Development of a supply chain configuration model for new product development: a multi-objective solution approach

Early supplier involvement in new product development is strategically important for the success of most firms. We therefore discuss how to configure an appropriate supply chain network for new product development. First, we propose a supply chain configuration model under a multi-objective optimization framework. We then develop a solution procedure based on a multi-objective evolutionary algorithm, i.e. NSGA-II (Non-Sorting Genetic Algorithm-II), to minimize the total supply chain cost and time-to-market. The efficiency of the proposed solution procedure is discussed along with a laptop assembly case study. The results obtained from NSGA-II are also compared from SPEA-II (Strength Pareto Evolutionary Algorithm-II).