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Understanding Complex Systems

Hassan Qudrat-Ullah Editor

Innovative
Solutions for
Sustainable
Supply Chains
Understanding Complex Systems

Series Editors:
Henry D. I. Abarbanel, Department of Physics, University of California,
La Jolla, CA, USA
Dan Braha, New England Complex Systems Institute and University of
Massachusetts, North Dartmouth, MA, USA
Péter Érdi, Center for Complex Systems Studies, Kalamazoo College,
Department of Physics, Kalamazoo, MI, USA
Karl J. Friston, Wellcome Department of Cognitive Neurology, National Hospital,
Institute of Neurology, London, UK
Hermann Haken, Institut für Theoretische Physik, Universität Stuttgart,
Stuttgart, Germany
Viktor Jirsa, Jules Marey UMR 6233, (CNRS), CP910, Inst des Sciences du
Mouvement, Eti, Marseille, France
Janusz Kacprzyk, Systems Research Institute, Polish Academy of Sciences,
Warsaw, Poland
Kunihiko Kaneko, Research Center for Complex System Biology,
The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
Scott Kelso, Florida Atlantic University, Boca Raton, FL, USA
Markus Kirkilionis, Mathematics Institute and Centre for Complex Systems,
University of Warwick, Coventry, UK
Jürgen Kurths, PIK, University of Potsdam, Potsdam, Brandenburg, Germany
Ronaldo Menezes, Department of Computer Science, Florida Institute of
Technology, Melbourne, FL, USA
Andrzej Nowak, International Center for Complexity and Conflict, Rm1,
SWPS School Warsaw, Warszawa, Poland
Hassan Qudrat-Ullah, York University, Toronto, ON, Canada
Linda Reichl, Center for Complex Quantum Systems, University of Texas,
Austin, TX, USA
Peter Schuster, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
Frank Schweitzer, Gebäude WEV G 212, ETH Zürich, Professur für Systemges,
Zürich, Switzerland
Didier Sornette, Professur f. Entrepreneurial Risks, ETH Zürich, SEC F 7,
Zurich, Switzerland
Stefan Thurner, Section for Science of Complex System, Medical University of
Vienna, Wien, Austria
Future scientific and technological developments in many fields will necessarily
depend upon coming to grips with complex systems. Such systems are complex in
both their composition – typically many different kinds of components interacting
simultaneously and nonlinearly with each other and their environments on multiple
levels – and in the rich diversity of behavior of which they are capable. The Springer
Series in Understanding Complex Systems series (UCS) promotes new strategies
and paradigms for understanding and realizing applications of complex systems
research in a wide variety of fields and endeavors. UCS is explicitly transdisciplinary.
It has three main goals: First, to elaborate the concepts, methods and tools of
complex systems at all levels of description and in all scientific fields, especially
newly emerging areas within the life, social, behavioral, economic, neuro- and
cognitive sciences (and derivatives thereof); second, to encourage novel applications
of these ideas in various fields of engineering and computation such as robotics,
nano-technology and informatics; third, to provide a single forum within which
commonalities and differences in the workings of complex systems may be
discerned, hence leading to deeper insight and understanding. UCS will publish
monographs, lecture notes and selected edited contributions aimed at communicating
new findings to a large multidisciplinary audience.

More information about this series at http://www.springer.com/series/5394


Hassan Qudrat-Ullah
Editor

Innovative Solutions for


Sustainable Supply Chains
Editor
Hassan Qudrat-Ullah
KFUPM
College of Industrial Management
Dhahran, Saudi Arabia

ISSN 1860-0832     ISSN 1860-0840 (electronic)


Understanding Complex Systems
ISBN 978-3-319-94321-3    ISBN 978-3-319-94322-0 (eBook)
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-94322-0

Library of Congress Control Number: 2018952483

© Springer International Publishing AG, part of Springer Nature 2018


This work is subject to copyright. All rights are reserved by the Publisher, whether the whole or part of
the material is concerned, specifically the rights of translation, reprinting, reuse of illustrations, recitation,
broadcasting, reproduction on microfilms or in any other physical way, and transmission or information
storage and retrieval, electronic adaptation, computer software, or by similar or dissimilar methodology
now known or hereafter developed.
The use of general descriptive names, registered names, trademarks, service marks, etc. in this publication
does not imply, even in the absence of a specific statement, that such names are exempt from the relevant
protective laws and regulations and therefore free for general use.
The publisher, the authors, and the editors are safe to assume that the advice and information in this book
are believed to be true and accurate at the date of publication. Neither the publisher nor the authors or the
editors give a warranty, express or implied, with respect to the material contained herein or for any errors
or omissions that may have been made. The publisher remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims
in published maps and institutional affiliations.

This Springer imprint is published by the registered company Springer Nature Switzerland AG.
The registered company address is: Gewerbestrasse 11, 6330 Cham, Switzerland.
To my grandson
Abdurahman Hassan
-Hassan Qudrat-Ullah-
Preface

The purpose of this edited volume is to provide the reader with state-of-the-art
­perspectives and model-based applications to better understand the dynamics of
sustainable supply chains of the twenty-first century. This collection of innovative
contributions by the scholars of the field presents a paradigmatic shift in thinking
about sustainable supply chain complexity for the challenges of the twenty-first
century. The book is less about abstract possibilities and esoteric techniques and
more about understanding the dynamics of complex systems as they pertain to sus-
tainable supply chains. Through various perspectives such as agent-based modeling,
system dynamics modeling, and different methodologies, we believe we have
improved understanding in a wide range of supply chain settings at critical encoun-
ters with complexity. We are hopeful that this collection will provide a synergy that
can leverage a new level of understanding in order to theorize and empirically
explore the emergent and process nature of complexity across levels of analysis that
foster insights into the dynamics of supply chain systems. Furthermore, we hope to
encourage further theoretical and empirical research that perhaps may be interwo-
ven by the works presented herein and in advancing new methodological perspec-
tives to include multilevel and cross-level analysis to better understand the dynamics
of sustainability-focused supply chains.
In the quest for innovative solutions for the management of sustainable supply
chains, many challenges lie ahead. Specifically, as we move toward displacing tra-
ditional thinking, founded in “bottom-line”-focused decisions, to one where plural
logics of “triple bottom” coexist under conditions of uncertainty and ambiguity, the
need for systematic and integrated solutions for sustainable supply chains becomes
pronounced. Our aim here has been to focus our attention on the whole (supply
chain system) and its interrelationships. It is our hope that this book will stimulate
a new way of thinking as a proclamation of a new era of resource constraints and
renewed focus on “integrative” solutions.

vii
viii Preface

Content Overview

The integrating theme of this book is principle-based perspectives and


­modeling-­based solutions to deal with dynamics of sustainable supply chains. The
book contains four parts. Part I presents the introduction and preview of Innovative
Solutions for Sustainable Supply Chains. Part II of this book, “The Unique
Perspectives for the Sustainable Supply Chains,” examines the theoretical
approaches and perspectives that uniquely support decision-making in sustainable
supply chains including “Determinants of ITF R&D Technology Commercialization
in Logistics and Supply Chain Industries: R&D Technologist Perspective”; “A
Meta-analysis of Sustainable Supplier Selection Approaches”; “Green Supply
Chain Management, Green Innovations, and Green Practices”; “The Road Towards
a Circular Economy: The Role of Modular Product Designs in Supply Chains”;
“Policy Design for Sustainable Supply Chain Through Trainings”; and “The
Application of System Dynamics for a Sustainable Procurement Operation.” Part
III of this book, “The Innovative Solutions for Industry-Specific Supply Chains,”
provides empirical evidence for the applications of various modeling and simulation
approaches including system dynamics, agent-based modeling, and econometrics.
These innovative modeling-based solutions include “Alternative Energy Policy for
Mitigating the Asynchrony of the Wind-Power Industry’s Supply Chain in Brazil”;
“Resilience as Basis for Sustainability: Shortages in Production Supply Chains for
Essential Consumer Goods”; “Sustainable Food Supply Chain Management: An
Integrated Framework and Practical Perspectives”; “Designing a Sustainable
Tourism Supply Chain: A Case Study from Asia”; and “Risk Assessment of the
Timber Supply Chain in Southern Ontario Using Agent-Based Simulation.”
Finally, Part IV of this book provides an overview of key findings and future
research directions on thematic areas: (i) “The Unique Perspectives for the
Sustainable Supply Chain” and (ii) “The Innovative Solutions for Industry-Specific
Supply Chains.”

