Supply chain flexibility

2017 ◽  
Vol 28 (4) ◽  
pp. 964-1026 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jorieke H.M. Manders ◽  
Marjolein C.J. Caniëls ◽  
Paul W.Th. Ghijsen
Keyword(s):  
Supply Chain ◽  
Grey Literature ◽  
Point Of View ◽  
Comprehensive Overview ◽  
Chain Flexibility ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Business Studies ◽  
Supply Chain Flexibility ◽  
State Of Research ◽  
Number Of Publications

Purpose The conceptualization of flexibility in organizations historically emerged from three views which relate to economic, to organizational and to manufacturing perspectives. Despite the growing number of publications about supply chain flexibility in the area of supply chain management, there is a lack of consensus on how to define and to conceptualize supply chain flexibility from a management point of view. The purpose of this paper is to present a comprehensive overview of the literature on the supply chain flexibility perspective and contributes to our understanding of the current state of research and its future development. Design/methodology/approach The research methodology used is the systematic literature review. In total 92 articles were selected from databases of well-known journal publishers in the field of economics, business studies and management sciences as well as grey literature to cover the topic of supply chain flexibility. Findings A limited number of studies in the field of supply chain flexibility apply theories and define the term supply chain flexibility. Instead they focus on a particular part or dimension of the supply chain. Based on the analysis, a distinction is made between flexibility in the supply chain and supply chain flexibility. Based on the function and characteristics of the supply chain, the authors selected 30 flexibility dimensions that cover supply chain flexibility by concentrating on the different business areas involved. Research limitations/implications The results support researchers and practitioners by identifying relevant trends and gaps in the field of supply chain flexibility. Originality/value The authors review the dimensions and aspects of supply chain flexibility that are currently taken into account in the literature. In this way, the authors provide an overarching perspective on the flexibility literature relating to supply chains.

Developing an analytical framework to assess the uncertainty and flexibility mismatches across the supply chain

2014 ◽  
Vol 20 (3) ◽  
pp. 362-391 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sajad Fayezi ◽  
Ambika Zutshi ◽  
Andrew O’Loughlin
Keyword(s):  
Supply Chain ◽  
Manufacturing Sector ◽  
Analytical Framework ◽  
Comprehensive Overview ◽  
Two Phase ◽  
Chain Flexibility ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Systematic Assessment ◽  
Analytical Process ◽  
Supply Chain Flexibility

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to discuss how decisions regarding organisational flexibility can be improved through targeted resource allocation, by focusing on the supply chain's level of uncertainty exposure. Specifically, the issue of where and in what ways flexibility has been incorporated across the organisation's supply chain is addressed. Design/methodology/approach – A two-phase methodology design based on literature review and case study was used. Using 83 journal articles in the areas of uncertainty and flexibility an analytical process for assessing uncertainty-flexibility mismatches was developed. Furthermore, results from ten interviews with senior/middle managers within the Australian manufacturing sector were used to provide preliminary insights on the usefulness and importance of the analytical process and its relationship with organisational practice. Findings – The paper emphasises the importance of having a systematic and encompassing view of uncertainty-flexibility mismatches across the supply chain, as well as the significance of socio-technical engagement. The paper both conceptually and empirically illustrates how, using a structured analytical process, flexibility requirements across the supply, process, control and demand segments of a supply chain might be assessed. A four-step analytical process was accordingly developed and, its application, usefulness and importance discussed using empirical data. Practical implications – The analytical process presented in this paper can assist managers to obtain a comprehensive overview of supply chain flexibility when dealing with situations involving uncertainty. This can facilitate and improve their decision-making with respect to prioritising attention on identified flexibility gaps in order to ensure stability of their performance. Originality/value – The paper presents a supply chain-wide discussion on the difficulties that uncertainty brings to organisations, and how organisational flexibility might serve to moderate those challenges for supply chain management. It discusses how to identify the flexibility gap and proposes an original analytical process for systematic assessment of uncertainty-flexibility mismatches.

The role of capabilities in shaping sustainable supply chain flexibility and enhancing circular economy-target performance: an empirical study

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Surajit Bag ◽  
Muhammad Sabbir Rahman
Keyword(s):  
Supply Chain ◽  
Circular Economy ◽  
Data Analytics ◽  
Sustainable Supply Chain ◽  
Chain Flexibility ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Mediating Role ◽  
Supply Chain Flexibility ◽  
Target Performance ◽  
Analytics Capability

