Supplier Information Research Articles

Consumer Risk in the Purchasing Process in the Organic Food Market

Risk is an inherent part of our lives and every action we take. It accompanies us in various areas of our lives. Each of us encounters risk in everyday life by undertaking and performing specific activities or actions. Risk is not always perceived by us; there are situations when we do not notice it in our actions. The main objective of this article is to identify and assess the factors influencing the level of risk in consumer purchasing decisions in the organic products market. Additionally, it aims to indicate the desired directions of actions taken by producers and suppliers of organic food to reduce the risk associated with the purchasing process perceived by consumers. The research process took into account existing scientific achievements and the survey method, chosen due to the subject and nature of the research. The survey was addressed to consumers from the Lubuskie Voivodeship and was anonymous. The conducted research shows that the greatest risk perceived by consumers is in the case of online purchases, and the way to reduce this risk is through buyer loyalty to the place of purchase. The empirical research also provides grounds to assume that there is a relationship between individual types of risk. The research shows that respondents are most afraid of safety and social risk, and the least afraid of the risk of losing too much time. Consumers who want to reduce the risk use their own experiences or positive opinions about the product. The results provide valuable information for producers and suppliers of organic food who want to build lasting relationships with consumers based on trust and loyalty. The higher the trust, the greater the customer loyalty, and the lower the perceived risk.

Evaluation of Commercially Available Plant-based Food Serving Disposable Crockery for Quality Standards

Biomass-based disposable crockery products are in high demand as an alternative to the plastic-based products considering negative effects of plastic-based products on environment. Biomass-based cutleries are being made from locally available different sources such as leaves, sheaths, straws and other plant fibres. A study was conducted to assess the quality of the biomass-based utensil product and provide the standard technical requirements of selected biomass-based disposable products. The plant-based utensils made from corn starch, sugarcane bagasse, areca, paper and Sal (Shorea robusta) leaves were selected for this study. The available standard methods such as International Organization for Standardization (ISO), Technical Association of the Pulp and Paper Industry (TAPPI), National Standard of the People’s Republic of China, and Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) were adapted, with suitable modifications wherever required, for conducting the experiment. The test included measurement of dimensional specifications, grammage, moisture content, temperature resistance test, load bearing test, high heat performance test, drop test, tensile test and three point bending rig test. The plant-based utensils were classified as very strong, strong and weak based on the strength characteristics test. The utensils made from sugarcane bagasse fall in all three categories (very strong, strong and weak), whereas areca-based lies between very strong and strong while corn starch- based fall between strong and weak category. Overall, the results showed a lot of variation in strength characteristics of biomass-based disposable crockery products. The data of this study can serve as a valuable information for manufacturers and suppliers of plant-based utensils to ensure and improve product quality while maintaining the technical standards.

Analysis of the Effect of Supply Chain Management on Competitive Advantage and Company Performance

This study wanted to know whether there was a basic effect of Creation network The board to high ground and company's show. Stock organization The leaders factors assessed by 3 pointers, to be explicit Fundamental Supplier Association, Client Relationship, and Information Sharing. Advantage factors assessed by 5 pointers, to be explicit expense, quality, transport consistency, thing advancement, and time to grandstand. While the association's show factors assessed by 2 pointers, explicitly money related execution and utilitarian execution. The data were assembled by spreading surveys. The unit of assessment of the investigation was associations in Surabaya. Respondents were 90 managers. The assessment procedure used in testing the hypothesis was Basic Condition Showing (SEM) by using Partial Least Square (PLS). This study had the choice to show the presence of a basic relationship of Creation network The leaders to high ground, Stock organization The board to association execution, and as well as Advantage to Association's Show.

Supply chain spillover effect of media attention to customers from the perspective of real earnings management

This paper investigates how media attention to customers affects the supplier's information environment from the perspective of real earnings management. Our empirical results for 2010–2020 reveal a negative association between media attention to customers and the supplier's real earnings management. Causality is established through the instrumental variable two-stage least squares approach. Cross-sectional tests further illustrate that more external supervision and internal constraints are two potential channels for this observed relationship. Overall, our findings emphasize that the media, as a crucial information intermediary, significantly affects the behavior of companies in the supply chain.

