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  • Artificial Intelligence Technology Application in Supply Chain Management: Systematic Literature Review

    Osailan, Dr.Sarah; Shafaamri, Asmaa; NA; Supply Chain Management
    The systematic literature review is a basic scientific procedure that enables researchers to see the "lay of the land" in a field. The value of this systematic literature review resides in providing a clear and thorough assessment of the currently available data. Identify any questions that have clear answers based on the evidence and for which further study is not required. As a result, authors can enhance their understanding of the topic of interest, create new research questions, and acquire critical abilities for synthesizing current literature. In a systematic review, research findings are found, assessed, and synthesized to provide a current evidence summary that can support evidence-based practice. This paper used systematic literature to identify the application of artificial intelligence technology in supply chain management. The data was collected from three databases, and several research, inclusion, and exclusion criteria were applied in searching. The inclusion and exclusion criteria were applied to answer the research questions, which sought to identify the supply chain processes that applied artificial intelligence technology and which Artificial intelligence technologies were most commonly used. After applying the search criteria, the review's result indicates that forecasting is one of the most common supply chain processes using AI, and the most common technology used in forecasting is machine learning.
  • Digital Transformation in Hospitality and Tourism Service Management: A Case Study on The Application of Service Blueprint

    Osailan, Sarah Y.; Bajafar, Lama; NA; Supply Chain Management
    Nowadays, technology is becoming an essential aspect of everyone's life. Mobile phones, tv, laptops, tablets, etc., all represent types of technology that we use daily. The hospitality and tourism industries are transforming digitally through advanced technology such as VR, AR, and AI. This transformation will result in a massive increase in both sectors. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is actively making tourism and hospitality more accessible. Through the 2030 vision, The Kingdom aims to enforce great efforts and investments in the tourism sector. They are investing billions of dollars into hotels, resorts, and travel to achieve Vision 2030 goals for the tourism industry to increase its share of the national income to over 10%. As technology becomes a part of human life, this study examines the importance of digital transformation in the hospitality and tourism industries and how it will affect their service management. The service blueprint is used in this study to know the customer process from the first to the end point of action and observe how the technology is used and helped in the process by implementing the service blueprint in two different case studies: Movenpick Hotel in Makkah city, and the Biennale Islamic Arts exhibition in Jeddah. The results show that technology helped improve the service and best meet customer satisfaction in the two studies.
  • The apprehensions of millennials regarding air travel post COVID-19 pandemic.

    Balfaqih, Hasan; Balfaqih, Hasan; Mahyoub, Raghd; Almeshal, Mashael; Alksibiri, Abrar; Almoalad, Hammdah; Saleh, Raneem; Supply Chain Management
    Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, air travel was entirely prohibited, prompting concerns about its safety and value. It is crucial for the aviation sector to address these worries to make flying more comfortable. Future research should explore whether concerns vary across generations. Investigating how Millennials' perceptions and willingness to fly change after their first post-pandemic flight is also recommended. The aviation industry has been severely impacted by the ongoing COVID-19 outbreak, leading to reduced interest in air travel due to restrictions and health concerns. Ensuring the safety of flying is paramount for the industry's recovery, especially with rising global vaccination rates. Recognizing and addressing people's fears is essential to boost passenger confidence. The travel and tourism sector significantly contribute to the global economy, representing 10.3% of the GDP in 2019 and playing a vital role in job creation. Despite its growth, the industry faces economic uncertainty due to various crises. The survey's purpose is to gauge Millennials' perception of flying safety post-COVID-19 and their willingness to take international leisure flights. Identifying risk factors and safety precautions valued by Millennials aims to inform post-pandemic travel strategies. The study focuses on Finnish Millennials who haven't traveled abroad for pleasure during the pandemic.
  • Supporting socio-emotional development in students within families in the post-COVID-19 era: The role of early educators during the pandemic.

