No / This paper presents a stochastic automaton approach to stock ordering for retailers of time-limited goods, in the modern supply chain network. The rationale applied is that by ordering in small quantities frequently, overstocking will be reduced, capital liquidity improved and wastage limited. A consequence for the complete supply chain is that such an approach could substantially minimise the reactive bullwhip effect, leading to more efficient utilisation, production and agility throughout the chain. Such agility and flexibility can only be achieved by full integration of stock inventory monitoring technologies (such as RFID) with enterprise integration systems (such as ERP) connected to suppliers, mediated by the internet. We undertake a comparative simulation study of stock ordering using a stochastic automaton and a naive traditional approach. This shows that stochastic ordering, prompted by a stochastic automaton, exhibits characteristic properties that are a prerequisite for reducing the bullwhip effect, thus enabling agile inventory management.

Yes / Increasing reliance on digital technologies has led to a significant shift in how businesses operate, with many now relying heavily on digital platforms for effective planning, communication, sales, marketing, supply chain, and logistics management. In this context, knowledge sharing platforms enable academic–industry collaboration in which exchange of ideas, opinions, experience, and expertise brings collective intelligence in cooperative learning ecosystem thereby expediting decision making. However, establishing long-term commitment among the partners, allocation of time and resources for sharing tacit knowledge, collaboration among partners with different strategic priorities, and real-time knowledge sharing capabilities are essential for effective and rapid learning in knowledge sharing platforms. The present article will examine these benefits and challenges in knowledge sharing and its impact on supplier selection platforms in Asian automakers. The findings of this article will be helpful for researchers and practitioners intending to explore the role of cooperation in knowledge sharing and digital transformation amid competitive environment prevalent in the automotive industry. The potential supplier database is first examined for qualifying the capability requirements put forth in this article and further prioritized using a multicriteria decision-making technique and analytic hierarchy process. The article results reveal that the manufacturer has highly prioritized firms’ financial transparency for supplier evaluation followed by the suppliers’ cost control, quality control, and manufacturing capabilities. The article has significant theoretical and practical implications for developing robust supplier evaluation criteria for automobile industry and a digital ecosystem for original equipment manufacturers in making supplier related decisions.

Food waste in agricultural production is a key topic in sustainability studies. The goal of this study was to look at the structural elements that contribute to food waste of fruits and vegetables and provide solutions to solve the multifaceted problem based on what the role of distributors is in that matter. The study was founded on the philosophy of sustainability and justice, and it used a qualitative technique that included interviews with farmers and stakeholders from France. The findings indicate that economic profitability, environmental effect, social fairness, and policy governance are all interrelated causes of food waste in agricultural supply chains. Organizations may utilize these insights to create strategies for minimizing food waste, encouraging responsible consumption, production, and valorization, and creating more fair and sustainable agricultural systems.

<p dir="ltr">The purpose of this study is to develop the attributes of an undersea aid cache network and validate its efficacy in reducing the number of dead and injured in island natural disasters. This study addresses the problem of island nations experiencing three times the dead and injured as continental nations during natural disasters due to easily disrupted and limited logistics. Employing a mixed-method approach, the qualitative portions of the study include a systematic literature review and case study analysis. The quantitative portions of the study include populating a novel disaster database, applying statistical analysis, executing a suitability assessment, and running design efficacy experiments using a simulation model representative of the disaster database. The study concludes with a review of existing patents to identify an optimal combination of designs for the caches and specify research foci for further investment.</p><p dir="ltr">Despite a comparative advantage in sea assets, the findings show that islands overly rely on air resupply and underuse sea-based pre-positioned stocks. The study also finds that a network of Undersea Aid Modules (UAMs) could reduce casualties in isolated island areas if fielded in sufficient quantities and capable of longevity, survivability, and recovery. Lastly, the study reviews existing patents for UAM design requirements and highlights gaps for investment. A key research limitation is that the study does not develop a prototype and simulations cannot replicate full, real-world application. Practical implications include a novel alternative to current resupply methods and identified gaps for further study. The paper’s value and originality center on an island-unique analysis of disaster logistics absent in most studies. The study will reveal previously unidentified gaps and a design solution to improve island disaster outcomes.</p><p dir="ltr"><i>Keywords:</i> Disaster logistics, cache, pre-positioned stocks, sea-basing, island, casualty reduction</p>

