Douglas M. LambertThe Ohio State University | OSU · Department of Marketing and Logistics
Douglas M. Lambert
PhD
About
155
Publications
604,088
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15,739
Citations
Citations since 2017
Introduction
Douglas M. Lambert is the Raymond E. Mason Chaired Professor Emeritus, Department of Marketing and Logistics, Fisher College of Business, and Academy Professor at The Ohio State University. He is also Director of The Global Supply Chain Forum, a team of academics and executives who have met regularly since 1992 to pursue the critical issues related to achieving excellence in Supply Chain Management. His research interests include Supply Chain Management, Collaborative Business Relationships and Value Co-Creation. His most recent publications are "Rediscovering relevance" and "Issues in Supply Chain Management: Progress and potential."
Additional affiliations
January 2019 - December 2023
The Ohio State University
Position
- Professor Emeritus
Description
- Academy Professor
July 1996 - December 2018
Position
- Professor
Description
- Mason Chair and Director, The Global Supply Chain Forum
August 1991 - June 1996
Position
- Chair
Description
- Director, The International Center for Competitive Excellence.
Education
September 1973 - December 1975
September 1970 - May 1971
September 1965 - May 1969
Publications
Publications (155)
While services represent the largest sector of the global economy, 86.8% in the United States, most supply chain management (SCM) research is focused on product flows. Executives in manufacturing firms have benefited from frameworks created to implement SCM processes, but this is not the case for their counterparts in service companies. The two mos...
At the same time as the productivity of academics have become more formalized and institutionalized with increasing emphasis on counting publications in high-ranking journals, citations, h-index, and so on, there is an increased demand on academics to contribute to what is referred to as societal value, societal relevance, public value, societal im...
Purpose
Although managers have struggled with SKU proliferation for decades, research has provided inconsistent guidance, and the cross-functional and cross-firm aspects of the problem were not considered. The purpose of this paper is to explore the factors that favor successful and sustainable SKU rationalization.
Design/methodology/approach
A si...
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to document the growing concerns about the lack of relevance of business school research, and offer suggestions for journal editors and faculty members in logistics and supply chain management.
Design/methodology/approach
This paper is a review of literature related to the relevance of business school researc...
In a 2000 article in Industrial Marketing Management, “Issues in Supply Chain Management,” Lambert and Cooper presented a framework for Supply Chain Management (SCM) as well as issues related to how it should be implemented and directions for future research. The framework was comprised of eight cross-functional, cross-firm business processes that...
While the linkage between logistics performance and firm performance has received attention in the literature, typically firm performance is measured as customer satisfaction and customer loyalty rather than share of business or other measures that translate into a financial benefit. Thus logistics executives continue to be judged primarily on cost...
While the linkage between logistics performance and firm performance has received attention in the literature, typically firm performance is measured as customer satisfaction and customer loyalty rather than share of business or other measures that translate into a financial benefit. Thus logistics executives continue to be judged primarily on cost...
A major problem faced in mail survey research is whether nonresponse bias exists. If the responses of persons who answer the questionnaire differ substantially from those who do not, the results cannot be generalized to the overall sample, much less the overall population. A previous article attempted to solve this problem by projecting nonresponse...
The Thought-Leader Series of five articles in the March 2014 issue of the Journal of Business Logistics made it clear that major changes are required in both Logistics and Supply Chain Management programs and indeed in business schools. The articles provided further evidence of how ill-advised metrics in the hands of fools not only result in a misu...
While many have suggested that cross-functional, cross-firm integration is beneficial, functional managers will have competing priorities and thus different perceptions of its benefits. Performance measurements tend to reward functional behaviors and are often in conflict across functions. Since senior management is held responsible for financial r...
Overview There is a great deal of confusion regarding what supply chain management involves. 1 In fact, many people using the name supply chain management treat it as a synonym for logistics or as logistics that includes customers and suppliers. 2 Others view supply chain management as the new name for purchasing or operations, 3 or the combination...
Central to the relationship view of supply chain management described in this
book is the recognition that businesses should be managed in a way that enables
value co-creation with key customers and suppliers.1 Opportunities for value cocreation arise when the capabilities and knowledge that exist within each firms’
organizational functions are lev...
