scholarly journals Supply chain evolution – theory, concepts and science

2016 ◽  
Vol 36 (12) ◽  
pp. 1696-1718 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bart L. MacCarthy ◽  
Constantin Blome ◽  
Jan Olhager ◽  
Jagjit Singh Srai ◽  
Xiande Zhao

Purpose Supply chains evolve and change in size, shape and configuration, and in how they are coordinated, controlled and managed. Some supply chains are mature and relatively unchanging. Some are subject to significant change. New supply chains may emerge and evolve for a variety of reasons. The purpose of this paper is to examine the nature of supply chain evolution and address the question “What makes a supply chain like it is?” Design/methodology/approach The paper analyses and develops key aspects, concepts and principal themes concerning the emergence and evolution of supply chains over their lifecycle. Findings The paper defines the supply chain lifecycle and identifies six factors that interact and may affect a supply chain over its lifecycle – technology and innovation, economics, markets and competition, policy and regulation, procurement and sourcing, supply chain strategies and re-engineering. A number of emergent themes and propositions on factors affecting a supply chain’s characteristics over its lifecycle are presented. The paper argues that a new science is needed to investigate and understand the supply chain lifecycle. Practical implications Supply chains are critical for the world economy and essential for modern life. Understanding the supply chain lifecycle and how supply chains evolve provides new perspectives for contemporary supply chain design and management. Originality/value The paper presents detailed analysis, critique and reflections from leading researchers on emerging, evolving and mature supply chains.

2017 ◽  
Vol 29 (6) ◽  
pp. 664-679 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yulia Panova ◽  
Eugene Korovyakovsky ◽  
Anton Semerkin ◽  
Ville Henttu ◽  
Weidong Li ◽  
...  

Purpose This research examines factors that determine the improvement of the Russian supply chain sustainability. The strategic business model incorporates ecological, social and economic aspects. Design/methodology/approach Considering Trans-Siberian Railway as a typical case, the study selected several cases or the parts of the primary rail connection with the affiliation of important neighbouring countries. The study uses quantitative analyses of a variety of size parameters (e.g. volumes of traffic, logistics costs, delivery distance and air pollutants). Findings The empirical findings stress that supply chains should favour in the future railway (or intermodal) connections for piggyback and containerised cargo. Herein lays the reason for the examination of all traditional factors affecting the modal choice and their complementation by the parameters to measure sustainability throughout the supply chains. The inclusion of the green practices positively affected the environmental, social and economic performance of the new approach. Research limitations/implications This research focuses on the delivery of cargo in containers and semi-trailers within wagons through the overland corridors. Despite the restrictive empirical findings within the national transport system, some elements can be representative of the international supply chains, provided that intermodal services are the most appropriate for the transportation over long distances. Practical implications Clients, media and regulatory bodies stress the consideration of environmental aspects at all stages of a global supply chain. Therefore, their adoption into strategic imperatives of local supply chains becomes inevitable. Originality/value An assessment of supply chains for longer distance transportation in Russia has not taken sustainability into account within cost analyses.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  

Purpose This paper aims to review the latest management developments across the globe and pinpoint practical implications from cutting-edge research and case studies. Design/methodology/approach This briefing is prepared by an independent writer who adds their own impartial comments and places the articles in context. Findings COVID-19 has had a dramatic and damaging effect on supply chains and distributors. This briefing considers why, and what strategies there may be to cope. Originality/value The briefing saves busy executives, strategists and researchers hours of reading time by selecting only the very best, most pertinent information and presenting it in a condensed and easy-to-digest format.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ying Yi ◽  
Phil Bremer ◽  
Damien Mather ◽  
Miranda Mirosa

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to facilitate the successful adoption of traceability technologies, such as blockchain, into food supply chains and facilitate the understanding of the barriers and enablers to their uptake by channel members' needs so that appropriate enabling strategy can be put in place.Design/methodology/approachIn this paper, an integrated framework involving five components was used as the methodology: (1) diffusion of innovation theory, (2) the innovation concept, (3) the business structure-conduct-performance paradigm, (4) legitimacy and (5) trust was developed and assessed for validity through interviewing 21 channel members, including distributors, wholesalers, Internet retailers and traditional retailers associated with a global fresh produce company's supply chain in China.FindingsBarriers negatively framing channel members' attitudes and decisions included a perceived lack of need owing to fresh produce having a short shelf life and being of low value and risk. However, the importance of traceability and the need for effective food recalls were not always understood among channel members, and distributed trust innovations were also suppressed by their lack of compatibility with the Chinese hierarchical culture.Originality/valueTo date, channel members' perception of innovations in food supply chains has not been considered in light of the components proposed in the integrated framework. The adapted framework used in this study ensured a comprehensive assessment of channel members' attitude and motivations toward traceability practices.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  

Purpose This paper aims to review the latest management developments across the globe and pinpoint practical implications from cutting-edge research and case studies. Design/methodology/approach This briefing is prepared by an independent writer who adds their own impartial comments and places the articles in context. Findings Supply chain disruption is a frequent outcome when a major crisis occurs. Organizations can become more resilient against such effects through a focus on key aspects of sustainability that can help increase the robustness of their supply chain Originality/value The briefing saves busy executives and researchers hours of reading time by selecting only the very best, most pertinent information and presenting it in a condensed and easy-to-digest format.


