THE SUCCESSFUL CROSS‐DOCK BASED SUPPLY CHAIN

A supply chain using the cross‐dock approach can speed goods from upstream suppliers to downstream customers quickly and cost‐effectively, with benefits to the entire chain, if the appropriate type of cross‐dock is chosen and then designed, staffed and managed for effective performance. Unlike a warehouse, which offers storage, a cross‐dock is a high performance rapid transit point that does not provide storage. Although cross‐docks have been studied with some thoroughness, what has not been seen clearly is that a cross‐dock does not operate in isolation and therefore can't be optimized independently from the upstream and downstream processes. To be successful, cross‐dock optimization makes demands for high performance on all members of the supply chain in terms of speed, effective planning, high reliability, near error‐proof processes and a high degree of transparency, visibility and information‐sharing; accordingly, the article refers to this integrative perspective as a “cross‐dock based supply chain.” To make clear this interdependency between the cross‐dock and the chain based on it, a new definition that classifies types of cross‐dock based supply chains is offered. To assist scholars analyzing and industry management choosing a cross‐dock approach, cross‐dock based supply chains are classified as falling into three different types. Lastly, based on field work in industry and on literature review, nine critical success factors for cross‐dock based supply chain operations are offered.     

日本惊天一震 市场同此凉热

<正>日本震了,市场不再淡定。汽车停产了,电子产品蹿价了,食品惟恐被辐射了……日本震了,消费者不再淡定。有人担忧,有人观望,有人忙囤货……日本震了,商家们不再淡定。     

Aligning supply chain design for boosting resilience

Many researchers have analyzed the effect of disruptive events, such as natural disasters and economic and market forces, on global supply chains. However, there is a lack of consensus on delineating a universal collection of supply chain risk management practices that will help companies operate in a global market with large-scale disruptions. In this article, we present an analysis, in conjunction with a worldwide online survey, based on successful global brands and their supply chains. We propose a framework that deploys the dynamics of building supply chain resilience, first linking the design of the supply chain portfolio (local versus global scope, as well as strategic responsiveness versus cost reduction) with supply chain vulnerabilities (external versus internal). We describe the transition between different supply chain structures as a way of coping with disruptions and thus proactively developing resilience. In this article, we introduce both a supply chain risk management approach and the reactive-by-deployment mode, as illustrated by successful global company examples.     

A STRATEGIC FRAMEWORK FOR SUPPLY CHAIN ORIENTED LOGISTICS

The Council of Logistics Management's (CLM) name change to the Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals (CSCMP) has intensified discussions regarding the difference between supply chain management and logistics. This paper merges broadly accepted paradigms from strategic management and marketing to introduce a theoretically consistent framework that differentiates supply chain management from logistics while highlighting the complementary relationship. Supply chain management is portrayed as a firm or SBU level phenomena while logistics is expressed as a competency within supply chain management possessing both strategic and structural capabilities focused exclusively on managing the move/store activities used to fulfill customer orders. Research propositions regarding the interfaces and nature of logistics within a strategic supply chain orientation are drawn to guide thought and development in the discipline.     

物流管理若干问题研究

本文主要阐述了物流管理的含义及物流管理在供应链管理中的地位,并就怎样更好的发挥物流在供应链管理中的作用,保证供应链的企业之间运作的同步化、并行化,实现快速响应市场的能力,针对性地提出了物流系统管理主要解决的几个方面的问题。     

Supply Chain Strategies: Changes in Customer Order‐Based Production

Supply chain development is debated in terms of whether lean and agile supply chain strategies will work simultaneously and whether “leagile” strategies are possible. This study explores complexity and dynamics of the mixed strategy in a longitudinal automotive industry case study and contributes with four propositions related to the debate and practices of supply chain strategies.     

Environmental purchasing: a framework for theory development

This paper examines environmental research in the supply chain management literature in order to establish a framework for current and future development of environmental purchasing theory. As the purchasing function takes on a more strategic role in forming trading partnerships with others in their supply chains, it is in a critical position to influence responses to concerns about the natural environment. Definitions of environmental supply chain management and environmental purchasing are offered and the literature is reviewed. Linkages of environmental purchasing with transaction cost analysis are established and future research is described to enhance the study of purchasing's ability to effect the natural environment.     

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.     

Business continuity in the COVID-19 emergency: A framework of actions undertaken by world-leading companies

The COVID-19 emergency has urged companies to operate in new ways to face supply chain interruptions, shifts in customer demand, and risks to workforce health. The organizational ability to respond to critical contingencies is crucial for business leaders in the perspective of continuing business. In our research, we investigate the actions undertaken by 50 world-leading corporations to respond to the pandemic. Applying content analysis to web pages and social network posts, we extract 77 actions related to 13 sub-areas and integrate these into a five-level framework that encompasses operations, customer, workforce, leadership, and community-related responses. We also describe six illustrative company examples of how the emergency can generate opportunities for creating new value. The study advances the scholarly discussion on the impact of emergencies on business continuity and can help leaders define response strategies and actions in the current challenge.     