Dhahran, Saudi Arabia Hassan Qudrat-Ullah


Acknowledgments

I would like to thank everyone, mentioned herein or not, for their continued support
in helping to bring this book to completion. Most importantly, I am sincerely grate-
ful to the contributing authors of this book. Their support of this endeavor enabled
us to platform the collective lessons presented in the book. I also acknowledge the
work and knowledge of the members of our review panel. My appreciation also
goes to all the people at Springer, USA, especially Christopher and HoYing with
whom I corresponded for their advice and facilitation in the production of this book.
I would like to thank Taub Jeffrey and the production team from Springer, for their
help in the final production of this book. I am grateful to my family, Tahira Qudrat,
Anam Qudrat, Ali H. Qudrat, Umer K. Qudrat, and Umael H. Qudrat for their
encouragement and support throughout this endeavor. Special thanks and apprecia-
tion goes to my mother, Fazeelat Begum, and my mother-in-law, Saira Bano, whose
prayers and wishes provide unique strengths to me for such taxing tasks.
Finally, the editor would like to acknowledge the financial support provided by
the Deanship of Scientific Research (DSR) at King Fahd University of Petroleum
and Minerals (KFUPM) for funding this work through project No. BW171002.

Hassan Qudrat-Ullah
Dammam, Saudi Arabia
April, 2018

ix
Contents

Part I Introduction: An Overview of Sustainable Supply Chains


  1 Innovative Solutions for Sustainable Supply Chains:
An Introduction����������������������������������������������������������������������������������������    3
Hassan Qudrat-Ullah

Part II The Unique Perspectives for the Sustainable Supply Chains


  2 Determinants of ITF R&D Technology Commercialization
in Logistics and Supply Chain Industries: R&D
Technologist Perspective��������������������������������������������������������������������������   17
Siu Cheung Ho and Kong Bieng Chuah
  3 A Meta-Analysis of Sustainable Supplier Selection Approaches��������   55
Felix Tuczek and Tina Wakolbinger
  4 Green Supply Chain Management, Green Innovations,
and Green Practices ��������������������������������������������������������������������������������   81
Umar Burki
  5 The Road Toward a Circular Economy: The Role of Modular
Product Designs in Supply Chains �������������������������������������������������������� 111
Thomas Nowak, Fuminori Toyasaki, and Tina Wakolbinger
  6 Policy Design for Sustainable Supply Chain Through Training���������� 135
Ijaz Yusuf and Tashfeen M. Azhar
  7 The Application of System Dynamics for a Sustainable
Procurement Operation�������������������������������������������������������������������������� 179
Sherif Barrad, Raul Valverde, and Stéphane Gagnon

Part III The Innovative Solutions for Industry-­Specific Supply Chains


  8 Alternative Energy Policy for Mitigating the Asynchrony
of the Wind-Power Industry’s Supply Chain in Brazil������������������������ 199
Milton M. Herrera, Isaac Dyner, and Federico Cosenz
xi
xii Contents

  9 Resilience as Basis for Sustainability: Shortages in


Production Supply Chains for Essential Consumer Goods ���������������� 223
Stefan N. Grosser and Lize Duminy
10 Designing a Sustainable Tourism Supply Chain:
A Case Study from Asia�������������������������������������������������������������������������� 263
Winai Wongsurawat and Vivek Shrestha
11 Sustainable Food Supply Chain Management:
An Integrated Framework and Practical Perspectives������������������������ 289
A. D. Nuwan Gunarathne, Deemantha G. Navaratne, Amanda E.
Pakianathan, and Yasasi T. Perera N.
12 Risk Assessment of the Timber Supply Chain in
Southern Ontario Using Agent-Based Simulation�������������������������������� 317
Marcin Lewandowski and Ali Asgary

Part IV Finale: Sustainable Supply Chains Continuum


13 Finale: Sustainable Supply Chain Continuum�������������������������������������� 335
Hassan Qudrat-Ullah

Endorsements �������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 343

Index������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������ 345
Contributors

Ali Asgary York University, Toronto, Canada


Tashfeen M. Azhar School of Business and Economics, University of Management
and Technology, Lahore, Pakistan
Sherif Barrad Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
Kong Bieng Chuah Department of Systems Engineering and Engineering
Management, City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon, Hong Kong
Umar Burki School of Business, University of South-Eastern Norway, Kongsberg,
Norway
Siu Cheung Ho Department of Systems Engineering and Engineering Manage­
ment, City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon Tong, Hong Kong
Federico Cosenz Department of European Studies and International Integration
(DEMS), Università Degli Studi di Palermo, Palermo, Italy
Lize Duminy Bern University of Applied Sciences, School of Engineering,
Biel, Switzerland
Isaac Dyner Faculty of Natural Science and Engineering, Universidad Jorge Tadeo
Lozano, Bogotá, Colombia
Stéphane Gagnon Université du Québec en Outaouais, Gatineau, QC, Canada
Stefan N. Groesser Bern University of Applied Sciences, School of Engineering,
Biel, Switzerland
A. D. Nuwan Gunarathne University of Sri Jayewardenepura, Nugegoda, Sri Lanka
Griffith University, Gold Coast, Australia
Milton M. Herrera Universidad Jorge Tadeo Lozano, Bogotá, Colombia
Department of European Studies and International Integration (DEMS),
Università Degli Studi di Palermo, Palermo, Italy

xiii
xiv Contributors

Marcin Lewandowski Ecostrat Inc, Toronto, Canada


Deemantha G. Navaratne University of Sri Jayewardenepura, Nugegoda, Sri Lanka
Thomas Nowak WU (Vienna University of Economics and Business), Institute for
Production Management, Vienna, Austria
Amanda E. Pakianathan University of Sri Jayewardenepura, Nugegoda, Sri Lanka
Yasasi T. Perera N. University of Sri Jayewardenepura, Nugegoda, Sri Lanka
Hassan Qudrat-Ullah College of Industrial Management, King Fahd University
of Petroleum Engineering and Minerals, Dhahra, Saudi Arabia
Vivek Shrestha College of Management, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
Fuminori Toyasaki York University, School of Administrative Studies, Toronto,
ON, Canada
Felix Tuczek Institute for Transport and Logistics Management, WU (Vienna
University of Economics and Business), Vienna, Austria
Raul Valverde Concordia University, Montreal, QC, Canada
Tina Wakolbinger Institute for Transport and Logistics Management, WU (Vienna
University of Economics and Business), Vienna, Austria
Winai Wongsurawat College of Management, Mahidol University, Bangkok,
Thailand
Ijaz Yusuf School of Business and Economics, University of Management and
Technology, Lahore, Pakistan
Part I
Introduction: An Overview of Sustainable
Supply Chains
Chapter 1
Innovative Solutions for Sustainable
Supply Chains: An Introduction

Hassan Qudrat-Ullah

1.1 Introduction

Managing twenty-first-century supply chains in a sustainable manner, a multibil-


lion dollar industry, has become an ever-increasing challenge. Given the increasing
significance of socioeconomic and environmental aspects, the management of sus-
tainable supply chains has become a complex, dynamic task. Multiple and often
conflicting objectives of stakeholders including suppliers, manufacturers and ser-
vice providers, and retailers add to the complex nature of decisions that modern-
day managers of supply chains face. With unprecedented technological
developments and innovations at hand, sustainability can be maximized for all the
activities of a supply chain including service concept, product design, material
sourcing and procurement, manufacturing processes, delivery of the final product,
and end-of-life management of the product. Here are two topical issues pertaining
to the development and growth of sustainable supply chains across the domains (as
shown in Fig. 1.1):
(i) How do various perspectives (e.g., green supply chains, design modularity,
R&D, investments, and education and training) provide actionable insights and
decisions pertaining to the design, development, and growth of sustainable sup-
ply chains?
(ii) How do various modeling approaches (e.g., system dynamics, econometric, and
agent-based modeling) provide innovative solutions to the issues pertaining to
the design, development, and growth of sustainable supply chains?

H. Qudrat-Ullah (*)
College of Industrial Management, King Fahd University of Petroleum Engineering
and Minerals, Dhahra, Saudi Arabia
e-mail: [email protected]

© Springer International Publishing AG, part of Springer Nature 2018 3


H. Qudrat-Ullah (ed.), Innovative Solutions for Sustainable Supply Chains,
Understanding Complex Systems, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-94322-0_1
4 H. Qudrat-Ullah

Perspectives

Design and Development of Growth and Performance of


Sustainable Supply Chains Sustainable Supply Chains

Modeling
Approaches

Fig. 1.1 Perspectives and modeling approaches for sustainable supply chains

Consequently, the sustainable supply chain issues and problems require a sys-
tematic and integrated approach. Modeling and simulation in general and system
dynamics and agent-based modeling in particular have the capabilities to deal with
the complexity of sustainable supply chain-related problems. Therefore, the pri-
mary aim of this book is to present the latest decision-making perspectives, tools,
techniques, and insightful and innovative solutions that decision-makers can utilize
to overcome the challenges that their sustainable supply chains face.
In an attempt to provide some unique perspectives and innovative solutions for
sustainable supply chains in the twenty-first century, we issued the call for contribu-
tions in this volume. Specifically, we sought help from the system dynamics and
agent-based modeling community. Consequently, several different examples of per-
spectives and modeling approaches, with a common unifying goal of “improving
the performance of sustainable supply chains” are provided in this volume.

