Multi-Objective Blood Supply Chain Network Design Under Uncertainty: Integrating Environmental and Social Considerations

Blood and its products are considered one of the most critical medical needs. Factors such as irregular supply and demand, lack of technology to produce blood and dependence on donation, different types of blood, perishability, and mortality of people in the event of a blood shortage have increased the importance of blood in people's lives. To address these challenges, this paper presents a mix integer linear programming model for a blood supply chain network based on sustainable development goals under uncertainty that includes collecting, processing, holding, and delivering various blood products. More specifically, a multi-objective, multi-period, and multi-product mathematical programming model is proposed to minimize total costs, minimize environmental damage, and maximize social effects resulting from the implementation of the network. The proposed model can help managers in hospitals and the blood transfusion organizations in making important strategic, tactical, and operational decisions such as where to locate blood facilities, the flow of different products between facilities, assigning donor groups to blood facilities, and inventory control decisions. First, a robust possibilistic programming approach is utilized to deal with the uncertainty of the mathematical model. Second, an interactive fuzzy programming method is used to solve the proposed model. The efficacy of the mathematical model is evaluated using real data from the Shiraz metropolitan area in Iran. Finally, the mathematical model's behavior was analyzed using sensitivity analyses on the main factors. The experimental results show the efficiency of the model in the satisfaction of demand and the reduction of waste.