Performance measurement of sustainable supply chains: a review and research questions

Author(s):  
Alireza Tajbakhsh ◽  
Elkafi Hassini

Purpose – One of the hurdles to the adoption of sustainable practices across supply chains is the lack of pan-chain performance measurements and their related information and organizational structures. The authors review the literature on performance measurement of sustainable supply chains with a focus on comprehensive measures that include multiple supply chain partners as well as different sustainability aspects. The purpose of this paper is to analyze the reviewed literature and propose some research questions. Design/methodology/approach – The authors reviewed 140 journal articles, cases and reports that appeared since 1994. Findings – The authors classify the reviewed literature according to seven sustainability dimensions (economical, environmental, social, reputable, valuable, equitable and sustainable) as well as the type of industry and methodology used. In addition the authors synthesize the available performance measurements into a comprehensive framework that incorporates different stages of the supply chain operations and decision-making processes. Social implications – The results of this study can be used by researchers to focus on research that may have more implications on supply chains. Practitioners can use the authors proposed performance measurement framework for developing practical and comprehensive measures for their respective industries. Originality/value – The work is original in the way the authors integrate sustainability (seven dimensions) across the supply chain taking into account the type of operational decisions. The framework can be used by researchers and practitioners to develop practical sustainability performance measurement systems for supply chains.

2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Guilherme Francisco Frederico ◽  
Jose Arturo Garza-Reyes ◽  
Anil Kumar ◽  
Vikas Kumar

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to present a theoretical approach based on the balanced scorecard (BSC) with regard to performance measurement – PM in supply chains for the Industry 4.0 era.Design/methodology/approachThis paper combines the literature of PM and specifically the BSC with the literature related to the dimensions of supply chain in the context of Industry 4.0.FindingsDimensions extracted from the literature based on supply chains within the context of Industry 4.0 showed a strong alignment with the four perspectives of the BSC, which make it suitable to be considered as a performance measurement system (PMS) for supply chains in this new context.Research limitations/implicationsFrom theoretical perspective, this study contributes to the limited literature on PM for supply chains in Industry 4.0 era. The study proposes a supply chain 4.0 Scorecard and strongly support researchers to conduct future empirical researches in order to get a deeper understanding about PM in supply chains in the Industry 4.0 era. As limitations, the theoretical framework proposed needs further empirical research in other to validate it and obtain new insights over the investigation conducted and presented into this paper.Practical implicationsPractitioners can use this study as a guide to develop more effective performance measurement systems – PMSs in their organizations.Originality/valueThis research is unique as it addresses a significant knowledge gap related to PM in supply chains in the Industry 4.0 era. It brings a significant contribution in terms of understanding how to measure performance in supply chains in this new era.


2015 ◽  
Vol 38 (2) ◽  
pp. 166-194 ◽  
Author(s):  
Amulya Gurtu ◽  
Cory Searcy ◽  
M.Y. Jaber

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to analyze the keywords used in peer-reviewed literature on green supply chain management. Design/methodology/approach To determine the keywords that were used in this area, an analysis of 629 papers was conducted. The papers were identified through searches of 13 keywords on green supply chains. Trends in keyword usage were analyzed in detail focusing on examining variables such as the most frequently used journals/keywords, their frequencies, citation frequency and research contribution from different disciplines/countries. Findings A number of different terms have been used for research focused on the environmental impacts of supply chains, including green supply chains, sustainable supply chains, reverse logistics and closed-loop supply chains, among others. The analysis revealed that the intensity of research in this area has more than tripled in the past six years and that the most used keyword was “reverse logistics”. The use of the terms “green supply chains” and “sustainable supply chains” is increasing, and the use of “reverse logistics” is decreasing. Research limitations/implications The analysis is limited to 629 papers from the Scopus database during the period of 2007 and 2012. Originality/value The paper presents the first systematic analysis of keywords used in the literature on green supply chains. Given the broad array of terms used to refer to research in this area, this is a needed contribution. This work will help researchers in choosing keywords with high frequency and targeting journals for publishing their future work. The paper may also provide a basis for further work on developing consolidated definitions of terms focused on green supply chain management.


2015 ◽  
Vol 795 ◽  
pp. 47-52
Author(s):  
Mircea Constantin Duică ◽  
Anişoara Duică ◽  
Iwona Grabara

The intensified competition, the frequent change of the clients’ preferences and the globalization of the capital, product, service and information flows have turned the efficient product management into an essential factor for increasing competitiveness in production systems integrated in supply chains. In this context, industrial excellence can be obtained only by an efficient process piloting, using some performance measurement systems that permit a good substantiation of the decisions based on correct and reliable information, taking into account the risks specific to supply chains. The paper includes a review of the literature in the field of performance measurement for supply chains to understand the current practice and contributes to the development of the supply chain performance measurement framework using risk management, the case study method, a statistic quantitative data analysis and modern performance measurement techniques such as: balanced scorecard and supply chain operation reference.


