Supply chain innovations for additive manufacturing

2019 ◽  
Vol 50 (1) ◽  
pp. 54-79 ◽  
Author(s):  
Toni Luomaranta ◽  
Miia Martinsuo
Keyword(s):  
Supply Chain ◽  
Additive Manufacturing ◽  
Supply Chains ◽  
Business Processes ◽  
Production Systems ◽  
Business Environment ◽  
Machine Building ◽  
Data Set ◽  
Holistic View ◽  
Content Type

Purpose Additive manufacturing (AM) involves the renewal of production systems and also has implications for firms’ supply chains. Innovations related to AM supply chains are, so far, insufficiently understood, but their success will require firms’ awareness of their systemic nature and their firm-specific implications. The purpose of this paper is to explore the supply chain innovations dealing with AM in business-to-business supply chains. Design/methodology/approach An exploratory qualitative research design is used. Interviews were conducted in 20 firms, workshops were organized to map AM-related processes and activities, and supply chain innovations were analyzed. Findings This study reveals practical changes in supply chains and requirements for AM-related supply chain innovations. While earlier research has centered on technology or firm-specific AM implementations, this study shows that fully leveraging AM will require innovations at the level of the supply chain, including innovations in business processes, technology and structure, as well as supportive changes in the business environment. These innovations occur in different parts of the AM supply chain and are emphasized differently within different firm types. Research limitations/implications This research was conducted in one country in the context of the machine building and process industry with a limited data set, which limits the generalizability of the results. The results offer an analytical framework and identify new research avenues for exploring the innovations in partial or complete AM supply chains. Practical implications The results offer a framework to assess the current state and future needs in AM-related supply chain innovations. Practical ideas are proposed to enhance AM adoption throughout firms’ supply chains. These results are important to managers because they can help them position their firms and guide the activities and collaborations with other firms in the AM supply chain. Originality/value This study draws attention to the supply chain innovations required when firms adopt AM in their processes. The generic supply chain innovation framework is enhanced by adding the business context as a necessary component. Implementation of AM is shown to depend on the context both at the level of the supply chain and the firm’s unique role in the supply chain. The holistic view taken reveals that successful AM technology adoption requires broad involvement from different firms across the supply chain.

Episodic supply chains at times of disruption

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Christina Öberg
Keyword(s):  
Supply Chain ◽  
Additive Manufacturing ◽  
Supply Chains ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Secondary Data ◽  
Transformational Change ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Metal Additive Manufacturing ◽  
Contemporary Technology ◽  
Metal Additive

Purpose Additive manufacturing has been described as converting supply chains into demand chains. By focusing on metal additive manufacturing as a contemporary technology causing ongoing disruption to the supply chain, the purpose of this paper is to describe and discuss how incumbent firms act during an ongoing, transformational disruption of their supply chain. Design/methodology/approach Interviews and secondary data, along with seminars attracting approximately 600 individuals operating in metal additive manufacturing, form the empirical basis for this paper. Findings The findings of this paper indicate how disruption occurs at multiple positions in the supply chain. Episodic positions as conceptualised in this paper refer to how parties challenged by disruption attempt to reach normality while speeding the transformational disruption. Originality/value This paper contributes to previous research by theorising about episodic positions in light of a supply chain disruption. The empirical data are unique in how they capture supply chain change at the time of disruption and illustrate disruptive, transformational change to supply chains. The paper interlinks research on disruption from the innovation and supply chain literature, with contributions to both.

Broken chocolate: biomarkers as a method for delivering cocoa supply chain visibility

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Pedro Lafargue ◽  
Michael Rogerson ◽  
Glenn C. Parry ◽  
Joel Allainguillaume
Keyword(s):  
Supply Chain ◽  
Supply Chains ◽  
Unknown Origin ◽  
Child Labour ◽  
Institutional Pressures ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Data Set ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Modern Slavery ◽  
Chain Map