Investigating the formation of service supply chains

Existing research on service supply chains assumes the existence of an established and mature chain. Empirical or conceptual insights into service supply chain formation are therefore limited. The initial formation of a service supply chain, however, is suspected to determine its future performance. It is therefore of significant academic and managerial value to understand how and why service supply chains are formed, and how this process is coordinated. Drawing on an exploratory case study set in the management consulting industry, the inductive theory-building process underlying this study culminates in propositions and a conceptual model that provides a distinct understanding of service supply chain formation and the coordination mechanisms utilized within each stage. This study contributes to the service science, service supply chains, and service sourcing literatures; outlines managerial implications; and proposes future research directions.     

Focus on Fairtrade: Propositions for Integrating Fairtrade and Supply Chain Management Research

Driven by increased consumer interest and stakeholder pressure, the number of Fairtrade (FT) products has been steadily increasing. The mainstreaming of FT means that the products are now facing stiff competition within the generic product categories in which they operate. While consumers may pressure organizations for ethical conduct, they are less willing to pay premium prices for fairly traded products. For FT to continue to grow, more efficient operating models are required to offset the premium prices paid to producers to ensure competitiveness in the market. One such improvement approach may be the management of FT supply chains. To investigate the feasibility of this approach, this article systematically combines literature on FT with key supply chain management (SCM) constructs and theories. We discuss existing SCM paradigms in the context of FT and demonstrate aspects where the efficiency of FT chains needs to be improved to ensure their viability. We present propositions that demonstrate the key limitations of the FT model from the point of view of SCM theory and practice and suggest the potential changes needed in the management of FT supply chains. The article provides a timely first attempt to systematically combine FT with SCM constructs, thus establishing a basis for the further development of FT chains and for the improvement of the operating efficiency within them.     

SUPPLY CHAIN STRATEGY FOR NASCENT FIRMS IN EMERGING TECHNOLOGY MARKETS

The extant literature provides sound guidance for applying appropriate supply chain strategies to address conventional market structures and supply chain objectives. However, our knowledge of the unique objectives, characteristics, and elements of supply chain development by nascent technology firms in new markets they have helped create is more limited. We outline the strategy for this “emergent” phase of a firm's development of their supply chain. This strategy emphasizes establishing market legitimacy and a basic structural foundation through a core of strong collaborative relationships. The strategy also maximizes organizational flexibility and iterative market intelligence gathering through continuous experimentation with potential markets and through potential partners. The strategy is contrasted with extant supply chain strategies and implications and directions for future research are offered.     

Business process innovation in the supply chain – a case study of implementing vendor managed inventory

A growing number of international companies operate in a standard business systems environment. This suggests that standard business system solutions, e.g. from SAP R/3, might be adopted rather than introducing new problem specific systems solutions for new business requirements. This could be a cost efficient alternative in a situation when supply chain sophistication and integration demands from customers are increasing. In the Nordic countries vendor managed inventory (VMI) is an example of a new way of doing business that can give pioneers a competitive edge. The vendor in this case is the first supplier to go into a full-scale VMI relationship with the wholesaler – and has, through this, substantially reduced delivery costs to the retail trade. The case VMI implementation demonstrates that it is possible to arrive at a simple but efficient solution in a standard systems environment. The case shows how VMI can be implemented in a SAP R/3 environment based on the EDIFACT inventory report.     

SUPPLY CHAIN CAPITAL: THE IMPACT OF STRUCTURAL AND RELATIONAL LINKAGES ON FIRM EXECUTION AND INNOVATION

Firms invest millions of dollars annually in developing their supply chains, with the broad goal of increasing their own performance. However, despite the significant resources deployed for supply chain development, the extent to which initiating, maintaining, and managing supply chain relationships contributes to firm success remains unclear. The current article provides conceptual development supporting the valuation of firm‐to‐firm supply chain connections from the perspective of the focal firm. Based on the social network and economics literatures, the article introduces the concept of supply chain capital, which comprises the value of both the structural configuration and relationship content of the firm's supply chain network. Following theoretical development, a non‐exhaustive set of propositions are constructed illustrating multiple ways that supply chain capital can be accrued and exploited for firm‐level benefit. Managerial recommendations for investment in supply chain capital are included, as are future directions for research in the area of supply chain networks.     

供应链中断风险及其防范

随着全球化的发展以及人为破坏和自然灾害的增加,供应链中断风险已经成为供应链风险的最重要、最引人关注的一类风险,其风险一旦出现将导致各种各样的问题发生,甚至将一个健康的企业置于万劫不复的危险境地,因此,必须加以防范。本文阐述了这类供应链风险防范的难题、关键,并从多个利益相关者角度提出了若干对策。供应链相关各方需通力合作,才能真正实现防范和降低中断风险的目的。     

Creating Relevant Value Through Demand and Supply Integration

Firms that pursue cost leadership strategies tend to focus on operational efficiency but sometimes fail to fully hear the “voice of the customer.” Alternatively, firms pursuing differentiation strategies tend to focus on the customer, but sometimes to the detriment of operational excellence. To help address such imbalances, an emerging stream of supply chain research has introduced the concept of demand and supply integration (DSI). DSI involves coordinating the activities and processes reflective of a firm’s customer focus, with the operational, supply‐side activities that make demand fulfillment possible. This article contributes to this research stream by providing researchable propositions intended to foster support of a new dominant logic in supply chain management thought, describing how firms can best achieve “relevant” customer value by coordinating supply‐ and demand‐focused activities within and across their functional units.     

基于小世界网络的供应链中断风险传导过程研究

文章研究了供应链中断风险传导的生命周期过程,阐述小世界网络研究方法,并分析了供应链中断风险传导过程的小世界网络特性;在此基础上通过网络特征路径长度、集聚系数、顶点度和知识交流频率等统计参量对供应链中断风险传导进行分析,得出在供应链中断风险传导的不同阶段对小世界网络的统计参量要求是不同的结论,并运用MATLAB软件进行了数值模拟和分析,验证了统计参量分析的正确性,最后给出了一些有价值的建议。     

Alignment in the Base of the Pyramid Producer Supply Chains: The Case of the Handloom Sector in Odisha,India

This investigation seeks to explore the effectiveness of alternative approaches to supply chain management for developing the base of the pyramid (BoP) community. Using case research methodology, we investigate the issue of supply chain alignment when the supply base consists of BoP producers. We consider the handloom supply chains in Odisha, India, as the context of our analysis. The study analyzes the supply chains of four handloom retailers. The retailers represent cooperative and private organizational systems with varied levels of operational integration. In light of the insights from these case studies, we theorize factors contributing to operational cost‐effectiveness and conceptualize approaches and considerations for improving the BoP community. Specifically, we clarify the usefulness of alternative supply chain alignment practices in promoting efficiency, innovation, and equitability among the BoP constituents and advance a set of propositions linking the motivations, strategies, practices, and performance in handloom supply chains. Limitations, theoretical and managerial contributions, and future research directions are discussed.     

Cultural interpretations of destructive acts and trust in Japanese supply channel relationships

This paper investigates the way culture influences Japanese inter-firm exchange processes, arguing that isomorphism (e.g., due to macro-force flux and convergence) is eroding traditional Japanese management practices and increasing heterogeneity. The role of culture in the development of routines and relationship capabilities across firm boundaries is particularly important in Japanese firms. Traditional Japanese business values engender confidence in a business partnership's conformity and harmony. However, cultural erosion is shifting Japanese attributions of and responses to destructive acts in channels relationships, which has implications for appraising and sustaining trust and success. Based on a qualitative investigation of Japanese subsidiaries’ supply relationships, our study furnishes academics and practitioners with a set of research propositions on culturally influenced destructive act cognitions and behavioural responses. These provide novel insights into the modern face and unfulfilled promise of inter-firm relationships with the Japanese.     

基于供应链视域构建“双循环”新发展格局的理论框架及实践路径

构建以国内大循环为主体、国内国际“双循环”相互促进的新发展格局,是重塑我国国际合作和竞争新优势的战略抉择,是实现我国经济安全稳定和高质量发展的必由之路。文章立足供应链与“双循环”之间的逻辑关系,深度揭示供应链促进“双循环”的形成机理,即通过锻造供应链的韧性,提升供应链的柔性,促进国内大循环;通过增强供应链的安全性和自主可控能力,实现“双循环”的互促协调;通过提高供应链的可持续性,优化国内大循环的质量,疏通国际经济循环的堵点,进而助力“双循环”新发展格局的形成。在此基础上,基于供应链的新视角,通过供应链跨境协同将由需求侧、供给侧、供应链本身的结构优化与机制创新所形成的内循环与外循环有机结合,形成“你中有我、我中有你”的相互嵌套、互促协调的“双循环”新发展格局完整理论框架。最后,基于供应链视域提出助力“双循环”实现的具体路径。