Andrea Genovese

Applications of agent-based models for optimization problems: A literature review

Agent based models (ABM) have been recently applied to solve optimization problems whose domains present several inter-related components in a distributed and heterogeneous environment. In this work we illustrate the state of the art related to the use and to the application of ABM as optimization technique, given their peculiarity in dealing with the representation and the simulation of complex systems. After a description of the approach and a comparison with classical heuristics, an extensive review aimed at evaluating the impact of these methodologies in the Operational Research/Management Science literature is provided.

Greener supplier selection: state of the art and some empirical evidence

In recent years, an increasing environmental awareness has favoured the emergence of the new green supply chain paradigm; thus, also in the supplier selection problem, green criteria were incorporated. The aim of this paper is twofold. First, a careful scrutiny of the papers appearing in international scientific journals in recent years on the greener supplier selection problem is provided, highlighting utilised methodologies and current issues; second, a verification of the penetration of environmental and green criteria for the supplier selection in corporate practice is performed, using a questionnaire survey targeting the top 100 manufacturing companies operating in South Yorkshire (UK) and two in-depth interviews at large MNE firms operating in complex industries. Results show that, while interest in the literature is growing, there is little empirical evidence of the transfer of these applications into the real world, highlighting a persistent dichotomy between theory and practice. The reasons for this dichotomy are also investigated.

Decarbonising product supply chains: design and development of an integrated evidence-based decision support system – the supply chain environmental analysis tool (SCEnAT)

Based upon an increasing academic and business interest in greening the industrial supply chains, this paper establishes the need for a state-of-the-art decision support system (DSS) for carbon emissions accounting and management, mainly across the product supply chains by identifying methodological shortcomings in existing tools, and proposing a supply chain (SC) framework which provide businesses with a holistic understanding of their supply chains and ensuring partners within supply chain collaborative networks have a shared understanding of their emissions. It describes the design and development of a DSS now known as supply chain environmental analysis tool (SCEnAT) in detail, putting its unique and innovative features into a comparative perspective vis-à-vis existing tools and software of different types. The methodological framework used to design and develop SCEnAT integrates different individual techniques/methods of supply chain (SC) mapping, SC carbon accounting, SC interventions and SC interventions evaluation on a range of key performance indicators (KPIs). These individual methods have been used and applied innovatively to the challenge of designing SCEnAT within the desired framework. Finally, we demonstrate the application of SCEnAT, especially the advantage of using a robust carbon accounting methodology, to a SC case study. The SCEnAT framework pushes the theoretical boundary by addressing the problems of intra-organisational approach in decision making for lowering carbon along the supply chain; with an open innovation, cutting edge, hybridised framework that considers the supply chain as a whole in co-decision making for lowering carbon along the supply chain with the most robust methodology of hybrid life cycle analysis (LCA) that considers direct and indirect emissions and interventional performance evaluation for low carbon technology investment and business case building in order to adapt and mitigate climate change problems. This research has implications for future sustainability research in SC, decisions science, management theory, practice and policy.

Benchmarking carbon emissions performance in supply chains

Purpose – The paper aims to develop a benchmarking framework to address issues such as supply chain complexity and visibility, geographical differences and non-standardized data, ensuring that the entire supply chain environmental impact (in terms of carbon) and resource use for all tiers, including domestic and import flows, are evaluated. Benchmarking has become an important issue in supply chain management practice. However, challenges such as supply chain complexity and visibility, geographical differences and non-standardized data have limited the development of approaches for evaluating performances of product supply chains. This industry-level benchmarking approach ensures that individual firms can compare their carbon emissions against other similarly structured firms. Design/methodology/approach – Benchmarking has become an important issue in supply chain management practice. However, challenges such as supply chain complexity and visibility, geographical differences and non-standardized data hav...

Exploring the challenges in implementing supplier environmental performance measurement models: a case study

This study aims to explore the challenges associated with implementing supplier environmental performance measurement models in context of a global supply chain. After a thorough literature review on the topic, a case study-based research methodology is adopted to investigate the real-life perspective of the issues encountered while evaluating the supplier performance in a sustainable supply chain. An in-depth study of one of the biggest fast-moving consumer goods companies in UK is discussed and analysed in this paper. Findings of this research will pave the way for developing a robust, efficient and usable environmental performance measurement framework in a supply chain.

A Critical Analysis of Current Indexes for Digital Divide Measurement

Several composite indexes grouping several variables into a single figure have been proposed for measuring the digital divide. In this article, the authors analyze shortcomings of extant indexes. Using multivariate analysis tools, they show that in the definition of composite indexes it is possible to individuate a limited set of more influencing and significant variables. This finding suggests the possibility of replacing some redundant variables with other dimensions that include other aspects of the digital divide that are not considered in extant measures.

Using FAHP to determine the criteria for partner's selection within a green supply chain

Purpose – The criteria selection of green suppliers is an interesting and practical research topic. With the development and consciousness of environmental management, this issue has received a significant consideration from academics, researchers and businessmen. The purpose of this paper is to study what factors are considered to be the most important when choosing partners/suppliers in a green supply chain, with reference to the Taiwanese hand tool industry, as this industry plays a major role in the Taiwanese economy.Design/methodology/approach – Inheriting from previous researches, the literature about green supplier selection that appeared in international journals from 1997 to 2009 was reviewed. Then, the integrating fuzzy analytical hierarchy process (FAHP) approach is proposed to select the most important criteria for green supplier selection in the Taiwanese hand tool industry.Findings – Ultimately, a list of criteria, along with their priority levels, is presented, not only to support Taiwanese...

A Mathematical Model for the Optimization of the Airport Check-In Service Problem

Abstract This work deals with the proposal of some optimization models for airports check-in services. The aim is to decide the optimal number of check-in gates to open for departing flights, in such a way to balance the operative costs of the service and the passenger waiting time at the terminal. We propose new models for this problem, which presents strong similarities with some well known combinatorial optimization models. We show the complexity of the models and computational results based on a real case study.

An application of hybrid life cycle assessment as a decision support framework for green supply chains

In an effort to achieve sustainable operations, green supply chain management has become an important area for firms to concentrate on due to its inherent involvement with all the processes that provide foundations to successful business. Modelling methodologies of product supply chain environmental assessment are usually guided by the principles of life cycle assessment (LCA). However, a review of the extant literature suggests that LCA techniques suffer from a wide range of limitations that prevent a wider application in real-world contexts; hence, they need to be incorporated within decision support frameworks to aid environmental sustainability strategies. Thus, this paper contributes in understanding and overcoming the dichotomy between LCA model development and the emerging practical implementation to inform carbon emissions mitigation strategies within supply chains. Therefore, the paper provides both theoretical insights and a practical application to inform the process of adopting a decision support framework based on a LCA methodology in a real-world scenario. The supply chain of a product from the steel industry is considered to evaluate its environmental impact and carbon ‘hotspots’. The study helps understanding how operational strategies geared towards environmental sustainability can be informed using knowledge and information generated from supply chain environmental assessments, and for highlighting inherent challenges in this process.

Capacity management in public service facility networks: a model, computational tests and a case study

In this work, we present a mathematical model to support location decisions oriented to rationalize facility systems in non-competitive contexts. In order to test the model, computational results are shown and an application to a real-world case study, concerning the Higher Education system in an Italian region, is discussed.