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In this chapter, the integrative methodological approach (IMA) of the research project GLOWA Elbe is introduced, which represents a scientific methodology to support water management under uncertainty regarding future paths of global change. The approach paves the way for integration of research work of many disciplines, of different assessment methods, of various policy fields, and the involvement of relevant stakeholders and decision makers. IMA can be roughly described by four research elements (scenario derivation, indicator and criteria identification, model-based impact analysis, and final scenario assessment based on combined benefit–cost and multi-criteria analysis), which lay the basis for the IMA activities of the global change research sequence. Its practical application is demonstrated by a case study on the Spree and Schwarze Elster river basins. Specific results of Chapter 4 (on scenario derivation) and Chapter 11 (on integrating economic evaluation into water management simulation) in this volume are picked up in order to focus on the illustration of the integrated assessment results for this German case study.

For the purpose of decision-making in real estate portfolio management, alternatives are to be collected, assessed and prioritized. Due to the complexity of real estate markets, investment products and management processes, the respective decision situations are subject to several parameters. Multi-criteria models must be used to exactly evaluate and prioritize alternatives. Such models can be found in other economic and social areas but must be transferred or re-developed for the purposes of real estate management. The paper aims to discuss these issues.

The paper includes the transfer of the basic outranking methodology, the PROMETHEE (Preference Ranking Organization METHod für Enrichment Evaluations) method in particular, to real estate issues. Methods used outside the real estate industry are analyzed, selected and adapted by using real estate parameters (transfer approach).

Structured multi-criteria processes such as PROMETHEE are suitable for the solution of complex real estate selection decisions. The methodology with regard to the respective issues is much more consistent and efficient. PROMETHEE avoids the restriction of criteria in mathematical calculations and the restriction of quality in simple scorings.

The target system and decision criteria of investors were used exemplarily. The individual parameters and criteria can lead to new model solutions.

Multi-criteria models such as PROMETHEE stringently and transparently solve complex decision problems and alternative evaluations in real estate portfolio management. They can be developed for strategic, tactical and operative decision situations. The decision quality and verification for compliance requirements improve.

Multi-criteria models such as PROMETHEE can also be developed for social, societal and political decision situations.

First adaption of the outranking procedure PROMETHEE to a real estate decision situation in market analysis and portfolio management.

This work proposes to test the C‐40 deontological code of collective orientation specifically for franchise associations. The literature review revealed a lack of studies about this type of codes.

This code adopts a semi‐normative approach in trying to standardize what form a deontological code of a franchise association should take. The study has been developed from an international perspective, making easier its spread and generalization. Furthermore, a novel methodology in this area has been applied to test the code: “The Experton Theory”.

As a consequence, from the review of ethical and deontological codes from franchise associations of 46 countries, some associations' statutes and the laws about franchising in some countries, 29 topics were identified. Additionally, 11 more have been added to these contents, making 40 items which conform with what should be integrated into whatever franchising deontological code.

The main limitations of this work refer to the proposition and validation of some questions included in the C‐40 code. Specifically, some of them show opinion divergences of the experts' answers over 25 percent.

The proposed code might be used as a background for franchise associations at an international level. It encourages the increase of ethical and business contents in the existing codes and, therefore, the improvement of the relationships among franchisers, franchisees and the rest of the stakeholders.

This study is focused on a scarcely treated topic in the literature: deontological codes in franchising. In addition, it has been developed from an international perspective, making its spread and generalization easier.

The purpose of this paper is to outline the main features concerning the optimization of printed circuit board (PCB) fabrication by improving the manufacturing process productivity.

The author explored two different approaches to increase the manufacturing process productivity of PCBs. The first approach involved optimization of the PCB manufacturing process as a whole. The second approach was based on increasing the process productivity at the operational level.

To reduce the total manufacturing time, two heuristic algorithms for solving flowshop scheduling problems were designed. These algorithms were used for the computation of an optimal PCB manufacturing schedule. The case study shows both mono‐ and bi‐criteria optimization of the PCBs manufacturing.

While the input data used in the case study were based on random numbers, the mathematical considerations drew only the main directions for manufacturing process optimization.

The paper shows two original heuristic algorithms for solving the flowshop scheduling problem, with high performance according to the best heuristics in the field. Besides their performances, these algorithms have the advantage of simplicity and ease of implementation on a computer. Using these algorithms, the optimal schedule for the PCB manufacturing process was calculated. For the case of the bi‐criteria optimization, the study of points which belong to the Pareto‐optimal set are presented.

The purpose of the study is to propose a framework for fleet management and make suitable distribution solution choices in the food industry.

This study reviews the literature to examine food distribution criteria. These criteria are used in the analytic hierarchy process (AHP) assessment and combined with discrete events simulation in a structured framework, which is validated through an empirical study.

The empirical case results demonstrate that both the AHP and discrete events simulation converge toward the same solution in most cases.

This study contributes to the literature on distribution management and develops a framework that can both guide future research and aid logistics practitioners in analysing distribution decision-making systems in dynamic environments.

Environmental decision making involving multiple stakeholders can benefit from the use of a formal process to structure stakeholder interactions, leading to more successful outcomes than traditional discursive decision processes. There are many tools available to handle complex decision making. Here we illustrate the use of a multicriteria decision analysis (MCDA) outranking tool (PROMETHEE) to facilitate decision making at the watershed scale, involving multiple stakeholders, multiple criteria, and multiple objectives. We compare various MCDA methods and their theoretical underpinnings, examining methods that most realistically model complex decision problems in ways that are understandable and transparent to stakeholders.