Thesis (MBA)--Stellenbosch University, 2014. / Access to markets is an essential requirement for smallholder farmer development. The limited access to formal value chains for smallholder farmers in South Africa is a key challenge that is facing both public and private value chain actors. Despite the substantial investments by government, the performance of smallholder farmers in South Africa remains poor. Several studies have been done to understand the key challenges facing smallholder farmer value chain integration. This study takes a unique view by understanding the challenges and opportunities facing farmer integration from a public and private stakeholder perspective, specifically analysing the Western Cape. The study showed that the most influential constraints for smallholder farmer value chain integration are access to informal and formal markets, resources and infrastructure, and the functioning of local institutions. The study also showed that the key opportunities to improve value chain integrations are in improving the non-financial and financial support provided to smallholder farmers. The results of the study are in line with the value chain theory around integration of smaller producers.

OCP est une grande entreprise marocaine spécialisée dans l’extraction de minerai de phosphate, cette entreprise a élargi ses activités vers la production de fertilisants phosphatés selon un processus de transformation chimique. Dans le cadre de notre recherche, nous nous intéressons au pilotage économique d’une chaine logistique hybride (la plateforme chimique Jorf). Cette chaine logistique est constituée d’un ensemble articulé de chaine logistique discrète et chaine logistique continue organisant les processus de transformation du fournisseur jusqu’au client final. Les chaînes logistiques hybrides combinent des processus discrets et continus. Dans un premier temps, nous nous sommes focalisé sur la représentation du fonctionnement physique. Donc, un modèle de simulation qui permet de reproduire ce fonctionnement a été réalisé à partir de la cartographie de processus que nous avons fait. La technique de Modélisation / Simulation mobilisable dans le cadre de la modélisation de ce type de chaîne logistique est la Simulation à Événements Discrets (SED) qui permet de reproduire le fonctionnement opérationnel de la CLH.En travaillant à la commande, ceci implique un contrôle de gestion spécifique avec une définition d’un référentiel dynamique qui va dépendre du modèle de simulation. Ce référentiel est utilisable par le système interactif d’aide à la décision (SIAD) du contrôle de gestion afin d’améliorer la prise de décision. Donc, il faut, ensuite, mesurer l’impact économique, évaluer les alternatives décisionnelles et analyser les écarts. Pour ce faire, il faut s’appuyer sur une comptabilité de gestion fondée sur une seconde modélisation / simulation afin de proposer un modèle de coût. Cette seconde simulation, repose sur une représentation plus fine des processus dans une perspective de reporting financier périodique et doit permettre de mieux apprécier les inducteurs de coûts. Dans ce contexte, nous avons choisi la méthode de valorisation Activity Based Costing (ABC). En outre, dans la cartographie des processus, chaque étape de production impliquant un changement de processus et contribuant à son discrétisation représente un événement déclencheur mettant en évidence un inducteur de coût. Nous avons ainsi traité chaque processus au niveau de la Business Unit (BU) "acide" et au niveau de la BU "engrais" afin de déterminer les inducteurs utilisés pour répartir les dépenses. Notre modèle ABC sert donc à mesurer la création de valeur pour chacun des BUs de la CLH et il est capable de prendre en compte toutes les sorties et entrées de chaque entité de traitement.Par la suite, notre but est d’explorer l’intégration de la notion de coût dans le modèle de simulation. La limite de la simulation à événements discrets se manifeste dans le niveau d'informations fourni sur les coûts. Pour évaluer les coûts de production, et l'influence de la diversité de scénario de production, les