Search results

The global pandemic COVID-19 unveils transforming the supply chain (SC) to be more resilient against unprecedented events. Identifying and assessing these risk factors is the most significant phase in supply chain risk management (SCRM). The earlier risk quantification methods make timely decision-making more complex due to their inability to provide early warning. The paper aims to propose a model for analyzing the social media data to understand the potential SC risk factors in real-time.

In this paper, the potential of text-mining, one of the most popular Artificial Intelligence (AI)-based data analytics approaches for extracting information from social media is exploited. The model retrieves the information using Twitter streaming API from online SC forums.

The potential risk factors that disrupt SC performance are obtained from the recent data by text-mining analyses. The outcomes carry valuable insights about some contemporary SC issues due to the pandemic during the year 2021. The most frequent risk factors using rule mining techniques are also analyzed.

This study presents the significant role of Twitter in real-time risk identification from online SC platforms like “Supply Chain Dive”, “Supply Chain Brain” and “Supply Chain Digest”. The results indicate the significant role of data analytics in achieving accurate decision-making. Future research will extend to represent a digital twin for identifying potential risks through social media analytics, assessing risk propagation and obtaining mitigation strategies.

As the world is becoming more volatile and uncertain, organizations face much complexity in their daily operations. Further, there is a much ambiguity in business operations to achieve the effective utilization of resources. The work optimizes a novel constraint programming model approach of the utilization of shuttle services vehicle while considering cost savings, employee wellbeing and other real an Information Technology enabled service (ITES) industry constraints.

The present work considers a novel extension of the vehicle routing problem related to the shuttle service operation in an ITES industry in VUCA context. Additionally, the model considers the women safety aspects, which engages the company to provide a security guard for women employees in the night shift.

Numerical experiments were conducted on real instances data of ITES industrial partner. The results show that the vehicle utilization increased from 75% up to 96% while ensuring in parallel the wellbeing of employees and women safety during the night shift. Finally, the proposed model is converted to a decision support application allowing ITES partner to plan employees shuttle service operations efficiently.

Study has evaluated the shuttle services optimization for ITES industry using data from industrial which makes it a unique contribution to literature in shuttle operations. Further, the study used constraint programming to evaluate the vehicle utilization and security allocation, thereby introducing new parameter on security allocation in open VRP problem.

Despite the fact that hygiene and sanitation are becoming more critical for improving the present situation in developing nations, the factors that affect them are not well covered in the present research. This paper investigates the quality of the hygiene and sanitization factors and identifies the interrelations between the identified factors.

A graph theory-based approach is proposed to assess the factors influencing the practice, and a critical service index (CSI) is used to quantify the same.

Two Indian villages are used to illustrate the implementation of the suggested approach. This represents the validation of the suggested method, as well as assisting in the development of essential suggestions for increasing the quality of hygiene and sanitization in the Indian context. In spite of the increasing importance of hygiene and sanitation for improving the current situation in developing countries, the factors that influence them are not well-researched.

This study contributes in two ways. First, it provides an organized methodology for quantifying hygiene and sanitation factors and a critical service index that incorporates the findings. The suggested approach may also be used to evaluate and classify other sectors. Second, it shows how the methodology was used to create key recommendations for two Indian villages, which may be considered the first effort in India’s hygiene and sanitation initiatives.

This research discussed improvements in sanitation and hygiene habits among Indian households, which have not been achieved as expected under the Swachh Bharat Mission.

The difficulties of a child diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) can lead to behaviours that are quite challenging for parents to understand and address. Most of the parental studies of ASD focus on the challenges faced by the parents. This study aims to adopt a strength-based model that investigates the mediating role of parental playfulness in the association between parent–child relationship and parental competence.

This study is a quantitative study that adopts a correlational research design. The mediation analysis explores the role of parental playfulness as a mediator in the association between parent–child relationship and parental competence. The sample consisted of 120 parents of children diagnosed with ASD from India, selected using a purposive sampling technique.

The mediation analysis results indicate that playfulness among parents of children with ASD was found to function as a partial mediator in the relationship between parent–child relationship and parental competence. This could suggest that more playful parents have better parent–child relationships and are competent in parenting.

