環保意識的崛起及科技日新月異的創新都是對於供應鏈網路設計的驅動與挑戰，這也促使供應鏈網路設計在現今的商業環境裡更加的靈活與複雜。此篇研究利用連續概似法來解決供應鏈網路設計問題。供應鏈網路設計是用來決定服務範圍、定位以及存貨等相關問題。由於是建立在顧客的分佈函數而不是實際的落點，連續概似法與一般數學模型相比只需較少的資料，且模型的建構與求解較為簡單及快速。此篇研究裡也顯示出利用連續概似法建立不同條件下的供應鏈網路設計模型是非常合適且有效的。
在此篇論文裡針對三個供應鏈網路設計問題進行探討，分別是: (一)考慮產品再製與碳排放下的供應鏈網路設計、(二)採用無線射頻辨識技術下的閉環供應鏈網路設計及(三)考慮多式聯運及碳排放下的海港-乾港網路設計。在各個例子裡利用數學模型與決策來最佳化整體供應鏈網路的效益，並利用數值分析來說明模型的求解過程及各參數對於決策的影響。此篇研究的結果可作為公司進行供應鏈網路設計時的參照。

The rising sense of environmental consciousness and the rapid innovation in technology are drivers and challenges for supply chain network design problems. This has driven the supply chain network problems to become more flexible and complicated in today’s business. This study introduces a continuous approximation (CA) approach to address the supply chain network problems. The supply chain network design is to determine the service area, location, and the inventory problems. As CA’s technique relies on distribution functions rather than exact locations of customers, it does not require as much data as mathematical programming models, and its development and implementation are therefore easier and faster. This study also shows that CA approach is useful and suitable to model the supply chain network problems in the different cases.
Three problems of the supply chain network design are addressed in this dissertation: (I) Supply chain network design with product remanufacturing and carbon emission; (II) Closed-loop supply chain network design considering Radio-frequency Identification (RFID) adoption; and (III) Seaport- dry port network design considering multimodal transport and carbon emission. For each problem, the mathematical model and decisions are made to optimize the supply chain network performance. Numerical analysis is conducted in each case of supply chain network design to illustrate the solution procedures and examine the effects of changing parameters on decision-making. The results of this study can serve as references for business managers or administrators.

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