Shan Li and Yong Jin Kim
Assessing the efficiency of fresh food cold chain logistics as accurately as possible is essential for industry development planning. This study was designed to analyze the…
Abstract
Purpose
Assessing the efficiency of fresh food cold chain logistics as accurately as possible is essential for industry development planning. This study was designed to analyze the efficiency of fresh food cold chain logistics in China.
Design/methodology/approach
A three-stage data envelopment analysis (DEA) model was used to analyze the efficiency of fresh food cold chain logistics in 30 provinces of China from 2013 to 2019. The stochastic frontier analysis (SFA) model in the second stage was used to eliminate the influence of external environmental factors and random disturbances on efficiency analysis results.
Findings
(1) The overall actual efficiency of fresh food cold chain logistics in China is unsatisfactory, with an average technical efficiency of 0.382 over the 7-year period. (2) The national average technical efficiency and average scale efficiency were overestimated by 29.9% and 40.0%, respectively, compared with the actual values. (3) The efficiency of fresh food cold chain logistics does not align with the level of regional economic development. (4) Distinct regional variations exist in the efficiency of fresh food cold chain logistics in China, with higher efficiencies observed in Northwest China and the Central Yangtze River regions, and the lowest efficiencies in the northeast regions.
Originality/value
This study applies a three-stage DEA model to assess the development and regional differences of fresh food cold chain logistics in China, enriching the application of models and empirical analysis in this field. By analyzing the situation in China, it provides ideas and references for other developing countries to develop cold chain logistics.
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Ashok Chermala, Padmanav Acharya and Rohit Kumar Singh
Building a robust cold chain logistics system boosts the company’s profits in various ways. Any cold chain logistics company needs well-organised and efficient management of cold…
Abstract
Purpose
Building a robust cold chain logistics system boosts the company’s profits in various ways. Any cold chain logistics company needs well-organised and efficient management of cold chain logistics to produce high-quality products, ensure that the product reaches the customer without any changes to the quality, and do so promptly. This paper aims to identify factors influencing cold chain logistics performance design. These factors are further helpful in analysing the behaviour intentions of stakeholders on increasing the cold chain logistic performance.
Design/methodology/approach
The authors conducted a thorough literature review to identify the variables that affect the performance of the cold chain logistics design. The factors were identified using exploratory factor analysis and empirically analysed using confirmatory factor analysis. The study also used structural equation modelling (SEM) to examine cold chain logistics performance determinants. Data was collected from 380 respondents working in the cold chain.
Findings
This study selected the factors influencing CCL performance, including five main factors and 22 sub-factors. Distribution, warehouse inventory storage, quality, demand, and technology affect the CCL’s performance. The results confirmed the theoretical model and proved that the factors significantly positively impact CCL performance.
Research limitations/implications
Future studies should focus on actual case studies to confirm the usefulness of the parameters found, examine how they affect performance growth, provide important insights into how to improve overall business performance and assist in identifying crucial research hotspots.
Practical implications
The study provides insight into issues regarding performance development in cold chain logistics for various stakeholders associated with the cold chain logistics industry, including practical managers, academics, and consultants. It also argues in favour of giving problems with CCL performance a higher priority. Policymakers interested in the service sector, like the Indian Department of Commerce and MSMEs, make up a modest additional audience for this work.
Social implications
Indian meat industry can be organised by implementing this methodology. This work benefits the government to get more transparent transaction and data digitalisation, which comes into account of GST.
Originality/value
There is a lack of significant quantitative literature suggesting modification strategies for factors affecting processed meat and chicken products in storage and transportation levels in India. Thus, this work tried to fill this gap and add the food chain logistics literature that helps practitioners and scholars enhance the food supply chain in developing countries.The framework developed for this study is where its originality lies. A detailed examination of cold chain logistics is included in the paper.
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Liyi Zhang, Mingyue Fu, Teng Fei, Ming K. Lim and Ming-Lang Tseng
This study reduces carbon emission in logistics distribution to realize the low-carbon site optimization for a cold chain logistics distribution center problem.
