Supply Chain Collaboration Research Articles

A multiobjective coalition formation in facility and fleet sharing for resilient horizontal supply chain collaboration

A multiobjective coalition formation in facility and fleet sharing for resilient horizontal supply chain collaboration

Factors affecting the supply chain resilience and supply chain performance: an empirical investigation

The key objective of this research study is to delve into the factors affecting supply chain resilience to enhance supply chain performance through the mediation of supply chain resilience. A quantitative method of research was applied to perform this particular research. Data collection was performed using the questionnaire technique. As it was impossible to collect data from every member of the targeted population, a sample of data was calculated using G*power software and a sample size of 129 respondents. It was concluded that supply chain artificial intelligence, adaptive capability, and collaboration positively and significantly influence supply chain resilience and performance. At the same time, supply chain resilience also positively impacts supply chain performance. Thus, adopting resilience and other dynamic capacities can enhance organizational and supply chain performance. This research study provides insight to the manufacturing firms' practitioners and managers for improving their resilience level in the supply chain. This specific research study plays a significant role in literature by highlighting the concept of supply chain resilience and the supply chain performance of organizations.

Supply Chain Collaboration during Disruption through Sales & Operations Planning: A Study in a Manufacturing Industry

The study is based on primary and secondary data which unlocks a sequential supply chain disruption that occurred due to the pandemic and subsequent occurrences, including geopolitical tensions involving Ukraine and Russia, as well as Palestine and Israel. The geopolitical landscape is contingent upon the comprehensive strategic choices made by global leaders representing the United States, Russia, Turkey, India, the European Union, and Middle Eastern countries. There are several attempts made by researchers and industry practitioners to appropriately synchronize the demand and supply during this disruption. Substantial research has been conducted and literature is available in the field of supply chain collaboration. However, collaboration can’t be ensured unless the end-to-end SCM is synchronized through the Sales & Operations (S&OP) planning. Achieving smooth collaboration poses a formidable challenge, particularly amid disruptions and volatile conditions as seen today. This research undertakes a comprehensive examination by conducting a systematic literature review on various facets of sales and operations planning (S&OP), coupled with a survey utilizing a self-administered questionnaire across 24 manufacturing industries in Bangladesh. The primary aim of this paper is to assess S&OP best practices by evaluating different aspects applied in the industry, to ensure seamless connectivity, collaboration, and establishing criteria for measuring performance in the S&OP process. The authors underscore the significance of integrating S&OP and ultimately propose an innovative approach that integrates 10 attributes of supply chain performance measurement (SCPM) to fortify the S&OP process, enhancing its overall performance and effectiveness. This study not only paves the way for researchers and academia to investigate deeper into collaboration and risk management within supply chain management (SCM) operations during disruptions but also recommends industry practitioners novel concepts to enhance overall efficiency and provide substantial visibility into business operations.

The role of organisational and contextual factors in supply chain collaboration and competitive advantage: the case of the garment industry in Vietnam

PurposeThis research aims to investigate how organisational and contextual factors affect supply chain collaboration and how that, in turn, influences firms' competitive advantage in the garment industry in the context of Vietnam, a developing country.Design/methodology/approachFollowing a qualitative research design, in-depth interviews were conducted with senior managers who are involved in supply chain collaboration in twelve garment companies in Vietnam. The data were recorded, transcribed and analysed using NVivo 12. Based on the literature and interview findings, a research model underpinned by the relational view (RV) and institutional theories, with organisational and contextual factors being the antecedents and competitive advantage as the outcome of supply chain collaboration, was proposed.FindingsThe findings showed that organisational and contextual factors induce both internal, supplier and customer supply chain collaboration. There is also a positive relationship between supply chain collaboration and competitive advantage. Based on these findings, a strategy matrix for supply chain collaboration is also put forward.Originality/valueThis is one of the first empirical attempts to investigate the role of organisational and contextual factors as potential antecedents of supply chain collaboration and its effects on competitive advantage in the garment industry. The research is expected to enrich both the literature and management practices on supply chain collaboration in the context of developing countries.

