Optimization of Resources in Supply Chain by Linear Programming: A Case of India’s MSME

--Lokesh Vijayvargy

In volatile market conditions, companies are struggling for survival and growth. Firms are adopting strategies like outsourcing, optimization of operations, partnership, just in time and inventory reduction to cut the cost to enhance market share. These strategies are improving supply chain efficiencies and effectiveness. Largescale industries are implementing the strategies at a satisfactory level, but Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) are still struggling due to lack of industrial skill, visibility, financial support and control over business issues. Therefore, special attention is required to understand the problem of MSMEs and to develop strategies to manage business. The paper provides an idea about the optimization of one actor in supply chain. It also compares the present manufacturing scenario with future changes possible in this direction in small-scale industries (here tiffin manufacturing firm) through optimization of the production process of industry. Firstly, the current situation is analyzed using Integer Linear Programming (ILP) model and sensitivity analysis is done to track the changes. The paper presents an overview and guidance for MSMEs in the area of productivity improvement. It also presents a SWOT analysis of MSMEs.

© 2015 IUP. All Rights Reserved.

A Case Discussion on Vendor Selection in Public Distribution System in Odisha: A Multicriteria Decision-Making Approach

--Barada Prasanna Mohapatra and D K Mahalik

In India, where 40% of the people are still below the poverty line, feeding them is a challenge. On the other hand, the government is taking lots of initiatives to feed the poor section of the society. In this connection, the Government of India has implemented Public Distribution System (PDS) to supply the required food grains at a subsidized rate through vendors or Fair Price Shops (FPS). The selection of vendors and vendor’s responsibility play a vital role in the PDS system, which is also a reason for the dissatisfaction among consumers. So the researchers and the authorities are always searching for a better process to improve the selection of vendors or FPS to minimize the problems in PDS. In this paper, an attempt has been made to suggest a method for selection of vendors for PDS with multicriteria decision-making tools, i.e., Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP).

© 2015 IUP. All Rights Reserved.

Consumers and Product Returns in Reverse Supply Chain: A Literature Review

--Siddhartha Kushwaha

Consumers are the starting point of a reverse supply chain. They act as supplier of raw material to value adding activities and reverse supply chain activities such as remanufacturing and recycling. Though reverse supply chain literature acknowledges the significance of consumers, the degree of influence of consumers on the reverse supply chain is still unexplored. The study explores the role of product-related and environment-related factors on product returns from consumer through an extensive survey of literature.

© 2015 IUP. All Rights Reserved.

Bikanervala: A Delicious Blend of Traditional Recipes and Modern Systems

--Anita Kumar

It is generally perceived that traditional family-run businesses are strong in entrepreneurial skills, family values and customer responsiveness but lack professionalism in building technological, operational and managerial capabilities needed to compete in a global market. The case study of Bikanervala chronicles the journey of a traditional Indian halwai1 to a global chain specializing in Indian ready-to-eat sweets and namkeens. The company has effectively and innovatively blended heritage recipes with modern product and process technology till date but now faces expansion and supply chain challenges. This case has been written with twofold objectives in mind: 1) to illustrate the effectiveness of the supply chain strategy adopted by the company to gain necessary competitive advantage in an unorganized industry; and 2) to be used for discussing the current challenges faced by the company and prospective growth strategies. Data collection in the case is through secondary sources (website, historical documents) and open-ended, semi-structured interviews with the managerial staff.

© 2015 IUP. All Rights Reserved.