International Journal of Logistics Systems and Management http://www.inderscience.com/browse/index.php?journalID=134&year=2012&vol=11&issue=1 Inderscience Publishers Ltd en-uk International Journal of Logistics Systems and Management 1742-7967 1742-7975 © 2012 Inderscience Publishers Ltd editor@inderscience.com https://www.inderscience.com/images/files/coverImgs/ijlsm_scoverijlsm.jpg http://www.inderscience.com/browse/index.php?journalID=134&year=2012&vol=11&issue=1 http://www.inderscience.com/link.php?id=44047 With malaria emerging as one of the deadliest infectious diseases for young children and women in Sub-Saharan African countries, a growing number of healthcare organisations and government authorities have increased their relentless efforts to control malaria epidemics in Africa. One of the causes for malaria epidemics is the lack of accessibility to anti-malarial drugs that results from archaic logistics infrastructure, inefficient distribution channels and disruptive black markets in Africa. This paper identifies factors that either enhance or hinder the accessibility of anti-malarial drugs to African population sectors vulnerable to malaria epidemics. In addition, it develops a comprehensive supply chain map that reveals the labyrinths of the African logistics infrastructure, distribution channels, government regulations and business customs. Based on this supply chain map, this paper proposes various supply chain strategies that improve the access of anti-malarial drugs and reduce the possibility of drug supply chain disruptions. Mapping the supply chain of anti-malarial drugs in Sub-Saharan African countries
Hokey Min
International Journal of Logistics Systems and Management, Vol. 11, No. 1 (2012) pp. 1 - 23
With malaria emerging as one of the deadliest infectious diseases for young children and women in Sub-Saharan African countries, a growing number of healthcare organisations and government authorities have increased their relentless efforts to control malaria epidemics in Africa. One of the causes for malaria epidemics is the lack of accessibility to anti-malarial drugs that results from archaic logistics infrastructure, inefficient distribution channels and disruptive black markets in Africa. This paper identifies factors that either enhance or hinder the accessibility of anti-malarial drugs to African population sectors vulnerable to malaria epidemics. In addition, it develops a comprehensive supply chain map that reveals the labyrinths of the African logistics infrastructure, distribution channels, government regulations and business customs. Based on this supply chain map, this paper proposes various supply chain strategies that improve the access of anti-malarial drugs and reduce the possibility of drug supply chain disruptions.

]]> 10.1504/IJLSM.2012.044047 International Journal of Logistics Systems and Management, Vol. 11, No. 1 (2012) pp. 1 - 23 Hokey Min Department of Management, BAA 3008C, College of Business Administration, Bowling Green State University, Bowling Green, Ohio 43403, USA healthcare logistics anti-malarial drugs supply chain mapping Sub-Saharan Africa supply chain management SCM malaria epidemics logistics infrastructure distribution channels government regulations business practices supply chain strategies supply chain disruptions drug supply chains. 2011-12-01T23:20:50-05:00 11 1 1 23 2011-12-01T23:20:50-05:00 http://www.inderscience.com/link.php?id=44048 Business organisations including those of computer companies would like to focus on their core competency areas and are, therefore, outsourcing all or part of their reverse logistics process to Third-Party Logistics Providers (3PLPs). Thus, a key strategic issue for top management is the selection of 3PLPs who can effectively provide reverse logistics services to organisation. This study aims to efficiently assist the decision-makers in determining the most appropriate third-party reverse logistics provider using a combination of Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) and Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (TOPSIS) methods. A numerical example from a case company is included to demonstrate the steps of the proposed model. Selection of third-party reverse logistics providers for End-of-Life computers using TOPSIS-AHP based approach
V. Ravi
International Journal of Logistics Systems and Management, Vol. 11, No. 1 (2012) pp. 24 - 37
Business organisations including those of computer companies would like to focus on their core competency areas and are, therefore, outsourcing all or part of their reverse logistics process to Third-Party Logistics Providers (3PLPs). Thus, a key strategic issue for top management is the selection of 3PLPs who can effectively provide reverse logistics services to organisation. This study aims to efficiently assist the decision-makers in determining the most appropriate third-party reverse logistics provider using a combination of Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) and Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (TOPSIS) methods. A numerical example from a case company is included to demonstrate the steps of the proposed model.

