Easy access: a case study on rural marketing

2014 ◽  
Vol 4 (3) ◽  
pp. 1-7
Author(s):  
Rashmi Ranjan Parida ◽  
Sangeeta Sahney
Keyword(s):  
Supply Chain ◽  
Marketing Strategy ◽  
Social Issues ◽  
Demand Forecasting ◽  
Distribution Networks ◽  
Easy Access ◽  
Women Empowerment ◽  
Financial Loss ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Alternative Distribution

Subject area Marketing management and marketing strategy, rural marketing, sales and distribution. Study level/applicability Students of business schools specialising in the area of marketing or rural marketing. Case overview The case focuses on the rural market. It deals with the alternative distribution channels adopted for last mile distribution among rural consumers of underdeveloped Odisha (India). The case discusses key issues pertaining to rural marketing, business viability, social issues and public sentiment.Easy access is an entrepreneurial venture by an erstwhile intellectual marketing professor of a premier B-school. The objective behind this initiative is multiple, viz., rural marketing, developing alternative distribution networks, women empowerment, etc. The case highlights that the business of Easy Access started with noble social objectives like women empowerment and developing a cost effective distribution network so that rural customers would be benefited. The case also highlights that the practices adopted by Easy access was not good enough to track & forecast demand effectively as well as the supply chain to replenish stock was not proper.Since the particular market is a backward region and there are number of Govt. schemes and people are given many things for free. People thought Easy Access is result of one of such schemes. Also there were social issues of improper address and mismatch identity (as mentioned in the case) etc.So the issues of demand forecasting and supply chain management along with social issues resulted in financial loss and thus the viability of business venture (Easy Access) is a concern. The social objectives associated with this venture are also at stake or at danger because of financial loss. Expected learning outcomes The case provides insights into the marketing concepts like rural marketing, marketing strategy in emerging markets and sales and distribution. Supplementary materials Teaching notes are available for educators only. Please contact your library to gain login details or email [email protected] to request teaching notes.

A quantitative risk assessment methodology and evaluation of food supply chain

2017 ◽  
Vol 28 (4) ◽  
pp. 1272-1293 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rishabh Rathore ◽  
Jitesh J. Thakkar ◽  
Jitendra Kumar Jha
Keyword(s):  
Risk Assessment ◽  
Supply Chain ◽  
Food Supply ◽  
Social Issues ◽  
Risk Index ◽  
Mitigation Strategies ◽  
Quantitative Risk Assessment ◽  
Food Supply Chain ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Risk Quantification

Purpose The food supply chain is exposed to severe environmental and social issues with serious economic consequences. The identification and assessment of risk involved in the food supply chain can help to overcome these challenges. In response, the purpose of this paper is to develop a risk assessment framework for a typical food supply chain. Design/methodology/approach An integrated methodology of grey analytical hierarchy process and grey technique for order preference by similarity to the ideal solution is proposed for developing a comprehensive risk index. The opinion of the experts is used to illustrate an application of the proposed methodology for the risk assessment of the food supply chain in India. Findings Valuable insights and recommendations are drawn from the results, which are helpful to the practitioners working at strategic and tactical levels in the food supply chain for minimising the supply chain disruptions. Research limitations/implications The risk quantification for the case organisation is primarily based on inputs collected from the experts working for Indian food supply chain, and so the generalisation of the results is limited to the context of developing countries. However, the generalisability of the proposed risk quantification methodology and key insights developed in the food supply chain will assist practitioners in policy making. Practical implications The risk priorities established by this research would enable an implementation of systematic risk mitigation strategies and deployment of necessary resources for leveraging the efficiency of food supply chain. Originality/value Specifically, this research has delivered a risk quantification framework and strengthened the inquiry of risk management for the food supply chain.

Social assessment and management of conflict minerals: a systematic literature review

2019 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 157-182 ◽  
Author(s):  
Samanthi Silva ◽  
Stefan Schaltegger
Keyword(s):  
Supply Chain ◽  
Supply Chains ◽  
Social Problems ◽  
Social Issues ◽  
Social Assessment ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Academic Literature ◽  
Conflict Minerals ◽  
Management Literature ◽  
Management Approaches