    Balfaqih, Hasan; Balfaqih, Hasan; Hayeedureh, Eman; Ameer, Maha; Nawal, Hibah; Ahmed, Sadal; Supply Chain Management
    The COVID-19 virus has disrupted early teacher actions that traditionally promote social and emotional development due to its transmission mechanism and necessary adjustments. This study, conducted in an early care and education (ECE) setting during the pandemic, examines the relationship between professional development, perceived stress, comfort with safety measures, and quarantine status with teachers' social-emotional development practices (SEDP). A quantitative approach was employed, utilizing a survey questionnaire distributed through email and WhatsApp to 100 Saudi Arabian university students and teachers aged 21 to 50. Both English and Arabic versions of Google Forms were utilized, with questions revised for clarity and relevance. Data analysis was performed using Google Forms and Excel, aided by messaging apps and social media for dissemination. The results, presented as percentages and figures, demonstrated a notable association between higher levels of social and emotional development practices and increased comfort with safety measures. Furthermore, a statistically significant correlation was found between teachers' stress levels and heightened use of social and emotional development techniques. These findings underscore the impact of the COVID-19 epidemic on early educators' SEDPs, stress levels, and overall well-being.
  • Critical Success Factors Impacting the Management and Growth of Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises Amid the COVID-19 Pandemic

    Balfaqih, Hasan; Balfaqih, Hasan; Alahmadi, Nada; Baqays, Lujain; Khard, Fatimah; Bohairy, Lenh; Alhattami, Mayar; Supply Chain Management
    The Covid-19 virus, a novel virus belonging to the same family as severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), was declared a global pandemic by the World Health Organization (WHO) in 2020. As the number of cases increased, the global population demonstrated its adaptability in addressing the pandemic. These adaptations involved practices such as maintaining physical distance, wearing masks, consistently sanitizing high-touch surfaces, and abstaining from traditional gestures of affection like hugs and handshakes. Consequently, these changes not only affected individuals' personal lives but also had repercussions for businesses. Small and medium-sized businesses (SMEs) play a critical role in fostering entrepreneurship, supporting economic growth, alleviating poverty and hunger, and creating job opportunities. However, the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic significantly altered the business landscape, posing a threat to the survival of SMEs. Hence, the objective of this study was to identify the key success factors (KSFs) crucial for establishing and managing SMEs in the aftermath of COVID-19. While numerous KSFs contribute to the growth and management of SMEs, this research specifically focused on five as particularly crucial for post-COVID-19 growth and management: 1) strategic planning, 2) human resources, 3) finance, 4) operations, and 5) marketing. The study targeted SMEs in Jeddah, KSA, with a sample size of 108 participants, utilizing a random online questionnaire containing fifteen closed-ended questions in a quantitative approach to comprehensively determine the KSFs. Descriptive and inferential statistics, presented in tables and figures, were provided by the Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS). The study's findings underscored the importance of each chosen factor in ensuring SME development and management after COVID-19. This research is significant as it furnishes entrepreneurs with practical information about achieving success in SMEs within a post-COVID-19 market.
  • Understanding the Criteria Employed by Saudi Arabian Consumers in Assessing Fast Fashion Online

