute to better understanding and management of a supply chain. There are several notations proposed in the literature, for exemple, the notation for Business Modeling Notation - BPMN, the Event-Driven Process Chain - EPC and Unified Modeling Language - UML). Can also be identified some tools for computational modeling of processes, such as the Bonita Studio, ARIS Express and Intalio Designer. This study analyzed and compared some notations and support tools to best represent the computational process models SCOR. Defined notations, tools and benchmarks, the analysis indicated the Intalio BPMN notation and the most appropriate. As a final result, the notation and the tool was used to generate a library of models from standard processes of the third level of the SCOR model. Examples of model development are presented to demonstrate the adequacy of the notation and tool, ans illustrate how the model library can be used for the develpment of models of the fourth level, from the library of models for potential users. As future work, we propose the generation of role models for developing software systems based on the SCOR model

abstract: This dissertation is an exploratory study that examined the differences in perceptions about supply chain management strategy, topics, tools, and techniques between procurement professionals in public and private sector organizations. This was accomplished through a survey of procurement professionals in a Fortune 500 company and a municipality in Arizona. The data were analyzed to understand how perceptions of supply chain management differed within this sample and whether the differences in perceptions were associated with formal education levels. Key findings indicate that for this or similar samples, public procurement respondents viewed their organizations' approach to supply chain management as a narrow function within purchasing while private sector respondents viewed their organization's approach to supply chain management as a strategic purchasing perspective that requires the coordination of cross functional areas. Second, public procurement respondents reported consistent and statistically significant lower levels of formal education than private sector respondents. Third, the supply chain management topics, tools, and techniques seem to be more important to private sector respondents than the public sector respondents. Finally, Respondents in both sectors recognize the importance of ethics and ethical behavior as an essential part of supply chain management. / Dissertation/Thesis / Ph.D. Public Administration 2013

O objetivo deste estudo é identificar e examinar o atual estágio de desenvolvimento da gestão da rede de suprimentos do setor industrial de construção civil brasileiro, buscando visualizar as transformações ocorridas e a ocorrer, e os fatores limitantes e incentivadores do seu processo de modernização, gerando parâmetros de referência que espera-se possam servir de base à consolidação de uma teoria sucinta sobre a gestão da cadeia de suprimentos na indústria de construção ou até, de forma presuntiva, sobre o recente conceito de Supply Chain Management, que possa servir como opção estratégica para as empresas deste setor. Os conceitos desenvolvidos neste processo, as variáveis observadas, as mudanças estratégicas e operacionais decorrentes, e os sinalizadores desta evolução compõem os principais resultados deste trabalho. / The objective of this study is to identify and to examine the current stage of development of the supply chain management of the Brazilian construction industry. lt aims to understand the transformation that it has gone through and are still to bappen, and the constraining as well as competitive factors of the modernization process, generating parameters of reference that it hopes can be used as base to the consolidation of a brief theory on the supply chain management in the construction industry. It is also expected that this theory be used as strategic option. The main results of this piece of work are the concepts developed in this process, the observed variables, the current strategic and operational changes, and the indicators of this evolution.

Abstract Supply chain performance measurement – the process of qualifying the efficiency and effectiveness of the supply chain. The aim of this study is to create a supply chain measurement framework for manufacturing industry, define what data should be measured and verify the measurement framework in the case company's supply chain. The research approach is hermeneutic and the research was a qualitative, constructive single case study research. The case company operates in the steel industry and provides prefabricated products for customers. The case supply chain was defined to be one supply chain in a plant where prefabricated products are produced. There is a review of the current understanding of supply chain management and literature related to supply chain performance measurement and the study creates a framework for supply chain measurement. This study presents the main theory framework of supply chain performance measurement. The key elements for the measurement framework were defined as time, profitability, order book analysis and managerial analysis. The measurement framework is tested by measuring case supply chain performance. The measurement framework is a valid framework for supply chain performance measurement in manufacturing industry. It is stated that supply chain performance measurement is extremely important in developing supply chain. The measurement framework in this study offers guidelines for measuring the supply chain in manufacturing industry but the measurement framework could be used in different areas of industry as well.

