Supply Chain Management Processes Research Articles

Future of Supply Chain – Application of Robotics – The Flip Side of It

Abstract— This research talks about how supply chain management (SCM) is being developed using robotics and process automation, the challenges faced in the transition process, and whether such transition is desirable. While overall efficiency of the SCM process can be improved through the replacement of conventional manual jobs, such as storing, inspecting, sorting, handling, categorizing products, and data entry, the adoption of this cutting-edge technology in areas such as purchase and supply management remains dubious, unpredictable and still relatively unexplored, leaving considerable scope for further research and experimentation.Keywords— RPA, robotic, process, automation, robotic process automation, supply chain, management, SCM

Assessing the Impact of Supply Chain Management Processes on the Lebanese Industry of Goods and Services During Times of Uncertainty

In general and through the three functions of Marketing, Operations and Finance, value for the customer is created. However, firms seldom create this value by themselves. Instead, they rely on a variety of suppliers who provide everything from raw materials to accounting. These suppliers when taken together can be thought of a supply chain. Being so diversified, the Lebanese firms have a huge challenge in setting an efficient supply chain process, thus, the firms and through their professional teams were able to set a detailed list of requirements to be followed to consolidate its data and to manage properly the flow of merchandise from the source to the destination particularly during the current critical period of risk and uncertainty. This research will describe how it is done through a vast literature review. So, the purpose of the research is to provide insights into the importance of the supply chain strategy and ERP integration for the organizations. This will ensure a proper integration and will highlight the flow of information of the supply chain helping the group to minimize the inventory cost and being a competitive Advantage. Also, The Electronic Data interchange (EDI) will contribute to the replenishment during the season and the analysis done over the historical data identify the best/worst selling items per shop and define the forecasted order of the upcoming season. The optimization is highly recommended to maintain a sustainable workflow of the supply chain along to the forecasted expansion. To achieve our goal, a primary data via different interviews with experts in the field will be used because of the complicated data collection process. We conducted 15 semi-structured interviews with 13 questions each. Results found showed that the supply chain management (SCM) stability has been affected by the crisis yet businesses in the Lebanese market have been adopting several measures and coming up with various strategies to mitigate the negative consequences.

Stakeholders' Perspectives of Healthcare Commodities Supply Chain Management Practices, Processes, and Challenges: Implications for Achieving Universal Health Coverage in Southeast Nigeria.

Healthcare commodities supply chain management is critical for achieving universal health coverage (UHC). In Southeast Nigeria, healthcare commodities supply chain management faces several challenges, including inadequate infrastructure, poor logistics systems, and inadequate human resources. Understanding stakeholders' perspectives of healthcare commodities supply chain management practices, processes, and challenges is essential for improving supply chain performance and achieving UHC. The objectives are to: explore stakeholders' perspectives of healthcare commodities supply chain management practices, processes, and challenges in Southeast Nigeria, identify gaps and challenges in healthcare commodities supply chain management and provide recommendations for improving healthcare commodities supply chain management practices and processes to achieve UHC in Southeast Nigeria. This study used a qualitative approach. We conducted in-depth interviews among 30 key stakeholders involved in healthcare commodities supply chain management in Southeast Nigeria. Stakeholders included healthcare supply chain managers and programme officers. We used a purposive sampling technique to select participants based on their involvement in healthcare commodities supply chain management. Data were analyzed using a thematic analysis approach. The supply chain management practices within the States is the pull system and the processes which include, selection, quantification, procurement, storage, inventory management, distribution, and logistics management information systems are done differently in the States. Several factors affect supply chain management in southeast Nigeria, and these include material, human and financial resources as well as policy issues. The study's findings will be relevant to policymakers, healthcare providers, and supply chain managers in Nigeria and other low- and middle-income countries facing similar challenges.

Influence of Supply Chain Management Processes on Performance of Non-Governmental Organizations in Nakuru Town East and West Sub-Counties

Influence of Supply Chain Management Processes on Performance of Non-Governmental Organizations in Nakuru Town East and West Sub-Counties

The Influence of IMPACT Approach in Financial Resource Mobilization to Improve Availability of Essential Health Commodities in Sikonge DC

