Risk Assessment in Vending Machine Product Distribution

Abstract

Successfully managing the supply chain, which has become complex with many factors such as changes in customer demands, social perception, ease of access to information, advances in technology, increasing needs, and changing environmental conditions, provides great convenience to businesses. Effective supply chain and all operations management in this chain has great importance for retailers, which play a key role in the distribution of products and services to the end consumer. Vending machines, which are called the customers of retailers in a vendor-managed system, are among the distribution channels that are widely used in delivering products or services to the end consumer. The study, it is aimed to make a risk assessment for product distribution to vending machines. For this purpose, the Best Worst method, which is one of the Multi-Criteria Decision Making methods, is used to determine and evaluate supply risks. As a result of the evaluation of the nine risk criteria determined for the study according to the method, the risks that should be considered primarily are determined as "Errors in demand tracking", "Qualitative and quantitative inadequacies compared to competitors", "Insufficient vehicle compartment and capacity".