Sustainability of the Supply Chain for Perishable Products from Economic, Environmental, and Social Perspectives Using a Hybrid Simulation Approach

Subject Areas : International Journal of Finance, Accounting and Economics Studies

Mehdi Sohanian ¹ , reza Ehtesham Rasi ² , reza radfar ³

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Received: 2024-12-15 Accepted : 2025-01-27 Published : 2025-02-02

Keywords: Sustainable supply chain, simulation-based optimization, perishable, agent-based modeling, discrete-event simulation, Sustainability,

Abstract :

Purpose: supply chain sustainability is a key topic for modern businesses. Achieving this goal requires not only focusing on economic indicators but also on environmental and social indicators. Simultaneous attention to sustainability indicators leads to improvements in supply chain efficiency, cost reduction, increased competitiveness, environmental preservation, and social equity. The purpose of this study is to examine and improve the sustainability of the supply chain for perishable products using a hybrid simulation approach and simulation-based optimization.

 

methodology: After constructing the hybrid simulation model of the perishable product supply chain and performing validation, the performance of the chain is evaluated from economic, social, and environmental perspectives. Heuristic methods are then used to determine the optimal values of the variables affecting the sustainability of the supply chain.For the case study, the supply chain of one of the largest dairy product manufacturers in the country is considered, and due to the high production and demand for ice cream, this product is selected as the perishable product for the supply chain.

 

Findings: The results show that simultaneous evaluation of the supply chain using sustainability components leads to a significant improvement in product delivery times and a reduction in carbon emissions. Furthermore, it was found that environmental components conflict with economic and social components in some objectives, such as the supply chain service level

 

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