The application of Industry 4.0 (I4.0) in the field of logistics leads to the emergence and development of the concept of logistics 4.0. Many I4.0 technologies have been applied in the field of logistics. The goal of this research is to analyze the applicability of nine key I4.0 technologies in logistics centers (LC). For this purpose, an integrated MEREC (MEthod based on the Removal Effects of Criteria)—fuzzy MARCOS (Measurement of Alternatives and Ranking according to COmpromise Solution) model was developed. The applicability of nine I4.0 technologies was evaluated based on 15 subcriteria within three main groups of criteria, namely, technological, social and political, and economic and operative. Using the MEREC method, the weight values of the criteria and subcriteria were determined, while the technologies were ranked using the fuzzy MARCOS method. Based on the results obtained by applying this integrated MCDM (multicriteria decision-making) model, CC was identified as the best alternative, i.e., the technology that is most applicable in logistics centers, followed by IoT and big data. An analysis of the sensitivity of the obtained results to the change in the importance of the criteria was carried out, which shows certain changes in the ranking when the importance of the most important criterion changes.

When it comes to choosing the best option among multiple alternatives with criteria of different importance, it makes sense to use multi criteria decision making (MCDM) methods with more than 200 variations. However, because the algorithms of MCDM methods are different, they do not always produce the same best option or the same hierarchical ranking. At this point, it is important how and according to which MCDM methods will be compared, and the lack of an objective evaluation framework still continues. The mathematical robustness of the computational procedures, which are the inputs of MCDM methods, is of course important. But their output dimensions, such as their capacity to generate well-established real-life relationships and rank reversal (RR) performance, must also be taken into account. In this study, we propose for the first time two criteria that confirm each other. For this purpose, the financial performance (FP) of 140 listed manufacturing companies was calculated using nine different MCDM methods integrated with step-wise weight assessment ratio analysis (SWARA). İn the next stage, the statistical relationship between the MCDM-based FP final results and the simultaneous stock returns of the same companies in the stock market was compared. Finally, for the first time, the RR performance of MCDM methods was revealed with a statistical procedure proposed in this study. According to the findings obtained entirely through data analytics, Faire Un Choix Adéquat (FUCA) and (which is a fairly new method) the compromise ranking of alternatives from distance to ideal solution (CRADIS) were determined as the most appropriate methods by the joint agreement of both criteria.

In this paper, we provide different variants of the Hermite–Hadamard (H⋅H) inequality using the concept of a new class of convex mappings, which is referred to as up and down harmonically s-convex fuzzy-number-valued functions (UDH s-convex FNVM) in the second sense based on the up and down fuzzy inclusion relation. The findings are confirmed with certain numerical calculations that take a few appropriate examples into account. The results deal with various integrals of the 2ρσρ+σ type and are innovative in the setting of up and down harmonically s-convex fuzzy-number-valued functions. Moreover, we acquire classical and new exceptional cases that can be seen as applications of our main outcomes. In our opinion, this will make a significant contribution to encouraging more research.

Supply chain management (SCM) is deeply affected by the COVID-19 pandemic besides breakdowns occurred in all sectors. Nowadays, managers need techniques for protecting supply chains from serious and costly disruptions, establishing permanent relationships with the customers and partners and preventing breakdowns throughout the process. Each firm needs to determine SCM strategies to be prepared for breakdowns in an intense competitive environment. With COVID-19, the change in business and trade environments has taken a different dimension, and it has revealed a new relationship between the efforts to perpetuate supply chains and strategies for supply chain management and enabled new models. In this study, it is aimed to prioritize the factors that lead to SCM breaks needed in project management and the realization of projects, and to choose the most successful SCM strategy considering COVID-19. For this purpose, rough SWARA was used for weighting factors and rough MARCOS was used for the alternative selection. According to the findings, the transportation capacity factor was found to be the most important factor leading to SCM breakdowns. The most ideal supply chain management strategy has been the “collaborative supply chain management strategy.” In the food manufacturing sector, the study can be considered as a roadmap in terms of preventing supply chain management breaks during the COVID-19 process and helping to ensure a sustainable production. As another theoretical and practical importance of the study, it is aimed to propose a robust, powerful, and practical decision-making model that can cope with the current uncertainties.

The focus of this study is on the significance of location in establishing distribution centers. The key question when selecting a location is regarding which location would contribute the most to the growth of a company’s business through the establishment of distribution centers. To answer this question, we conducted research in the Brčko District of BiH in order to determine the best location for a distribution center using expert decision-making based on linguistic values. In order to use these values when selecting locations, a fuzzy set was formed using the IMF SWARA (Improved Fuzzy Stepwise Weight Assessment Ratio Analysis) and fuzzy CRADIS (Compromise Ranking of Alternatives from Distance to the Ideal Solution) methods. The IMF SWARA method was utilized to determine the weights of the criteria, and the fuzzy CRADIS method was employed to rank the locations based on expert ratings. The location for the construction of distribution centers at Bodarište was rated the worst, while the McGowern Base location was rated the best. Based on these findings, the research question was answered, and it was demonstrated that fuzzy methods could be utilized in the selection of distribution center locations. Hence, we recommend that future research be performed on the application of fuzzy methods in the expert selection of potential sites for distribution centers.