    Balfaqih, Hasan; Balfaqih, Hasan; AlHashedi, Maya; Rizk, Lamar; BinHashr, Lama; AlSharif, Leen; AlHarbi, Mariam; Supply Chain Management
    Expressing one's style and personality often involves the physical act of dressing up, making the fashion industry one of the most globally influential. Constantly adapting to societal, economic, and technological influences, the fashion industry has seen a significant transformation in recent decades, notably with the emergence of fast fashion—a model characterized by the rapid production of clothing and jewelry using inexpensive and low-quality materials. Originating with Zara's founders, Amancio Ortega and Rosalia Mera, the fast fashion model has been adopted by major retailers like SheIn, H&M, and Forever 21 due to its efficiency in meeting consumer demand and maximizing profit. Despite its economic advantages, the mass production associated with fast fashion is criticized for its environmental impact. Additionally, a shift toward online shopping, driven by factors such as convenience and an expanded product range, has become increasingly prevalent, especially with the accessibility of online stores from any location with internet connectivity. This study delves into the consumer decision-making process when purchasing online, exploring whether the COVID-19 quarantine influenced buying decisions and, if so, how. Understanding these factors becomes crucial as online shopping continues to gain popularity, and individuals shift away from in-person interactions. The research focuses on the understanding of fast fashion online among Generations Y and Z in Saudi Arabia post-COVID-19. Employing a quantitative survey questionnaire, the study aims to discern the differences in attitudes and behaviors toward fast fashion between these two generations. The collected data lays the foundation for further exploration of the demographic characteristics and decision-making processes of Y and Z customers when purchasing fast fashion online. Ultimately, the research reveals that Generation Z places a higher value on fast fashion after COVID-19 compared to Generation Y.
  • Artificial Intelligence and Smart Logistics Systems in Industry 4.0

    Balfaqih, Hasan; No Collaboration; NA; 0; 0; Supply Chain Management; 0; Hasan, Balfaqih (2023-03)
    AI applications are essential to smart logistics sector for industrial enterprises and for the fourth industrial revolution (Industry 4.0). The aim of this study is to analyze the variables that affect smart logistics and assess the efficiency of artificial intelligence applications on smart logistics. Further, the applications technology and AI has studied and the variables that influence on the adoption of AI are still unknown in this study. Moreover, the main investigation of this study is to find the impact of efficient factors on AI through integrating technology. The finding indicates the large-scale smart logistics system has a substantial impact on industrial organizations and businesses by utilizing AI applications of communication and information technology. Additionally, AI is able to offer supply chain logistics with technological assistance that combine big data, IoT, and cloud computing.
  • Sustainability of Supply Chain in Fashion Industries

    Osailan, Sarah; Algafeer, Shahad; Supply Chain Management
    Supply chain is a very extensive field that is growing day by day. With innovation and development in technology, it is evident that supply chain is also experiencing progress. It is being witnessed that the fashion world especially in terms of clothing has changed a lot over the years. Fast fashion is being promoted throughout the world leading to a lack of consciousness in terms of quality and even sustainability. The aim of the research is to identify the defects done in the textile industry and how it affects the environment, society and governance of the organizations undertaken for the study (H&M and Nafisa Shams) in addition to using total quality management to support this process. The main problem of this research is to understand the kind of raw materials (cotton) that H&M and Nafisa Shams provide and how this characterizes their qualities. Organic cotton is high-quality, but it is more expensive which is used by Nafisa Shams while the conventional cotton is less expensive, and its quality is maintained by using chemicals, however they are easily to get defects during and/or after manufacturing used by H&M. The methodology used in this research is quantitative in nature. The tools used for this research are a survey questionnaire and a DMAIC model to help analyze the current scenario. The results of the research showed that the quality of the clothes in the fashion world also defines the rate of sustainability in the organizations as well.
  • How does the Application of Value Stream Mapping help a food production company reduce Lead Time and wastages in a production line?

    Tayachi, Tahar; Almalki, Hend; Supply Chain Management
    As the competition rise, the industries need to improve their performance to gain competitive advantage. This can be achieved either by cutting down costs and improving the firm’s efficiency to be able to offer customer products at low prices or differentiation. One of the main philosophies to cut down the costs by reducing the wastages and improving efficiency is the lean manufacturing to improve performance in production by cutting down wasteful or non-value added activities while increasing the value added activities of a company. This can be achieved by using the Value Stream Mapping. This dissertation uses Almarai as Case study company in which its Juice production department is chosen to propose use of Value Stream mapping and identify the wasteful activities and propose changes in production processes cutting down time, resources, motion and other wastes and achieving future efficiency. This dissertation will apply the VSM mapping tool by presenting the production line and the flow of information, material and labor in graphical manner and propose changes to the production to achieve a future state with better performance and reduced wastages. Using the VSM technique the process cycle efficiency can be increased by 10% and utilisation time can be improved from approx. 75% to 95% for different production machines. VSM technique shows that it can act as a valuable tool for the management to unleash the vast improvements.
  • Integrating Healthcare Processes Through Supply Chain Principles

