Browsing by Author "Aktas, Emel"
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Item Open Access A decision support system to improve service quality in multimodal rapid rail systems: a bayesian perspective(Cranfield University, 2018-01-02 09:16) Yanik, Seda; Aktas, Emel; Ilker Topcu, YPresentation of the work in the 41st International Conference on Computers and Industrial EngineeringItem Open Access Additive manufacturing in pharmaceutical supply chain(Logistics Research Network and CILT, 2023-09-08) Li, Wenqi; Ekren, Banu Y.; Aktas, EmelPurpose: A resilient and efficient pharmaceutical supply chain (PSC) ensures access to essential medicines during pandemics and other emergencies. The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the need for continued investment and innovation in this area, and concerted efforts by all stakeholders are necessary to achieve this goal. Additive manufacturing (AM), or 3D printing, can enhance PSC resilience and performance, reduce waste, and improve environmental sustainability. 3D printing can help address drug shortages, patient-specific dosages, and personalised medicine in the pharmaceutical industry. Moreover, 3D printing technology enables local production of drugs and medical devices, reducing transportation costs, carbon footprint, and lead times, transforming how products are designed, produced, and delivered to end-users. This study aims to investigate the multifaceted benefits of 3D printing technology on the PSC, including its potential to streamline processes, increase SC efficiency, enhance responsiveness, and improve sustainability. Additionally, the study seeks to identify the interrelationships between these benefits and how they can contribute to the overall success of the PSC. Research Approach: To achieve this, we comprehensively analyse the potential benefits and shortcomings of 3D printing technology on the PSC by compiling relevant literature and internet sources. Findings and Originality: The study identifies ways in which 3D printing can positively impact the PSC, including simplifying the supply chain (SC) process, localising production, and transitioning from make-to-stock to make-to-order production. These changes can significantly impact inventory levels, increasing SC sustainability, efficiency, responsiveness, and resilience. However, this study also identifies unique shortcomings and future research opportunities associated with implementing 3D printing in the PSC, providing a holistic view of the technology's potential impact. Research Impact: The research highlights the potential of 3D printing to revolutionise the PSC by enabling a more streamlined and sustainable manufacturing process. Practical Impact: The study's findings offer the pharmaceutical industry insights on how to tackle SC shortcomings such as supplier shortages, fluctuating demand, and short response times. As a result, this study offers a valuable resource for both practitioners and researchers who wish to leverage 3D printing technology to enhance the PSC's performance and understand the technology's impact on the PSC.Item Open Access Artificial Intelligence applications for responsive healthcare supply chains: a decision-making framework(IEEE, 2024-03-18) Virmani, Naveen; Singh, Rajesh Kumar; Agarwal, Vaishali; Aktas, EmelPost-COVID-19, the healthcare sector is extensively digitalizing operations by applying emerging technologies such as Artificial Intelligence (AI). It is evident from previous research that the adoption of AI in the healthcare supply chain results in unmatched benefits. Therefore, the present study identifies the enablers for adopting AI in healthcare supply chains and validates them using the Fuzzy-Delphi technique. Furthermore, enablers are prioritized, and the dyadic connections between them are investigated using the fuzzy-DEMATEL approach. In the last phase, the Graph Theory Matrix Approach was applied to assess the readiness of a case organization to adopt AI across various healthcare functions. The sensitivity analysis confirms the reliability of the results. Competitive and mimetic pressures, together with government policies and support, were the most influencing enablers. Furthermore, Scalability and Traceability of information flow across the healthcare supply chain are found to be the most influenced factor by other enablers.Item Open Access Balancing the exploitation-exploration paradox during major geopolitical disruptions: the importance of supply chain structural ambidexterity(Academy of Management, 2023-07-24) Moradlou, Hamid; Skipworth, Heather; Bals, Lydia; Aktas, Emel; Roscoe, SamuelWe answer the question “How do companies develop and deploy supply chain structural ambidexterity to effectively manage geopolitical disruptions?” by investigating three significant geopolitical disruptions: Brexit, the US-China trade war, and the Covid-19 pandemic. We use an inductive theory-elaboration approach to build on Organisational Learning Theory and Dunning’s eclectic paradigm of international production. We conducted 29 elite interviews with senior supply chain executives across 14 multi-national manufacturing firms and validated the analysis by triangulating secondary data sources, including standard operating procedures, annual reports, and organizational protocols. When faced with significant