The Tanzanian government, through the Ministry of Health, in collaboration with President’s Office, Regional Administration and Local Government (PORALG) and various stakeholders, has developed several robust electronic health systems such as e-LMIS, GoTHOMIS, FFARS and DHIS2 to streamline health supply chain management processes and improve data visibility. However, the use of this data for informed decision making at all levels of the supply chain was found to be very low, which led to the introduction of IMPACT (Information Mobilized for Performance Analysis and Continuous Transformation) to increase the use of data to improve the supply chain in the country, including Sikonge District Council. Following the implementation of the approach, the IMPACT team in Sikonge discovered low performance in the availability of health commodities among other monitored indicators major reason being inadequate financial resources to procure health commodities. This prompted the team to look for other innovative ways of fundraising to rescue the situation in the council. The objective of this study was therefore to assess the influence of the IMPACT approach methods employed in mobilizing financial resources to improve the availability of health commodities in Sikonge DC. Some of the methods employed by Sikonge team for such a purpose were; conducting a preliminary data-driven analysis and assessment to identify issues related to i-CHF and NHIF services, developing strategies to increase i-CHF enrolment, retention, and disbursements, working on the most common anomalies in the NHIF forms to reduce the number of rejected claims and finally clearing the MSD debt of health facilities to relieve them of the financial burden. These strategies resulted in an increase in i-CHF funds reimbursement from Tsh1.4 million in September 2020 to Tsh8 million in December 2021. NHIF funds reimbursement increased from Tsh696,170 in September 2020 to Tsh12 million in December 2021. The overall percentage of health facilities submitting NHIF claims increased from 17% to 77% over the same period. Thus, the concept of IMPACT and the employed data driven strategies, played a major role in the results achieved in Sikonge and in order to meet the alarming demand for health commodities at service delivery points, council teams should show strong commitment in using real-time data for problem identification and resolution through IMPACT team approach as a tool for continuous improvement.

Green supply chain management, risk-taking, and corporate value—Dual regulation effect based on technological innovation capability and supply chain concentration

With the promotion of carbon-peak and carbon-neutral strategies and the increase in green awareness, green development is gradually gaining attention, and the green supply chain management (GSCM) derived from traditional supply chain management is gradually becoming a path to promote green development. At the same time, enterprise, as an important source of pollution, how to consider social responsibility, such as environmental protection, in the process of ensuring efficiency improvement has become an important issue. To study the impact of green supply chain management on enterprise value and its path of action, this paper examines the impact of green supply chain management on enterprise value, explores the moderating effect of the risk-taking level, and further analyzes the dual moderating effect played by technological innovation capability and supply chain concentration. Based on the micro data of 131 Chinese listed enterprises from 2014 to 2021, a panel-regression model is used to illustrate how green supply chain management affects enterprise value, and the results show that: 1) green supply chain management can promote enterprise value; 2) the level of risk-taking strengthens the promoting effect of green supply chain management on enterprise value enhancement; and 3) the technological innovation capability negatively regulates the moderating effect of risk-taking, while the supply chain concentration positively regulates the moderating effect of risk-taking. The research results of this paper enrich the path of the effect of implementing of green supply chain management on enterprise value enhancement, i.e., the process of green supply chain management to enhance enterprise value is regulated by the level of enterprise risk-taking, while technological innovation capability and supply chain concentration will also regulate the level of enterprise risk-taking and thus promote enterprise value enhancement. This research not only extends the research perspective and enriches the existing research, but also provides a theoretical basis for enterprises to implement green supply chain management to promote value enhancement and improve the level of green supply chain management implementation and the green development of enterprises.

The role of blockchain-enabled supply chain applications in improving supply chain performance: the case of Jordanian manufacturing sector

PurposeBlockchain technology has the potential to enhance information and knowledge management among members of the supply chain. This study aims to demonstrate the direct and indirect impact of blockchain adoption on achieving supply chain competitive advantage and improving innovation capabilities to achieve greater supply chain performance.Design/methodology/approachThe study opted for a quantitative research approach. A structured questionnaire was used to collect data from 284 respondents from various Jordanian manufacturing firms. Smart PLS software was used to conduct structural equation modelling to test the proposed hypotheses.FindingsThe analysis revealed that investing in and using blockchain-enabled supply chain applications improves the ability to achieve higher levels of productivity, lead times, customer service and relationships with supply chain members. Moreover, blockchain technology integration with supply chain management processes has a positive impact on innovative activities that support supply chain operations. Finally, blockchain adoption has enhanced supply chain performance by reducing transaction costs, improving customer service and increasing the speed of supply chain operations.Research limitations/implicationsThe study provides guidance for decision-makers and academicians on the use of blockchain adoption to improve supply chain performance. Future studies should use a larger sample size and random sampling techniques to achieve better generalizability of the results.Originality/valueThe study fulfils an identified gap in the application of blockchain technology to improving supply chain performance within a broader context that encompasses supply chain innovation capabilities and competitive advantage.

