Reliability of Freshness-Based Logistics Service for Fresh Agricultural Products

An evaluation based upon the freshness degree of agricultural products for reliability of logistics services is proposed. Considering freshness, the failure possibility of logistics services is not only of randomness, but also of fuzziness. Past studies are probability models based on determined criteria, disregarding the fuzziness of the failure of logistics services. In this paper, both the randomness and fuzziness of the failure of the logistics services for fresh agricultural products are analyzed. The membership function of freshness indicator in the failure state is constructed and the probability distribution of freshness is obtained. According to the fuzzy probability theory and the reliability principle, the logistics service reliability for meeting the requirements of freshness is defined and calculated. Examples with data of fresh egg distribution from a distribution center illustrate that the indicator and the calculation method on logistics services reliability is reasonable and practical.