ABSTRACT. This study offers a new optimization tool for workplace design using digital human modelling software (Jack™). The optimization aims to design a workplace that maximizes the workers' productivity while maintaining their injury risk under ergonomic constraints. The optimization was solved using Genetic Algorithm. To demonstrate this approach, a case study of a box-conveying process was examined. This process required the worker to lift a box from a conveyor, carry it for 3 m, and lower it onto a platform before returning to the starting point. The design parameters were the conveyor's and platform's heights and the box's mass. The optimization algorithm maximized the production rate without exceeding three ergonomic thresholds: 1) a compression force of 3400 N on the L5/S1 vertebra joint; 2) a Rapid Upper Limb Assessment (RULA) score of 4; and 3) a metabolic rate (Vo2) of 1000 ml/min. The optimal design obtained for maximizing productivity with the ergonomic constraints was compared to solving the optimization problem with a multi-objective function that was used in previous studies, and was found to increase the productivity by 105%. Also, the performance of the Genetic Algorithm was compared to that of a two-step grid search that was used in previous studies, and was found to reduce computational time by 91% and to increase productivity by 69%. We believe that the new design approach presented here can enhance the capabilities of ergonomists and industrial engineers by enabling them to produce better designs that maximize productivity while maintaining the workers' injury risk below ergonomic thresholds.

ABSTRACT. R&D projects are characterized by a long planning horizon, which entails the policy of release management. The intermediate releases enable the organization to maximize the value for a given investment. Myopic version of this problem is known as the Next Release Problem (NRP). A central issue addressed by these projects is determining which features should be included in the next release. The choice of features impacts the value of the release, but also impacts the required workload, and future development of other features. NRP can be expanded to include the later releases. This problem is NP-hard and thus cannot be solved analytically. In this work we apply a simple clustering algorithm, based on novel similarity coefficients to reduce complexity. Our goal is to provide a near-optimal yet simple method for quantitatively determining the feature content of all project releases.

ABSTRACT. Production shop is a complex task that impacts the ability of organization to integrate between economic and production performance measurements. The CONWIP (CONstant Work In Process) approach is the simplest pull system to implement. Two-machine transfer line with exponentially distributed duration of process, break and repair was formulated and solved as a Markovian-chain. Decomposition was used to iteratively employ this solution in solving K-machine transfer line. These models assume that batch size is fixed. In this study we extend the existing transfer line solution, to deal with 1 unit process batch and t units transfer batch along the line.

ABSTRACT. In this research, we study a finite multi-period lot sizing problem for items with stochastic mean reverting price that follows the Ornstein-Uhlenbeck (OU) process. The model considers periodic setup cost that captures the fixed cost added to orders. The setup cost is associated with items' transportation fee, order-commission fee, etc. We used the free boundary method to construct a simple threshold based algorithm for minimizing the expected total cost. The algorithm constructs a set of threshold functions that define the respective price level over time under which it is optimal to purchase an item. The characteristics of the thresholds are analyzed with respect to time, inventory level, and setup cost for their dynamics and trends. The set of thresholds that were obtained exhibit interesting and sometimes counter-intuitive dynamics. We found that the multi-period thresholds obtain a quite different structure than the single period threshold. Some straight forward properties as the monotonous structure of the threshold as time increases, were found not to hold for the multi-period setting. Other properties of the multi-period threshold regarding its dynamics in different number of remaining items to be bought, and the effect of the setup cost were analyzed and meaningful insights were derived.

ABSTRACT. This paper is devoted to assessing equalization of urban public transport (UPT) timetable with commonly used statistic measures. In order to provide passengers with reliable collective transportation service in networks with long overlapping route segments, attention should be paid to interval synchronization at radial network segments. The purpose of balancing UPT timetables is explained, and evenly-spaced timetables are discussed. Problems with assessing balanced timetables are illustrated with four cases of possible timetables at a congestion node served by two lines of different headways

ABSTRACT. The schedule and route for the field service personal are constructed, before the actual working day, based on estimations regarding the service and travel times. However, these estimations are often inaccurate. Furthermore, the estimations of travel times often do not account for their time dependent nature. In this talk, we present a model of travelling salesperson problem (TSP) with soft time windows, time dependent and stochastic travel times as well as stochastic service times. This model can be used to route a single technician or as a component of a multivehicle scheduling and route optimization process. We introduce several exact and heuristic solution methods and test them on real life dataset. Our numerical experiments show that we can obtain optimal or near optimal solutions in few seconds for real life instances. We devised a specialized branch and bound procedure that can be used to produce an optimal solution. However, if one needs to solve the problem many times (possibly as a subroutine of a larger problem), it is possible to use an effective Tabu search algorithm. Alternatively, a heuristic solution can be obtained by solving a simplified version of the problem that ignores the stochasticity of the travel times or even their time dependency. In an extensive case study, we show that it is possible to save a significant share of the working day duration and delays by using our model and solution methods even under a tight solution time limit.

