Four-Stage Supply Chain Design for Perishable Products and Evaluate it by Considering the Triple Dimensions of Sustainability

This study will seek to provide the best and most efficient ordering policies for different levels of the perishable food supply chain in order to maximize the overall profit of the chain, and minimize social and environmental damage. Our supply chain includes a four-level supply chain of suppliers, manufacturers, distributors and retailers. In addition to the components of perishable products, the dimensions of sustainable development have been fully investigated and taken into account in the entire chain. In this study, due to the main nature of perishable materials, the statistical population includes 9 dairy companies and 9 meat and protein companies, which in total 18 dairy, meat and protein companies in Fars province, Iran, were studied. Network Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) was used to analyze the data and WinQsb was used to model and solve it. According to the results, the average efficiency of the supply chain of production and distribution of perishable products in the financial year studied by the research in the suppliers sector was equal to 0.9634. This average was equal to 0.9899 in the producers sector, 0.9903 in the distributors sector and 0.9707 in the retailers sector. Therefore, the average efficiency in the study shows that the most inefficiency problems of the studied companies are related to the supplier sector. Also, the overall average efficiency is equal to 0.9950.