Purpose The necessity to assess and manage supply chains to be free from social problems such as human and labour rights abuses has become particularly apparent since the introduction of conflict minerals regulations in the United States (Dodd-Frank Act) and the European Union. Similarly, stakeholders demand that products are free from social problems. Ever more companies are therefore challenged to assess and manage social issues in their supply chains. At the same time, the increasing literature on assessment and management of social issues is disperse and an overview missing. This paper aims to provide an overview of the existing literature on social assessment and management approaches relating to conflict minerals and connected to social issues in supply chains. Design/methodology/approach A review of the academic literature on social assessment and management of conflict minerals to provide an overview is currently missing. This paper addresses this gap by systematically reviewing the existing research literature on approaches for the social assessment and management of conflict minerals from a supply chain perspective. Findings The systematic literature review found 21 social assessment and 30 social management approaches with reference to conflict minerals, with the most referenced approach being the OECD guidelines. Overall, the conflict mineral related literature discusses rather general social assessment and management approaches, such as codes of conduct, while the effectiveness of the approaches is not analysed in depth. The paper finds that an analysis of the effectiveness and interlinkages of different approaches is missing. The large variety of social and human rights issues addressed in the academic literature ranges from corruption to violence, going beyond the scope of regulations focused on conflict minerals. This indicates that regulations on conflict minerals and the consequences for management are seen as a specific case with wider implications for future regulations and the necessity for management to solve social problems in supply chains in an effective way. Research limitations/implications The review paper is conceptual and develops a framework to classify social assessment and management approaches for conflict minerals, drawing on the supply chain management literature. Practical implications The overview reveals that research refers to broader social assessment and management approaches indicating wider implications for assessing and managing social issues in supply chains in general, irrespective of whether they are conflict mineral related. Research has, however, so far not addressed the effectiveness and interlinkages between social assessment and management approaches. The aim of the emerging regulations, however, is to foster more effective management of social issues in supply chains. Management is therefore challenged to develop and implement innovative approaches to effectively reduce social problems in supply chains beyond conflict minerals. Conclusions are drawn for management and research. Social implications The paper highlights the need for collaboration with NGOs, industry associations and suppliers, recommending to engage in supplier development. Originality/value The paper conducts the first systematic review of academic literature on conflict mineral related social assessment and management approaches. A framework is proposed to classify social assessment and management approaches based on supply chain management literature. While conflict minerals often represent a small fraction of components in a product, they can have huge and costly implications for companies, which require (potentially) large changes for the sourcing and supply strategy of a company. Conflict mineral regulations represent the first attempt to regulate social and human rights abuses in supply chains holding companies responsible for misconduct caused by suppliers abroad.

A two-period pricing model with hunger marketing strategy

2018 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
pp. 81-100 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lili Yu ◽  
Juzhi Zhang
Keyword(s):  
Supply Chain ◽  
Marketing Strategy ◽  
Revenue Sharing ◽  
Retail Price ◽  
Discount Factor ◽  
Pricing Model ◽  
Equilibrium Solutions ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Decentralized System ◽  
Revenue Sharing Contract

Purpose This paper aims to investigate the effect of hunger marketing strategy on supply chain pricing and coordinate the supply chain through a two-period pricing model. Design/methodology/approach According to a two-period pricing model with hunger marketing strategy, the authors investigate two different scenarios: the centralized system and the decentralized system. The optimal or equilibrium solutions are calculated and compared in two different scenarios. Findings First, the hunger marketing strategy can improve the total profit of the supply chain by increasing the retail price and the total sales volume. Second, the hunger marketing strategy aggravates the double marginalization effect. Third, the authors introduce the revenue-sharing contract and characterize the conditions under which the revenue-sharing contract can coordinate the supply chain and be accepted by both the members. Research limitations/implications First, the authors suppose the same retail price in two periods for mathematic simplicity; second, they do not consider the discount factor for the revenue during the two periods. Practical implications This paper provides a guide to policymakers in terms of product pricing and supply rate. Originality/value First, the authors suppose the same retail price in two periods for mathematic simplicity; second, they do not consider the discount factor for the revenue during the two periods.

Designing a locating-routing three-echelon supply chain network under uncertainty

2022 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Leila Hashemi ◽  
Armin Mahmoodi ◽  
Milad Jasemi ◽  
Richard C. Millar ◽  
Jeremy Laliberté
Keyword(s):  
Supply Chain ◽  
Time Windows ◽  
Distribution Networks ◽  
Optimization Techniques ◽  
Decision Makers ◽  
Average Error ◽  
Equal Weight ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Delivery Times ◽  
Retail Service