Purpose This paper examines the potential of “biomarkers” to provide immutable identification for food products (chocolate), providing traceability and visibility in the supply chain from retail product back to farm. Design/methodology/approach This research uses qualitative data collection, including fieldwork at cocoa farms and chocolate manufacturers in Ecuador and the Netherlands and semi-structured interviews with industry professionals to identify challenges and create a supply chain map from cocoa plant to retailer, validated by area experts. A library of biomarkers is created using DNA collected from fieldwork and the International Cocoa Quarantine Centre, holders of cocoa varieties from known locations around the world. Matching sample biomarkers with those in the library enables identification of origins of cocoa used in a product, even when it comes from multiple different sources and has been processed. Findings Supply chain mapping and interviews identify areas of the cocoa supply chain that lack the visibility required for management to guarantee sustainability and quality. A decoupling point, where smaller farms/traders’ goods are combined to create larger economic units, obscures product origins and limits visibility. These factors underpin a potential boundary condition to institutional theory in the industry’s fatalism to environmental and human abuses in the face of rising institutional pressures. Biomarkers reliably identify product origin, including specific farms and (fermentation) processing locations, providing visibility and facilitating control and trust when purchasing cocoa. Research limitations/implications The biomarker “meta-barcoding” of cocoa beans used in chocolate manufacturing accurately identifies the farm, production facility or cooperative, where a cocoa product came from. A controlled data set of biomarkers of registered locations is required for audit to link chocolate products to origin. Practical implications Where biomarkers can be produced from organic products, they offer a method for closing visibility gaps, enabling responsible sourcing. Labels (QR codes, barcodes, etc.) can be swapped and products tampered with, but biological markers reduce reliance on physical tags, diminishing the potential for fraud. Biomarkers identify product composition, pinpointing specific farm(s) of origin for cocoa in chocolate, allowing targeted audits of suppliers and identifying if cocoa of unknown origin is present. Labour and environmental abuses exist in many supply chains and enabling upstream visibility may help firms address these challenges. Social implications By describing a method for firms in cocoa supply chains to scientifically track their cocoa back to the farm level, the research shows that organizations can conduct social audits for child labour and environmental abuses at specific farms proven to be in their supply chains. This provides a method for delivering supply chain visibility (SCV) for firms serious about tackling such problems. Originality/value This paper provides one of the very first examples of biomarkers for agricultural SCV. An in-depth study of stakeholders from the cocoa and chocolate industry elucidates problematic areas in cocoa supply chains. Biomarkers provide a unique biological product identifier. Biomarkers can support efforts to address environmental and social sustainability issues such as child labour, modern slavery and deforestation by providing visibility into previously hidden areas of the supply chain.

Challenges and opportunities to integrate the oldest and newest manufacturing processes: metal casting and additive manufacturing

2020 ◽  
Vol 26 (6) ◽  
pp. 1145-1154 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paul Lynch ◽  
C.R. Hasbrouck ◽  
Joseph Wilck ◽  
Michael Kay ◽  
Guha Manogharan
Keyword(s):  
Supply Chain ◽  
Additive Manufacturing ◽  
Supply Chains ◽  
Service Providers ◽  
Three Dimensional ◽  
Metal Casting ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Digital Ecosystem ◽  
Volume Production ◽  
Low Volume

Purpose This paper aims to investigate the current state, technological challenges, economic opportunities and future directions in the growing “indirect” hybrid manufacturing ecosystem, which integrates traditional metal casting with the production of tooling via additive manufacturing (AM) process including three-dimensional sand printing (3DSP) and printed wax patterns. Design/methodology/approach A survey was conducted among 100 participants from foundries and AM service providers across the USA to understand the current adoption of AM in metal casting as a function of engineering specifications, production demand, volume and cost metrics. In addition, current technological and logistical challenges that are encountered by the foundries are identified to gather insight into the future direction of this evolving supply chain. Findings One of the major findings from this study is that hard tooling costs (i.e. patterns/core boxes) are the greatest challenge in low volume production for foundries. Hence, AM and 3DSP offer the greatest cost-benefit for these low volume production runs as it does not require the need for hard tooling to produce much higher profit premium castings. It is evident that there are major opportunities for the casting supply chain to benefit from an advanced digital ecosystem that seamlessly integrates AM and 3DSP into foundry operations. The critical challenges for adoption of 3DSP in current foundry operations are categorized into as follows: capital cost of the equipment, which cannot be justified due to limited demand for 3DSP molds/cores by casting buyers, transportation of 3DSP molds and cores, access to 3DSP, limited knowledge of 3DSP, limitations in current design tools to integrate 3DSP design principles and long lead times to acquire 3DSP molds/cores. Practical implications Based on the findings of this study, indirect hybrid metal AM supply chains, i.e. 3DSP metal casting supply chains is proposed, as 3DSP replaces traditional mold-making in the sand casting process flow, no/limited additional costs and resources would be required for qualification and certification of the cast parts made from three-dimensional printed sand molds. Access to 3DSP resources can be addressed by establishing a robust 3DSP metal casting supply chain, which will also enable existing foundries to rapidly acquire new 3DSP-related knowledge. Originality/value This original survey from 100 small and medium enterprises including foundries and AM service providers suggests that establishing 3DSP hubs around original equipment manufacturers as a shared resource to produce molds and cores would be beneficial. This provides traditional foundries means to continue mass production of castings using existing hard tooling while integrating 3DSP for new complex low volume parts, replacement parts, legacy parts and prototyping.

