Evaluating supply chain networks by incorporating the triple dimensions of sustainability paradigm

Considering that supply chain network operations have become increasingly competitive and globalized, a critical challenge for any group of organizations is to develop an integrated set of performance metrics that can be used to evaluate the sustainability of different supply chain designs. However, the interface of environmental, economic and social aspects in supply chain management is not yet well-covered in the current literature. In this chapter, we attempt to develop mathematical programming-based efficiency metrics, which are called “sustainable network operational efficiency” (SNOE), in order to assess supply chain performance and evaluate possible design configurations of a global supply chain. The SNOE metrics could also be used to detect the factors of unsustainability in a supply chain network. This chapter may be of interest to organizations that are planning to design new supply chain networks or evaluate its existing networks with an aim to allocate its resources efficiently and improve its overall supply chain efficiency