Purpose A circular economy is a popular approach considered by many firms to address sustainable development goals strategically. Literature indicates that collaborative relationships among supply chain partners facilitate circular economy practices. However, there is a dearth of studies in lower-middle-income countries indicating the unique challenges industries face whilst practising circular economy principles and how the challenges can be overcome. To address the calls of previous researchers, this study aims to explore the following relationships: engagement and alliance capability whilst data analytics capability plays a mediating role; the relationship between alliance and data analytics capability with sustainable supply chain flexibility whilst industry dynamism is considered as a moderating variable and the relationship between sustainable supply chain flexibility and circular economy-target performance. Design/methodology/approach A cross-sectional survey was performed and data was collected from 760 employees of Indian firms. Covariance-based structural equation modelling was applied to perform the path analysis to determine a firm’s capabilities in shaping sustainable supply chain flexibility and enhancing circular economy target performance. Findings Drawing upon dynamic capability theory, it was first established that engagement capability has a positive and significant influence on alliance capability, whilst data analytics capability played a partial mediating role. Second, it was established that alliance capability and data analytics capability significantly affect sustainable supply chain flexibility, whilst industry dynamism played a moderating role. Finally, it was clear that sustainable supply chain flexibility had a significant and positive effect on circular economy target performance, ultimately enhancing sustainability. Originality/value This study advances the circular economy literature by recommending that firms must consider some critical operational level capabilities to develop their dynamic capability, i.e. sustainable supply chain flexibility, to better meet the competitive market conditions in turbulent business environments.

scholarly journals Improving retail supply flexibility using buyer-supplier relational capabilities

2017 ◽  
Vol 37 (3) ◽  
pp. 343-362 ◽  
Author(s):  
Raymond Obayi ◽  
S.C. Koh ◽  
David Oglethorpe ◽  
Seyed M. Ebrahimi
Keyword(s):  
Supply Chain ◽  
Supplier Relationships ◽  
Chain Flexibility ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Mediating Role ◽  
Supply Chain Flexibility ◽  
And Performance ◽  
Relational Capabilities ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate the mediating role of three important relational capabilities – absorptive capacity (AC), transactive memory systems (TMS), and organisational interoperability (OI); on the flexibility of buyer-supplier relationships and performance in retail supply chains. Drawing on the relational view of strategic management, the impact of relational capabilities on two forms of supply chain flexibility is examined – configuration flexibility (CF) for switching suppliers with minimal penalties, and planning and control flexibility (PCF) for altering supply schedules, quality, and delivery lead-time. Design/methodology/approach Strategic- and tactical-level managers from 211 retail stores in the UK were surveyed. The authors validated a measurement model with structural equation modelling and tested four hypotheses on the mediating role of relational capabilities on supply chain flexibility and retail performance, controlling for size, duration of relationship, and market segment. Findings Results showed that the three relational capabilities partially mediated the positive effect of CF and PCF on operational performance in big middle and niche retailers. Examining the interaction effect of the forms of flexibility on the relational capabilities and performance, the authors found positive interaction effects on TMS and OI but a non-significant effect on AC. Practical implications In addition to providing novel theoretical insights on supply chain flexibility, the findings have practical implications for supplier selection and buyer-supplier relationship management. Originality/value Overall, the study highlights the impacts of relational capabilities on adopted operational strategies such as flexibility, buyer-supplier relationships, and retail performance.

Demand-supply balancing in manufacturing operations

2016 ◽  
Vol 23 (3) ◽  
pp. 564-583 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joakim Coker ◽  
Petri Helo
Keyword(s):  
Supply Chain ◽  
Inventory Management ◽  
Demand Management ◽  
Chain Structure ◽  
Manufacturing Companies ◽  
Chain Flexibility ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Manufacturing Operations ◽  
Supply Chain Flexibility ◽  
Supply Chain Structure

Purpose – Demand-supply balancing (DSB) strategies and approaches are becoming increasingly important for manufacturing and operations. The purpose of this paper is to analyze practices of manufacturing companies and how they balance demand/supply in operations. Design/methodology/approach – Questionnaire-based interview has been conducted at 20 largest companies having manufacturing/operations in Finland. Findings – Supply chain structure, flexibility, demand management, capacity management, inventory management and revenue management are perceived as key practices for DSB. Research limitations/implications – The results show importance of supply chain-related parameters such as supply chain flexibility and inventory management in addition to production planning and control. The study is delimited to Finland companies but it gives an idea how decision making in operations generally can be perceived. Practical implications – DSB actions should be connected to operations strategy and long-term planning of the company. Originality/value – DSB is a strategic-level operations question which has an impact on several functions of supply chain.

scholarly journals Supply chain flexibility in dynamic environments

2018 ◽  
Vol 38 (3) ◽  
pp. 636-666 ◽  
Author(s):  
Araceli Rojo ◽  
Mark Stevenson ◽  
Francisco Javier Lloréns Montes ◽  
Maria Nieves Perez-Arostegui
Keyword(s):  
Supply Chain ◽  
Dynamic Capabilities ◽  
Dynamic Environments ◽  
Capabilities Approach ◽  
Structural Equations ◽  
Environmental Dynamism ◽  
Chain Flexibility ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Supply Chain Flexibility ◽  
The Relationship