Abstract
Purpose
This study reduces carbon emission in logistics distribution to realize the low-carbon site optimization for a cold chain logistics distribution center problem.
Design/methodology/approach
This study involves cooling, commodity damage and carbon emissions and establishes the site selection model of low-carbon cold chain logistics distribution center aiming at minimizing total cost, and grey wolf optimization algorithm is used to improve the artificial fish swarm algorithm to solve a cold chain logistics distribution center problem.
Findings
The optimization results and stability of the improved algorithm are significantly improved and compared with other intelligent algorithms. The result is confirmed to use the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region site selection. This study reduces composite cost of cold chain logistics and reduces damage to environment to provide a new idea for developing cold chain logistics.
Originality/value
This study contributes to propose an optimization model of low-carbon cold chain logistics site by considering various factors affecting cold chain products and converting carbon emissions into costs. Prior studies are lacking to take carbon emissions into account in the logistics process. The main trend of current economic development is low-carbon and the logistics distribution is an energy consumption and high carbon emissions.
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Chaoyu Zheng, Benhong Peng and Guo Wei
The operational management of cold chain logistics has an important impact on the quality of cold chain products, but the service delivery process is subject to a series of…
Abstract
Purpose
The operational management of cold chain logistics has an important impact on the quality of cold chain products, but the service delivery process is subject to a series of potential problems such as product loss and cold storage temperature in the actual operation.
Design/methodology/approach
In this paper, the whole cold chain logistics system and risk events are analyzed. A Bayesian network is used for modeling and simulation to identify the main influencing factors and to conduct a sensitivity analysis of the main factors.
Findings
It is found that the operation of cold chain logistics systems can be divided into four links according to the degree of influence as follows: transportation and distribution, processing and packaging, information processing and warehousing. Transportation and distribution is the most influential factor of system failure, and extreme weather is the most risky event. At the same time, the four risk events that have the greatest impact on the operation of the cold chain system are in descending order: transportation equipment failure, extreme weather, unqualified pre-cooling and violation operation.
Originality/value
Therefore, enterprises should develop appropriate interventions for securing the transportation services, design strategies to deal with extreme weather conditions prior to and in the early stage of product delivery, and prepare additional effective measures for managing emergency events.
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Hao Zhang, Bin Qiu and Keming Zhang
The purpose of this paper is to develop a quantitative risk assessment method for agricultural products cold chain logistics to assess the condition of the fresh agricultural…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to develop a quantitative risk assessment method for agricultural products cold chain logistics to assess the condition of the fresh agricultural products cold chain process objectively and accurately.
Design/methodology/approach
A risk assessment index system of agricultural products cold chain logistics is designed on the basis of the risk identification for the process of agricultural products cold chain logistics. This paper first uses catastrophe progression method and a new maximum deviation method to build an improved catastrophe progression assessment model for agricultural products cold chain logistics. In order to verify the reliability and validity of the model, two representative enterprises are selected as the case in the study.
Findings
The results in the empirical research indicate strong support for the assessment model and coincide with the reality. The risk assessment index system can also reflect the key risk factors from agricultural products cold chain logistics scientifically. In addition, the improved catastrophe progression assessment method proposed in this paper can be scientific and reasonable to predict risk.
Research limitations/implications
This paper contributes to provide a new risk assessment model for agricultural products cold chain logistics. The new model overcomes the limitation of subjective empowerment and it increases the objectivity and scientificity in the process of cold chain logistics risk assessment. This paper also shows that practitioners involved in the field of products cold chain logistics can manage the potential risk by a set of scientific methods for assessing the risk before the accident.
Practical implications
The paper provides a practical guideline to practitioners, especially for cold chain logistics managers, relevant management departments, and cold chain logistics management consultants. It is proved that the new risk assessment method and the risk assessment index system of agricultural products cold chain logistics can help them assess the risk scientifically and reasonably.
