Environmental and economic issues arising from the pooling of SMEs' supply chains: case study of the food industry in Western France

Shenle Pan (), Eric Ballot (), Frédéric Fontane () and Driss Hakimi ()
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Shenle Pan: CGS i3 - Centre de Gestion Scientifique i3 - Mines Paris - PSL (École nationale supérieure des mines de Paris) - PSL - Université Paris Sciences et Lettres - I3 - Institut interdisciplinaire de l’innovation - CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique
Eric Ballot: CGS i3 - Centre de Gestion Scientifique i3 - Mines Paris - PSL (École nationale supérieure des mines de Paris) - PSL - Université Paris Sciences et Lettres - I3 - Institut interdisciplinaire de l’innovation - CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique
Frédéric Fontane: CAOR - Centre de Robotique - Mines Paris - PSL (École nationale supérieure des mines de Paris) - PSL - Université Paris Sciences et Lettres
Driss Hakimi: CIRRELT - Laboratoire CIRRELT Université Laval Quebec - ULaval - Université Laval [Québec]

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Abstract: Supply chains pooling is an emergent strategy for improving logistical performance. The pooling concept consists in transferring the effort of coordination for consolidating independent operators' flows towards an ad hoc pooled system. This organisation results from a design of a pooled logistics network by merging different supply chains to share transport and logistics resources in order to improve logistics performance. In this case study, the pooling concept is applied to a collection of small and medium-sized western France food suppliers serving the same retail chain. In order to demonstrate the efficiency of the pooling, the existing transport organisation was compared to various pooling scenarios. The methodology consisted in accessing a current situation through a survey of the flow of goods at one of the main distribution centre of the studied supply network, then comparing this situation with three other pooling scenarios. Using supply network optimisation models, these scenarios were assessed considering cost and CO2 emission levels. This study demonstrates the interest of transport pooling in the case independent shipping networks of Small and Medium Enterprises compared to the partially know existing strategies adopted by logistics service providers for less than truckload shipments. Moreover, it suggests that there is no dominant supply organisation and that transport pooling is a new stimulus for network design. These results also bring new research perspectives for generalisation of pooling and gain sharing within large coalitions.

Keywords: Supply Chains Pooling; Sustainability; Supply Network Design Problem; CO2 Emissions; Transport (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2014-02-28
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (8)

Published in Flexible Services and Manufacturing Journal, 2014, 92-118 (26 (1-2)), pp.92-118. ⟨10.1007/s10696-012-9162-3⟩

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:hal:journl:hal-00733668

DOI: 10.1007/s10696-012-9162-3

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