Developing strategies to improve agility in the project procurement management (PPM) process

2019 ◽  
Vol 26 (1) ◽  
pp. 257-286 ◽  
Author(s):  
Santosh B. Rane ◽  
Yahya Abdul Majid Narvel ◽  
Bhaskar M. Bhandarkar

Purpose The ability of an organization to observe varying demands and efficiently meet them can be described as agility. Project procurement management (PPM) in the past was stable as things did not change very often and were very predictable. Due to hyper-competition, less predictable market and exponential innovation, the existing PPM becomes very unstable which marks the requirement of an agile model to manage procurement projects effectively. The paper aims to discuss this issue. Design/methodology/approach For achieving the improvements, various barriers to improving agility in PPM were identified from the literature and experts’ review, followed by obtaining quantified impacts of identified barriers from the experts using the Delphi technique. Finally, interpretive structural modeling along with Matrice d’ Impacts Croises Multiplication Appliqué an Classement analysis was used to analyze the interactions among barriers to prioritize and strategize their mitigation. Findings As per the analysis, the lack of top management alignment and commitment, lack of digital strategy, lack of new technology competencies and inefficiencies of financial factors were the most critical barriers that would come across while improving agility in PPM for any organization. Industries should have a stable, well-established and supportive top management that has a vision for digital transformation along with upgrading the companies’ technology layer for automating most of the manual processes to have intelligent decision-making capability. Originality/value Industries need to be agile in their operations for being more competitive and responsive to the market. PPM being the most critical part of the entire value chain needs to be agile in the first place. The strategies developed as an output of this research can be utilized by industries for improving agility in their business processes.

2018 ◽  
Vol 25 (8) ◽  
pp. 2589-2610 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rakesh Raut ◽  
Bhaskar B. Gardas

PurposeThe reduction of food wastage at every stage of a fresh produce supply chain helps in achieving balance among all three dimensions (social, ecological and economic) of the sustainability and helps in stimulating the growth and development in the agricultural domain. The purpose of this paper is to address the causal factors of post-harvesting losses (PHLs) occurring in the transportation phase.Design/methodology/approachThrough exhaustive literature survey and expert opinions, 12 crucial barriers to sustainable transportation of fruits and vegetables (F&V) are identified. The interpretive structural modeling (ISM) methodology, a multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) approach, is employed for developing a structural model of the identified barriers.FindingsThe results of the analysis highlighted that two factors, namely, the non-availability of refrigerated vehicles, and excessive loading on the vehicles, are the most significant barriers to sustainable transportation which are found to have the highest driving power.Research limitations/implicationsThe results of the present research are applicable to the F&V supply chains only. The established interrelation among the identified factors depends on the judgments given by the experts which could be biased. The developed ISM model is intended to guide the policy and decision makers for formulating the policies for the performance improvement of the fresh produce value chain.Originality/valueIt is the first research of its kind focusing on the model development of critical factors causing PHLs in the transportation phase of the agricultural fresh produce supply chain using MCDM process.


