The Canadian forest products industry has failed to retain its competitiveness in the global markets because of the under-utilization of its resources. Supply chain optimization models can identify the best possible fibre utilization strategies from multiple options of value creation based on fluctuating market conditions in the forest industries. This paper comprehensively reviews the literature related to supply chain models used both in general and specifically in the forest products industry. The optimization models use information from multiple agents (market demand attributes, flexible wood procurement and manufacturing processes, and resource characteristics), and share this information at each level in the supply chain network. However, the modeling of two-way flow of information (market to forests and vice-versa) for order promising and demand fulfillment through all facilities including manufacturing, processing, raw material procurement and inventory control is missing. The studies that focus on optimization are mostly deterministic in nature and do not account for uncertainty both in supply of raw materials and demand of forest products. Simulation and optimization models have been independently used for supply chain management in the past. The literature lacks an integrated approach that combines simulation and optimization models throughout the supply chain network of the Canadian forest products industry. Further studies should focus on developing simulation-based optimization models that will help in providing an operational planning tool that meets industrial expectations and provides much better solutions than current industrial practice.
A plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) can improve fuel economy and emission reduction significantly compared to hybrid electric vehicles and conventional internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles. Currently there lacks an efficient and effective approach to identify the optimal combination of the battery pack size, electric motor, and engine for PHEVs in the presence of multiple design objectives such as fuel economy, operating cost, and emission. This work proposes a design approach for optimal PHEV hybridization. Through integrating the Pareto set pursuing (PSP) multiobjective optimization algorithm and powertrain system analysis toolkit (PSAT) simulator on a Toyota Prius PHEV platform, 4480 possible combinations of design parameters (20 batteries, 14 motors, and 16 engines) were explored for PHEV20 and PHEV40 powertrain configurations. The proposed approach yielded the optimal solution in a small fraction of computational time, as compared to an exhaustive search. This confirms the efficiency and applicability of PSP to problems with discrete variables. In the design context we have found that battery, motor, and engine collectively define the optimal hybridization scheme, which also varies with the drive cycle and all electric range (AER). The proposed method and software platform could be applied to optimize other powertrain designs.
PurposeThis research study explores the adoption of integrated sustainable SCM practices in the textile industry in India and its impact on the firm's business performance.Design/methodology/approachThe analysis was carried out using the partial least squares structural equation modeling using SmartPLS 3.3.2.FindingsIt was found that the demand-side sustainability initiatives of the large firms and the internal sustainability practices of the small firms directly impacted their business performance. It was also found that the suppliers' sustainability initiatives had a direct and positive impact on the internal sustainability of the firm, which in turn had a direct and positive impact on the demand-side sustainability in the Indian textile industry.Originality/valueThe findings emphasize the distinctive role of each dimension of the integrated sustainable SCM on the firm performance in the Indian textile industry.
Sawmills in Ontario are an important forest products industry, contributing to the economic prosperity of the entire province. However, these sawmills have been facing extreme competitive pressures, impacting their operational efficiency. This study uses a nonparametric technique, the bootstrap data envelopment analysis, to analyse the relative efficiencies of 125 Ontario sawmills over a period of 17 years (1999 to 2015). The results indicate low levels of overall technical and managerial efficiencies in Ontario sawmills, which have been further impacted by economic downturns. Further analysis reveals that the size of the sawmills has had a statistically significant impact on their relative technical efficiencies. The main source of inefficiency was the management of operations, particularly when these sawmills were not able to adjust their inputs with changing and uncertain market demand conditions. These results provide policymakers and sawmill managers with comprehensive details so that future resources can be reallocated to improve the performance of the Ontario forest products industry.
1This paper develops a simulation-based optimization supply chain model for supplying sawlogs 2 to a sawmill from a forest management unit. The simulation model integrates the two-way flow 3 of information and materials under stochastic demand of the sawmill production unit. The 4 dynamic optimization model finds the optimum inventory policy (s, S) that minimizes total 5 inventory cost for the three supply chain agents -sawmill storage, merchandizing yard, and 6 forest management unit. The model is used to analyze a real sawmill case study in Northwestern 7 Ontario, Canada. It was found that the merchandizing yard absorbs shocks of uncertain demand 8 from sawmill production unit and reduces idle time, but increases the total cost of the supply 9 chain by $11802 (about 42%). The optimized model predicts that only three and a half days of 10 inventory is required at the sawmill storage. The simulation-based optimization supplier model 11 will help in decision making at the tactical and operational level in the forest products industry 12 supply chain through two-way flow of information and materials. 13 14
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