Search results

This work aims to measure the performance of an electric motors supply chain (SC) by using the Triple E performance measurement model to assess three performance dimensions simultaneously: efficiency, efficacy and environmental impact.

This research presents a real case of a Brazilian company as an example for applying the Triple E performance measurement model and the discrete-event simulation to assess the performance of an SC.

Performance measurements for the three dimensions were the following: (1) for efficiency, a high inventory cost in the SC, driven by the distribution center (DC) (49.7% total cost); an order cycle time operating with an average of 21.7 days and a logistic channel transport capacity of 88%; (2) for efficacy, a service level of 98% for all channels; (3) for environmental impact, the SC emits a total of 395,733 kg of CO₂ annually, with the DC and the regional distribution center (RDC2) being the largest emitters.

This work allowed to measure the performance of an SC interface (manufacturing process, a DC and three regional distribution centers). It was possible to measure the inventory holding cost and out-of-stock inventory costs, order cycle time, SC service level, transport capacity utilization and CO₂ emissions in the transportation process of each SC stage and the whole SC. This study can be used as a decision support guide for academics and practitioners to measure and improve the SC performance.

The purpose of this paper is to classify the main barriers related to the implementation of lean supply chain management (LSCM) and prioritize its main practices. A case study approach was conducted to obtain values for the intensity of the relationship between LSCM practices and barriers to mitigate or even anticipate difficulties in its implementation.

The case study in a company in southern Brazil that is in lean implementation is used for conducting this research. The methodology was structured in three steps, namely, classification of the main barriers through risk analysis, selection of LSCM practices appropriate to the company context and ranking and prioritization of the main practices of LSCM related to the barriers to lean implementation.

As a result, with the combination of two approaches, failure mode and effect analysis (FMEA) and analytical hierarchical process (AHP), it was possible to obtain values for the intensity of the relationship between LSCM practices and barriers. From the 12 barriers, 5 reached a high-risk degree that can be mitigated, and among the 18 practices found, 7 have the potential to be implemented.

This research allows direct efforts to continuously improve the supply chain to mitigate or even anticipate difficulties in its implementation. The proposed methodology, combining FMEA and AHP is easy to apply and understand, allowing managers and professionals to replicate it in the context of their supply chain and verify results similar and comparable to those obtained here.

The importance of a lean health-care supply chain is increasingly discussed. However, it is still not very clear how lean practices relate to resilience capabilities, as there are synergies and divergences between them. This study aims at identifying the relationship between lean practices and resilience capabilities in the health-care supply chain.

This study conducted a scoping review based on five databases, which allowed the content analysis of 44 articles. Such analysis allowed the verification of trends and volume of studies on this topic. Further, the descriptive numerical and thematic analyses enabled the proposition of a conceptual framework, relating the adoption of lean practices to the development of resilience capabilities according to the tiers of the health-care supply chain in different value streams.

Three research directions were derived from this scoping review: empirical validation of the contribution of lean practices to resilience capabilities in the health-care supply chain; systemic implementation of lean practices across tier levels of the health-care supply chain; and complementary approaches to lean implementation toward a more resilient health-care supply chain.

The understanding of these relationships provides health-care managers arguments to prioritize the application of lean practices to improve desired resilience capabilities in the entire health-care supply chain.

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, there is no similar study in the literature.

The environmental consciousness of customers and the emergence of stricter environmental regulations has pushed industries to think about environmental management by means of reverse logistics (RL) implementation. The purpose of this paper is to provide a current panorama of RL in Brazil and a comparison to international RL body of literature as well. It also seeks to provide a systematic literature review procedure and a conceptual framework for RL literature categorization.

A descriptive and content analysis approach was adopted. First, a topic delimitation phase was aimed at defining the main research areas and related keywords. Second, a material collection phase focussed on a selection of peer-reviewed Brazilian and international journals. Third, a total of 34 papers were assessed by quantitative indicators, and a conceptual RL framework was employed to classify them. Finally, papers were evaluated using content analysis.

The RL research gaps in Brazil are in information technology, facility location, inventory control, outsourcing, and performance measurement. It is also reported that, In Brazil, RL is predominantly linked to recycling activities, and the practice of RL is driven by social conditions and economics in some specific industrial sectors.

The focus is restricted to RL applications in Brazil and the corresponding articles published by Brazilian researchers.

Practitioners and academics might find this review useful, as it outlines gaps and limitations of existing research in the largest Latin America economy. This work is built on the recent research in RL. No systematic literature review of this kind has previously been undertaken.