2019 ◽  
Vol 26 (6) ◽  
pp. 1749-1780 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sachin Agarwal ◽  
Ravi Kant ◽  
Ravi Shankar

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine and compare extant framework in humanitarian supply chain management (HSCM) and to propose a framework on humanitarian supply chain (HSC) performance measurement based on the content, context and process. Design/methodology/approach The structured keywords, namely humanitarian supply chain (HSC), humanitarian logistic (HL), humanitarian relief chain (HRC) and humanitarian chain (HC) as an exact phrase were searched in the title, abstract and keywords in the academic database. A total of 66 peer-reviewed articles were selected for analysis purpose that reports framework from the reviewed literature. These selected frameworks are categorized in dimensions, namely framework novelty, framework source, recognize elements/constructs of framework, comparative analysis of the framework and in-depth study of HSCM performance measurement. Findings The analysis reveals that the majority of these developed frameworks are novel and academic based. Case study is most prominent research methodology in the development of HSCM framework. Lack of coordination among humanitarian stakeholders is the major challenge in the empirical implementation of framework. This study proposes future research trend toward a unified HSCM framework that will facilitate to uncover the coherent set of elements/constructs in the field of HSCM. Research limitations/implications This study considers peer-reviewed articles published in English language, and excludes conference papers, working articles, technical data/reports and book chapters. Practical implications This study categorizes new dimension for framework analysis and proposed an HSC performance measurement framework which gives new insights to the academicians, practitioners and policy makers for future work. Social implications This examination gives the establishment to facilitate investigation of viable, efficient and effective HSCM, and detail opportunities for practices. Originality/value This study critically analyzes 66 frameworks under the different criteria to identify research gap and trends. Furthermore, this study proposes the HSC performance measurement framework.


2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. 125-168
Author(s):  
Hella Abidi ◽  
Sander de Leeuw ◽  
Wout Dullaert

PurposeWe examine how design and implementation practices for supply chain performance management that have proven successful in commercial organisations apply to humanitarian organisations (HOs) to guide the process of designing and implementing performance management in humanitarian organisations.Design/methodology/approachWe identify from the literature ten successful practices regarding the design and implementation of supply chain performance management in commercial businesses. We apply these, using action research over a four-year period, at Médecins sans Frontières (MSF) Belgium and draw conclusions from this.FindingsWe find that tools and techniques, such as workshops and technical sheets, are essential in designing and implementing supply chain performance measurement projects at HOs. Furthermore, making a link to an IT project is crucial when implementing performance measurement systems at HOs. Overall, our case study shows that performance management practices used in business can be applied and are relevant for humanitarian supply chains.Originality/valuePrevious research has argued that there are few empirical studies in the domain of performance management at humanitarian organisations. To the best of our knowledge, this paper is the first to provide a longitudinal understanding of the design and implementation of supply chain performance measurement at HOs.


2014 ◽  
Vol 19 (5/6) ◽  
pp. 592-608 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hella Abidi ◽  
Sander de Leeuw ◽  
Matthias Klumpp

Purpose – This paper aims to identify the state of the art of performance measurement and management in humanitarian supply chains; to categorize performance measurement indicators in the five supply chain phases of Gunasekaran and Kobu (2007) and evaluate them based on the evaluation criteria of Caplice and Sheffi (1995); and to define gaps and challenges in this field and give insights for future research in this domain. Design/methodology/approach – A literature review has been conducted using a structured method based on Denyer and Tranfield (2009) and Rousseau et al. (2008). The state of the art on humanitarian supply chain performance management with a focus on measurement frameworks and indicators and their applications in practice is classified in three categories. The first category is the definition and measurement of success in humanitarian supply chains. The second category is managing performance, which focuses on describing and analyzing the actual practice of managing performance. The third category shows the challenges in performance management that humanitarian supply chain actors deal with. Findings – Findings reveal that performance measurement and management in humanitarian supply chains is still an open area of research, especially compared to the commercial supply chain sector. Furthermore, the research indicates that performance measurement and management in humanitarian supply chains has to be developed in support of the supply chain strategy. Based on the findings of the literature review on performance measurement and management in the commercial and humanitarian field, a first classification of 94 performance measurement indicators in humanitarian supply chains is presented. Furthermore, the paper shows key problems why performance measurement and management systems have not been widely developed and systematically implemented in humanitarian supply chains and are not part of the supply chain strategy. The authors propose performance measurement guidelines that include input and output criteria. They develop a research agenda that focuses on four research questions for designing, deploying and disseminating performance measurement and management in humanitarian supply chains. Practical implications – The result helps the humanitarian supply chain community to conduct further research in this area and to develop performance measurement frameworks and indicators that suit humanitarian supply chains. Originality/value – It is the first systematic approach to categorize research output regarding performance measurement and management in humanitarian supply chains. The paper shows the state of the art in performance measurement and management in humanitarian supply chains and develops a research agenda.