1.1.1 Methodology

In our call for contributions on “The Innovative Solutions for Sustainable Supply
Chains,” we went through various email lists of professional bodies. We also posted
the call for chapters on message boards of a few international conferences on the
related topics. Personal invitations were sent to target authors as well. We received
19 “two-to-three-page” abstracts as the expression of interest. Based on the initial
1 Innovative Solutions for Sustainable Supply Chains: An Introduction 5

screening by our review panel, the authors of 12 chapters were invited to submit the
complete chapter. All 12 chapters received from the contributors went through a
double-blind review process. The reports from the independent reviewers were sent
to the authors to address the issues and incorporate the suggestions made by the
reviewers. Only 11 chapters made it to final stage of acceptance. The final versions
of chapters have been edited and included in this volume.

1.1.2 Research Categories

We applied a thematic approach to classify our contributions for this book. The
chapters thus complied are classified into four categories following the structure of
the book. The first category, the current one, presents the introduction and preview
of “Innovative Solutions for Sustainable Supply Chains.” The second category
examines the unique perspectives for enhancing the performance of the sustainable
supply chains including Determinants of ITF R&D Technology Commercialization
in Logistics and Supply Chain Industries: R&D Technologist Perspective; A Meta-­
analysis of Sustainable Supplier Selection Approaches; Green Supply Chain
Management, Green Innovations, and Green Practices; The Road Towards a
Circular Economy: The Role of Modular Product Designs in Supply Chains; Policy
Design for Sustainable Supply Chain Through Trainings; and The Application of
System Dynamics for a Sustainable Procurement Operation.
Next, the third category showcases the state-of-the-art innovative solutions for
industry-specific supply chains including Alternative Energy Policy for Mitigating
the Asynchrony of the Wind-Power Industry’s Supply Chain in Brazil, Resilience as
Basis for Sustainability: Shortages in Production Supply Chainsfor Essential
Consumer Goods, Sustainable Food Supply Chain Management: An Integrated
Framework and Practical Perspectives, Designing a Sustainable Tourism Supply
Chain: A Case Study from Asia, and Risk Assessment of the Timber Supply Chain in
Southern Ontario Using Agent-Based Simulation. Finally, the last category dis-
cusses conclusions and future research directions in sustainable supply chains.

1.2  he Unique Perspectives for the Sustainable Supply


T
Chains

Here we present six unique perspectives for enhancing the performance of twenty-­
first-­century supply chains. These perspectives shed light on important actionable
strategies and decisions pertaining to sustainable supply chains. For instance, why
“supplier selection” is so critical, why be “green,” what “training” of personnel
means, does a “modular design” matter, and what is the role of “procurement
operations” and “R&D” in improving the overall performance of a sustainable
supply chain.
6 H. Qudrat-Ullah

1.2.1 R&D Technologists’ Perspective

When it comes to the unique perspectives for the sustainable supply chains, R&D
technologists’ perspective presents some interesting insights. In Chap. 2, by S.C.Ho
and K.B.Chuah, the risks and challenges faced by companies in Hong Kong’s logis-
tics and supply chain industries are discussed (Ho & Chuah, 2018). Authors define
successful commercialization and adoption of research and development (R&D)
project deliverables as the whole R&D project completed, commercialized, and
adopted in the industry. In their chapter, they examine the R&D technologists’ per-
spective, the determinant factors of Innovation and Technology Fund (ITF) R&D
technology commercialization and adoption in Hong Kong’s logistics and supply
chain industries. R&D technologists face various challenges of developing technol-
ogy that matches industry needs. They investigate how R&D technologists think
their efforts can align with industry needs during the development process. They
consider this study as the first attempt of a multi-perspective study to bridge the
gaps from idea generation, R&D and subsequent technology implementation, and
adoption by industry. In this study, qualitative and quantitative data collected from
R&D technologists has been carried out using a proposed market-driven project
management model, market-science-technology-application-market (MSTAM); the
results will shed light on latter study from other perspectives.

1.2.2 A Meta-analysis-Based Perspective

A meta-analysis-based perspective provides some critical pathways for future


researchers in the domain of sustainable supply chains. In this context, in Chap. 3,
by Felix Tuczek and Tina Wakolbinger, the authors post that supplier selection is a
key factor in determining the sustainability performance of supply chains. In this
chapter, they conduct a meta-analysis of literature on supplier selection approaches
considering all three dimensions of sustainability. To close the gap in current
research, they enhance it with a review of recent papers. They present a classifica-
tion of methods and criteria applied to sustainable supplier selection. In terms of
methods, they see the use of combined methods as a trend. They argue that com-
bined methods allow for the integration of subjective judgment of decision-makers
with quantifiable parameters. Specifically, environmental and social criteria demand
methods to deal with qualitative as well as quantitative factors are suitable.
Analyzing mathematical approaches applied to specific industries, they identified
that literature is lagging in considering environmental issues in supplier selection
approaches in the automotive industry, an example of a high-polluting industry.
They also found that social criteria are hardly integrated into selection approaches
in the apparel industry, an example in labor-intensive industries. Thus, they suggest
that future research should focus on industry-related criteria tailored for the respec-
tive purposes. Again, future researchers on sustainable supply chains will certainly
cherish this chapter.
1 Innovative Solutions for Sustainable Supply Chains: An Introduction 7

1.2.3 Green Perspective on Supply Chain Management

Do green innovations and green practices have an impact on sustainable supply


chains? Umar Burki, in Chap. 4, attempts to address this topical question (Burki,
2018). In this chapter, his objective is to provide a broad understanding of the role
and impact of green innovations and green practices in green supply chains. The
author advances various assertions including (i) green supply chains are an exten-
sion of ordinary supply chains, (ii) green innovations and green practices function
as key antecedents in transforming an ordinary supply chain into a green supply
chain, and (iii) effective green supply chains apply a coordinated triple bottom-line
(TBL) approach to simultaneously realize environmental, economic, and social
goals in supply chain operations. He posits that external and internal factors play an
instrumental role in the adoption of green innovations and green practices in supply
chain operations. He identifies some of these factors as changing consumer demand,
government regulations and institutional pressures, technological innovations, and
stakeholders’ attitude toward long-term environment sustainability. Based on a
comprehensive review of green supply chain management literature, he finds that (i)
when businesses integrate green innovations and green practices in their supply
chains, they achieve encouraging triple bottom-line outcomes and (ii) transparency
and truthful compliance to green innovations and practices in supply chain opera-
tions are some of the biggest challenges in green supply chains. This research pro-
vides some actionable insights for the decision-makers in sustainable supply chains.

1.2.4  roduct Design Modularity Perspective on Sustainable


P
Supply Chains

How does product design modularity impact supply chains is an interesting ques-
tion that the authors of Chap. 5, Thomas Nowak, Fuminori Toyasaki, and Tina
Wakolbinger, investigate (Nowak et al., 2018). According to these authors, product
modularity has become a well-established concept for new product design that leads
to accelerated product development and increases a company’s abilities for mass
customization. Recently, product modularity also starts receiving attention as a
promising mechanism for circular economy because it is expected to mitigate nega-
tive product-related environmental effects. While effects of product modularity are
well investigated in forward supply chains, little attention has been paid to implica-
tions of modular designs for reverse logistics operations. This study explores the
links between anticipatory and reactive supply chain strategies, consumer prefer-
ences, as well as a company’s optimal product design decision by considering
reverse logistics operations. These relationships are explored by comparing two
optimization problems: one for a company following a reactive and one for a com-
pany following an anticipatory strategy. Based on the numerical analysis of the
mathematical models, the paper provides recommendations for policy-makers
8 H. Qudrat-Ullah

trying to encourage manufacturers to pursue the path toward a circular economy.


The recommendations highlight the important role that consumer behavior plays
and also show possible trade-offs between different sustainability goals. This chap-
ter provides some general recommendations for policy-makers to encourage suppli-
ers and producers to adapt sustainability practices.