ABSTRACT. Urbanization trends bring with them new challenges for city governments. Multi-level distribution is an already-known strategy employed by businesses, and the classic formulation of the Two-Echelon Vehicle Routing Problem (2E-VRP) reflects the perspective of single providers, without regarding the routing decisions of other parties. Various stakeholders (government, businesses, residents) may have conflicting objectives. This work presents a multi-objective formulation of a multi-provider heterogeneous vehicle 2E-VRP, from a city government perspective. To solve the considered problem formulation, a Multi-Objective Evolutionary Algorithm (MOEA) is proposed. An experimental evaluation is presented, demonstrating that the proposed algorithm is capable of finding good quality solutions.

ABSTRACT. This paper analyzes the factors related with train operational speed. An analytical framework to evaluate the consequences of different design speeds is proposed to determine the rational speed. Based on the train simulator developed by authors, the paper presents the concrete results of two urban rail lines. From the viewpoint of train operation and passenger journey efficiency, the paper concludes that the necessity of increasing train design speed in central areas is not so obvious and the energy consumption may boost more rapidly as the distance between stations in central areas is not long enough.

ABSTRACT. In most cases of road project portfolio selection, a limited budget is spent to build the best subset of a large set of possible road links. This paper tackles a special case where budgets of local entities located in the same geographical area of an authority that tries to optimize the selection of a road projects subset. The non-polynomial complexity of existing formulations is prohibitive and dictates the use of search techniques for solutions. The technique uses a transfiguration of the problem into a minimum cost network flow problem which ensures optimal solution in a polynomial time.

ABSTRACT. The River Danube is considered to be the backbone of water transport in Europe. It connects, via Rhine – Main Canal, Western Europe and Rotterdam harbor with the Black Sea. In this paper authors analyse the data about the use of Danube waterway for transport of goods and people. This research covered a short description of Danube, the analysis of Danube fleet, the analysis of the amount of transported goods and number of transported people as well as the analysis of load and unload of goods in Danube harbors. The research covered these points in the period starting from the year of 1950. Based on the result analysis the authors arrived at a conclusion that the use of River Danube for waterway transport purposes is unsatisfactory and that as such cannot be sustained in long term. Also, the research points to the basic European initiatives and investment projects in the field of river transport which is in implementation stage. Considering the basic regulation documents and research results, the authors present an overview of measures and suggestions for efficient management conducted so far, development of a unique information system and promotion of Danube waterway.

ABSTRACT. The Traffic Enforcement Cameras (TEC) system is a manufacturing system that produces traffic tickets as a service system for road user deterrence and prevention of traffic offences, which will lead to a reduction in the number and severity of road accidents. The TEC system consists of several working stations as a supply chain, therefore inventory and bottlenecks are part of the process. This paper presents an inventory management model based on a linear programming formulation. The results lead to a more efficient and effective system with higher and better quality production, low inventory levels, and short lead time.

ABSTRACT. Industry 4.0 brought introduction of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) and Internet of Things (IoT) into production systems. It led to the definition of Cyber-Physical Production System that enabled the definition of new production network concepts, like Cyber-Physical Production Networks or, simply, the Social Manufacturing. In this research, a focus has been put on selection of the partners (enterprises) for manufacturing process based on multi-criteria approach which focuses on the three P’s of the sustainable development: People (society), Planet (environment), and Profit (economy). A specialized algorithm with a priori approach to multi-objective optimization has been applied on the Partner Selection Problem instance with 7 criteria (objectives). Furthermore, a concept of Web information system, for practical application of sustainable management of production networks, is also presented.

