Organizations in the agroindustry sector face shorter delivery schedules; therefore, they are seeking ways to conduct more effective and less costly product distribution. Supply chain management efforts have focused on improving the flow of both products and information. Thus, the aim of this case study was to build a graphical user interface to enable decision-making based on quantitative information for a food distribution process. The problem to be solved was associated with the development of a technological solution to reduce and control variations in transportation times, delivery costs and capacities in cold and dry food distribution. An eight-step system for a dynamics methodology was used: (1) distribution process analysis, (2) route description, (3) variable and parameter description, (4) causal loop diagram creation, (5) current model simulation, (6) validation, (7) quantitative scenario construction based on key performance indicators, and (8) graphical user interface development. The main findings of this research were that the graphical user interface and simulation showed information that represented on average 56.49% of the total distribution costs regarding fuel and that maintenance and tire wearing costs had less of an impact on total costs, representing 9.21% and 3.66% of the total costs, respectively. Additionally, the technological solution—created for the supply chain in the distribution process against the background of changes in policies—makes it possible to improve decision-making based on different scenarios supported by a graphical interface according to key performance indicators. This solution could be used by different organizations who aim to reduce logistics and transportation costs. The main implications of this research were the available and organized information and the restructuring of the distribution process.

This article presents a case study for a strategic plan developed using a megaplanning model approach, as well as the balanced scorecard proposal, for a company that produces processed foods in the southern state of Sonora in Mexico. The strategic planning process began with the ratification of the business mission and vision in an internal analysis of the company with the help of its employees in a dynamic participatory workshop in which they discussed perceived strengths and weaknesses. The next step was to perform the external analysis of the environment surrounding the company. Both analyses of the SWOT matrix immediately identified strategic objectives and strategies, as well as the scorecard, and concluded with a project proposal. The most significant results fall under the scope of two key strategies. The first regards innovation in business models; and the second, the expansion into new markets, which, along with the organization's philosophy, guides the future of the company. The main lessons learned are presented in the developmental stages of this case study, so it is important to emphasize that a special development in the results section, which can be useful for similar studies using the proposed methodology, be carried out. Finally, a strategic planning–oriented approach focusing on megaplanning represents a vision on how to add value to society, seeking to create interest among stakeholders to meet performance indicators that have a positive impact on the communities where the company is located.

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This paper describes the modeling efforts devoted by the Ministry of Health and Social Services of Québec, Canada (MSSS), to ensure the long-term bearability of their care system. To this end, it studies the relationships between four entities that self-regulate and interact to form the complex care-providing system: (1) universities; (2) hospitals and doctors; (3) the ministry; and (4) society. The first phase of this research focuses on modeling such relationships and relies on the system dynamics methodology to adequately capture the long-term dynamics of the system. The methodology encompasses three phases: (a) determination of the critical variables and parameters of each entity; (b) development of the causal diagram of each entity; and (c) integration of the individual causal diagrams to form the global system diagram. The final casual model illustrates and explains the relationships between all the entities and constitutes an excellent tool to support experts during discussions or focus groups where critical variables that positively or negatively affect the system can be evaluated. We intend to enrich this casual model in a further phase of the project, which will hopefully lead to a simulation and scenario analysis tool that can be used to support managers in their long-term decision-making process.

The Center for Regional Innovation and Business Acceleration of Southern Sonora has requested assistance in preparing its strategic plan for the next five to ten years of its evolution. The objective was achieved by generating 11 strategic initiatives. The concepts of mega planning and economic complexity were used, which follow a 9‐step procedure: (1) the organization's external context research; (2) evaluation model and tool design; (3) application of the evaluation model; (4) analysis of strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats; 5) strategy, mission objectives, and value proposals; (6) strategic objectives; (7) strategy map; (8) balanced scorecard; and (9) strategic projects. The findings provide a variety of theoretical and methodological contributions, including the combination of mega planning and economic‐complexity theories, models, and tools. After that, the researchers developed an acceleration model and its data‐collection tool to measure small and medium‐sized enterprises' competitive advantages in the knowledge economy. In addition, the definition and alignment of the objectives and their key performance indicators for each level of the organizational‐elements model resulted in a strategy map and a balanced scorecard. The case study's purpose is to understand the relationship between strategic planning and the theory of economic complexity in order to offer valuable solutions to the relevant parties.

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This study was performed in a regional product marketing company located in Ciudad Obregón, Sonora, México, where a problem was detected in empirical decision-making due to their recent incorporation into the market. Thus, the objective of this study is the shelf-product production link, where the interest is in knowing the behavior of the main variables that influence the system. System dynamics methodology follows six steps: (1) Map the process under study with the value stream map (VSM); (2) Create a causal diagram; (3) Elaborate the Forrester diagram and equations; (4) Validate the current model; (5) Simulate scenarios; (6) Create the graphical user interface. The main results were the design of the scenarios starting from a robust system dynamics model, three scenarios, and the graphical interface. For this purpose, Stella Architect Software was used as it has special attributes to create a graphical user interface. Furthermore, all the elements of the VSM were added under the Lean Startup approach. Significantly, the inadequate management of the materials was detected, which is why the recommendation was to separate the packaging of dry and cold products to care for food innocuousness and the cold chain. Likewise, processing time decreased, reducing material transfer, which was detected by applying a future VSM based on the Lean Startup methodology. The technological solution in this study is a contribution based on social sciences and mathematics (nonlinear equations) using dynamics simulation to observe the complexity of system behavior.

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