An exploration of supply chain integration in the retail product returns process

2013 ◽  
Vol 43 (7) ◽  
pp. 586-608 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael Bernon ◽  
John Upperton ◽  
Marko Bastl ◽  
John Cullen
Keyword(s):  
Supply Chain ◽  
Single Case ◽  
Case Study Research ◽  
Research Strategy ◽  
Supply Chain Integration ◽  
Reverse Supply Chain ◽  
Product Returns ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Chain Processes ◽  
Process Context

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to empirically explore supply chain integration (SCI) enabling practices, their benefits and barriers in a retail product returns process context. Design/methodology/approach – The study adopts a case study research strategy. It draws on a single case, comprised of an original equipment manufacturer (OEM) and its two retailers. It utilizes an in-depth semi structured interviewing approach, combined with walk-through observations. Findings – The study finds that management of retail product returns can significantly benefit both an OEM and its customers when appropriate SCI enabling practices are deployed. While these practices are similar to those in forward supply chain processes, barriers are driven by the characteristics of product returns processes. Research limitations/implications – The limitations of this study stem primarily from its methodological design. A single case research strategy provides a limited opportunity for external generalization of the research findings. Practical implications – This study illustrates the value of SCI initiatives in product returns processes and informs managers ' decision making in the planning and execution of similar SCI implementations in product returns processes. Originality/value – This research claims to be one of the first works that systematically and empirically explores SCI in reverse supply chain processes, as opposed to forward supply chain processes.

Supply chain integration and coordination for international sourcing in the context of China’s processing trade

2018 ◽  
Vol 118 (9) ◽  
pp. 1730-1748 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mingu Kang ◽  
Kihyun Park ◽  
Ma Ga (Mark) Yang ◽  
Mark H. Haney
Keyword(s):  
Supply Chain ◽  
Single Case ◽  
Supply Chain Integration ◽  
Processing Trade ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Study Approach ◽  
International Sourcing ◽  
Three Stages ◽  
Simple Assembly

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore how a foreign invested manufacturing company’s (FIMC) components sourcing process evolves in order to improve its supply chain outcomes in the context of China’s processing trade. Design/methodology/approach Grounded in the theory bases of the international sourcing process and supply chain integration, this study utilizes a single-case-study approach with a small- to medium-sized FIMC engaged in China’s processing trade. Findings This study identifies three stages of the components sourcing process: simple assembly stage, components localization stage and supply chain integration stage. In addition, the case study suggests that the type of processing trade evolves from processing with supplied materials to processing with imported materials as the sourcing process proceeds through the three stages and the internal and external environments change. Originality/value To our knowledge, this paper is the first to focus on an FIMC’s components sourcing process in the context of China’s processing trade. It contributes to a better understanding of how FIMCs progress through the components sourcing process and apply different types of processing trade in China to maximize their supply chain outcomes.

Analyzing disposition strategies in reverse supply chains: fuzzy TOPSIS approach

2018 ◽  
Vol 29 (3) ◽  
pp. 427-443 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rajesh Kumar Singh ◽  
Saurabh Agrawal
Keyword(s):  
Supply Chain ◽  
Literature Review ◽  
Supply Chains ◽  
Single Case ◽  
Cell Phones ◽  
Fuzzy Topsis ◽  
Reverse Supply Chain ◽  
Manufacturing Firm ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Reverse Supply Chains

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore the product disposition strategies in reverse supply chains and to develop a framework to prioritize these strategies for effective reverse supply chain implementation. Design/methodology/approach The disposition strategies, based on the literature review, were selected, and the fuzzy TOPSIS methodology had been applied for the prioritization of these disposition strategies. A case of cell phone manufacturing firm is discussed for the illustration and validation of the methodology. Three respondents from the firm helped in exploring the disposition strategies and data collection of the firm. Findings The results of the study show that dissemble and recycle is the most preferred disposition strategy for the firm. Redistribution of returned products after their refurbishing is second most prioritized disposition strategy. Landfill and incineration of cell phones is the last and least preferred option for the firm. Research limitations/implications The study will provide useful guidance to the firm for disposition decision making of cell phones returned to the firm. It will help academicians and practitioners for evaluating, improving, and benchmarking the disposition strategies for the disposition of returned cell phones. One of the limitations of the study is that it only considers the single case of manufacturing firm. In future, more case studies may be carried out for generalization of the results. Originality/value It is evident from the literature review that there are very few studies on disposition decisions in reverse supply chain. Also, disposition strategies for cell phones are first time being explored and prioritized. Hence, this study can be viewed as an attempt to increase the level of awareness on reverse supply chain issues.

