Presenting a mathematical model for supply chain network design considering trade credit under uncertainty

Providing financial resources is necessary for the survival of any business. In supply chain networks, bank loans and commercial credits play a crucial role in financing. Supply chain networks are always affected by financial disturbances under uncertainty condition, therefore, the design of supply chain networks considering financial flows leads to the improvement of working capital. In this research, the supply chain network is designed and developed considering commercial credibility. Considering commercial credit at all levels in a three-level supply chain network including suppliers, factories and distribution centers can be stated as the main contribution of this study. In addition, considering the timing for the repayment of commercial credits by the factories and distribution centers in uncertainty conditions is another challenge of the present research. Due to the uncertainty of demand, supply chain planning should be done in such a way that the necessary financial resources for the production operations are incorporated. In this regard, the demand is considered under scenario-based uncertainty in the proposed model in which the maximization of the net present value as well as the demand estimate are the main objectives. The CPLEX solver was used for solving the model in small-sized instances and the Bee Colony and Wale multi-objective metaheuristic algorithms were used for solving the large-sized problems. The results show how commercial credit affects physical flow. Also, the Wale metaheuristic algorithm has a better performance than the other algorithm.