coûts variables doivent être inclus. Ceci peut être fourni par la combinaison de la simulation à événements discrets avec la méthode ABC. Donc, nous avons proposé une approche qui sera mise en œuvre dans le contexte de la CLH de l’OCP. Cette approche va prendre en compte le couplage entre ABC et SED avec toutes les règles de traduction pour pouvoir, à partir du système de contrôle de gestion existant qui est associé à des centres de coûts par entité fonctionnelle, passer à des BUs orientées processus industriels. Elle va également nous permettre de structurer les indicateurs de performance du flux physique et financier sous la forme d’un tableau de bord / OCP SA is Morocco’s largest company. It is widely considered as owning some 60% of phosphate world reserves and is engaged in a process of Supply Chain control. Initially specialized in phosphate ore extraction, OCP SA has expanded, few years ago, its activities to include production of phosphate fertilizers using chemical processing. Under our research project, we focus on economic management of OCP’s Hybrid Supply chain (HSC). A HSC comprises multiple interrelated discrete and continuous processes together forming an integrated process from the supplier down to the end customer. In such a system, the production rationale includes both batch and flow models. Each discrete or continuous process seeks to capture part of the value created by the organizational collaboration performed either in internal supply chains made up of business unit or in external ones made up of legally independent entities.At first, we focused on the representation of physical functioning. So a simulation model that allows us to reproduce this functioning has been done from the process mapping we have done. The modeling / Simulation technique mobilized in the modeling framework of this type of supply chain is the Discrete Event Simulation (DES) which allows reproducing the operational functioning of the HSCBy working on the command, this implies a specific management control with a definition of a dynamic repository that will depend on the simulation model. This repository can be used by the interactive decision support system of management control in order to improve decision-making. Therefore, we must measure the economic impact, evaluate the decision-making alternatives and analyze the gaps. To do this, it is necessary to rely on a management accounting based on a second modeling / simulation in order to propose a cost model. This second simulation relies on a finer representation of the processes in a perspective of periodic financial reporting and must allow better appreciate the cost drivers. In this context, we have chosen the Activity Based Costing (ABC) method. In addition, in process mapping, each production step involving a process change and contributing to its discretization represents a triggering event highlighting a cost driver. We have thus processed each process at the level of the "acid" BU and at the level of the "fertilizer" BU to determine the inductors used to allocate the expenses. Our ABC model is therefore used to measure the value creation for each BUs of the HSC and it is able to take into account all the outputs and inputs of each processing entity.Later, our aim is to explore the integration of the notion of cost in the simulation model. The limit of the discrete event simulation is manifested in the level of information provided on costs. To assess production costs, and the influence of the diversity of production scenario, variable costs must be included. This can be provided by the combination of the discrete event simulation with the ABC method. So we have proposed an approach that will be implemented in the context of the OCP HSC. This approach will take into account the coupling between ABC and SED with all the translation rules to can, from the existing management control system that is associated with a functional unit cost centers, go to the BUs oriented industrial processes. It will also enable us to structure the physical and financial flow performance indicators in the form of a scorecard