PurposeIn the present research, location and routing problems, as well as the supply chain, which includes manufacturers, distributor candidate sites and retailers, are explored. The goal of addressing the issue is to reduce delivery times and system costs for retailers so that routing and distributor location may be determined.Design/methodology/approachBy adding certain unique criteria and limits, the issue becomes more realistic. Customers expect simultaneous deliveries and pickups, and retail service start times have soft and hard time windows. Transportation expenses, noncompliance with the soft time window, distributor construction, vehicle purchase or leasing, and manufacturing costs are all part of the system costs. The problem's conceptual model is developed and modeled first, and then General Algebraic Modeling System software (GAMS) and Multiple Objective Particle Swarm Optimization (MOPSO) and non-dominated sorting genetic algorithm II (NSGAII) algorithms are used to solve it in small dimensions.FindingsAccording to the mathematical model's solution, the average error of the two suggested methods, in contrast to the exact answer, is less than 0.7%. In addition, the performance of algorithms in terms of deviation from the GAMS exact solution is pretty satisfactory, with a divergence of 0.4% for the biggest problem (N = 100). As a result, NSGAII is shown to be superior to MOSPSO.Research limitations/implicationsSince this paper deals with two bi-objective models, the priorities of decision-makers in selecting the best solution were not taken into account, and each of the objective functions was given an equal weight based on the weighting procedures. The model has not been compared or studied in both robust and deterministic modes. This is because, with the exception of the variable that indicates traffic mode uncertainty, all variables are deterministic, and the uncertainty character of demand in each level of the supply chain is ignored.Practical implicationsThe suggested model's conclusions are useful for any group of decision-makers concerned with optimizing production patterns at any level. The employment of a diverse fleet of delivery vehicles, as well as the use of stochastic optimization techniques to define the time windows, demonstrates how successful distribution networks are in lowering operational costs.Originality/valueAccording to a multi-objective model in a three-echelon supply chain, this research fills in the gaps in the link between routing and location choices in a realistic manner, taking into account the actual restrictions of a distribution network. The model may reduce the uncertainty in vehicle performance while choosing a refueling strategy or dealing with diverse traffic scenarios, bringing it closer to certainty. In addition, two modified MOPSO and NSGA-II algorithms are presented for solving the model, with the results compared to the exact GAMS approach for medium- and small-sized problems.

scholarly journals Impact of social sustainability orientation and supply chain practices on operational performance

2018 ◽  
Vol 38 (12) ◽  
pp. 2344-2366 ◽  
Author(s):  
Simon Croom ◽  
Natalia Vidal ◽  
Wellington Spetic ◽  
Donna Marshall ◽  
Lucy McCarthy
Keyword(s):  
Supply Chain ◽  
Social Issues ◽  
Current Knowledge ◽  
Social Sustainability ◽  
Operational Performance ◽  
Temporal Orientation ◽  
Sustainable Supply Chain ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Impact

Purpose Socially sustainable supply chain (SSSC) practices address pressing social issues and may provide operational benefits as well as positive impacts on society. However, due to gaps in the current knowledge, it is difficult to know what practices will provide benefits and what management orientations can maximize the impact of these practices on operational performance. The purpose of this paper is to advance the knowledge on the effect of social sustainability orientation on operational performance by examining the mediating roles of basic and advanced SSSC practices and the moderating role of long-term orientation (LTO). Design/methodology/approach Data were collected through a survey of US-based companies about their relationships with key suppliers. Confirmatory factor analysis and multiple regression were used to test the proposed moderated mediation model. Findings Surprisingly, sustainability orientation predicts operational performance through advanced but not basic SSSC practices. Results also indicate that the effect of sustainability orientation on operational performance is significantly moderated by LTO. Research limitations/implications Results are limited by the US context, the cross-sectional nature of the research, the use of a single-respondent survey instrument and the challenges of measuring LTO. Practical implications Managers and policymakers should be aware of the limitations of adopting basic SSSC practices on the performance of their operations. Advanced practices provide a more robust business case and significantly and positively impact operational performance. In addition, the interaction of a sustainability orientation and LTO can lead to even greater improvements in firms’ operational performance. Firms with the highest levels of social sustainability and LTOs attain superior operational performance. Originality/value This study contributes to the growing literature on sustainable supply chain management (SSCM) and extends this literature by focusing on social sustainability practices, identifying specific practices that impact and the orientations that maximize operational performance. The authors contribute to the growing literature on the importance of manager’s temporal orientation and provide nuance to emerging SSCM theory by exposing the interplay of these orientations and the impact of SSSC practice adoption.

