scholarly journals Co-innovation toolbox for demand-supply chain synchronisation

2019 ◽  
Vol 39 (4) ◽  
pp. 573-593 ◽  
Author(s):  
Erno Salmela ◽  
Janne Huiskonen

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to promote decision-making structures between the customer and the supplier in a highly uncertain environment. This phenomenon of demand-supply chain synchronisation includes sharing of high-quality and timely demand and supply information in order to improve the quality and speed of decision-making. Design/methodology/approach The study was carried out as an abductive case study, which started from empirical observations that did not match the prior theoretical framework. Through abductive reasoning and empirical experiments, the prior framework was extended to a new synchronisation model and tools that better accommodate the observed need. Findings A new co-innovation toolbox was developed to create common understanding of demand-supply chain synchronisation between the customer and the supplier. The toolbox includes Demand Visibility Point-Demand Penetration Point, Supply Visibility Point–Supply Penetration Point and Integrative Synchronisation tools. Research limitations/implications The study extends the current models and tools of demand-supply chain synchronisation. With the new toolbox, the development needs of decision-making structures can be identified more comprehensively than with the current tools. Practical implications The developed visual toolbox helps partners create a common understanding of problems and development possibilities in demand-supply chain synchronisation in a highly uncertain environment. Common understanding is a starting point for changing decision-making structures to improve the overall performance of a demand-supply chain. Originality/value The new toolbox is both more comprehensive and more detailed than the previous tools.

2019 ◽  
Vol 30 (3) ◽  
pp. 821-844 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yasmine Sabri

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to develop exploratory propositions and a conceptual framework on the interaction between organisational structure (decision-making centralisation and internal coordination) and the relationship between supply chain fit and firm performance. Design/methodology/approach Through a case study, two corporate groups with distinctive organisational structures were examined; both are undergoing a critical moment of changes to their top management and are reshaping their corporate and supply chain strategies. Data on decision-making centralisation, internal coordination mechanisms, supply, demand and innovation uncertainties, and supply chain strategies were collected from key respondents. Findings The analysis conducted suggests the need to consider the joint interaction between organisational structure and supply chain fit in offsetting the implications of a potential misfit on firm performance. Furthermore, the context sensitivity of a supply chain is often overlooked, hence simply modifying supply chain strategy does not necessarily lead to a variation in firm performance. Practical implications This research is of particular importance to most organisations in the testing times of uncertainty in the global landscape. It guides supply chain practitioners to better understand which elements of the organisational structure interact with the uncertainty of supply, demand and innovation. Originality/value This paper is one of the first to investigate the interaction between elements of organisational structure and supply chain fit and identify decision-making centralisation and coordination as the internal uncertainty factors that are most relevant to supply chain fit research. A conceptual framework has been built for future testing, in which the organisational structure moderates the relationship between supply chain fit and firm performance.


2015 ◽  
Vol 20 (3) ◽  
pp. 341-352 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gary Graham ◽  
Rashid Mehmood ◽  
Eve Coles

Purpose – The purpose of this technical viewpoint is to provide a commentary of how we went about using logistics prototyping as a method to engage citizens, science fiction (SF) writers and small- to medium- sized enterprises (SME’s). Six urban logistic prototypes built on the themes of future cities, community resilience and urban supply chain management (SCM) are summarized, together with details of the data collection procedure and the methodological challenges encountered. Our investigation aimed to explore the potential of logistics prototyping to develop “user-driven” and “SME” approaches to future city design and urban supply chain decision-making. Design/methodology/approach – This Boston field experiment was a case study investigation conducted between May and August 2013. Qualitative data was collected using a “mixed-method” approach combining together focus groups (MIT faculty), scenarios, prototyping workshops, interviews and document analysis. These story-creators could use the prototype method as a way of testing their hypotheses, theories and constrained speculations with regard to specified future city and urban supply chain scenarios. Findings – This viewpoint suggests that the prototyping method allows for unique individual perspectives on future city planning and urban supply chain design. This work also attempts to demonstrate that prototyping can create sufficiently cogent environments for future city and urban SCM theories to be both detected and analysed therein. Although this is an experimental field of the SCM theory building, more conventional theories could also be “tested” in the same manner. Research limitations/implications – By embedding logistics prototyping within a mixed method approach, we might be criticized as constraining its capability to map out the future – that its potential to be flexible and imaginative are held back by the equal weighting given to the more conventional component. In basing our case study within one city then this might be seen as limiting the complexity of the empirical context – however, the situation within different cities is inherently complex. Case studies also attract criticism on the grounds of not being representative; in this situation, they might be criticized as imperfect indicators of what transpires in other situations. However, this technical viewpoint suggests that in spite of its limitations, prototyping facilitates an imaginative and creative approach to theory generation and concept building. Practical implications – The methodology allows everyday citizens and SME’s to develop user-driven foresight and planning scenarios with city strategists’ and urban logistic designers. It facilitates much broader stakeholder involvement in city and urban supply chain policymaking, than current “quantitative” approaches. Social implications – Logistics fiction prototyping provides a democratic approach to future city planning and urban supply chain design. It involves collectively imagining socio-technical futures and second-order sociological effects through the writing of SF narratives or building “design fictions”. Originality/value – Decision-making in future cities and urban SCM is often a notable challenge, balancing the varying needs and claims of multiple stakeholders, while negotiating an acceptable trade-off between their competing claims. Engagement with stakeholders and active encouragement of stakeholder participation in the supply chain aspects of future cities is increasingly a feature of twenty-first century social decision-making. This viewpoint suggests that the prototyping method allows for unique individual perspectives on future city planning and urban supply chain design. This work also attempts to demonstrate that prototyping can create sufficiently cogent environments for future city and the urban SCM theories to be both detected and analysed therein. Although this is an experimental field of SCM theory building, more conventional theories could also be “tested” in the same manner.