Sustaining commitment in preferred buyer-supplier relationships: How to retain the ‘customer of choice’ status?

Securing commitment and preferential treatment from suppliers is crucial for buying firms in a competitive marketplace. This study delves into the dynamics of how buying firms, which have already earned preferential treatment and thus already had been recognized as preferred customers or ‘customers of choice,’ can sustain supplier commitment and preserve this coveted status in a competitive market. Anchoring our investigation into the foundational principles of transaction cost economics and social exchange theory, we offer a novel theoretical perspective by examining the interplay of buyer behaviors and attributes, including supplier development and involvement, information sharing, market attractiveness, operative excellence, importance for the supplier's business, and relationship continuity expectations. To gain insight into these dynamics,we analyze primary survey data from 215 strategic buyer-supplier dyads through structural equation modeling. Our analysis reveals that supplier development and involvement directly fosters sustained commitment. Intriguingly, the role of information sharing is found to have asignificant impact as well, albeitindirectly, mediated through the buyer's characteristics. Additionally, while supplier development, involvement, and information sharing positively influence expectations regarding relationship continuity, a similar mediating effect on sustained commitment is absent. By further employing Fuzzy Set Qualitative Comparative Analysis, our study uncovers three distinct configurations that buyers can leverage to sustain supplier commitment and secure their ‘customer-of-choice’ status. These findings extend the theoretical understanding of buyer-supplier collaboration dynamics and provide practical insights for buyers striving to enhance the value and longevity of their supplier relationships.

How Do Uncertainties Affect Supply-Chain Resilience? The Moderating Role of Information Sharing for Sustainable Supply-Chain Management

Uncertainties caused by many internal and external factors can lead to supply-chain disruptions, increasing the vulnerability and cost of operations. In particular, the COVID-19 pandemic, whose worldwide emergence was not foreseen, has become a major threat to supply-chain resilience and has caused the disruption of global network connections. The purpose of this study is to examine in depth the impact of uncertainty on supply-chain resilience and to determine whether information sharing has a moderating effect on this interaction. The relationships proposed in the research model are tested through empirical analyses in SEM applied to 244 survey data points from internationally operating manufacturing firms in Turkey. The findings reveal several key insights. First, it is concluded that all dimensions of uncertainty, except technological uncertainty, negatively affect supply-chain resilience. Second, although no direct effect of technological uncertainty on supply-chain resilience is found, technological uncertainty has a negative effect on resilience when the moderating role of internal and supplier information sharing is taken into account. Low-level information sharing, as opposed to high-level, creates variation in the severity of supply-chain resilience at different levels of technological uncertainty. In addition, it is worth noting that a high level of information sharing with suppliers under high-uncertainty conditions negatively affects supply-chain resilience. The results of this study, conducted within the framework of the Contingent Resource-Based Theory, demonstrate compatibility with the theory. Based on all the findings, this study suggests that managers should adopt proactive strategies to maintain high supply-chain resilience, considering today’s highly uncertain conditions.

The role of supplier relationship strategies, relationship with customer, and information sharing on firm performance

Purpose-This study examines the correlation between supplier relationship strategies, relationship with customer, and information sharing on firm performance. Design/Methodology/Approach-The study population consisted of employees of Bank in Asia. The data of this study was collected through questionnaires, and the study sample consisted of 100 respondents. Outer model and inner model analysis techniques were applied to this research data using an analysis application called Smart PLS version 3.0. Findings-The results showed that supplier relationship strategies and information sharing have a positive effect on firm performance. Then, the opposite results are shown by relationship with customer and firm performance which shows a negative influence. Research limitations/implications-Banking businesses need to improve or optimize supplier relationship strategies, relationship with customers, and information sharing to drive firm performance growth. In this study, it is necessary to emphasize or improve relationships with customers to improve firm performance, because this study actually shows a negative influence. Originality/value-Studies on the performance of companies in the banking business, especially Bank in Asia can still be said to be quite limited. Previous research has not discussed supplier relationship strategies, relationship with customers, and information sharing to analyze company performance in the banking business.

