This study aims to design vehicle routes based on cost minimisation and the minimisation of greenhouse gasses (GHG) emissions to help companies solve the vehicle routing problem with pickup and delivery (VRPPD) via particle swarm optimisation (PSO). An effective metaheuristics search technique called particle swarm optimisation (PSO) was applied to design the optimal route for these problems. Simulated data from Li and Lim (2001) were used to evaluate the PSO performance for solving green vehicle routing problems with pickup and delivery (Green VRPPD). The findings suggest that green vehicle routing problems with pickup and delivery should be used when distributing products to customers living in a specific area called a cluster. However, the design of vehicle routes by Green VRPPD costs more when used to distribute products to customers living randomly in a coverage service area. When logistics providers decide to use Green VRPPD instead of VRPPD, they need to be concerned about possible higher costs if an increase in the number of vehicles is needed. PSO has been confirmed for solving VRPPD effectively. The study compared the results based on the use of two different objective functions with fuel consumption from diesel and liquefied petroleum gas (LPG). It indicates that solving VRPPD by considering the emissions of direct greenhouse gases as an objective function provides cleaner routes, rather than considering total cost as the objective function for all test cases. However, as Green VRPPD requires more vehicles and longer travel distances, this requires a greater total cost than considering the total cost as the objective function. Considering the types of fuels used, it is obvious that LPG is more environmentally friendly than diesel by up to 53.61 %. This paper should be of interest to a broad readership, including those concerned with vehicle routing problems, transportation, logistics, and environmental management. The findings suggest that green vehicle routing problems with pickup and delivery should be used when distributing products to a cluster. However, the design of vehicle routes by Green VRPPD costs more when used to distribute products to customers living randomly in a coverage service area. When logistics providers decide to use Green VRPPD instead of VRPPD, they need to be concerned about possible higher costs if an increase in the number of vehicles is needed.
Keywords:
last-mile routing green particle swarm optimisation e-commerce
This research study aims at examining the long-term trend of EV sales in Thailand, utilising the system dynamics (SD) modelling approach. This approach is commonly used to model complex systems with causal relationships among key factors within the system. The developed SD model consists of five key factors affecting electric vehicle (EV) sales, namely, the environment, economy, charging infrastructure, government support, and battery maintenance. The simulation results show the increase in EV sales by ten times in the next 20 years with implementation plans related to the five key factors. The government support factor is the most important in enhancing EV sales in the short term. Several government support plans should be initiated to attract more EV consumers, such as subsidies and tax reductions. The environment and charging infrastructure factors are crucial to increasing EV sales in the long term. The enforcement of the CO2 tax and the provision of charging stations all around the country should be established to achieve a sustainable EV market in the long term. This research study contributes to the Thai government and automotive industry to better understand the complex relationships among key factors affecting EV sales. The related sectors may use the study results to plan for EV campaigns to promote the use of EVs and achieve a sustainable EV market.
Keywords:
electric vehicle system dynamics modelling trend Thailand
Supply chain activity control is an essential part of Supply Chain Management (SCM), ensuring compliance with customer requirements. This paper presents a case study into the control of SCM activities. The study analysed two areas involving two different SC links associated with order picking, and outsourced truck freights, respectively. The studied company had problems with these links. An approach based on developing a KPI (Key Performance Indicator) was proposed to address the issues. Consequently, different affected processes were analysed and characterised, considering the relevant data for defining a KPI. Then, strategies and methods were devised for data collection and processing regarding the system’s current state. Finally, tools were designed to facilitate the interpretation of the system’s current state and thus, pave the way for the decision-making process on corrective measures.
Keywords:
supply chain management key performance indicators control logistics operations management
Currently, every company is competing to improve the performance of their supply chain, and the efforts include loss mitigation, which requires risk management. This study aims to identify risks and develop risk mitigation strategies for Indonesia’s “PT. SPLP” company. First, this study identifies every risk in the Supply Chain Operation Reference to determine the causes. A mitigation strategy is formulated based on the criteria. According to the study results, each division faced specific risks, and the best mitigation strategy was a briefing at the beginning of each shift. The results indicate that different data processing methods used by companies lead to various risks and mitigation strategy results. Risk management is carried out and evaluated at “PT. SPLP” regularly.