Info ◽  
2014 ◽  
Vol 16 (5) ◽  
pp. 70-85 ◽  
Author(s):  
Juergen Steinheber

Purpose – The diffusion of digital radio has experienced more challenges than for digital TV regarding a digital switchover. The purpose of this paper shows on the specific case of Germany, which difficulties the digital sound broadcasting technology of Digital Audio Broadcasting (DAB) has been facing from several points of view. The difficulties are reviewed and outlined to overcoming different barriers and to facilitating its diffusion. Design/methodology/approach – The paper analyses how the diffusion of digital radio is perceived by industry representatives such as radio consultants and several stakeholders along the value chain of the radio industry. In semi-structured interviews, participants describe and evaluate the challenges for DAB as digital audio broadcasting standard mainly in Germany. Findings – After two decades of deploying digital radio in Germany, its success is still missing. Various very different aspects have prevented the diffusion of the new technology. Among various barriers, the radio industry sees missing benefits, marketing errors and a lack of inter-industrial collaboration as barriers in a retro-perspective. Research limitations/implications – The analysis does not cover other countries, where DAB as standard was introduced. Also other standards for digital radio are not considered. Practical implications – With referring to barriers for digital radio, there is a scope for those countries about to introduce the technology to troubleshoot the failings of overcoming barrier. An idea can emerge, how authorities and industrial stakeholders can help to facilitate the diffusion of digital radio. It also indicates the need of governmental interaction for the coordination of a technology introduction in a network industry. Social implications – The theoretical model, referred to, gives a good overview of potential diffusion barriers as most identified problems for the German case. The model and the illustrated problems of the paper can be used in practice to manage potential diffusion problems during technology introductions. Originality/value – There is a lack of published information about the faced challenges for the diffusion of digital radio. The retro-perspective benefits from the broad experience of participants having observed the challenges of the past decade with DAB in Germany. Additionally, the results are mapped to a theoretical framework with limits for the diffusion of innovation for generalising.


2015 ◽  
Vol 26 (6) ◽  
pp. 868-888 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rajesh Kumar Singh

Purpose – In globalized economy, product life cycle is reducing continuously, customers demands are changing fast, and lead time for response is decreasing. In such scenario, ability of firms to quickly respond to changes in their external environment is a primary determinant of firm’s performance. This can be only possible when whole of the supply chain (SC) is responsive. For this, firms have to manage internal operations effectively to enable SC, responsive for market requirements. The purpose of this paper is to identify different factors for responsive SC. Design/methodology/approach – Based on literature review, total 17 critical factors for the responsive SC have been identified. Some of these factors are process oriented and some are result oriented. To develop structural relationship among these factors from strategic perspective, interpretive structural modeling (ISM) approach has been applied. Findings – It is observed that top management commitment, strategy development, resource development, use of technology, risk and reward sharing are major drivers for responsive SC. By managing these enablers, organizations can also benefit in terms of inventory management, lead time reduction and agility. Research limitations/implications – ISM has got some limitations. Major limitation is that the relationships developed are subjective and there are chances of biasing. Therefore findings need to be validated with case studies and empirical findings. Practical implications – Top management should strive for effective use of resources and technology to improve SC capabilities to meet market changes. Originality/value – This study develops structural relationships between different factors and it will help organizations in taking initiatives for improving responsiveness.


2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Rishabh Rajan ◽  
Sanjay Dhir ◽  
Sushil

PurposeIn the rapidly changing business world, innovation plays a vital role for organizations to gain a competitive advantage. Various factors associated with technology management and innovations in organizations are diverse in the existing literature. Therefore, there is a need to bridge these gaps in the fitting proportions toward innovations within organizations. The primary objective of this study is to identify, explain and interpret the relationships between the identified technology-related factors that are important for innovations in organizations.Design/methodology/approachIn this study, a modified total interpretive structural modeling (M-TISM) methodology was used to examine and analyze the various interactions between identified factors for innovations in organizations. However, the argumentation of the links is relatively weak in M-TISM. In order to compensate for this, M-TISM is additionally altered by an “Argumentation-based Modified TISM”. Hence, this research strengthens the modified TISM methodology by incorporating argumentation and total interpretation of the relationships between the identified factors.FindingsA total of six major factors were identified using a literature review. Results suggest that workforce technical skills, technological infrastructure, technological alliances, technology transfer and top management support have an impact on innovation in organizations. Results also suggest that top management support and the technological infrastructure of an organization have a greater impact on innovation.Research limitations/implicationsFor policymakers and practitioners, this study provides a suggestive list of critical factors, which may help to develop policies or guidelines for improving innovation in organizations. Policymakers should focus on technological infrastructure and collaborations to enhance innovations and productions within the organizations. For academicians, this study provides a modified TISM model that shows the impact of technology-related factors on innovations. Future researchers could expand this study by adding a greater number of technological factors and validate this model in other industries.Originality/valueThis study fills a gap in the literature by interpreting the various relationships among the identified factors and innovations. The model has been validated through a panel of seven experts from the Indian automotive industry of multiple organizations. This study is useful in the automobile industry as it determines what and how technology-related factors affect innovations, process improvement and R&D production for organizations.