]]> 10.1504/IJLSM.2012.044048 International Journal of Logistics Systems and Management, Vol. 11, No. 1 (2012) pp. 24 - 37 V. Ravi Department of Humanities, Indian Institute of Space Science and Technology, Department of Space, Valiamala P.O., Thiruvananthapuram 695 547, India 3PL reverse logistics AHP analytical hierarchical process TOPSIS technique for order preference by similarity to ideal solution computer hardware industry third-party logistics end-of-life computers end-of-life products EOL decision making. 2011-12-01T23:20:50-05:00 11 1 24 37 2011-12-01T23:20:50-05:00 http://www.inderscience.com/link.php?id=44049 In this paper, an effective Decision Support System (DSS) concerning the site selection of a new paper mill is reported. The analysis is executed adopting the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) technique. In particular, a specific wide hierarchy structure has been defined considering 49 criteria outlined via questionnaires and interviews with several logistics and production managers of the paper mills located in the district of Lucca (Italy), one of the most important areas for the production and converting of pulpboard and tissue in Europe. A sensitivity analysis based on a particular case study demonstrates the robustness of the proposed decision structure. A Decision Support System for locational analysis in paper industry
Marcello Braglia; Roberto Gabbrielli
International Journal of Logistics Systems and Management, Vol. 11, No. 1 (2012) pp. 38 - 55
In this paper, an effective Decision Support System (DSS) concerning the site selection of a new paper mill is reported. The analysis is executed adopting the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) technique. In particular, a specific wide hierarchy structure has been defined considering 49 criteria outlined via questionnaires and interviews with several logistics and production managers of the paper mills located in the district of Lucca (Italy), one of the most important areas for the production and converting of pulpboard and tissue in Europe. A sensitivity analysis based on a particular case study demonstrates the robustness of the proposed decision structure.

]]> 10.1504/IJLSM.2012.044049 International Journal of Logistics Systems and Management, Vol. 11, No. 1 (2012) pp. 38 - 55 Marcello Braglia; Roberto Gabbrielli Dipartimento di Ingegneria Meccanica, Nucleare e della Produzione, Universita di Pisa, via Bonanno Pisano 25/b, Pisa 56126, Italy. ' Dipartimento di Ingegneria dell'Energia e dei Sistemi Università di Pisa, via Diotisalvi, 2, Pisa 56126, Italy site location strategic planning paper industry AHP analytical hierarchy process DSS decision support systems site selection paper mills Italy. 2011-12-01T23:20:50-05:00 11 1 38 55 2011-12-01T23:20:50-05:00 http://www.inderscience.com/link.php?id=44050 The vendor selection is an important issue owing to increasing competitiveness of business organisations. The researchers have already come up with some techniques to help business organisations in that regard. This paper accumulates existing vendor selection techniques and searches for the comparative strengths and weaknesses of them. It is observed that some methods require more user time and effort than others producing results with varied types of accuracy. The target of this paper is to analyse the benefits and shortcomings of the existing methods and draw conclusion on their relative performance and efficiency level. A survey on existing vendor selection techniques
Nikhil Chandra Shil; M. Ameer Ali; Anisur Rahman
International Journal of Logistics Systems and Management, Vol. 11, No. 1 (2012) pp. 56 - 92
The vendor selection is an important issue owing to increasing competitiveness of business organisations. The researchers have already come up with some techniques to help business organisations in that regard. This paper accumulates existing vendor selection techniques and searches for the comparative strengths and weaknesses of them. It is observed that some methods require more user time and effort than others producing results with varied types of accuracy. The target of this paper is to analyse the benefits and shortcomings of the existing methods and draw conclusion on their relative performance and efficiency level.

]]> 10.1504/IJLSM.2012.044050 International Journal of Logistics Systems and Management, Vol. 11, No. 1 (2012) pp. 56 - 92 Nikhil Chandra Shil; M. Ameer Ali; Anisur Rahman Department of Accounting, American International University Bangladesh, Dhaka 1213, Bangladesh. ' Department of Electronics and Communication Engineering, East West University, Dhaka 1212, Bangladesh. ' Department of Electronics and Communication Engineering, East West University, Dhaka 1212, Bangladesh vendor selection techniques survey fuzzy logic fuzzy set theory analytical hierarchy process AHP multicriteria decision making MCDM. 2011-12-01T23:20:50-05:00 11 1 56 92 2011-12-01T23:20:50-05:00 http://www.inderscience.com/link.php?id=44051 There are a number of product/process management and support activities that are required to nurture in a manufacturing collaborative environment that have implications to strategic manufacturing systems. These include product design activities (including mechanical design, electrical design, test design, and design for supply chain management activities) and planning and scheduling activities (including forecasting, positioning of material to fulfil demand, and capacity management activities) are associated with resisting potential threats to manufacturability. The present case study documented two vertically integrated companies, a raw material manufacturer of PVC, and the actual manufacturer of finished door product composed primarily of extruded flexible PVC materials. Although each company had their own unique process strategies and methods of managing capacity, a number of lessons learned and recommendations were made to increase their strategic effectiveness. Vertically integrated product/process strategies in highly competitive environments: case study of the flexible door industry
Alan D. Smith
International Journal of Logistics Systems and Management, Vol. 11, No. 1 (2012) pp. 93 - 113
There are a number of product/process management and support activities that are required to nurture in a manufacturing collaborative environment that have implications to strategic manufacturing systems. These include product design activities (including mechanical design, electrical design, test design, and design for supply chain management activities) and planning and scheduling activities (including forecasting, positioning of material to fulfil demand, and capacity management activities) are associated with resisting potential threats to manufacturability. The present case study documented two vertically integrated companies, a raw material manufacturer of PVC, and the actual manufacturer of finished door product composed primarily of extruded flexible PVC materials. Although each company had their own unique process strategies and methods of managing capacity, a number of lessons learned and recommendations were made to increase their strategic effectiveness.

