System dynamics applications in performance measurement research

Circular economy and sustainable development: a review and research agenda

Purpose

This study theoretically investigates the extant literature published about circular economy and sustainable development to identify significant research themes, the most relevant authors, countries and journals.

Design/methodology/approach

Bibliometric analysis is used, followed by cluster formation using co-citation analysis. The clusters are discussed in-depth to identify emerging themes and future research areas.

Findings

By systematically reviewing 596 research articles, significant themes of research in this field were found. These include frameworks and indicators to define and assess the circular economy, circular business models and use cases, global and industrial contexts of application of circular economy and different dimensions of the circular economy.

Research limitations/implications

Publications from only one database have been used. Only articles published in relevant academic journals have been used for the bibliometric analysis. For co-citation analysis and cluster formation, only articles with a high number of citations were selected.

Originality/value

The analysis of the various clusters revealed research areas that can be explored in future research to understand the circular economy better and implement its practices to attain sustainability.

The contingent nature of warehouse flexibility

Purpose

In a volatile marketplace, warehouse management is fundamentally contingent of changes in its supply network environment. Flexibility is therefore a key logistics issue in distribution centre management. This study probes into the nature of warehouse flexibility in a supply network through simulation.

Design/methodology/approach

By using the FlexSim simulation tool the dynamic behaviour of the warehouse system are conceptualised, documented, simulated, analysed and evaluated.

Findings

Simulation revealed that external changes affect daily processes and the reorganisation of warehouse processes. Given the extensity of resource use, simulation also revealed that process reorganisation should not be a daily undertaking. This is because warehouse processes react in unpredictable and different manners to even the smallest disturbance from the environment. This reaction is not necessarily negative impending more long-term change of warehouse processes.

Originality/value

The warehouse is a complex system that self-adapts with limited need to calculate new optimised warehouse processes to counter changes in its environment. Rather than following deterministic optimisation procedures, the development of flexible resources is a key issue in warehouse management. The applied simulation model is generic and therefore applicable in other distribution centres pointing to how to monitor warehouse processes to in a pre-emptively develop warehouse flexibility through change of process context.