Title: Supplier selection in global context: modelling and managerial insights with emphasis on low-cost suppliers' issues

Authors: Ramzi Hammami, Yannick Frein, Atidel B. Hadj-Alouane

Addresses: Toulouse Business School, 20, bd Lascrosses – BP 7010, 31068 Toulouse, France. ' Laboratoire G-SCOP, Grenoble INP, UJF, CNRS, 46 Avenue Felix Viallet, 38031 Grenoble, France. ' Laboratoire OASIS, ENI Tunis, B.P.37, Le Belvedere, 1002 Tunis, Tunisia

Abstract: In this paper, we focus on the supplier selection in a global context. The main features that characterise the global supplier selection are first identified. They mainly include the necessity of integrating inventory and transportation issues and considering several buyers| sites. We then show that supplier selection models that simultaneously consider all these features are missing in the literature. Hence, we propose a two-phase global supplier selection approach: a first pre-selection phase with a scoring method and a final selection phase using a mathematical optimisation model. Finally, we perform different computational experiments based on a case study in order to illustrate the consistency of the model and to analyse some relevant managerial situations such as those related to the selection of low-cost suppliers.

Keywords: supplier selection; global purchasing; low-cost suppliers; optimisation models; globalisation; integration; inventories; transportation; buyers; pre-selection; scoring methods; scores; final selection; mathematical models; computational experiments; consistency; automotive products; France; Tunisia; services operations; services management; informatics; logistics.

DOI: 10.1504/IJSOI.2011.038323

International Journal of Services Operations and Informatics, 2011 Vol.6 No.1/2, pp.138 - 159

Published online: 07 Mar 2015 *

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