Stop Auditing and Start to CARE: Paradigm Shift in Assessing and Improving Supplier Sustainability

Traditional auditing has been commonly practiced by multinational companies to monitor their suppliers for sustainability violations. Based on a collaborative supplier sustainability performance improvement program at Koninklijke (Royal) Philips N.V., we introduce a framework that offers a paradigm shift to an improvement-based proactive approach that makes use of suppliers’ self-assessments. We refer to this framework as CARE, consisting of the following phases: collecting supplier sustainability data, assessing suppliers’ sustainability levels, reacting to future violations proactively, and enhancing sustainability performance. The framework integrates analytics techniques to understand the link between the general characteristics of the carefully assessed suppliers—such as location, size, and sector—and their sustainability profile, enabling large-scale supplier assessment and improvement. This information is then used to leverage machine learning techniques to predict current and future sustainability levels of suppliers and to determine best actions for sustainability improvement using mathematical programming. The utilization of analytics constitutes a pivotal element in this endeavor and notably makes CARE highly scalable because it harnesses limited supplier data—namely, only general supplier information—while there is a need to support decision making concerning thousands of suppliers. Philips makes use of this framework and reports that the overall 2021 year-on-year improvement in sustainability performance was 24% for suppliers that entered the program in 2020, indicating the efficacy of the suggested approach. History: This paper was refereed. Funding: The authors gratefully acknowledge the support of TKI Dinalog–Dutch Institute for Advance Logistics on the project entitled “Supplier Sustainability Improvement” [Grant 2017-2-132TKI].

The Role of Implementing Supplier Relationship Strategies, Relationship with Customer, and Information Sharing on Company Performance

Purpose-In this study, the effects of information sharing, customer relations, and supplier relationship strategies on company performance are investigated. Design/Methodology/Approach-The study's sample consists of workers of Bank Rakyak Indonesia, which is situated in Yogyakarta's Special Region. 60 workers served as responders in the study, providing a sample size. This research data is acquired using the Smart PLS analysis program in order to get the intended outcomes. Findings-Empirical results indicate that supplier relationship strategies and information sharing positively impact company performance. Conversely, relationship with consumers who have a negative impact on company performance. Research limitations/implications- This study's scope is restricted to operational factors that impact company performance, such as customer relationships, supplier relationship strategies, and information sharing. The study's findings can be utilized by businesses as a foundation for assessment to optimize variables that may impact their performance. Originality/value- It can be argued that there is still a dearth of research on the performance of banking institutions operating in the Special Region of Yogyakarta. No prior studies have addressed the performance of these institutions with regard to operational factors like supplier relationship strategies, customer relationships, and information sharing.

The annealing setup and associated monitoring system of the ELIADE HPGe clover detectors at ELI-NP

We report a dedicated setup built in-house for the annealing of the HPGe clover detectors of the ELI-NP Array of DEtectors (ELIADE) γ-ray spectrometer, as well as the post-annealing testing of these detectors with the standard 60Co & 152Eu radioactive calibration sources employing conventional analog electronics. Both the design and assembly of the annealing setup were performed at the Extreme Light Infrastructure — Nuclear Physics (ELI-NP) facility, Măgurele, Romania. A `radiation damage annealing assembly kit' (NRK-200 unit) from the detector manufacturer Canberra is utilized in heating and controlling the temperature of the Ge crystals of the annealed detector. The vacuum inside the detector was maintained throughout the annealing process by constantly pumping the system using a turbo-molecular pumping station. The temperature of the germanium crystals, located inside a vacuum sealed chamber, of the detector and the vacuum level of this chamber were monitored throughout the annealing process, via both in-person observation and remote (online) monitoring. The Graphic User Interface (GUI) of an underlying LabVIEW script was utilized for running the monitoring process of the temperature and vacuum pressure values via a local network. To have the option of real-time online monitoring of the temperature, vacuum pressure, we coupled the web application Grafana with the Influx DB of the annealing data, as well as the backup time information of an Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS) unit used in system.

Optimized scheduling study of user side energy storage in cloud energy storage model.

