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A Taxonomy for Selecting Global Supply Chain Strategies
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to address the increasingly important question of supply chain design for global operations. With the rise of off‐shore sourcing and the simultaneous need for improved responsiveness to customer demand, the choice of supply chain strategy is critical.
Design/methodology/approach
The paper draws its conclusions from case‐based research supported by survey data.
Findings
The paper provides evidence that the choice of supply chain strategy should be based upon a careful analysis of the demand/supply characteristics of the various product/markets served by a company. It presents the basis for a taxonomy of appropriate supply chain strategies.
Research limitations/implications
The case studies and empirical research reported in this paper are specific to the clothing manufacturing and fashion industries and there would be benefit in extending the research into other sectors.
Practical implications
Given the increasing trend to out‐sourcing and off‐shore sourcing, the choice of supply chain strategy is of some significance and clearly impacts competitive performance.
Originality/value
Whilst there is a growing recognition of the need to match the supply chain to the market, there is still limited research into what criteria should be utilised to aid the choice of supply chain strategy. This paper attempts to extend our understanding of the issues.
... Supply chains, supporting many different products, markets, and customers, are critical for organizational success in both commercial and military settings (Zsidisin et al., 2020). An oftenheard warning is that one size does not fit all (Christopher, Peck, & Towill, 2006;Lee, 2002). Suppliers should customize supply chains to meet the unique requirements of their customers (Melnyk, Narasimhan & DeCampos, 2014), including those of the military. ...
... Suppliers should customize supply chains to meet the unique requirements of their customers (Melnyk, Narasimhan & DeCampos, 2014), including those of the military. Ideally, suppliers should design supply chains beginning with the customer's requirements and moving backwards, but focus tends to be on efficiency rather than effectiveness (Christopher, Peck, & Towill, 2006). ...
... According to Christopher, Peck & Towill (2006), effective integration in SCM has led to better inventory management, faster cycle times, and more customized product offerings, contributing significantly to competitive advantage. ...
This systematic literature review critically examines the application of the Resource-Based View (RBV) theory within Supply Chain Management (SCM) across various industries. Developed by Jay B. Barney in 1991, RBV posits that a firm's sustained competitive advantage is driven by its unique resources and capabilities that are valuable, rare, inimitable, and non-substitutable. RBV suggests that a company's long-term competitive advantage stems from its distinct resources and capabilities, which are valuable, rare, difficult to imitate, and not easily substitutable. Despite extensive utilization in strategic management, the direct application of RBV in SCM has been less explored, particularly in understanding how specific internal resources enhance SCM capabilities and outcomes. The review adopts a systematic approach, analyzing 97 peer-reviewed articles from diverse journals. This method includes a comprehensive search and evaluation process, ensuring the inclusion of significant studies that discuss the application of RBV in SCM across various industries. The articles were sourced from Scopus databases, with keywords related to RBV and SCM to ensure thorough topic coverage. The findings indicate a pronounced increase in related publications since 2010, reflecting a growing scholarly and practical interest in RBV's application to SCM. The findings revealed that emerging trends like integrating advanced technologies like Blockchain, Artificial Intelligence and the Internet of Things are identified as strategic resources that redefine competitive landscapes by enhancing transparency, responsiveness and responsiveness within supply chains. The review also highlights the increasing importance of sustainability practices within SCM, aligning with RBV to potentially offer a sustainable competitive advantage. Conclusively, this review contributes to both academic knowledge and guides practitioners toward leveraging internal resources strategically to navigate contemporary challenges, setting a foundation for future inquiries into global supply chain resilience and dynamic capabilities.
... (1) Strategic decisions, i.e. selection of SC strategies (Christopher, Peck, and Towill 2006;Hong and Hwang 2011) and practices (Barros, Barbosa-Póvoa, and Blanco 2013;Cohen et al. 2018;Kharlamov, Ferreira, and Godsell 2020), (2) Tactical decisions, i.e. selection of inventory and warehouse strategies (Baker, 2007), logistics network configurations (Creazza et al., 2010), and SC communication (Nguyen et al., 2021). (3) Technological decisions, i.e. ...
Customer value is influenced by several factors, which impose major challenges to global Supply Chains (SCs) and their management. This study aims to understand how companies tackle these challenges by focusing their global SC management on major strategies and supporting practices. Based on customer value theory, and recognising major trends affecting what end consumers value, we identify four global SC strategies: customer-driven, service-driven, resource-efficient, and closed-loop. A multiple case study carried out in eleven companies in the consumer goods industry explores the practices adopted per each SC strategy in managing global sourcing, production, and distribution networks. Results show the key requirement of selecting tailored practices for SC management that align with the context and the value expected by customers. Operational SC practices entail managing collaborative actions both up and downstream and competing with other SCs and can benefit from the implementation of appropriate digital technologies for customer value creation and delivery, as well as for continuous learning about customer needs.
The primary aim of the study was to determine the impact of hybrid manufacturing, along with its secondary-dimensions, on the design and enhancement of production processes at the expanded Badoush Cement Plant. The study problem is framed by raising a set of questions, including: Does the management of the researched plant embrace the dimensions of the independent variable (hybrid manufacturing) and the dimensions of the dependent variable (designing and enhancing production processes)? To fulfill the study's objectives and address its inquiries, the researcher adopted a descriptive methodology. Within this framework, a questionnaire was designed as a principal tool for data collection. A total of 245 questionnaires were distributed to a sample of employees at the Badoush Cement Plant. Following the statistical analysis of the data, the study arrived at several significant findings, foremost among which is the plant management's keen interest in augmenting the influence of hybrid manufacturing on the field-level design and enhancement of production processes. This focus stands to ameliorate the dimensions of designing and enhancing production processes more effectively. Additionally, notable recommendations include the plant management's commitment to an avoidance strategy (postponement) to differentiate between production operations by delaying certain crucial production activities until customer orders are received. Subsequently, the production process can be completed, aiming to diminish inventory and expedite meeting customer demands.
This study examined the influence of warehousing management systems on sales of maize in Abia State Nigeria. A random sample technique was employed to select 45 maize marketers.
The toy industry faces relentless change and an unpredictable buying public, which creates immense challenges in anticipating best sellers and predicting volume. Like the high-technology industry, toys also suffer from many supply chain ailments including short product life, rapid product turnover, and seasonal demand. Coupled with long supply lines and ongoing political and economic turmoil in Asia, toy makers face an unusually complex set of risks. