Suppliers In Product Development Research Articles

Supply Chain Management Practices, Information Advancement and Organizational Performance of Large Flour Milling Companies in Nairobi City County.Kenya

Companies not only must reestablish themselves to produce higher-quality goods and services, reduce waste, and adapt to the demand, but also to manage their supply chain management effectively as a result of the increasing number of competing companies growing both locally and internationally. As a result, the study sought to establish the supply chain practices affect the organizational performance of milling company listed Nairobi Stock Exchange. The specific goals will be to determine the influence of Green supply chain practices, supplier management practices, outsourcing practices, and Supply Chain Management on the organizational performance of milling company listed Nairobi Stock Exchange, as well as to determine the moderating effect of information technology on contemporary supply chain practices on the organizational performance of milling company listed Nairobi Stock Exchange. The theory of lean Contract Value, transaction cost theory, theory of supply chain constraints and resource based view theory were used in the study. A descriptive study design was used in this investigation. The study's target population was the 260 employees of the milling company listed Nairobi Stock Exchange, as defined by the Kenya Association of Manufacturers Directory, who worked in procurement, marketing, finance, security, ICT, or similar management. A structured questionnaire was used to collect data. A sample of 73 respondents was selected using Yamane (2012) formula. Descriptive statistics, inferential statistics was used to analyze the data. A pilot study involving 8 respondents was conducted to determine the data collection tool reliability. The study instrument had Cronbach’s alpha coefficients of between 0.756 and 0.836 on all study constructs and hence fit for the field study. Based on final results the study found that green supply chain practices, supplier management, and outsourcing positively and significantly influence the performance of large-scale flour processing firms in Kenya. Information advancement was identified as a critical moderating factor that enhances the relationship between these supply chain management practices and performance. Specifically, information advancement amplifies the effects of green supply chain, supplier management, and outsourcing on operational performance. The study also suggested that Flour processing firms in Kenya should fully embrace green supply chain practices, including waste management, efficient energy equipment, and the use of natural light where possible to improve sustainability and performance. The study also suggested that Firms should enhance supplier relations by engaging suppliers in product development, sharing information, and rewarding top-performing suppliers to foster commitment and motivation. The study also suggested that Firms should seek cost savings, efficiency, and sustainability when outsourcing services. This can be achieved through supplier performance evaluations and formal contracts. The study also suggested that regularly review information advancement strategies to optimize performance. This study contributed to supply chain management theory by confirming the relationship between supply chain practices, information advancement, and firm performance. It strengthens the theoretical framework and informs policy makers and large-scale flour processing firms about the importance of supplier management, green supply chain, and outsourcing in supply chain management policies and regulations. In practice, the study guides firms on how to enhance performance through effective supply chain management considering information advancement. The study suggested that Future research can explore the relationship between supply chain management and performance in other sectors beyond flour processing, such as agriculture, transportation, shipping, and manufacturing. Additionally, studies can investigate the impact of different moderators, such as dynamic capabilities, legal frameworks, government regulations, and competition, on the relationship between supply chain management and performance. This will contribute to a more comprehensive understanding of supply chain management dynamics

Challenges with Supplier Involvement in Product Development: A Supplier’s Perspective

AbstractStudies of supplier involvement in product development have revealed potential benefits including faster time to market, reduced cost and increased quality. However, existing literature has mainly focused on the customer's perspective on advantages, disadvantages and factors to be considered when involving suppliers in product development. This paper addresses the supplier's perspective by answering following research question: How do challenges that originate from involvement in customer's product development affect a supplier? The question is answered through a single case study at a supplier that develops and manufacture products primary used in capital goods. Thirteen challenges are identified, classified as being internal or external, and categorised into five areas: (A) Customer requirements, (B) Information exchange between customer and supplier, (C) Product variety management, (D) Design- manufacturing integration and (E) Processes and work instructions. The findings suggest that internal challenges need as much attention as external ones that originate from the customer. Also, an indication of when the challenges affect the supplier during product development is presented.

