Driven by pressures from multiple stakeholders, supply chain transparency (SCT) has emerged as a phenomenon of increased interest. To address concerns about practices and processes at point of origin ...locations for raw materials in global supply chains, blockchain technology (BCT) has the potential to enhance SCT. Supply chain research has started to advance the field's understanding of SCT, but many questions remain, including how SCT should be conceptualized, how firms can effectively facilitate it, and the benefits of providing it, especially when BCT is utilized. The gaps suggest the need for fundamental theoretical development about the resources and capabilities underlying the development, application, and derived value of SCT. This research designed a case study around a BCT implementation project between a small artisan coffee producer and a startup BCT service provider. Using the resource orchestration perspective, the findings result in theoretical insights about how the mechanisms in structuring, bundling, and leveraging processes operate to offer SCT to stakeholders, and the value creation derived as a result.
End-to-end food traceability system for dairy products have been overlooked despite being important to everyone since they are consumed widely all over the world. In Vietnam, there is not much ...reliable traceability solution for domestic dairy brands that offers consumers the opportunity to self-validate their purchase. Thus, the authors are motivated to conduct a research on “How can technology such as Blockchain help address the food safety issues in the Vietnamese domestic dairy sector?” with the hope to contribute to new research development that have not been actively exploited but also to have practical benefits. This research is based on inductive approach with qualitative design using data gathered from multiple secondary sources. A framework combining blockchain and related technologies has been recommended specifically for the Vietnamese domestic dairy sector to address the food safety and traceability issues.
In recent years, with the growth of international trade and development of economies, the volume of container throughput at China's ports has grown rapidly. Yet, the business process for the Less ...Container Load (LCL) transport industry in most ports of China still remain complicated and inefficient. In this article, the authors see numerous opportunities for process improvement by integrating the information among the various actors using the blockchain concept. In this paper, the authors propose to build a LCL Export Platform (LEP) using the blockchain concept to optimize the LCL operations for international trading, by integrating and sharing information among forwarder agencies and their clients.
Musculoskeletal disease is a common cause of morbidity, but there is a paucity of musculoskeletal research focusing on paediatric populations, particularly in primary care settings. In particular, ...there is limited information on population consultation frequency in paediatric populations, and frequency varies by age and sex. Few studies have examined paediatric musculoskeletal consultation frequency for different body regions. The objective was to determine the annual consultation prevalence of regional musculoskeletal problems in children in primary care.
Musculoskeletal codes within the Read morbidity Code system were identified and grouped into body regions. Consultations for children aged three to seventeen in 2006 containing these codes were extracted from recorded consultations at twelve general practices contributing to a general practice consultation database (CiPCA). Annual consultation prevalence per 10,000 registered persons for the year 2006 was determined, stratified by age and sex, for problems in individual body regions.
Over 8 % (8.27%, 95% CI 7.86 to 8.68%) of the 16,862 children consulted with a musculoskeletal problem during 2006. Annual consultation prevalence for any musculoskeletal problem was significantly higher in males than females (male: female prevalence ratio 1.18, 95% CI 1.06 to 1.31). Annual consultation prevalence increased with age and the most common body regions consulted for were the foot, knee and back all of which had over 100 consultations (109, 104 and 101 respectively) per 10,000 persons per year.
This study provides new and detailed information on patterns of paediatric musculoskeletal consultations in primary care. Musculoskeletal problems in children are varied and form a significant part of the paediatric primary care workload. The findings of this study may be used as a resource for planning future studies.
Purpose:
This study aimed to assess the requirement of protein in pre-exercise carbohydrate drinks for optimal endurance performance at high intensity and post-exercise fatigue recovery.
Methods:
...Endurance performance at 85%
V
.
O
2
peak
of young men (age 20 ± 0.9 years,
V
.
2peak
49.3 ± 0.3 L/min) was measured for two consecutive days using cycling time to exhaustion and total work exerted 2 h after three isocaloric supplementations: RICE (50 g, protein: 1.8 g),
n
= 7; SOY + RICE (50 g, protein: 4.8 g),
n
= 7; and WHEY + RICE (50 g, protein: 9.2 g),
n
= 7.
Results:
Endurance performance was similar for the three supplemented conditions. Nevertheless, maximal cycling time and total exerted work from Day 1 to Day 2 were improved in the WHEY + RICE (+21%,
p
= 0.05) and SOY-RICE (+16%,
p
= 0.10) supplemented conditions, not the RICE supplemented condition. Increases in plasma interleukin-6 (IL-6) were observed 1 h after exercise regardless of supplemented conditions. Plasma creatine kinase remained unchanged after exercise for all three supplemented conditions. Increases in ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) after exercise were small and similar for the three supplemented conditions.
Conclusion:
Adding protein into carbohydrate drinks provides no immediate benefit in endurance performance and antioxidant capacity yet enhances fatigue recovery for the next day. Soy-containing carbohydrate drink, despite 50% less protein content, shows similar fatigue recovery efficacy to the whey protein-containing carbohydrate drink. These results suggest the importance of dietary nitrogen sources in fatigue recovery after exercise.
