Title: Selection of sustainable warehouse location in supply chain using the grey approach

Authors: Fahriye Uysal; Ömür Tosun

Addresses: Department of International Trade and Logistics, Ayse Sak School of Applied Sciences, Akdeniz University, Antalya, Turkey ' Department of International Trade and Logistics, Ayse Sak School of Applied Sciences, Akdeniz University, Antalya, Turkey

Abstract: Supply chain sustainability has recently gained an increasing attention in the supply chain context both from the practitioners' perspective and as a research area. There have been many incentives for more sustainable warehousing in supply chains. Sustainable warehousing includes activities such as, for example, terminal and warehouse location, proper storing and disposing of hazardous materials, donation of excess or obsolete inventory to local communities, and training to safely operate forklifts. A sustainable warehousing company would not only have to consider the economic factors, such as rent and operations costs, but also balance the social and environmental effects that occur within the warehouse compound as well as its surrounding vicinity. Sustainable warehouse location selection decision has a crucial role in the supply chain management process. In this study cost, labour, transportation, environment and geographical location are taken as decision criteria. Grey approach is used under the sustainability basis for the warehouse location selection problem. This method is appropriate for solving the group decision-making problem in an uncertain and inconsistent environment. Warehouse location alternatives for the supply chain of the medical companies are evaluated in this study.

Keywords: sustainable supply chains; sustainable warehousing; glocation selection; warehouse location; facility location; supply chain management; SCM; sustainability; economic factors; rent; operations costs; social effects; costs; labour; transport; environmental impact; geographical location; grey theory; grey relational analysis; GRA; group decision making; uncertainty; medical supply chains.

DOI: 10.1504/IJIDS.2014.066633

International Journal of Information and Decision Sciences, 2014 Vol.6 No.4, pp.338 - 353

Published online: 11 Jan 2015 *

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