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Quantifying the Sustainability of Products and Suppliers in Food Distribution Companies

Author

Listed:
  • Marina Segura

    (Department of Applied Statistics and Operational Research and Quality, Universitat Politècnica de València, s/n 46022 Valencia, Spain)

  • Concepción Maroto

    (Department of Applied Statistics and Operational Research and Quality, Universitat Politècnica de València, s/n 46022 Valencia, Spain)

  • Baldomero Segura

    (Department of Economy and Social Sciences, Universitat Politècnica de València, s/n 46022 Valencia, Spain)

Abstract

Supplier evaluation is a relevant task of supply chain management where multicriteria methods make great contributions to manufacturing industries. This is not the case in food distribution companies, which have a key role in providing safe and affordable food to society. The purpose of this research is to measure the sustainability of products and suppliers in food distribution companies through a multiple criteria approach. Firstly, the system proposed provides indicators to qualify products and assess the food quality, using the compensatory Multi-Attribute Utility Theory (MAUT) model. Secondly, these indicators are included in supplier evaluation, which takes economic, environmental, and social criteria into account. MAUT and Preference Ranking Organisation Method for Enrichment Evaluation (PROMETHEE), a non-compensatory method, are used for supplier evaluation. This approach has been validated for fresh food in a supermarket chain, mainly using historical data. Partial indicators, such as food safety scores, together with global indicators of suppliers, inform the most appropriate decisions and the most appropriate relations between companies and providers. Poor performance in food safety can lead to the disqualification of some suppliers. MAUT is good for qualifying products and is easy to apply at the operational level in logistic platforms, while PROMETHEE is more suitable for supplier segmentation, as it helps to identify supplier strengths and weaknesses.

Suggested Citation

  • Marina Segura & Concepción Maroto & Baldomero Segura, 2019. "Quantifying the Sustainability of Products and Suppliers in Food Distribution Companies," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(21), pages 1-18, October.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:11:y:2019:i:21:p:5875-:d:279377
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    3. Luis Diaz-Balteiro & Jacinto González-Pachón & Carlos Romero, 2020. "Sustainability as a Multi-Criteria Concept: New Developments and Applications," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(18), pages 1-5, September.
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    5. Rosa Puertas & Luisa Marti & Jose-Maria Garcia-Alvarez-Coque, 2020. "Food Supply without Risk: Multicriteria Analysis of Institutional Conditions of Exporters," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(10), pages 1-20, May.
    6. Samuel Eric Kamgang & Olivier Boiral & Laurence Guillaumie & Marie-Christine Brotherton, 2024. "Responsible sourcing in the food industry: a scoping review," Environment, Development and Sustainability: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Theory and Practice of Sustainable Development, Springer, vol. 26(8), pages 19325-19349, August.
    7. Han-Khanh Nguyen, 2022. "A 3-Dimensional Frame of Reference for Prevention of Risk in Supply Chain," JRFM, MDPI, vol. 15(3), pages 1-22, March.
    8. Felipe Barrera & Marina Segura & Concepción Maroto, 2022. "Sustainable Technology Supplier Selection in the Banking Sector," Mathematics, MDPI, vol. 10(11), pages 1-21, June.
    9. Özlem Arslan & Necip Karakurt & Ecem Cem & Selcuk Cebi, 2023. "Risk Analysis in the Food Cold Chain Using Decomposed Fuzzy Set-Based FMEA Approach," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(17), pages 1-20, September.
    10. Felipe Barrera & Marina Segura & Concepción Maroto, 2024. "A Multicriteria Customer Classification Method in Supply Chain Management," Mathematics, MDPI, vol. 12(21), pages 1-22, October.

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