Modelling critical success factors for sustainability initiatives in supply chains in Indian context using Grey-DEMATEL

Sustainability assists organisations to enhance ecological, financial and societal performances of their entire supply chains. The present paper uncovers the Critical Success Factors (CSFs) for effective adoption of sustainability initiatives in the supply chain in Indian context. Fifteen CSFs for the successful adoption of sustainability initiatives were identified and finalised firstly from the literature and followed by expert inputs. A methodology based on Grey-Decision Making Trial and Evaluation Laboratory (DEMATEL) was used to envisage the organisation of complex causal relationships between the recognised CSFs. ‘Government Legalisation’ has been found to be the most influential factor and ‘Community Welfare and Development’ is most easily influenced factor. A multiple case example of three automotive companies operating in India is conducted. To the end, some important policy measures and recommendations are proposed to help practicing managers and government bodies to adopt and effectively manage the concepts of sustainability oriented supply chains in India.     

Critical success factors of green supply chain management for achieving sustainability in Indian automobile industry

The aim of this study was to identify and analyse the key success factors behind successful achievement of environment sustainability in Indian automobile industry supply chains. Here, critical success factors (CSFs) and performance measures of green supply chain management (GSCM) have been identified through extensive literature review and discussions with experts from Indian automobile industry. Based on the literature review, a questionnaire was designed and 123 final responses were considered. Six CSFs to implement GSCM for achieving sustainability and four expected performance measures of GSCM practices implementation were extracted using factor analysis. interpretive ranking process (IRP) modelling approach is employed to examine the contextual relationships among CSFs and to rank them with respect to performance measures. The developed IRP model shows that the CSF ‘Competitiveness’ is the most important CSF for achieving sustainability in Indian automobile industry through GSCM practices. This study is one of the few that have considered the environmental sustainability practices in the automobile industry in India and their implications on sectoral economy. The results of this study may help the mangers/SC practitioners/Governments/Customers in making strategic and tactical decisions regarding successful implementation of GSCM practices in Indian automobile industry with a sustainability focus. The developed framework provides a comprehensive perspective for assessing the synergistic impact of CSFs on GSCM performances and can act as ready reckoner for the practitioners. As there is very limited work presented in literature using IRP, this piece of work would provide a better understanding of this relatively new ranking methodology.     

Critical success factors and green supply chain management proactivity: shedding light on the human aspects of this relationship based on cases from the Brazilian industry

Abstract

By applying the resources-based view (RBV) theory to green management, this study aims to analyse the relationship between critical success factors (CSFs) and the adoption of green supply chain management (GSCM) practices for some Brazil-based manufacturers of automotive batteries considered focal in their supply chains. It also analyses how human issues, known as green human resource management (GHRM) aspects, can help to increase the effectiveness of CSFs for GSCM strategies that are still not totally well-managed, justifying a RBV perspective. This research assumes that firms tend to be in different stages of GSCM development (more strategic or less strategic) and tests four research propositions to determine whether more proactive GSCM is related to higher levels of effectively managed CSFs. Three focal companies that operate in the Brazilian automotive battery industry were studied. Research results suggest that more proactive GSCM practices correlate to more effectively managed CSFs and to a greater support from GHRM. We argue that managers with a clear GHRM strategy will have more success in GSCM adoption, using more green training, green recruitment and selection, green performance evaluation and employee rewards.     

Managing structural and dynamic complexity in supply chains: insights from four case studies

Complexity is regarded a major impediment to Supply Chain (SC) performance. However, very few studies aid SC managers adopt adequate practices in response to structural and dynamic complexity. This study offers a comprehensive review of the practices that four manufacturing companies employ in their SC function to manage the structural and dynamic complexity of their product portfolio, internal SC, and supplier and customer bases. Moreover, leveraging the results of the inductive in-depth case studies, a classification of complexity management practices consisting of four clusters is advanced: variety reducing, confinement and decoupling, coordination and collaboration and decision support and knowledge generation. Each cluster’s distinctive logic and limitations are discussed and propositions on their managerial scope are introduced, therefore providing managers with relevant insights to design effective complexity management approaches in their organisations.     

