Purpose: The aim of this paper is to analyze the suitability of the packaging strategy of an important Spanish agro-food company, regarding to economic and environmental sustainability.Design/methodology/approach: Three different types of packaging are analyzed to obtain a diagnostic of the initial situation. In this process, cost and carbon footprint are calculated in order to measure the economic and environmental impacts, respectively. Then, a new packaging allocation logic is proposed with the aim of improving both aspects.Findings: The results show that the carbon footprint is strongly and positively affected by the cost reduction, showing the viability of a win-win relationship between both aspects.Research limitations/implications: The strength of this win-win relationship may be conditioned by the input values considered in this case study. Conversion factors used to calculate carbon footprint vary a lot among researchers, showing the need of standardization in this topic.Practical implications: Since the existence of a positive relationship between economic and environmental sustainability has been demonstrated, organizations should find this kind of situations in themselves to satisfy their own stakeholders.Originality/value: This article shows the potential of unite waste elimination with eco-friendly activities with the aim of increasing the competitiveness of companies. This paper also contributes to the knowledge of economic and environmental sustainability and reinforces theoretical aspects, paving the way for further research on these topics.
The Wiggle Factor (WF) is a correction factor defined as the ratio between the real distance travelled by road and the straight line between the two points. It is commonly used to estimate route distances for land transport. Though WF is an approximation, certain degree of accuracy is required, because it is frequently used to calculate fuel costs (which represent approximately half of the total truck costs). Performing a statistical analysis with more than 10.000 routes, this article shows that the most common Wiggle Factor (1.2) is not a good approximation for Spanish roads, thus two different WF are presented: the first WF (1.36) characterizes mainly road infrastructure in rural areas while the second WF (1.29) characterizes high-capacity roads (typically motorways). In addition, we present a methodology to easily calculate a WF that can be applied to other countries or specific zones.Keywords: wiggle factor, road transport, routing. Abstract Tilanus, 1991). Some of those models were based on tachographic distances, but nowadays, software tools allow us to calculate a significantly higher number of routes easily.
Purpose: Road transport aspects are becoming increasingly important due to their high impact on economic, environmental and social sustainability. Considering the triple bottom line approach, best practices play a fundamental role within organisations. The purpose of this paper is to analyse several sustainable initiatives in road transport adopted by companies.Design/methodology/approach: The findings were developed and evaluated based on empirical data captured through a survey of 98 professionals involved in logistics and transport activities. Additionally, key literature on transport initiatives was reviewed to supplement the framework for the implementation of best practices in road transport.Findings: The exploratory study shows the importance of each best practice and determines the level of implementation of each initiative, comparing the results among different dealers (retailers, wholesalers, carriers and manufacturers), type of transport fleet and companies’ revenues.Research limitations/implications: The sample of 98 companies was based on simple search filters and the group is not wholly representative of all sectors. Respondents were mainly managers from Spain involved in logistics and transport activities. Surveyed companies included manufacturing, retailers, wholesalers and third-party logistics providers.Practical implications: The most common best practices in road transport are identified, including initiatives related to: efficiency, reusability, safety, optimization, emissions, waste and recycling. Initiatives that influence road transport are ranked by their degree of implementation in the companies analysed. Social implications: Implementation of some of these best practices may help lessen negative impacts of road transport on society and the environment.Originality/value: The study results indicate which practices are most frequently used and their level of implementation depending on companies’ roles in the supply chain, revenues and types of transport fleet. By implementing the proposed best practices, companies will adopt sustainable behaviors to improve their transport performance.
Abstract:Purpose: Since long waits in hospitals have been found to be related to high rates of no-shows and cancelations, managing waiting times should be considered as an important tool that hospitals can use to reduce missed appointments. The aim of this study is to analyze patients' behavior in order to predict no-show and cancelation rates correlated to waiting times.Design/methodology/approach: This study is based on the data from a US children's hospital, which includes all the appointments registered during one year of observation. We used the callappointment interval to establish the wait time to get an appointment. Four different types of appointment-keeping behavior and two types of patients were distinguished: arrival, no-show, cancelation with no reschedule, and cancelation with reschedule; and new and established patients. Findings:Results confirmed a strong impact of long waiting times on patients' appointmentkeeping behavior, and the logarithmic regression was found as the best-fit function for the correlation between variables in all cases. The correlation analysis showed that new patients tend to miss appointments more often than established patients when the waiting time increases. It was also found that, depending on the patients' appointment distribution, it might get more complicated for hospitals to reduce missed appointments as the waiting time is reduced.-1107-Journal of Industrial Engineering and Management -http://dx.doi.org/10.3926/jiem.2075 Originality/value: The methodology applied in our study, which combines the use of regression analysis and patients' appointment distribution analysis, would help health care managers to understand the initial implications of long waiting times and to address improvement related to patient satisfaction and hospital performance.
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