Keywords:
supply chain risk management house of risk analytical hierarchy process
Autonomous vehicles (AVs) are receiving attention in many countries, including Thailand. However, implementing an intelligent transport system has many challenges, such as safety and reliability and the lack of policy supporting such technology use, leading to hazards for passengers and pedestrians. Hence, factors affecting the adoption of autonomous vehicles require better understanding. This research proposes and employs an extended Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) by integrating ethical standards, legal concerns, and trust to predict the intended use of autonomous vehicles by Thai citizens. A total of 318 questionnaires were collected from online panel respondents. Research hypotheses were tested using a structural equation modelling approach. The study results suggest that ethical standards have a significant positive effect on the intention to use the technology. Meanwhile, the intention was negatively affected by perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use and legal concerns. On the other hand, the results indicate that perceived ease of use directly affected trust, leading to AV adoption. However, other factors influenced trust insignificantly. This study demonstrates the vital role of trust in AV adoption. The study also suggests ideas for further study and discusses the implications for the government and autonomous vehicle companies. The article aims to forecast a success factor that the Thai government should use to consider the policy for autonomous vehicle adoption in Thailand. This paper relies on the technology acceptance model to assess and forecast autonomous vehicle adoption. The theoretical model also includes ethical issues, legal concerns and trust in technology. The model was analysed using the structure equation modelling technique to confirm the factor affecting Thailand’s successful autonomous vehicle adoption. This research confirmed that ethical standards, legal concerns, and trust in technology are the factors significantly affecting the intention to use an autonomous vehicle in Thailand. On the other hand, the perceived ease of use significantly affects the trust in autonomous vehicle technology. This research found that such social factors as ethical standards, legal concerns, and trust in technology affect technology adoption significantly, especially technology related to AI operation. Therefore, the technology acceptance model could be modified to confirm technology adoption in terms of social factors. The government could use the research results to develop a public policy for the regulation and standard supporting autonomous vehicle adoption in Thailand.
Keywords:
Technology Acceptance Model autonomous vehicles trust ethical legal concerns Thailand
Aiming to ensure current market needs, manufacturing companies search for tools and methodologies that would help them deliver their products efficiently and cost-effectively and enable them to become a part of Industry 4.0. Digital twins are a technology created based on the idea of the Fourth Industrial Revolution. The solution helps recreate physical devices in virtual space based on gathered data. It supports performance tests, configuration changes, and predictive maintenance without engaging existing machines. The paper aims to gain knowledge about the awareness level of the digital twin technology among industry representatives and identify the most important problems that stand in the way of implementing the technology in enterprises. The research focused on market awareness of the described technology. It also examined how companies use employee suggestions to improve their organisations and the factors that influence process efficiency. The methods used for the research were a literature review and cross-sectional survey conducted with 50 employees of manufacturing and IT companies. The research showed the need to implement digital twins in enterprises. Half of the survey respondents replied that the technology would help improve the efficiency of the company’s processes. The main benefit of the conducted research is identified awareness of the technology among industry representatives. In the future, the research will be extended to include the analysis of specific cases affecting the implementation of digital twins in enterprises.
Keywords:
Industry 4.0 digital twin cyber-physical system Internet of Things
The “Prevention through Design” (PtD) concept considers construction safety during the design process. Several countries are currently practising PtD, including the UK, Singapore, Malaysia, Australia, and the USA, which is still not the case in the Philippines. The study presented in this paper aimed to indicate the current level of awareness of the PtD concept among the structural engineers and purposed to generate a basis of initiatives to introduce or improve the understanding and adoption of PtD in the Philippines. A knowledge, attitude, and practice (KAP) questionnaire was distributed to survey respondents selected through a snowball sampling method, consisting of structural engineers currently working in the Philippines. Sixty-one (61) structural engineers responded and were analysed in this study. Results indicated that PtD was relatively a new concept for most structural engineers in the Philippines. Similarly, the designers’ knowledge of the concept was still low. However, structural engineers viewed PtD as necessary and its implementation as essential in the construction industry. Despite the known concerns in the PtD implementation, structural engineers favoured the adoption of the concept. The paper also discussed challenges and key drivers for implementing PtD in the Philippines based on the questionnaire results and supporting literature reviews. The findings and methodology presented in this paper could serve as a baseline for a larger sample size covering other design trades, such as architectural, electrical, and mechanical design services leading to the broader adoption of PtD in the Philippines. Furthermore, the framework of this study could also apply to other countries with similar contexts.