Critical factors affecting information sharing in supply chains

Abstract

The aim of this paper is to empirically examine a comprehensive list of factors that are anticipated to affect information sharing (IS) in supply chains (SC) in the context of a landlocked developing country Nepal. A survey questionnaire was developed and data were collected from 131 supply chain participants in Nepal. Exploratory factor analysis and path analysis were conducted to examine the fitness of the proposed model and the relationships between the identified factors and information sharing. The results suggest that interaction routines and personal connection influenced both operational and strategic information sharing while organisational compatibility, incentives, project payoffs, commitment (inter-organisational), top management commitment and supply network configuration affected operational IS and government support and monitoring were associated with strategic IS. The paper provides empirical evidence on how information sharing is affected in the context of a landlocked developing country. The paper also identifies and discusses the similarities and differences in the importance of these factors on information sharing between developed and developing countries. The main limitation is the moderate sample size as compared to the large number of variables contained in the study which may have limited the use of analytical tools. The study provides a better understanding of information sharing behaviours of supply chain participants in Nepal which will help firms to develop strategies accordingly to enhance information sharing.     

Analysing critical success factors to implement sustainable supply chain practices in Indian automobile industry: a case study

The aim of this article is to analyse the critical success factors (CSFs) behind the successful implementation of sustainable supply chain practices in Indian automobile industry. Supply chain sustainability is a critical and timely topic for the developing country like India that captures increasing concerns over sustainability, whether driven by current legislation, public interest or competitive opportunity. Identification of CSFs responsible for sustainable supply chain practices and evaluating their contextual relationships has the potential to affect future government policy, current production operations and identify new business models. In response to this, this paper intends to identify CSFs based on organisational theory and model them to implement sustainable supply chain practices in Indian automobile industry. Twenty-five CSFs to implement sustainable supply chain practices based on organisational theory are recognised by means of the literature review and in discussions with experts in one case study organisation. A solution methodology based on the interpretive structural modelling (ISM) technique is used to propose a structural model, which not only helps in understanding the contextual relationship among these CSFs, but also in determining their interdependence to implement sustainable supply chain practices. Further, the importance of CSFs has been determined based on their driving and dependence power using MICMAC analysis. Our overarching thesis is that the insights gained are useful for Indian automobile industry and would help practitioners, regulators and academicians to focus their efforts towards implementation of sustainable supply chain practices.     

Critical success factors of web-based supply-chain management systems: an exploratory study

This paper reports the results of a survey on the critical success factors (CSFs) of web-based supply-chain management systems (WSCMS). An empirical study was conducted and an exploratory factor analysis of the survey data revealed five major dimensions of the CSFs for WSCMS implementation, namely (1) communication, (2) top management commitment, (3) data security, (4) training and education, and (5) hardware and software reliability. The findings of the results provide insights for companies using or planning to use WSCMS.     

Enhancing competitive advantage by constructing supply chains to achieve superior performance

This paper studies the impact of configuring supply chain design strategies on performance using real-world example of aligning different supply chain practices to supply chain strategies to achieve competitive advantage. The paper first carries out a synthesis of literature categorising the supply chain strategies, practices and linking them to contexts and competitive advantage. The paper then uses a case study methodology to explore the process of adjusting supply chain strategies and aligned practices to gain competitive advantage in different contexts. The paper reports two case examples of a leaf tobacco company and a mosquito coil manufacturer from India facing different demand characteristics and implementing different supply chain strategies for enhancing performance objectives. Both companies faced a change in their business environment and competitive priorities. In both the examples, companies used a combination of practices for implementing appropriate supply chain strategies to gain competitive advantage. This paper contributes to the academic discipline of supply chain management through developing theory showing the transition of supply chain strategies for achieving superior performance in different business environments. The paper has wide managerial implications by reporting real-life implementation of different supply chain strategies thus bridging the practice-theory gap.     

Building resilience in SMEs of perishable product supply chains: enablers,barriers and risks

SMEs of perishable product supply chains (PPSCs) are critical to sustaining fresh food supply and global economy. However, they face immense challenges given the nature of their operations. Surprisingly, the literature lacks research on the distinct intra- and inter-organisational factors intertwined to build resilience in these firms. From the semi-structured interviews conducted with 30 managers of a PPSC in Australia, we developed a holistic framework to build resilience in SMEs of PPSCs. The findings offer novel insights into research and practice including an optimal portfolio of enablers, barriers and risks towards building resilience. The analysis reveals that most risks stem from the factors that are internal to the supply chain, thus necessitating a strong supply chain collaboration. The level of resilience, barriers and risks varies considerably within SMEs depending on their size (small vs. medium) and location of nodes in the supply chain. Interestingly, the SMEs with consortium support demonstrate better resilience and performance.     