Supplier involvement in integrated product development: evidence from a group of Italian SMEs

Integrated product development (IPD) is gaining increased attention from practitioners and the academic community as a source of innovation and competitive advantage. However undeniable the importance of the issue is as to how the different actors involved in the process interact among themselves and the supporting factors not being well understood even in the SME context, the availability of empirical research and a comprehensive framework to drive this research remains unavailable. This article contributes to these research gaps by providing theoretical and empirical findings. First, a research framework on IPD is identified. The proposed framework represents a conceptualisation of IPD principles as consisting of three groups of integration enablers, which aim to achieve high internal (among departments) and external (with suppliers and customers) integration: (a) organisational enablers, (b) technological enablers and (c) methodologies. Then, a multiple case study approach is used in order to empirically explore external integration with suppliers in product development in 22 SMEs from the machine tool sector.

Supply network delegation and intervention strategies during supplier involvement in new product development

PurposeThis paper proposes and empirically investigates two strategies that companies can employ to involve indirect suppliers in new product development (NPD): supply network delegation; and supply network intervention. The implications of the two strategies are explored.Design/methodology/approachThe paper brings together the traditional NPD literature, organizational behaviour and organizational economics literature, and reports on three in‐depth case studies of NPD projects, involving 39 semi‐structured interviews across three supply networks.FindingsThe findings reveal different manifestations of the two strategies of supply network intervention and delegation, when applied as part of supplier involvement in product development, and positive and negative indications of delegation and intervention, depending on the actor perspective: manufacturers perceive a need to control the product development process across several supply network tiers through intervention in supplier selection and communication, but these actions are likely to “tie the hands of the suppliers”.Practical implicationsManagers are advised to explicitly delegate decisions to suppliers, for example, by issuing parts approval lists and encouraging communication and problem solving amongst suppliers, and to exercise caution in applying the intervention strategy.Originality/valueThe paper contributes to a better understanding of how to involve indirect (sub‐) suppliers in product development, and the implications of these actions for multiple supply network actors.

A comparative study on business architecture and business strategy selection

This study analyzed the leading manufacturers of the computer industry in the U.S., Japan, and Taiwan, and introduced a new perspective of business architecture to understand how companies select and utilize appropriate business strategies or models in response to the characteristics of the product system structure, in order to gain competitive advantages. It also discussed the transaction relationship between the system assembly manufacturer and the suppliers in product development and component procurement in the industrial value chain to gain competitive advantages to reflect the development of Taiwan’s PC industry.

Managing Supplier Involvement in New Product Development: A Multiple‐Case Study*

Existing studies of supplier involvement in new product development have mainly focused on project‐related short‐term processes and success factors. This study validates and extends an existing exploratory framework, which comprises both long‐term strategic processes and short‐term operational processes that are related to supplier involvement. The empirical validation is based on a multiple‐case study of supplier collaborations at a manufacturer in the copier and printer industry. The analysis of eight cases of supplier involvement reveals that the results of supplier–manufacturer collaborations and the associated issues and problems can best be explained by the patterns in the extent to which the manufacturer manages supplier involvement in the short term and the long term. The results of this study reveal that the initial framework is helpful in understanding why certain collaborations are not effectively managed yet conclude that the existing analytical distinction among four different management areas does not sufficiently reflect empirical reality. This leads to the reconceptualization and further detailing of the framework. Instead of four managerial areas, this study proposes to distinguish between the strategic management arena and the operational management arena. The strategic management arena contains processes that together provide long‐term, strategic direction and operational support for project teams adopting supplier involvement. These processes also contribute to building up a supplier base that can meet current and future technology and capability needs. The operational management arena contains processes that are aimed at planning, managing, and evaluating the actual collaborations in a specific development project. The results of this study suggest that success of involving suppliers in product development is reflected by the firm's ability to capture both short‐ and long‐term benefits. If companies spend most of their time on operational management in development projects, they will fail to use the leverage effect of planning and preparing such involvement through strategic management activities. Also, they will not be sufficiently able to capture possible long‐term technology and learning benefits that may spin off from individual projects. Long‐term collaboration benefits can only be captured if a company can build long‐term relationships with key suppliers, with which it builds learning routines and ensures that the capability sets of both parties are aligned and remain useful for future joint projects.