geopolitical disruptions, companies develop and deploy supply chain structural ambidexterity by (1) developing parallel supply chains; (2) significantly reconfiguring their supplier networks, and (3) restructuring their internal sub-units. We contribute to Organisational Learning Theory and Dunning’s eclectic paradigm by empirically examining how companies reconfigure supply chains to pursue exploration and exploitation activities in response to geopolitical disruptions. During significant geopolitical disruptions, managers make decisions in tight timeframes. Therefore, we propose three types of supply chain structural ambidexterity based on the transition time available. We conclude with a managerial framework to assist firms in developing supply chain structural ambidexterity in response to geopolitical disruptions.Item Open Access Barriers to adoption of industry 4.0 and sustainability: a case study with SMEs(Taylor & Francis, 2022-10-11) Kumar, Shashank; Raut, Rakesh D.; Aktas, Emel; Narkhede, Balkrishna E.; Gedam, Vidyadhar V.The concepts of sustainable supply chains and Industry 4.0 are progressively getting attention in different domains. Companies have started developing and implementing these practices in their business models. However, several challenges influence the adoption of sustainability and Industry 4.0 (I4.0) in small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). This study aims (i) to identify the adoption barriers of sustainability and I4.0 and (ii) establish the interrelationship among these barriers for SMEs. An extensive literature search supported by interviews with supply chain practitioners from three SMEs identified 12 critical barriers to adoption. The barriers are then ranked using “Interpretive Structural Modeling.” The results suggest that the “lack of resources” and the “lack of employee’s competence/experts” are the most influencing barriers. Changing government regulations on the allocation of capital and financial incentives for SMEs to encourage training and skills development programs could promote sustainable supply chains and practices. The study also reflects short-, medium- and long- term planning strategies for supply chain practitioners for adoption of sustainability and I4.0 in SMEs.Item Open Access Big data applications in food supply chains(AIP Publishing, 2024-04-09) Aktas, EmelFood supply chains are characterized by innovation, not only in products but also in processes. This paper aims to identify big data applications in the food and drink sector and present its findings as a state-of-the-art literature review. Academic databases were searched using ‘food’ or ‘drink’ and ‘big data’ keywords. Scholarly publications from 2015 onward are identified and presented in broad categories of demand prediction and retail operations optimization. The review recognized big data applications as a great opportunity for food supply chains. The applications aimed 1) to understand the customer base and inform marketing communications strategy, 2) to predict demand and organize retail operations to meet this demand, and 3) to optimize prices, assortment, and inventories based on demand patterns. Applications in this review focused more on descriptive and predictive analytics than prescriptive analytics, possibly due to the emergent nature of these applications. Descriptive analytics applications focused on capturing data, summarizing the status quo, and developing customer segments which can then be managed using varying marketing strategies. Predictive analytics applications focused on demand prediction with novel approaches proposed by the machine learning community. Prescriptive analytics applications aimed at promotion optimization and pricing for profit maximization. Cognitive analytics applications extracted customer reviews from online stores to inform which products should be marketed in what way. The review offers managerial insights on circumstances where big data analytics could prove beneficial. Managerial implications suggest that data integrators enable big data applications by ensuring the data collected are accurate, timely, and complete to inform descriptive, predictive, and prescriptive analytical models.Item Open Access Big data applications in supply chain management(Palgrave Macmillan, 2022-07-27) Aktas, EmelThis chapter overviews emerging applications of big data analytics in supply chain management. The academic attention on big data applications and their practitioner uptake is growing. Many recent papers showcase descriptive, predictive, and prescriptive analytics applications where multiple benefits emerge from applying big data analytics to managerial problems. Such benefits include cost reduction, increases in revenues and profits, and minimization of the environmental impact of operations. Current concerns include the transition from traditional to digital supply chains and what can realistically be achieved over the next two decades. While we evidence excellent applications of big data analytics for supply chain planning and management problems, the issue of working in silos persists. For an organization to fully exploit big data applications, data should be perceived as an asset. When deploying novel artificial intelligence algorithms, the explainability of these algorithms should be at the