2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Noura Yassine ◽  
Sanjay Kumar Singh

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to investigate a supply chain consisting of a producer and multiple suppliers of a type of component needed for the production of a certain product. The effects of carbon emission taxes, quality of components and human inspection errors as well as the collaboration among the supply chain members are considered.Design/methodology/approachA mathematical model is formulated for a non-collaborative supply chain, and the optimal policy is shown to be the solution of a constraint optimization problem. The mathematical model is modified to the case of a collaborative supply chain and to account for inspection errors. Algorithms are provided, and a numerical example is given to illustrate the determination of the optimal policy.FindingsThis study offers a new conceptual and analytical model that analyzes the production problem from a supply chain perspective. Human resource management practices and environmental aspects were incorporated into the model to reduce risk, optimally select the suppliers and properly maximize profit by accounting for human inspection error as well carbon emission taxes. Algorithms describing the determination of the optimal policy are provided.Practical implicationsThis study provides practical results that can be useful to researchers and managers aiming at designing sustainable supply chains that incorporate economic, environmental and human factors.Originality/valueThis study can be useful to researchers and managers aiming for designing sustainable supply chains that incorporate economic and human factors.


2014 ◽  
Vol 19 (3) ◽  
pp. 242-257 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mohsen Varsei ◽  
Claudine Soosay ◽  
Behnam Fahimnia ◽  
Joseph Sarkis

Purpose – This paper aims to provide a framework which can assist focal companies in the development of sustainable supply chains. Sustainable development from an industrial perspective has extended beyond organisational boundaries to incorporate a supply chain approach. Design/methodology/approach – The literature related to sustainable supply chain management is reviewed by incorporating concepts from four organisational theories, including the resource-based, institutional, stakeholder and social network perspectives, to illustrate key drivers and enablers of sustainability initiatives in the supply chain. A conceptual multidimensional framework is then developed that can be used for the initial assessment of supply chain sustainability. Findings – Development and assessment of sustainability in supply chains are being increasingly incorporated as part of supply chain management today. This paper presents a multidimensional framework which can serve as a tool for research scholars and supply chain practitioners in identifying and assessing various economic, environmental and social performance indicators. Research limitations/implications – The framework and approach presented are conceptual, and require additional and broader validation. Additional theories, at differing levels, such as individual behaviour theory, should be utilised to further enhance and evaluate the framework. Developing and integrating analytical models for prescriptive and practical supply chain solutions can enhance the applicability of the framework. Practical implications – The framework adopts a multidimensional approach to assessing and designing sustainable supply chains, as it not only incorporates economic and environmental dimensions but also provides a practical approach to quantifying and embedding the social dimension into decision-making. The framework helps industry practitioners in initial exploration of trade-offs among economic, environmental and social performance of supply chains, which, in turn, could assist them in creating a business case for sustainability. Originality/value – The paper is one of few studies that incorporates some of the key aspects of all three dimensions of sustainability in a single overarching framework for supply chains and offers significant theoretical contribution and implications for sustainable supply chain management.


2011 ◽  
Vol 339 ◽  
pp. 349-352
Author(s):  
Wen Zhe Tan ◽  
Yue Ting Chai ◽  
Yi Liu

Supply chain refers to a network of business entities that work together in efforts to acquire materials, convert these materials into products, and deliver these products to customers. The current performance measurement systems concentrate on measuring operational processes in a supply chain and fail to provide evaluation of the integrated business excellence. This paper conducts the research on the business excellence measurement of supply chains, where "collaboration degree" (CD) and "service level" (SL) are introduced to represent the supply chain's immediate and long-term yields respectively. As a result, an integrated indicator named "business excellence indicator" (BEI) is obtained to quantitatively evaluate the supply chain's overall business advantage. The rationality of our work is analyzed empirically through an application case.


2014 ◽  
Vol 19 (3) ◽  
pp. 232-241 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stefan Schaltegger ◽  
Roger Burritt

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to discuss what a fully sustainable supply chain might look like and the consequences that can be drawn from this view. Also, it develops a practical approach towards sustainability supply chain performance measurement and management. The paper develops an analytical framework for the assessment of approaches for the measurement and management of sustainability performance of supply chains (SPSCs). Little research has been conducted on the issues, existing methods and possible approaches to measure and manage SPSCs. Design/methodology/approach – Literature review and conceptual development of framework. Findings – The paper develops an analytical framework for the assessment of approaches for the measurement and management of SPSCs. Existing approaches discussed in the vein of improving supply chains and increasing recycling are examined in the light of our framework, and areas to extend the research on sustainability performance measurement and management are identified. Research limitations/implications – Opportunities for extension of research on sustainability performance measurement and management of supply chains are identified. Practical implications – The framework offers help to managers in their choice of sustainability performance measurement and management approaches. Originality/value – The paper provides a structured overview of sustainability performance measurement and management literature and approaches to supply chain management. The framework proposed provides a foundation for further research.


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