2017 ◽  
Vol 24 (2) ◽  
pp. 467-487 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rahul Sindhwani ◽  
Vasdev Malhotra

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to identify and analyze the interactions among different enablers of agile manufacturing system (AMS). The existing enablers available in the past literature are scattered and not able to meet specific requirements of the customers. So, it becomes a necessity to encapsulate these enablers in appropriate proportions to enable traditional organizations to AMS. To fill this gap total interpretive structural modeling (TISM) and MICMAC analysis-based framework model have been developed to understand the mutual interactions between among the enablers. Design/methodology/approach Identification of enablers followed by application of TISM, which is an innovative version of ISM and MICMAC analysis, is used to study and analyze the mutual interactions between identified enablers. Findings The result reveals that top management support, organizational structure and information technology integration have strong driving power and weak dependence power and are at the lowest level in the TISM model hierarchy, while the outcome enablers of AMS have low-driving power but have high-dependence power. Research limitations/implications This model is developed on the basis of inputs from few experts and may not reflect the opinion of whole industry community. Practical implications Top management must stress on enablers having strong driving power for efficient implementation of AMS. Managers in the area of manufacturing may drive useful insights from the empirical study presented in this paper. Managers should plan an effective strategy for proper implementation of AMS which makes organization more agile, productive, competitive and profitable. Originality/value TISM-based framework structural model has been proposed for industry or organization which is a new effort for implementation of AMS.


2018 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
pp. 363-390 ◽  
Author(s):  
Krishna P. Timsina ◽  
Kent J. Bradford ◽  
Peetambar Dahal ◽  
Ganesh P. Shivakoti ◽  
Keshavulu Kunusoth ◽  
...  

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to analyze the potential returns to value chain actors from employing desiccant bead drying and hermetic storage technology. Design/methodology/approach Information was collected from 175 different onion (Allium cepa L.) seed value chain actors in Nepal. Four different business models for the introduction of new bead drying and hermetic storage technology were compared to current practices through use of partial budgeting. Findings The increase in net income throughout the chain was quite similar in all four models, ranging from US$28.86 to 29.61 per kg of onion seed, making it difficult to say that any single model is best for all situations. However, there are differences in sharing of positive net income and negative net income for different actors in different models. Moreover, about US$5.85 million incremental return could be earned per year in Nepal from improved preservation of onion seed alone. Research limitations/implications This research assesses how to introduce a new technology, the dry chain concept to maintain seed quality, into the existing marketplace. Originality/value This paper focuses on the economics of a novel technology and compares different business models and scenarios.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Kuei-Feng Chang ◽  
Maxwell Hsu ◽  
Scott Swanson

Purpose This paper aims to facilitate positioning strategy formation by decoding the relationship between consumers’ desired values, service attributes and expected consequences. Design/methodology/approach Key informant depth interviews are followed by a questionnaire of self-cause-and-effect assessments. Total interpretive structural modeling (TISM) is used to identify hierarchical structures via pair-wise preference comparisons. The analytic network process (ANP) is used to compute relative weights to evaluate the overall image of identified alternatives. The feedback feature in the ANP is enabled to obtain objective assessments. Findings With the help of both TISM and ANP techniques, the hierarchical and interactive relationships among consumers’ desired values, expected consequences and service attributes are revealed in the context of international airline services. Research limitations/implications The approach presented can help organizations to identify which attributes influence consumer evaluations of a company/brand; obtain the hierarchical and interactive relationships among service attributes, expected consequences and desired values; assess consumer preferences toward identified service attributes; and obtain an objective assessment of the competitive landscape, which can facilitate the development of effective positioning strategies and associated tactics. Practical implications Organizations adopting the methods presented in this study can have a better understanding of the consumer value chain and deliver better customer experiences. Originality/value The current study provides an innovative application of the TISM in conjunction with a feedback-enabled ANP technique to address brand positioning challenges. Future studies may consider adopting the TISM-ANP method as a foundation whenever one attempts to explore the values-consequences-attributes hierarchy.