Roles of top management support and compatibility in big data predictive analytics for supply chain collaboration and supply chain performance

With the global digitalisation, big data has received growing attention from academicians and practitioners. However, only a few empirical studies examined the benefits of big data predictive analytics (BDPA) and its influence on supply chain collaboration (SCC) and supply chain performance (SCP). Addressing the identified gaps of the implementation of organisational information processing theory (OIPT), the current study provided the foundation to develop a conceptual framework. All relevant data were collected from 197 employees in the Chinese logistics industry. Partial least squares–structural equation modelling technique was performed. The obtained empirical results supported top management support and compatibility as critical factors for the adoption of BDPA. Moreover, BDPA exhibited positive influence on SCC and SCP. Additionally, SCC mediated the relationship between BDPA and SCP. This study presented significant theoretical contributions and provided guidelines that can benefit policymakers and organisations in the efforts of implementing BDPA for enhanced SCP. After all, improving SCP would benefit customers and the society in the case of reduction and wastage of resources.

Assessing solutions to overcome Quality 4.0 barriers: a decision-making framework

PurposeThe industrial revolution changed the market landscape significantly in all industrial sectors. It has a noteworthy impact on enhancing the quality of goods and services. The quality aspect is of utmost concern and determines the success or failure of any product. Therefore, the presented study analyses the key barriers and solutions of Quality 4.0.Design/methodology/approachTwenty barriers and fifteen solutions were identified using a literature review and investigated using a hybrid approach. Barrier weights were evaluated with the help of the fuzzy AHP method. Furthermore, the computed weights were used to perform computations in the next step using fuzzy-TOPSIS to prioritize the ranking of identified solutions.FindingsThe research results show that “Lack of applying advanced analytics to uncover Quality 4.0 initiatives” and “Lack of integrating data from various sources across the organization” are the topmost barriers. Furthermore, “Implement a leadership development program focused on Quality 4.0” and “Cross-departmental peer learning environment” are the topmost solutions.Practical implicationsManagers and industrialists can benefit from Quality 4.0 through improved decision-making, process efficiency, supply chain collaboration, agile quality management, enhanced customer experience and a culture of continuous improvement. This results in better quality, operational effectiveness and a competitive edge.Originality/valueThe solutions need to be mapped with barriers to adopting Quality 4.0. Furthermore, the research results involve novelty by prioritizing the solutions to overcome the anticipated barriers.

A hybrid fuzzy decision-making trial and evaluation laboratory and multi-criteria decision-making approach for successful implementation of supply chain collaboration strategies

This study proposes an integrated framework for successfully implementing collaboration strategies in supply chain (SC) management using a fuzzy decision-making trial and evaluation laboratory (DEMATEL) and multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) approach. The study analyses and measures the successful possibility of SC collaboration implementation in small and medium enterprises (SMEs). The fuzzy DEMATEL is used to evaluate the weight of each criterion, and fuzzy MCDM is used to assess the possible success rates of the collaboration strategies. The result shows that top management support and commitment, SC strategic planning, information sharing, goal congruence, organizational compatibility, and decision synchronization are major factors responsible for SC collaboration success in SMEs. This study helps predict the effectiveness of collaboration strategies and indicates remedial activities in the existing collaborative environment by undertaking corrective actions and measures to increase implementation success.

Fairness and trust in organic food supply chains

PurposeThe authors analysed fairness as an antecedent of trust to understand how trust building can be actively managed to facilitate collaboration in buyer–supplier relationships.Design/methodology/approachA case study was employed to buyer–supplier relationships of five organic food companies from three different sectors. The research was developed with data collected in 2022 through qualitative research interviews and analysed using a structured content analysis. A practitioner workshop served to complement findings and confirm the interpretation of data by discussing interview results from a managerial perspective.FindingsA conceptual model based on organisational trust and justice theory was developed to examine causal relations between fairness and trust. Findings show that perceived distributional, procedural and interactional fairness mutually interact with the perceived trustworthiness of business partners and that both contribute to building personal, organisational and institutional trust. Qualitative data support the conceptual model and show that trust is a valuable relational resource that affects relationship quality and the willingness to collaborate and to take risks in times of uncertainty.Practical implicationsHigh trust levels developed through positive fairness perceptions can lower risk perceptions whilst increasing the willingness to collaborate in supply chain relationships. This can help deal with market uncertainties.Originality/valueThrough the lens of organisational trust and justice theory, this study extends the literature on collaboration in supply chains by including a comprehensive view on the formation of trust in business-to-business (B2B) relationships.

Barriers to blockchain adoption in the seaport industry: A fuzzy DEMATEL analysis.

