Quantifying the Sustainability of Products and Suppliers in Food Distribution Companies

Marina Segura, Concepción Maroto and Baldomero Segura
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Marina Segura: Department of Applied Statistics and Operational Research and Quality, Universitat Politècnica de València, s/n 46022 Valencia, Spain
Concepción Maroto: Department of Applied Statistics and Operational Research and Quality, Universitat Politècnica de València, s/n 46022 Valencia, Spain
Baldomero Segura: Department of Economy and Social Sciences, Universitat Politècnica de València, s/n 46022 Valencia, Spain

Sustainability, 2019, vol. 11, issue 21, 1-18

Abstract: Supplier evaluation is a relevant task of supply chain management where multicriteria methods make great contributions to manufacturing industries. This is not the case in food distribution companies, which have a key role in providing safe and affordable food to society. The purpose of this research is to measure the sustainability of products and suppliers in food distribution companies through a multiple criteria approach. Firstly, the system proposed provides indicators to qualify products and assess the food quality, using the compensatory Multi-Attribute Utility Theory (MAUT) model. Secondly, these indicators are included in supplier evaluation, which takes economic, environmental, and social criteria into account. MAUT and Preference Ranking Organisation Method for Enrichment Evaluation (PROMETHEE), a non-compensatory method, are used for supplier evaluation. This approach has been validated for fresh food in a supermarket chain, mainly using historical data. Partial indicators, such as food safety scores, together with global indicators of suppliers, inform the most appropriate decisions and the most appropriate relations between companies and providers. Poor performance in food safety can lead to the disqualification of some suppliers. MAUT is good for qualifying products and is easy to apply at the operational level in logistic platforms, while PROMETHEE is more suitable for supplier segmentation, as it helps to identify supplier strengths and weaknesses.

Keywords: supplier evaluation; supplier segmentation; multi-attribute utility theory; preference ranking organisation method for enrichment evaluation; quality indicator; food safety; fresh food; sustainable supply chain; multicriteria (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2019
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (10)

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