Abstract
There are extensive studies in the literature about the reorder point/order quantity policies for inventory management, also known as policies. Over time different algorithms have been proposed to calculate the optimal parameters given the demand characteristics and a fixed cost structure, as well as several heuristics and meta-heuristics that calculate approximations with varying accuracy. This work proposes a new meta-heuristic that evolves closed-form expressions for both policy parameters simultaneously - Cooperative Coevolutionary Genetic Programming. The implementation used for the experimental work is verified with published results from the optimal algorithm, and a well-known hybrid heuristic. The evolved expressions are compared to those algorithms, and to the expressions of previous Genetic Programming approaches available in the literature. The results outperform the previous closed-form expressions and demonstrate competitiveness against numerical methods, reaching an optimality gap of less than , while being two orders of magnitude faster. Moreover, the evolved expressions are compact, have good generalisation capabilities, and present an interesting structure resembling previous heuristics.

Abstract
Procurement plays an essential role in the supply of materials for the production of goods or products. The success of procurement management to fulfill demand with high service levels and on-time delivery relies on the suppliers' performance. Suppliers should be appropriately selected to source materials with the right quality, in the right quantity, at the right time, and for the right price. The scope of this problem, as well as other aspects such as the sourcing strategy, will depend on the type of items. Critical items, which represent high-profit impacts and high supply risks, should be approached comprehensively by considering all the main activities of the procurement process. This study focuses on a supplier selection problem integrated with inventory management under a multi-sourcing strategy, by taking into account stochastic demand and supply disruptions. This problem is approached by a simulation-optimization method, composed of discrete-event simulation and a genetic algorithm (GA). Finally, a numerical example is provided to illustrate the solution procedure.

Abstract
Notwithstanding its disruptive potential, which has been the object of considerable debate, Industry4.0 (I4.0) operationalisation still needs significant study. Specifically, scheduling is a key process that should be explored from this perspective. The purpose of this study is to shed light on the issues regarding scheduling that need to be considered in the new I4.0 framework. To achieve this, a two-stage cascade literature review is performed. The review begins with an analysis regarding the opportunities and challenges brought by I4.0 to the scheduling field, outputting a set of critical scheduling areas (CSA) in which development is essential. The second-stage literature review is performed to understand which steps have been taken so far by previous research in the scheduling field to address those challenges. Thus, a first contribution of this work is to provide insight on the influence and expected changes brought by I4.0 to scheduling, while showcasing relevant research. Another contribution is to identify the most promising future lines of research in this field, in which relevant challenges such as holistic scheduling, or increased flexibility requirements are highlighted. Concurrently, CSA such as decentralised decision-making, and human-robot collaboration display large gaps between current practice and the required technological level of development.

Abstract
Algorithmic systems based on artificial intelligence (AI) increasingly play a role in decision-making processes, both in government and industry. These systems are used in areas such as retail, finances, and manufacturing. In the latter domain, the main priority is that the solutions are interpretable, as this characteristic correlates to the adoption rate of users (e.g., schedulers). However, more recently, these systems have been applied in areas of public interest, such as education, health, public administration, and criminal justice. The adoption of these systems in this domain, in particular the data-driven decision models, has raised questions about the risks associated with this technology, from which ethical problems may emerge. We analyse two important characteristics, interpretability and trustability, of AI-based systems in the industrial and public domains, respectively.

Abstract
The fast-moving consumer goods sector relies on economies of scale. However, its assortments have been overextended as a means of market share appropriation and top-line growth. This paper studies the se-lection of the optimal set of products for fast-moving consumer goods producers to offer, as there is no previous model for product line selection that satisfies the requirements of the sector. Our mixed -integer programming model combines a multi-category attraction model with a capacitated lot-sizing problem, shared setups and safety stock. The multi-category attraction model predicts how the demand for each product responds to changes within the assortment. The capacitated lot-sizing problem allows us to account for the indirect production costs associated with different assortments. As seasonality is prevalent in consumer goods sales, the production plan optimally weights the trade-off between stocking finished goods from a long run with performing shorter runs with additional setups. Finally, the safety stock extension addresses the effect of the demand uncertainty associated with each assortment. With the computational experiments, we assess the value of our approach using data based on a real case. Our findings suggest that the benefits of a tailored approach are at their highest in scenarios typical fast-moving consumer goods industry: when capacity is tight, demand exhibits seasonal patterns and high service levels are required. This also occurs when the firm has a strong competitive position and consumer price-sensitivity is low. By testing the approach in two real-world instances, we show that this decision should not be made based on the current myopic industry practices. Lastly, our approach obtains profits of up to 9.4% higher than the current state-of-the-art models for product line selection.

Abstract
Firms have available many forms of collaboration, including cooperatives or joint ventures, in this way leveraging their market power. Customers, however, are atomic agents with few mechanisms for collaborating, leading to an unbalanced buyer-supplier relationship and economic surpluses that shift to producers. Some group buying websites helped alleviate the problem by offering bulk discounts, but more advancements can be made with the emergence of technologies, such as the blockchain. In this article, we propose a customer-push e-marketplace built on top of Ethereum, where customers can aggregate their proposals, and suppliers try to outcompete each other in reverse auction bids to fulfil the order. Furthermore, smart contracts make it possible to automate many operational activities, such as payment escrows/release upon delivery confirmation, increasing the efficiency along the supply chain. The implementation of this network is expected to improve market efficiency by reducing transaction costs, time delays, and information asymmetry. Furthermore, concepts such as increased bargaining power and economies of scale, and their effects in buyer-supplier relationships, are also explored.