Author(s):  
Erik Hofmann ◽  
Jan Bosshard

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to summarize and analyze what is known regarding activity-based costing (ABC) applications in the context of supply chain management (SCM). The authors present a reference framework for practical implications and areas for future research in intra-firm and inter-organizational environments. Design/methodology/approach The findings underlie a systematic review methodology. Research gaps and guidance for further publications are derived from the reference framework based on ABC and SCM literature. Findings The review illustrates four main areas for further research: determination of the role of management accounting in SCM (including supply chain finance), integration of time-driven ABC with radio frequency identification (RFID) technology and automatic data collection, analysis of inter-organizational management tools in supply chains in multiple negotiation rounds, and standardization of cost accounting data in supply chains. Practical implications The review provides practitioners with three main recommendations: ABC applications require a solid data basis, organizational readiness, commitment from senior management, and an ABC management philosophy; open book accounting for inter-organizational cost information-sharing purposes needs institutional arrangements and economic incentive systems; and sharing costs and benefits among supply chain members requires a change of managers’ mind-set. Originality/value This paper reveals practical implications and provides new directions for research based on the reference framework. The paper contributes to the interdisciplinary topic between SCM and management accounting by providing a structured overview of 87 peer-reviewed articles from 1992 to 2016.


2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Faisal Talib ◽  
Saheim K Josaiman ◽  
Mohd. Nishat Faisal

PurposeTypically, adoption of sustainability in organizations are often done in an unstructured way without the consideration of other partners in the supply chain. The purpose of this paper is to suggest a coherent plan to improve sustainability in the supply chains utilizing ISO standards for environment and social responsibility.Design/methodology/approachThis paper draws on literature on ISO14000 and ISO26000 to derive a set of variables applicable to supply chains, which are then prioritized for real organizations utilizing analytic hierarchy process.FindingsThe findings highlight that not all the variables of environmental, social and economic responsibility are equally important. Besides, the work reported in this paper justifies the application of multi-criteria decision-making (AHP) to prioritize elements of sustainability in context supply chains. The suggested method is illustrated using inputs from large manufacturing companies in Qatar.Practical implicationsISO14000 and ISO26000 are well known standards; however, there was no effort to integrate these standards to improve sustainability in supply chains. The suggested methodology provides invaluable help to the managers to implement sustainability in a coherent manner across the supply chain.Originality/valueThe research contributes to the extant literature by proposing a new methodology based on the integration of three-approaches: Analytic Hierarchy Process, ISO14000 and ISO26000 systems.


2016 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. 256-271 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bei Zhang ◽  
Jiabao Lin ◽  
Renhuai Liu

Purpose This study aims to examine the factors shaping food firms’ intentions to control quality safety in the context of government regulation in China. Design/methodology/approach Based on 180 usable data samples collected via a survey, structural equation modeling and moderated multiple regression analysis were used to examine the research model. Findings It was found that quality safety capability, corporate social responsibility, collaboration between parties along supply chains and information-sharing among supply chain members have had different impacts on the intentions of food firms to control quality safety. It was also found that government regulation has a positive moderating effect on corporate social responsibility and on collaboration between organizations in a supply chain. Research limitations/implications This research is limited to a particular sample: i.e. the managers of food firms from Guangdong Province in China. Thus, the results need to be generalized to encompass wider samples. Originality/value Previous studies have not explained well the mechanisms by which quality safety control has been established among China’s food firms. This study builds a theoretical framework for the factors affecting intentions to control quality safety by examining issues from the perspectives of food firms and by taking into account the characteristics of food supply chains. This approach addresses the gaps in current understanding and provides practical support to promote quality safety among food firms in China.


2021 ◽  
Vol 26 (4) ◽  
pp. 467-480
Author(s):  
Mary Luz Olivares Tenorio ◽  
Stefano Pascucci ◽  
Ruud Verkerk ◽  
Matthijs Dekker ◽  
Tiny A.J.S. van Boekel

