Details of Grant 

EPSRC Reference:	EP/D061407/1
Title:	Supply Chain Reliability and Robustness
Principal Investigator:	Scaparra, Professor MP
Other Investigators:
Researcher Co-Investigators:
Project Partners:
Department:	Kent Business School
Organisation:	University of Kent
Scheme:	Standard Research (Pre-FEC)
Starts:	28 October 2005	Ends:	27 January 2006	Value (£):	2,505
EPSRC Research Topic Classifications:	Manufact. Enterprise Ops& Mgmt
EPSRC Industrial Sector Classifications:	No relevance to Underpinning Sectors
Related Grants:
Panel History:
Summary on Grant Application Form
Recent world events, including the dramatic terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, have raised the issue of service/supply system vulnerability into sharp focus and have posed a new challenge to devise sound procedures for increasing system security and reliability. The challenge is even more compelling, when considering the complexity that characterizes today's logistics networks. The close interrelationship and interdependence among a large number of system elements measurably increases the exposure to intentional harm and the level of vulnerability. It also increases the difficulty of assessing the impact of losing some of the system components as well as identifying the most effective protective measures. The need of systematic and analytical tools for addressing the issues of systems vulnerability, security investment and the design of resilient networks has been widely recognized among academics and practitioners. Nevertheless, the study of mathematical models and techniques for improving logistic systems robustness and security is still largely unexplored. Prior research in this area has mainly focused on the analysis of risk sources and has outlined general guidelines for mitigating the disruptive impact of offensive strikes on a system with regard to its ability to operate efficiently. Only recently, a few studies have been undertaken which discuss the development of quantitative methods for improving the ability of logistic systems to operate efficiently in the event of intentional or accidental disruptions. While these studies represent important steps in understanding and modeling supply chain reliability, a number of important areas remain unexplored. Furthermore, the models proposed so far in the literature make several simplifying assumptions which undermine their applicability in practice. The purpose of this proposal is to study possible extensions of previous models to allow them to capture additional realism, and to formulate new mathematical models which may be used by system managers and planners in order to identify best practices for increasing production and distribution networks security. The formulation of mathematical models will be paralleled by the development of novel optimization solution techniques, able to provide answers to complex issues arising in reliable supply chain management. In summary, the main objective of this work is to use management science techniques and mathematical tools to 1) identify vulnerabilities found in logistic systems and quantify the impacts of potential losses of key components on a system's ability to provide efficient services; 2) design resilient and secure transportation and distribution networks; and 3) study the optimal allocation of protective resources in order to minimize the disruptive effects of attacks on distribution systems.
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Organisation Website:	http://www.kent.ac.uk