Exploring the influence of supply chain collaboration on supply chain visibility, stakeholder trust, environmental and financial performances: a partial least square approach

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Charles Baah ◽  
Innocent Senyo Kwasi Acquah ◽  
Daniel Ofori
Keyword(s):  
Supply Chain ◽  
Supply Chains ◽  
Business Environment ◽  
Manufacturing Firms ◽  
Partial Least Square ◽  
Least Square ◽  
Supply Chain Collaboration ◽  
Competitive Strategies ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Study Results

PurposeThe need to stay competitive amidst ever-changing business environment has shifted competitive strategies from firms to supply chains. Managers are now basing competitive strategies on supply chains acknowledging that supply chains present competitive advantages among other resources. The purpose of the study is to explore the predictive relevance of supply chain collaboration and the extent to which it influences supply chain visibility, stakeholder trust, environmental and financial performances. This study focused on manufacturing firms due to their supplier relationships, consumption of resources, energy and emissions of greenhouse gasses.Design/methodology/approachThe study adopted a survey research design, a quantitative approach and partial least square structural equation modelling technique in making data analysis and interpretations due to its suitability for predictive research models as is the case in this study.FindingsThe study hypothesized that supply chain collaboration positively and significantly interacts with supply chain visibility, stakeholder trust, environmental and financial performances. The study results confirmed supply chain collaboration as a significant, positive and a robust influence on supply chain visibility, stakeholder trust, environmental and financial performances thereby projecting win-win scenarios for firms that engage in collaborative supply chain practices.Originality/valueThe study is among the few to indicate findings in relation to the scope of supply chain collaboration's potency in influencing performance from the perspective of manufacturing firms operational in an emerging economy. Thus, this study contributes to understanding the wider scope of supply chain collaboration, its interactions with other firm variables and how it informs decisions of managers, scholars and supply chain partners.

Additive manufacturing in the apparel supply chain — impact on supply chain governance and social sustainability

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Marlene M. Hohn ◽  
Christian F. Durach
Keyword(s):  
Supply Chain ◽  
Additive Manufacturing ◽  
Supply Chains ◽  
Working Conditions ◽  
Resource Dependence ◽  
Market Competition ◽  
Social Sustainability ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Supply Chain Governance

PurposeFocusing on the apparel industry, this study extends current knowledge on how additive manufacturing (AM) may impact global supply chains regarding structures of interorganizational governance and the industry's social-sustainability issues.Design/methodology/approachFollowing an exploratory research design, two consecutive Delphi studies, with three survey rounds each, were conducted to carve out future industry scenarios and assess AM's impact on supply chain governance and social sustainability.FindingsThe implementation of AM is posited to reinforce existing supply chain governance structures that are dominated by powerful apparel retailers. Retailers are expected to use the increased production speed and heightened market competition to enforce faster fashion cycles and lower purchasing prices, providing a grim outlook for future working conditions at the production stage.Social implicationsAgainst the common narrative that technological progress increases societal well-being, this study finds that new digital technologies may, in fact, amplify rather than improve existing social-sustainability issues in contemporary production systems.Originality/valueThis article contributes to the nascent research field of AM's supply chain impact as one of the first empirical studies to analyze how AM introduction may impact on interorganizational governance while specifically addressing potential social-sustainability implications. The developed propositions relate to and extend the resource dependence and stakeholder perspectives on governance and social sustainability in supply chains. For managers, our results enrich the discussion about the potential use of AM beyond operational viability to include considerations on the wider implications for supply chains and the prevailing working conditions within them.

scholarly journals Supply chain resilience and business responses to disruptions of the COVID-19 pandemic