Blockchain technology, marked as a disruptive force across various sectors, including seaport logistics, faces challenges and obstacles that impede its effective adoption. We aim to empirically identify the significant barriers impeding blockchain adoption in the seaport industry and elucidate the interconnected relationships between these impediments. Utilizing the Fuzzy Decision-Making Trial and Evaluation Laboratory Analysis (Fuzzy DEMATEL) technique, we quantify the cause-and-effect relationships between various barriers to blockchain adoption. Structured interviews involving 18 experts were conducted, collecting both qualitative interview data and quantitative data. The nature of ports and the maritime industry did not seem to be accurately reflected in the literature about blockchain adoption, presenting several new findings in this study. Four primary obstacles were identified: 1) Lack of management support and commitment. 2) Issues in supply chain collaboration, communication and coordination. 3) Resistance from and lack of involvement of external stakeholders. 4) The high cost. Furthermore, cost was reaffirmed as a significant factor influencing blockchain adoption. We enhance existing literature by revealing the interdependencies among identified barriers and offers insights for policymakers and industry practitioners. We aim to foster successful blockchain integration in the seaport industry, improving its sustainability performance. During this research, it has been acknowledged by the business sector that the effective employment of business process re-engineering (BPR) and the strategic implementation of blockchain technology are crucial strategies to surmount the obstacles that have impeded the extensive integration of blockchain within port operations.

Operations research approaches for improving coordination, cooperation, and collaboration in humanitarian relief chains: A framework and literature review

Given the considerable number of actors in the humanitarian space, coordination is essential for successful disaster response. Furthermore, the sheer size of challenges and limited resources increasingly highlight the need for improved cooperation and collaboration in humanitarian supply chains. A significant number of studies in the literature explore the 3Cs (coordination, cooperation and collaboration), using conceptual, empirical and analytical methods. This paper aims to provide an overview and analysis of the Operations Research (OR) approaches that support decision making for improved 3Cs in humanitarian relief chains and to identify future research directions. To achieve this aim, we first present a holistic view of the discussions in the literature and derive a conceptual framework for 3C mechanisms in humanitarian operations. Based on our framework, we analyse studies that develop OR methods to address the design and management of 3C mechanisms in humanitarian relief chains. We also identify current gaps and future research directions.

A Human Behaviour Perspective on Horizontal Collaboration to Reduce the Climate Impact of Logistics

The transport sector needs to drastically reduce its carbon footprint to comply with the Paris Agreement. In today’s sharing economy, an emerging strategy to contribute to this goal is horizontal collaboration. However, most studies on horizontal collaboration or resource pooling are approached from a theoretical Operations Research perspective, and case studies are usually stylised. At the same time, the uptake of horizontal collaboration in practice is limited. An important explanation for this is that compared to traditional vertical collaboration, coalition formation is much more complex under horizontal collaboration, as some players will be included in the collaborative coalition, while others will be excluded. We conjecture that this renders human behaviour much more important than in more traditional vertical supply chain relations. Therefore, in this paper, we propose a research agenda for an interdisciplinary approach that integrates human behavioural aspects in studies on horizontal supply chain collaboration. We review some vital concepts from social psychology and discuss the importance to the success or failure of horizontal collaboration initiatives to reduce the environment footprint of the logistics sector. We conclude that social psychological insights on mixed-motive interactions are pivotal to understand wicked problems such as Sustainable Development Goal 13 on Climate Action, and that interdisciplinary approaches should therefore receive more attention in academic literature.

Key Fitting Points of Agri-food Supply Chain Collaboration and Blockchain: Literature Review on Agri-food Supply Chain Collaboration with the Integration of Blockchain Technology

Key Fitting Points of Agri-food Supply Chain Collaboration and Blockchain: Literature Review on Agri-food Supply Chain Collaboration with the Integration of Blockchain Technology

Strategic supplier performance in a competitive landscape: Enhancing organizational performance through lean supply chain management

In a context characterized by increasing competitive pressure, supply chain collaboration has gained greater relevance and lean principles have been integrated into supply chain management to address the challenge of achieving better organizational performance. The purpose of this study is to understand the roles of strategic supplier performance and competitive intensity in Lean Supply Chain Management (LSCM) implementation and its performance. We use a variance-based Structural Equation Model analysis with empirical data from a sample of 273 Spanish companies to analyze the relationships among strategic suppliers, competitive intensity, LSCM implementation, and performance. Our findings indicate that strategic supplier performance is positively associated with LSCM implementation and that this relationship is heightened in highly competitive industries. Our results also reveal the indirect association of LSCM implementation in the strategic supplier performance-organizational performance relationship. JEL CLASSIFICATION: M11

Critical Success Factors for a Sustainable Supply Chain: The Case of Apple Inc.