These findings have importance in understanding the role of playful interaction on parent–child relationships and parenting competence, having implications for further research. Enabling playfulness in parenting will enhance children and parents to promote their relationship and thus feel competent to bring positive light in their lives.

Most often, the clinicians are concerned with addressing only the autistic symptoms; it is also essential to look into parental well-being. Practical playful interaction training should help parents establish a rapport, understand, adjust and adapt with their child.

Practical intervention and training plans can be suggested to all family members to improve the condition of the child and the family’s general well-being. As the study focused on the clinical population, the findings could provide useful inputs for mental health professionals and counsellors.

There are some theoretical and empirical evidence that support positive outcomes of playfulness on personal well-being (Atzaba Poria, in press; Yue et al., 2016; Proyer, 2014). Although there has been some interest in the impact of children’s playfulness on their development (Bundy, 1997), little is known about the influence of parental playfulness on parents and children. Therefore, addressing these gaps, this empirical study focusses on investigating the role of parental playfulness in parent–child relationship and parental competence, rather than considering external challenges of parents based on the ASD child’s behavioural challenges and autistic features.

This paper aims to investigate the firm performance of micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) by using artificial intelligence-based supply chain resilience strategies. A theoretical framework shows the relationship between artificial intelligence, supply chain resilience strategy and firm performance.

A questionnaire is developed to survey the MSMEs of India. A sample size of 307 is considered for the survey. The employees working in MSMEs are targeted responses. The conceptual model developed is tested empirically.

The study found that eight hypotheses were accepted and two were rejected. There are five mediating variables in the current study. Artificial intelligence, the independent variable, positively affects all five mediators. Then, according to the survey and analysis of the final 307 responses from MSMEs, the mediating variables significantly impact the dependent variable, firm performance.

This study is limited to emerging markets only. Also this study used only cross sectional data collection methods.

This study is essential for supply chain managers and top management willing to adopt the latest technology in their organisation or firmfor a better efficient supply chain process.

This study investigated artificial intelligence-based supply chain resilience for improving firm performance in emerging countries like India. This study tried to fill the research gap in artificial intelligence and supply chain resilience.

The purpose of this paper is to develop a methodology for the stochastically asymptotic stability of fuzzy Markovian jumping neural networks with time-varying delay and continuously distributed delay in mean square.

The authors perform Briat Lemma, multiple integral approach and linear convex combination technique to investigate a class of fuzzy Markovian jumping neural networks with time-varying delay and continuously distributed delay. New sufficient criterion is established by linear matrix inequalities conditions.

It turns out that the obtained methods are easy to be verified and result in less conservative conditions than the existing literature. Two examples show the effectiveness of the proposed results.

The novelty of the proposed approach lies in establishing a new Wirtinger-based integral inequality and the use of the Lyapunov functional method, Briat Lemma, multiple integral approach and linear convex combination technique for stochastically asymptotic stability of fuzzy Markovian jumping neural networks with time-varying delay and continuously distributed delay in mean square.

The purpose of this study is to explore the importance of vibrations during welding process. In recent years, welding has gained its supremacy in the field of production. The main set back of the welding process is induced residual stresses, which is a major cause for many welding defects. These defects can be minimized by post-weld heat treatment methods, which is a time consuming and laborious process. In the recent past, a technique of exciting the weld-pool by vibrating the work-pieces was also adopted to minimize the above-mentioned stresses. A novel technique of electrode vibration is another effective way of transferring the vibrations to the weld-pool to influence the induced residual stress.

In this research, the electrode is vibrated with the help of an electric motor. The specimens were prepared as per American Society for Testing and Materials standards and welded with varying frequencies and voltages. The weldments are tested for hardness along the weld bead and heat affected zone, also the microstructure of the fusion zone is analyzed.

It is observed that there is an improvement in the hardness because of the grain refinement, which is a result of proper excitation of the weld-pool. It is observed that there is an improvement in hardness test up to 28.69% when compared with the conventional welding process. The peak value of hardness is observed at a frequency of 4,450 Hz. This is because of fine grain structure at this frequency, which is observed through the microstructure analysis.

A novel technique is introduced to refine the weld-pool through electrode vibrations. To improve the hardness of the welded joints, vibrations play a major role by refining the grain structure. The vibrations are imparted with the help of a special equipment attached to the electrode.