Hybrid Approach to Supply Chain Project Manager Selection Problem

Supply chain management covers the management of all processes, from determining the material needs of manufacturing companies to delivering value-added products to customers. Theoretical approaches and practical applications for supply chain management processes are presented in the literature. However, there is no project-based supply chain manager selection for the improvement of supply chain processes yet. In this research, the supply chain project manager selection problem is discussed. In this context, multi criteria decision making techniques used for project manager selection problem applications were used. According to the literature review and interviews with the manufacturing executive jury, seven criteria were determined. The criterion weights were determined by the fuzzy the stepwise weight assessment ratio analysis (F-SWARA) method. The grey operational competitiveness rating method (OCRA-G) method was applied to select the most suitable candidate among the four candidates. According to the research findings, the experience criterion was determined as the most important criterion in the selection of the supply chain project manager. The second candidate was found to be the most suitable candidate. In this research, an alternative hybrid model method for the project selection problem has been presented to the literature by using fuzzy and gray based approaches in a hybrid way. In addition, suggestions have been developed for manufacturing companies, supply chain project manager candidates and researchers.

A MCDM MODEL PROPOSAL AND SOLUTION FOR EVALUATING AGILE METHODS USED IN SUPPLY CHAIN MANAGEMENT

In the developing and changing world, the field of technology hosts many innovations. Supply chain management has also evolved in the light of technological developments and incorporated the concept of agility. Agile supply chain is the ability to respond quickly to unexpected changes in demand and supply. As supply chains compete in a rapidly changing and growing market, the agility of the supply chain provides a significant competitive advantage to firms. An agile supply chain has the ability to respond flexibly and quickly to demands and problems. It benefits companies by adopting the right product, the right customer, the right transportation, and the right supply system. In this study, it was aimed to evaluate the agile methods used in the supply chain management processes, and for this purpose, a multi-criteria model consisting of 12 criteria and 9 alternatives was proposed. This proposed model was solved with two-stage multi-criteria solution techniques, and in the first stage of the solution, criterion weights were calculated with the SWARA method, while the evaluation and ranking of alternative agile methods were carried out with the WASPAS method. The application results are presented in the study, so that the most appropriate agile method methodology to be used in supply chain management was determined.

Supply Chain Management Processes and Performance of Broadband Systems Corporation Ltd, Rwanda

The competitive nature of the contemporary business environment has continued to exert pressure on firms to enhance service delivery to customers. This has changed the focus of attention to business entities offering valuable goods and services when compared to potential competitors. Just as the emphasis is placed on the customer, the business operating environment is raging and multifaceted. The research used descriptive research design. The target population was 127 employees of different departments that are sensible to supply chain management processes and 10 chief officers of Broadband Systems Corporation. The researcher adopted probability-stratified, random and purposive sampling technics. The data collected was analyzed using SPSS program 21.0 version was used for data analysis. Descriptive statistics with the mean, standard deviation, and Pearson’s correlation coefficient were utilised and inferential statistics with regression analysis were applied for data interpretation. Findings revealed that customer relationship management is very highly correlated with organisational performance with Pearson’s correlation value=0.951, P_value =0.000<0.05, whereas supplier relationship management is positively correlated to organization performance as revealed by analysis 0.951, P_value=0.000<0.05. These statistical figures were supported by top managers in answers to interview who affirmed that the supply chain management process has a positive influence on performance of Broadband Systems Corporation Ltd. Thus, the researcher concluded that the supply chain management process influences the performance of Broadband Systems Corporation Ltd. The researcher recommended that managers should take a serious attention to the relationship among supply chain management processes and performance improvement in Broadband Systems Corporation Ltd by establishing the practice at company, department and staff levels with correct matrix of processes that would lead to improved performance as the combined effect is greater than one process. In order to make supply chain management processes of the company efficiently and effective, BSC Ltd should develop strong strategic supplier-customer partnership by focusing on key and important suppliers or customer segments.

Adoption of Blockchain Technology in Supply Chain

Supply chain management processes and systems in different industries include multiple variables. This study examines the adoption of blockchain technology in supply chain in Malaysia. Data were collected through questionnaire designed as open ended question through 300 respondents while only 256 is used according to completed surveys, statistical analysis of the data obtained in this study was carried out by one sample t-test using the statistical software package (SPSS). we find that, perceived ease, Inter-Organizational Trust, Perceived Usefulness, Data transparency and confidentiality have significant impact on adoption Blockchain in supply chain, while Blockchain technology simplifies inventory financing. The paper use open ended questions so in future can use different kind of scale and different variables which can affect the adoption decisions.

