Search results

The findings of this paper throw light on the focal research areas within RFID in the supply chain, which serves as an effective guideline for future research in this area. This research, therefore, contributes to filling the gap by carrying out an SLR of contemporary research studies in the area of RFID applications in supply chains. To date, SLR augmented with BA has not been used to study the developments in RFID applications in supply chains.

We analyze 556 articles from years 2001 to date using Systematic Literature Review (SLR). Contemporary bibliometric analysis (BA) tools are utilized. First, an exploratory analysis is carried, out revealing influential authors, sources, regions, among other key aspects. Second, a co-citation work analysis is utilized to understand the conceptual structure of the literature, followed by a dynamic co-citation network to reveal the evolution of the field. This is followed by a multivariate analysis is performed on top-100 cited papers, and k-means clustering is carried out to find optimal groups and identify research themes. The influential themes are then pointed out using factor analysis.

An exploratory analysis is carried out using BA tools to provide insights into factors such as influential authors, production countries, top-cited papers and frequent keywords. Visualization of bibliographical data using co-citation network analysis and keyword co-occurrence analysis assisted in understanding the groups (communities) of research themes. We employed k-means clustering and factor analysis methods to further develop these insights. A historiographical direct citation analysis also unveils potential research directions. We observe that RFID applications in the supply chain are likely to benefit from the Internet of Things and blockchain Technology along with the other machine learning and visualization approaches.

Although several researchers have researched RFID literature in relation to supply chains, these reviews are often conducted in the traditional manner where the author(s) select paper based on their area of expertise, interest and experience. Limitation of such reviews includes authors’ selection bias of studies to be included and limited or no use of advanced BA tools for analysis. This study fills this research gap by conducting an SLR of RFID in supply chains to identify important research trends in this field through the use of advanced BA tools.

This paper aims to develop efficient decision support tools for a firm’s environment protection by using greening effort while yet improving profitability by utilizing pricing and inventory decisions with discount consideration.

This study proposed a mathematical model for price- and greening effort-dependent demand rate with discount considerations. Later, the mathematical model is extended to the situation in which the demand rate is also dependent on the stock level, in addition to the price and greening effort. Efficient solution methodologies are developed for finding the optimal solution to the proposed models.

Simple yet elegant models are proposed to mimic real-life applications. Structural properties of the models are explored to outline efficient algorithms with quantity discounts.

The paper considers monopoly and assumes deterministic demand. Only a more commonly observed all-units discount scheme is studied.

The models provide decision support tools for firms in pursuit of joint profit maximization and environment consciousness goals.

The study develops environment-friendly approaches for inventory management and improving the profitability alike.

This study is among the first to consider environmental protection with an investment in greening effort along with inventory management and pricing decision. The study also explored the effect of all-unit quantity discounts.

The purpose of this paper is to develop a decision support tool for risk-based maintenance scheduling for a large heavily equipped gas sweetening unit in a Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) plant. Two conflicting objectives, i.e., total maintenance cost and the reliability, are considered in the tool. The tool is tested with the real plant data and suggests several Pareto-optimal schedules for a decision maker to choose from. The financial impacts are assessed.

A bi-objective scheduling optimization model is developed for maintenance scheduling using a risk-based framework. The model is developed integrating genetic algorithm and simulation-based optimization to find Pareto-optimal schedules. The model delivered true Pareto front optimal solutions for given plant-specific data. The two conflicting objectives: the minimization of total expenditures incurred on maintenance-related activities and improving the total reliability are considered.

For large and complex processing facilities such as LNG plant, a shutdown of facility generates a significant financial impact, resulting in millions of dollars in production loss. The developed risk-based equipment selection strategy helps to minimize such an event of production loss by generating a thorough maintenance strategy for inspection, repair, overhaul or replacement schedule of the unit without initiating the shutdown. The proposed model has been successfully applied to obtain an optimize maintenance schedule for a gas sweetening unit.

A future work may consider the state-dependent models for various failure modes that will result in obtaining a better representation of the model. The proposed scheduling can further be extended to multi-criteria scheduling including availability, resource limitation and inflationary condition. A comparative analysis with other meta-heuristic techniques such as harmony search algorithm, tabu search, and simulated annealing will further help in confirming the schedule obtained from this application.

Maintenance scheduling using a conventional approach for special equipment generally does not consider the conflicting objectives. This research addresses this aspect using a bi-objective model. The usefulness of risk-based method is to assist in minimizing the financial and safety risk exposure to the operating companies, but some variation in results is expected due to varying risk matrix for different organizations.

Managing two objectives, i.e., minimizing the cost of maintenance-related activities, while at the same time maximizing the overall reliability dramatically, helps in mitigating adverse safety and financial risk due to fires, explosions, fatality and excessive maintenance cost.

Research develops a decision support tool for managing conflicting objectives for an LNG process. This research highlights the impact of utilizing the simulation-based approach coupled with risk-based equipment selection for complex processing unit or plant maintenance scheduling optimization.