Managing the complex network of cross-functional, cross-firm interactions that lead to value co-creation in business-to-business (B2B) relationships is a challenge. Managers need actionable frameworks to guide them through the implementation of a service-dominant business logic based on cross-functional involvement. The goal for this research was t...
T he linkage between logistics performance and overall firm performance has received attention in the literature for more than 30 years. However, researchers have not investigated if differences in performance between primary and secondary suppliers affect customer satisfaction and the percentage of business allocated to suppliers. In this research...
Purpose
Increasingly, supplier relationship management (SRM) is being viewed as strategic, process‐oriented, cross‐functional, and value‐creating for buyer and seller, and a means of achieving superior financial performance. This paper seeks to describe a macro level cross‐functional view of SRM and to provide a structure for managing business‐to‐b...
Increasingly, the involvement of representatives from all major business functions in cross-functional, cross-firm teams is being viewed as a means to develop and maintain profitable business-to-business relationships. However, if the measurements of the value co-created in these relationships with customers and suppliers do not incorporate the fin...
Purpose – Increasingly, supplier relationship management (SRM) is being viewed as strategic, process-oriented, cross-functional, and value-creating for buyer and seller, and a means of achieving superior financial performance. This paper seeks to describe a macro level cross-functional view of SRM and to provide a structure for managing business-to...
Trade liberalization policies have created a vibrant economy in Mexico by successfully increasing the flow of trade and foreign direct investments. This study investigates whether involvement in Mexico is considered attractive as a market in and of itself, or whether it is also attractive because Mexico can also serve as a gateway to other Latin Am...
Purpose
Increasingly, customer relationship management (CRM) is being viewed as a strategic, process‐oriented, cross‐functional, value‐creating for buyer and seller, and a means of achieving superior financial performance. However, there is a need for a more holistic view of cross‐functional as it relates to CRM. The purpose of this paper is to des...
There is confusion about the domain of supply chain management, and the functions and processes that should be included. In this paper, we describe the key supply chain management processes, the role of logistics managers in each of these processes, and what the logistics function gains from this involvement.
Cet article présente les résultats d'une étude empirique sur l'utilisation de la différentiation retardée dans la supply chain, étude portant sur deux industriels, un distributeur et un détaillant. L'analyse montre que la mise en œuvre de la différentiation retardée peut conduire à plus de stock pour la firme prise individuellemenmt. Pour atteindre...
Douglas Lambert, Director of the Global Supply Chain Forum, believes that successful Supply Chain Management is about taking a holistic view of the firm and looking beyond the usual boundaries to build relationships with customers and suppliers.
Introduction Supply Chain Management vs. Logistics Channel Structure Supply Chain Network Structure Supply Chain Business Processes Business Process Chains The Management Components of Supply Chain Management Supply Chain Design Supply Chain Design Considerations Supply Chain Performance Measurement Reengineering Improvement into the Supply Chain I...
This paper presents the results of empirical research on the use of time-based postponement in a supply chain context using data collected from two manufacturers, a distributor, and a retailer. The analysis shows that implementing postponement at the firm level can result in the supply chain carrying more inventory. In order to achieve its full pot...
IN BRIEFAs healthcare costs have risen, increased attention has been focused on the role of purchasing within hospitals. This article reviews the attributes traditionally used by purchasing managers in supplier selection and then examines the attributes currently being used within a health care setting. The conclusion is that even though the govern...
Supply chain management (SCM) is implemented by integrating corporate functions using business processes within and across companies. Several process-oriented frameworks for SCM have been proposed but only two of these provide sufficient detail to enable implementation. We evaluate the Supply-Chain Operations Reference (SCOR) framework and The Glob...
When managers from Wendy's International and Tyson Foods got together in 2003 to craft a supply chain partnership, each side had misgivings. There were those in the Wendy's camp who remembered past disagreements with Tyson and those on the Tyson side who were wary of Wendy's. But the companies had a tool, called the "partnership model,'to help get...
