In the context of a dynamic and hypercompetitive business environment, effective supply chain design helps organisations to align resources for improved flow of products and services and satisfy ...customers' diverse needs. Scholars have proposed several mutually exclusive supply chain designs such as efficient versus responsive, and lean versus agile. Quantitative testing has revealed that supply chain designs of many firms do not match with what was conceptually expected. To address this mismatch, in this study, a new approach to supply chain leagility is introduced and the impact of uncertainty as the key design driver of supply chains on leagility is investigated. The partial least squares (PLS) was employed to analyse data collected from 299 Australian firms by administering a structured questionnaire. Results indicate that higher performance is achievable on minimising the deviation from a balanced supply chain in which aspects of both leanness and agility are equally embedded. Further, the level of uncertainty directly and positively affects the Deviation from Leagility (DFL) index.
The purpose of this study is to develop a hierarchy-based model for supply chain resilience (SCRES), explaining the dynamics between various enablers and validating the model empirically. Literature ...review and a survey identified the enablers. Interpretive structural modelling (ISM) is used to analyse the levels of relationships among enablers. Based on their driving power and dependence, these enablers are also classified into different categories. Structural equation modelling is used to validate the hierarchical SCRES model and test the path analytical model. The study provides empirical justification for a framework that identifies 13 key enablers of resilient supply chain practices and describes the relationship among them using ISM. It also classifies them using Matrix of Cross Impact Multiplications Applied to Classification analysis on the basis of their driver power and dependence. The key finding is that using the proposed model, organisations can enhance their resilience potential by modifying their strategic assets. The model was tested using rigorous statistical tests including convergent validity, discriminant validity and reliability. The holistic view offered by the proposed model depicts the relationship among enablers to achieve SCRES.
This paper examines the ripple effect in supply chains due to circular flows embedded in supply chain design. Although supply chains are complex and nonlinear, circular flows exist in real-world ...supply chains but are often unknown or hidden to supply chain managers. These circular flows exist when a Tier 2 supplier is also a Tier 3 (or higher) supplier in the supply chain network. Additionally, a circular network can occur when a supplier is also a customer in the same network. In the presence of these types of supply chain network structures, supply chains may experience a ripple effect (or disruption propagation) in which disruptions impact supply chain performance. Using a real-world supply chain structure, we examine the effect of circular flows on the ripple effect and identify how this influences the supply chain's resilience to disruptions. We offer managers and researchers insights that improve the understanding of how circular flows exacerbate the ripple effect.
There has been tremendous interest in blockchain technology (BT) (also known as distributed ledger technology) around the globe and across sectors. Following significant success in the financial ...sector, other sectors, such as humanitarian sector, have started deploying BT at various levels. Although the use of BT in the humanitarian sector is in its infancy, donors and government agencies are increasingly calling for building BT-enabled swift-trust (ST) and more collaborative relationships among various humanitarian actors in order to improve the transparency and traceability of disaster relief materials, information exchanges and flow of funds in disaster relief supply chains. Our study, which is informed by organisational information processing theory and relational view, proposes a theoretical model to understand how BT can influence operational supply chain transparency (OSTC) and ST among actors engaged in disaster relief operations. Our model also shows how BT-enabled ST can further improve collaboration (CO) among actors engaged in disaster relief operations and enhance supply chain resilience (SCR). We formulated and tested six research hypotheses, using data gathered from international non-governmental organisations with the help of the Coordinator for Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) database. We received 256 usable responses using a pre-tested survey-based instrument designed for key informants. Our results confirm that our six hypotheses were supported. Our study offers significant and valid contributions to the literature on ST, CO and SCR and BT/distributed ledger technology. We have also noted the limitations of our study and have offered future research directions.
Lee 2004. The triple—a supply chain. Harvard Business Review 102–112 articulated that alignment, adaptability, and agility are the basic ingredients for managing supply chain risks. While it is clear ...that flexibility (agility) enhances supply chain resiliency, it remains unclear how much flexibility is needed to mitigate supply chain risks. Without a clear understanding of the benefit associated with different levels of flexibility, firms are reluctant to invest in flexibility especially when reliable data and accurate cost and benefit analysis are difficult to obtain. In this paper, we present a unified framework and 5 stylized models to illustrate that firms can obtain significant strategic value by implementing a risk reduction program that calls for a relatively low level of flexibility. Some of our model analyses are based on or motivated by models presented in recent literature. Our findings highlight the power of flexibility, and provide convincing arguments for deploying flexibility to mitigate supply chain risks.