forefront of an implementation strategy. Future research directions should be aimed at devising a connected and coordinated analytics approach that will enable the benefits of big data applications to go beyond what is currently realized.Item Open Access The circularity of product-service systems: the role of macro-, meso- and micro-level contextual factors(Emerald, 2022-08-23) Kuhl, Carl-Christian; Skipworth, Heather; Bourlakis, Michael; Aktas, EmelPurpose: This paper aims to examine the relationships between macro-, meso-, and microlevel contextual factors that enable or inhibit the contribution of Product Service Systems (PSS) to circularity. It is informed by the Natural Resource-Based View (NRBV) and the multi-level perspective as theoretical lenses. Design/methodology/approach: A theory elaboration approach is used through three in-depth case studies of UK and German manufacturers. Case studies provide use- and result-oriented PSS for personal computers, power tools, and wind turbines. Multiple sources of evidence, including 20 semi-structured interviews, company documents, and quantitative data, are triangulated to improve the validity of the results. Findings: Empirical evidence for relationships between macro-, meso-, and micro-level contextual factors show significant barriers to the extending and cycling of resource loops, primarily through maintenance, repairs, and refurbishment. A firm’s environmental awareness has a determining role in the contribution of PSS to circularity. The evidence from two use-oriented PSS reveals different circularity maturity levels. Originality: This research makes three key contributions. Firstly, it elaborates on NRBV by showing that a firm’s environmental awareness determines product stewardship. The type of product stewardship practices depends on the enabling and inhibiting effects of macro- and meso-level factors. Secondly, it shows that use-oriented PSS have different circularity profiles and proposes three circularity maturity levels. Finally, it provides an empirically validated framework of macro-, meso-, and micro-level enablers and barriers and how they interact to enable or inhibit circularity in PSS.Item Open Access Collaboration in the last mile: evidence from grocery deliveries(Taylor & Francis, 2020-03-12) Aktas, Emel; Bourlakis, Michael; Zissis, DimitrisThe grocery sector has transitioned into an omnichannel operating mode, allowing consumers to buy online and have their order delivered to their chosen address. The last mile delivery service leads to avoidable inefficiencies such as low asset utilisation and repeated trips to nearby neighbourhoods, increasing vehicle emissions, traffic, and operational costs. Combining historical order and delivery data of an online grocery retailer with secondary data publicly available on other retailers, we employ Monte Carlo simulation to estimate grocery home delivery demand per 1-hour time windows. We use the simulation output as an input to daily vehicle routing problem instances under independent and collaborative last mile delivery operation to estimate the impact of collaboration. Our analyses show distance savings of around 17% and route reduction of around 22%. These results can support policies incentivising vehicle and infrastructure sharing settings and decoupling the last mile delivery from the core grocery retail services.Item Open Access Collaboration in urban distribution of online grocery orders(Emerald, 2018-09-05) Zissis, Dimitris; Aktas, Emel; Bourlakis, MichaelPurpose Population growth, urbanisation and the increased use of online shopping are some of the key challenges affecting the traditional logistics model. The purpose of this paper is to focus on the distribution of grocery products ordered online and the subsequent home delivery and click and collect services offered by online retailers to fulfil these orders. These services are unsustainable due to increased operational costs, carbon emissions, traffic and noise. The main objective of the research is to propose sustainable logistics models to reduce economic, environmental and social costs whilst maintaining service levels. Design/methodology/approach The authors have a mixed methodology based on simulation and mathematical modelling to evaluate the proposed shared logistics model using: primary data from a major UK retailer, secondary data from online retailers and primary data from a consumer survey on preferences for receiving groceries purchased online. Integration of these three data sets serves as input to vehicle routing models that reveal the benefits from collaboration by solving individual distribution problems of two retailers first, followed by the joint distribution problem under single decision maker assumption. Findings The benefits from collaboration could be more than 10 per cent in the distance travelled and 16 per cent in the time required to deliver the orders when two online grocery retailers collaborate in distribution activities. Originality/value The collaborative model developed for the online grocery market incentivises retailers to switch from current unsustainable logistics models to the proposed collaborative models.Item Open Access A consumer behavioural approach to food waste(Emerald, 2018-06-30) Aktas, Emel; Sahin, Hafize; Topaloğlu, Zeynep; Oledinma, Akunna; Samsul