O cenário atual dos sistemas alimentares mostra uma tendência generalizada ao alongamento das cadeias agroalimentares e à concentração dos setores de distribuição. No entanto, multiplicam-se experiências locais que propõem formas alternativas de distribuir e consumir alimentos, reconhecendo o papel da agricultura familiar no desenvolvimento de sistemas alimentares mais sustentáveis. Estas iniciativas, sejam elas oriundas da sociedade civil ou reguladas por políticas públicas, promovem a redução da distância tanto geográfica quanto relacional entre produtores e consumidores. A noção de circuito curto de comercialização instiga reflexões sobre as diferentes dimensões da proximidade e a relocalização do abastecimento alimentar. Entende-se por circuito curto as modalidades de comercialização nas quais há, no máximo, um intermediário entre o produtor e o consumidor final. Nosso estudo procurou focalizar em alguns aspectos relativos à inserção de agricultores familiares em circuitos curtos de comercialização, examinando a experiência de cinco grupos de agricultores no estado de São Paulo, nas regiões de Piracicaba e do Pontal do Paranapanema. Diferentes modalidades de circuito curto compõem o espectro da pesquisa: venda direta no sítio, venda ambulante, feira livre, feira do produtor, varejão municipal, grupos de consumidores organizados e os mercados institucionais regulados pelo Programa Nacional de Alimentação Escolar (PNAE) e pelo Programa de Aquisição de Alimentos (PAA). O objetivo foi entender quais são os arranjos desenvolvidos pelos agricultores em termos de sistema agrícola, de organização do trabalho e de relações sociais. O levantamento dos dados fundou-se em revisões bibliográficas, realização de observações participantes e entrevistas semi-dirigidas com agricultores inseridos em circuitos curtos. Em primeiro lugar, tratou-se de caracterizar o funcionamento dos diversos circuitos curtos estudados, para poder em seguida evidenciar as estratégias que os agricultores desenvolvem. A pesquisa mostrou que a busca por uma diversidade de alimentos comercializados não se traduz necessariamente por uma diversidade dentro dos agroecossistemas. Identificamos três estratégias adotadas pelos agricultores: a diversificação dentro dos sistemas agrícolas, a revenda de produtos de terceiros e o processamento de alimentos. Além disto, a inserção em circuitos curtos supõe que o agricultor assuma uma série de funções e domine uma série de competências que não se restringem às atividades produtivas. O tempo de trabalho adicional da venda direta requer uma reorganização do trabalho, que se baseia muitas vezes na repartição das tarefas dentro da família agrícola ou de organizações coletivas de produtores. A diversidade das relações sociais tecidas entre os produtores, com os consumidores e com agentes para-agrícolas mostra que o acesso aos mercados, inclusive dos circuitos curtos, depende em grande medida de redes sociais sólidas. Por fim, os circuitos curtos não necessariamente promovem o fortalecimento e reconhecimento da agricultura familiar local quando não há diferenciação de seus produtos em relação àqueles advindos dos mercados atacadistas. Com efeito, nestes circulam mercadorias de todas as origens cujos preços nem sempre refletem as condições locais de produção. A informação e formação dos agentes sociais envolvidos (consumidores finais, gestores públicos e atores da sociedade civil) são fundamentais para garantir que os circuitos curtos de comercialização constituam de fato uma alternativa aos sistemas alimentares dominantes. / The current scenario of agri-food systems shows a general tendency to everlengthening food supply chain and concentration of distribution channels. However, local experiences are spreading, offering alternative ways to distribute and consume food, recognizing the role of family farming in developing more sustainable food systems. These initiatives, whether coming from civil society or regulated by public policies, aim at reducing geographical and relational distance between producers and consumers. The notion of short food supply chains stirs reflection on the different dimensions of proximity and on the relocalization of food supply. Short food supply chains are understood to be marketing arrangements in which there is, at most, one intermediary between the producer and the final consumer. Our study focuses on certain aspects of the inclusion of family farmers in short marketing channels, looking at the experience of five groups of farmers in the São Paulo State, in the region of Piracicaba and Pontal do Paranapanema. Different types of short food supply chains compose the spectrum of this research: direct selling, street markets, farmers markets, regulated street markets, organized groups of consumers and institutional markets regulated by the National School Feeding Program (PNAE) and the Food Acquisition Program (PAA). The objective was to understand the arrangements developed by farmers in terms of agricultural system, work organization and social relations. Data collection was based on literature reviews, participant observations and semi-structured interviews with farmers involved. The functioning of the various short marketing channels was characterized in order to highlight the strategies developed by the farmers. Our research showed that the need for a diverse array of products does not necessarily lead to diversity within agroecosystems. Three strategies were identified: diversifying the farming system, resale of products and food processing. Furthermore, when taking part in short food supply chains, farmers undertake a number of functions and masters a set of skills that are not restricted to productive activity. The additional working time caused by direct selling requires reorganizing the work force, which often leads to division of tasks within the family or within collective producer organizations. The diversity of social relations woven between producers, with consumers and with local agents of agriculture-related organizations, shows that access to markets, including short marketing channels, depends largely on strong social networks. As a conclusion, short food supply chains do not necessarily contribute to the strengthening and recognition of local family farming when there is no differentiation of their products, in relation to those coming from wholesale markets. Indeed, the goods that circulate through wholesale markets come are from unknown origin and their prices do not always reflect the local conditions of production. The information and training of social agents involved (final consumers, public servants and civil society actors) are essential to ensure that short food supply chains constitute indeed an alternative to dominant food systems.