Benchmarking self-declared social sustainability initiatives in cocoa sourcing

2018 ◽  
Vol 25 (9) ◽  
pp. 3986-4008 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sumit Kishore Lalwani ◽  
Breno Nunes ◽  
Daniel Chicksand ◽  
Dev Kumar (Roshan) Boojihawon
Keyword(s):  
Supply Chain ◽  
Supply Chains ◽  
Social Issues ◽  
Code Of Conduct ◽  
Secondary Data ◽  
Social Sustainability ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Sustainability Initiatives ◽  
Sustainable Sourcing ◽  
Agricultural Supply

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine the self-declared sustainability initiatives of the world’s four largest chocolate manufacturers (Ferrero, Mars, Mondelez and Nestlé) and the measures they take to tackle social problems within the context of establishing sustainable sourcing of cocoa in Ghana and the Ivory Coast. Global cocoa supply chains are under continuous media and public scrutiny. Recent incidents of malpractice in supply chain management have left global chocolatiers vulnerable in terms of how they deal with social issues across their global supply chain networks. Critics have argued that there is a lack of consistency and transparency between what companies say and do in upholding sustainable practices across their supply chains. Design/methodology/approach The authors draw from the sustainable supply chain literature to develop our theoretical parameters and undertake a case-based analysis of the existing sustainability practices of these chocolatiers. Using the insights from this analysis, the authors propose a conceptual framework for a rigorous comparative assessment of self-declared sustainable sourcing initiatives of global agricultural supply chains. The methodology is qualitative and the research method is a secondary-data case study. Findings Four main parameters were identified and used to compare self-declared initiatives, namely: social sustainability certification from respectable bodies; code of conduct for suppliers; partnerships with the primary supply chain stakeholders; and supplier collaboration programme and improvement initiatives. The case companies chosen have implemented several initiatives, but the most prominent seem to indicate the reliance on third-party certification. Not all companies adopted a supplier code of conduct. The partnerships and collaboration programmes with different associations are presented as efficient for companies as well as farmers. Improvements in the conditions of farmers are advocated as a key result. Research limitations/implications This paper is based on self-declared secondary data. Subsequently, it is possible that the case companies did not document some practices; or that companies do not do what they claim. Practical implications This paper provides a comprehensive framework for agricultural businesses to compare their sustainability efforts and improve the performance of their supply chains, particularly those who belong to the cocoa supply chains. The proposed framework allows an assessment of initiatives at policy, strategic, tactical and operational levels to improve social sustainability of supply chains. Social implications This paper may help companies to think more clearly about greater transparency and provide the impetus for dealing more effectively with serious social issues in agricultural supply chains such as: child labour, child trafficking, modern slavery, etc. It may also instruct consumers to better understand what companies do as part of their sustainability agenda, alongside the communication of other features of their products, such as quality. Originality/value The framework adds value by providing a novel way to systematically compile and analyse data around self-declared sustainable initiatives. Actors within agricultural supply chains can use the framework to assess and drive their sustainability efforts and practices, leading to ways to improve the social performance of their global supply chains.

Graduate students' perceptions of supply chain skills for supply chain managers

2014 ◽  
Vol 21 (2) ◽  
pp. 276-299 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shams Rahman ◽  
Nie Qing
Keyword(s):  
Supply Chain ◽  
Supply Chain Management ◽  
Demand Forecasting ◽  
Management Program ◽  
Management Skills ◽  
Chain Management ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Performance Matrix ◽  
Future Challenges ◽  
Skill Category

Purpose – The aim of this research is to identify the relevant skills and their relative importance, required by supply chain managers, and to suggest the key skill items that require improvement. Design/methodology/approach – Using a survey questionnaire, data were collected against 41 supply chain management skills. Using expert opinion, these skill items were then grouped to create four higher level supply chain skill-categories. These are supply chain general management (SCG) skill-category, supply chain analytical (SCA) skill-category, supply chain information technology (SCIT) skill-category, and supply chain environmental-related (SCE) skill-category. Subsequently, the importance-performance matrix (IPM) analysis was conducted to these higher level skill-categories to assess the strengths and weaknesses of the offered skills as perceived by the respondents. Findings – The analysis revealed that in order to prepare supply chain managers to face up to the future challenges educational institutions are required to devote their attention on areas such as warehousing management, distribution planning, demand forecasting, negotiation skill, cross-functional coordination skill, and knowledge of environmental issues in supply chains. Originality/value – This research provided insight into skills need for supply chain managers using IPM analysis. The results of the study could be adopted to upgrade the existing logistics and supply chain management program or design new logistics education and training programs to meet the current and future needs.