In this paper, the authors investigated a proposed radio-frequency identification (RFID)-based meat supply chain to monitor quality and safety of meat products we purchase from supermarkets. The supply chain consists of farms, abattoirs and retailers. The purpose of this paper is to determine a cost-effective trade-off decision obtained from a developed multi-criteria optimization model based on three objectives. These objectives include customer satisfaction in percentage of product quantity as requested by customers, product quality in numbers of meat products and the total implementation cost. Furthermore, this work was aimed at determining the number and locations of farms and abattoirs that should be established and quantities of products that need to be transported between entities of the proposed supply chain.

To this aim, a tri-criteria optimization model was developed. The considered criteria were used for minimizing the total implementation cost and maximizing customer satisfaction and product quality. In order to obtain Pareto solutions based on the developed model, four solution approaches were employed. Subsequently, a new decision-making algorithm was developed to select the superior solution approach in terms of values of the three criteria.

A case study was applied to examine the applicability of the developed model and the performance of the proposed solution approaches. The computational results proved the applicability of the developed model in obtaining a trade-off among the considered criteria and solving the RFID-based meat supply chain design problem.

The developed tri-criteria optimization model can be used by decision makers as an aid to design and optimize food supply chains.

This paper presents a development of first, a cost-effective optimization approach for a proposed RFID-based meat supply chain seeking a trade-off among three conflicting criteria; and second, a new decision-making algorithm which can be used for any multi-criteria problem to select the best Pareto solution.

The implementation of lean production in small manufacturing enterprises (SMEs) harbors a great deal of barriers on practical, theoretical, financial and organizational sides. In view of this, the purpose of this paper is to explore and prioritize the solutions to overcome these barriers and pitfalls in order to identify a list of the most feasible and efficient solutions on which SMEs must focus to success their lean journey.

First, a review of the published articles along with the interview of some lean experts have allowed to identify 20 barriers grouped into five categories along with 17 solutions proposed to overcome these barriers. Afterwards, an integrated fuzzy Analytic Hierarchy Process-Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (AHP-TOPSIS) was proposed to evaluate and rank the solutions of lean implementation in SMEs and overcome its barriers. The AHP is used to determine weights of the barriers as criteria, and the fuzzy TOPSIS method is used to determine the final ranking of the solutions of lean adoption in SMEs.

The top five barriers of lean implementation in SMEs were found to be: lack of management involvement, lack of adapted methodology of lean implementation, short-term vision, fear and resistance to change and lack of understanding of lean. Moreover, the top five solutions to overcome the barriers of lean adoption in SMEs are as follows: commitment and participation of management, adoption of simple measurement and KPIs, development of organizational learning culture, early deployment of lean culture through training and allocation of sufficient time and resources for change.

The findings of this study can provide a basis for researchers and practitioners in order to understand the real reasons of lean failure in SMEs and develop improvement plans to increase its success rate. Moreover, it proposes a more reliable, robust and systematic decision support tool for stepwise implementation of the solutions of lean adoption in SMEs since they lack sufficient resources to address all the solutions simultaneously.

The purpose of this paper is the application of a tool to assist the multi-criteria decision-making process for selecting an asset for a company in the metallurgical industry which manufactures metal parts for diverse industries.

This investment, complex due to the commitment of resources it requires, has been made with the assistance of decision-making methodologies, specifically versions I and IV of the ELECTRE method.

This model of multi-criteria decision making has been chosen over other models because it offers the possibility of including technical and economic decisions so they can be analyzed simultaneously, therefore the decision is not based solely on financial aspects. Many companies base their decisions exclusively on financial returns, however in this case it is also appropriate to include the technical parameters, since the asset being replaced is the most important asset of the company.

Applying version I of the methodology, the optimal technical configuration of the asset will be analyzed based on the features requirements, all of which are among options available in the market. Once a subset of technically and economically viable alternatives has been defined, version IV will be applied and a ranking of the alternatives from the best to the worst will be obtained and, based on this ranking, the final decision will be made.

The purpose of this paper is to identify the main reasons for spare parts logistics failures and address logistics distribution design in order to achieve the desired level of after-sales maintenance service.

This research is based on an empirical case study on a large corporation providing worldwide with retail banking hardware, software and services. The case study focuses on the automated teller machine (ATM) part of activities, with a focus on the spare parts distribution and after-sales service network in the Eastern Europe.

The proposed network solution of multiple distribution centers with short-cut distance saving approach will enable the case study company to redesign their spare part logistics architecture in order to achieve short response time. Research findings reveal possible spare parts delivery delays and thus the service-level agreement failures with clients in the case study company.

This research covers a particular supply chain environment and identified research gaps. It discusses a time-based responsive logistics problem and develops a conceptual framework that would help researchers to better understand logistics challenges of installed equipment maintenance and after-sales service.

This case study research shows the “big picture” of spare parts logistics challenges as vital part of installed equipment after-sales and maintenance service network, as well as emphasizes how the unique context of a market like Russian Federation can set-up a distribution network efficiently. Strategies applied to handle such service-level failures, reverse logistics aspects of repairable and non-repairable spare parts to such large ATM after-sales service network based on this longitudinal case offer value for similar scale companies.