Operations and Supply Chain Management Commons^™

Fedex Ground Strategic Audit, Samantha Gates

Honors Theses

FedEx Ground is an operating segment of the parcel carrier giant FedEx Inc. The company, known for shipping products via delivery truck, has remained one of the largest parcel carriers in the country, despite drastic changes in its environment. This report seeks to understand the changing operating environment of FedEx Ground, its competitive advantages, and the future challenges it may face. The analysis uses PESTEL and Porter's Five Forces analyses to evaluate the changing external environment and industry FedEx Ground operates in. Additionally, challenges and recommendations are offered to navigate the future of this company.

Brides And Bridal Stores: Online Or Brick-And-Mortar, Libby C. Jones, Ismet Anitsal, Melek Meral Anitsal

Atlantic Marketing Journal

This paper explores the growing global bridal industry and the different trends, traditions, and aspects of specific countries' bridal industries. It outlines western and eastern traditions and how globalization contributes to their spread. A deeper focus is dedicated to the United States' bridal industry and the issues brick-and-mortar bridal boutiques face as more brides have started shopping at online bridal stores. The relationship between brick-and-mortar and online bridal stores is explored based on various propositions about the bridal industry's emerging challenges. These propositions include trust issues in the retail environment, convenience, selection of bridal gowns in different retail formats, incorporating …

Renewed Relevance For The United States Postal Service: A Return To Supply Chain Values, Sydney Skrivanos Oliver

Supply Chain Management Undergraduate Honors Theses

Despite acknowledging crisis, the United States Postal Service (USPS) can remain relevant in the United States by relying on foundational logistical values to guide the implementation of their current supply chain strategies.

The idea of intentional focus dedicated to the advancement of the postal service’s supply chain is an underlying reason why USPS was able to be so successful at its formation. From its founding, the national postal service focused on many logistical values, as the success of executing these values was necessary to the nation's establishment and survival. Three of the most prominent logistical values from creating the national …

Optimal Channel Strategy Of Luxury Brands In The Presence Of Online Marketplace And Copycats, Sarah Yini Gao, Wei Shi Lim, Ziqiu Ye

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

The strategic interaction between authentic luxury brands and their copycats has evolved since the proliferation of online marketplaces. Using a game-theoretic framework, we examine how an authentic luxury brand, observing the strategic behavior of its competing copycats, should make its optimal entry decision to a third-party online marketplace. Our findings reveal that the authentic luxury brand does not sell on the online marketplace when either the quality or the physical resemblance of the copycat to the authentic luxury brand is high. This contributes to the related literature by offering an explanation for the increasing quality of copycats amid the e-commerce …

Investigating Supply Parts Delivery Delay From Supply Depot To King Khaled Air Base In Royal Saudi Air Force, Rashed S. Alkhathami

Theses and Dissertations

Aircraft supply parts is an important factor in preparing the aircraft to do its mission. Due to delayed delivery of parts or inefficient delivery process, time may be lost waiting for aircraft supply parts, causing mission delay or failure. By tackling the delivery delay causes we can insure improvement on delivery process. In order to gather data for this thesis two different tools were used, aircraft parts data and an interview. Data was gathered from the F15 maintenance and supply squadrons in the Royal Saudi Air Force. Results of this research showed diverting in the main duty of supply depot …

Pickup And Multi-Delivery Problem With Time Windows, Pham Tuan Anh, Aldy Gunawan, Vincent F. Yu, Tuan C. Chau

Research Collection School Of Computing and Information Systems

This paper addresses a new variant of Pickup and Delivery Problem with Time Windows (PDPTW) for enhancing customer satisfaction. In particular, a huge number of requests is served in the system, where each request includes a pickup node and several delivery nodes instead of a pair of pickup and delivery nodes. It is named Pickup and Multi-Delivery Problem with Time Windows (PMDPTW). A mixed-integer programming model is formulated with the objective of minimizing total travel costs. Computational experiments are conducted to test the correctness of the model with a newly generated benchmark based on the PDPTW benchmark instances. Results show …