Supply chain disruptions are detrimental to the performance of companies due to the associated loss of profitability and reduced sustainability. In 2016, organizations lost at least $1.2 million in a single supply chain disruption. Guided by the contingency theory of fit, the purpose of this exploratory multiple case study was to explore the strategies agribusiness managers use to prevent and mitigate the effects of disruptions in the agro-food supply chains. A total of 5 purposefully-selected agribusiness managers from Harare, Zimbabwe participated in semistructured interviews. Participants were senior agribusiness managers who implemented successful strategies for preventing and mitigating the effects of disruptions in agro-food supply chains. Three themes emerged from the thematic analysis of interview data and review of organizational documents: collaboration among supply chain partners, business continuity management, and the use of a multiple supplier base. Agribusiness managers must first understand the sources of disruption risk, assess the impact of the risk, and then select an appropriate strategy based on the level of uncertainty and risk. By managing the risks effectively, managers can improve the performance and competitiveness of their businesses. The implications for positive social change may include a reduction in supply chain costs, provision of better services and products to consumers, and lower prices of agro-food products to consumers which could lead to an improvement in the lives of consumers.

Game theory and mechanism design have emerged as an important tool to model, analyze,and solve decentralized design problems involving multiple agents that interact strategically in a rational and intelligent way. Some examples of these design problems include: auctions and markets in electronic commerce; network economics; dynamic pricing; routing protocols in wireless networks; resource allocation in computational grids; algorithms for selfish agents;etc. The motivation for this doctoral work springs from the high level of current interest indesigning innovative mechanisms for solving emerging game theoretic problems in the area of electronic commerce. In this thesis, we focus on three such problems and advance the current art in mechanism design while developing new, innovative mechanisms to solve the problems. The first problem we explore is the highly strategic problem of forming a high value E-business supply chain by choosing the best mix of supply chain partners. In our research, we formulate the supply chain formation problem as a mechanism design problem in a generic wayand show that the well known VCG (Vickrey-Clarke-Groves) mechanisms provide an apt frame-work for solving this problem. We provide a compelling example of a three stage automotive distribution network to illustrate the power and e±cacy of the proposed methodology. The second problem we model and solve is that of designing a revenue maximizing sponsored search auction. This is a problem that is faced by every Internet search engine, such as Google,MSN, and Yahoo!, whenever it receives a search query. In our research, we take a comprehensivelook at existing auction mechanisms for this problem. Our work leads to an innovative new auction mechanism, which we call OPT (optimal mechanism), that exhibits a superior level ofperformance. The proposed mechanism extends, in a non-trivial way, the well known Myersonoptimal auction to the specific setting of sponsored search auctions. The proposed mechanism maximizes the revenue to the search engine and also satisfies two crucial properties, Bayesian incentive compatibility and interim individual rationality. The third contribution is in respect of Stackelberg problems, which are game theoretic problems that involve hierarchical and sequential decision making. By focusing attention on an important subclass of these problems, namely the Single-Leader-Rest-Followers (SLRF) problems, we extend all relevant aspects of classical mechanism design theory to the case of SLRF problems. We derive many important results in respect of procurement auctions with reserve prices using the developed theory. The research carried out as part of this doctoral work, we believe, advances the current art in mechanism design while developing innovative mechanisms to solve those problems.

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