With the new round of power system reform, energy storage, as a part of power system frequency regulation and peaking, is an indispensable part of the reform. Among them, user-side small energy storage devices have the advantages of small size, flexible use and convenient application, but present decentralized characteristics in space. Therefore, the optimal allocation of small energy storage resources and the reduction of operating costs are urgent problems to be solved. In this study, the author introduced the concept of cloud energy storage and proposed a system architecture and operational model based on the deployment characteristics of user-side energy storage devices. Additionally, a cluster scheduling matching strategy was designed for small energy storage devices in cloud energy storage mode, utilizing dynamic information of power demand, real-time quotations, and supply at the load side. Subsequently, numerical analysis was conducted to verify that the proposed operational mode and optimal scheduling scheme ensured the maximum absorption of renewable energy, improved the utilization rate of energy storage resources at the user side, and contributed to peak shaving and load leveling in the power grid. The model put forward in this study represents a valuable exploration for new scenarios in energy storage application.

Revolutionizing Onsite Management Using a Cutting-Edge App

Due to lack of adequate material management systems, construction projects often suffer material wastes, delays and other related problems. In order to address the issue of construction material mismanagement, it is envisaged to develop an android application using innovative technologies such as Java, Dart, YAML, Kotlin and Flutter 2.x with Economic Order Quantity (EOQ) and flat fees method as the logical framework. Features such as material list, stock management, purchase records along with supplier information, material issuance records and due amount information is conceived to a part of this versatile tool, capable of overcoming a multitude of challenges, including tracking and managing issued materials on site, maintaining up-to-date stock records, financial tracking, managing supplier information, ensuring accurate and detailed information on material quantities to name a few. Thus, a potential savings of up to 12-15% in material management cost is estimated through the employment of this application on construction projects

Stable suppliers and real earnings management: empirical evidence from private placements

ABSTRACT This study uses text analysis to extract stable supplier information from company annual reports and discusses its impact on the real earnings management strategies used during a private placement period. The results show that companies with stable suppliers conducted more downward real earnings management prior to a private placement than those without such suppliers to form collaborative relationships with suppliers for earnings management. The suppliers mainly assisted majority shareholders in tunnelling, conducting covert methods such as share price discounts and offering cash dividends. This could be driven by the prospect of obtaining more purchases from the company following the private placement. This study is the first to explore how stable suppliers assist companies in conducting real earnings management and majority shareholders with asset tunnelling. The findings contribute to the research on the economic consequences of supplier relationships and the influencing factors of equity financing and real earnings management.

Issuing Digital Signatures for Integrity and Authentication of Digital Documents

In this paper, we developed a secure system for issuing digital signature for digital documents and certificates using message digest algorithm (MD5). The developed system is providing the integrity and authentication for certificates by combining the information of participant and supply them to MD5 algorithm to produce a unique hash key of 32 digits which is hard to guess or attack. The process provides a certificate which allows for the authentication of a document at any time. The proposed system used and tested to produce digital certificate for participant of electronic seminars in Mustansiriyah university which were about 1000 certificate. The results were good and very fair to authenticate certificates and preventing forgery.

Achieving A Competitive Advantage Supply Chain Management Practices and Responsiveness

Today's business environment is highly competitive and globalized, characterized by shorter product life cycles and demanding customers. As a result, supply chains must be responsive to changes in the marketplace to maintain and create a competitive advantage. While previous studies have acknowledged the advantages of effective supply chain management (SCM) in gaining a competitive edge, there remains a limited understanding of the implications of adopting various SCM practices. To address this gap, this conceptual study focuses on examining the relationship between SCM practices (strategic supplier partnership, customer relationship, information sharing, and postponement) and both supply chain responsiveness and competitive advantage within the Malaysian timber industry. The study integrates the Resources Based View (RBV), Dynamic Capabilities theory, and Natural Resource-Based View (NRBV) theory.

Understanding the impact of buyer extra-role behavior on supply-side operational transparency: A serial mediation model

This study is aimed at investigating how buyer extra-role behavior enhances supply-side operational transparency. Using data collected in a two-wave survey from Chinese manufacturing firms, regression analysis, and bootstrapping techniques are used to test the proposed hypotheses. The findings indicate that buyer extra-role behavior positively impacts supply-side operational transparency through the promotion of supplier benevolence and the facilitation of supplier information sharing. This study contributes to the existing SC transparency literature through its examination of the impact of buyer extra-role behavior on supply-side operational transparency as well as the serial mediating roles of supplier benevolence and supplier information sharing.