An Overview Of Risk Management Practices In Hospitality Organizations In Germany, Farzaneh Soleimani Zoghi, Hannes Antonschmidt

Journal of Hospitality Financial Management

This paper aims to identify the key risks which are considered necessary by hospitality organizations in Germany. It also seeks to evaluate the actual process of risk management practiced by hoteliers and to assess managers’ opinions on the importance of a risk management approach in hospitality organizations. Primary data has been collected by semi-structured qualitative interviews with top managers and professionals in hospitality organizations in Germany. The findings show that the implementation of risk management practices in hospitality organizations in Germany is low and that significant differences exist between the theoretical risk management models and their practical execution in hotel …

Can Big Data Cure Risk Selection In Healthcare Capitation Program? A Game Theoretical Analysis, Zhaowei She, Turgay Ayer, Daniel Montanera

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

Problem definition: This paper analyzes a market design problem in Medicare Advantage (MA), the largest risk-adjusted capitation payment program in the U.S. healthcare market. Evidence exists that the current MA capitation payment program unintentionally incentivizes health plans to cherry pick profitable patient types, which is referred to as “risk selection”. However, the root causes of the risk selection are not comprehensively understood, which we study in this paper. Academic / Practical Relevance: The existing literature primarily attributes the observed risk selection in MA market to data limitations and low explanatory power (e.g. low R2) of the current risk adjustment design. …

Factors Impacting Sme Business Resilience Post-Covid-19, Kerry Brown, Ferry Jie, Thi Le, Jalleh Sharafizad, Fleur Sharafizad, Subhadarsini Parida

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

The ability of an organization to respond to a crisis with agility is vital for business leaders to maintain business continuity. Our paper examined how business owners responded to the challenges caused by the pandemic. Using online surveys for data collection, we investigated a critical agility issue of supply chain risks through understanding the interrelationship of various business capability factors. Partial least squares path modeling (PLS-PM) was applied to a sample of 220 participants who were owners of micro, small, and medium businesses in Western Australia. The findings showed that the businesses’ efficiency, financial strength, and flexibility in sourcing affected …

Vertical Partnerships Between Oem And First Tier: Lessons From Automotive Component Companies In Greater Jakarta-Indonesia, Donny Oktavian Syah, Rambat Lupiyoadi, Embun Suryani

The South East Asian Journal of Management

Research Aims: This research aimed to investigate vertical partnerships between Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) and first-tier automotive component firms based on the relationships between technology transfer, technical exchange, government role and supplier performance in the Greater Jakarta area.

Design/Methodology/Approach: A total of 65 respondent firms participated, comprising 6 OEMs and 59 first-tier firms. The research included site visits and interviews with companies based on questionnaires completed by representative individuals from middle management upward with responsibility for assessing product quality (purposive sampling). The questionnaire results were measured using Partial Least Squares Path Modelling (PLS-PM).

Research Findings: The results highlighted significant relationships …

Analysis Of The Relationship Between Practices And Performance Of Green Supply Chain Management In Indonesian Micro, Small, And Medium Enterprises (Msmes), Dinda Halimah Siregar, Fajar Ayu Pinagara

The South East Asian Journal of Management

Research Aims: This study discusses the practice of green supply chain management (GSCM) on environmental performance and operational costs in micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) in Indonesia's food and beverage industry. Especially to examine the existence of ecocentricity and supply chain traceability that moderates GSCM practices with environmental performance and operational costs.

Design/Methodology/Approach: The judgement sampling method was used in this study, and 85 respondents contributed. Research questionnaires were distributed online, and data were analysed using Partial Least Square-Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM).

Research Findings: The results of this study indicate that GSCM practices have a significant relationship to environmental …

Portwest’S Future Strategy: Fashionising Workwear – Threading The Needle, Fiachra Coll, Damian O'Reilly

Case Studies

Portwest- should they further pursue the leisurewear / workwear market or should they focus on expanding the current range?

