Improving supply chain risk visibility and communication with a multi-view risk ontology

ABSTRACT

An effective risk management mechanism requires risk visibility and communication, particularly in global fresh produce supply chains that are often dynamic and non-transparent in nature. The purpose of this research is to boost risk visibility and communication within and between firms across global fresh produce supply chains. A multi-view risk ontology development approach was developed and then applied to build a multi-view risk ontology for the Australia–China table grape supply chain (MVRO-ACTGSC) with the knowledge acquired from academic outputs, operational involvement, and ACTGSC actors. The MVRO was developed for the three-tier ACTGSC which features Australian table grape growers, Australian exporters and Chinese integrated importers and online retailers in terms of overall, strategic and operational viewpoints. The MVRO-ACTGSC improves risk visibility and communication in parts of, and across the ACTGSC, but also provides a basis to develop an interoperable risk communication system for global fresh produce supply chains.

KEYWORDS:

• Ontology construction
• risk visibility
• risk communication
• global supply chain
• fresh produce

Acknowledgments

This study was supported by an “Australian Government Research Training Program Scholarship”. We thank the two anonymous reviewers whose comments and suggestions greatly assisted with improving the quality of the manuscript.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Shoufeng Cao

Shoufeng Cao received his doctoral degree from School of Agriculture and Food Sciences at the University of Queensland (UQ). His dissertation focused on the strategic competition through system-wide risk analysis and management in global fresh produce value chains. He currently works in the Australian Institute for Business and Economics (AIBE) and liaises with industry peak bodies, government agencies and Horticulture Innovation Australia to identify strategic development actions and direct investments across three industries – mangoes, avocados and lychees, thus delivering high valued horticultural products from Northern Australia to affluent Asian markets.

Kim Bryceson

Kim Bryceson is a Professor of Agribusiness at the University of Queensland (UQ) School of Agriculture and Food Sciences. She has a background in industry and government research specialising in the use of information technology in agricultural production and agribusiness – particularly in relation to the value adding potential for electronic technologies across agri-industry chains in Production, Electronic Supply Chain, Food Traceability Systems, and Cold Chain Logistics. She is the Director of the Agricultural Remote Sensing Laboratory at UQ’s Gatton campus. Under her leadership, the collection of real time streaming Big Data through an Internet of Things infrastructure is developing. The design, building and use of small drone technology and robotics for agricultural and environmental monitoring and sub-tropical agricultural research and teaching, is also flourishing.

Damian Hine

Damian Hine is an Associate Professor in Innovation and Commercialisation at the University of Queensland Business School. His work focuses on research commercialisation and technology management. As an evolutionary economist, his main areas of interest lie in the crossroads of innovation and strategy, in the field of dynamic capabilities. He is the author of two books and multiple articles in some of the world’s top innovation and science journals. He has also written papers for ASX200 firms, State and Federal agencies, the OECD, and UNESCO. He has led several projects on innovation and commercialisation for governments in Chile, Brazil, Panama, Vietnam, Fiji and France.