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to analyse the relationship between environmental dynamism and supply chain flexibility (SCF) and to evaluate if two dynamic capabilities, i.e. operational absorptive capacity (OAC) and organisational learning (OL), are necessary competences for firms to develop such a responsive supply chain strategy as flexibility. Design/methodology/approach Hypothesised relationships are tested with survey data from 302 Spanish manufacturing firms using structural equations modelling. Findings Environmental dynamism is positively associated with both OAC and OL, and both dynamic capabilities enable SCF. The authors also find that the relationship between environmental dynamism and SCF is partially mediated by both dynamic capabilities. Research limitations/implications The study contributes to the literature, for example, by determining when it is advantageous to develop SCF, by specifying what capabilities a firm needs to develop to align SCF with the environment, and by opening the black box that is the relationship between the environment and SCF. Practical implications Managers should develop SCF via OAC and OL when they detect a high degree of environmental dynamism. Knowing when this is necessary relies on a good understanding of the environment. OAC is found to be a stronger enabler of SCF than OL. The findings provide managers with an insight into why some firms are able to develop more effective responses to dynamic environments than others. Originality/value This study is one of only a limited number of studies that adopt a dynamic capabilities approach to supply chain management. Prior literature has shown that dynamic capabilities can aid in developing strategic, structural, and operational flexibility. The authors extend this literature by showing that OAC and OL have an effect on SCF.

Mediating role of process simplification in process integration and upstream supply chain flexibility

2018 ◽  
Vol 67 (5) ◽  
pp. 825-844 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gaurav Goyal ◽  
Harsh Vardhan Samalia ◽  
Piyush Verma
Keyword(s):  
Supply Chain ◽  
Process Integration ◽  
Mediation Effect ◽  
Chain Flexibility ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Mediating Role ◽  
Supply Chain Flexibility ◽  
Management Commitment ◽  
Top Management Commitment

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to investigate the mediating role of process simplification on the relationship between process integration and upstream supply chain flexibility in Indian automotive organizations.Design/methodology/approachThe three-step mediation analysis was performed using SPSS macro PROCESS to assess the mediating role of process simplification on the relationship between process integration constructs: top management commitment and supplier relationship; and upstream supply chain flexibility.FindingsThe results indicate a complete mediation effect of process simplification between supplier relationship and upstream supply chain flexibility, while partial mediation effect is noticed between top management commitment and upstream supply chain flexibility.Practical implicationsFor Indian automotive managers, the study suggests that for improving the upstream supply chain flexibility, organizations must have a strategy towards improving the simplification of supply chain processes by upgrading technology and providing training to their suppliers. This understanding will help the automotive managers to simplify their upstream supply chain processes for gaining competitive positioning and maximizing the organizational profit.Originality/valueThis study has considered the mediating role of process simplification (a relatively less studied variable) specifically in the context of its impact on upstream supply chain flexibility. Also, the presented study explores this role in the Indian automotive domain which further enhances its value for both practitioners and researchers alike.

Prioritising dimensions of entrepreneurial orientation for supply chain flexibility development in an uncertain environment

2019 ◽  
Vol 30 (2) ◽  
pp. 483-505 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ruchi Mishra ◽  
Onkar Nath Mishra
Keyword(s):  
Supply Chain ◽  
Entrepreneurial Orientation ◽  
Analytical Approach ◽  
Methodological Approach ◽  
Focus Group Study ◽  
Chain Flexibility ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Case Study Analysis ◽  
Supply Chain Flexibility ◽  
Innovative Culture

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate the underlying relationships between entrepreneurial orientation and supply chain flexibility (SCF) in a market characterised by several uncertainties. Design/methodology/approach The study applies an explanatory sequential mixed method, in which an analytical approach is proposed and validated to establish the underlying relationships between environmental uncertainties, SCF, and entrepreneurial orientation. Thereafter, a focus group study is carried out to explain the findings of a case study analysis. Findings The study evaluates and prioritises dimensions of entrepreneurial orientation to develop SCF in a market characterised by several environmental uncertainties. It also develops a structured, effective, and flexible methodological approach to establish the relationships between environmental uncertainty, SCF, and entrepreneurial orientation. Research limitations/implications The study is limited to a single firm; therefore, the use of larger sample size can improve its generalisability. Practical implications Supply chain practitioners should emphasise on innovative culture to support SCF. The study also proposes an analytical approach to improve flexibility in the supply chain. Originality/value The study contributes to the area of interdisciplinary research by developing an integrated analytical approach that identifies and brings together concepts that existed in the disparate form in supply chain, flexibility, and entrepreneurship literature.