1.2.5 Training Perspective on Sustainable Supply Chains

Both soft and hard skills training play a critical role in productivity and prosperity
of a business firm albeit a sustainable supply chain firm. In Chap. 6, Ijaz Yosuf and
Tafsheen M. Azhar provide a systematic analysis of the role of training in enhancing
the performance of supply chains (Yosuf & Azhar, 2018). They begin their chapter
with two assertions: (i) trainings imparted to the company employees are prerequi-
sites for organizational transformation, and (ii) impact of the training appears in the
form of changed behavior and attitude of the employees that contribute significantly
for the enhancement of the supply chain score of the focal firm. In this chapter the
authors discuss:
The types of trainings generally categorized in soft skills and hard skills. Training need
analysis is best proven method utilized to identify the competency gaps of current employ-
ees. Soft skills trainings and hard skills trainings are designed for capacity building in order
to reduce the gap and raising the employee productivity towards the sustainable supply
chain management. Soft skills trainings not only change the attitude and behavior of the
employee but as well enhance the motivational level of the employees that ultimately con-
tribute in terms of better product quality and waste reduction. Hard skills trainings improve
the technical capabilities of the workers. Reduced waste percentage, improved process
­settings, declining cost of quality, mistake proofing in product design and enhanced produc-
tivity are the contributing factors for sustained supply chain performance. Training need
analysis is most appropriate method in the case company for assessing the competency gap.
Training budget is allocated accordingly to reduce the competency gap.

According to the authors, the major objective of this chapter is to design the
plausible policies for enhanced supply chain performance conducting experimenta-
tion with the simulated system dynamics model; what type of training is required
more and how significantly this training impacts the supply chain score for enhanced
supply chain performance are the research questions being explored; experimenta-
tion with the model unveils the underlying symptoms and keeps on playing with the
model to make the system better behaved; and trainings usually considered as
expenditure can be a valuable asset if its effectiveness improves the supply chain
performance. They contribute with a system dynamics simulated model which
the users can apply to design the policy streams for improved supply chain
performance.
1 Innovative Solutions for Sustainable Supply Chains: An Introduction 9

1.2.6  ystem Dynamics Perspective on a Procurement


S
Function Within the Supply Chain

In the final chapter of this section, Chap. 7, the authors, Sherif Barrad, Raul Valverde,
and Stéphane Gagnon, present a system dynamics perspective on an important yet
often neglected functional area of any sustainable supply chain, the procurement
function (Barrad et al., 2018). First they introduce and describe the system dynam-
ics approach as (i) system dynamics is an approach to modeling complex systems
using feedback loops to explain relationships between variables and to reflect their
nonlinear interdependencies through time, along with their underlying driving
forces (Sterman, 2000), and (ii) systems are graphically represented by a set of
active nodes, with qualitative and quantitative attributes, along with passive nodes,
modeled as flows and stocks acting as buffers between active nodes. In the context
of this chapter, they use the system dynamics approach to model the operations of a
procurement function within the supply chain. In this chapter, they propose a sys-
tem dynamics interpretation of procurement drivers and a link to the operational and
strategic levels of decision-making.

1.3  he Innovative Solutions for Industry-Specific Supply


T
Chains

After the reader of this book has learned about six unique perspectives unified with
a common goal, improving the performance of sustainable supply chain, here in this
section, we present five state-of-the-art solutions, rich with actionable insights, for
industry-specific supply chains including the (i) wind-power industry, (ii) essential
consumer goods industry, (ii) food industry, (iv) tourism industry, and (v) timber
industry. Insights and lessons learned from these industry-specific supply chains,
however, are applicable equally well for other industries and jurisdictions.

1.3.1 Wind-Power Industry’s Supply Chain in Brazil

This chapter deals with the asynchrony of the wind-power industry supply chain in
Brazil. The authors of this Chap. 8, Milton M. Herrera, Isaac Dyner, and Federico
Cosenz, present a systematic and model-based analysis of the climate-induced
dynamics of wind power in Brazil (Herrera et al., 2018). Here is how they describe
the issue:
High dependency on hydroelectricity has revealed drawbacks in the security of power sup-
plies as a consequence of the climate variability in South America. Under these conditions,
Brazil is starting to consider alternative renewable sources for energy production, seeking to
avoid periods of scarcity, while also promoting clean technologies in its electricity market.
Since 2004, wind power has shown a significant rise in terms of installed capacity in this
10 H. Qudrat-Ullah

country. Despite increases in wind power units, Brazil suffers from delays in setting up its
transmission infrastructure, which affects the performance of the wind-power supply chain.

In this chapter, they present a simulation model that helps assess the long-term
effects of an alternative sustainable energy policy, which may contribute to over-
coming the asynchrony between renewables generation policy and the insufficiency
of transmission infrastructure. Using lessons learned from simulations, they con-
clude that the transmission industry in Brazil requires appropriate investment incen-
tives for just-in-time synchrony with the expansion of the wind industry.

1.3.2  ssential Consumer Goods Industry Supply Chain


E
in Europe

The author, Stefan Grossor, of this Chap. 9, draws on multiple perspectives to


develop key indicators of a sustainable supply chain in this industry (Grossor, 2018).
He portrays the issue as follows:
Some consumer products, termed essential consumer goods, are crucial to sustaining health
or even life. A shortage in supply of essential consumer goods can have tangible negative
impacts on society. This study applies this topic to the case of inexpensive, generic, inject-
able oncological medication shortages in Europe. Cancer patient outcomes including sur-
vival rates, as well as treatment costs are significantly influenced by oncological medicines
shortages. Even though the problem is well documented and universally acknowledged, a
lack of data has deterred any quantitative solution-oriented studies. However, a structural
model can provide reliable insight in cases where data is unavailable or unreliable through
relying on structural validation.

In this study, he then proposes the first causal model showing the underlying
structure of the European inexpensive, generic, injectable oncological medications
supply chain. He identifies the most common causes of supply shortages and devel-
ops a quantitative supply chain model with the ability to simulate causes of identi-
fied shortages and proposes the key performance indicators to evaluate the
sustainability of the supply chains in question from several perspectives. He con-
cludes with two future research issues: “(i) our study calls for a quantitative com-
parison and robust sensitivity analysis of all primary and secondary causes of
medicines shortages using the proposed model, and (ii) both existing and new pol-
icy recommendations regarding oncological medicines shortages in Europe should
be studied quantitatively.”

1.3.3 Designing a Sustainable Tourism Supply Chain

The tourism industry encompasses a web of supply chains when multiple actors
play their role to the success of various new ventures especially in Asia. Relying on
a real case study, Wongsurawat et al., in Chap. 10, present an in-depth analysis of a
1 Innovative Solutions for Sustainable Supply Chains: An Introduction 11

start-up firm in the context of sustainability (Wongsurawat & Shrestha, 2018. In


their own words, this is the summary of their work in this chapter:
This chapter presents an in-depth look into a startup with the innovative idea of providing
authentic travel experience by matching tourists with locals who are willing to share their
native skills or traditional knowledge. With numerous offices offering services in cities
across South and Southeast Asia, the online social enterprise has proven to be financially
sustainable. Using the experience of this social venture as a case study, this chapter will
analyze the challenges involved in redesigning a new service supply chain that creates novel
value for customers, and at the same time shifts a greater share of benefits generated from
tourism to previously marginalized players.

1.3.4 Sustainable Management of Global Food Supply Chain

An integrated framework for sustainable food supply chain management is described


in Chap. 11, “Sustainable Food Supply Chain Management: An Integrated
Framework and Practical Perspectives” by Gunarathne, A D Nuwan, Navaratne,
Deemantha G, Pakianathan, Amanda E, and Perera N Yasasi T. They posit and
provide some an interesting conclusion by saying, “With the uncontrollable growth
of world population, in some parts of the world millions of people are at the risk of
hunger while in certain countries there is a significant waste of food. This imbalance
in the global food supply chain increasingly demands sustainable management to
“end hunger”, as envisaged in the sustainable development goals. Considering the
importance of food supply chains, the purpose of this chapter is to provide an over-
view of sustainable food supply chain management and to propose an integrated
framework. With this objective, the chapter provides an overview of sustainable
development and the importance of food supply chain management to address the
global food crisis (Gunarathne et al., 2018). It also provides an overview of the theo-
retical background of sustainable food supply chains. The chapter also presents an
integrated framework for sustainable food supply chain management by extending
prior work on the subject. In every section, carefully selected mini cases are
provided to bring in more insights into the points/arguments mentioned therein.”