Digital supply chain: Roadmap development and application based on Industry 4.0 principles

The present study proposes technological routes that integrate Industry 4.0 (I4.0) principles, architectures, and technologies, in favor of a Digital Supply Chain (DSC). This study was accomplished in a company in the steel industry that is adopting I4.0 technologies to promote improvements in its supply chain management process. Interviews and focal group were conducted with twelve professionals from the supply and intelligence department. Then, it was possible to trace the technological roadmap that helps managers to implement these I4.0 technologies in their processes.

Напрями удосконалення операційного менеджменту в контексті забезпечення сталого розвитку організації

The article outlines that improvement of operational management to ensure sustainable development of an enterprise is an integral part of success in modern business environment. Taking into account the aspects of sustainability allows enterprises to achieve efficiency, reduce costs, improve product quality and customer satisfaction, as well as reduce negative impact on the environment, while contributing to the social development of society. The essence of the category of operational management was investigated in the article. It has been established that compliance with the policy of sustainable development correlates with the field of functional activity of this type of management in the context of increasing globalisation, digitalisation and riskiness of economic activity. Key environmental practices that contribute to strengthening the economic and financial sustainability of organisations, primarily the use of environmentally friendly technologies, reduction of emissions and pollution, efficient use of resources and waste recycling to ensure environmental sustainability were analysed. The authors outline main directions of improvement of the operational management system with consideration of the sustainable development policy. An important step in this process is the analysis and determination of key performance indicators, which allows enterprises to focus on achieving specific goals and assess the effectiveness of their operations in the direction of sustainable development. The next stage in ensuring economic sustainability is the implementation of a sustainability-oriented quality management system, which includes defining quality standards, procedures for monitoring and improving product quality in compliance with environmental norms and standards. The implementation of a sustainability-based quality management system contributes to the production of consistent quality products, reduction of waste and improved customer satisfaction. The authors see another area of operational management improvement in optimising the supply chain and establishing cooperation with suppliers who support sustainability policies. Improving supply chain management processes ensures efficiency and sustainability in the supply chain, reduces risks and optimises logistics. Process improvement and innovation play a significant role in the implementation of sustainable development policy in the organisation's activities, as it involves continuous process improvement, introduction of the latest technologies and innovations aimed at preserving the environment, ensuring labour safety and meeting social needs. The article emphasises that operating on the basis of social responsibility with improved attitude towards staff, consumers and other stakeholder groups emphasises the organisation's understanding of its role in the social development of society and strengthens its competitive position in the market.

A case and framework for expanding the use of model‐free evidence

A case and framework for expanding the use of model‐free evidence

Impact, benefits and challenges of IoT for Logistics and Supply Chain Management

Smooth flow, integrity, and traceability of the processes in supply chain (SC) and logistics management is vital for Supply Chain Management (SCM). Companies are looking for and utilizing new technological applications for end-to-end management of the entire set of SC processes and assets to ensure on-line and real-time monitoring across processes and partners. Therefore, this article comprehensively addresses the role and impact of the Internet of Things (IoT) on SCM via a comprehensive literature review. The applications of the IoT term in the SC are examined in detail, and its benefits and challenges are discussed from SCM perspective. The findings reveal the dramatic impact that IoT has on SC processes as one of the most essential technologies of the twenty-first century.

Barriers to effective supply chain management: The case of a metropolitan municipality in the Eastern Cape

Background: Supply chain management (SCM) is presented as a panacea and an invaluable tool for addressing service delivery glitches in institutions. Noncompliance with SCM legislation by municipalities remains high, with fruitless, irregular, unauthorised and wasteful expenditure, resulting in weak financial governance in many municipalities in South Africa.Aim: The aim of this study is to explore the barriers to effective SCM in a metropolitan municipality in the Eastern Cape and to identify the best practices to improve SCM.Methods: A qualitative research approach was used to explore the barriers to effective SCM in a metropolitan municipality in the Eastern Cape Province. The sample size consists of 14 sampled participants. Data were collected from in-depth interviews. Thematic analysis was used in cleaning, organising and interpreting the findings. Credibility, transferability, dependability and confirmability measures were used to promote trustworthiness.Results: This study’s findings established that there were systemic and operational challenges which stifled the smooth operation of the SCM system. The SCM was characterised by weak ethical systems, lack of well-experienced personnel and poor implementation and monitoring of SCM systems and policies.Conclusion: There is need for necessary institutional and systemic transformations and adaptations to SCM practices and processes. This calls for leadership commitment, coupled with concerted efforts to transform and overhaul lethargic institutional systems and practices, so as to decisively stamp out SCM unethical conduct by public officials and address public financial management hurdles, as well as the root causes of poor audit outcomes.Contribution: This article contributes to a better understanding of new public management and principal–agent public sector accountability. Accountability, with its close affinities to risk compensation theory, resource dependence theory, trust and dimensional publicness theory, is anchored on a results-oriented government culture emphasising better performance, better accountability and better transparency.