Portwest is a global manufacturer and innovator of workwear, safetywear and Personal protective equipment (PPE) and one of the fastest growing workwear companies in the world. Recently, the company launched an “Inspired Workwear” collection targeting the leisurewear/workwear market. It is a departure from their traditional markets where their acquisition strategy has seen Portwest rapidly gain market share. Management are concerned that this new departure may take resources from the core business of Workwear and dilute key resources.

Exspectare: A Digital String, Arjen Van Klink Dr, Johan Reijenga

Case Studies

The pandemic and labour market shortages in the Dutch healthcare sector have demanded much attention from managers. In many ways the situation has resulted in enormous challenges and dilemmas for everyone working in the healthcare sector, whether as a carer or board member. Healthcare institutions deal with regulations, complicated financial accountability, and social issues. It is not always easy to get recognition for how much the sector serves society. Henk is almost 59 years old and has been working with heart and soul in the sector for Nursing and Care Homes & Homecare (VVT) for decades. The last six years …

Florensis: More Catholic Than The Pope?, Gerard Van Der Star, Arjen Van Klink, Florensis

Case Studies

The beauty of a family business is that it always keeps an eye on the continuity of the business. For a family business nothing is more important than long-term continuity and harmony. A good balance between family and business interests is essential24. In any case, the focus is on the long term25. How can Florensis ensure that the fifth and sixth generations and the numerous employees can still enjoy the benefits of this beautiful company. The Calvinist and Christian roots of Florensis ensured from the outset that the human factor was central and key. Without this people orientation quality production …

University/Industry Collaboration: Using A Classroom Business Case To Enhance Student Problem-Solving/Learning Experience, Gregory Benson, Ngan N. Chau

Mountain Plains Business Conference

This study illustrates how an academic program utilizes industry partnerships as a resource to maintain the relevancy of its curriculum. In particular, a university/industry collaboration experience is examined to showcase how a real business problem at an industry partner has resulted in a business case used in the classroom to enhance students’ problem solving.

Key Words: Supply Chain Management (SCM), University/Industry Collaboration (UIC), Business Case Study

Study Of Stochastic Market Clearing Problems In Power Systems With High Renewable Integration, Saumya Sakitha Sashrika Ariyarathne

Operations Research and Engineering Management Theses and Dissertations

Integrating large-scale renewable energy resources into the power grid poses several operational and economic problems due to their inherently stochastic nature. The lack of predictability of renewable outputs deteriorates the power grid’s reliability. The power system operators have recognized this need to account for uncertainty in making operational decisions and forming electricity pricing. In this regard, this dissertation studies three aspects that aid large-scale renewable integration into power systems. 1. We develop a nonparametric change point-based statistical model to generate scenarios that accurately capture the renewable generation stochastic processes; 2. We design new pricing mechanisms derived from alternative stochastic programming …

Isscm Newsletter, Fall 2022, Raj Soin College Of Business, Wright State University

ISSCM Newsletters

An eight page newsletter from the Department of Information Systems and Supply Chain Management in the Raj Soin College of Business at Wright State University.

Field Experiments In Operations Management, Yang Gao, Meng Li, Shujing Sun

Research Collection School Of Computing and Information Systems

While the field experiment is a powerful and well-established method to investigate causal relationships, operations management (OM) has embraced this methodology only in recent years. This paper provides a comprehensive review of the existing OM literature leveraging field experiments and serves as a one-stop guide for future application of field experiments in the OM area. We start by recapping the characteristics that distinguish field experiments from other common types of experiments and organizing the relevant OM studies by topic. Corresponding to the commonly overlooked issues in field experiment-based OM studies, we then provide a detailed roadmap, ranging from experimental design …

Riding Off Into The Sunset: Dual-Class Structure In The Age Of Unicorns Going Public, Hao Liang, Junho Park, Wei Zhang