Involving suppliers in product development: Insights from R&D directors and project managers

While there is increasing evidence that involving suppliers in new product development (NPD) is important, and for many firms even inevitable, there is also evidence that not all such efforts are successful. Firms aiming at implementing this strategy effectively have to pay close attention to several contingency factors on the organizational level and properly manage supplier involvement on the project level. The exploratory case study research underlying this article explores key issues to be considered when involving suppliers in NPD and the counter measures they can take. Our research shows that companies differentiate between so-called “know-how” and “capacity” projects, and that they manage them differently. Furthermore, this research shows that firms outside the automotive and high-tech manufacturing industries are likely to intensify supplier involvement in the future.

Outsourcing and Information Management: A Comparative Analysis of France, Italy and Japan in both Small and Large firms

This paper compares outsourcing processes in France, Italy and Japan in two types of firms, large firms and also small firms. It is shown that outsourcing has increased over the last two decades in both small and large firms in all three countries and that mainly in the last decade the tendency has been to increasingly involve some of the suppliers in product development. We interpret this evidence by means of a cognitive framework related to the activity of information management. Specifically, we show that the more the relationships among suppliers and users are characterised by two-way communication, decentralised information processing, and accordingly balanced contractual power, the more the incentives to create knowledge and to innovate autonomously are guaranteed.

Exploring purchasing integration in product development

With increasing outsourcing and the growing importance of product innovation as a means for creating competitive advantage, the integration of purchasing and product development processes has become a key issue for many firms. Although, consequently, the integration of purchasing and suppliers in product development has attracted growing attention from practitioners and researchers, most research on the topic remains limited to the context of single development projects. The integration with long-term issues such as technological alignment between supplier and manufacturer is often neglected. This limited conception and the lack of a coherent definition of what purchasing integration in product involvement is form a major impediment to the advancement of knowledge in this field. Therefore, this article develops a framework encompassing various activities across different management levels, which embody the alignment and integration of purchasing and product development processes.

Purchasing involvement in product development:: a framework

Both within academia and practice, the involvement of purchasing and suppliers in product development has attracted considerable attention during the last decade. However, most research is limited to the context of single development projects, focusing on possible short-term contributions such as the reduction of development lead-time. Long-term issues like technological alignment between supplier and manufacturer are relatively ignored. Therefore, this article seeks to develop a coherent framework of specific activities across a number of different management areas within purchasing involvement in product development. Such a framework may help to implement, improve and audit this involvement.

Collaborating with suppliers in product development: a US and Japan comparative study

Despite its risks, an increasing number of buyers share design work with their suppliers. However, the outsourcing of design work has been relatively neglected in the literature. Based on mail survey data from 174 US and 122 Japanese automotive component suppliers with product design capability, this study investigates the degree of supplier involvement in design and the factors leading to supplier involvement. The two strongest predictors of the degree of early supplier involvement in design in both Japan and the United States are the degree of technological uncertainty and supplier technical capabilities. Automotive companies are more likely to outsource designs of high uncertainty and select suppliers of high technical capability for design outsourcing. Technological uncertainty also has interaction effects-in the United States, high uncertainty makes customers want to give greater design responsibility to highly technically capable suppliers and those who are most dependent on them as a percent of supplier sales. Overall, the study supports notions of convergence between the US and Japanese supplier management practices in joint product development.

Involving suppliers in product development in the United States and Japan: evidence for set-based concurrent engineering

Concurrent engineering (CE) involves a widely recognized revolution in the social organization of product development and a corresponding revolution in the underlying paradigm of design. We distinguish between two paradigms-point-based design and set-based design-and argue that effective, truly concurrent design requires shifting to a paradigm where design team members reason and communicate about sets of designs which we call "set-based concurrent engineering". A survey of 92 Japanese and 119 US automotive parts suppliers who design their own products sought to quantify the pervasiveness and correlates of "set-based approaches". The survey evidence indicates that set-based design communication is more prevalent among Japanese than among US parts suppliers, and is correlated with certain product development characteristics including years of experience with early involvement of suppliers in design, the degree of product-process design overlap, the degree to which subsystems are interdependent, and the use of quality function deployment (QFD).