Peculiarities and threats of managing humanitarian supply chains under martial law

The logistics of humanitarian cargo under martial law is definitely new for Ukraine. As a result, many business representatives rallied in a single cluster with the aim of organizing the supply of humanitarian aid in extremely difficult conditions. At the same time, logisticians have faced many significant problems and challenges, which has caused an increase in attention to humanitarian logistics. The military aggression of the Russian Federation created a large number of humanitarian threats, in particular ecocide. The scale of the destruction exceeded the worst forecasts of world experts. An important factor in the organization of humanitarian supply chain management processes in the conditions of this war is the high threat to people's lives. Due to the fact that air transport is not possible for obvious reasons, all deliveries are long and at high risk of disruption or physical destruction. Therefore, it is critically important to analyze the peculiarities of the organization of humanitarian supply chains, the main problems and challenges that logistics companies of Ukraine had to face in the conditions of martial law. It is important to perform such an analysis in order to take into account the specifics of the structure of the logistics system of humanitarian aid delivery, as well as the efficiency of its key elements. The search for solutions to establish a regular supply of humanitarian aid to Ukrainians in difficult war conditions requires a thorough analysis not only of supply channels, but also of possible threats to their organization.

Does Green Supply Chain Management Improve Sustainable Performance?

The process of Green Supply Chain Management (GSCM) is widely associated with its contribution to the company's sustainability performance. The GSCM process will also be linked to an integrated system of Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) that affects the achievement of sustainability performance. The importance of environmental consciousness from producers to direct their business processes that are beneficial to the environment in the long term. This study used 507 samples of manufacturing companies in Indonesia. Data was obtained by giving questionnaires to middle-up managers in departments related to the GSCM process. GSCM and ERP affect the Company's Sustainability Performance. Moderation of environmental consciousness strengthens the influence of GSCM on sustainability performance. GSCM, ERP, and environmental consciousness simultaneously affects sustainability performance by 90.3%. This research provides a new measurement in the form of 5 indicators in the GSCM and 5 indicators for sustainability performance. In this research doesn’t discuss about explain bottleneck and risk in GSCM implementation such as regulation about logistic and distribution. This paper can be a guide for practitioners in the supply chain field to use GSCM measurement indicators to be applied in companies, which aim to achieve sustainable performance.

The Nonlinear Model of Intersectoral Linkages of Kazakhstan for Macroeconomic Decision-Making Processes in Sustainable Supply Chain Management

We provide a nonlinear model of intersectoral balance with constant elasticity of substitution (CES) production functions of industries and CES utility function of final consumer for the study of intersectoral linkages in the Kazakhstan economy. The model is formalized in terms of the primal problem of resource allocation and the corresponding Fenchel dual problem which solution gives costs of inputs of industries in a supply network. We identify the model with the actual data of the Input-Output tables of Kazakhstan and estimate the elasticity of substitution of production factors for the aggregated industry complexes. With the help of developed framework, we evaluate the inter-industry financial flows in the aggregated supply network for the period 2013–2020 and compare the results with the actual data of Kazakhstan. The developed framework can be used to support decision-making processes in sustainable supply chain management in a situation of the government economic policy change and external shocks. Using the developed framework, we evaluate the risks for Kazakhstan’s supply chains in scenario of sharp weakening of the national currency.

Application of blockchain technology for resilient and sustainable supply chain management

This paper has explored how to integrate blockchain into supply chain management to achieve a resilient and sustainable supply chain for the future business. To achieve the purpose, this research uses semi-structured interview for data collection. The researcher of this study has identified the key problems to be solved by the BCSC mode. Results show that the potential risk suggested in this study in relation to the use of the BCSC is possible attack risk due to additional tasks that need to be completed other than the processes in traditional database. These additional tasks include signature verification, and attaining consensus. Moreover, there are different key applications of BCSC in both cross-border e-commerce and the general business environment, such as identification and traceability of products, enhancing the efficiency and speed of supply chain processes, and improving the financing, contracting and cross-border transactions. Finally, based on the findings of this research, it was determined that RFID could be incorporated with the BCSC. RFID will increase the traceability of the products that are on transit within a specific supply chain. This study has made contribution to the literature as it uncovers the positive side of using blockchain technology in supply chain management. As the existing literature do not extensively cover the future of businesses that integrate blockchain into their supply chain management processes.