International Journal of Physical Distribution & Logistics Management

Göran Svensson

2002 International Journal of Physical Distribution & Logistics Management

doi: 10.1108/09600030210452422

Supply chain management (SCM) emerged in the early 1980s as a result of the rapidly changing and challenging business environments in many industries. SCM is a consequence of the increased necessity for holistic considerations in, between and across companies’ business activities and resources in and between marketing channels, in order to improve the overall performance towards the ultimate consumer in the marketplace. SCM’s generic theoretical foundations are derived from time‐, functional‐, and relationship‐dependencies in, between and across companies’ business activities in marketing channels. There are major similarities and minor differences in the theoretical boundaries between SCM and Alderson’s interpretation of a functionalist theory of marketing. The author argues that the theoretical origin of SCM is derived from, and underpinned by, a part of this functionalist theory of marketing. Furthermore, there is a need for a generic re‐definition and expansion of the theoretical boundaries of SCM towards the incorporation of horizontal dependencies between marketing channels in the marketplace.

Christopher R. Moberg; Bob D. Cutler; Andrew Gross; Thomas W. Speh

2002 International Journal of Physical Distribution & Logistics Management

doi: 10.1108/09600030210452431

Although information exchange among trading partners is consistently mentioned as a key requirement of successful supply chain management implementation, research on information exchange is scarce. This lack of research provides little guidance and support for those managers interested in improving their logistics operations through increased information exchange. The main goal of this paper is to identify potential antecedents of information exchange. Questionnaires were sent to logistics managers at manufacturing firms in several industries. The results of this exploratory study are detailed and the implications for logistics managers discussed.

S.F. Huin; L.H.S. Luong; K. Abhary

2002 International Journal of Physical Distribution & Logistics Management

doi: 10.1108/09600030210452440

In the manufacturing industry, there are a large number of small and medium‐sized manufacturers (M‐SMEs) which provide specialty manufacturing and support services to large corporations. M‐SMEs form the biggest group of manufacturing entities in many newly industrialized economies. The needs and operating requirements of these M‐SMEs are very different from those of large companies. Much research has been carried out in the area of mechanisms, techniques, heuristic designs, modeling, and usage of fuzzy logic in production planning, scheduling and production control. However, most research only addresses a particular area of the enterprise planning process. In addition, the majority of the large‐scale enterprise resources planning (ERP) systems created for large corporations’ manufacturers are sometimes ineffective in M‐SMEs. This research highlights the organizational, structural, operational and supply chain related interdependencies impacting the planning and management of the internal supply chain in M‐SMEs in the Southeast Asia region. Similar to the deployment of management and manufacturing information systems, the need to fully comprehend the operational dynamics of M‐SMEs is crucial for the successful implementation of ERP systems to manage the internal supply chain. The deployment of ERP systems in M‐SMEs is simpler in some aspects compared to large corporations, but can be more complicated in others.

Bin Jiang; Edmund Prater

2002 International Journal of Physical Distribution & Logistics Management

doi: 10.1108/09600030210452459

Prior to the economic reform movement, China’s centrally planned, three‐tier system dominated the distribution sector. After the 1980s, this system gradually shifted away from the socialist mode to the free market mode. Today, China’s distribution system lies somewhere between these two modes. Since the reform, China’s government has been encouraging export‐oriented foreign firms’ investments in free trade zones along the coast. Foreign firms do not enjoy the same inland distribution and logistics rights as their Chinese counterparts. However, the distribution puzzle is not only faced by foreign firms, but also by Chinese firms that operate nationwide. China’s undeveloped infrastructure, government regulations, and regional protectionism fragment distribution channels throughout China. However, there are three main forces that are changing and modernizing China’s distribution and logistics system. These are the booming economy, entering the WTO and e‐commerce. The inevitable revolution of China’s distribution and logistics system is on the way.