Huda, Abul Kalam; Irani, Zahir; Sharif, Amir M.; van't Wout, Tamara; Kamrava, MehranPurpose Food waste occurs in every stage of the supply chain, but the value-added lost to waste is the highest when consumers waste food. The purpose of this paper is to understand the food waste behaviour of consumers to support policies for minimising food waste. Design/methodology/approach Using the theory of planned behaviour (TPB) as a theoretical lens, the authors design a questionnaire that incorporates contextual factors to explain food waste behaviour. The authors test two models: base (four constructs of TPB) and extended (four constructs of TPB plus six contextual factors). The authors build partial least squares structural equation models to test the hypotheses. Findings The data confirm significant relationships between food waste and contextual factors such as motives, financial attitudes, planning routines, food surplus, social relationships and Ramadan. Research limitations/implications The data comes from an agriculturally resource-constrained country: Qatar. Practical implications Food waste originating from various causes means more food should flow through the supply chains to reach consumers’ homes. Contextual factors identified in this work increase the explanatory power of the base model by 75 per cent. Social implications Changing eating habits during certain periods of the year and food surplus have a strong impact on food waste behaviour. Originality/value A country is considered to be food secure if it can provide its citizens with stable access to sufficient, safe and nutritious food. The findings and conclusions inform and impact upon the development of food waste and food security policies.Item Open Access Data supporting the publication 'Product-service systems and circular supply chain practices in UK SMEs: The moderating effect of internal environmental orientation'(Cranfield University, 2022-04-19 16:54) Kuhl, Carl; Bourlakis, Michael; Aktas, Emel; Skipworth, HeatherData file 1. PSSandCSCinUK_JBR.csv Data are available under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0). Many studies uphold product-service systems (PSSs) as key factors for the implementation of circular supply chain (CSC) practices. This paper explores this assumption by testing the links between product-, use- and result-oriented PSSs and slowing, closing, and narrowing CSC practices. It develops and validates survey items that can be used to benchmark CSC practice implementation. In addition, it tests a model that recognises the positive moderating role of internal environmental orientation. A survey is conducted with 114 manufacturing small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the United Kingdom (UK). Partial least squares structural equation modelling is conducted to evaluate two models. The results show that product-oriented PSSs positively affect the slowing, use-oriented positively affects the closing, and result-oriented positively affects the slowing and the narrowing of resource loops. Internal environmental orientation does not moderate the PSS – CSC relationship, suggesting that less internally environmentally oriented firms are not at a disadvantage.Item Open Access Data underpinning "Green scheduling of a two-machine flowshop: Trade-off between makespan and energy consumption"(Cranfield University, 2017-04-24 09:39) Aktas, Emel; Mansouri, AfshinSustainability considerations in manufacturing scheduling, which is traditionally influenced by service oriented performance metrics, have rarely been adopted in the literature. This paper aims to address this gap by incorporating energy consumption as an explicit criterion in shop floor scheduling. Leveraging the variable speed of machining operations leading to different energy consumption levels, we explore the potential for energy saving in manufacturing. We analyze the trade-off between minimizing makespan, a measure of service level and total energy consumption, an indicator for environmental sustainability of a two-machine sequence dependent permutation flowshop. We develop a mixed integer linear multi-objective optimization model to find the Pareto frontier comprised of makespan and total energy consumption. To cope with combinatorial complexity, we also develop a constructive heuristic for fast trade-off analysis between makespan and energy consumption. We define lower bounds for the two objectives under some non-restrictive conditions and compare the performance of the constructive heuristic with CPLEX through design of experiments. The lower bounds that we develop are valid under realistic assumptions since they are conditional on speed factors. The Pareto frontier includes solutions ranging from expedited, energy intensive schedules to prolonged, energy efficient schedules. It can serve as a visual aid for production and sales planners to consider energy consumption explicitly in making quick decisions while negotiating with customers on due dates. We provide managerial insights by analyzing the areas along the Pareto frontier where energy saving can be justified at the expense of reduced service level and vice versa.Item Open Access A decision support model for identification and prioritization of key performance indicators in the logistics industry(Elsevier, 