    Almaktoom, Abdulaziz; Altabsh, Mariam; Supply Chain Management
    Healthcare supply chain has increasingly attracted the attention of scholars, researchers, government officials, and clinicians as one of the primary strategies in their efforts to reduce healthcare costs while improving quality. Supply chain management is the coordination and collaboration of supply chain participants as a means to achieve system efficiency. The healthcare supply chain is one of these complex systems, with numerous players involved. This study is designed to answer the following questions: How significant is supply chain management to the healthcare sector? Are hospitals in Saudi Arabia properly implementing supply chain principles, techniques, and tools? The theories addressed contribute to a better understanding of supply chain management in hospitals. A case study was conducted at the International Medical Center in Jeddah to understand exactly how hospitals in Saudi Arabia are implementing supply chain management.
  • Supply Chain Agility Quantification and Analysis

    Almaktoom, Abdulaziz; No Collaboration; Supply Chain Management; Almaktoom, Abdulaziz (International forum of management scholars (infoms), 2019-03)
    Market fluctuations and harsh business environments are known to affect the performance of supply chain networks. To maintain an acceptable response time while coping with varying market fluctuations and potential business disruptions, agility of supply chain networks is desirable. The purpose of the research described here is to develop a mathematical model to measure the agility of members of any given supply chain network. The model is tested using stochastic simulation and a case study. The importance of this research lies in the fact that there is a huge gap in understanding of the concept of supply chain agility and how it can be measured.
  • Evaluating the Impact of Verified Government Accounts on the Knowledge, Attitudes, and Intentions of Saudi Residents During the COVID-19 Pandemic

    Balfaqih, Hasan; External Collaboration; Supply Chain Management; Kayal, Ghadeer (2022-01-01)
    Governments utilize various media channels to disseminate knowledge pertaining to infectious diseases such as COVID-19. When it was declared a pandemic, society began to depend on the media for critical information and countermeasures that would facilitate tackling the virus. The main objective of this research is to examine the impact of verified Saudi government accounts across various media outlets on respondents’ knowledge, attitudes, and intentions regarding COVID-19. A structured online questionnaire was distributed and 315 responses were used for analysis. The results were analyzed using SPSS. The results indicate that the residents of Saudi Arabia have adequate knowledge concerning the symptoms, precautionary measures, and modes of transmission of COVID-19. The respondents have gained this knowledge from verified Saudi government accounts across various media outlets, most prominently via social media.
  • Saudi Oil Export Forecasting

    Almaktoom, Abdulaziz; Bajafar, Lama; Beran, Tasnim; Shafaamri, Asmaa; Department Collaboration; Lama Bajafar, Tasnim Beran, Asmaa Shafaamri; Supply Chain Management; Bajafar, Lama (Proceedings of the International Conference on Management and Social Sciences (ICMSS-2022), Bangkok, Thailand, December 28-29, 2022., 2022-12-29)
    This study aims to show how the oil industry may affects the Saudi oil exports. The oil price has been uneven in recent years. In this paper, several forecasting methods been evaluated to help augmenting oil export prediction accuracy. In this paper, several forecasting methods were applied to the data collected and errors been measured. As a result, based on Mean Forecast Error (BIAS), the linear regression method was the best because it has the lowest error value. This indicates that there will be variation in the demand which means the accurate prediction will help on oil production demand planning. The data used was collected from Aramco's annual report, the Saudi General Authority for Statistics, and online newspapers.
  • Impact of 5S Method in Apparel Industry

