Addressing uncertainty in buyer-supplier interfaces by supply chain phase and decision-making level: a fuzzy goal-fitting approach

Abstract

This exploratory study addresses uncertainty in supply chain management (SCM) interfaces required for effective buyer-supplier partnerships which may be more critical at different phases and organisational levels of decision making. The phases of plan, source, make and deliver, and the operational, tactical and strategic levels of decision making are considered. Fuzzy probabilities of degree of fit to goals set to statistical confidence intervals are applied to survey data from over 400 buyers comparing seven suppliers in the electronics industry. Results showed that the source, plan, and deliver phases at different levels of decision making are to varying degrees important in SCM interfaces. The make phase was less important overall for interfacing. A heuristic is presented for maximising supply chain performance gains with timely attention to partnership interfaces.