ABSTRACT. Packaging is one of the main factors of logistics. The primary functions of packaging are protection, preservation, economy, convenience and presentation, while its secondary functions are handling, containment, identification, labelling and suitability. Food safety, from farm to fork, is of vital importance and is dependent on packaging and logistics processes, for example. A wide range of regulatory measures, high standards and the right handling of food in logistics processes ensure that food is delivered safely from farm to fork. The essential roles of packaging in logistics are providing necessary protection to the products during storage and transport and reducing costs. Packaging has a positive effect on product distribution and safety, especially in the case of foods, facilitates transportation and helps to reduce costs, because the arrangement and packing of products in appropriate packaging allows optimal use to be made of the available space. This contribution presents the current legislation and standards relating to the packaging of foods, examples of food safety considerations in logistic processes, such as the transport and storage, loading and packaging of foods, traceability solutions and quality management methods. A case study presents, by way of example, a packaging plant and the overseas logistics chain of a superfood with its release of CO2 and consumption of water. Packaging represents a short-lived good against all political discussion. Decisive is not the packaging itself, but rather the treatment of packaging in a sustainable logistics chain: reduce, reuse, and recycle. For reasons of sustainability, economy, society and environment, it is essential that companies are encouraged to focus their attention on the reduction of all types of waste, including packaging, which represents approximately 6% of the product costs.

ABSTRACT. The need of manufacturing company to operate in the global market in more and more cases induces the necessity to take into account a variety of aspects in product design processes. Product Design for Manufacturing or product Design for Assembly have been adopted in industrial practice for many years. In business practice the idea of product Design for Logistics, closely related to product logistic efficiency, has also come into focus. The article presents the results of the study on the standardization impact on the product logistic efficiency which was based on the example of global furniture manufacturing company.

ABSTRACT. A major breakthrough in the management of industrial logistics is the development of material requirements planning (MRP) for production management of assembly products in the 1960'. Central building blocks of MRP are the product-structure, in which the product is hierarchically decomposed into its components, and the bill-of-materials (BOM), which lists the quantity of each component in the succeeding (sub)assembly. However, the BOM is presented at the item level while production is practically managed at a more detailed level ‒ the operations level – an item may go through several operations before it is assembled in higher level (sub)assembly. Further, production systems are required for production to be managed. The design of production systems, including facility design and plant layout, precedes any application of MRP and requires the quantitative relationships of the BOM. Consequently, it is proposed to replace the product-structure with an older tool – the operations process chart (OPC). "The OPC is one of the most useful techniques in manufacturing planning. Actually, it is a "diagram" of the manufacturing process." With the addition of the quantitative relationships of the BOM and few other elements the OPC is turned into a very effective tool for facilities design, as discussed and demonstrated in this presentation. It enables a more realistic estimations of the required volumes that need to be processed in each work stations, thereby enabling a more adequate capacity planning. These volumes also flow between stations and are key input to the design of the material handling systems and the plant layout.

ABSTRACT. The purpose of this paper is to analyze the effectiveness of Quantity Flexibility Contract (QFC) as Supply Chain (SC) coordination mechanism under market demand and spot market uncertainty, by measuring such effectiveness in terms of the profits gained by each actor under QFC with respect to the profits obtained under traditional contract. In so doing and by varying the contract terms and implementation conditions, we ensure that the QFC is chosen only when it ensure a win-win condition, namely it improves the profits of both parties. A simulation-based research has been carried out in order to address this issue. In particular, a real options-based model has been developed to model and quantify the benefits granted by flexibility incorporated into the QFC, for both SC actors. A plan of experiments consisting of different experimental settings was designed in order to investigate the effect that contract terms and implementation conditions have on the benefits of both actors and on the entire system. The proposed model’s application and the experiments have been illustrated by considering a SC coordination problem handled by an example company operating as retailer in a European country through QFC.

ABSTRACT. This paper aims to present suppliers’ performance indicators for micro and small enterprises participating in the Local Suppliers Development Project promoted by SEBRAE in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Through a bibliographical research based on select authors and models a set of 17 theoretical indicators was proposed. The indicators can benefit the companies participating in the project of Açu Port Complex in meeting expectations and demand of the large companies in the industrial area. The indicators presented in this paper intend to be a response to the difficulty of SMES to increase their competitiveness.