    Almaktoom, Abdulaziz; Alasbali, Muzoon; Supply Chain Management
    This paper explores the 5S management concept, its advantages and the framework required to implement the system in the Apparel Industry. The 5S method is a Japanese system that involves workplace management improvements. It further analyses the effect of the 5S method in the apparel & textile industry as a case study and how its implementation directly impacts saving time and costs. 5S process helps to eliminate waste, reduce defects, and help in improving the productivity of the business. Further, reducing clutter and junk at the workplace is hygienic and ergonomic. This research paper identifies how the 5S method is implemented in the Apparel industry and how it has helped the industry improve its waste reduction targets, profitability, and productivity. The apparel industry uses the 5S to dispose of the wastage and use the factory production layout to smooth working, wastages are cleared, and regularly maintained space. This would help minimize handling time, moving part used in apparel from one process to another quickly, and final apparel can be stitched and packed in a faster time process. This will improve the business’s profitability and enhance its competitiveness in the local and international market sectors.
  • Composite Exponential Reaching Law Based SMC with Rotating Sliding Surface Selection Mechanism for Two Level Three Phase VSI in Vehicle to Load Applications

    Almaktoom, Abdulaziz; University Collaboration; External Collaboration; Supply Chain Management (MDPI, 2022-12-28)
    Voltage source inverters (VSIs) are an integral part of electrical vehicles (EVs) to enhance the reliability of the supply power to critical loads in vehicle to load (V2L) applications. The inherent properties of sliding mode control (SMC) makes it one of the best available options to achieve the desired voltage quality under variable load conditions. The intrinsic characteristic of robustness associated with SMC is generally achieved at the cost of unwanted chattering along the sliding surface. To manage this compromise better, optimal selection of sliding surface coefficient is applied with the proposed composite exponential reaching law (C-ERL). The novelty of the proposed C-ERL is associated with the intelligent mix of the exponential, power, and difference functions blended with the rotating sliding surface selection (RSS) technique for three phase two level VSI. Moreover, the proposed reaching law along with the power rate exponential reaching law (PRERL), enhanced exponential reaching law (EERL), and repetitive reaching law (RRL) were implemented on two level three phase VSI under variable load conditions. A comparative analysis strongly advocates the authenticity and effectiveness of the proposed reaching law in achieving a well-regulated output voltage with a high level of robustness, reduced chattering, and low %THD.
  • Supply Chain in Relation to Tourism and Crowd Management

    Almaktoom, Abdulaziz; Shami, Atheer; Department Collaboration; Atheer N. Shami; Supply Chain Management; Shami, Atheer (international Business Information Management Association, 2022-11-24)
    The tourism industry is one of the fastest growing economic sectors in the world, and the developments in the industry are linked to the operation of tourism enterprises and the products offered by them. Being one of the most competitive industries in the business world, the management of supply and demand is essential aspect of successful management in the tourism sector. A major issue that arises in the tourism sector is the management of crowds in many of the beautiful and renowned cities in the world. The massive flow of visitors is not only an issue for the travelers, but also imposes risks on the supply chain that operates within the tourism industry. The aim of this article is to gain an understanding of supply chain applications in the tourism industry and exploration of crowd management with regards to tourism industry. The article also explores the advantages of using supply chain for crowd management in tourism industry, particularly with reference to the Saudi Arabia’s tourism industry, along with suggestions to integrate crowd management strategies in supply chain.
  • Assessing supply chain performance through the interplay among success drivers