An important aspect of implementing supply chain management is the formation of appropriate linkages between members of the supply chain. While practitioners and academics have championed the value of partnerships for this purpose, the challenge is to find effective methods for developing the appropriate type of relationship. This paper describes a...
Customer service management is the supply chain management process that represents the firm's face to the customer. The process is the key point of contact for administering product and service agreements (PSAs) developed by customer teams as part of the customer relationship management process. The goal is to provide a single source of customer in...
Product development and commercialization is the supply chain management process that provides structure for developing and bringing to market new products jointly with customers and suppliers. Effective implementation of the process not only enables management to coordinate the efficient flow of new products across the supply chain, but also assis...
Researchers and executive members of The Global Supply Chain Forum have identified eight processes that form the foundation of supply chain success. The challenge is to integrate these processes both internally and externally with key partners in the supply chain. Two of those key processes — customer relationship management and supplier relationsh...
The Internet fosters the integration of business processes across the supply chain by facilitating the information flows necessary for coordinating business activities. However, the Internet also supports the use of market mechanisms, such as auctions, that foster price competition. Using market mechanisms is less likely to generate a sustainable c...
Demand management is the supply chain management process that balances the customers' requirements with the capabilities of the supply chain. With the right process in place, management can match supply with demand proactively and execute the plan with minimal disruptions. The process is not limited to forecasting. It includes synchronizing supply...
Returns management is the supply chain management process by which activities associated with returns, reverse logistics, gatekeeping, and avoidance are managed within the firm and across key members of the supply chain. The correct implementation of this process enables management not only to manage the reverse product flow efficiently, but to ide...
La plupart des débats et des articles sur les mesures de la chaîne logistique portent en réalité sur les mesures de performance de la logistique interne. L'absence de définition acceptée par tous les acteurs de supply chain management et la complexité associée au recoupement des chaînes logistiques, rend difficile le développement de mesures. En dé...
Increasingly, supply chain management is being recognized as the management of key business processes across the network of organizations that comprise the supply chain. While many have recognized the benefits of a process approach to managing the business and the supply chain, most are vague about what processes are to be considered, what sub-proc...
Most discussions and articles about supply chain metrics are, in actuality, about internal logistics performance measures. The lack of a widely accepted definition for supply chain management and the complexity associated with overlapping supply chains make the development of supply chain metrics difficult. Despite these problems, managers continue...
Pour pouvoir recueillir les fruits des innovations et de la performance de l'entreprise dans le domaine logistique, les managers doivent mesurer et vendre la valeur qu'ils apportent aux clients. La valeur, une fois déterminée, doit être vendue non seulement aux acheteurs mais aussi aux dirigeants. La littérature mentionne plusieurs mesures de valeu...
Successful supply chain management requires cross-functional integration and marketing must play a critical role. The challenge is to determine how to successfully accomplish this integration. We present a framework for supply chain management as well as questions for how it might be implemented and questions for future research. Case studies condu...
In order to receive adequate rewards for the firm's innovations and performance in logistics, managers have to measure and sell the value that is being provided to customers. Value, once determined, must be sold to customers and also to top management within the firm. There are several value metrics mentioned in the literature, ranging in financial...
In fall 1994, the largest third-party contract in U.S. history, valued at $100 million annually, was announced. Less than a year later this relationship between a Fortune 500 company and its third-party provider, described as a partnership by the parties involved, was dissolved. In addition, a widely publicized logistics relationship between Laura...
In 1998, the Council of Logistics Management modified its definition of logistics to indicate that logistics is a subset of supply chain management and that the two terms are not synonymous. Now that this difference has been recognized by the premier logistics professional organization, the challenge is to determine how to successfully implement su...
Relationships are very important in developing and maintaining effective marketing strategies. Due to the emphasis on relationships, there is increasing recognition that positive evaluations of business salespeople by their customers should be an important component of salespeople's evaluation process and compensation programs. For example, 40% of...
Practitioners and educators have variously addressed the concept of supply chain management (SCM) as an extension of logistics, the same as logistics, or as an all-encompassing approach to business integration. Based on a review of the literature and management practice, it is clear that there is a need for some level of coordination of activities...
