Biomass supply chain event management

 D. K. Folinas1, D. D. Bochtis2, C. G. Sørensen2, P. Busato3(1. ATEI Thessaloniki, Department of Logistics, Greece; 2. Department of Biosystems Engineering, Faculty of Agricultural Sciences, Aarhus University, Blichers Alle´ 20, P.O. box 50;   3. DEIAFA Department,Faculty of Agriculture, University of Turin, Via Leonardo da Vinci 44, 10095, Grugliasco, Turin, Italy) Abstract: The biomass supply chain constitutes a system that is highly dynamic and stochastic.  The developed and proposed systems architectures for the management of the supply chains of typical industrial products do not directly apply to the case of the biomass supply chain

A paradigm shift for a successful launch of a locally-based start-up in the food supply chain

The aim of this paper is to design a friendly-user framework for a successful launch of a locally-based start-up in the food supply chain.  Specifically, the study is focused on a Small Medium Enterprises (SME’s) cooperative store in a farm school.  The store is operated by the students in the context of their entrepreneurship, business and marketing classes.  Authors made a number of interviews with the managers and employees of the locally-based store so as to identify its potentials and challenges.  The outcome of the study is a framework dealing with managerial, as well as, technological aspects and even if refers to a specific SME it will act as a road map for an effective start-up development.   Keywords: customer loyalty, American farm school, SME co-operatives, agri-busines

Identifying the optimal strategy for suppliers’ involvement in product design: A case study

In order to increase efficiency and improve competitiveness, manufacturers around the globe are focusing on developing their core businesses. On the other hand, standard activities of engineering are optimally accomplished outside the borders of the firm; thus outsourcing of non-core businesses has become lately a common practice. Product design is considered as one of the most important phases in a product’s life cycle, since the majority of most critical decisions in terms of products’ overall performance are considered during the Research & Development (R&D) phase. Involving suppliers in a firm’s R&D offers significant benefits in various directions, such as feasibility, practicability, sustainability, competitiveness and innovativeness. However, selecting the optimal outsourcing strategy is not an easy decision. On the contrary, it is most challenging since it encompasses a number of different and in many cases mutually conflicting criteria. This paper presents a methodological approach for the selection of the optimal outsourcing strategy for a manufacturer’s R&D. The methodology is based on outranking multicriteria methods and more specifically ELECTRE III. The approach is illustrated and validated through a real world case study of a Greek olive oil producer.   Keywords: product design; suppliers; R&D; outsourcing strategy; multicriteria analysis, ELECTRE II

Food Product Traceability by Using Automated Identification Technologies

Part 7: Perceptional SystemsInternational audienceFood product traceability from harvesting, through food processing to the final food product and through the retailer to the end consumer is a significant process that has to ensure food quality and safety. The traceability enables the end consumer to get information from all previous stages of the food product, leading back to the food origin. In this way, the consumer can get more information on the specific product, and thus make a decision on buying the product that suits his needs best. In each stage of the food product transformation, important data are generated for the subsequent chain participants. Every participant should have access to certain data of interest to them. This can be achieved by using automated identification technologies, like RFID (Radio Frequency IDentification) and two-dimensional barcode, which allow faster data acquisition, recording and reading processes than the traditional means, and provide up-to-date information in each product stage. Furthermore, these technologies allow the possibility to record large amounts of data for each specific product, and interconnect all the data in a database. This paper discusses the process of providing traceability of food products, recording, transmitting and reading of significant data in specific stages of food product chain, with the application of automated identification technologies, including the possibility of obtaining additional data from a database, according to appropriate access level of each participant in the chain. Advantages and disadvantages of automated identification technologies are discussed, with the proposition for using specific technologies in certain food product stages

Logistics Services Sector and Economic Recession in Greece: Challenges and Opportunities

The recent economic recession in Greece has had a detrimental impact on all national business activities, with the logistics industry being one of the most affected sectors primarily due to the significant decrease in market demand for goods and services. In this regard, the aim of this research is to identify key challenges and prospects for the Greek logistics services industry stemming from the recent economic crisis era through a critical literature taxonomy, a semantic analysis of the reviewed articles, and a questionnaire-based survey involving 140 executives from the third-party logistics sector. In principal, the recent economic crisis is reported to have significantly affected logistics service providers, thus further imposing structural reforms in the industry. The reduction in operating profits of transport companies is noticeable with the onset of the economic crisis, specifically in 2016. Nevertheless, logistics executives are optimistic regarding the near future, provided that educated and informed strategic management decisions are made and inventive business practices are embraced

Identification and modeling of key logistics processes in the Agrifood Sector

As logistics become a substantial part of a firm's operations, the corresponding processes increases in importance. Identifying key logistics processes using a structured approach will align their outcomes to deliver the business goals, design appropriate measures and allocate sufficient resources for their improvement. This paper proposes a systematic methodology for the identification, categorization and prioritization of logistics processes, using a binary linear programming model. The identified key logistics processes are modeled by creating a number of UML diagrams and document them by the use of a pre-defined template. These processes include both inbound and supply chain - wide logistics activities and have a critical effect on the operational performance of an agrifood business entity. Companies can focus on these key logistics processes in order to optimize their critical aspects such as time and cost issues, resources planning and scheduling, as well as, queues and delay