    Balfaqih, Hasan; External Collaboration; Supply Chain Management; Alsmairat, Mohammad (2022-04-24)
    This study examines the success drivers of Supply Chain Performance (SCP). This study aims to examine the interrelationships among various proposed success drivers of SCP that were analyzed individually or collectively in some previous studies. Four proposed forces have been identified in this study including organizational culture, SC relationships, SC integration, and SC innovation. SC integration is seen as a mediating factor between SC relationships and SCP. Using a deductive and quantitative approach that is based on collecting data from (17) companies in the field of logistics using an online survey, the study focuses on four success drivers including organizational culture, SC innovation, SC relationships, and SC integration. Smart PLS 3 software was applied to analyze the data based on the use of Structural Equation Modelling (SEM). The findings confirm that organizational culture and SC innovation have a direct significant impact on SCP. Regarding the mediating role of SC integration, the finds confirmed that SC integration mediates the relationship between SC relationships and SCP. A set of implications and recommendations for decision-makers and researchers are proposed based on the empirical findings of the current study. SC managers must first consider organizational culture and try to create positive supportive cultural attributes. A culture that encourages openness to change, sharing of knowledge, and collaboration seems a necessity to further improve SCP. Additionally, as the study findings emphasized the significant impact of SC innovation, SC managers should encourage innovative initiatives and behavior.
  • Analyzing Optimal Battery Sizing in Microgrids Based on the Feature Selection and Machine Learning Approaches

    Almaktoom, Abdulaziz; Khan, Hajra; Mian Qaisar, Saeed; Waqar, Asad; Krichen, Moez; Nizami, Imran; University Collaboration; External Collaboration; Supply Chain Management; Khan, Hajra (MDPI, 2022-10-24)
    Microgrids are becoming popular nowadays because they provide clean, efficient, and lowcost energy. Microgrids require bulk storage capacity to use the stored energy in times of emergency or peak loads. Since microgrids are the future of renewable energy, the energy storage technology employed should be optimized to provide power balancing. Batteries play a variety of essential roles in daily life. They are used at peak hours and during a time of emergency. There are different types of batteries i.e., lithium-ion batteries, lead-acid batteries, etc. Optimal battery sizing of microgrids is a challenging problem that limits modern technologies such as electric vehicles, etc. Therefore, it is imperative to assess the optimal size of a battery for a particular system or microgrid according to its requirements. The optimal size of a battery can be assessed based on the different battery features such as battery life, battery throughput, battery autonomy, etc. In this work, the mixed-integer linear programming (MILP) based newly generated dataset is studied for computing the optimal size of the battery for microgrids in terms of the battery autonomy. In the considered dataset, each instance is composed of 40 attributes of the battery. Furthermore, the Support Vector Regression (SVR) model is used to predict the battery autonomy. The capability of input features to predict the battery autonomy is of importance for the SVR model. Therefore, in this work, the relevant features are selected utilizing the feature selection algorithms. The performance of six best-performing feature selection algorithms is analyzed and compared. The experimental results show that the feature selection algorithms improve the performance of the proposed methodology. The Ranker Search algorithm with SVR attains the highest performance with a Spearman’s rank-ordered correlation constant of 0.9756, linear correlation constant of 0.9452, Kendall correlation constant of 0.8488, and root mean squared error of 0.0525.
  • Artificial Intelligence in Logistics and Supply Chain Management: A Perspective on Research Trends and Challenges

    Balfaqih, Hasan; Supply Chain Management (2022-07-13)
    Industry 4.0 technology is a new vision towards digital transformation of logistics, manufacturing, supply chain and related industries processes. It aims to increase automation and improve communication, self-monitoring, and develop a data-driven, fully connected supply chain ecosystem. In this context, Supply Chain Management (SCM) with the advantage of Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology have gain significant attention. It is considered one of the advanced solutions in improving the information quality, making better decisions, and solving practical problems related to SCM. Several research works have been conducted in this area; however, few studies have examined the research trends and challenges of AI applications in logistics and supply chain management. The major contribution of this study is to develop a conceptual overview of the fields where AI integrates with supply chain management in order to promote further research and development provides valuable insight for logistics/supply chain managers.
  • BOHO Store

    Almaktoom, Abdulaziz; Alasbali, Muzoon; Algafeer, Algafeer; Saleh, Saleh; Alkisibri, Abrar; Supply Chain Management
    We are a group of students who want to launch our professional experience in E-commerce during our university career. Our goal is to run a successful project in achieving customer satisfaction. In this report, we will tell you how our journey in E-commerce began, and explain the steps in details for everyone who wants to do drop-shipping.

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