ABSTRACT. This case study exhibits a complex supply chain scenario, that implements - time-constrains, inner-walls behaviour, dynamic inventory policies, and uncertainly using Analytical Optimization tools and Dynamic Simulation demonstrated in anyLogistix software. The case leverages the different methods for managing and optimizing complex supply chain problems. Beyond simplistic spreadsheet-based modeling, the most powerful methods for supply chain planning are analytical optimization and dynamic simulation. Analytical optimization tools, such as those employing mixed-integer and linear programming solvers, are ideal for solving large-scale high-level problems (locating sites, determining product flows, conducting master planning by period). These problems usually do not require a great level of detail in modeling but can be large-scale and data-intensive. However, problems that cannot be resolved this way, such as safety stock estimation, multi-echelon inventory optimization, risk assessment, and determining how processes within the four walls of a network node may influence a network as a whole. To solve them, you need to consider the reality of your supply chain: the real-time network dynamics, real-world randomness, and specific site-related rules. Analytical optimization cannot handle this level of detail and does not consider time or uncertainty. Such problems require dynamic simulation. anyLogistix software capabilities, can solve issues, such as Facility Location Planning (CoG Method for Single/Multiple Locations), Network Optimization using Mixed-Linear Programming, Capacity Planning of Distribution Centers, Inventory Control Policies and Ordering Rules, Sourcing Policies (Single/Multiple Sourcing), Transportation Policies, Transportation Batching, Production, Sales, Bullwhip Effect and Ripple Effect Analysis

ABSTRACT. Dial-a-ride is a transportation solution with flexible routes and flexible schedules. The challenge of the Dial-a-Ride Problem (DARP) is to optimally fulfil a set of pickup and delivery ride requests using a given vehicle fleet. We present a DARP variant for which the route is known in advance. The problem, referred to as fixed route DARP (FRDARP), is then to set up the schedules according to the requests. For a given cost of operation, the aim is to maximize user satisfaction by minimizing the sum of passengers' waiting times. The FRDARP is represented by graph formulation and an algorithm is suggested for optimally solving the problem. Contrary to the general DARP, which is NP-hard, the presented algorithm is polynomial in the number of ride requests. While building the graph, different paths may contain the same nodes but at a different order, and are therefore redundant since they all yield the same solution. We suggest a heuristic, which avoids that by pruning transports that answer requests un-chronologically. We suggest several other heuristics to improve the basic algorithm. In order to evaluate the algorithm we randomly generated problems, with 20-25 requests, served by two vehicles. We term an instance as solved if the algorithm returns a result within four minutes of run-time. The basic algorithm is evaluated, with and without applying the heuristics. The heuristics are shown to improve the percentage of solved instances from around 10% to around 90%. The average time to solution, decreases by more than half by the heuristic improvement.

ABSTRACT. Recent medical developments led to significant increase in life expectancy. In Israel the percentage of elderly (older than 65) is growing steadily along with the rise of life expectancy above 80 years. Transportation needs of the elderly are different from those of the general population. The purpose of this study was to evaluate travel habits of the elderly in order to propose transportation solutions that better meet their needs. The study was conducted in five nursing facilities in Israel with total population of 575 residents, of those 126 residents (21.91%) agreed to participate in the survey by filling out questionnaires that included demographic data and different travelling scenarios. Average age of the residents was 78.5 years. The percentage of respondents in each facility, their age, gender and origin distribution did not differ significantly between the institutions. The data from the questionnaires were pooled together by using Microsoft’s Excel and processed by R. We found that the principal flaws of the public transport system, as viewed by the respondents in this study, were prolonged waiting time and difficulty in transitions. We found significant association (R2 = 0.82) between satisfaction from bus travel time and satisfaction from the bus service overall. In addition, between 76.8% and 93.5% of the respondents (depending on the travel scenario) were ready to try out a newly proposed dial-a-ride system. In summary, transportation needs of the elderly population in Israel deserve improvement. New approaches may provide convenient and effective transportation solutions for the elderly.

ABSTRACT. The dial-a-ride problem (DARP) is a demand responsive transportation solution in which passengers' requests for traveling are known in advance, and the vehicles' routes and schedules are built accordingly. DARP in general is an NP-hard optimization problem. Recently, a DARP model with fixed routes was introduced and shown to be polynomially solvable, yet with a high degree polynomial. In the present research we introduce two binary Linear Programming formulations for the FRDARP. The first is a simple 1-index formulation with exponential number of variables. This formulation may be served as a master problem for the Column Generation technique. The second formulation is a more complicated 3-index formulation but with a polynomial number of variables and constraints. This Integer Program was tested using the CPLEX software and analyses. Optimal solutions were found within few seconds for hundreds of randomly generated, uniformly distributed, instances of about 30 requests and 5 sites of interest. The results were analyzed and compared with regular bus service. The main conclusions are: 1. FRDARP is significantly better than a regular bus service. The waiting times for the service were about fifth of those needed by the regular bus service with similar resources (size of the vehicle fleet, capacity, etc.). 2. The most influencing factor on the level of service is the number of trips per day, rather than other factors such as vehicle capacities, the size of the fleet, etc.