2020 ◽  
Vol 31 (5) ◽  
pp. 1045-1070 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sumit Chandak ◽  
Neeraj Kumar

PurposeThe main aim of the study is to develop a structural framework that includes e-business processes and sustainability-oriented enablers to improve supply chain performance.Design/methodology/approachTo improve supply chain performance, the present study conducts a detailed literature review to explore the key enablers based on e-business processes and sustainability aspects of various recognized databases. An automotive case organization is chosen to conduct a case study for developing the structural framework. The structural framework is developed by adopting an interpretive structural modeling approach. Furthermore, the fuzzy-MICMAC approach is applied to compute the driving and the dependence power of each selected enabler.FindingsThis study develops a structural framework that indicates the improved supply chain performance is achieved by “development of supply chain web system,” “strong customer relationship management,” and “enhancement in control over cost quality and sustainability” as the most critical enablers.Research limitations/implicationsThe enablers for the development of framework are obtained through the inputs of an expert panel. However, the researchers may conduct large scale surveys to strengthen the input components of the framework.Originality/valueThis is one of the unique studies that list down a set of 27 most critical e-business processes and sustainability based enablers to improve supply chain performance.


Author(s):  
Arpita Agnihotri

Purpose – The purpose of this study was to analyze the impact of top management teams on firms' value chain action intensity and value chain activity heterogeneity. Design/methodology/approach – The study was conducted from an emerging market perspective. The sample was based on the secondary data collected from three fast-growing industries in India: automobile, pharmaceutical and fast-moving consumer goods over the three-year period from 2009 to 2012. The Panel Poisson and Tobit regression have been used to conduct this study. Findings – Drawing upon the upper echelon theory, the author found that a top management team's educational level, functional heterogeneity and total organizational tenure influence value chain action intensity and value chain activity heterogeneity. Originality/value – The author introduces the concept of value chain action intensity and value chain action heterogeneity and investigates the role of the upper echelon in influencing intensity and heterogeneity.


2018 ◽  
Vol 25 (9) ◽  
pp. 3720-3742 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sushil Sushil

Purpose Activities on direct value chain directly add value to the products/services delivered to the customers. This value addition can be further enhanced by taking up flexibility initiatives on these direct value chain activities. The purpose of this paper is to identify flexibility initiatives on the direct value chain and carry out their valuation. Design/methodology/approach Since different value addition criteria (i.e. benefits and costs) may be both tangible and intangible, an interpretive valuation based on multi-criteria framework would be desirable. The paper deploys the efficient interpretive ranking process (IRP) for this purpose. It uses total interpretive structural modeling (TISM) to derive weights of criteria based on their respective driving power. The paper also makes a methodological contribution to assess transitive dominance in IRP based on transitivity check as used in the modified TISM process. Findings The paper uses a multi-criteria valuation to examine the proposition that the flexibility initiatives will add a higher value as we go downstream in the value chain. The flexibility initiatives linked with marketing such as product upgradation and switching, customized services and dynamic pricing are found to be most value adding in character. Research limitations/implications The main limitation of this study is that it is generic in nature and need to be replicated in multiple case situations. The methodology proposed can be utilized for specific case analysis for flexibility valuation on the direct value chain. Practical implications The practitioners may be able to use the proposed method of TISM–IRP with improvements in real-life applications. The proposed multi-criteria valuation is interpretive in nature and can be utilized by practicing managers in group settings even if they do not have complete data. Originality/value The strategy and operations researchers will find promise in the methodology to investigate and prioritize the initiatives planned to enhance flexibility in different value chain activities. The researchers on multi-criteria decision making will find the methodological enhancement proposed in terms of graphically deriving the transitive dominance to be useful in other applications as well.


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