Reconfigurable supply chain: the X-network Dolgui, Alexandre; Ivanov, Dmitry; Sokolov, Boris
International journal of production research,
07/2020, Letnik:
58, Številka:
13
Journal Article
Recenzirano
Odprti dostop
Research on supply chain (SC) digitalization, resilience, sustainability and leagility has remarkably progressed, most of it focused on the individual contributions of these four major frameworks. ...However, a lack of integration spanning these individual frameworks can be observed. In this conceptual paper, we hypothesize that reconfigurability can be considered such an integral perspective that consolidates the research in SC adaptation to ever changing environments. We theorize a new notion - a Reconfigurable SC or the X-network - that exhibits some crucial design and control characteristics for complex value-adding systems in highly vulnerable environments. We support our argumentation and conceptual viewpoints by a literature analysis along with tertiary studies to review and structure contextual factors of designing the X-networks. We propose respective frameworks and discuss the implementation principles and technologies at the macro and micro levels. Two novel concepts - dynamic SC meta-structures and dynamic autonomous services - are introduced. Distinctively, we go beyond the existing knowledge to predict proactively the future directions in the reconfigurable SCs. Our results can be of value for decision-makers to decipher chances and barriers in contemporary SC transformations.
The digital supply chains enabled by Big Data Analytics (BDA) capabilities have become a business significance to develop a competitive and sustainable supply chain. The implementation of BDA for ...sustainable supply chains introduces various organisational challenges for the manufacturing firms demanding complementary capabilities. This study presents an investigation of the linkages between BDA capabilities, circular economy (CE) practices, and sustainable supply chain (SSC) flexibility on the SSC performance. Based on a survey of 320 manufacturing organisations, the study presents very interesting results. It is revealed that the BDA does not have a direct effect on sustainable performance. The CE practices and SSC flexibility are significant mediating variables between the BDA capabilities and SSC performance. The BDA is found to drive the implementation of CE practices. Further, CE practices are found to develop SSC flexibility with the BDA complementing these flexibilities.
This study examined the impact of the supply chain specific investments (SCSIs) of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) on their enterprise performance (EP). In addition, the mediating role of ...supply chain financing capability (SCFC) and the moderating role of digital technology adoption (DTA) were also investigated. The valid representative sample for this study was drawn from 380 Chinese SMEs. Multiple regression analysis and a structural equation model were used to test the proposed theoretical model and research hypotheses. The analysis illustrated the positive influence of SCSIs (supply chain asset-specific investments (SCASIs) and supply chain relationship-specific investments (SCRSIs)) of SMEs on their EP. Furthermore, SCFC was found to mediate the relationship between SCSIs and EP, while DTA positively moderated the relationship between SCSIs and SCFC of SMEs. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study to explore the impact of SCSIs on EP of SMEs based on resource orchestration theory (ROT). Additionally, this study innovatively sheds light on the internal mechanism and contextual mechanism on the effectiveness of SCSIs for SMEs, through the introduction of two factors, namely SCFC and DTA.
The paper examines the mediating effect of supply chain (SC) practices on the relationship between agile supply chain (ASC) strategy and SC performance. It further examines the moderating effect of ...information systems (IS) capability for agility on this mediated relationship. Using the theoretical lenses of complementarity and the information processing view of the supply chain, we hypothesise that strategic supplier partnership, customer relationship, postponement and lean practices, mediate the relationship between ASC strategy and SC performance. We further hypothesise that IS capability for agility moderates each of these mediated relationships. We empirically test the hypotheses using survey data from members of senior and executive management in the logistics/supply chain functions of 205 firms. The paper contributes to the literature on ASCs by theoretically explaining and empirically demonstrating how SC practices and IS capability for agility act together to effect a positive relationship between ASC strategy and supply chain performance.
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