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Usha Ramanathan ◽  
Olu Aluko ◽  
Ramakrishnan Ramanathan
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Supply Chain ◽  
Supply Chains ◽  
Exploratory Study ◽  
Mixed Methods Research ◽  
Small And Medium Enterprises ◽  
Retail Sector ◽  
Data Set ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Uk

PurposeAt its peak, the COVID-19 pandemic has created disruption to food supply chains in the UK and for the entire world. Although societal changes created some resilience within the supply chains, high volatility in demand creates supply, logistics and distribution issues. This is reflected in the economic instability of businesses and small and medium enterprises (SMEs). In this paper, the authors explore factors behind this initial disruption in the supply chains and offer suggestions to businesses based on the established practices and theories.Design/methodology/approachThe authors use mixed methods research. First, the authors conducted an exploratory study by collecting data from published online sources. Then, the authors analysed possible scenarios from the available information using regression. The authors then conducted two interviews with UK retail sector representatives. These scenarios have been compared and contrasted to provide decision-making points to businesses and supply chain players to tackle current and any future potential disruptions.FindingsThe findings from the current exploratory study inform the volatility of supply chains. The authors suggested some possible responses from businesses, during and after the pandemic.Originality/valueThe regression model provides a decision-making approach to help supply chain businesses during the pandemic outbreak. Once a complete data set of COVID-19 is available, the authors can create a resilience model that can help businesses and supply chains.

Supply chain in the C-suite: the effect of chief supply chain officers on incidence of product recalls

2021 ◽  
Vol 26 (4) ◽  
pp. 495-513
Author(s):  
Maximilian Körber ◽  
Diogo Cotta
Keyword(s):  
Supply Chain ◽  
Supply Chains ◽  
Top Management Teams ◽  
Product Recalls ◽  
Product Recall ◽  
Consumer Product Safety Commission ◽  
Data Set ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Specific Responsibility ◽  
Underlying Causes

Purpose This study aims to investigate the extent to which the presence of chief supply chain officers (CSCOs) in top management teams (TMTs) helps firms to reduce the incidence of product recalls. Design/methodology/approach The authors identified all recalls for the period 2010–2017 issued by publicly held firms regulated by the US Consumer Product Safety Commission. These data were subsequently combined with information on TMT composition from BoardEx and financial performance data from Compustat to create a unique data set. Findings The study identified a significant and negative association between CSCO presence and incidence of product recalls. The evidence also supports the conjecture that this association is stronger in larger firms, indicating that CSCOs are especially effective when operating within more complex supply chains. Practical implications The findings provide important insights into quality management in contemporary supply chains and indicate that assigning specific responsibility for supply chain management to a TMT member improves product reliability. Originality/value These findings contribute to the growing literature on the underlying causes of a product recall by identifying corporate governance antecedents of external quality failures of this kind.

The Six Sigma framework improves the awareness and management of supply-chain risk

2020 ◽  
Vol 32 (5) ◽  
pp. 1021-1037
Author(s):  
Roy Andersson ◽  
Yinef Pardillo-Baez
Keyword(s):  
Risk Management ◽  
Supply Chain ◽  
Supply Chains ◽  
Six Sigma ◽  
Lean Six Sigma ◽  
Supply Chain Risk ◽  
Holistic View ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Management Culture ◽  
Training Structure

PurposeModern supply chains are at risk as a result of increasing disturbance. The use of Lean and Six Sigma’'s values, methods and tools can be one option to analyze, prevent and mitigate risks. The purpose of this study is to investigate whether a combined Lean Six Sigma philosophy can support the awareness and management of supply-chain risk.Design/methodology/approachThe methodology followed in the study is based on a literature review and multiple case study, performed by means of qualitative methods of data collection, such as observations on-site, face-to-face interviews and document analysis. Case selection includes the results of research conducted in seven large Swedish companies.FindingsIt has been indicated that Lean and Six Sigma values, methods and tools can be very effective in companies’ efforts to control the supply-chain risks and that they improve the companies’ ability to handle variability and risk management. Lean Six Sigma supports a risk-management culture in the focal companies, but they must involve customers and companies in the supply chain if they wish to create a risk-management culture in the entire supply chain. In order to do this, they can use the Six Sigma training structure, but they need to include more risk tools and methods developed for the supply chain management. It has also been indicated in the literature that if more people involve in 6S projects, the financial results will be better, and the innovation of processes will increase.Research limitations/implicationsThese include suggestions for how the companies can use the Six sigma training structure to collaborate in the supply chain.Practical implicationsThis study gives practical suggestions for how the companies in supply chain can collaborate and use the Six Sigma training structure for creating a more holistic view of supply chain, which also decrease risks in supply chain.Originality/valueThis study indicates that Lean Six Sigma supports risk awareness and management in the focal companies of the supply chains, which improves companies’ ability to handle variability and risk management. It has also been demonstrated that the companies should use the Six Sigma framework, especially training, as a foundation, and they should create common projects for better collaboration in the supply chain, which will decrease the risks in the entire supply chain.