2015 ◽  
Vol 28 (3) ◽  
pp. 377-399 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael Essig ◽  
Andreas H. Glas ◽  
Josef Gutsmiedl

Purpose – Given the high importance of information systems for procurement, surprisingly there have been little efforts to analyze the process and the relevant reasons for the procurement decision of such systems from a stakeholder perspective. The purpose of this paper is to explore these aspects in the context of low-value (C-)parts. Design/methodology/approach – Research is based on a case study in a pre-fabricator company in Germany and analyzes the process to procure a system for sourcing low-value parts. Findings – As a finding, the procurement process and decision attributes have been integrated into a framework which supports corporate decision-making considering the procurement reasons of all involved stakeholders (internal departments, external customers and suppliers). Research limitations/implications – Research is based on case study analysis. Findings are specific to case companies and the environment in which they operate. The framework should be tested further in different contexts. Practical implications – The developed decision frame supports the evaluation of different sourcing information systems, including clearly measurable criteria but also qualitative or company-strategic decision attributes. Originality/value – The combination of financial and other perspectives (operations, information technology (IT)-administration, system users, etc.), is used to evolve a robust ex-ante instrument for supporting buying decisions for procurement information systems. The case description also illustrates the findings and develops new insights about stakeholders and buying groups decision-making for information systems.


2016 ◽  
Vol 31 (2) ◽  
pp. 137-151 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shrikant Gorane ◽  
Ravi Kant

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to predict the success possibility of supply chain practices (SCPs) implementation based on ten selected SCPs using the analytic hierarchy process (AHP). Design/methodology/approach – A case study was conducted, and for the same, data were collected from two organizations. The data collected from both the organizations were analyzed using AHP. The pair-wise comparisons of SCPs (usually, alternatives and attributes) are established using a scale indicating the strength with which one SCP dominates another with respect to higher-level SCPs. This scaling process then translated into priority weights. Once the priority weights of the elements/determinants of the module have been calculated, the presence of the corresponding element in the organization was evaluated. An evaluation rating of these elements multiplied by the established priority weights have determined the prediction weight for each SCP. Findings – The application of this procedure is described for the institutionalization module and can be similarly extended to the other SCPs/SCM implementation modules. By establishing the prediction weight for each module, the organizations will be able to evaluate the strength of the corresponding factors present before embarking on the SCPs. The organization can identify and create awareness of the essential elements in the SCPs implementation process and identify the actions necessary before implementing SCPs. The AHP can be a useful guide in the decision-making process of SCPs implementation, especially for medium- and large-scale organizations. Research limitations/implications – The priority weights are subjective and assigned as per the judgment of SCM managers from both the organizations. Further, the priority weights can be obtained from more industry experts through a questionnaire. Second, in this model, only ten practices are taken into consideration for successful SCPs implementation; more practices may be included in future research. Practical implications – The methodological approach presented can be a useful guide in the decision-making process of SCPs implementation in an organization. The outcome will aid practitioners to know the SCPs and benchmark the organizations on the basis of the methodological research conducted. Again, this model can simply act as a possible research model and the data can act as an example that can be utilized for other studies. Originality/value – This is the first kind of study which identified ten SCPs and further deployed AHP approach to see the success possibility of combined SCPs that influence the SCM implementation in an organization.