scholarly journals The impact of private label foods on supply chain governance

2014 ◽  
Vol 116 (7) ◽  
pp. 1106-1127 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ilias P. Vlachos
Keyword(s):  
Supply Chain ◽  
Consumer Satisfaction ◽  
Single Case ◽  
Case Study Research ◽  
Private Label ◽  
Sources Of Information ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Supply Chain Governance ◽  
The Impact

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to investigate the impact of the introduction of private label (PL) foods upon the governance of the food supply chains. Design/methodology/approach – The authors conducted a multi-case study research examining the launch and development of PL cheeses in four large national-wide retail chains. The paper focused on the category of Products of Designated Origin (PDO) cheeses, including the popular feta cheese. Data collection involved semi-structured interviews and secondary sources of information. Data analysis involved single-case and within-case analyses. Findings – There is a strong motive to launch and develop PL cheeses due to increasing consumer demand. Retailers choose suppliers based on criteria such as: compliance to quality assurance standards, modernisation of processing facilities, implementation of legislation, credibility, experience, and reputation. Retailers use contracts and prefer small suppliers than medium-sized companies. Supply chain governance turns from market to hierarchy status, which performs better in terms of supply chain cost, food quality, and consumer satisfaction. The structure of food industry is also affected by pressure put on medium-sized food companies. Research limitations/implications – The paper is based on a multiple case study design that does not provide static generalisations, yet it offers a stepping stone to building new theory about supply chain governance, how it evolves and its effects on supply chain performance. Practical implications – The introduction of PL cheeses favours small and dynamic cheese processing units willing to adopt retailer standards and prices over larger units, which poses a real threat to the survival of regional-wide food companies. Originality/value – Few studies have examined how supply chain governance evolves and what triggers a change in governance structures.

Forecasting product returns for recycling in Indian electronics industry

2014 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 102-114 ◽  
Author(s):  
Saurabh Agrawal ◽  
Rajesh K. Singh ◽  
Qasim Murtaza
Keyword(s):  
Supply Chain ◽  
Life Cycle ◽  
Product Life Cycle ◽  
Real Life ◽  
Supply Chain Design ◽  
Reverse Supply Chain ◽  
Product Returns ◽  
Supply Chain System ◽  
Product Life ◽  
Content Type

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to develop a model for forecasting product returns to the company for recycling in terms of quantity and time. Design/methodology/approach – Graphical Evaluation and Review Technique (GERT) has been applied for developing the forecasting model for product returns. A case of Indian mobile manufacturing company is discussed for the validation of this model. Survey conducted by the company and findings from previous research were used for data collection on probabilities and product life cycle. Findings – Product returns for their recycling are stochastic, random and uncertain. Therefore, to address the uncertainty, randomness and stochastic nature of product returns, GERT is very useful tool for forecasting product returns. Practical implications – GERT provides the visual picture of the reverse supply chain system and helps in determining the expected time of product returns in a much easier way but it requires probabilities of different flows and product life cycle. Both factors vary over a period, so require data update time to time before implementation. Originality/value – This model is developed by considering all possible flows of sold products from customer to their reuse, store or recycle or landfill. First time this type of real life flows have been considered and GERT has been applied for forecasting product returns. This model can be utilized by managers for better forecasting that will help them for effective reverse supply chain design.

scholarly journals Supply chain integration in the product return process: A study of consumer electronics retailers

2017 ◽  
Vol 17 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Wesley Niemann ◽  
Theuns Kotzé ◽  
Wynand Mostert
Keyword(s):  
Supply Chain ◽  
Research Strategy ◽  
Consumer Electronics ◽  
Supply Chain Integration ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Product Returns ◽  
Generic Qualitative ◽  
Internal Integration ◽  
Flow Of Information ◽  
Return Process

