Towards a reference model for the cold chain

• Pages: 822-838
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1108/IJLM-02-2017-0052
• Date: 05 June 2018
• Published date: 05 June 2018
• Author: Peik Bremer
• Subject Matter: Logistics,Management science & operations

Towards a reference model

for the cold chain

Peik Bremer

Faculty of Business and Engineering,

University of Applied Sciences Wuerzburg-Schweinfurt, Schweinfurt, Germany

Abstract

Purpose –Generic business process models for the supply chain do not cover the specific requirements of the

cold chain catering to the needs of temperature-sensitive, perishable goods. The purpose of this paper is to

draft a reference model specific to the cold chain.

Design/methodology/approach –Following an object-oriented modeling approach,conceptual elements that

have been synthesized from a literature review are transferred into the static view (object model) of the reference

model. In addition, the reference model’s dynamic properties representing the business process view are outlined.

Findings –While a few atomic process steps are sufficient to model the cold chain’s dynamic properties, the

complexity of the cold chain lies in the object model. The classes of the object model are highly interrelated and cover

four domains: perishable product, information technology, infrastructure/equipment and regulatory framework.

This technical approach is more adequate to the complex nature of cold chains than typical business process models.

Research limitations/implications –In the present draft status, the reference model is limited by the pure

conceptual approach of this paper. As it is in the nature of things for a draft of a reference model, case studies

to challenge the draft and a discourse of experts are required before detailed specifications can be added or

any software implementation can be started. It is expected that the reference model is able to substantially

support further research on cold chain design and optimization.

Practical implications –The cold chain reference model is intended to be a standard toolbox for planning

and evaluating cold chains. By integrating the technical, information technology and regulatory objects

behind the business processes, it allows to design and analyze cold chains from a more holistic perspective.

Originality/value –To the best knowledge of the author, this paper is the first to outline a reference model

for the cold chain that goes beyond the business processes.

Keywords Supply chain management, Modelling, Cold chain

Paper type Conceptual paper

Introduction

The wastage or loss of food is estimated at about one-third of the global production in terms

of weight (Gustavsson et al., 2011, p. 4). Beside the moral implications of losing or wasting

food on the way “from field to fork”(Parfitt et al., 2010), a better utilization of food resources

would be helpful to cope with both population growth (Coulomb, 2008) and environmental

impacts of food production (Nellemann et al., 2009, p. 19). The amount of food loss does not

differ substantially between industrialized and developing countries. However, while in

low-income countries the main loss appears to happen between production and retailing due

to improper handling, storage and transportation, it is at retail and consumer stages in

industrialized countries (Gustavsson et al., 2011, p. 4f).

Problems in the cold chain, the post-production supply chain for temperature-sensitive

goods, are a major reason forthe loss of food (Murthy et al., 2009). From the producer’splace

on to the storage in the consumer’s refrigeratorand, finally, consumption,perishable products

(e.g. agricultural produce, meat, fish, certain pharmaceuticals) need to be kept within an

optimal temperature range in order to guarantee product safety and maximizeboth shelf life

and commercial potential (Joshi et al., 2009; Rodrigue, 2014). Cold chain temperature ranges

depend on product requirements and reach from below –18°C (deep frozen) up to +14°C to

support optimal ripening of bananas during transport (Jedermann et al., 2014).

The International Journal of

Logistics Management

Vol. 29 No. 3, 2018

pp. 822-838

© Emerald PublishingLimited

0957-4093

DOI 10.1108/IJLM-02-2017-0052

Received 27 February 2017

Revised 28 September 2017

Accepted 7 November 2017

The current issue and full text archive of this journal is available on Emerald Insight at:

www.emeraldinsight.com/0957-4093.htm

The research was partially supported by a BayChina travel grant (proWA –January 28, 2016).

This paper forms part of a special section “Next-generation cold supply chain management: research,

applications and challenges”.

822

IJLM

29,3

Although consumers see only a small risk for microbial contamination and tend to

believe that products have been kept within optimal temperature ranges, out-of-range

infringements are not rare events especially at the retail link of the food supply chain

(Likar and Jevšnik, 2006; Derens et al., 2006; Bourlakis et al., 2012), with little chance for the

consumer to detect. Also, cold chain management at the consumer’s home often is a problem

(Redmond and Griffith, 2003; Derens et al., 2006).

Cold chains are under supervision not only for effectiveness but also for efficiency and

environmental reasons. It has been estimated that about 40 percent of all food requires a

cold chain and 15 percent of energy consumed globally is used to maintain cold chains

(Mattarolo, 1990; Coulomb, 2008), which makes reducing energy consumption in the cold

chain a top concern ( James and James, 2010). Also, the cold chain is a major source of

hydrofluorocarbon (Saif and Elhedhli, 2016), a greenhouse gas used in refrigerators, which

is strongly contributing to global warming (Milman, 2016).

In recent years, cold chains have become more complex due to the greater distance they

now span (Salin and Na yga, 2003; Abad et al., 2009), new products requiring a tighter

temperature control, e.g., vaccines with a critical combination of freeze sensitivity and heat

instability(Kartoglu and Milstien, 2014) or prepared food (Coulomb,2008), the higher number

of stakeholders involved (Trienekens and Zuurbier, 2008; Scholten et al., 2016), more choices

for cold chain equipment, e.g., active packaging customized to the needs of individual

products (Kuswandi et al., 2011),the advance of information technology reflected in theRFID-

enabled “smart”cold chains(Kang et al., 2012), a differentiated and globallydiverse regulatory

framework (Bogataj et al., 2005) and increasing consumer concerns (Trienekens et al., 2012).

These issues require more effective and efficient cold chains. As a means of process

knowledge management, a reference model integrating these aspects would be helpful to

better understand, design and operate cold chains. According to OASIS (2006) “a reference

model is an abstractframework for understandingsignificant relationshipsamong the entities

of some environment. […] A reference model consists of a minimal set of unifying concepts,

axioms and relationships within a particular problem domain, and is independent of specific

standards, technologies, implementations, or other concrete details.”

This paper aims at suggesting a reference model for cold chains that integrates different

perspectives vital for the cold chain such as regulatory framework, infrastructure, technical

equipment, information technology and operational processes. General validity (Becker et al., 2007)

and re-usability by adaptation to specific projects (Frank, 1999) are features of the reference model.

Besides using the reference model for designing cold chains, it can be used to define a framework

for collecting, documenting, analyzing and comparingdatafromcoldchainsinoperation.

The paper is organized as follows: in the following section previous research on modeling the

cold chain is reviewed. Then, the object-oriented methodology used for designing the proposed

reference model is described. The draft of the reference model is built by synthesizing information

from the literature and transferring it into the conceptual elements of the object model. Finally,

limitations of this research as well as further research directions are briefly discussed.

Literature review

It is first analyzed to what extent the cold chain has been modeled using specific

approaches. Second, as cold chains are parts of specific supply chains, it is investigated if

general frameworks for the supply chain can be used for modeling the cold chain.

The cold chain

A cold chain is a post-production supply chain for temperature-sensitive, perishable goods

that is specifically designed to keep these products in a conditioned environment, e.g., within

an optimal temperature and humidity range, in order to guarantee product safety, preserve

value and maximize commercial potential (Salin and Nayga, 2003; Joshi et al., 2009;

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Reference

model for the

cold chain