Abstract There is no commonly agreed theory available to define supplier satisfaction and to measure it. Qualitative research is the key to find the definition and metrics for supplier satisfaction. It gives the possibility to refer behaviours, interactions between companies and organizational functioning. This research has studied supplier satisfaction measurement and how it could be used as a management tool. Supplier Satisfaction Survey is a management tool for a company to improve and further develop its internal and external processes within its supply chain. The aim is to measure the quality of relationship between the supplier and 'the company' in terms of how the supplier views 'the company' both in business and communication- related aspects. The results highlight the areas where the supplier and 'the company' have together invested resources to improve processes but also to identify areas that can still be improved. Survey results are also inputs for the strategic planning of the company as well as everyday operations and business behaviour. Supplier satisfaction survey is the latest part of the continuous development of the supply chain management. A literature review tells how supply chain management has developed over time from setting a supply chain structure in place and further focusing more detailed parts such as cost structure and product customisation. The latest trend is to have close cooperation with supply chain partners and synchronize operations -in particular the supplier and manufacturing part of the supply chain need fine-tuning. / Tiivistelmä Toimittajatyytyväisyyden ja sen mittaamiseen ei vielä ole yleisesti hyväksyttyä (/sovittua) teoriaa. Kvalitatiivinen tutkimus antaa työkalut määritelmän ja mittareiden luomiseen. Se mahdollistaa tutkia käyttäymistä, vuorovaikutuksia yritysten ja organisaatioiden välillä. Toimittajatyytyväisyys on yrityksen johtamistyökalu, jonka avulla yritys voi parantaa ja edelleen kehittää niin sisäisiä kuin ulkoisia prosesseja toimittajaketjussa. Ideana on mitata toimittajasuhteen laatua - miten toimittaja arvostaa ostajayrityksen toimintaa kaupanteon ja kommunikaation näkökulmasta. Tässä tutkimuksessa keskitytään ensin toimittajatyytyväisyyden konseptin luomiseen ja toiseksi toimittajatyytyväisyyden mittaamiseen ja kuinka sitä voidaan edelleen käyttää yrityksen johtamistyökaluna. Tulokset tuovat esiin alueet, mihin toimittaja ja ostajayritys ovat yhdessä jo investoinneet resursseja parantaakseen prosesseja, mutta myös ne alueet, joihin vielä pitää kiinnittää huomiota. Tulokset toimivat informaationa niin yrityksen strategisessa suunnittelussa kuin joka päiväisessä toiminnassa. Toimittajatyytyväisyyden mittaus on uusimpia menetelmiä jatkuvasti kehittyvässä toimittajaketjun hallinnassa. Kirjallisuuskatsaus kertoo kuinka toimittajaketjun hallinta on kehittynyt aikojen kuluessa alkaen toimittajaketjun rakenteen kuvaamisesta ja edelleen keskittyen yksityiskohtaisempiin alueisiin kuten kustannuksiin ja tuotteiden yksilöintiin. Viimeisimpinä trendeinä ovat olleet yhteistyön parantaminen toimittajaketjussa olevien yritysten välillä, aktiviteettien synkronointi ja erityisesti toimittaja - valmistaja lenkin kooperaation hiominen.

Supply Chain Management innebär styrande av leveranskedjor. En leveranskedja består av leverantörer, tillverkare, distributörer och återförsäljare. I dagsläget bör marknadskonkurrensen vara mellan olika leveranskedjor och inte företag mot företag. För att erhålla konkurrenskraftiga leveranskedjor krävs det bland annat att företagen nyttjar kommunikation tvärs genom hela leveranskedjan, samt att företagen använder de tekniska hjälpmedel som finns för att förenkla det administrativa arbetet. En förutsättning för att leveranskedjan skall bli konkurrenskraftig är att företagen som ingår i kedjan vågar delta i informations- och kunskapsutbyte. Med ett sådant utbyte bör företagen höja värdet på slutprodukten till ett reducerat pris. Syftet med rapporten är att sammanställa en modell över "hur den undersökta kedjans informationsutbyte äger rum idag". Den undersökta Supply Chain Management-kedjan har kommit en bit på väg, men nyttjar i dagsläget inte Supply Chain Management-filosofins alla konkurrensfördelar. Företagen använder sig bland annat av lager för att tillmötesgå sina kunders krav på snabba leveranser.