Author(s):  
Jesper Normann Asmussen ◽  
Jesper Kristensen ◽  
Brian Vejrum Wæhrens

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to investigate how management attention and supply chain complexity affect the decision-making process and cost estimation accuracy of supply chain design (SCD) decisions.Design/methodology/approachThe research follows an embedded case study design. Through the lens of the behavioural theory of the firm, the SCD decision process and realised outcomes are investigated through longitudinal data collection across ten embedded cases with varying degrees of supply chain decision-making complexity and management attention.FindingsThe findings suggest that as supply chain decision-making complexity increases, cost estimation accuracy decreases. The extent to which supply chain decision-making complexity is readily recognised influences the selection of strategies for information search and analysis and, thus, impacts resulting cost estimation errors. The paper further shows the importance of management attention for cost estimation accuracy, especially management attention based on conflicting goals induce behaviours that improve estimation ability.Research limitations/implicationsA framework proposing a balance between supply chain decision-making complexity and management attention in SCD decisions is proposed. However, as an embedded case study the research would benefit from replication to externally validate results.Originality/valueThe method used in this study can identify how supply chain complexity is related to cost estimation errors and how management attention is associated with behaviours that improve cost estimation accuracy, indicating the importance of management attention in complex supply chain decision-making.


2019 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
pp. 38-49 ◽  
Author(s):  
B. K. Handoyo ◽  
M. R. Mashudi ◽  
H. P. Ipung

Current supply chain methods are having difficulties in resolving problems arising from the lack of trust in supply chains. The root reason lies in two challenges brought to the traditional mechanism: self-interests of supply chain members and information asymmetry in production processes. Blockchain is a promising technology to address these problems. The key objective of this paper is to present qualitative analysis for blockchain in supply chain as the decision-making framework to implement this new technology. The analysis method used Val IT business case framework, validated by the expert judgements. The further study needs to be elaborated by either the existing organization that use blockchain or assessment by the organization that will use blockchain to improve their supply chain management.


Author(s):  
Anuj Dixit ◽  
Srikanta Routroy ◽  
Sunil Kumar Dubey

Purpose This paper aims to review the healthcare supply chain (HSC) literature along various areas and to find out the gap in it. Design/methodology/approach In total, 143 research papers were reviewed during 1996-2017. A critical review was carried out in various dimensions such as research methodologies/data collection method (empirical, case study and literature review) and inquiry mode of research methodology (qualitative, quantitative and mixed), country-specific, targeted area, research aim and year of publication. Findings Supply chain (SC) operations, performance measurement, inventory management, lean and agile operation, and use of information technology were well studied and analyzed, however, employee and customer training, tracking and visibility of medicines, cold chain management, human resource practices, risk management and waste management are felt to be important areas but not much attention were made in this direction. Research limitations/implications Mainly drug and vaccine SC were considered in current study of HSC while SC along healthcare equipment and machine, hospitality and drug manufacturing related papers were excluded in this study. Practical implications This literature review has recognized and analyzed various issues relevant to HSC and shows the direction for future research to develop an efficient and effective HSC. Originality/value The insight of various aspects of HSC was explored in general for better and deeper understanding of it for designing of an efficient and competent HSC. The outcomes of the study may form a basis to decide direction of future research.


2015 ◽  
Vol 20 (2) ◽  
pp. 128-138 ◽  
Author(s):  
Juan Carlos Pérez Mesa ◽  
Emilio Galdeano-Gómez