2016-09-03) Kucukaltan, Berk; Irani, Zahir; Aktas, EmelPerformance measurement of logistics companies is based upon various performance indicators. Yet, in the logistics industry, there are several vaguenesses, such as deciding on key indicators and determining interrelationships between performance indicators. In order to resolve these vaguenesses, this paper first presents the stakeholder-informed Balanced Scorecard (BSC) model, by incorporating financial (e.g. cost) and non-financial (e.g. social media) performance indicators, with a comprehensive approach as a response to the major shortcomings of the generic BSC regarding the negligence of different stakeholders. Subsequently, since the indicators are not independent of each other, a robust multi-criteria decision making technique, the Analytic Network Process (ANP) method is implemented to analyze the interrelationships. The integration of these two techniques provides a novel way to evaluate logistics performance indicators from logisticians' perspective. This is a matter that has not been addressed in the logistics industry to date, and as such remains a gap that needs to be investigated. Therefore, the proposed model identifies key performance indicators as well as various stakeholders in the logistics industry, and analyzes the interrelationships among the indicators by using the ANP. Consequently, the results show that educated employee (15.61%) is the most important indicator for the competitiveness of logistics companies.Item Open Access Digital transformation in food supply chains: a review and implementation roadmap(Emerald, 2023-07-05) Wang, Shiyi; Ghadge, Abhijeet; Aktas, EmelDigital transformation has gradually attracted the attention to address food supply chain (FSC) challenges. However, the integration of technologies/capabilities to achieve digital transformation in FSCs is unclear. The study aims to establish how the digital transformation of FSCs can be achieved using the Internet of Things (IoT), Cloud Computing (CC), and Big Data Analytics (BDA). A systematic literature review (SLR) is conducted to deliver a comprehensive view with 57 papers selected from 2008 to 2022. A digital transformation roadmap is proposed based on the Diffusion of Innovation (DOI) theory, which contributes to theory and practice by providing guidance for implementation.Item Open Access Digital transformation in food supply chains: an implementation framework(Emerald, 2024-01-19) Wang, Shiyi; Ghadge, Abhijeet; Aktas, EmelPurpose Digital transformation using Industry 4.0 technologies can address various challenges in food supply chains (FSCs). However, the integration of emerging technologies to achieve digital transformation in FSCs is unclear. This study aims to establish how the digital transformation of FSCs can be achieved by adopting key technologies such as the Internet of Things (IoTs), cloud computing (CC) and big data analytics (BDA). Design/methodology/approach A systematic literature review (SLR) resulted in 57 articles from 2008 to 2022. Following descriptive and thematic analysis, a conceptual framework based on the diffusion of innovation (DOI) theory and the context-intervention-mechanism-outcome (CIMO) logic is established, along with avenues for future research. Findings The combination of DOI theory and CIMO logic provides the theoretical foundation for linking the general innovation process to the digital transformation process. A novel conceptual framework for achieving digital transformation in FSCs is developed from the initiation to implementation phases. Objectives and principles for digitally transforming FSCs are identified for the initiation phase. A four-layer technology implementation architecture is developed for the implementation phase, facilitating multiple applications for FSC digital transformation. Originality/value The study contributes to the development of theory on digital transformation in FSCs and offers managerial guidelines for accelerating the growth of the food industry using key Industry 4.0 emerging technologies. The proposed framework brings clarity into the “neglected” intermediate stage of data management between data collection and analysis. The study highlights the need for a balanced integration of IoT, CC and BDA as key Industry 4.0 technologies to achieve digital transformation successfully.Item Open Access Dissemination Event Presentation(Cranfield University, 2018-04-03 10:07) Sharif, Amir; Aktas, EmelThese are the presentation slides for the SAFE-Q Dissemination Event held on 19 March 2018 at Georgetown University Qatar.Item Open Access Does sustainability pay? Evidence from the food sector(Taylor and Francis, 2019-04-13) Acar, Mehmet Fatih; Aktas, Emel; Agan, Yavuz; Bourlakis, MichaelThis research investigates sustainability concepts, linking them with social, environmental, and operational activities in the food supply chain. Building on the literature treating social sustainability as an antecedent of environmental sustainability, we present the effects of environmental sustainability on operational performance using constructs that reflect flexibility, quality, and responsiveness. For this purpose, manufacturing companies in the Turkish food industry are surveyed and 101 responses are collected. A partial least squares structural equation model (PLS-SEM) is constructed to test the