Purpose In this paper, a conceptual and methodological framework based on empirical evidence derived from the case of the Colombian Cape gooseberry (CG) supply chain is presented. Using this case study, this paper aims to contribute to the extant literature on the internationalization of food supply chains by explicitly considering the alignment of quality attributes and supply chain complexity as key elements to understand the process. Design/methodology/approach This research has been designed to be qualitative, inductive and exploratory, thus involving multiple data gathering methods and tools. More specifically, during the first stage of the empirical analysis, this study has mapped and analysed preferences and perceptions of product quality at both the consumer and supply chain levels. Then, this paper has analysed the degree of alignment and complexity in the supply chain and finally, this study has derived scenarios for the internationalization of the supply chain. Findings The results indicate tensions between supply chain actors related to quality attribute alignment and complexity, which have the potentials to impact the internationalization scenarios of the CG supply chain. Particularly the findings highlight how alignment and complexity of sourcing and product quality attributes can affect supply chain design strategies in different internationalization pathways of a niche food commodity. Research limitations/implications The findings have implications in terms of supply chain design perspectives. In fact, while an approach, which would consider only a transactional or governance perspective would have tackled the problems of misalignment – for example, between farmers and wholesalers or wholesalers and international traders/retailers – it would have ignored the problem of alignment caused at the retailing and consumption stage. In the attempt to internationalize the CG supply chain, farmers, processors and traders are misaligned in relation to the preferences of the targeted final consumers, Dutch/Western European consumers in the case. Practical implications Given the misalignment issues, this paper identifies a step by step approach as the most suitable pathway to design an internationalized supply chain because it allows the CG commodity supply chain to develop the potential market of credence quality-attribute by supporting the health-promoting compounds of the fruit. In this way, the CG supply chain could also progressively scale up and work on solving its misalignment issues by building a coordination structure of the chain, with quality control and logistics likely led by large retailers. Social implications The study indicates that a process of internalization related to a scenario of a “globalized commodity” can only emerge through processes of coordination and integration at the production level, likely led by forms of producers (farmers) associations or a network of producers and traders, leading to strong marketing activities and scale up in terms of volumes. This has profound social implications and calls for rethinking how this study designs the internationalization of niche commodity supply chains. Originality/value Through the application of a mixed methodology approach, in which conceptual, qualitative and quantitative methods have been combined, this paper has been able to identify alternative scenarios to the internationalization and the scale-up of a niche food commodity supply chain, with implications for its design and governance. More specifically in the conceptual model, the different scenarios have been related to the risk of misalignment. The model also identifies alternative pathways of internationalization which may or may not arise according to the way complexity unfolds. In the approach, this study has unpacked complexity by looking into two key dimensions: transactional complexity and quality-attribute complexity.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Remko van Hoek

PurposeThis paper considers CSCMP Supply Chain Hall of Famer Henry Ford's innovation and its transformative impact on supply chain management. Credited with the assembly line, Ford's innovation also included a supply chain design around the concept of flow, integrated supply and the enablement of economies of scale and productivity to drive down consumer prices and create affordable product for a growing market.Design/methodology/approachThis paper considers literature and builds upon the history of the innovation to consider supply chain implications and future opportunities to further the innovation into modern supply chains.FindingsFord did not “invent” the assembly line but he did build the supply chain around it. He stewarded core supply chain principles of great relevance well before they become popular, including a focus on lifelong learning, making failure safe, waste elimination and helping make the world a better place. There are many opportunities to continue to build upon the innovation for future supply chain success.Originality/valueThe supply chain field is sometimes said to be “historically challenged.” This paper reviews the essence and lessons learned from the assembly line and supply chain design and the leadership principles of Henry Ford and the Ford production system. We also connect leadership principles of the Ford supply chain to those of Ohno and Deming to map out the evolution of the Ford supply chain management approach over multiple decades and into the supply chain body of knowledge. Finally, we reflect upon how supply chain design aspects of the Ford supply chain may need to further evolve into the future. Based upon this reflection we recommend opportunities for further research and innovation that build upon the supply chain management roots provided by Henry Ford.


Author(s):  
Graham C. Stevens ◽  
Mark Johnson

Purpose – Twenty-five years ago IJPDLM published “Integrating the Supply Chain” (Stevens, 1989). The purpose of that original work was to examine the state-of-the-art in supply chain management (SCM). There have been substantial changes to the landscape within which supply chains function and changes to supply chains themselves. Given these changes it is appropriate to re-visit what is the new state-of-the art and determine whether the 1989 conceptualization requires extending. The authors also attempt to assess whether the evolution of SCM is associated with improved financial performance. The paper aims to discuss these issues. Design/methodology/approach – The authors take a conceptual approach to suggest that SCM is undergoing a transition to devolved, collaborative supply chain clusters. In addition, the authors consider imperatives and models for supply chain change and development. In line with the 1989 work, many of the observations in this invited paper are based on the primary author’s experience. The authors use a selection of financial data from leading firms to assess whether benefits attributed to SCM and changes in supply chain operating models have affected financial performance. Findings – The authors formalize a model for the dynamics of SCM change. The authors also synthesize a number of models of SCM that extend the original, highly cited work. These include goal-oriented networks and devolved, collaborative supply chain clusters. The authors also find the associations between the evolution of SCM and measures of firm financial performance over time to be equivocal. Practical implications – This work proposes two additional operating models that firms can implement in order to improve the efficacy of their supply chains. Originality/value – The authors extend Stevens (1989) original work by synthesizing a number of additional models for SCI.


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