1.3.5  isk Assessment of the Timber Supply Chain in Southern


R
Ontario

In the final chapter of this section, Chap. 12, “Risk Assessment of the Timber Supply
Chain in Southern Ontario Using Agent-Based Simulation,” Marcin Lewandowsk
and Ali Asgary demonstrate the utility of agent-based modeling approach in analyz-
ing the supply-demand dynamics in the timber industry (Lewandowsk & Asgary,
2018). According to the authors:
12 H. Qudrat-Ullah

The bioenergy sector has been experiencing significant growth in the last two decades. That
said, the industry faces many challenges, mainly focused around the understanding of feed-
stock supply risk. Developers and investors cannot properly price risk without raw material
supply chain risk understanding, making the development of the bioenergy industry slower
than it would otherwise be. Currently biofuel, or wood pellet, production in Ontario requires
wood chips supplied by existing sawmills. The supply of wood chips in turn depends on the
supply of timber. A model was developed here simulating the timber supply chain in
Southern Ontario. The objective of the simulation was to show the applicability of com-
puter simulation methods in determining the most resilient areas from a perspective of a
developer looking to build a new biofuel plant. The simulation presented here, developed in
Any Logic 7.3.5, is considered a base simulation. That is, it can be improved upon to simu-
late different disturbances, or add/change experiment assumptions. The simulation is there-
fore a first version of a useful tool that has a potential to improve the understanding of risk
among biofuel developers and investors.

Although this chapter applies an agent-based modeling to better understand the


dynamics of supply chains in the timber industry, the utility of such models is lim-
ited but can be applied to analyze the complex demand-supply dynamics present in
most of the supply chains of the twenty-first century.

1.4 Concluding Remarks

At the outset of this project, we set the objective of this edited volume as “to present
the latest decision making tools, techniques, and insightful and innovative solutions
that decision makers can utilize to overcome the challenges that their sustainable
supply chains face.” Both eminent and distinguished as well emerging scholars of
the supply chain domain responded to our call for contributions with their unique
solution-oriented research. We are successful in showcasing, here in this book, 11
chapters covering a range of perspectives and model-based solutions unified by a
common goal: to improve the performance of sustainable supply chains.
We have six leading contributions presenting unique perspectives including
R&D technologist’s perspective, a meta-analysis-based perspective, green’s per-
spective on supply chain management, product design modularity perspective on
sustainable supply chains, trainings’ perspective on sustainable supply chains, and
system dynamics’s perspective on a procurement function within the supply chain.
These perspectives provide insights and solid reasons as to what should be done and
why it should be done to build and sustain integrated supply chains for the twenty-­
first century.
With regard to the theme of the innovative solutions for the sustainable supply
chains, we have five state-of-the-art applications of system dynamics, econometric,
and agent-based models: wind-power industry’s supply chain in Brazil, essential
consumer goods industry’s supply chain in Europe, sustainable management of
global food supply chain, designing a sustainable tourism supply chain, and risk
assessment of the timber supply chain in Southern Ontario. These applications
address the critical question of “how to do” by demonstrating the design, develop-
ment, and application of model-based solutions aimed at improving the perfor-
mance of sustainable supply chains.
1 Innovative Solutions for Sustainable Supply Chains: An Introduction 13

It is worth noting that although the model-based contributions in this volume


have been applied to only five specific industry-related issues, the insights presented
and the model structure developed are generic enough to be applied to the supply
chains of other domains e.g., healthcare, energy, aviation, and retail industry.
Likewise, several chapters in this book have presented “future research opportuni-
ties” for the researchers in the domain of sustainable supply chains to avail.

References

Barrad, S., Valverde, R., & Gagnon, S. (2018). The application of system dynamics for a sustain-
able procurement operation. In H. Qudrat-Ullah (Ed.), Innovative solutions for sustainable
supply chains. New York: Springer, USA (in press).
Burki, U. (2018). Green Supply Chain Management, Green Innovations, and Green Practices.
In H. Qudrat-Ullah (Ed.), Innovative Solutions for Sustainable Supply Chains. New York:
Springer, USA (in press).Tuczek, F., and Wakolbinger, T. (2018). A Meta-Analysis of
Sustainable Supplier Selection Approaches. In: Qudrat-Ullah, H. (ed.). Innovative solutions for
sustainable supply chains. Springer, USA: New York (in press).
Gunarathne, A., Nuwan, D., Navaratne, D. G., Pakianathan, A. E., Perera, N., & Yasasi, T. (2018).
Sustainable food supply chain management: An integrated framework and practical perspec-
tives. In H. Qudrat-Ullah (Ed.), Innovative solutions for sustainable supply chains. New York:
Springer, USA (in press).
Herrera, M., Dyner, I., & Cosenz, F. (2018). The wind-power industry’s supply chain in Brazil. In
H. Qudrat-Ullah (Ed.), Innovative solutions for sustainable supply chains. New York: Springer,
USA (in press).
Ho, S. C., & Chuah, K. B. (2018). Determinants of ITF R&D Technology Commercialization in
logistics and supply chain industries: R&D technologist perspective. In H. Qudrat-Ullah (Ed.),
Innovative solutions for sustainable supply chains. New York: Springer, USA (in press).
Lewandowsk, M., & Ali Asgary, A. (2018). Risk assessment of the timber supply chain in southern
Ontario using agent-based simulation. In H. Qudrat-Ullah (Ed.), Innovative solutions for sus-
tainable supply chains. New York: Springer, USA (in press).
Nowak, T., Toyasaki, T., & Wakolbinger, T. (2018). The road towards a circular economy: The role
of modular product designs in supply chains. In H. Qudrat-Ullah (Ed.), Innovative solutions for
sustainable supply chains. New York: Springer, USA (in press).
Stefan Grossor, S. (2018). Resilience as basis for sustainability: Shortages in production supply
chains for essential consumer goods. In H. Qudrat-Ullah (Ed.), Innovative solutions for sus-
tainable supply chains. New York: Springer, USA (in press).
Sterman, J. D. (2000). Business dynamics: Systems thinking and modeling for a complex world.
New York: McGraw-Hill.
Wongsurawat, W., & Shrestha, V. (2018). Designing a sustainable tourism supply chain-a case
study from Asia. In H. Qudrat-Ullah (Ed.), Innovative solutions for sustainable supply chains.
New York: Springer, USA (in press).
Yosuf, I., & Azhar, T. (2018). Policy Design for Sustainable Supply Chains through trainings. In
H. Qudrat-Ullah (Ed.), Innovative solutions for sustainable supply chains. New York: Springer,
USA (in press).
Part II
The Unique Perspectives for the
Sustainable Supply Chains
Chapter 2
Determinants of ITF R&D Technology
Commercialization in Logistics and Supply
Chain Industries: R&D Technologist
Perspective

Siu Cheung Ho and Kong Bieng Chuah

Abbreviations

AGV Autonomous-guided vehicles


A-M Application to market
API Application programming interface
CCTV Closed-circuit television
EMI Early manufacturing involvement
ESI Early supplier involvement
IOT Internet of Things
IP Intellectual property
IT Innovation and technology
ITB Information Technology Bureau
ITF Innovation and technology fund
KPI Key performance indicator
LBS Location-based service
M-S Market to science
MSTAM Market, science, technology, application, and market
NPD New product development
OM Organization manager
PC Project coordinator
PKI Public key infrastructure
PM Project management
PRD Pearl River Delta
R&D Research and development

S. C. Ho (*) · K. B. Chuah
Department of Systems Engineering and Engineering Management,
City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon, Hong Kong
e-mail: [email protected]; [email protected]

© Springer International Publishing AG, part of Springer Nature 2018 17


H. Qudrat-Ullah (ed.), Innovative Solutions for Sustainable Supply Chains,
Understanding Complex Systems, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-94322-0_2
18 S. C. Ho and K. B. Chuah

RFID Radio-frequency identification


RO Research questions
ROI Return on investment
RT Requirements traceability
SD Standard deviation
SDC Sensor data cloud
SI System integrator
SME Small- and medium-sized enterprises
S-T Science to technology
STAM Science, technology, application, and market
T-A Technology to application
VR Virtual reality