ABSTRACT. The task of allocating ride requests of different origins and destinations at different times to vehicles, such that the assignment would minimize the waiting time of the passengers while maintaining realistic constraints (vehicle fleet size, allowed number of transports, vehicle capacity etc.) is considered NP-hard. However, reducing it to a Fixed-Route-Dial-A-Ride-Problem (FRDARP) yields an optimal solution which can be computed in polynomial time. In the current study we exploited this fact to create a dataset of labeled examples, consisting of simulated requests lists and their corresponding optimal schedules and assignments to vehicles. This dataset is then used to train an artificial recurrent neural network. The requests are being fed into the network in a sequential manner, and during training the network adjusts its parameters so that at test time it will output a solution with minimal waiting time. We study the possible advantages of using this method, where the parameter space of the problem (for example, how many vehicles to use or how many requests to answer) can be more easily explored. This can be achieved both by the fast and low computational cost process of the problem solution using a trained network, and by the observations acquired by an explicit examination of the inner representation of the problem in the deeper layers of the network.

ABSTRACT. The efficiency of an order-picking operation can be enhanced with automated storage/retrieval systems (AS/RS). One such system is Vertical Lift Module (VLM). Potential users are initially attracted to VLM high density of storage and small footprint. Despite increased usage of these devices, not many papers have been written regarding quantitative comparison of VLMs with shelving systems as theirs much more used counterpart. In this paper VLMs are presented, along with the review methods to compare VLMs with shelving systems in terms of space, time and ergonomics. Presented methods can serve as tools for managers for additional justification of VLMs implementation.

ABSTRACT. In this paper throughput performance analysis of Shuttle-Based Storage and Retrieval Systems (SBS/RS) versus mini-load AS/RS is presented. Mini-load AS/RS exist on the market for nearly 50 years or more. There are several designs (single- or multi-shuttle) of mini-load AS/RS. The throughput performance of the mini-load AS/RS is limited with 60 Double Command Cycles (DCC) per hour (FEM 9.851), which can note cope with today’s e-commerce order fulfilment services. For this reason, major material-handling providers have introduced to the market a new technology known as SBS/RS, which enables higher throughput (up to 400 DCC/hour), flexibility and scalability. According to the throughput performance analysis for the selected cases, both systems (SBS/RS and mini-load AS/RS) will be properly evaluated and discussed.

ABSTRACT. The main activities of most logistics centers are: (1) receiving materials from suppliers, (2) receiving orders from customers, (3) picking customer orders, (4) replenishment relocation, and (5) distribution of the orders. Order picking, and replenishment activities have been reported to be two of the most labor-intensive activities and a source of significant waste. The purpose of this paper is to develop a generic strategy for improving the efficiency of activities (3) and (4) termed, a logistics center order picking and replenishment method (LCOPRM). Many studies simulate picking procedures using models that often make reductive assumptions about real events. The LCOPRM method requires real world order picking and replenishment applications rather than simulation models. The LCOPRM was tested in a large-scale logistics center for an office equipment retail company. The results show that by implementing the LCOPRM, the picking route for 51% of customer orders was minimized by 50%, the picking route for the other 49% of customer orders remained unchanged and the number of replenishment tasks was reduced by 38.75%. The findings identified through our analysis allow the implication of the LCOPRM by directing limited resources efficiently and improving the performance measures of logistics centers.

ABSTRACT. Logistics application can greatly benefit from Virtual Reality environments. In the context of Industry 4.0 and warehouse management, virtual warehouses are intuitive way to show and predict processes and activities in warehouse. To understand the dynamic behaviour of the systems and verify implemented designs or processes in time frame the use of simulation studies are necessary. Although the amount of time and data used to produce such studies are substantial, the 3D representation of the system produces a more complete understanding of the system behaviour. This paper describes the use of 3D simulation to visualise workflows in warehouse using standardised techniques within Web browsers. Success of 3D applications on the Web depends on object behaviour and the level of interaction. An XML is used as interface definition of nodes and their behaviour characteristics parameters. Automated nodes and code generation of a dynamic XML Schema simplify the implementation. The behaviour nodes are used as scene graph elements. The study of a specific application enables us to highlight the possibilities of the X3D language to model, visualise and to do interactive parameters changing for actions in the warehouse. Key features of X3D are exposed and new approaches are proposed in order to achieve a better realistic behaviour inside the virtual warehouse. The information from simulations in virtual warehouse is directly used to optimize performance and further operational planning in warehouse.