System dynamics modeling with fuzzy logic application to mitigate the bullwhip effect in supply chains

2019 ◽  
Vol 14 (3) ◽  
pp. 610-627 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mehdi Poornikoo ◽  
Muhammad Azeem Qureshi
Keyword(s):  
Fuzzy Logic ◽  
Supply Chain ◽  
System Dynamics ◽  
Dynamic Models ◽  
Demand Forecasting ◽  
Bullwhip Effect ◽  
Automated System ◽  
Supply Chain Performance ◽  
Inference System ◽  
Content Type

Purpose A plethora of studies focused on the cause and solutions for the bullwhip effect, and consequently many have successfully experimented to dampen the effect. However, the feasibility of such studies and the actual contribution for supply chain performance are yet up for debate. This paper aims to fill this gap by providing a holistic system-based perspective and proposes a fuzzy logic decision-making implementation for a single-product, three-echelon and multi-period supply chain system to mitigate such effect. Design/methodology/approach This study uses system dynamics (SD) as the central modeling method for which Vensim® is used as a tool for hybrid simulation. Further, the authors used MATLAB for undertaking fuzzy logic modeling and constructing a fuzzy inference system that is later on incorporated into SD model for interaction with the main supply chain structure. Findings This research illustrated the usefulness of fuzzy estimations based on experts’ linguistically and logically defined parameters instead of relying merely on the traditional demand forecasting based on time series. Despite the increased complexity of the calculations and structure of the fuzzy model, the bullwhip effect has been considerably decreased resulting in an improved supply chain performance. Practical implications This dynamic modeling approach is not only useful in supply chain management but also the model developed for this study can be integrated into a corporate financial planning model. Further, this model enables optimization for an automated system in a company, where decision-makers can adjust the fuzzy variables according to various situations and inventory policies. Originality/value This study presents a systemic approach to deal with uncertainty and vagueness in dynamic models, which might be a major cause in generating the bullwhip effect. For this purpose, the combination between fuzzy set theory and system dynamics is a significant step forward.

Testing the effect of marketing strategy alignment and triple-A supply chain on performance in Egypt

2015 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. 163-180 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ahmed Attia
Keyword(s):  
Supply Chain ◽  
Marketing Strategy ◽  
Organizational Performance ◽  
Textile Industry ◽  
Equation Modeling ◽  
Successful Implementation ◽  
Supply Chain Performance ◽  
Research Model ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Strategy Alignment

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine the effect of triple-A supply chain and marketing strategy alignment on the performance by collecting and analyzing data from the textile industry in Egypt. Design/methodology/approach – A research model is proposed which describes the impact marketing strategy alignment, triple-A supply chain on supply chain performance and organizational performance. The proposed research model and hypotheses were tested using correlation analysis and structural equation modeling based on data collected from 153 companies working in the Egyptian textile industry. Findings – The results of the study support that organizational performance is positively associated supply chain performance. Also supply chain performance is directly affected by triple-A supply chain and marketing strategy alignment. Research limitations/implications – The data used in this study were collected from 153 companies working in the Egyptian textile industry. The generalization of the study results may be limited by the size of the sample. Originality/value – This study provides a useful working model in the textile industry. The results suggest successful implementation of triple-A supply chain and marketing strategy alignment will help in improving the supply chain performance, which in turn improves organizational performance.

Agriculture supply chain

2017 ◽  
Vol 7 (3) ◽  
pp. 275-302 ◽  
Author(s):  
Srikanta Routroy ◽  
Astajyoti Behera
Keyword(s):  
Supply Chain ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Demand Forecasting ◽  
Systemic Review ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Research Gaps ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Supply Chain Strategy ◽  
Effective Strategies ◽  
Insight Into

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to review the agriculture supply chain (ASC) literature along many dimensions which include but are not restricted to scope, objective, wastages, driver, obstacle, outcome, etc. Design/methodology/approach In total, 203 relevant and scholarly articles of various researchers and practitioners during 2000-2016 were reviewed. The information related to definition, research methodology, global research spread, supply chain strategy, various types of produce, author profile and year of publication of ASC were collected and analysed. Findings The information related to empirical research and viewpoint of various ASC drivers were captured, studied and analysed in detail. Although inventory policy, demand forecasting and ASC integration were found to be important areas of ASC, they were less focused, studied and researched. Research limitations/implications Mainly post-harvest ASC of different agricultural produces were considered whereas products such as dairy, fishery and meat supply chains were not included in the study. Originality/value The paper provides an insight into various aspects of ASC in general and one can get a deeper and richer knowledge on it which will help in formulating effective strategies to design of an effective and efficient ASC. It uncovers the research gaps for the new future research paths. This systemic review is strongly felt to fill the gap in the ASC literature.

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