•84 papers have been reviewed and classified.•Reviewed papers are classified into Autonomous, Smart Logistics and Smart Warehouse.•Explained the challenges in optimization with the applications of ...smart technology.•Identified future research.
The emergence of smart technologies (STs) is inducing significant transformation in logistics and transport nowadays. STs refer to the applications of artificial intelligence and data science technologies, such as machine learning, big data, to create cognitive awareness (autonomous) of an object with the support of information and communication technologies such as IoT and Blockchain. Currently, many applications of STs have demonstrated potential promise in enhancing the efficiency and effectiveness in various logistics operations and transportation systems. Further, these new advanced technologies create huge modelling challenges to traditional optimization approaches and thus create rich new research opportunities for developing new optimization methodologies in the field of logistics and transport studies. As such, our aim is to conduct a comprehensive review on noteworthy contributions made in the applications of STs in improving logistics operations and transportation network efficiency. More importantly, we explore and discuss the technical difficulties encountered by researchers in the development of optimization methodologies caused by the applications of STs. Finally, we conclude the studies with suggestions for future research.
•This paper examines the use of mean–variance (MV) theory for risk analysis in global supply chains.•It focuses on the global supply chain operations in the presence of air logistics.•The benefits of ...blockchain technology on implementing MV risk analysis are explored.•A future research agenda for the application of MV theory is proposed.
Supply chain operations have entered the digital era with the emergence of blockchain technology. In this paper, we discuss how the mean–variance (MV) approach can be applied to explore global supply chain operations risk with air logistics in the blockchain technology era. To be specific, we examine the related literature from four areas, namely air-logistics operations, demand management, supply management, and supply-demand coordination. We propose how the blockchain technology can be applied to facilitate the implementation of mean-variance risk analysis for global supply chain operations. We then highlight several promising areas for further studies. A future research agenda is developed.
Under COVID‐19 outbreak, retail operations are seriously threatened. There are lots of cases in which physical stores basically have to stop operating. This creates problems to the firm, its ...employees, and consumers. Recently, Timberland in Hong Kong and various other brands such as Joyce Boutiques and The North Face have established the “WhatsApp Shopping Service Operation” (WSO) in which consumers can shop by using the well‐established communication tool “WhatsApp.” Salespeople in stores provide services via WhatsApp to assist the consumers without them having to visit the stores. We collect primary data from real‐world cases and theoretically explore WSO. We build a standard consumer utility based model to derive the firm's optimal pricing and employment decisions under different cases. We evaluate the impacts of COVID‐19 and values of WSO implementation from the “Worker‐Consumer‐Company” (WCC) welfare perspective. Our results interestingly imply that WSO is superior to the traditional online channel in terms of keeping business under the pandemic; meanwhile, implementing WSO can help stimulate demand in the physical store under COVID‐19. However, whether WSO is effective to help increase the firm's profit and WCC welfare depends on both consumer type' distribution and consumers’ fear of infection. When consumers’ fear of infection is very polarized (i.e., extremely low or high), WSO is not recommended. We further propose that the government's subsidy for WSO implementation could be an effective way to help the firm improve its profit and WCC welfare. We also check the robustness of our study by extending the model to consider endogenous consumer type, endogenous service level, and WCC‐welfare‐oriented firm.
The recent outbreak of Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19) has posed serious threats and challenges to global supply chain management (GSCM). To survive the crisis, it is critical to rethink the ...proper setting of global supply chains and reform many related operational strategies. We hence attempt to reform the GSCM from both supply and demand sides considering different pandemic stages (i.e., pre, during, and post‐pandemic stages). In this research paper, we combine a careful literature review with real‐world case studies to examine the impacts and specific challenges brought by the pandemic to global supply chains. We first classify the related literature from the demand and supply sides. Based on the insights obtained, we search publicly available information and report real practices of GSCM under COVID‐19 in nine top global enterprises. To achieve responsiveness, resilience, and restoration (3Rs), we then propose the “GREAT‐3Rs” framework, which shows the critical issues and measures for reforming GSCM under the three pandemic stages. In particular, the “GREAT” part of the framework includes five critical domains, namely, “government proactive policies and measures,” “redesigning global supply chains,” “economic and financing strategies under risk,” “adjustment of operations,” and “technology adoption,” to help global enterprises to survive the pandemic; “3Rs” are the outputs that can be achieved after using the “GREAT” strategies under the three pandemic stages. Finally, we establish a future research agenda from five aspects.
Rechargeable lithium batteries have ushered the wireless revolution over last two decades and are now matured to enable green automobiles. However, the growing concern on scarcity and large-scale ...applications of lithium resources have steered effort to realize sustainable sodium-ion batteries, Na and Fe being abundant and low-cost charge carrier and redox centre, respectively. However, their performance is limited owing to low operating voltage and sluggish kinetics. Here we report a hitherto-unknown material with entirely new composition and structure with the first alluaudite-type sulphate framework, Na2Fe2(SO4)3, registering the highest-ever Fe(3+)/Fe(2+) redox potential at 3.8 V (versus Na, and hence 4.1 V versus Li) along with fast rate kinetics. Rare-metal-free Na-ion rechargeable battery system compatible with the present Li-ion battery is now in realistic scope without sacrificing high energy density and high power, and paves way for discovery of new earth-abundant sustainable cathodes for large-scale batteries.