Originality/value
Although the calculation is simple, the new model can overcome the limitation of subjective empowerment scientifically and reasonably, and thus has important practical value.
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Benhong Peng, Yuanyuan Wang, Sardar Zahid, Guo Wei and Ehsan Elahi
The purpose of this paper is to propose a framework of value co-creation in platform ecological circle for cold chain logistics enterprises to guide the transformation and…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to propose a framework of value co-creation in platform ecological circle for cold chain logistics enterprises to guide the transformation and development of cold chain logistics industry.
Design/methodology/approach
This paper establishes a conceptual framework for the research on the platform ecological circle in cold chain logistics, utilizes a structural equation model to investigate the influencing factors of the value co-creation of the platform ecological circle in the cold chain logistics enterprises and elaborates the internal relations between different influencing factors regarding the value co-creation and enterprises’ performance.
Findings
Results show that resource sharing in logistics platform ecological circle can stimulate the interaction among enterprises and this produces a positive influence on their dynamic capabilities, which, in turn, affects the they to work together to plan, implement and solve problems, so as to achieve the goal of improving enterprise performance.
Practical implications
The shared resources and value co-creation activities in the platform ecological circle are very important for the transformation and development of cold chain logistics enterprises. Therefore, enterprises should promote value co-creation through realizing resource sharing and creating a win-win cooperation mechanism.
Originality/value
This paper targets at incorporating the resource sharing in platform ecological circle for cold chain logistics enterprises, explores from an empirical perspective the role of the resource sharing in cold chain logistics enterprises in enhancing the dynamic capabilities of enterprises, thereby encouraging the value co-creation behavior, and ultimately boosts enterprise performance and stimulates business development.
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Qian Tang, Yuzhuo Qiu and Lan Xu
The demand for the cold chain logistics of agricultural products was investigated through demand forecasting; targeted suggestions and countermeasures are provided. This paper…
Abstract
Purpose
The demand for the cold chain logistics of agricultural products was investigated through demand forecasting; targeted suggestions and countermeasures are provided. This paper aims to discuss the aforementioned statement.
Design/methodology/approach
A Markov-optimised mean GM (1, 1) model is proposed to forecast the demand for the cold chain logistics of agricultural products. The mean GM (1, 1) model was used to forecast the demand trend, and the Markov chain model was used for optimisation. Considering Guangxi province as an example, the feasibility and effectiveness of the proposed method were verified, and relevant suggestions are made.
Findings
Compared with other models, the Markov-optimised mean GM (1, 1) model can more effectively forecast the demand for the cold chain logistics of agricultural products, is closer to the actual value and has better accuracy and minor error. It shows that the demand forecast can provide specific suggestions and theoretical support for the development of cold chain logistics.
Originality/value
This study evaluated the development trend of the cold chain logistics of agricultural products based on the research horizon of demand forecasting for cold chain logistics. A Markov-optimised mean GM (1, 1) model is proposed to overcome the problem of poor prediction for series with considerable fluctuation in the modelling process, and improve the prediction accuracy. It finds a breakthrough to promote the development of cold chain logistics through empirical analysis, and give relevant suggestions based on the obtained results.
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The purpose of this paper is to elaborate value-added service of cold chain logistics between China and Korea. The covering strategy for developing the cold chain value-added…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to elaborate value-added service of cold chain logistics between China and Korea. The covering strategy for developing the cold chain value-added service between the two countries is proposed.
Design/methodology/approach
The author expounds the driving power for developing cold chain logistics between the two countries basing on the trade data of agricultural exports and imports, the tariff liberalization agreement of China–Korea FTA and the short distance between the two countries. It analyzes the value-added service of cold chain logistics with exemplary cases from four aspects (customized service, integrated service, consultation/solution and strategic alliance service), and its value-added mechanism for the enhancement of core competences of the entire cold chain. Then, by considering the drawbacks of the current cold chain logistics practices, between the two countries, the author proposes certain measures for fostering the cold chain value-added services between them.
