Methodologies for characterization, evaluation, and improvement of logistics in the food supply chain

Headnote

Keywords: characterization, evaluation, logistics, improvement, methodologies.

Abstract: The food supply chain (FSC) is made up of producers, traders and processors who bring the product from supply to demand through logistical processes. Food supply chains require specific methodologies for their current diagnosis, evaluation and improvement. Logistics in food supply chain requires to be managed according to its nature. This article identifies the different methodologies through a systematic literature review of publications from 2005 to 2022, using Web of Science, Scopus and Google Scholar search engines, in order to establish the state of the art. As a result of this review, a new taxonomy is proposed and includes the following methodological groups: management, qualitative, quantitative, multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM), statistics, machine learning, mathematical modelling, discrete simulation, system dynamics and others. The methodologies of characterization, evaluation and improvement are classified into two main groups of logistical means and modes. The performance measures most commonly used in the methodologies by the researchers were also identified. From the article, discussions, challenges and trends are generated to identify possible future research and different gaps.

1Introduction

The characterization establishes an informative and/or descriptive study to establish the situation of logistics in the food supply chain (LFSC). Moreover, the evaluation compares LFSC current status against desired performance measures. In terms of improvement, the aim is to bring logistics in the FSC to a higher performance state.

The logistical modes or processes about how to manage supply, inventories and storage or distribution are relevant in food supply chain; its analysis must consider changes in temperature, relative humidity, perishability, short life cycles, these elements define the use logistical means or resources to be used, such as facilities, transportation, packing and packaging, storage , information and traceability or systems of integrated enterprise resource planning (ERP) from the supplier to the final consumer, as well as government policies, food security, and the effects of natural disasters on food. The means and modes in the LFSC ensure the operation and give rise to the network design, so it is necessary to characterize, evaluate and improve, considering variables, parameters and performance measures such as efficiency, responsiveness and quality [1]. The interaction of each element on the FSC and the relationships between its different agents generate information flows in foods...