Supply Chain Barriers Research Articles

Testing the theory of constraints in UK local food supply chains

Purpose– The purpose of the research is to identify the observable operational and supply chain barriers and constraints that occur in local food supply chains, especially with smaller producers, as they seek to increase market penetration across a wider geographic area.Design/methodology/approach– The research adopts a multiple case study approach using mixed methods of data collection where case study companies are interviewed and complete a questionnaire. This process allows us to create a supply chain map and create a narrative which records the burdens and impacts occurring in local food supply chains and smaller producers looking beyond local markets. This evidence is then set against the theory of constraints (TOC) to provide a theoretical underpinning and to examine consistency of the findings.Findings– Seven broad categories of constraint type are observed: constraints due to the nature of the market; due to scale and the nature of products; constraints related to employment and skills; institutional constraints; constraints in supply chain relationships; certification, policy and regulatory constraints; and constraints around personal beliefs and anthropomorphism. Each is described as to its origin, its limitation to business and where possible, how it might be remedied. The constraints point to some counter-intuitive results as far as common perceptions of local food are concerned but suggestions for improvement are made through collaborative producer efforts, alternative institutional intervention, supply chain re-engineering and logistics innovation.Practical implications– Practical suggestions are made to improve the inclusiveness of distribution networks, to better utilise regional food groups (RFGs), to develop opportunities to set up autonomous supply chain centres, or to broaden the function of farmer co-operatives. The paper also provides an alternative model of the TOC specifically adapted for local food producers, the focus of which plays to their strengths and focuses on building competencies across, up and down the supply chain.Originality/value– The adaptation of the TOC provides an advancement of knowledge in the area of food supply chain analysis and is done in a way that is more practical in use. The paper also provides the opportunity to take a similar approach to examining other niche supply opportunities in the sector, which may be dependent on other geographically defined barriers, such as seasonal or ethnic products.

Global supply chain barriers of foreign subsidiaries: the case of Korean expatriate manufacturers in China

Exploiting low production and material costs, a growing number of multinational firms (MNFs) have established their foreign subdiaries in ‘low-cost’ developing countries such as China, India, Brazil, and Mexico. However, cost savings in production and material purchases can be easily offset by the increased logistics cost resulting from various supply chain barriers inherent in those developing countries such as the inadequate logistics infrastructure, archaic distribution channels, complex regulatory constraints, and logistics management efficiency. The presence of these supply chain barriers requires a prudent supply chain strategy that can balance production/material costs against logistics costs. To help MNFs formulate such a strategy, this paper identifies the major sources (determinants) of supply chain barriers, evaluates the extent of influence of those determinants on supply chain barriers, and then proposes ways to overcome supply chain barriers. In doing so, we used the real example of expatriate Korean manufacturers in Dalian, China.

Using the balanced scorecard on supply chain integration performance—a case study of service businesses

Supply chains are indispensable to corporations that seek to serve suppliers and customers better, to boost organization performance, to strengthen competitiveness, and to achieve continuous success. Currently, corporations place great emphasis on both supply chains and on balanced scorecards (BSCs) to develop effective measures to evaluate firm performance. This study discusses the integration of supply chain and performance based on the BSC measures developed by Kaplan and Norton (Harv Bus Rev 71(5):134–147, 1993; Harv Bus Rev 74(1):75–85, 1996) and Brewer and Speh (J Bus Logist 21(1): 79–93, 2000). The research applies case studies and a conceptual framework, modifying propositions accordingly. The main objectives of this study are to discuss the construction and implementation of supply chains, to determine how to handle supply chain barriers and to evaluate supply chain integration performance using the idea of a BSC. Companies at different levels in the supply chain are better served by assigning different levels of importance to different types of integration. Case studies show that supply chain integration involves supplier, internal, and customer barriers. The results of these studies have suggested that integrated supply chains can be dominated by one controlling member, which can be located either upstream or downstream in the chain. A new finding in this study is that varying degrees of supply chain integration are obtained due to corporations’ different positions in an industry. The study provides some insights for firms in the process of implementing a supply chain management system.

O2-S4.01 Efficiency vs equity in screening: considerations in the scale-up of rapid syphilis testing in rural Tanzania

BackgroundThe burden of congenital syphilis remains high in many low-income countries, despite the availability of preventive therapy. Rapid syphilis tests (RSTs) could improve access to and cost-effectiveness of syphilis screening...

Prospects for a European Animal Welfare Label from the German Perspective: Supply Chain Barriers

The Federal Government of Germany as well as the European Commission are discussing the establishment of an animal welfare label. This label should enable consumers to make a conscious purchasing decision on animal welfare products. Various studies show that many consumers (in Germany around 20 %) prefer products produced under animal friendly conditions. However, the supply of such products is limited. The following study examines the source of this discrepancy by way of an action-based analytical approach and identifies different barriers within the supply chain that prevent the establishment of a market segment for animal welfare products. Although consumer demand will be decisive for long-term success, first of all the stakeholders of the supply chain must be convinced. If the stakeholders are not prepared to participate in an animal welfare program the diffusion phase can take a very long time or even fail. This study presents such supply chain barriers and interprets them in the light of neo-institutionalism.

An empirical investigation into e-business adoption in the Scottish smaller firm

The purpose of this research was to investigate e-business adoption and e-supply strategies in Scottish small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs). The paper summarises academic literature on supply chain management, e-commerce drivers and barriers and recent survey reports on the degree of e-business adoption in the UK and Ireland. We then describe the qualitative methodology undertaken, outline findings and discuss the implications from this study to e-supply strategies in the smaller firm. We also examine the role of the support agencies and how government could better serve the SME programmes of assistance. Finally, an outline for future research is presented.