Findings
There are apparent mutual benefits in developing cold chain value-added service between the two countries, but there exists some shortcomings which impede the sound development of the cold chain logistics, such as low circulation rate and insufficient cold chain facility in China, shortage of integrated and compatible information platform between the two countries, few integrated cold chain service and strategic alliance service and occurrence of some trade frictions.
Originality/value
The enforcement of China–Korea FTA will greatly reduce the tariff and increase the import and export volumes between the two countries; with the proximity between them, development of cold chain logistics between the two countries holds tremendous potential. This paper thoroughly discusses the mechanism of the value-added service of the cold chain logistics, and brings into focus the development of the value-added service in the two countries.
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Ming K. Lim, Yan Li and Xinyu Song
With the fierce competition in the cold chain logistics market, achieving and maintaining excellent customer satisfaction is the key to an enterprise's ability to stand out. This…
Abstract
Purpose
With the fierce competition in the cold chain logistics market, achieving and maintaining excellent customer satisfaction is the key to an enterprise's ability to stand out. This research aims to determine the factors that affect customer satisfaction in cold chain logistics, which helps cold chain logistics enterprises identify the main aspects of the problem. Further, the suggestions are provided for cold chain logistics enterprises to improve customer satisfaction.
Design/methodology/approach
This research uses the text mining approach, including topic modeling and sentiment analysis, to analyze the information implicit in customer-generated reviews. First, latent Dirichlet allocation (LDA) model is used to identify the topics that customers focus on. Furthermore, to explore the sentiment polarity of different topics, bi-directional long short-term memory (Bi-LSTM), a type of deep learning model, is adopted to quantify the sentiment score. Last, regression analysis is performed to identify the significant factors that affect positive, neutral and negative sentiment.
Findings
The results show that eight topics that customer focus are determined, namely, speed, price, cold chain transportation, package, quality, error handling, service staff and logistics information. Among them, speed, price, transportation and product quality significantly affect customer positive sentiment, and error handling and service staff are significant factors affecting customer neutral and negative sentiment, respectively.
Research limitations/implications
The data of the customer-generated reviews in this research are in Chinese. In the future, multi-lingual research can be conducted to obtain more comprehensive insights.
Originality/value
Prior studies on customer satisfaction in cold chain logistics predominantly used questionnaire method, and the disadvantage of which is that interviewees may fill out the questionnaire arbitrarily, which leads to inaccurate data. For this reason, it is more scientific to discover customer satisfaction from real behavioral data. In response, customer-generated reviews that reflect true emotions are used as the data source for this research.
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Pei-Ju Wu, Liang-Tay Lin and Chi-Chang Huang
High-quality cold-chain logistics are key to effectively managing the quality of temperature-sensitive foods. Hence, this study investigates the service quality of such logistics…
Abstract
Purpose
High-quality cold-chain logistics are key to effectively managing the quality of temperature-sensitive foods. Hence, this study investigates the service quality of such logistics, using a real-life case of temperature-sensitive milk delivery.
Design/methodology/approach
This study focuses on developing business analytics for quality control in cold-chain perishable-food logistics, grounded in normal accident theory and stakeholder theory, and tests them using real-world data.
Findings
The empirical business-analytics results indicate that cargo locations, logistics status and delivery times are the essential factors that influence the quality of temperature-sensitive milk.
Research limitations/implications
This study confirms that a combination of normal accident theory and stakeholder theory can be usefully applied to the development of strategies for managing perishable-food logistics. As such, its proposed business analytics provide a fresh foundation for research on logistics quality management.
Practical implications
The balance between efficiency and service quality in a logistics system should be assessed carefully, and logistics companies should collaborate with their stakeholders and can help to mitigate potential cold-chain risks.
Originality/value
This pioneering analytical study explores the essential quality issues that confront cold chains and demonstrates how to extract vital insights from temperature-sensitive food logistics monitoring data. As such, it represents a noteworthy contribution to the field of logistics quality management.