Many executives are developing supply chain partnerships in an attempt to reduce costs, improve service and gain competitive advantage. While partnerships can be beneficial, they are not appropriate in all situations. This article provides a model which can be used to determine whether a partnership is warranted, and if so, how close of a partnersh...
Not all close business relationships are partnerships, nor should they be.
Customer service represents a significant
opportunity for segmenting markets. This article
reviews the importance of customer service and
the conceptual issues associated with segmenting
industrial markets on the basis of customer
service. A methodology is presented which can
be used by managers to classify a market into
segments with different cus...
A “world class” organization must provide high levels of logistics service quality to customers. Knowledge of customer expectations and an understanding of the firm's performance on logistics service attributes relative to competitors are vital to achieving service excellence. Research studies in four industries identify the most important logistic...
Logistics managers need to collect timely and accurate data on
customers' needs, as well as customer perceptions of the firm's and
competitors' performance levels. Today, a large number of companies
collect this from their salesforce – a good, inexpensive and
timely source of customer and competitive information but caution is
needed since a majori...
Evidence suggests that the recent interest in
competitive strategy and competitive positioning,
while good in itself, has resulted in the
management of many firms placing too much
emphasis on competitive performance and too
little emphasis on customer expectations. This
research in the chemical industry provides support
for the conclusion that mana...
Inventory control problems often result in record
and physical count discrepancies which may
ultimately lead to higher than preferred inventory
levels. Conversely, accurate inventory records
result in lower inventory investment and are the
foundation for forecasting, ordering, tracking,
vendor evaluation, and dead stock administration
programmes. G...
For almost 30 years, contribution analysis has been recognized as the most meaningful method of measuring profitability. Recent research shows that the majority of marketers are using reports that contain significant measurement errors. A review of 25 college marketing texts revealed that educators are contributing to this lack of knowledge.
Marketing scholars have suggested that salespeople can play an important role in firms' ongoing efforts to understand their customers' perceptions and preferences. However, very few studies have examined the accuracy of the information which salespeople are able to provide. This article reports the results of a survey of an industrial marketer's cu...
The accuracy of salespersons' perceptions of their customers can have a significant effect on corporate profitability. Aside From the impact on short term sales performance, inaccurate information from the sales force can adversely affect the quality of long term, strategic plans. Yet, a review o the literature uncovered only two empirical studies...
Although significant advances have been made in customer service
research, a majority of this research has concentrated on defining and
measuring the importance of customer service in isolation from the other
components of the marketing mix. In order to achieve a competitive
advantage from customer service, it is necessary to establish service
leve...
Customer service represents the output of a firm's logistics system and a significant opportunity to gain a sustainable competitive advantage. In this article the findings of research in the plastics industry that replicated the methodology proposed by Sterling and Lambert (1987) are reported. The research enabled further testing of the methodology...
A recurring theme in many marketing and business journals is the need to integrate theory with practice. In the current economic environment, business is finding it exceedingly difficult to achieve corporate profit objectives. With tax revenues severely reduced or stagnant, many universities are experiencing substantial difficulty funding academic...
Marketers have been subjected to considerable criticism for not understanding the financial impact of their decisions. Although profitability reports using contribution analysis have been advocated as a tool that will help marketers make strategic decisions about their firms' product offerings and the allocation of scarce corporate resources, this...
Projects
Project (1)
In a 2000 article in Industrial Marketing Management, “Issues in Supply Chain Management,” Lambert and Cooper presented a framework for Supply Chain Management (SCM) as well as issues related to how it should be implemented and directions for future research. The framework was comprised of eight cross-functional, cross-firm business processes that could be used as a new way to manage relationships with suppliers and customers. It was based on research conducted by a team of academic researchers working with a group of executives from non-competing firms that had been meeting regularly since 1992 with the objective of improving SCM theory and practice. The research has continued for the past 16 years and now covers a total of 25 years. In this paper, we review the progress that has been made in the development and implementation of the proposed SCM framework since 2000 and identify opportunities for further research.