Design of a Bi-Objective Optimization Model for Sustainable Production Planning Applied to Textile MSMEs

Abstract

The complex nature of the textile industry and factors such as technological development, COVID-19, globalization, laws, and world agreements have generated substantial changes in production processes, making it necessary to seek a balance between economic, environmental, and social variables. These new needs are a challenge for micro-, small-, and medium-sized textile enterprises (MSMEs) due to their instability, lack of economic resources, and poor sustainable development. Therefore, implementing approaches such as sustainable planning and manufacturing becomes an ally for textile companies as they seek economically robust products with minimal environmental impact in safe conditions for workers. In this context, the objective of this study is based on the development of a bi-objective optimization model that drives sustainability in the planning of production processes of textile MSMEs. The methodology follows two phases divided into data acquisition and mathematical structure of the model based on two objective functions with economic and environmental approach. The validation of the model uses data obtained from a textile MSME in the city of CUENCA in Ecuador and proposes the alternative use of photovoltaic energy and different production scenarios. As one of the results, a strategic tool for business decision-making is obtained, which visualizes the use of sustainable strategies in production planning, along with its economic and environmental impacts in the textile sector