Background: The increasing complexity and levels of competition facing firms have reiterated the need to integrate the flow of goods and information within and between firms. Limited research has, however, been done regarding this integration in terms of reverse logistics.Purpose: The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore the perspectives of retailers regarding supply chain integration in the context of product returns for consumer electronics.Method: A generic qualitative research strategy was used for this purpose. Ten semi-structured interviews were conducted with managerial staff involved with the product returns process at large retailers.Findings: The main findings indicate that the retailers made efforts to increase internal integration relating to improving information availability, aligning cross functional processes and improving inter-firm relationships. External integration efforts attempted to improve the intra-firm flow of information, reduce the number products returned to suppliers, expedite the returns process in specific instances and align processes. A narrow supplier-orientated span of integration was identified in this context, with integration efforts mainly targeting the start of the returns process to reduce return volumes. The study identified benefits attributed to both internal and external integration and barriers to internal and external integration relating to transactional relationships and suppliers who are incapable of integration.Contribution: Academically, this study expands the literature on supply chain integration in an unexplored context. For managers, this study identifies various reverse logistics integration barriers and details what practices and strategies improve the probability of successful integration efforts.

Exploring the processing of product returns from a complex adaptive system perspective

2019 ◽  
Vol 30 (3) ◽  
pp. 699-722
Author(s):  
Jennifer A. Espinosa ◽  
Donna Davis ◽  
James Stock ◽  
Lisa Monahan
Keyword(s):  
Supply Chain ◽  
Complex Adaptive Systems ◽  
Adaptive Systems ◽  
Dynamic Environment ◽  
Reverse Supply Chain ◽  
Product Returns ◽  
Individual Agent ◽  
System Perspective ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Complex Adaptive

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore the processing of product returns at five case companies using a complex adaptive systems (CAS) logic to identify agent interactions, organization, schema, learning and the emergence of adaptations in the reverse supply chain. Design/methodology/approach Using a multiple-case study design, this research applies abductive reasoning to examine data from in-depth, semi-structured interviews and direct researcher observations collected during site visits at case companies. Findings Costly or high-risk returns may require agents to specialize the depth of their mental schema. Processing agents need freedom to interact, self-organize and learn from other agents to generate emergent ideas and adapt. Practical implications Limiting the depth of individual agent schema allows managers to better allocate labor to processing product returns during peak volume. To boost adaptability, managers need to craft a dynamic environment that encourages agents with diverse schema to interact, anticipate, and self-organize to brainstorm new ideas. Managers need to resist the urge to “control” the dynamic environment that ensues. Originality/value This paper builds on existing research that studies the key decision points in the analysis of product returns by exploring how processing-agent behaviors can create adaptability in the reverse supply chain. Additionally, this research follows in the tradition of Choi et al. (2001) and Surana et al. (2005) and proposes the application of CAS to a specific part of the supply chain – the processing of product returns.

The effect of high-involvement human resource management practices on supply chain integration

2015 ◽  
Vol 45 (8) ◽  
pp. 716-746 ◽  
Author(s):  
Baofeng Huo ◽  
Zhaojun Han ◽  
Haozhe Chen ◽  
Xiande Zhao
Keyword(s):  
Supply Chain ◽  
Resource Management ◽  
Human Resource Management ◽  
Human Resource ◽  
Estimation Method ◽  
Supply Chain Integration ◽  
Equation Modeling ◽  
High Involvement ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Hrm Practices

Purpose – Taking an interdisciplinary approach, the purpose of this paper is to combine concepts from human resource management (HRM) and supply chain management (SCM) fields and explore the effects of high-involvement HRM practices on supply chain integration (SCI). Design/methodology/approach – Using empirical survey data collected from ten countries, the authors examine the specific effects of three dimensions of high-involvement HRM practices – employee skills, incentives and participation – on three types of SCI – internal integration, supplier and customer integration. The authors use structural equation modeling and the maximum-likelihood estimation method to test the proposed relationships. Findings – The results confirm the overall relevancy of HRM to SCI. However, several proposed links are not supported by the data collected. Originality/value – This study makes both theoretical and managerial contributions by empirically examining the interface between HRM and SCI. More specifically, it examines the effects of different high-involvement HRM practices on different types of SCI. The findings will not only help researchers to better understand the interface, but will also guide managers in adjusting HRM practices to achieve desired operational goals.