Omnichannel is an evolving business model that has been gaining increased popularity among retailers. This business model allows firms to use a variety of channels to interact with their customers ...and fulfill their orders. Customers can order online and pick up later in the store, or they can choose to have the products delivered from a nearby store. Due to the complexity of fulfilling customer orders via omnichannel models, positioning inventory is a key challenge in supporting this type of business model. This article presents a framework for assisting companies in deciding under what condition to centralize or decentralize their inventory to fulfill customer orders without disrupting the shopping experience.
Purpose
– The purpose of this paper is to identify global trends in the third-party logistics (3PL) industry, and with that to find out where the opportunities and challenges lie, what the critical ...success factors are, and how companies can position themselves well in China. As there is currently very limited knowledge about the 3PL industry in China, this study also intends to shed light in this area.
Design/methodology/approach
– The study is conducted through focus group interviews with senior executives of leading 3PL companies in China followed by a survey with 70 logistics companies.
Findings
– The key strengths of the logistics industry in China include numerous factors such as good connectivity and new infrastructure, while its main weaknesses are a shortage of qualified staff and slow adoption of technologies. There are a number of concerns and issues raised, such as lack of qualified staff, oversupply of warehousing space in China, competition from the influx of foreign 3PL companies to China, and regulations on free trade zones, seaports and airports, all of which may have policy implications.
Research limitations/implications
– As most of the logistics companies in the study are located and dominating in the Eastern and Southern China, it may be useful to conduct similar study in the new emerging western and central regions of China for comparison.
Practical implications
– Managers and investors will appreciate the challenges and opportunities in logistics services in China and have a better insight into Chinese logistics development.
Originality/value
– While China has been viewed as a cost effective place for manufacturing, the logistical costs in China are still very high as compared to other developed countries. This research will highlight the key reasons for the high logistical cost in China.
PurposeThe purpose of this study is to develop a framework for a freight consolidation company to adopt blockchain for the shipping community. Our research critically examine the challenges faced by ...a global shipping company that offer freight consolidation businesses and explore the use of Blockchain technology to enhance the competitiveness and sustainability of freight booking operations.Design/methodology/approachThis paper is a case study, ECU Worldwide, with focus on transforming their operations using blockchain technology for the freight booking industry. As the case is explorative in nature, the research aim to unearth the complex blockchain adoption phenomenon in the industry as the technology is very nascent at present. The research is primarily grounded on Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) theory.FindingsThe research finds that blockchain technology supports solving many issues and inefficiencies of global shipping operations but there are some barriers that they need to overcome. The research provides a framework and recommendations for global company to consider when considering Blockchain technology for implementation. Our research finding shows that smart contracts can be set up at critical points along with the shipment route namely the storage, customs, carrier, transporters and consignee stage to ensure greater security and transparency.Research limitations/implicationsThe research provides recommendations to key stakeholders involved in freight forwarding segment of logistics industry while adopting blockchain technology. Apart from the methodological limitation of the research, the research is limited to Singapore in terms of geographical coverage.Practical implicationsThe drivers and barriers identified in the study can give practitioners insight of using blockchain for the industry. The proposed framework can assist companies in the shipping industry to prepare themselves to adopt blockchain for the community.Originality/valueThis case study is the first of its kind to examine the use of blockchain to explore the adoption in logistics Industry in Singapore and perhaps worldwide.
Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to identify project management issues in a specific construction project in Saudi Arabia, highlighting its unique context.Design methodology approach - In the ...tradition of phenomenological research, a framework based deductive research approach is adopted where a structured questionnaire is used in one-to-one interview with project participants.Findings - This research highlights the interaction outcomes of human, project tool & methods, supply chain and finance affecting overall project execution and goes beyond to identify critical linkages in these interactions, including those that will need identification of skill sets required for the project manager's role, options approach and standardization of product and processes together with early involvement of diverse stakeholders in the project for their better execution through ex ante identification of project parameters requiring minimum changes.Practical implications - The final framework arrived at identifies various tradeoffs involved in project management in the idiosyncratic context of demanding client driving the project needs and internal resistance to change limiting flexibility in project execution. It focuses on deviations from international project execution standards, as found in large construction projects in the Middle East, specifically Saudi Arabia.Research limitations implications - The limitation of the research lies in arriving at generalizable findings based on the study of a single international hotel construction project, and not an industry-wide questionnaire survey which can, in future, refine and strengthen the framework developed.Originality value - A study in the context of Saudi Arabia is seldom reported in international journals although large turnkey construction project opportunities exist for international firms in this country and in the Middle East region.
E-commerce is experiencing strong global growth, and leading market is nowadays that of China, whether it is evaluated from the perspective of domestic market size or cross-border volumes. In this ...research work further understanding and knowledge is built from Chinese market using general choice algorithm (GCA) and two real-life case studies. The outcome of GCA model shows the list of the most preferable locations for e-commerce enterprise development. Findings of this study are also compared to two case studies of e-commerce entrance to Chinese market, where one of these two is operating in an omnichannel environment. Market entrance in these two was implemented through very simplified and centralized distribution structure, and using location of Shanghai. Actual operations are either outsourced or in-house produced. Cash on delivery (COD) is still the preferred payment method in e-commerce order fulfilment. One factor being rather important in case companies was distribution prices, where courier services all over the country play an important role. For logistics in general, and sea ports, research reveals that currently dominating areas of the Pearl and Yangtze River Delta face the challenge to some extent from other places of China as favourable locations for e-commerce and consumption are also at north and western parts.
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