Modern supply chains are complex in structure. They can encompass owned or contracted manufacturing and transportation facilities, suppliers, distributors and customer service centres scattered around the globe. Consequently, new strategic priorities besides costs have emerged as important enablers for competition, such as flexibility, customer service, after-sales service, cycle time and control of stockouts.
The proper design of echelons and corresponding interrelations is important to ensuring correct functionality of a distribution channel. Proper design, planning and control of supply chains offers opportunities in terms of quality improvement, cost and lead time reduction, rapid response to changes, and ultimately allows excelling in performance levels.
Hence there is an increasing need for the investigation of how supply chain design can affect the performance of logistics channels. Major techniques that can be exploited to this extent include simulation models, operation research models (e.g. linear programming) and artificial intelligence algorithms.
This special issue aims to collect contributions related to advanced supply chain design, supply chain optimisation and supply chain performance measurement.
Suitable topics include but are not limited to:
Advanced tools for supply chain design, including:
- Supply chain simulation models
- Operation research models for supply chain design
- Artificial intelligence tools for supply chain design
- Inventory management
- Supply chain management
- Forward and reverse logistics
- Distribution networks and facility design
- Metrics for supply chain management
- Performance measurement systems for supply chain management
- Advanced models for supply chain performance measurement
Submission deadline: 30 September, 2011
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