Market responsiveness: antecedents and the moderating role of external supply chain integration

2017 ◽  
Vol 32 (1) ◽  
pp. 30-45 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tuan Luu
Keyword(s):  
Supply Chain ◽  
Supply Chain Integration ◽  
Manufacturing Companies ◽  
Data Set ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Business Context ◽  
Market Responsiveness ◽  
Positive Effect ◽  
Ambidextrous Leadership

Purpose The interaction between opening and closing behaviors of ambidextrous leadership produces “change” force throughout the organization in proactive response to market forces. This research aims to assess the role of ambidextrous leadership in fostering entrepreneurial orientation (EO) and market responsiveness. The research also seeks an insight into how external supply chain integration moderates the positive effect of EO on market responsiveness. Design/methodology/approach Research data were collected from 327 meso-level managers and 517 subordinates from chemical manufacturing companies in the Vietnam business context. Findings Research findings shed light on the positive effect of ambidextrous leadership on EO, which in turn contributes to market responsiveness. The moderation role that external supply chain integration plays on the EO–market responsiveness linkage was also grounded on the data set. Originality/value Through the identification of the predictive roles of ambidextrous leadership and EO for market responsiveness, the current research indicates the convergence between leadership, EO and market responsiveness research streams.

Effects of cloud computing assimilation on supply chain financing risks of SMEs

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Qiang Lu ◽  
Jinliang Chen ◽  
Hua Song ◽  
Xiangyu Zhou
Keyword(s):  
Cloud Computing ◽  
Supply Chain ◽  
Small And Medium Enterprises ◽  
Supply Chain Integration ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Supply Chain Financing ◽  
Medium Enterprises ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Moderating Role

Purpose The purpose of this study is to examine how cloud computing assimilation reduces supply chain financing (SCF) risks of small and medium enterprises (SMEs). This study also investigated the mediating roles of internal and external supply chain integration between cloud computing assimilation and the SCF risks of SMEs, as well as the moderating role of environmental competitiveness. Design/methodology/approach Data was collected from surveys of SMEs located in China. Multiple regression analysis was used to validate the proposed theoretical model and research hypotheses. Findings The findings show that cloud computing assimilation could reduce the SCF risks of SMEs directly. The results also indicate that both internal and external supply chain integration mediate the relationship between cloud computing assimilation and SCF risks. Furthermore, environmental competitiveness inhibits the effects of cloud computing assimilation on SCF risks. Originality/value To our best knowledge, this is the preliminary study to explore the role of cloud computing assimilation in reducing the SCF risks of SMEs. Also, this study attempted to investigate the process by which cloud computing assimilation affects the SCF risks of SMEs.

The mediating effect of supply chain flexibility on the relationship between supply chain integration and supply chain performance

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Anurodhsingh Khanuja ◽  
Rajesh Kumar Jain
Keyword(s):  
Supply Chain ◽  
Survey Methodology ◽  
Mediating Effect ◽  
Supply Chain Integration ◽  
Supply Chain Performance ◽  
Business Practices ◽  
Chain Flexibility ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Supplier Integration ◽  
The Relationship

PurposeSupply chain integration (SCI) and flexibility (SCF) are recognised as crucial business practices and capability in the global competitive market. However, limited research has paid attention to study the relationship between SCI, SCF and their impact on supply chain performance (SCP). Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to establish a relationship between integration, flexibility and performance.Design/methodology/approachThe structural equation modelling technique was used to analyse the 187 data collected from Indian organisations through the survey methodology.FindingsFindings indicate that external integration contributes significantly to realise SCF and SCP. Sourcing and logistics flexibility also help to improve the SCP. The mediation analysis showed that the association of customer and supplier integration with SCP is partially and fully mediated by logistics flexibility, respectively. This study suggests that integration influences the SCP when the firm has a strong association with downstream partners and enough capability for logistics flexibility.Research limitations/implicationsThe study has collected cross-sectional data to analyse the relationship between SCI, SCF and SCP. However, as integration requires an effort of the years, longitudinal data and industry-specific studies may provide comprehensive views to validate the results of this study.Originality/valueBuilding on relational view theory and dynamic capability theory, the study has proposed the SCP assessment framework based on the relationship between SCI and SCF.

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