scholarly journals An empirical analysis of supply and manufacturing risk and business performance: a Chinese manufacturing supply chain perspective

2018 ◽  
Vol 23 (6) ◽  
pp. 461-479 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vikas Kumar ◽  
Ozlem Bak ◽  
Ruizhi Guo ◽  
Sarah Louise Shaw ◽  
Claudia Colicchia ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Risk Management ◽  
Supply Chain ◽  
Supply Chains ◽  
Business Performance ◽  
Business Environment ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Supply Risk ◽  
Management Performance ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Manufacturing Supply Chain

Purpose This study aims to explore the importance and impact of supply and manufacturing risk management upon business performance within the context of Chinese manufacturing supply chains. Design/methodology/approach A two-phased multi-method approach was adopted, which included a survey questionnaire to practitioners in Chinese manufacturing supply chains followed by semi-structured interviews. The findings included 103 valid survey responses complemented by six semi-structured interviews. Findings The results indicate that in Chinese manufacturing context supply risk and manufacturing risk management are both vital for business performance. A high correlation between business and manufacturing risk management performance exists; however, no significant impact of supplier dependency, systematic purchasing, maturity of production and supply chain and human resources was found despite previously these elements being regarded as key influencers for supply and manufacturing risk management performance. The Chinese manufacturing supply chain indicated that elements such as the supplier and customer orientation, flexibility, manufacturing and supply risk highly connotes with business performance. Practical implications In the current unpredictable and volatile business environment, the competitiveness of manufacturing supply chains to a large extent depend on their ability to identify, assess and manage the manufacturing and supply risks. The findings of this study will assist supply chain managers in taking decision on manufacturing and supply risk management and reducing the uncertainty upon their business performance. Originality/value The supply chain risk has been widely explored within the context of individual case studies, or standalone models focusing on either supply or manufacturing risk in supply chains; however, to what extent this has been applicable to a wider context and its impact upon business process has not been explored. Hence, this study simultaneously has analysed manufacturing risk and supply risk and its impact upon Chinese manufacturing supply chains business performance. Moreover, this study uses a combination of quantitative and qualitative methods, which is often limited in this area. Finally, the institutional theory lens offers novel insights in better understanding the factors that can affect the impact of supply and manufacturing risk management upon business performance in those contexts, such as China, where the institutional aspect presents specific features.

scholarly journals The importance of key supplier relationship management in supply chains

2016 ◽  
Vol 44 (2) ◽  
pp. 109-123 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christoph Teller ◽  
Herbert Kotzab ◽  
David B. Grant ◽  
Christina Holweg
Keyword(s):  
Supply Chain ◽  
Supply Chains ◽  
Structural Equation ◽  
Business Processes ◽  
Relationship Management ◽  
Supplier Relationship Management ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Internal Resources ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Supplier Relationship

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to investigate the impact of key supplier relationship management (KSRM) – understood as an aggregated supply chain management (SCM) process in the upstream direction – on the overall level of the execution of SCM within organizations. Design/methodology/approach – A conceptual model is developed from a theoretical framework and proposes the capability to do KSRM as a mediator between internal and external SCM resources and SCM execution. A survey of 174 managers representing different supply chain stages is used to test the model through variance-based structural equation modelling. Findings – The findings reveal that external SCM resources directly affect the capability to do KSRM. Nevertheless, internal resources show a considerable indirect impact through external resources and can thus be considered an indirect determinant. The capability to do KSRM in turn impacts upon the level of SCM execution, measured in terms of the integration of business processes, directly and substantially, as well as mediating the effect between SCM resources and the level of SCM execution. Originality/value – The main contribution of this paper is to empirically demonstrate the potential of KSRM for enhancing the level of SCM execution within organizations and consequently the level of integration in supply chains, leading to higher customer and shareholder value.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document