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Advances in developed and developing countries are more attributable to growth in industrial activities that directly impact increasing energy demand. Energy availability has been inconsistent globally, necessitating energy storage (ES) for use as per requirement. Various energy storage technologies (ESTs) are available in mechanical, electrochemical, electrical, chemical, and thermal forms to fulfil the energy demand of a user as and when required. The factors responsible for making a commercially viable energy storage product are further being researched for an eco-friendly and optimal solution to store energy for a longer duration. Researchers are employing different strategies to evaluate the energy efficiency of storage technologies. This paper uses the VIKOR technique to analyze ESTs while assigning objective weights with the entropy weights method based on identified energy performance indicators and ranking them according to their commercialization viability. The method helps a consumer choose better ESTs as per their requirement while manufacturers compete with each other to enhance the commercial value of their energy storage products. Sensitivity analysis has been performed to understand the uncertainties, pros, and cons with the limitations and scope of using the decision model and thus taking an informed decision. The analysis of different energy storage technologies has indicated Hydrogen Fuel Cells (HFC) to be impressive and promising for the future.

Background: Possible solutions to overcome the many challenges of home delivery are collection and delivery points (CDPs). In addition to commercial facilities, the role of CDPs can also be played by users’ households, providing a crowd storage service. Key decisions regarding CDPs relate to their location, as well as the allocation of users to selected locations, so that the distance of users from CDPs is minimal. Methods: In this paper, the described problem is defined as a p-median problem and solved for the area of the city of Belgrade, using the heuristic “greedy” and the simulated annealing algorithm. Results: Fifty locations of CDPs were selected and the users allocated to them were distributed in over 950 zones. The individual distances between users and the nearest CDPs and the sum of these distances, multiplied by the number of requests, were obtained. An example of modification of the number of CDPs is presented as a way of obtaining solutions that correspond to different preferences of operators and/or users in terms of their distances from the CDPs. Conclusions: User households can be used as CDPs to achieve various benefits. Locating CDPs, i.e., selecting households, can be solved as a p-median problem, using a combination of heuristic and metaheuristic algorithms. In addition, by modifying the number of medians, the total and average distances between users and CDPs can be better managed. The main contributions of the paper are the establishment of users’ households as potential locations of CDPs, the establishment of a framework for analysis of impact of the number of CDPs on the sum and average distances from the customers, as well as the creation of a basis for upgrading and modifying the model for implementation in the business practice.

Abstract The use of multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) methods to select the most appropriate one from a range of alternatives considering multiple criteria is a suitable methodology for making informed decisions. When constructing a decision or objective matrix (DOM) for MCDM procedure, either crisp numerical values or fuzzy linguistic terms can be used. A review of relevant literature indicates that decision experts often prefer to give linguistic terms (instead of crisp numerical values) based on their domain knowledge, to establish a fuzzy DOM. However, previous research articles have not adequately studied the selection between fuzzy and crisp DOM in MCDM, especially under the context of assessing the financial performance (FP) of listed firms – a notably complex decision-making problem. As such, the primary motivation of this study is to bridge this research gap through comparative analyses of fuzzy and crisp DOM in MCDM. Along this path, and in order to handle fuzzy DOM, this work also proposes two new fuzzy MCDM methods: fuzzy preference ranking on the basis of ideal-average distance (PROBID) and fuzzy sPROBID (simpler PROBID), extending the applicability of the original crisp PROBID and sPROBID methods. Moreover, for the first time in the literature, this work compares the FP rankings obtained using fuzzy MCDM methods with an objective benchmark we have identified, i.e., the real-life stock return (SR)-based ranking. The case study of ranking the FP of 32 listed firms demonstrates that the fuzzy MCDM methods produce higher correlation results with the SR-based ranking. The results also suggest that the proposed fuzzy sPROBID method with triangular fuzzy DOM performs the best for assessing the FP of firms in terms of Spearman’s rank correlation coefficient with the SR-based ranking. Overall, the contributions of this work are three-fold: first, it proposes two new fuzzy MCDM methods (i.e., fuzzy PROBID and fuzzy sPROBID); second, it advances the application of fuzzy MCDM methods in assessing and ranking the FP of listed firms to make rational investment decisions in the financial market; third, it studies the selection between fuzzy and crisp DOM through comparisons with an objective benchmark.

<abstract> <p>Newton's identities of an infinite polynomial with complex-conjugate roots <italic>n</italic>^{<italic>−(</italic>σ+<italic>it</italic>)} and <italic>n</italic>^{<italic>−(</italic>σ<italic>−it</italic>)} are multiple zeta functions for <italic>n</italic>∈[1, ∞), σ∈R and <italic>t</italic>∈R. All Newton's identities can be represented by Macdonald determinants. In a special case of the Riemann hypothesis, the multiple zeta function of the first order is equal to zero, ζ(σ+<italic>it</italic>)+ζ(σ−<italic>it</italic>) = 0. The special case includes all non-trivial zeros. The value of the last, infinite multiple zeta function, in the special case, changes the structure of the determinant that can be calculated. The result is the reciprocal of the factorial value (<italic>n</italic>!)⁻¹. The general value of the infinite multiple zeta function is calculated based on Vieta's rules and is equal to (<italic>n</italic>!)^−2σ. The identity based on the relation of the special case and the general case (<italic>n</italic>!)⁻¹ = (<italic>n</italic>!)^−2σ is reduced to the equation −1 = −2σ. The value of the critical line for all non-trivial zeros is singular, σ = ½.</p> </abstract>