In the context of today's global economic and technological development, there is a growing concern for environmental issues and social responsibility. In this context, supply chain sustainability has become an important issue that companies cannot ignore. As a world-renowned technology company, Apple's practices and experiences in supply chain sustainability have attracted much attention. This thesis takes Apple as the research object, combines relevant literature and analyses Apple's successful cases in sustainable development, and discusses the current situation, problems and challenges faced by Apple's supply chain sustainable development. Through an in-depth study of Apple's theoretical framework and practical experience in supply chain management, the key factors of Apple's supply chain sustainability and future development direction are summarized. The findings show that Apple's success in supply chain sustainability is attributed to its leadership and commitment, supplier selection and management, use of resources and energy, supply chain transparency and collaboration, and social and environmental responsibility. This study has important implications for other companies to improve their performance and competitiveness in sustainability. Through the findings of this study, other companies can learn from Apple's supply chain management experience to improve their performance and competitiveness in sustainability. Also, this study has implications for the academic community, providing new insights and implications for theory and practice in the area of supply chain sustainability.

Optimal shipping, collaboration, and outsourcing decisions in a hybrid cross-docking supply chain

Motivated by the supply chain of our oil-field service industry partner, we study shipping, collaboration, and outsourcing decisions in a decentralized, three-stage supply chain consisting of suppliers, a hybrid cross-dock facility, and oil well facilities. Unlike pure cross-docking, which transships arriving products quickly downstream, hybrid cross-docking allows for inventory to remain at the cross-dock for multiple periods. We formulate multi-period, optimization models to minimize costs of different members in a hybrid cross-docking supply chain and establish structural properties of optimal solutions. We make use of those results to identify conditions under which hybrid cross-docking is more cost efficient than pure cross-docking. Our results provide managerial insights regarding when a hybrid cross-dock should be enabled, and the value of the resulting cost savings. We also quantify the value of collaboration among different stages in the supply chain. Upstream collaboration results in 1% to 9% average cost savings for the cross-dock, while downstream collaboration generates 4% to 13% in average cost savings for oil well facilities, depending on the number of products and their holding cost. We also develop a Stackelberg pricing game between a logistics company and oil well facilities seeking to lower their costs by outsourcing their transportation and inventory operations. We identify the structure of oil well facilities’ best response to the price of outsourcing services, as well as the structure of the logistics provider’s optimal pricing policy. Our findings and models, based on current literature, provide application focused tools that allow managers to improve cross-docking operations in their supply chains, realize the benefits of collaborations, and make better outsourcing decisions.

Evolution Game Analysis of Supply Chain Synergy Benefits of Prefabricated Building Projects

Aiming at the current situation of insufficient research on the synergistic benefits of the prefabricated building supply chain, this study utilizes the evolutionary game theory to construct an evolutionary game model among the three participating subjects of “government–construction unit–prefabricated component manufacturer”. Our study uses dynamic replication equations to derive the equilibrium point of the game, draw the evolutionary path of the prefabricated building, and analyze the strategic behaviors of each subject’s game evolution law. Providing lessons for the strategy selection of each subject while improving the level of assembly, building supply chain synergy is taken as the main goal of this study. The results of the study show that in the initial stage of assembly building supply chain collaboration, the government’s guidance and support can rapidly increase the willingness of all parties to collaborate; the reasonable distribution of the benefits of collaborative incentives is a prerequisite for the sustainable and stable development of the supply chain collaboration, and the construction unit, as the core body of the supply chain, should be given more attention in this link. The participants in the supply chain can effectively improve the level of supply chain synergy and decision-making efficiency by applying the model in this study.

Linking Supply Chain Collaboration, Collaborative Advantage, and Firm Performance in China: The Moderating Role of Government Subsidies

