Fuzzy Reliability Optimization for 2-Hub Center Problem with Cluster-Based Policy and Application in Cross-Border Supply Chain Network Design Using TS Algorithm

Abstract

As information and communication technology evolves and expands, business and markets are linked to form a complex international network, thus generating plenty of cross-border trading activities in the supply chain network. Through the observations from a typical cross-border supply chain network, this paper introduces the fuzzy reliability-oriented 2-hub center problem with cluster-based policy, which is a special case of the well-studied hub location problem (HLP). This problem differs from the classical HLP in the sense that (i) the hub-and-spoke (H&S) network is grouped into two clusters in advance based on their cross-border geographic features, and (ii) a fuzzy reliability optimization approach based on the possibility measure is developed. The proposed problem is first modeled through a mixed-integer nonlinear programming (MINLP) formulation that maximizes the reliability of the entire cross-border supply chain network. Then, some linearization techniques are implemented to derive a linear model, which can be efficiently solved by exact algorithms run by CPLEX for only small instances. To counteract the difficulty for solving the proposed problem in realistic-sized instances, a tabu search (TS) algorithm with two types of move operators (called “Swap I” and “Swap II”) is further developed. Finally, a series of numerical experiments based on the Turkish network and randomly generated large-scale datasets are set up to verify the applicability of the proposed model as well as the superiority of the TS algorithm compared to the CPLEX.

Research on the Influencing Factors of Sustainable Supply Chain Development of Agri-Food Products Based on Cross-Border Live-Streaming E-Commerce in China

“…Based on these three concepts, combined with the emerging model of live-streaming e-commerce, the sustainable supply chain for cross-border agricultural products in the context of live streaming has emerged, as shown in Figure 1. Therefore, based on the analysis and comparison of relevant literature on agricultural product supply chains [11][12][13][14][15][16], cross-border agricultural product supply chains [17][18][19][20][21][22], and sustainable agricultural product supply chains [23][24][25][26][27][28][29], this study attempts to define the connotations and characteristics of the concept of sustainable supply chains for crossborder agricultural products in the context of live streaming. The specific summary process is presented in Table 1.…”

“…According to related studies, domestic and international scholars have mostly focused on traditional agricultural supply chains, including agricultural supply chains [11][12][13][14][15][16], cross-border agricultural supply chains [17][18][19][20][21][22], and sustainable agricultural supply chains [23][24][25][26][27][28][29]. However, the definition and scope of the emerging supply chain model of cross-border sustainable supply chains in the context of live-streaming e-commerce have not yet been defined.…”