2.1 Introductions

According to Research Report (2011), in Hong Kong, for at least the past 10 years,
more than 98% of enterprises in Hong Kong are small- and medium-sized enter-
prises (SMEs). They may be small individually, but together they employ 48% of
the total working population over 1.3 M employees, and their combined business
values was nearly 57% that of total business values in Hong Kong in 2009. SME
may not have enough resources to support and enable research and development
(R&D) technology in their company. They may have some concerns on the value of
R&D Technology such as cost, implementation time, extra manpower, actual value,
understanding of staff, etc. This study investigates how R&D Technologists think
their efforts can align with the industry needs during the development process. It
also examines from R&D Technologist’s perspective the determinant factors of
innovation and technology fund (ITF) and R&D Technology commercialization and
adoption in Hong Kong Logistics and Supply Chain Industries. This research aims
to find out which critical issues affect R&D project deliverables commercializing
and productizing to the industry. An R&D Technologist always faces challenges of
developing technology that matches industry needs. This research investigates how
R&D Technologists think their efforts can align with the industry needs during the
development process.
This is the first attempt of the multi-perspective study to bridge the gaps from
idea generation, R&D, and subsequent technology implementation and adoption by
industry. This research describes background of study, ITF R&D project in Logistics
and Supply Chain Industry in Hong Kong, literature review, theoretical background,
and research methodology, analysis of findings, and discussion and conclusions.
Qualitative and quantitative of the data collected from R&D Technologists have
been carried out using a proposed market-driven project management model,
MSTAM, which stands for market, science, technology, application, and market.
This study will address four distinct research questions (RQ) as follows:
2 Determinants of ITF R&D Technology Commercialization in Logistics and Supply… 19

RQ1: What are the main reason or major barriers why ITF’s R&D results commer-
cialization and adoption rate is not good in Hong Kong Logistics and Supply
Chain Industry?
RQ2: What are the appropriate actions or elements to motivate the industry users or
top management in the company to adopt or license the R&D results in their
company?
RQ3: What are the key considerations for them to adopt new technology or R&D
results in Hong Kong?
RQ4: How to facilitate, adopt, or integrate the R&D deliverables in the Logistics
and Supply Chain Industry in Hong Kong?

2.1.1 Challenge of ITF R&D Project in Hong Kong

According to the ITF (2013), the audit selected projects for ITF, the project com-
pleted in the period form May 2008 to December 2012. The report shown that 12
projects are with post-completion evaluation, and the results have no technology
breakthrough, limit adoption, and no successful commercialization. These projects
cost ranging from HKD 1 million to HKD 19 million. None of the 12 projects had
commercialized technology breakthrough to the industry. The report showed the
figure of project cost of new projects commenced in the period of 2011–2012 to
2014–2015. The total project cost cumulative in 9 years is HKD 238.6 million for
five research centers in Hong Kong. The total commercialization income in five
research centers was HKD 174.9 million. The commercialization income compared
with project cost of new projects ratio was 4.13%. As indicated above, industry
contribution was very low. In the current situation, R&D centers were facing two
key issues in the ITF R&D project, namely, R&D project development and com-
mercialization rate was low and low project turnover rate.

2.1.2  hallenge of ITF R&D Project in Logistics and Supply


C
Chain Industry in Hong Kong

In accordance with the HKTDC (2016) figure, the merchandise trade performance
index shows that the total exports, reexports, imports, and total trade figures con-
tinue to decrease from 2014 to the first quarter of 2016. The retail sales growth, visi-
tor arrival growth ratio, and service trade performance of total trade figure were
falling shapely, due to the Hong Kong immigration control of China visitor. Hong
Kong Logistics and Supply Chain companies are facing a big challenge in these
years. The major economic indicators indicate that the total HK exports in 2015 are
over HKD 2396.9 billion. This is a big figure for Hong Kong. Therefore, Logistics
and Supply Chain Industries are still one of the main pillar industries in Hong Kong.
Exploring the Variety of Random
Documents with Different Content
The Project Gutenberg eBook of Chambers's
journal of popular literature, science, and art, fifth
series, No. 116, Vol. III, March 20, 1886
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Title: Chambers's journal of popular literature, science, and art,


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Author: Various

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*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK


CHAMBERS'S JOURNAL OF POPULAR LITERATURE, SCIENCE,
AND ART, FIFTH SERIES, NO. 116, VOL. III, MARCH 20, 1886 ***
CHAMBERS’S JOURNAL
OF
POPULAR
LITERATURE, SCIENCE, AND
ART.
CONTENTS
QUEEN VICTORIA’S KEYS.
IN ALL SHADES.
THE TURQUOISE.
THE HAUNTED JUNGLE.
A STICK OF INDIAN INK.
THE GREAT JEWEL ROBBERY.
THE CULTIVATION OF CELERY.
SPRING’S ADVENT.
No. 116.—Vol. III. SATURDAY, MARCH 20, 1886. Price 1½d.
QUEEN VICTORIA’S KEYS.
The time-honoured ceremony that is still observed when the gates of
Her Majesty’s Tower of London are ‘locked-up’ is probably not
unfamiliar to the public. What actually occurs, however, can be
witnessed by a very limited number of persons who are not resident
within the Tower; for a night’s immurement in that celebrated feudal
‘strength’ is essential in order that the proceedings of the ‘escort for
the Keys’ may be satisfactorily seen and heard, the verbal portion of
the formalities being by no means the least important. But the
present writer having frequently been called upon to accompany the
Queen’s Keys in their nightly perambulations, has enjoyed
opportunities, not open to all, for viewing the curious ceremony of
‘locking-up’ from the best possible vantage-ground. A brief sketch of
the somewhat unique details connected with it may perhaps prove
interesting to the uninitiated reader.
When not engaged in making their midnight or early-morning
progresses, the Queen’s Keys are deposited in the residence of the
Deputy Constable of the fortress. Not very remarkable from an
architectural point of view, this house stands almost in the shadow of
the weather-beaten walls of the White Tower—the famous Norman
‘keep’ that can boast of eight centuries’ authentic history, and around
which as a nucleus the various other buildings now collectively
known as the ‘Tower’ have from time to time been erected. And the
dwelling-place of the Keys overlooks the spot—now inclosed by a
railing—where so many political offences, real or imputed, have
been expiated on the block. The Keys, when brought forth, are
invariably carried by a warder, who is a member of the corps of
Yeomen of the Guard, or Beefeaters as they are familiarly called. It
may quite fairly be said that the antiquated, but picturesque, costume
of these men constitutes one of the ‘sights’ of the Tower; though in
recent times the garments have been to a considerable extent shorn
of their medieval characteristics. Besides the onerous duty of
carrying the Queen’s Keys, the Beefeaters are in other ways
employed within the precincts of the Tower; among other things, they
exercise—or at least they used to exercise—a sort of supervision
over the visitors who flock into it on ‘open’ days. Beyond its gates
they take part in certain state ceremonials; and, as is well known,
assist in the periodical searching of the vaults underneath the
Houses of Parliament, thus materially helping to keep alive the
remembrance of Guy Fawkes and the celebrated ‘treason and plot’
in which he was so deeply implicated. That neither the supervision
nor the search is wholly unnecessary, has been sufficiently well
demonstrated by events of recent occurrence.
By the Main Guard, which occupies a guardhouse distant about a
stone’s throw from the Constable’s quarters, the Keys are provided
with an armed escort on the occasions on which they venture into
the open air. This guard is ‘mounted’ daily by some thirty soldiers;
they are furnished by a regiment stationed in the adjacent barracks,
which were constructed to replace other buildings totally destroyed
by the great fire that made such havoc in the Tower nearly half a
century ago. Over and above attending to the royal Keys, the
members of the guard have other and perhaps equally responsible
duties to perform, being in a general way answerable for the security
of the fortress and its contents during the twenty-four hours they
continue ‘on guard.’ One very important item in their tour of duty may
here be mentioned—this is the protection of the Jewel House, within
which are kept articles of almost fabulous value, including the regalia
and the remarkable Kohinoor diamond. So low in the ceiling is the
entrance to this Eldorado, that soldiers of short stature are selected
to stand as sentries therein; for a tall man bearing arms would, under
the circumstances, be apt to excite the ridicule rather than the awe of
the visitors who are conducted into the place by the Beefeaters. The
Main Guard, as its title implies, is the principal one; but two other
distinct guards are maintained in the Tower; and it is necessary, in
order to understand what follows, to rapidly glance at these. One of
them mounts at the drawbridge—a structure that no longer exists,
and of which, indeed, the guard itself seems to be the sole memento.
The party is what is termed a ‘corporal’s’ guard. The other, known as
the Spur Guard, occupies a group of buildings which probably
represent the ancient barbican of the stronghold. It is a ‘sergeant’s’
guard, and is intrusted with the keeping of the two outer gates, to
which we shall have to refer later on.
When the Main Guard enters upon its duties in the forenoon, certain
men are detailed to act when required as an escort for the Keys.
Their services in this respect are not, however, called upon till the
near approach of midnight. But when the clock on the White Tower
begins to chime a quarter to twelve, the word ‘Keys!’ uttered in a
stentorian tone by a sergeant rouses the soldiers, who are usually
slumbering with much apparent comfort on the wooden guard-bed.
In a few moments they are transferred to the exterior of the building,
fully accoutred, and accompanied by a youthful drummer, who bears
a rather dusty lantern which he has hastily lit. Perhaps the lantern
may be regarded mainly as a sort of relic of the times when it may be
supposed to have afforded the only available light on the route
traversed by the Keys. But the way is now amply illuminated by gas
lamps of the ordinary pattern; and the not very brilliant lantern might,
without very serious disadvantage, be dispensed with. Having drawn
up his somewhat drowsy men, the sergeant has now to wait for the
officer, if that individual in authority has not already appeared. The
interval, if any, is employed by the soldiers in yawning, or in
bestowing a finishing touch upon the adjustment of their
accoutrements, which have no doubt become slightly displaced
during their owner’s late ‘changes of front’ on the guard-bed. When
present, the captain of the guard—having ascertained that the escort
is likewise ‘present,’ or complete in number—marches off the little
party towards the Constable’s house. There the soldiers are met by
the warder, suspended from whose hand, as he descends the steps,
the Queen’s Keys jingle merrily.
At this juncture, the sergeant commands his subordinates, whom he
has halted for a moment, to ‘present arms;’ and the Beefeater takes
post a little in advance of his protectors, who forthwith set off in the
direction of the gates. The first sentry to be passed stands expectant
under the veranda at the entrance to the guardroom, where is also
the whole guard not elsewhere engaged: it has been ‘turned out’ to
do honour to the Keys. When the sentry sees the escort, headed by
the lantern, coming very near to his post, he calls out: ‘Halt! who
comes there?’ not, ‘Who goes there?’ the popular acceptation of a
military challenge, perhaps derived from the words used in like
contingencies by sentinels of certain continental armies. The
advancing party is brought to a stand-still by this summons; and the
warder, who, as a rule, is enveloped in the folds of an antiquated-
looking cloak, replies, in a kind of sepulchral tone of voice:
‘Keys.’—‘Whose keys?’ inquires the soldier, who is meanwhile
standing with his piece at the ‘port’—an attitude preparatory to
assuming that of the ‘charge.’ The warder answers: ‘Queen Victoria’s
Keys.’ But even now the escort is not permitted to proceed on its
journey; for the obdurate sentry, coming down to the charge, makes
the demand: ‘Stand, Queen Victoria’s Keys. Advance one and give
the countersign.’ The password, being well known to the warder, is of
course given, and the sentry cries: ‘Pass, Queen Victoria’s Keys.
All’s well.’ After the above dialogue has come to a termination, the
Keys are conveyed past the guardhouse, being in their transit
saluted by the assembled guard, which is then ‘turned in.’
Before the Beefeater and the escort have marched twenty yards,
further obstructions delay their progress. These fresh obstacles
appear in the forms of the vigilant sentinels at the Jewel House and
at the Traitors’ Gate; which latter was once used for the admission of
‘traitors’ brought down the river from Westminster. In succession,
each of the soldiers challenges in the same way as his comrade at
the Main Guard. And when the Beefeater has satisfactorily answered
both men, the party moves onward for some little distance, and is a
fourth time brought to a halt by a sentry at the Byward Gate. This
gate is on the inner margin of the now dry ditch that encircles the
Tower. It stands under an arch, which is surmounted and flanked by
turrets or fortifications of a long obsolete design. Besides the soldier
alluded to, a Yeoman is at all hours on duty at this point. He is
always to be found in an apartment, with a quaint vaulted roof, close
by the gate: the place has obviously once been the quarter of a
regular military guard. The sentry here having been satisfied as to
the character of the escort, it passes on, traverses a causeway
leading across the moat, and reaches the Spur Guard. There, of
course, it is stopped by a sentry belonging to that body; and the
Keys are eventually saluted by this soldier, as well as by the guard of
which he forms a unit. And now, after all those impediments have
been overcome, the Barrier Gate is at length approached, its
custodian having been appeased in the stereotyped manner. The
Barrier Gate is the outermost gate of the Tower, and it is necessarily
the first to be locked.
As already noticed, the warder marches a little in front of the escort.
When he is within some fifteen or twenty paces’ distance from the
gate, he halts. Then the men composing the escort advance, and
under the superintendence of the sergeant, line the sides of the
road, facing inwards towards its middle. The Beefeater, with
considerable solemnity of demeanour, now walks up between the
ranks, selects the appropriate key, and locks the gate, which in the
meantime has been closed by a corporal. This operation
accomplished, and having given the gate a shake, to assure himself
of its being properly fastened, the Beefeater resumes his position a
few yards away, passing as before between the lines of soldiers.
Arms are presented to the Keys, both when they are proceeding to
the gate and when they are retiring from it, by word of command
from the sergeant; for the officer remains behind with the Main
Guard.
The party is now rearranged in the order of march, and at once
retraces its steps to the next gate to be secured—the one at the
Barbican or Spur Guard. On the outer side of the ditch, this portal is
exactly opposite the Byward Gate, which we have seen to be
situated on its inner bank. Having passed through the as yet open
gate, the soldiers are again drawn up in lines, and it is closed and
locked; and as the key is withdrawn from the lock, all present say, or
are understood to say: ‘God save Queen Victoria.’ The Spur Guard is
turned out to salute; and the Keys and their escort retreat across the
moat to the Byward Gate, where precisely the same ceremony takes
place. This completed, the three chief gates of the Tower have been
made fast for the night.
But there exists a fourth gate, which may be accurately described as
a ‘back’ entrance to the fortress; it stands in the vicinity of the ancient
drawbridge, in the eastern portion of the outer wall of the Tower. The
gate in this somewhat remote region is locked in a slightly less
formal style than the other or ‘front’ gates; and the men of the escort
soon step out smartly on their return journey to the Main Guard.
There they are hailed by the sentry as at the outset, and to the echo
of his final ‘All’s well,’ the Queen’s Keys are carried into their
quarters.
No one, however high in rank or authority, can enter, or leave, the
Tower after midnight. But the sergeant in command of the Spur
Guard is authorised to admit residents as far as his guardhouse,
where there is a waiting-room for the accommodation of such
belated persons. For this purpose he is provided with keys—quite