Effect of SCF on automobile industry performance during sales promotional schemes

2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sricharan Chirra ◽  
Dinesh Kumar
Keyword(s):  
Supply Chain ◽  
Performance Measures ◽  
Automobile Industry ◽  
Contact Method ◽  
Chain Flexibility ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Supply Chain Flexibility ◽  
Industry Performance ◽  
Interpretive Ranking Process ◽  
And Performance

PurposeIn today's competitive market subject to various uncertainties, supply chain flexibility (SCF) arose as a potential weapon to enhance the firm's performance. This paper model the effect of SCF on automobile industry performance during sales promotional schemes (SPS), which has turned out to be one of the most important marketing tools.Design/methodology/approachIn view of the literature and the expert opinion taken from an automobile OEM, the SCFs and performance measures pertaining to the SPS environment have been identified. For the purpose of ranking the SCFs with respect to the performance measures, the Interpretive Ranking Process (IRP) has been applied using the direct contact method as a means for establishing the contextual relationships between SCFs and performance measures and to draw the interpreting reasons behind them.FindingsThe findings of this study along with the validity and stability of the results assessed through the system graphs and sensitivity analysis demonstrate that flexibility at the procurement end followed by the organizational end has the highest impact on the performance of the company during SPS.Originality/valueAnalysis of SCFs in regard to performance measures during SPS helps improve supply chain performance and offer valuable insights to the practicing managers in decision-making. This study augments the flexibility literature, by clubbing the two independent research streams, SCF and SPS.

Total eclipse on business performance and mass personalization: how supply chain flexibility eclipses lean production direct effect

2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Juan Manuel Maqueira ◽  
Luciano Romualdo Novais ◽  
Sebastian Bruque
Keyword(s):  
Supply Chain ◽  
Business Performance ◽  
Lean Production ◽  
Mediating Effect ◽  
Supporting Evidence ◽  
Chain Flexibility ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Supply Chain Flexibility ◽  
Mass Personalization

Purpose This paper aims to analyze the mediating role of Supply Chain Flexibility on the interrelationships binding Lean Production implementation, Mass Personalization and business performance. Design/methodology/approach A random sample of 260 companies obtained from a population of 1,717 Spanish companies that occupy an intermediate position in the supply chain has been used to test the proposed hypothetical framework. Telephone surveys using a computerized system have been used to collect data, obtaining a response rate of 15.6 and a structural equation model has been designed to test the six proposed hypotheses. Findings Companies initially implement Lean Production to optimize Mass Personalization processes and improve business performance. However, in the presence of Supply Chain Flexibility, Lean Production implementation no longer has a direct impact on Mass Personalization and business performance, but it does have an indirect impact through the flexibility it achieves (shown as a total mediating path). Therefore, companies should implement Lean Production to achieve flexibility and thus optimize the Mass Personalization processes and obtain better performance. Originality/value Academics and business managers may have supporting evidence on the role played by the total mediating effect of Supply Chain Flexibility on the relationship between Lean Production, Mass Personalization and business performance. A better knowledge of these management resources and their relationship could affect the way researchers and practitioners approach them, becoming more aware of the important role of the supply chain in competitiveness.

Empirical research on the relationships between demand- and supply-side risk management practices and their impact on business performance

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sebastian Sturm ◽  
Nils-Ole Hohenstein ◽  
Hendrik Birkel ◽  
Gernot Kaiser ◽  
Evi Hartmann
Keyword(s):  
Risk Management ◽  
Supply Chain ◽  
Business Performance ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Equation Modeling ◽  
Supply Side ◽  
Chain Flexibility ◽  
Demand And Supply ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Supply Chain Flexibility

Purpose This paper integrates research on demand- and supply-side risk management practices to better explain how to achieve competitive advantage in dynamic business conditions. The purpose of this study is to develop a model linking supply chain flexibility, agility, robustness and resilience and to investigate its relationships and impact on business performance. Design/methodology/approach The authors conduct a review of existing literature to derive their hypotheses and operationalize the respective constructs. The formulated research model is then validated applying partial least squares structural equation modeling on survey data from 89 multi-national companies based in Europe. Findings The authors find a significant positive relationship between supply chain flexibility and supply chain agility as well as supply chain robustness and supply chain resilience, respectively. Additionally, it is argued that supply chain flexibility, agility and resilience have significant positive impact on individual dimensions of business performance. Originality/value The relationships between supply chain flexibility, agility, robustness, resilience and business performance are investigated and empirically validated altogether in a single model for the first time, providing a clear separation of these terms and shedding further light on the management of supply chain risks.

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