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2015. Horizontal logistics collaboration for enhanced supply chain performance: an international retail perspective. ABSTRACTPurpose -Horizontal logistics collaboration (HLC) initiatives can fail. To improve the chance of success a thorough consideration of the potential issues involved, such as seeking supply chain partners' support, ensuring access to information / data security and assessing whether a HLC model could bring improvements to a wide range of supply chain metrics rather than reductions in distribution costs only, needs to be understood before deciding to proceed with such an initiative. To support this, the paper aims to develop a supply chain-driven model for HLC.Design Methodology and Approach -A two-stage methodology is deployed. As part of Stage 1, a series of 20 semi-structured interviews with senior managers from retailers, retailers' suppliers and logistics service providers were undertaken. Subsequently, in Stage 2, a focus group with practitioners from retailers and logistics service providers was run to verify the findings gathered during Stage 1. Four elements of a new HLC project being considered are investigated by supply chain champions across the UK Fast Moving Costumer Goods industry, namely consideration factors, required synergies, enablers, and anticipated output metrics.Findings -When considering whether or not to embark on a HLC project, the supply chain requirements need to be taken into account and potential supply chain performance benefits projected. The paper identified several consideration factors; synergies and enablers that support the development of HLC projects are identified, such as legislation, trust among partners, common suppliers and delivery bases, capable 3PL and an effective commercial model, including a fair sharing of benefits.Research Limitations and Implications -The research provides new understanding in accounting for the needs of the supply chain when considering a HLC initiative involving leading players from the retail sector.Practical Implications -The importance of taking a supply chain approach when evaluating the feasibility of HLC is demonstrated. HLC arrangements among competing supply chains need to be designed and run by taking account of all supply chain partners, namely suppliers, 3PLs and customers (in this case, retailers).Originality and Value -The contribution is threefold: i) identification of outset consideration factors, ideal required synergies, actioning enablers and wider supply chain metrics of HLC; ii) development of a supply chain-driven model for HLC, which includes in the decision-making whether or not to adopt a horizontal logistics collaboration model, wide supply chain metrics such as stock levels of finished products and shelf availability, inventory, working and fixed capital, and product waste in addition to distribution costs; and, iii) the proposal of a new definition for HLC which challenges published definitions.

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The growing interest in sustainability increases the challenges for decision makers in selecting the sustainable suppliers in which consider economic, environmental and social aspects. Particularly, decision makers are being increasingly motivated to improve their supply chain activities in coping efficiently with the objectives of sustainable development. Where the era of sustainability threatens the current supply chain partners to either cope with the new regulations of sustainability or leave the field for new players. Notwithstanding, most of the recent studies considered economic and green criteria in handling sustainable supplier selection and order allocation (SSS/OA) problems overlooking the social criteria which represents the third pillar of sustainability. This work aims at putting forward a hybrid Multi Criteria Decision-Making (MCDM)-Fuzzy Multi-Objective Optimization (FMOO) approach for a sustainable supplier selection and order allocation problem by considering economic, environmental and social criteria. Thus, an integrated Fuzzy AHP-Fuzzy TOPSIS is proposed to assess and rank suppliers according to three sets of criteria (i.e. conventional, green and social). A Multi-Objective Optimization Model (MOOM) is developed for choosing suppliers and allocating the optimal order quantities. To cope with the multiple uncertainties in the input data, the MOOM is reformulated into a Fuzzy Multi-Objective Optimization Model. The εconstraint and LP-metrics approaches are used to reveal two sets of Pareto solutions based on the developed FMOO model. Finally, TOPSIS is applied to select the final Pareto solution that is closest to the ideal solution and furthest from the nadir solution. The effectiveness and the applicability of the developed hybrid MCDM-FMOO approach is demonstrated through a case study.

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