This thesis is a critical evaluation of the theory and practice of Sustainable Supply Chain Management (SSCM). It seeks to understand why SSCM theory has so little to say about environmental sustainability and to explore how SSCM practice is contributing towards the transition towards sustainable development. I conjecture that SSCM scholars have not engaged sufficiently with the broader sustainability literature and other constructions of sustainability, which has led to a lack of theory development within SSCM. The sustainability paradigms framework that forms the core of the thesis was developed in order to broaden the discussion around sustainability within SSCM. Specifically, it embraces the contested nature of the concept of sustainability and uses multiple sustainability paradigms to construct future directions for theory development. In order to put the concept of environmental sustainability at the centre of SSCM theory, the concept of ‘environmental effectiveness’ was developed which seeks to differentiate between environmentally sustainable strategies and those that merely seek to achieve reductions in unsustainability. In order to evaluate the practice of SSCM, a case study was conducted. The concept of ‘environmental effectiveness’ is operationalized through the use of non-perceptual measures related to carbon emissions and evaluates the extent to which SSCM practices contribute towards climate stabilization, a key sustainability objective. It is found that those SSCM practices that have been shown to improve ‘environmental performance’ within the extant SSCM literature did not deliver ‘environmentally effective performance’ within the case study. This raises the possibility that the literature has mistaken reductions in unsustainability for sustainability proper and that we may need to go back to basics. The findings are discussed with reference to the sustainability paradigms framework and multiple opportunities for theory development within SSCM are explored.

Master of Agribusiness / Department of Agricultural Economics / Jason S. Bergtold / Location optimization of a new dairy processing plant is crucial given the significant capital investment of $350 million required to build the plant. Couple this with notable differences in milk and transportation costs due to location, an examination of historical Net Present Value (NPV) of Earnings Before Interest, Taxes, Depreciation and Amortization (EBITDA) adjusted by a discount rate of 3% is warranted to help determine the most optimal location for a new dairy processing plant investment. This thesis is an examination of historical EBITDA NPV for three locations: Dumas, TX, Sioux Falls, SD, and Lansing, MI in an effort to predict the optimal location of a future dairy processing plant. These locations were chosen due to each having the necessary milk supply that would both encourage milk production and support increases in dairy processing. Prices dairy processors receive for cheese can fluctuate but are not tied to the location in which the cheese is produced. Transportation costs of the cheese are determined by the distance to the processing plant from Plymouth, WI, which is where most further cheese processing takes place. Therefore, this thesis includes a sensitivity analysis for the Lansing, MI location to determine a breakeven milk cost and cheddar cheese price. The NPV was positive for the Dumas, TX location at $100 million as compared to (-$820) million and (-$247) million at the Sioux Falls, SD and Lansing, MI locations, respectively. The results indicate an emerging EBITDA NPV trend favoring the Lansing, MI location as indicated by this location having the best performance in the last two years (2016-2017) of $104 million compared to a negative performance at both of the other locations. The previous 8 years performance would favor the Dumas, TX location, however more weight was given to the past 2 years performance as an indicator for future economic returns. As a result, this thesis concludes the Lansing, MI location as the most favorable location for a new dairy processing investment.

Electrical and electronic equipment waste (e-waste) is growing fast. Due to its potential economic value as well as its possible negative impacts on the environment, tracing e-waste flow is a major concern for stakeholders of e-waste management. Especially, whether or not adequate amounts of electrical and electronic equipment waste (WEEE) flow into the designed recycling systems is a fundamental issue for sustainable operations. In this paper, we analyze how technical, market, and legislative factors influence the total amount of e-waste that is collected, recycled, exported and (legally and illegally) disposed off. We formulate the e-waste network flow model as a variational inequality problem. The results of the numerical examples highlight the importance of considering the interaction between the supply and the demand side for precious materials in policy-decisions. Low collection rates of e-waste lead to low profits for stakeholders and make it difficult to establish sustainable recycling operations. Increasing WEEE collection rates increases recyclers' profits; however, it only increases smelters' profits up to a certain limit, after which smelters cannot benefit further due to limited demand for precious materials. Furthermore, the results emphasize the importance of establishing international control regimes for WEEE flows and reveal possible negative consequences of the recent trend of dematerialization. More precisely, product dematerialization tends to decrease recyles' and smelters' profits as well as to increase the outflow of e-waste from the designated recycling system. (authors' abstract)