The dynamics of customer dissatisfaction in supply chains

This paper describes field research and its findings that investigate the relationship of a firm's position in the supply chain to behaviour. Specifically, perceptions of requirements, performance and customer satisfaction/dissatisfaction are the behavioural issues of interest here. The field research was carried out in four European supply chains in the automotive aftermarket, or spares industry. It was proven statistically and qualitatively that, in the chains studied, upstream relationships contained more customer dissatisfaction and more misperceptions about performance than did downstream relationships. Delivery performance was identified as the major cause of these problems, This has implications for planning and control. First, the Forrester-type swings in information upstream, proven in industrial dynamics, make planning and control decisions more difficult; this research identifies the detrimental effect of this on customer satisfaction. Secondly, measurement of delivery performance is identified as being a critical issue; not only should measures be made in planning and control but also they should be communicated and agreed with customers to prevent misperceptions occurring. As this research showed these misperceptions to be positively correlated to customer dissatisfaction, efTort to remove them from relationships should be treated as a priority.     

RFID technology for increasing visibility in ETO supply chains: a case study

This paper presents the application of an innovative system for increasing visibility along an Engineer-To-Order supply chain. The system has been applied in a leading Italian company that manufactures vessels and tube heat exchangers. By means of this method, the company shares information about its shop floor activities with other actors in the supply chain, i.e. clients and suppliers. The system elements are as follows: Radio-frequency identification transponders (to identify either components, operators, tooling machines (e.g. welding machines) or production phases), a Wi-Fi network (to communicate data) and a web-based application that is accessible by the company’s clients. This paper shows the methodology that is used to define the system’s architecture and the technical solutions adopted. Benefits in terms of reduction in costs for monitoring and control have been observed. Moreover, customers perceived the increased visibility of the production process to be a valuable service.     

基于价格折扣的供应链预付款融资策略研究

当供应商面临资金约束时,通过制造商提供预付款的内部融资模式,可以缓解供应商资金约束对制造商及供应链利润的影响,研究了预付款融资模式下供应商和制造商的最优生产和融资决策,并分析了供应商的自有资金、价格折扣两种因素对供应链融资绩效的影响.研究发现:给定价格折扣,只有当供应商的自有资金量小于一定临界值时,供应商才会接受预付款融资合同;如果价格折扣高于一定临界值,实施预付款融资后,供应商的生产能恢复到无资金约束下的最优水平,否则,只有当供应商的自有资金量超过一定值时,预付款融资才能使供应商的生产恢复到无资金约束下的最优水平,并且供应链的绩效不会因供应商的资金约束而受损.研究的结论能为企业制定预付款融资决策提供参考依据.     

Proactive management in the context of construction supply chains

Abstract

Proactive management addresses problems in advance. It is advantageous over reactive management that does not respond to any issues until they grow to become obvious and critical problems. However, scarce studies to date investigate proactive management from the perspective of construction supply chains. To overcome the limitation within existing studies, this research explores the significance of proactive management in the context of construction supply chains through a thorough investigation. The investigation in this research adopts a mix of a literature review, a questionnaire survey and a series of interviews. This research provides clear evidence for an increasing prevalence of proactive management in today’s construction practice. Proactive management proves to significantly contribute to both problem avoidance/minimization and continuous improvement. Compared to supply chain integration, supply chain collaboration is found to have a closer linkage with proactive management. This research highlights the importance of developing a proactive and collaborative culture in construction.     

Retail consolidation in synchronized supply chains

Summary  In this paper, we describe a basic model to analyze a mixed consolidation strategy with direct and indirect shipments through stockless consolidation centers. This model can help to approximate the potential savings in a retail distribution network. Based on our transport consolidation model, we show that Supply Chain Synchronization considerably increases the use of direct shipments and lowers the costs of handling and transport. This theory was applied in a practical case situation at a retailer in the Netherlands, with remarkable results. On the transportation budget for dry grocery alone, potential savings already exceeded 5 million Euro per annum. Further research will try to extend the model to accommodate delays at the consolidation centers, since these delays can increase the available load at consolidation centers, needed for an efficient hub operation.

