Emergent supply chains in the agrifood sector: insights from a whole chain approachAnastasiadis, Foivos ; Poole, Nigel
2015 Supply Chain Management An International Journal
doi: 10.1108/SCM-08-2014-0259
Purpose – This paper aims to report research into emergent supply chain management (SCM) practices in a context in which the imperative for business development requires efficient inter-firm collaboration. It explores the way key supply chain (SC) actors perceive entrepreneurial opportunities and evaluates their SC processes. Design/methodology/approach – A whole chain approach, using qualitative methods, was used to investigate retail, wholesale and production links, with a special focus on small businesses which predominate in the agrifood sector. The methodology used is of vital importance to understand the complexity of the sector and the interdependencies among stakeholders. Findings – Results suggest several SC malfunctions originating in diverse strategic planning practices and different entrepreneurial mentalities which hinder the process of emergence from traditional to more modern chain configurations. The fact that the nature of new opportunities in the agrifood sector (e.g. organics) was poorly understood, obstructs further development of the agrifood sector. Other key findings suggest problematic flows of information within the SC and minimal trust among stakeholders. Research limitations/implications – Sampling constraints suggest that caution should be exercised in extrapolating these conclusions elsewhere. Nonetheless, further investigation using similar approach should be applied in a wider context not only in Greece but also in other similar economies characterized by nascent SCs. Originality/value – The study investigates the entire SC of a vital sector for numerous small- and medium-sized enterprises, with lessons for diverse emerging agribusiness economies. Insights, not only for the direct SC stakeholders but also for policymakers, could serve to unlock the potential of such sectors and also the exploitation of new opportunities in emerging markets which can be stifled by stagnant sectoral structures and conservative business attitudes.
Advanced predictive-analysis-based decision support for collaborative logistics networksIlie-Zudor, Elisabeth ; Ekárt, Anikó ; Kemeny, Zsolt ; Buckingham, Christopher ; Welch, Philip ; Monostori, Laszlo
2015 Supply Chain Management An International Journal
doi: 10.1108/SCM-10-2014-0323
Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine challenges and potential of big data in heterogeneous business networks and relate these to an implemented logistics solution. Design/methodology/approach – The paper establishes an overview of challenges and opportunities of current significance in the area of big data, specifically in the context of transparency and processes in heterogeneous enterprise networks. Within this context, the paper presents how existing components and purpose-driven research were combined for a solution implemented in a nationwide network for less-than-truckload consignments. Findings – Aside from providing an extended overview of today’s big data situation, the findings have shown that technical means and methods available today can comprise a feasible process transparency solution in a large heterogeneous network where legacy practices, reporting lags and incomplete data exist, yet processes are sensitive to inadequate policy changes. Practical implications – The means introduced in the paper were found to be of utility value in improving process efficiency, transparency and planning in logistics networks. The particular system design choices in the presented solution allow an incremental introduction or evolution of resource handling practices, incorporating existing fragmentary, unstructured or tacit knowledge of experienced personnel into the theoretically founded overall concept. Originality/value – The paper extends previous high-level view on the potential of big data, and presents new applied research and development results in a logistics application.
Does implementing social supplier development practices pay off?Sancha, Cristina ; Gimenez, Cristina ; Sierra, Vicenta ; Kazeminia, Ali
2015 Supply Chain Management An International Journal
doi: 10.1108/SCM-07-2014-0239
Purpose – The purpose of this paper is twofold. First is to investigate the impact of social supplier development practices on the suppliers’ social performance. Second is to analyze if the implementation of supplier development practices by Western buying firms pays off in terms of operational and economic results. Design/methodology/approach – Hypotheses are tested in a sample of 120 Spanish manufacturing firms using Path Analysis. Findings – The results suggest that while supplier development practices help to improve the suppliers’ social performance and the buying firm’s operational performance, they do not pay off in terms of economic performance. Research limitations/implications – The paper shows that supplier development practices help to improve the suppliers’ social performance while improving the operational performance of the buying firm. The study has two main limitations. First, because cross-sectional data are used, possible recursive relationships could not be accounted for. Second, the study is limited to the Spanish scope and, as such, results need to be interpreted in that context. Practical implications – The results of this study provide insights to managers with respect to the implementation of supplier development practices to make their suppliers more socially responsible. Furthermore, managers are shown the implications of implementing such practices in terms of operational and economic outcomes. Originality/value – This paper contributes to the existing literature on the effectiveness of sustainable supplier development practices by including the suppliers’ performance, which has been generally neglected. Objective measures for economic performance are also included.