reliability and the validity of the measurement model and the structural model. The results show that social sustainability is positively associated with environmental sustainability. Moreover, environmental sustainability has a positive influence on operational performance measures: flexibility, quality, and responsiveness with effect sizes that range from medium to large. Organizations in the food supply chain should consider not only the economic, but also the social and the environmental aspects of sustainability. To do this, governments could inform manufacturers in the food sector about the importance of sustainability and encourage them with different incentives towards more sustainable operational practices. This work establishes that investing in social and environmental sustainability returns increased operational performance. The limitation of the research is the size of the sample. In the future, the questionnaire can be used to compare results from other countries and other sectors.Item Open Access Editorial for the Special issue on Multiple Criteria Decision Making models(Emerald, 2020-12-01) Aktas, Emel; Topcu, Ilker; Kucukaltan, BerkThis special issue idea came to life with Prof. Ilker Topcu hosting the 25th International Conference on Multiple Criteria Decision Making in Istanbul from 16 to 21 June 2019 (https://mcdm2019.org/about/). International Society on Multiple Criteria Decision Making (MCDM) brings together academicians, professionals, researchers, students and policymakers at a bi-annual conference since 1975. MCDM 2019Item Open Access The effects of supply chain disruptions due to hurricanes on stock price.(Cranfield University, 2022-04) Schelp, Priscilla; Skipworth, Heather; Aktas, EmelPurpose and Rationale: It is known that supply chain disruptions have a negative stock price effect and that the effect is stronger if these are caused by catastrophes. However, these effects of hurricane-induced supply chain disruptions on stock price remain unexplored, even though the annual average hurricane damage in the US due to hurricanes is $54bn, of which $9bn is to commercial businesses. This thesis aims to: 1. Explore, classify and connect the three concepts of natural disasters, supply chain disruption (SCD) and firm financial performance in one framework. 2. Identify potentially influencing factors and test if, and in which way, these influence the effect of hurricanes on stock price. 3. Define a statistical model to evaluate the effect of hurricanes on stock price. The main focus is on manufacturing firms. Design/Methodology/Approach: This research is quantitative. The daily closing value of 625 manufacturing companies that were listed on the NYSE between 2014 and 2018 was analysed. Autoregressive Integrated Moving Average (ARIMA) was applied in combination with intervention analysis to model the stock price time series. In total six deduced hypotheses were tested. The statistical interruptions in stock prices due to hurricane announcements and hurricane incident announcements were investigated. The method allowed estimation of the magnitude and temporal patterns of change by applying transfer functions. Multiple factors that potentially influence the magnitude or pattern of the stock price reaction were tested, including details of damage. Findings: Both hurricane incident announcements and hurricane announcements negatively affect a firm’s stock price, mostly in the form of a transitory change. Industry moderates the stock price reaction to hurricane announcements. Minor supply chain disruptions are the only impacts resulting in a positive reaction. Providing details on actual damage leads to less negative and mostly positive reactions. Companies providing information on preventive closures are unlikely to suffer a negative reaction. Practical Implications: Hurricane risk needs to be actively managed by firms in all sectors; however, the preparation needs to be sector-specific. Firms should focus their efforts on managing supply chain disruptions. Additionally, firms need to communicate in a transparent way to reduce shareholders’ uncertainty and increase trust, so that the stock prices reactions are less negative. Originality: This thesis provides a single framework connecting disasters, supply chain disruptions and firm performance, thereby bridging supply chain management and financial economics literature. The thesis evaluates the effect of hurricane-induced supply chain disruptions for the first time. It does not analyse just the effect of hurricane incident announcements but also hurricane announcements and compares both. Autoregressive integrated moving average (ARIMA) in combination with an intervention model was applied as an alternative to the frequently used event study methodology. This approach is chosen to evaluate the effect of hurricane announcements and hurricane incident announcements on the daily stock price time series of the firms in scope. Longer term effects can be evaluated, and the best fitting transfer functions are assessed. The model accounts for autocorrelation, trend, seasonality, and drift patterns. Additionally, the effect of the following potentially influencing factors was tested as these have only been touched on in the existing literature so far: impact type, impact extent, detailed damage, and preventive closure.