The analytic hierarchy process (AHP) has been widely applied in the last four decades, and a fuzzy logic version, the fuzzy AHP (FAHP), has also been employed in many studies since its formulation. ...However, it is not clear whether the FAHP is better than the AHP in terms of quality of the solution. First, the study demonstrates that the FAHP can provide a different solution than the AHP, regardless of which solution is better. However, it is also shown that such a difference does not provide an additional advantage over the AHP when a decision is proposed. Although the FAHP is a well-proven method, this study provides an insight on its practical applicability.
•This paper studies the conditions when there is difference between FAHP and AHP.•Analytical based computational study is conducted to explore the conditions.•Two necessary conditions for applying triangular fuzzy numbers in AHP are verified.•A real world case is applied to illustrate the proposed research implication.
ABSTRACT
Our work is motivated by the increasing demand in the aviation sector and simultaneously aggravated poor punctuality. The airlines play an important role in improving their service level and ...mitigate the profit risks incurred due to their poor resources planning. However, to identify and mitigate operational risks faced by the airlines is complicated, as they are coming from both internal and external factors. Due to the realistic nature, we explore the flying time characteristics, and further model the consecutive interdependent departure‐arrival times. It is a key feature included in this study that has not been studied in literature. We characterize the flying time of each flight by the heteroscedastic regression model. The analytical closed‐form for the recursive relationship of the expected departure and arrival times of connective flight legs is then carried out. Accordingly, we propose a novel data‐driven bicriteria mathematical model in which the interdependent structures of the departure and arrival times of the consecutive flights is incorporated into the robust optimization. A column generation‐based algorithm is developed to solve the proposed model. We find that, for more than 23% of the flights explored, the expected flying times are significantly influenced by its actual departure times. The real‐data based computational examples identify that our proposed model sufficiently improves the reliability of the crew pairings decisions by reducing the total deviated time from the schedules with a slight increase of the total basic crew operations cost. Some managerial implications for robust crew pairing and determination of robustness level are discussed as well.
In the Industry 4.0 era, implementing advanced technologies to enhance platform operations is crucial. Motivated by the importance of platforms and the wide implementation of Industry 4.0-related ...advanced technologies, we conduct this study on platform operations. Specifically, the platforms discussed herein are classified into (pure) product selling platforms and service platforms. We identify the platform-related operational issues in four categories: 1) the use of information, 2) operating/manufacturing processes, 3) decision support, and 4) consumer behavior and marketing. Based on the examined real-world practices and reviewed prior studies, we propose the novel "3As" framework to indicate how platforms should "adopt" advanced technologies to "address" operational issues to "achieve" outcomes. In addition, the "3As" framework uncovers possible platform innovations with three extended developments. Finally, we present a future agenda for further studies on the use of advanced technologies in platform operations. This article contributes to the operations and engineering management literature by generating insights regarding the implementation of advanced technologies in platform operations in the Industry 4.0 era.
In green supply chains, many small manufacturers are troubled by both operating and green innovation capital constraints. Despite the importance, green supply chain finance (GSCF) is still ...under-explored. This study investigates two internal collaborative GSCF schemes namely the partial credit guarantees scheme (PCG) and the deferred payments with bank trade credit financing scheme (DP-with-BTCF), as well as an external investment scheme (EI), to analytically explore (i) the optimal role that the supplier should play in internal schemes (i.e., guarantor or creditor) and (ii) the preferences of the manufacturer on the internal and external schemes. First, we interestingly find that compared with the no-capital-constraint scenario, the manufacturer will reduce its green investments even with the financial assistance provided by the supplier. However, the manufacturer may order more no matter whether the supplier takes the role of guarantor or creditor as the repayment responsibility of the manufacturer is limited. Second, we counter-intuitively find that although the supplier needs to bear the whole bankruptcy risk when acting as a creditor (i.e., using DP-with-BTCF), it maybe still promising owing to the increased manufacturer ordering quantity. Third, whether the manufacturer prefers internal or external financing schemes is shown to depend on bank interests and the manufacturer’s revenue sharing ratio with external investors. Last, we explore the conditions under which the supplier and manufacturer have the same or different preferences on the financing schemes, which can derive useful insights for practitioners when designing GSCF schemes.
Over the past decades, we have witnessed the rapid development of giant fashion brands in the retail market which inspires a lot of operational research (OR) studies in fashion retail supply chains ...(FRSCs). In fact, FRSCs are highly consumer-demand driven and face many operational challenges coming from high demand and supply side uncertainties. Realizing the significance of fashion retail supply chain management (FRSCM) and a lack of comprehensive review on the topic, we develop this paper which examines the operational models on FRSCM in the mainstream OR literature. We organize this review systematically with respect to the core functional areas of FRSCs, namely the manufacturer, retailer, consumer, and fashion retail supply chain system. In each functional area, insights regarding the related studies as well as the specific OR model features and assumptions are generated. Finally, we conclude the review by summarizing the major findings and proposing promising future research areas (from both OR modeling and practical perspectives).
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