Supply chain collaboration is acknowledged for its benefits, but realizing these advantages can be challenging. The role of government subsidies in supply chain collaboration, collaborative advantage, and firm performance remains unclear. In this study, we explored how supply chain collaboration can enhance firm performance and the roles of collaborative advantage and government subsidies in that process. Firstly, we reviewed the related literature and proposed our hypotheses. Secondly, we formulated an innovative theoretical framework and issued our questionnaire after a pilot study. After collecting and evaluating the sample data, we utilized structural equation modeling to comprehensively examine those relationships in a supply chain, unlike the previous studies on trust, firm size, etc. Lastly, in the context of government interventions, this study addresses the question: “To what extent do government subsidies influence the relationships among supply chain collaboration, collaborative advantage, and firm performance?” Our findings indicate that supply chain collaboration is fundamental in shaping collaborative advantage and firm performance, while collaborative advantage is crucial in enhancing firm performance. Additionally, government support in the form of subsidies acts as a catalyst, further enhancing the positive outcomes of supply chain collaboration and ultimately benefiting firm performance. This research underscores the strategic significance of supply chain collaboration and government subsidies in promoting overall business success. By illuminating the roles of collaborative advantage and government subsidies in this context, this study contributes to a deeper understanding of the dynamic capability involved in achieving improved firm performance through effective supply chain collaboration.

EFFECT OF SUPPLY CHAIN RESILIENCE STRATEGIES ON THE PERFORMANCE OF FLORICULTURAL FIRMS IN KENYA

The floriculture industry encounters diverse, ever new and high frequency challenges, which if not well managed will cause business closure, great losses and recovery challenges. In Kenya, floricultural firms are exposed to varied disruptions, bottlenecks and delays in their supply chain ecosystem, and this was worsened by the global Covid-19 pandemic. It is therefore crucial for firms to employ the right resilience strategies to prepare for such disruptions in responding and recovering faster to continue operating and improve performance. However whether, how and which resilience strategies affect performance in floricultural firms is a topic that remain under-explored. Using the Complex Adaptive System, Relational, Contingency and Agency theories together with the empirical literature, the study sheds light on the relationship between resilience strategies and firm performance. The specific objectives were to establish: the effects of supply chain collaboration, flexibility, agility and risk management strategies on the performance of floricultural firms in Nakuru County, Kenya. The study adopted descriptive and correlation research design. Target population was 101 flower firms. Primary data was collected using questionnaires. Using SPSS, descriptive and inferential statistics were carried out using ordinal multiple regression and correlation analysis. The study findings will guide the various businesses that are rethinking their business model and finding solutions to survive business disruptions affecting supply chains, by providing information on how to develop the right resilience strategies to deal with unforeseen disruptions and improve their performance. KEY WORDS: Supply Chain Collaboration, Supply Chain Flexibility, Supply Chain Agility, Supply Chain Risk Management, Performance Kenya.

A framework for modelling and designing transparency systems: A case of a Vietnamese pork supply chain

The three major meat supply chains in emerging markets are traditional wet markets, integrated supply chains, and the more recent collaborative supply chains. Customers in these markets are increasingly demanding safe and high-quality meat, which requires more transparency in the supply chain. This paper presents a generic framework for modelling and designing transparency systems in meat supply chains, with special attention to the needs of emerging markets like Vietnam where all the three supply chain types co-exist. The framework consists of domain, product flow, business control, business process and transparency data models. The main novelty of the proposed framework is its complementarity to cross-industry reference architectures and generic traceability standards, and its stakeholder-centric approach. The framework is demonstrated in the three pork supply chain types that are also widely present in Vietnam and are representative of the pork supply chains of emerging markets in general. The applicability of the framework is described in detail in a case study of a collaborative supply chain of independent members, which is one of the three pork supply chain types. The case study is selected for detailed analysis because the members work closely together to provide safe and traceable pork meat to consumers.

Swedish public procurement and the defence industry: obstacles and opportunities

PurposeA deteriorating security situation and an increased need for defence equipment calls for new forms of collaboration between Armed Forces and the defence industry. This paper aims to investigate the ways in which the accelerating demand for increased security of supply of equipment and supplies to the Armed Forces requires adaptability in the procurement process that is governed by laws on public procurement (PP).Design/methodology/approachThis paper is based on a review of current literature as well as empirical data obtained through interviews with representatives from the Swedish Defence Materiel Administration and the Swedish defence industry.FindingsCollaboration with the globalized defence industry requires new approaches, where the PP rules make procurement of a safe supply of defence equipment difficult.Research limitations/implicationsThe study's empirical data and findings are based on the Swedish context. In order to draw more general conclusions in a defence context, the study should be expanded to cover more nations.Practical implicationsThe findings will enable the defence industry and the procurement authorizations to better understand the requirements of Armed Forces, and how to cooperate under applicable legal and regulatory requirements.Originality/valueThe paper extends the extant body of academic knowledge of the security of supply into the defence sector. It serves as a first step towards articulating a call for new approaches to collaboration in defence supply chains.