A Decision Framework for Solar PV Panels Supply Chain in Context of Sustainable Supplier Selection and Order Allocation

Raja Awais Liaqait, Salman Sagheer Warsi, Taiba Zahid, Usman Ghafoor, Muhammad Shakeel Ahmad and Jeyraj Selvaraj
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Raja Awais Liaqait: Department of Mechanical Engineering, Capital University of Science and Technology, Islamabad 44000, Pakistan
Salman Sagheer Warsi: Department of Mechanical Engineering, Capital University of Science and Technology, Islamabad 44000, Pakistan
Taiba Zahid: NUST Business School, National University of Science & Technology, Islamabad 44000, Pakistan
Usman Ghafoor: Department of Mechanical Engineering, Institute of Space Technology, Islamabad 44000, Pakistan
Muhammad Shakeel Ahmad: Higher Institution Centre of Excellence (HICoE), UM Power Energy Dedicated Advanced Centre (UMPEDAC), University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur 59990, Malaysia
Jeyraj Selvaraj: Higher Institution Centre of Excellence (HICoE), UM Power Energy Dedicated Advanced Centre (UMPEDAC), University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur 59990, Malaysia

Sustainability, 2021, vol. 13, issue 23, 1-25

Abstract: Sustainable supplier selection and order allocation (SSSOA) is paramount to sustainable supply chain management. It is a complex multi-dimensional decision-making process augmented with the triple bottom line of sustainability. This research presents a multi-phase decision framework to address a SSSOA problem for the multi-echelon renewable energy equipment (Solar PV Panels) supply chain. The framework comprises of fuzzy Multi-Criteria Decision-Making techniques augmented with fuzzy multi-objective mixed-integer non-linear programming mathematical model. The various economic, environmental, and social objectives were optimized for a multi-period, multi-modal transportation network of the supply chain. The results show that among the various sustainable criteria selected in this study, product cost, environmental management system, and health and safety rights of employees are the most important for decision-makers. The results of the mathematical model highlighted the impact of multimodal transportation on overall cost, time, and environmental impact for all periods. An analysis of results revealed that transfer cost and customer clearance cost contribute significantly towards overall cost. Furthermore, defect rate was also observed to play a critical role in supplier selection and order allocation.

Keywords: renewable energy supply chain; sustainable supplier selection; multi-objective optimization; order allocation; fuzzy multi-criteria decision making (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (4)

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