Reversing the Supply Chain Management Paradigm

Abstract

The topic is a generic deficiency in the theory generation within the business philosophy of supply chain management (SCM). The author argues that there is a crucial and challenging necessity to extend and reverse the current approach of theory generation in the field of SCM, from mainly upstream supply chain perspectives towards genuine downstream demand chain perspectives. The point of departure in the theory generation within the business philosophy of SCM should be at least from the customer's perspective, and eventually from the ultimate consumer's perspective, i.e. an ultimate consumer-driven theory generation of SCM. Furthermore, there is a lack of adequate theoretical frameworks and concepts in the current theory generation of SCM that take into consideration the ultimate consumer's perspective. Therefore, a selection of generic and classical marketing concepts and frameworks, such as the marketing concept, the marketing mix, and the marketing myopia, should be introduced and taken into consideration in the theory generation of SCM.