]]> 10.1504/IJLSM.2012.044051 International Journal of Logistics Systems and Management, Vol. 11, No. 1 (2012) pp. 93 - 113 Alan D. Smith Department of Management and Marketing, Robert Morris University, Pittsburgh, PA 15219-3099, USA competitive strategy manufacturability product strategy process strategy supply chain integration vertical integration supply chain management SCM product management process management collaborative manufacturing strategic manufacturing product design production planning scheduling manufacturability raw materials PVC manufacturing finished door products extruded flexible PVC flexible door industry. 2011-12-01T23:20:50-05:00 11 1 93 113 2011-12-01T23:20:50-05:00 http://www.inderscience.com/link.php?id=44052 Transportation projects are generally large, with limited resources and highly interdependent activities. The complexities and interdependencies apparent in large transportation projects have prohibited effective application of management science and economics methods to these problems. We propose a heuristic method with several hybrid components. We formulate the problem as a Travelling Salesman Problem (TSP). A Neural Network (NN) is used to cope with the interdependency concerns. An algorithm with an iterative process is confined to search for the longest path (most benefit or most reduction in the user-time) in the NN as a solution to the TSP. The solution from each iteration step is utilised to update and train the NN and enhance its prediction. A search engine inspired by the concept of Ant Colony (AC) and hybridised with Genetic Algorithm (GA) is developed to find a suitable solution to the TSP. The hybrid heuristic method proposed in this study is applied to the real data for the city of Winnipeg in Canada to demonstrate the applicability of the proposed framework and exhibit the efficacy of the procedures and algorithms. An efficient hybrid heuristic method for prioritising large transportation projects with interdependent activities
Saeed A. Bagloee; Madjid Tavana
International Journal of Logistics Systems and Management, Vol. 11, No. 1 (2012) pp. 114 - 142
Transportation projects are generally large, with limited resources and highly interdependent activities. The complexities and interdependencies apparent in large transportation projects have prohibited effective application of management science and economics methods to these problems. We propose a heuristic method with several hybrid components. We formulate the problem as a Travelling Salesman Problem (TSP). A Neural Network (NN) is used to cope with the interdependency concerns. An algorithm with an iterative process is confined to search for the longest path (most benefit or most reduction in the user-time) in the NN as a solution to the TSP. The solution from each iteration step is utilised to update and train the NN and enhance its prediction. A search engine inspired by the concept of Ant Colony (AC) and hybridised with Genetic Algorithm (GA) is developed to find a suitable solution to the TSP. The hybrid heuristic method proposed in this study is applied to the real data for the city of Winnipeg in Canada to demonstrate the applicability of the proposed framework and exhibit the efficacy of the procedures and algorithms.

]]> 10.1504/IJLSM.2012.044052 International Journal of Logistics Systems and Management, Vol. 11, No. 1 (2012) pp. 114 - 142 Saeed A. Bagloee; Madjid Tavana Parsons Overseas Limited, Gulf Tower-B, Oud Metha Road, Dubai, UAE. ' Management Information Systems, Lindback Distinguished Chair of Information Systems, La Salle University, Philadelphia, PA19141, USA TSP travelling salesman problem hybrid heuristics neural networks ant colony optimisation ACO GAs genetic algorithms project prioritisation large transport projects Winnipeg Canada. 2011-12-01T23:20:50-05:00 11 1 114 142 2011-12-01T23:20:50-05:00