Purpose – This purpose of this study is to provide empirical evidence of how cooperation is related to suppliers’ performance, a relationship that is thought to be affected by the type of customer and the extent to which the market is diversified. It analyzes horticultural exporting firms in southeastern Spain, which are the main suppliers of European markets. Together with their primary customers (large-scale retail companies such as Carrefour, Tesco and Aldi), these firms constitute a complex supply network composed of a variety of agents and sales channels. This network will be studied from the perspective of the supplier–supplier relationship that is critical to their survival. Design/methodology/approach – Starting with a detailed description of Europe’s vegetable supply chain, a hierarchical regression is used with an index of cooperation intensity, moderated by retail sales and market concentration. The authors test the hypotheses using panel data on a set of 118 horticultural marketing firms in southeast Spain for the period 2009-2011. Findings – Cooperation strategies are shown to have positive effects on performance (market creation, promotion, quality, training, joint supply purchases and research ventures). Moreover, the retail channel and market diversification are observed to have a positive effect on the relationship between cooperation and the supplier’s performance. They demonstrate that active cooperation strategies have a greater bearing on performance in those firms whose primary customers are retailers. This circumstance provides evidence of the synergies and benefits that may arise when the supplier integrates the retailer in the supply chain, but which do not arise with other types of customers. Research limitations/implications – Although this study refers to a specific sector (fruits and vegetables) and the statistical results are limited, they provide insights that may assist in understanding how other perishable produce-related industries work: such industries share many common features. Practical implications – A more stable relationship between suppliers and retailers in the perishable produce market will render the supply firm more cooperative, competitive and profitable. Increased performance does not arise from the better conditions and improved sales power offered by the customer but instead from the adaptability of the supplier. Likewise, market diversification drives the supply firm toward a cooperative strategy, making it more profitable and competitive. As a practical norm, market diversification alone will not have positive results on performance unless the firm proves capable of enhancing its capacity for cooperation. Social implications – Proper management of the agricultural produce supply chain has repercussions on all of the members of that chain, although special emphasis should be placed on producers and consumers. The availability of food, its quality and its safety depend on management during the production phase. Along these lines, and more specifically for the consumer, this work is relevant because the sector analyzed accounts for 40 per cent of the vegetables consumed in Europe. Originality/value – This article defends the supplier–supplier relationship as the starting point for the analysis of a supply network. In certain sectors, the suppliers’ ability both to solve their clients’ problems and to be profitable is conditioned on maintaining the network and, therefore, the basic focus must center on analyzing their relationships, always including the customer, who has a direct or indirect influence on those relationships. Previous research has not comprehensively addressed this issue, let alone that of a sector with agile and perishable products in which, due to its nature, decision-making about market destinations and sales channels is the order of the day.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Harmen S. Wijbenga ◽  
Paul C. van Fenema ◽  
Nynke Faber

Purpose The purpose of the study is to diagnose recurrent logistics problems in a public organization’s network of logistics entities, determining the maturity level of each supply chain (SC) function, and trying to link problems within the SC functions to the maturity level by using the case study method. Design/methodology/approach Extant research on supply chain management (SCM) maturity is combined with notions of SC flows and disciplines. The resulting SCM Disciplines Maturity model comprises multiple diagnostic steps. It is illustrated by means of a developmental case study at a large public organization facing recurrent logistics problems in routine processes. Findings The model is shown to be a useful instrument to obtain insight into linkages between recurrent logistics problems and the way an SCM organization harbors multiple SCM disciplines. Originality/value The paper examines recurrent logistics problems in relation to SCM maturity, a relatively unknown research subject. It shows how SCM maturity thinking can support the diagnosis of recurrent problems. In a rapidly changing world, it enables further research on diagnosis as a dynamic capability.


Kybernetes ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Guangsheng Zhang ◽  
Xiao Wang ◽  
Zhiqing Meng ◽  
Qirui Zhang ◽  
Kexin Wu

PurposeTo remedy the inherent defect in current research that focuses only on a single type of participants, this paper endeavors to look into the situation as an evolutionary game between a representative Logistics Service Integrator (LSI) and a representative Functional Logistics Service Provider (FLSP) in an environment with sudden crisis and tries to analyze how LSI supervises FLSP's operations and how FLSP responds in a recurrent pattern with different interruption probabilities.Design/methodology/approachRegarding the risks of supply chain interruption in emergencies, this paper develops a two-level model of single LSI and single FLSP, using Evolutionary Game theory to analyze their optimal decision-making, as well as their strategic behaviors on different risk levels regarding the interruption probability to achieve the optimal return with bounded rationality.FindingsThe results show that on a low-risk level, if LSI increases the degree of punishment, it will fail to enhance FLSP's operational activeness in the long term; when the risk rises to an intermediate level, a circular game occurs between LSI and FLSP; and on a high level of risk, FLSP will actively take actions, and its functional probability further impacts LSI's strategic choices. Finally, this paper analyzes the moderating impact of punishment intensity and social reputation loss on the evolutionary model in emergencies and provides relevant managerial implications.Originality/valueFirst, by taking both interruption probability and emergencies into consideration, this paper explores the interactions among the factors relevant to LSI's and FLSP's optimal decision-making. Second, this paper analyzes the optimal evolutionary game strategies of LSI and FLSP with different interruption probability and the range of their optimal strategies. Third, the findings of this paper provide valuable implications for relevant practices, such that the punishment intensity and social reputation loss determine the optimal strategies of LSI and FLSP, and thus it is an effective vehicle for LSSC system administrator to achieve the maximum efficiency of the system.


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