Managing supply chains for competitiveness: the Indian scenario

Abstract

PurposeThe paper aims to analyse research conducted for assessing the current state of supply chain management practices followed by Indian organisations and identifying important areas that need to be addressed in order to increase their competitiveness.Design/methodology/approachThe paper begins by proposing a framework for evaluating the supply chain strategy of an organisation along the three key dimensions – supply chain objectives, supply chain processes, and management focus on supply chain activities. Data collected through survey questionnaire for the three dimensions have been used to assess the alignment of supply chain strategy with the overall business strategy through statistical analysis.FindingsThe research findings reveal that most of the Indian organisations have aligned their supply chain objectives with their business objectives. They are now on course of aligning their processes and management focus. Enhanced level of competitiveness would require Indian organisations to manage the three‐dimensional alignment of achieving the agenda set by the business strategy.Research limitations/implicationsFurther research work should focus on: assessing the current level of supply chain processes; identifying critical supply chain focus areas for the business; and establishing specific performance measures for continuous measurement of supply chain efficiency improvement.Practical implicationsThis paper provides a detailed study to help supply chain managers improve supply chain efficiency through alignment of supply chain objectives with business objectives, supply chain processes with management tools and supply chain focus areas with management focus. Improved supply chain efficiency will help Indian organisations maintain competitiveness in a rapidly globalising economy.Originality/valueThe supply chain alignment model suggested in this paper provides a framework for realising true supply chain efficiency and competitiveness. Different organisations will align their objectives, processes and management focus as per the focal areas of their organisation depending on their capabilities and market situation. However, in every case Indian organisations need to act fast to capitalise on these opportunities to be competitive with the world market.