The findings of this study have lightened the focal research areas in maintenance planning and scheduling. These also served as effective guidelines for future studies in this area. This research, therefore, contributes in fulfilling the gap by carrying out an SLR of contemporary research studies in the area of models for maintenance planning and scheduling. At present, SLR rooted in BA has not been carried focusing on a survey over models for maintenance planning and scheduling. SLR uses advanced scientific methodologies from BA tools to unveil thematic structures.

We have systematically reviewed over 1,021 peer-reviewed journal articles. Advanced contemporary tools from Bibliometric Analysis (BA) are used to perform a Systematic Literature Review (SLR). First, exploratory analysis is presented, highlighting the influential authors, sources and region amongst other key indices. Second, the large bibliographical data is visualized using co-citation network analyses, and research clusters (themes) are identified. The co-citation network is extended into a dynamic co-citation network and unveils the evolution of the research clusters. Last, cluster-based content analysis and historiographical analysis is carried out to predict the prospect of future research studies.

BA tools first outlined an exploratory analysis that noted influential authors, production countries, top-cited papers and frequent keywords. Later, the bibliometric data of over 1,021 documents is visualized using co-citation network analyses. Later, a dynamic co-citation analysis identified the evolution of research clusters over time. A historiographical direct citation analysis also unveils potential research directions. We have clearly observed that there are two main streams of maintenance planning and scheduling applications. The first has focused on joint maintenance and operations on machines. The second focused on integrated production and maintenance models in an echelon setting for unrealizable production facilities.

There are many literature review-based research studies that have contributed to maintenance scheduling research surveys. However, most studies have adopted traditional approaches, which often fall short in handling large bibliometric data and therefore suffer from selection biases from the authors. As a result, in this area, the existing reviews could be non-comprehensive. This study bridges the research gap by conducting an SLR of maintenance models, which to the best of our knowledge, has not been carried out before this study.

The purpose of this paper is to conduct a structured literature review using advanced bibliometric tools to understand the existing knowledge base, understand the trends in omni-channel (OC) research and identify emerging research topics.

More than 500 articles selected through a keyword combination search from reputed databases of peer-reviewed academic sources from period 2009–19 are analyzed for the purposes of this study. The study first presents an exploratory analysis to determine influential authors, sources and regions, among other key aspects. Second, several network analyses including co-citation and dynamic co-citation network analyses are conducted to identify themes. These allow identifying research clusters and emerging research topics algorithmically. Both centrality and modularity-based clustering are employed. A content analysis of the most influential groups within OC literature for each cluster is included.

The findings of this paper make unique contributions by using advanced tools from network analysis along with the standard bibliometric analysis tools to explore the current status of OC research, identify existing themes and the guidance for potential areas of future research interest in OC.

This research provides a comprehensive view of the range of topics of importance that have been discussed in the literature of OC management. These research trends can serve as a quick guide to researchers and practitioners to improve decision making and also develop strategies.

The paper employs advanced tools for the first time to review the literature of OC retailing. The sophisticated tools include co-citation and dynamic co-citation network analysis.

This study research contributes in fulfilling the gap by carrying out a systematic literature review (SLR) of contemporary research studies in closed-loop supply chain (CLSC). To the best of the author’s knowledge, an SLR rooted in bibliometric analysis has not been carried focusing on advent developments in CLSC. SLR employs scientific methodologies to select papers from standard databases. The SLR using advanced bibliometric and network analysis enables unveiling the key features of the contemporary literature.

The author has analyzed over 333 documents published from 2008 and onward. Using the contemporary tools from bibliometric analysis tools, the author presented an exploratory analysis. A network analysis is utilized to visualize literature and create clusters for the cocited research studies, keywords and publication sources. A detailed multivariate analysis of most influential works published based top 100 articles via a cocitation matrix is done. The multivariate analysis used k-means clustering in which optimal number of clusters are estimated. The analysis is further extended by using a factor analysis, which enables determining the most influential clusters in the k-means clustering analysis.

The SLR using a bibliometric and network analysis enables unveiling the key features of the contemporary literature in CLSC. The author examined published research for influential authors, sources, region, among other key aspects. Network analysis enabled visualizing the clusters of cocited research studies, cowords and publication sources. Cluster analysis of cocited research studies is further explored using k-means clustering. Factor analysis extends findings by identifying most contributing grouping of research areas within CLSC research. Each clustering technique disclosed a unique grouping structure.

CLSC has received considerable attention, and its core areas start with focusing on reverse logistics concepts relating reuse, recycling, remanufacturing, among others. Contemporarily, the studies have enhanced reverse logistics core functionalities interfaced with the other interesting avenues related to CO₂ emission reduction, greening and environmental protection, sustainability, product design and governmental policies. Earlier studies have presented a literature review of CLSC; however, these reviews are commonly conducted in the traditional manner where the authors select papers based on their area of expertise, interest and experience. As such these reviews fall short in utilizing the advanced tools from bibliometric analysis.

The purpose of this paper is to compare the effectiveness of two meta‐heuristics in solving the problem of scheduling maintenance operations and jobs processing on a single machine.