Is the construction industry aware of supply chain management? The Portuguese contractors’ perspectiveArantes, Amílcar ; Ferreira, Luís Miguel D. F. ; Costa, António Aguiar
2015 Supply Chain Management An International Journal
doi: 10.1108/SCM-06-2014-0207
Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the understanding and behaviour of construction companies in relation to supply chain management (SCM) and how those relationships can impact the adoption of the SCM concept. Design/methodology/approach – This paper adopted a descriptive study method based on a cross-section survey. A literature review and focus group interviews were used to design the survey questionnaire. The focus group interviews were also used to discuss the results of the survey and draw conclusions. Findings – The results show that the global awareness level of SCM and the relationships level among the entities in the Portuguese construction industry are low, which is in alignment with previous research work. These results also show that SCM in the construction industry is a complex task due to the fact that the relationships between the entities are different, and also often contractors and subcontractors change roles from project-to-project. Research limitations/implications – The limited number of valid responses in the research, particularly when considering categories based on the size of the contractors, can be considered a major limitation of this research, which might have reduced the quality of the statistic tests performed. Practical implications – Construction companies should foster a proper understanding of “the language” and core concepts underpinning SCM practices and should pay particular attention to a systemic and network perspective, avoiding the traditional focus on the management of dyadic relationships. Accordingly, care must be taken to avoid the “simple and direct” transfer of the SCM concept to the construction sector. Originality/value – This paper provides contributions to understanding the awareness of SCM within the construction industry and to the field of SCM, confirming that it is the specifics, and not the context, of the construction sector that are not well-adapted to the assumptions underpinning SCM and related concepts.
Impacts of adaptive collaboration on demand forecasting accuracy of different product categories throughout the product life cycleNagashima, Masayasu ; Wehrle, Frederick T. ; Kerbache, Laoucine ; Lassagne, Marc
2015 Supply Chain Management An International Journal
doi: 10.1108/SCM-03-2014-0088
Purpose – This paper aims to empirically analyze how adaptive collaboration in supply chain management impacts demand forecast accuracy in short life-cycle products, depending on collaboration intensity, product life-cycle stage, retailer type and product category. Design/methodology/approach – The authors assembled a data set of forecasts and sales of 169 still-camera models, made by the same manufacturer and sold by three different retailers in France over five years. Collaboration intensity, coded by collaborative planning forecasting and replenishment level, was used to analyze the main effects and specific interaction effects of all variables using ANOVA and ordered feature evaluation analysis (OFEA). Findings – The findings lend empirical support to the long-standing assumption that supply chain collaboration intensity increases demand forecast accuracy and that product maturation also increases forecast accuracy even in short life-cycle products. Furthermore, the findings show that it is particularly the lack of collaboration that causes negative effects on forecast accuracy, while positive interaction effects are only found for life cycle stage and product category. Practical implications – Investment in adaptive supply chain collaboration is shown to increase demand forecast accuracy. However, the choice of collaboration intensity should account for life cycle stage, retailer type and product category. Originality/value – This paper provides empirical support for the adaptive collaboration concept, exploring not only the actual benefits but also the way it is achieved in the context of innovative products with short life cycles. The authors used a real-world data set and pushed its statistical analysis to a new level of detail using OFEA.
