Cold chain adoption for fresh durian products by the simulation technique

Abstract

The short shelf life durian products is a problem that has led to missed opportunities for businesses in the supply chain to extend the selling period. Therefore, this research developed a Discrete-event simulation model using FlexSim software to apply the cold chain in fresh durian products in order to extend their shelf life. The focus of this simulation was on adding a pre-cooling process that could extend the shelf life of fresh durians by approximately 7 days or 35.80% of the product's life. However, it resulted in an increased operational cost of 9700.6 baht or 3.43% of the total operating cost. Additionally, the study experimented with increasing the number of durian orchards in the supply chain to test potential future scenarios. The consistent results of the study indicated that the shelf life of fresh durians could be extended by approximately 7 days or about 35.87% of the product's life, but with an increased operational cost of 10,446.8 baht or 3.58% of the total operating cost. Therefore, members of the fresh durian supply chain should consider implementing the cold chain to enhance opportunities for selling fresh durians for a longer period.