distinct from those of the escort—wherewith to open, not the gates,
but wickets alongside them. And thus the people admitted do not
enter the Tower proper; for it will be remembered that the ditch
intervenes between the Barbican and the Byward Gate, where there
is no wicket. The architects, ancient or modern, who designed the
waiting-room took pains that it should not be a very attractive abode;
and though it may compare favourably with another apartment said
to exist in the Tower, and called ‘Little Ease,’ there is yet but small
encouragement held forth to the inhabitants of the fortress to remain
abroad subsequent to the hour appointed for ‘locking-up.’
At five o’clock in the morning, the sergeant again summons his men;
on this occasion, to open the gates of the Tower. The ceremony,
though essentially similar to the midnight one, is perhaps a little
more hurriedly performed in the unlocking than it is in the locking of
the gates; and the officer on guard does not appear in the morning,
though we may safely assume that he had to ‘turn out’ when the
opening of the Tower was a more significant matter than it happily
now is. But besides being present with his guard at midnight, he has
other duties to carry out: by day, he marches off the ‘relief’ at
intervals of two hours; and in the afternoon goes round the sentries,
hearing them repeat their orders—an almost obsolete custom, but
still kept up in the Tower. Previous to the hour appointed for this
ordeal, the men may be seen studiously reading their instructions, or
committing them to memory as they pace up and down. By night, the
officer goes his ‘rounds’ accompanied by a small escort, including
the drummer-boy and his rather opaque lantern. In the course of this
tour, every sentinel connected with the garrison is visited; and by the
time the rounds return to the Main Guard, the members of that
important body have usually been called into activity by the loud cry
of ‘Keys!’
IN ALL SHADES.
CHAPTER XIV.
Edward and Marian spent their first week in Trinidad with the
Hawthorns senior. Mrs Hawthorn was kindness itself to Marian—a
dear, gentle, motherly old lady, very proud of her boy, especially of
his ability to read Arabic, which seemed to her a profundity of
learning never yet dreamt of in the annals of humanity—and
immensely pleased with her new daughter-in-law; but nothing on
earth that Marian could say to her would induce her to unlock the
mystery of that alarming telegram. ‘No, no, my dear,’ she would say,
shaking her head gloomily and wiping her spectacles, whenever
Marian recurred to the subject, ‘you’ll find it all out only too soon.
God forbid, my darling, that ever I should break it to you. I love you
far too well for that. Marian, Marian, my dear daughter, you should
never, never, never have come here!’ And then she would burst
immediately into tears. And that was all that poor frightened Marian
could ever get out of her new mother-in-law.
All that first week, old Mr Hawthorn was never tired of urging upon
Edward to go back again at once to England. ‘I can depart in peace
now, my boy,’ he said; ‘I have seen you at last, and known you, and
had my heart gladdened by your presence here. Indeed, if you wish
it, I’d rather go back to England with you again, than that you should
stay in this unsuitable Trinidad. Why bury your talents and your
learning here, when you might be rising to fame and honour over in
London? What’s the use of your classical knowledge out in the West
Indies? What’s the use of your Arabic? What’s the use of your law,
even? We have nothing to try here but petty cases between planter
and servant: of what good to you in that will be all your work at
English tenures and English land laws? You’re hiding your light
under a bushel. You’re putting a trotting horse into a hansom cab.
You’re wasting your Arabic on people who don’t even know the
difference between Greek and Latin.’
To all which, Edward steadily replied, that he wouldn’t go back as
long as this mystery still hung unsolved over him; and that, as he
had practically made an agreement with the colonial government, it
would be dishonourable in him to break it for unknown and
unspecified reasons. As soon as possible, he declared firmly, he
would take up his abode in his own district.
House-hunting is reduced to its very simplest elements in the West
Indian colonies. There is one house in each parish or county which
has been inhabited from time immemorial by one functionary for the
time being. The late Attorney-general dies of yellow fever, or drinks
himself to death, or gets promotion, or retires to England, and
another Attorney-general is duly appointed by constituted authority in
his vacant place. The new man succeeds naturally to the house and
furniture of his predecessor—as naturally, indeed, as he succeeds to
any of his other functions, offices, and prerogatives. Not that there is
the least compulsion in the matter, only you must. As there is no
other house vacant in the community, and as nobody ever thinks of
building a new one—except when the old one tumbles down by
efflux of time or shock of earthquake—the only thing left for one to
do is to live in the place immemorially occupied by all one’s
predecessors in the same office. Hence it happened that at the
beginning of their second week in the island of Trinidad, Marian and
Edward Hawthorn found themselves ensconced with hardly any
trouble in the roomy bungalow known as Mulberry Lodge, and he
hereditarily attached to the post of District Court Judge for the district
of Westmoreland.
Marian laid herself out at once for callers, and very soon the callers
began to drop in. About the fourth day after they had settled into their
new house, she was sitting in the big, bare, tropical-looking drawing-
room—a great, gaunt, spare barn, scantily furnished with a few
tables and rocking-chairs upon the carpetless polished floor—so
gaunt, that even Marian’s deft fingers failed to make it at first look
home-like or habitable—when a light carriage drew up hastily with a
dash at the front-door of the low bungalow. The young bride pulled
her bows straight quickly at the heavy, old-fashioned, gilt mirror, and
waited anxiously to receive the expected visitors. It was her first
appearance as mistress of her establishment. In a minute, Thomas,
the negro butler—every man-servant is a butler in Trinidad, even if
he is only a boy of twenty—ushered the new-comers pompously into
the bare drawing-room. Marian took their cards and glanced at them
hastily. Two gentlemen—the Honourable Colonial Secretary, and the
Honourable Director of Irrigation.
The Colonial Secretary sidled into a chair, and took up his parable at
once with a very profuse and ponderous apology. ‘My wife, Mrs
Hawthorn, my wife, I’m sorry to say, was most unfortunately unable
to accompany me here this morning.—Charmingly you’ve laid out
this room, really; so very different from what it used to be in poor old
Macmurdo’s time.—Isn’t it, Colonel Daubeny?—Poor old Macmurdo
died in the late yellow fever, you know, my dear madam, and Mr
Hawthorn fills his vacancy. Excellent fellow, poor old Macmurdo—
ninth judge I’ve known killed off by yellow fever in this district since
I’ve been here.—My wife, I was saying, when your charming room
compelled me to digress, is far from well at present—a malady of the
country: this shocking climate; or else, I’m sure she’d have been
delighted to have called upon you with me this morning. The loss is
hers, the loss is hers, Mrs Hawthorn. I shall certainly tell her so.
Immensely sorry.’
Colonel Daubeny, the Honourable Director of Irrigation, was a far
jauntier and more easy-spoken man. ‘And Mrs Daubeny, my dear
madam,’ he said with a fluent manner that Marian found exceedingly
distasteful, ‘is most unfortunately just this moment down—with
toothache. Uncommon nasty thing to be down with, toothache. A
perfect martyr to it. She begged me to make her excuses.—Mr
Hawthorn’—to Edward, who had just come in—‘Mrs Daubeny
begged me to make her excuses. She regrets that she can’t call to-
day on Mrs Hawthorn.—Beautiful view you have, upon my word,
from your front piazza.’
‘It’s the same view, I’ve no doubt,’ Edward answered severely, ‘as it
used to be in the days of my predecessor.’
‘Eh! What! Ah, bless my soul! Quite so,’ Colonel Daubeny answered,
dropping his eyeglass from his eye in some amazement.—‘Ha! very
good that—confoundedly good, really, Mr Hawthorn.’
Marian was a little surprised that Edward, usually so impassive,
should so unmistakably snub the colonel at first sight; and yet she
felt there was something very offensive in the man’s familiar manner,
that made the retort perfectly justifiable, and even necessary.
They lingered a little while, talking very ordinary tropical small-talk;
and then the colonel, with an ugly smile, took up his hat, and
declared, with many unnecessary asseverations, that he must really
be off this very minute. Mrs Daubeny would so much regret having
lost the precious opportunity. The Honourable Colonial Secretary
rose at the same moment and added that he must be going too. Mrs
Fitzmaurice would never forgive herself for that distressing local
malady which had so unfortunately deprived her of the privilege and
pleasure.—Good-morning, good-morning.
But as both gentlemen jumped into the dogcart outside, Edward
could hear the Colonial Secretary, through the open door, saying to
the colonel in a highly amused voice: ‘By George, he gave you as
much as he got every bit, I swear, Daubeny.’
To which the colonel responded with a short laugh: ‘Yes, my dear
fellow; and didn’t you see, by Jove, he twigged it?’
At this they both laughed together immoderately, and drove off at
once laughing, very much pleased with one another.
Before Marian and her husband had time to exchange their surprise
and wonder at such odd behaviour on the part of two apparently
well-bred men, another buggy drove up to the door, from which a
third gentleman promptly descended. His card showed him to be the
wealthy proprietor of a large and flourishing neighbouring sugar-
estate.
‘Called round,’ he said to Edward, with a slight bow towards Marian,
‘just to pay my respects to our new judge, whom I’m glad to welcome
to the district of Westmoreland. A son of Mr Hawthorn of Agualta is
sure to be popular with most of his neighbours.—Ah—hem—my
wife, I’m sorry to say, Mrs Hawthorn, is at present suffering from—
extreme exhaustion, due to the heat. She hopes you’ll excuse her
not calling upon you. Otherwise, I’m sure, she’d have been most
delighted, most delighted.—Dear me, what an exquisite prospect you
have from your veranda!’ The neighbouring planter stopped for
perhaps ten minutes in the midst of languishing conversation, and
then vanished exactly as his two predecessors had done before him.
Marian turned to her husband in blank dismay. ‘O Edward, Edward,’
she cried, unable to conceal her chagrin and humiliation, ‘what on
earth can be the meaning of it?’
‘My darling,’ he answered, taking her hand in his tenderly, ‘I haven’t
the very faintest conception.’
In the course of the afternoon, three more gentlemen called, each
alone, and each of them in turn apologised profusely, in almost the
very self-same words, for his wife’s absence. The last was a fat old
gentleman in the Customs’ service, who declared with effusion many
times over that Mrs Bolitho was really prostrated by the extraordinary
season. ‘Most unusual weather, this, Mrs Hawthorn. I’ve never
known so depressing a summer in the island of Trinidad since I was
a boy, ma’am.’
‘So it would seem,’ Edward answered drily. ‘The whole female
population of the island seems to be suffering from an extraordinary
complication of local disorders.’
‘Bless my soul!’ the fat old gentleman ejaculated with a stare. ‘Then
you’ve found out that, have you?—Excuse me, excuse me. I—didn’t
know—— Hm, I hardly expected that you expected—or rather, that
Mrs Hawthorn expected—— Ah, quite so.—Good-morning, good-
morning.’
Marian flung herself in a passion of tears upon the drawing-room
sofa. ‘If any one else calls this afternoon, Thomas,’ she said, ‘I’m not
at home. I won’t see—I can’t see them; I’ll endure it no longer.—O
Edward, darling, for God’s sake, tell me, why on earth are they
treating us as if—as if I were some sort of moral leper? They won’t
call upon me. What can be the reason of it?’
Edward Hawthorn held his head between his hands and walked
rapidly up and down the bare drawing-room. ‘I can’t make it out,’ he
cried; ‘I can’t understand it. Marian—dearest—it is too terrible!’
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