Going above and beyond: how sustainability culture and entrepreneurial orientation drive social sustainability supply chain practice adoptionMarshall, Donna ; McCarthy, Lucy ; McGrath, Paul ; Claudy, Marius
2015 Supply Chain Management An International Journal
doi: 10.1108/SCM-08-2014-0267
Purpose – This paper aims to examine what drives the adoption of different social sustainability supply chain practices. Research has shown that certain factors drive the adoption of environmental sustainability practices but few focus on social supply chain practices, delineate which practices are adopted or what drives their adoption. Design/methodology/approach – The authors examine the facilitative role of sustainability culture to explain the adoption of social sustainability supply chain practices: basic practices, consisting of monitoring and management systems and advanced practices, which are new product and process development and strategic redefinition. The authors then explore the role played by a firm’s entrepreneurial orientation in shaping and reinforcing the adoption of social sustainability supply chain practices. A survey of 156 supply chain managers in multiple industries in Ireland was conducted to test the relationship between the variables. Findings – The findings show that sustainability culture is positively related to all the practices, and entrepreneurial orientation impacts and moderates social sustainability culture in advanced social sustainability supply chain adoption. Research limitations/implications – As with any survey, this is a single point in time with a single respondent. Implications for managers include finding the right culture in the organisation to implement social sustainability supply chain management practices that go beyond monitoring to behavioural changes in the supply chain with implications beyond the dyad of buyer and supplier to lower tier suppliers and the community surrounding the supply chain. Practical implications – The implications for managers include developing and fostering cultural attributes in the organisation to implement social sustainability supply chain management practices that go beyond monitoring suppliers to behavioural changes in the supply chain with implications beyond the dyad of buyer and supplier to lower tier suppliers and the community surrounding the supply chain. Originality/value – This is the first time, to the authors’ knowledge, that cultural and entrepreneurial variables have been tested for social sustainability supply chain practices, giving them new insights into how and why social sustainability supply chain practices are adopted.
Exploring information sharing in the extended supply chain: an interdependence perspectiveKembro, Joakim ; Selviaridis, Kostas
2015 Supply Chain Management An International Journal
doi: 10.1108/SCM-07-2014-0252
Purpose – This paper aims to empirically explore demand-related information sharing in the extended supply chain. Design/methodology/approach – Through a single, embedded case design, a range of methods are used to collect data from companies representing three different supply chain tiers, including focal company, first-tier suppliers and first-tier customers. The collected data are analysed through the theoretical lens of interdependence. Findings – The findings indicate that the supply chain actors adapt information sharing to the pooled, serial or reciprocal type of interdependence. Information sharing is thus increased with key dyadic partners representing, for example, unique offerings and high market shares as percentage of total expenditure/sales. The study also unearths several barriers to information sharing beyond dyadic ties, including problems related to dis-aggregated, misinterpreted and/or incomplete information. Research limitations/implications – The study empirically contributes to the existing literature by exploring information sharing in the extended supply chain and by suggesting different approaches to information sharing depending on the type and intensity of interdependence between supply chain partners. Further, the paper contributes to the existing literature on barriers of information sharing in supply chains by identifying barriers specific to multi-tier information sharing. “Meta-information” (i.e. information about the shared information) is needed to overcome some of the barriers of sharing information in cases of weak, pooled interdependencies in the supply chain. Practical implications – Similar to previous empirical research, this exploratory study indicates that companies, in general, refrain from sharing information beyond dyadic ties. Supply chain managers would instead mostly focus on stronger, reciprocal interdependencies and emphasise dyadic information sharing. To further guide managers, a demand profiling framework considering market share and demand uncertainty is presented. It may be interesting to engage in multi-tier information sharing in particular cases where strong interdependence exists between three or more partners. Originality/value – This study contributes to existing research on information sharing in supply chains by empirically studying information sharing in an extended supply chain, applying interdependence theory as its analytical framework and unearthing several barriers that are specific to multi-tier information sharing.
The role of collaboration in supply chain resilienceScholten, Kirstin ; Schilder, Sanne
2015 Supply Chain Management An International Journal
doi: 10.1108/SCM-11-2014-0386
Purpose – This paper aims to explore how collaboration influences supply chain resilience. Collaborative activities and their underlying mechanisms in relation to visibility, velocity and flexibility are investigated. Design/methodology/approach – An exploratory case study consisting of eight buyer–supplier relationships in the food processing industry was conducted. Findings – Key findings show how specific collaborative activities (information-sharing, collaborative communication, mutually created knowledge and joint relationship efforts) increase supply chain resilience via increased visibility, velocity and flexibility. Underlying mechanisms and interdependencies of these factors within the supply chain network are identified. Originality/value – This is one of the first papers to provide in-depth insights into collaboration as a formative element of resilience in a supply chain setting. A series of propositions explain the specific influence of collaborative activities on supply chain resilience beyond a single company perspective.