Stage 3 Supply Chain Structure

Organization of a company s logistics activities, therefore, must be dynamic, continually adjusting to these changing forces. 

We see the initiative for supply chain improvement coming from a sponsor firm. The sponsor firm may be a dominant player in tiie supply chain or one with a major stake in the project s success. It should have completed the preparation steps we described earlier in this section. It will likely be somewhere in the process of developing and implementing its supply chain strategy. Indeed, it may have already completed internal restructuring tasks. 

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Aviv (2002a) used the framework described here to devise inventory control policies for various types of two-stage supply chain structures that face demand processes with early market signals. The demand process considered by Aviv (2002a) is more complex than (10.23), allowing both the retailer and the supplier observe signals (i.e., U-values) about future demands, starting from several periods in advance. We shall provide more details on Aviv s model in 5. 

The supply chain structure is the network of members and the links between members of the supply chain. Business processes are the activities that produce a specific output of value to the customer. The management components are the managerial variables by which the business processes are integrated and managed across the supply chain. In combination, the SCM definition and this new framework move the SCM philosophy to its next evolutionary stage. 

This investigation assumes manufacturers will recycle, reuse, and refurbish the EOL products though the RC process. The EOL product collection includes product recycling from customers or used product markets. Any EOL products which cannot be used or recycled will leave the supply chain via disposal process. Thus, a multi-stage and multi-factory closed-loop supply chain structure will be formed as in Fig. 1. 

As shown in Fig. 1, the first step of the methodology is the identification of process units (k) to be considered in each stage of the hydrogen supply chain. Fixed and transport units can be defined. Moreover, rmits are classified on the basis of their structural and geometrical features. For each unit a basic level of detail should be defined i) substances and operative conditions ii) in/out flows in main process lines and preliminary pipe sizing iii) preliminary design iv) estimation of inventory. 

The supply chain is usually divided into tiers (or stages, or echelons). Each tier consists of units with the same general functionality. The concept of tier should be treated with care, however, as differentiation between tiers is often fuzzy and units can belong to multiple tiers. That has become even more profound as supply chains assume networked structures. Still, tiers help structure the supply chain configuration problem and facilitate identification of common features of supply chain units. The typical supply chain tiers, which can be further decomposed, are... 

Abstract This chapter presents a framework for sustainable operations of food supply chains. A case study approach is used. The data were collected using exploratory interviews and through a structured questionnaire. The sustainable food supply chain involves operational levers of robustness, transparency, traceability and information flow and performance measure for monitoring and control of day-to-day operations for efhciency, flexibility, responsiveness and product quality. New product development, research and development, productivity improvement, entrepreneurial orientation, quality control and conducive policy support across key stages of production, procurement, processing, distribution and consumption of the dairy supply chain emerge as key elements of the sustainable framework. 

Fig. 1 The multi-stage and multi-factory structure of sustainable closed-loop supply chain...

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