BUS606: Operations and Supply Chain Management

Supply chain management is planning process, implementing and controlling the efficient flow of raw materials, inventories, finished goods, and also the flow of data associated with the first point to the point of consumption and is done with the aim of meeting the needs of customers and therefore affects all activities of the Company. Therefore, focusing on opportunities and threats in the field of industry and commerce and evaluation of companies and industries in the face of uncertainties and essential risks is important and supply chain risk management is very important. Incidence and risk factors that lead to uncertainty in the supply chain decreases tolerability and increases its vulnerability. Risk management is a process to identify risk factors and assess and plan to reduce adverse effect of risks, so supply chain risk management is necessary identify and deal with the uncertainties and risks. Supply chain risk management is synchronization of supply chain components in the application of risk management tools to deal with the risks and uncertainties affecting the activities of the supply chain which guarantees the profitability and continuity of the supply chain. In fact, supply chain risk management is interface of risk management and supply chain management (Figure 1). Iran's iron and steel industries, with an emphasis on preserving the environment, improving quality and productivity, and according to the requirements is active and effective in the field of international commerce to promote national interests. Currently, Iran has numerous advantages in terms of steel production including adequate and affordable energy; mines iron ore and refractory materials, the relative experience in the production of steel, young labor force to access new production technologies and effective role in the steel global market competition. In recent years, the self-sufficiency in steel industry to has been focused by officials in the Ministry of Industry, Mine and Trade and actors of the industry. Self-sufficiency in steel industry has been focused by officials due to supply the steel of different industries and self-sufficiency in making steel factories in the country. Iran as the biggest importer of steel in the Middle East plans to supply steel for the country to achieve self-sufficiency to 2017.

Figure 1. Supply chain risk management

Considering the above factors to identify and assess hazards and risks threatening the supply chain industry and failure conditions, away from significant and provide optimal performance management and evaluation to provide appropriate and timely response to risk. Risk management involves the identification, evaluation, and ranking of the different risks. One of the pillars of risk management is risk assessment aims to measure risks based on various factors such as the effect and likely and whatever results of this stage is more accurate to say that the risk management process is performed with a higher degree of confidence. Ranking risks are a key part of this process, because ranking specifies superiority against other risks, and consequently decision maker can plan about the allocation of resources to deal with any risk of the program. On the other hand, appropriate methods should be created to identify and ranking specific risks of project or organization to evaluate the risk and successful and efficient implementation of the risk management process, designing risk breakdown structure (RBS) for the risks of supply chain risk and ultimately define criteria and indices measured using a multi-criteria decision-making methods is done. In many clinical studies discussed in general and in the supply chain management and risk assessment has been specifically: Some of the researchers studied literature reviews and concepts of risk management and supply chain. In another study, supply chain risk is considered as the product of the probability of an event, and two index "efficacy" and "likely" in Probability-impact risk rating matrix have been used as well as research from other methods of risk assessment, such as FMEA is used that the magnitude of the risk based on three criteria: the product of the intensity, and the probability of the risk of detection is calculated. However, some researchers have pointed weaknesses in risk measurement as unreliable methods such as probability matrix, FMEA, and the like. problems of using this method is that the risk of low probability and important work to be ignored, also risks with probably insignificant effect with low probability and impact of risks that are important to assume that these is not necessarily the decision makers. In another study the response to a number of risks and response strategies to control risk in the supply chain is considered. Some others investigators to discuss the modeling and simulation of risk in the supply chain have used techniques such as graph theory, multi-criteria optimization, fuzzy logic, linear programming and nonlinear, stochastic programming, interpretive structural modeling, decision support system multifactorial, etc. contingency theory has been used. Although this research is quantitative or semi-quantitative risk assessment is likely to be done but very limited risk identification and on the other hand a large extent risks can not be explained on the basis of various parameters and therefore, the criticality of risks to be determined and also focused more on case studies.

Therefore result of the review of past studies and surveys have shown that most of the articles and studies (more than 70 percent of them) to the latest concepts of supply chain risk management, field studies, and case presentation and literature review focused on issues such as the use of modeling and simulation approaches is very limited and especially those that have been identified and categorized in a comprehensive and hierarchical supply chain risk assessment and measurement of risk and to determine the magnitude and their ranking, especially in the steel supply chain. In cases where a significant set of variables and the need to prioritize the work of making decisions based on their relative importance may be, using different people with expertise, experience, and views of different groups using Multi Attribute Decision Making techniques (such as Linear Assignment method) ranking and scientific tools for decision-making is accurate. A group of several expert opinions in the decision-making techniques have been used instead of an expert and detailed analysis in decision-making is involved. To integrate experts from various methods such as averaging is used. 

In this study, based on the risk of failure of the structure to provide a comprehensive structure and hierarchy of supply chain risks, and propose a set of indicators to assess and measure risks, a comprehensive questionnaire was prepared and these risks discussed in the steel supply chain in Esfahan Steel Company using linear assignment method has been evaluated and ranked. To define the parameters of the ranking, the first area of impact risk to the objectives of time, cost, quality, and performance of the project is in different weights. Then in order to evaluate and rank the risks more accurately, complementary indicators of socio-economic and environmental impacts, near the time of risk, exposure to risk, uncertainty estimation, and management of risk is also considered. Also should be noted that so far Studies particularly serious risks of supply chain risk assessment using linear assignment has been done. However, this method is introduced as one of the most important and most powerful multiple attributes decision making methods in engineering.