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

The increasing adoption of dual-class shares (DCS)—an ownership structure that gives corporate insiders greater voting power than other shareholders—among newly listed companies has raisedsignificant governance concerns. We investigate the decision to adopt the DCS structure and itsvalue implications in the recent U.S. IPOs. Using founder cultural traits and Silicon Valley lawfirms as instrumental variables, we find significant post-IPO outperformance by firms adopting DCSwith a sunset clause, especially incapacity-based sunset which stipulates that the DCS will ceaseafter founders’ death, incapacitation or departure, compared to non-DCS firms and DCS firms without sunsets. This outperformance is more pronounced for high-tech firms, after Google’s …

An Evaluation Of Ireland’S Sustainable Freight Transport Policy, Xu Zhang, Eoin Plant, Nikolaos Valantasis Kanellos

Articles

Background: The Irish government has put forth sustainable transport policy measures, yet the emphasis is mainly on the active travel and sustainable mobility for passenger transport. Contrariwise, freight transport has not received equal consideration in policy measures, regulatory frameworks, and support schemes towards the low-carbon transition. This study seeks to address this imbalance. Methods: The paper proposes an adaptation of the ASI framework for freight transport and assesses the applicability of a number of international sustainable transport measures based on their potential sustainability impact if adopted in Ireland. The research applied a Policy Delphi Method to a heterogeneous …

Research On A Suitable Upstream Traceability Model For The Natural Rubber Supply Chain In Thailand, Specifically For Rib-Smoke-Sheet (Rss), Beh Kok Fong

Dissertations and Theses Collection (Open Access)

Traceability is the first step to gain visibility in the supply chain and can be used to meet different purposes. Similar to other agriculture crops, the natural rubber industry faces reputational damage due to deforestation, land grab, loss of biodiversity and non-compliance with environmental standards occurring in the upstream. The introduction of new social and environmental regulations accelerates the need for traceability. Reflecting on the importance of environmental and social considerations, this industry is looking at traceability to identify the historical trends leading to the present sustainability state and any ongoing sustainability risks in the upstream to enable downstream users …

Cost-Benefit Analysis Of The Saudi Land Bridge Project, Faris J. Alotaibi

Theses and Dissertations

Projects are the backbone of economic thrive of nations, especially infrastructure projects. It’s counted as the base layer of allowing economic trade between beneficiaries. Railway projects have always been a huge element in increasing trade operations between Saudi Arabia and the rest of the world, by providing an efficient and environmentally friendly way that is capable of hauling large loads of exports all the way to the seaports and from there to the rest of the world. The Saudi land bridge project will cost about $11 billion and will provide a new link between the existent railway in the eastern …

Alternative Modes Of Entry And Unexpected Events In Franchising, Alexander Rosado-Serrano, Antonio Navarro-García

Journal of Global Business Insights

Store-in-store franchising or corner franchising is the application of a franchise format within another business, such as big box retailers, supermarkets, and gas stations; and pop-up stores are temporary store formats opened in shopping malls or other venues for a short period. Despite the regular application of these strategies by franchisers, the academic literature on store-in-store franchising and pop-up stores is relatively limited. There is a particular need after the COVID-19 outbreak to construct new lenses through which to explore how these modes of entry adapt to the new environment of business interruptions and border closures. Motivated by this research …

Risk-Aware Procurement Optimization In A Global Technology Supply Chain, Jonathan Chase, Jingfeng Yang, Hoong Chuin Lau

Research Collection School Of Computing and Information Systems

Supply chain disruption, from ‘Black Swan’ events like the COVID-19 pandemic or the Russian invasion of Ukraine, to more ordinary issues such as labour disputes and adverse weather conditions, can result in delays, missed orders, and financial loss for companies that deliver products globally. Developing a risk-tolerant procurement strategy that anticipates the logistical problems incurred by disruption involves both accurate quantification of risk and cost-effective decision-making. We develop a supplier-focused risk evaluation metric that constrains a procurement optimization model for a global technology company. Our solution offers practical risk tolerance and cost-effectiveness, accounting for a range of constraints that realistically …

Environmental Governance By Contract: The Growing Role Of Supply Chain Contracting, Michael P. Vandenburgh, Patricia A. Moore