Proposed Marketing Strategy for Business-to-Business (Case Study: Kijang)

In 2020 the clothing industry experienced a contraction due to the COVID-19 pandemic, which reduced people's purchasing power and economic activity. The pandemic has caused a shift in business transactions from offline to online, impacting consumers and business players. As a clothing producer, Kijang needs help marketing its products. The pandemic is challenging for B2B firms to adapt to the new situation. New strategies need to be formed coupled with more complex consumer behavior. Consumer analysis was conducted by conducting interviews with several wholesalers regarding the needs and wants in finding suppliers in the digital era to become the basis for designing new marketing strategies. The results showed that respondents still prioritized direct supplier searches. However, they have started looking for online suppliers as an alternative. The researcher summarizes the needs of respondents as follows having access to check product materials directly through online purchases, obtaining price information for comparison purposes, guarantees to receive good products, obtaining information about products to be sent, and general supplier information.

Supplier-Base Concentration and Cost Structure

ABSTRACT In the past three years, companies across the globe have witnessed significant supply chain disruptions due to the COVID-19 pandemic, which highlights the importance of managing supply risk. Supply risk has increased in the last three decades due to an increasing prevalence of concentrated supplier bases. We predict that firms with high supplier-base concentration will choose a more elastic cost structure in response to the increased supply risk. Using a unique dataset of 4,530 firm-year observations hand-collected from supplier information disclosed by Chinese-listed firms, we document a positive association between supplier-base concentration and cost elasticity. Furthermore, results from five cross-sectional tests are consistent with supply risk driving the association between supplier-base concentration and cost elasticity. Our study provides important practical implications to managers. To the extent that supplier-base concentration poses a supply risk, our study suggests that managers can respond by making the cost structure more flexible. Data Availability: Data are available from the public sources cited in the text. JEL Classifications: L23; M41.

The role of information heterogeneity in blockchain-based traceability systems: evidence from fresh fruits buyers in China

Blockchain technology is now being piloted to agri-food traceability systems to restore consumers’ confidence for food quality and safety. It is important for the industry to understand what information to be recorded and tracked in blockchain-based fresh produce traceability systems to meet consumers’ preferences for information. Yet little research has focused specifically on consumers’ preferences concerning information attributes traced by this new blockchain technology. This study conducts a best-worst scaling experiment with fresh fruit buyers in China to investigate consumers’ preference and perceived value regarding sixteen information attributes about blockchain-based fresh fruit traceability systems. The results from the analysis of a random parameter logit model reveal that consumers consistently rank testing information as the first-most valuable attribute, followed by production inputs (pesticides and fertilizers), quality certification and grades information attributes, while supplier and logistics information are considered to be the least valuable traceability one. Furthermore, there exist significant heterogeneity in relative value placed on traceable information attributes. The findings identify four different consumer segments by using a latent class modelling approach: (1) sensitivity for authoritative information, (2) preferences for comprehensive information, (3) information preferences equally, and (4) preferences for production inputs information. Preference heterogeneity is mainly explained by risk attitude, risk perception, information concern, traceability cognition, gender and other factors. The findings from this study can provide stakeholders and policymakers with certain insights as well as strategies on information provision and disclosure for fresh produce blockchain-based traceability.

The Influence of supply chain management dimensions on the performance of electric cable companies in Jakarta

A good and effective company supply chain determined around 60% of the company's sustainability. In detail, strategic supplier partnerships, customer relationships, information sharing, and information quality positively affect company performance. To investigate this notion, the authors conducted the study in an electric cable company in Jakarta among stakeholders who had lived in Jakarta for the past six months chosen by the census. The results show that strategic supplier partnership, information sharing, and information quality affect company performance. The most influential variable on the company's performance is information sharing. Customer relationship shows a positive but not significant effect on company performance. The research found that strategic supplier partnerships, customer relationships, information sharing, and information quality can explain the variance in company performance of 63.2%.