Supplier selection in global context: modelling and managerial insights with emphasis on low-cost suppliers' issues

In this paper, we focus on the supplier selection in a global context. The main features that characterise the global supplier selection are first identified. They mainly include the necessity of integrating inventory and transportation issues and considering several buyers' sites. We then show that supplier selection models that simultaneously consider all these features are missing in the literature. Hence, we propose a two-phase global supplier selection approach: a first pre-selection phase with a scoring method and a final selection phase using a mathematical optimisation model. Finally, we perform different computational experiments based on a case study in order to illustrate the consistency of the model and to analyse some relevant managerial situations such as those related to the selection of low-cost suppliers.