ABSTRACT. Consider a two-echelon supply chain consisting of a single manufacturer and a single retailer, who are producing and selling a perishable product. The parties interact by using a revenue sharing contract in which the retailer is the leader and the manufacturer is the follower. Specifically, under this contract, the retailer sets the revenue share given to the manufacturer, and then offers the contract to the manufacturer, who sets the product’s selling price. Demand is affected by three factors: the selling price, the investment rate in sales effort, and the age of the product. Four cost components are considered: holding cost, production cost, investment in sales effort, and fixed order costs. The holding cost is paid by the retailer, the unit production cost is paid by the manufacturer, and the investment in sales effort can be made either by the manufacturer or by the retailer. The manufacturer and the retailer apply an EOQ ordering regime, according to which, an order of fixed size is made every fixed time interval. Three ways to determine the cycle length are analyzed (i) the retailer sets it solely; (ii) the manufacturer sets it solely; and (iii) both parties bargain it. For each scenario (identity of the investor combined with the way of setting the cycle length), equilibrium is obtained by applying Stackelberg game approach, in which the retailer makes the first move.

ABSTRACT. In this research we tested the effectiveness of integrating the computer-based approach of Simulation Based Training (SBT) in teaching Supply Chain Management (SCM). Although the SBT approach was tested extensively in a wide variety of domains and proven to have great potential on learning, it has not been studied yet empirically in the SCM domain. Our research tests several aspects of SCM learning and skills acquisition. Firstly, we test whether SBT can allow students to achieve better learning and understanding of SCM models compared to the traditional frontal teaching (recitation). Secondly, we investigate the effect of previous experience in SCM on the students’ ability to transfer knowledge and skills acquired using SBT in simple SCM problems to more complex problems. More specifically, we tested whether complex problem-solving capabilities could be obtained by SBT, and to show that inexperienced trainees can reach the skill of experienced users in a short time frame. We also test users’ contentment and satisfaction in using simulations in their studies and whether they believe that simulators assist their learning processes better than recitations. This research will show that using the Supply Chain Simulator (SCS) as a SBT tool clearly supports and improves SCM learning and can serve as a great supplement to frontal teaching. We conducted two experiments using the principals of SBT, in both we used the SCS as the teaching tool and simulation platform. In the first experiment we designed a mini-course, which covered two basic but important models in SCM, for undergraduate students studying Industrial Engineering and Management. The second experiment was conducted in two universities, one in Israel and one in Ireland. Students were given two SCM problems. The first problem was a rather simple one and the second a complex problem. We tested whether trainees were able to reach better results in earlier trials when solving complex problems after performing a SBT with simple SCM problems. In addition, we compared the performance between the experienced students (Ireland) and the inexperienced students (Israel). We built relevant exercises for each of the models in each experiment, and completely incorporated them into the curriculum of three different courses, two in Israel and one in Ireland. Combining these platforms and methodologies with an appropriate design of experiments enabled us to conduct an experiment to test our hypotheses in a controlled environment. Results of the experiments were statistically analyzed and demonstrated that SBT using SCS when teaching SCM improves learning outcomes. We showed that students reached significantly better test scores in both SCM models tested (Newsvendor Problem and Economic Order Quantity) after performing a SBT with the SCS compared to their scores after a frontal recitation. In addition, we showed that SBT with the SCS assisted inexperienced students to reach the same level of complex problem-solving abilities as experienced students. We also demonstrated that both inexperienced and experienced students reached their best performance in the complex problems significantly faster (in earlier trials) than in the simple problems. A satisfaction survey given to the students participating in the first experiment indicated that they were happy with the simulation exercise and believed it assisted them in the learning process better than the frontal recitation.

ABSTRACT. Supply chain networks are complex and often proprietary, yet the structure and dynamics of a company’s supply chain is not well known. This research uses financial relationship data to construct digital network maps of modern supply networks. The data is sourced from Bloomberg and FactSet, which, when coupled with network visualization software and network science tools, enables a highly innovative perspective of the supply network to emerge. The visualizations enable us to characterize the supply network topology and dynamics in terms of detailed structural metrics. We conclude with some preliminary insight into the relationship between structural metrics and financial performance.