Green supply chain management - Global opportunities and challenges: A case study

In the recent past, China's emergence as an economic giant has not only affected regional supply chains; but has even challenged the existing global logistics practices. Most of the destinations of Chinese shipping vessels are Middle East, Europe or North America. These vessels customarily follow the longer route from China to Singapore, Sri Lanka, Middle East and onwards to Europe or North America. Agility, leanness, Just-In-Time (JIT) and postponement are a few of the challenging concepts for competitiveness and Supply Chain Management (SCM). Globalization has put an added enormous pressure on techniques and practices of SCM. This study focuses on identification of all potential route options from central China to Middle East, Europe and North America as well as finding best possible shortest route. Optimization in terms of distances, lead time and fuel consumption will lead to economic-soundness, enhanced financial gains as well as improvement in SCM practices. This optimally identified shorter route will also offer strategic advantage to the global-village; especially to South East Asia, Middle East, Europe and North America. This study will contribute towards the UN-Global initiative for the reduction in greenhouse gases and global warming.