Michigan Journal of Environmental & Administrative Law

Corporate net zero climate commitments and environmental, social, and governance (ESG) policies have the potential to bypass barriers to international, national, and subnational government action on climate change and other environmental issues. This Article presents the results of a new empirical study that demonstrates the remarkably widespread use of environmental supply chain contracting requirements. The study finds that roughly 80% of the ten largest firms in seven global sectors include environmental requirements in supply chain contracting, a substantial increase over the 50% reported by a comparable study fifteen years ago. The Article concludes that the prevalence of environmental supply chain …

Choice-Based Crowdshipping: A Dynamic Task Display Problem, Alp Arslan, Firat Kilci, Shih-Fen Cheng, Archan Misra

Research Collection School Of Computing and Information Systems

This paper studies the integration of the crowd workforce into a generic last-mile delivery setting in which a set of known delivery requests should be fulfilled at a minimum cost. In this setting, the crowd drivers are able to choose to perform a parcel delivery among the available and displayed requests. We specifically investigate the question: what tasks should be displayed to an individual driver, so as to minimize the overall delivery expenses? In contrast to past approaches, where drivers are either (a) given the choice of a single task chosen so as to optimize the platform’s profit, or (b) …

Smart Charging Of Electric Vehicle: An Innovative Business Model For Utility Firms, Owen Wu, Safak Yucel, Yangfang (Helen) Zhou

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

Problem Definition: By providing an environmentally friendly alternative to traditional vehicles, electric vehicles will transform urban mobility, particularly in smart cities. In practice, once an electric vehicle is plugged in, the charging station completes charging as soon as possible. Given that the procurement cost of electricity and associated emissions vary significantly during a day, substantial savings can be achieved by smart charging—delaying charging until the cost is lower. In this paper, we study smart charging as an innovative business model for utility firms. Practical Relevance: Utility firms are already investing in charging stations and they can achieve significant cost savings …

A Multiple Case Study On Small And Mid-Size Enterprise Managers’ Lived Experiences On The Impact Of Job Losses On Outsourcing Practices, Nicholas M. Watson

The Qualitative Report

There is a greater need to understand how economic insecurities contribute to outsourcing practices. Previous research documented that small and medium-sized enterprises gained limited advantages from outsourcing. The purpose of this qualitative multiple case study design was to explore the contribution of consumer job losses on outsourcing practices. A semi-structured open-ended interview was used to collect data from the 13 participants from the furniture, bedding, and wooden industries in Jamaica. From the analysis of the data collected, two themes emerge: (1) affordability and (2) market trends. The findings obtained from this research suggest that consumer job losses contributed to outsourcing …

Project Khepri: Mining Asteroid Bennu For Water, Erika Frost, Gowtham Boyala, Adam Gremm, Ahmet Gungor, Amirhossein Taghipour, Massimo Biella, Jiawei "Jackson" Qiu, Athip Thirupathi Raj, Arjun Chhabra, Adam Gee, Saanjali Maharaj, Erin Richardson, Julia Empey, Haidar Ali Abdul-Nabi, Lindsay Richards, Ariyaan Talukder, Aaron Groh, Brie Miklaucic, Jd Carlson, Kristina Kim, Maverick Cue

Undergraduate Student Research Internships Conference

Deep space asteroid mining presents the opportunity for the collection of critical resources required to establish a cis-lunar infrastructure. In specific, the Project Khepri team has focused on the collection of water from asteroid Bennu. This water has the potential to provide a source of clean-energy propellant as well as an essential consumable for humans or agriculture on crewed trips to the Moon or Mars. This would avoid the high costs of launching from Earth - making it a highly desirable element for the future of cis-lunar infrastructure. The OSIRIS-REx mission provided a complete survey of asteroid Bennu and is …

Improving Australia’S Containerised Grain Exports, Ross Kingwell, Scott Mckay, Peter White Dr

Research Reports

This report provides an overview of Australia’s containerised grain export supply chains and compares them to Australia’s bulk grain supply chains. The report outlines the main broad ways in which Australia’s containerised grain supply chains can be improved by investment, policy or regulatory change and education.