Keywords:
construction safety Prevention through Design Design for Safety Philippines KAP structural design
Many research efforts have identified funding as a critical factor responsible for the delays in the execution of construction projects. These funding challenges affect the client and contractors alike. However, there is limited information on why delays occur in sponsored projects with evidently adequate funding. Therefore, the study focuses on exploring the factors that impact the cash flow during the execution of sponsored construction projects. The multiple-site case-study method of qualitative research was adopted, involving five universities benefiting from the infrastructure funding provided by a government agency in Nigeria. The Delphi technique was used for data collection and analysis, complemented with interviews. The findings identified six factors causing the delays. They were divided into internal and external factors. The internal factors are faulty contractor selection processes resulting in delays by contractors and the failure to complete appropriate phases of a project. The external factors include the delays in the project management system of the funding agency in terms of inspection, monitoring, evaluation and progress certification. The research identified that the combined effect of internal and external factors negatively impacts the project cash flow, which in turn influences project delivery delays. Therefore, this study recommends improvements in the in-house contractor selection processes and the decentralisation of the project inspection, monitoring and evaluation operations of the funding agency. This will facilitate timely inspection, audit, and progress certification, enabling the early release of the second tranche of the project fund. This will ameliorate the negative effects arising due to low cash flow and associated delays in project delivery.
Keywords:
adequate funding construction projects delays Delphi technique funding agency internal and external factors
Different industries are modernising their systems and introducing innovations to their management practices. However, the construction industry is recognised for its lack of technological systems on which the success of this sector is deemed to be heavily dependent. Previous studies have focused on enhancing the off-site construction supply chain. However, studies on the importance and utilisation of technology in this sub-sector are scarce, predominantly where the efficiency of off-site supply chain management is stalled as a consequence of the slow implementation of technology. Thus, this article employs an exploratory approach by providing insight into the applicability of blockchain technology in New Zealand’s off-site construction and demonstrates the benefits associated with the adoption of this technology. A literature review was used to identify stakeholders’ interrelationships in different stages of prefabrication projects. Then, a pilot interview from industry experts followed by a questionnaire survey was used to determine the involvement of stakeholders in different phases and the benefits that blockchain technology can bring to this industry. The results indicate that using blockchain as a secure information management system could improve the integration of prefabrication supply systems by producing a collaborative atmosphere amongst the organisations involved.
Keywords:
prefabrication supply chain blockchain information integration New Zealand
This research study explores the relationship between customer focus and the performance of construction projects undertaken by small companies. Additionally, process management in these companies has been studied as a mediator in explaining the relationship between customer focus and project performance. A moderated mediation model has been proposed to investigate the role of strategic planning and its effects on project outcomes. Data was gathered from 326 staff members working at different levels of management in some of Pakistan’s emerging construction companies owned by young entrepreneurs. The study’s findings revealed a positive relationship between customer focus and project performance mediated by process management. Moderation analysis indicates a significant relationship between process management and project performance when moderated by strategic planning. Constraints to the study have been identified, and suggestions for future research have been offered.
Keywords:
emerging construction firms customer focus process management strategic planning project performance
The Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) is an international project focused on creating a network of infrastructure and strengthening trade links, primarily between China and Europe. Transport of goods within the BRI is conducted through one maritime and six rail economic corridors, one of which (New Eurasian Land Bridge) crosses the territory of Poland. This article covers issues related to the impact of the BRI on the regions of the participating countries and aims to determine the position of Podlaskie voivodeship compared to other Polish voivodeships in the BRI. To achieve this aim, a multi-stage study was conducted, including the design of a set of quantitative factors determining the position of voivodeships in the BRI, evaluation of the importance of the factors during the expert study, collection and normalisation of quantitative data, and comparative analysis of the factors. Research results show that, given the adopted methodology, the Podlaskie voivodeship is ranked 11th out of 16 Polish voivodeships in terms of its position in the BRI. This article’s findings contribute to the discussion on development opportunities in the Podlaskie region in the BRI context. They also motivate comprehensive research on the strategy for the widest possible inclusion of Podlaskie in the BRI’s activities and provide an important stimulus for the region’s development.
Keywords:
New Silk Road Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) Podlaskie voivodeship