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Zusammenfassung  In diesem Beitrag wird ein Grundmodell vorgestellt, mit dessen Hilfe eine gemischte Konsolidierungsstrategie untersucht werden kann, die aus direkten und indirekten Verladungen durch lagerlose Konsolidierungszentren besteht. Das Modell kann dazu genutzt werden, potentielle Einsparungen in einem Distributionsnetzwerk des Handels abzusch?tzen. Ausgehend von dem Konsolidierungsmodell der Transporte wird gezeigt, dass die Synchronisation der Lieferkette dazu führt, in erheblichem Ma?e st?rker direkte Verladungen einzusetzen, wobei gleichzeitig die Verwaltungs-und Transportkosten gesenkt werden. Der theoretische Ansatz ist auf ein Handelsunternehmen in den Niederlanden angewandt worden, wobei sich bemerkenswerte Ergebnisse einstellten. Allein im Transportbudget für Lebensmittel konnten bereits über 5 Mio. Euro pro Jahr eingespart werden. Weitere Forschungen werden darauf gerichtet sein, das Modell so zu erweitern, dass Versp?tungen in den Konsolidierungszentren mit behandelt werden k?nnen. Dies ist insofern von besonderem Interesse, da derartige Versp?tungen die Verladungen in den Konsolidierungszentren erh?hen k?nnen, die verfügbar sein müssen, um effiziente Hub-operationen durchzuführen.

     

Innovations in humanitarian supply chains: the case of cash transfer programmes

Abstract

Cash transfer programmes (CTPs) are revolutionizing humanitarian supply chains (HSCs), yet just how CTPs are to be understood as innovation, and how they impact on HSCs, remains unclear. Innovation in the humanitarian context more often than not stems from outside humanitarian organizations – that is innovation occurs in their supply chain. The aim of this study is to further the understanding of supply chain innovation (SCI) in the humanitarian context. Based on empirical evidence this article suggests a supply chain innovation model (SCIM). This SCIM is useful because it allows different processes to be understood and compared, by providing guidance on how innovations progress. The contribution of this research is threefold: First, the research presents a SCIM for the humanitarian context. Second, this is the first application of a SCIM to the humanitarian environment. Finally, the research is field based and grounded in empirical observations thus adding to the literature and offering insights to practice.     

Managing knowledge in supply chains: a catalyst to triple bottom line sustainability

Abstract

Sustainable supply chain management (SSCM) and knowledge management’s (KM) positive role in improving supply chain development and performance have both attracted attention in recent years, the former arguably stimulated by the triple bottom line (TBL). Despite the positive development, there is a paucity of theoretical and empirical studies identifying the broad capabilities that affect a firm’s ability to simultaneously pursue economic, environmental and social success. We use the natural-resource-based (NRBV) and knowledge-based (KBV) views to develop a series of propositions linking KM capability to strategic and operational supply chain sustainability and competiveness and test their veracity with practicing managers (n?=?275). We offer a systematic analysis of KM’s role in the development of SSCM. The findings confirm the credibility of the theoretical propositions and identify how different KM processes specifically facilitate strategic or operational development of SSCs. We provide researchers with a framework to guide future research at the KM/TBL nexus.     

Linking global value chains and supply chain management: evidence from the electric motors industry

The global value chain (GVC) framework and its central concept of governance are increasingly advocated as powerful tools for interpreting managerial issues with particular reference to global supply chain (SC) management. However, a gap still exists about how the GVC concepts, which have been developed at the industry level, can be applied at the company level. The aim of this work is therefore to investigate how the concepts of GVC structure and governance are related to the way the SC is managed. Several research propositions drawn from the literature are investigated by means of seven case studies in the electric motors industry. The results show that the GVC can be a useful framework for understanding and deploying SC management at the company level. Moreover, the analysis of the governance modes provides an effective tool to explain the existing degree of technological and operational collaboration in the SC. Finally, we show the importance of considering such contextual factors as company size and the competitive priorities of the company to move seamlessly between the GVC, at the industry level, and SC management, at the company level.     

基于供应链视角的并购谈判框架

在基于利润分配的供应链多边谈判环境中,探讨了买方与部分供应商并购的谈判框架.首先,分析了买方与单个供应商并购的情形.结果给出两种框架下各方所获利润,并进一步给出未参与并购的供应商互动下的均衡.其次,分析了买方与多个供应商并购的谈判框架.在买方与多个供应商同时并购和依次并购两种情形下,结果分别给出三种不同框架下各方所获利润.结论表明,并购过程中的供应链网络结构和相关企业互动削弱了并购协同下的买方利润,从而企业应谨慎选取并购战略及其分析框架以实现并购的战略目标.     

供应链道德风险的演化规律

建立了以人为粒度(agent)的供应链道德风险有向多局域世界网络模型,给出了供应链道德风险的定义,确定了供应链道德风险复杂网络中人与人之间相互作用的交互规则及网络的演化规则,采用复杂网络分析方法,证明了供应链道德风险复杂网络拓扑特性的演化规律——其网络服从幂律分布,供应链道德风险多局域世界复杂网络满足无标度特性,该幂律取决于供应链特性的大小.