The two meta‐heuristic algorithms, tabu search and simulated annealing are hybridized using the properties of an optimal schedule identified in the existing literature to the problem. A lower bound is also suggested utilizing these properties.

In a numerical experimentation with large size problems, the best‐known heuristic algorithm to the problem is compared with the tabu search and simulated annealing algorithms. The study shows that the meta‐heuristic algorithms outperform the heuristic algorithm. In addition, the developed meta‐heuristics tend to be more robust against the problem‐related parameters than the existing algorithm.

A future work may consider the possibility of machine failure along with the preventive maintenance. This relaxes the assumption that the machine cannot fail but it is rather maintained preventively. The multi‐criteria scheduling can also be considered as an avenue of future work. The problem can also be considered with stochastic parameters such that the processing times of the jobs and the maintenance related parameters are random and follow a known probability distribution function.

The usefulness of meta‐heuristic algorithms is demonstrated for solving a large scale NP‐hard combinatorial optimization problem. The paper also shows that the utilization of the directed search methods such as hybridization could substantially improve the performance of a meta‐heuristic.

This research highlights the impact of utilizing the directed search methods to cause hybridization in meta‐heuristic and the resulting improvement in their performance for large‐scale optimization.

The purpose of this paper is to study the impact of differentiation price which has been utilized to segment demand, but results in imperfect segmentation. The use of a differentiation price is among the most widely used Revenue Management (RM) techniques to segment a firm’s demand to augment profitability.

Mathematical models are developed for a firm’s RM which use a differentiation price to categorize its market demand into two segments. Three distinct demand situations are considered: price-dependent deterministic demand, price-dependent stochastic demand whose distribution is known and price-dependent stochastic demand whose distribution is unknown. Models are analyzed to determine optimal joint control of a firm’s pricing and inventory decisions for each market segment.

The analysis of the firm’s RM model has shown that revenue is jointly concave in pricing and order quantity. In most demand situations, closed-form mathematical expressions for optimal pricing and inventory are obtained.

In RM models developed in this paper, a firm only selects a differentiation price. Thus, an optimal selection of the differentiation price along with the pricing and inventory decisions may lead to an additional profitability which has not been explored in this research.

The findings reported are relevant to RM managers and practitioners and help them to calibrate their optimal revenues by segmenting markets using a differentiation price.

This paper provides a quantitative perspective of a firm’s decision on the use of the differentiation price and the market response.

The paper provides a firm’s optimal decision on pricing and inventory when it experiences demand leakage due to categorizing its market demand into two segments using a differentiation price.

The purpose of this paper is to understand the reasons behind the intent for information technology (IT) outsourcing in academic institutions in GCC countries. It also aims to develop a multi-criteria decision model (MCDM) to aid the critical decision of IT outsourcing vendor selection.

The research utilizes a questionnaire-based survey to investigate reasons of IT outsourcing intent and the factors considered important for IT outsourcing vendor selection in academic institutions. The results of questionnaire-based study were utilized to develop a grey theory-based MCDM for vendor selection.

The results show that facilitating access to new technology, focus on core-competence, saving staff costs, and improved customer service are the most important factors for IT outsourcing intent while reputation of vendor, access to the state of art technology, quality of service, and knowledge of industry were considered as the most important factors for IT outsourcing vendor selection. Grey theory-based decision model was applied to a real case to facilitate the decision of selection of an IT outsourcing vendor.

Academic institutions that plan to outsource IT in future would be the major beneficiaries of this study. They can utilize the multi-criteria model to select the best vendor. The model facilitates a more rational decision making as it incorporates several criteria considered important for IT outsourcing vendor selection.

This study contributes to the body of research on IT outsourcing. It is first of its kind with its focus on academic institutions in GCC countries where currently education is a priority and IT is a backbone for its delivery. Another novelty of this research is that it propose a MCDM for IT outsourcing vendor selection. The findings of this study would serve as a guide to those institutions that intend to outsource IT functions to meet the ever growing needs of managing IT effectively.

The aim of this paper is to study pharmacy service impact on patient satisfaction and to determine what factors saliently link with pharmaceutical service performance at Hamad General Hospital.

A patient satisfaction questionnaire was designed using the literature and consultation with Hamad General Hospital medical experts. The questionnaire contained 22 items that focused on five influencing factors: promptness; attitude; supply; location; medication education; and respondent demographic aspects. A total of 220 respondents completed the questionnaire. An exploratory factor analysis was used to group items and a structural equation model was developed to test causality between five factors along with their influence on patient satisfaction.

The study establishes statistical evidence that patient satisfaction is positively influenced by service promptness, pharmacist attitude, medication counseling, pharmacy location and waiting area. Several socio‐demographic characteristics have statistically different effect on satisfaction, notably: gender; marital status; health status; age; educational level; and ethnicity. However, medication supply did not influence patient satisfaction.

Pharmaceutical services are recognized as an essential healthcare‐system component. Their impact on customer satisfaction has been investigated in many countries; however, there is no such study in Qatar.

The findings identify pharmaceutical service performance indicators and provide guidelines to improve Qatari pharmaceutical services.