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the prominence of mechanical excitations at the time of welding. In the past years, the process of welding technology has expanded its influence in manufacturing. The crucial drawback of conventional welding is prompted by internal stresses and distortions, which is the focal reason for weld defects. These weld defects can be diminished by the process called post-weld heat treatment (PWHT), which consumes more working hours and needs skilled workers. To replace these PWHT processes, mechanical vibrations are introduced during the process of welding to diminish these weld defects.

In the current research, the mechanical vibrations are transferred to weld-pool through vibro-motor and DC motor connected to the electrode. As per standards, the tensile test specimens were prepared for welding with different voltages of vibro-motor and DC motor respectively. The weld joints were tested for tensile strength and analyzed the microstructure at the fusion zone.

Melt-ability at fusion zone of 1018 mild steel was investigated by the single-stroke intense heat process of fusion welding. It is observed that the mechanical vibrations technique has a profound influence on the enhancement of the fusion zone characteristics and grain structure. The peak value of the tensile strength is observed at 100 s of vibration, 190 V of vibro-motor voltage and 18 V of electrode voltage. The tensile strength of the welded joints with vibrations is increased up to 22.64% when it is compared with conventional welding. The enhancement of the tensile strength of the weld bead was obtained because of the formation of fine grain structure. So, mechanical vibrations are identified as the most convenient method for improving the mild steel alloys weld quality.

A novel approach called mechanical vibrations during the process of welding is implemented for fusion zone refinement.

Vibratory weld conditioning parameters have a great influence on the improvement of mechanical properties of weld connections. The purpose of this paper is to understand the influence of vibratory weld conditioning on the mechanical and microstructural characterization of aluminum 5052 alloy weldments. An attempt is made to understand the effect of the vibratory tungsten inert gas (TIG) welding process parameters on the hardness, ultimate tensile strength and microstructure of Al 5052-H32 alloy weldments.

Aluminum 5052 H32 specimens are welded at different combinations of vibromotor voltage inputs and time of vibrations. Voltage input is varied from 50 to 230 V at an interval of 10 V. At each voltage input to the vibromotor, there are three levels of time of vibration, i.e. 80, 90 and 100 s. The vibratory TIG-welded specimens are tested for their mechanical and microstructural properties.

The results indicate that the mechanical properties of aluminum alloy weld connections improved by increasing voltage input up to 160 V. Also, it has been observed that by increasing vibromotor voltage input beyond 160 V, mechanical properties were reduced significantly. It is also found that vibration time has less influence on the mechanical properties of weld connections. Improvement in hardness and ultimate tensile strength of vibratory welded joints is 16 and 14%, respectively, when compared without vibration, i.e. normal weld conditions. Average grain size is measured as per ASTM E 112–96. Average grain size is in the case of 0, 120, 160 and 230 is 20.709, 17.99, 16.57 and 20.8086 µm, respectively.

Novel vibratory TIG welded joints are prepared. Mechanical and micro-structural properties are tested.

The stakeholders are now demanding more visibility and role clarity in the emergency supply chain to improve collaborative efforts. Using a contingent resource-based view (C-RBV), the author studies crisis leadership as a complementary organizational resource for the successful adoption of digital technologies (DTs) in the emergency supply chain. The author further examined the relationships between DTs on information visibility and collaboration under the moderating effects of crisis leadership.

The author gathered data from 117 NGOs in India using a multi-informant questionnaire. The author further tested the research hypotheses using variance-based structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM).

DTs under the interaction effect of crisis leadership have a significant influence on the information visibility and the collaboration in the humanitarian context. The findings of the study extend the C-RBVs to create a better understanding of applications of DTs in alleviating human suffering due to crises.

The author provides some direction to the managers engaged in the humanitarian supply chain, contemplating using emerging technologies to enhance information visibility and collaboration.

The current study offers some useful implications for theory. The study findings suggest that the DTs under the moderating effect of the crisis leadership significantly improve the information visibility and the collaboration among the emergency supply chain relief workers. These findings contribute to the C-RBV literature by expanding the scope of the theory. To date, the C-RBV is yet to be explored in humanitarian or emergency settings. Further, the study empirically tests the moderating role of crisis leadership which is touted to be the game-changer, particularly in crises or emergencies.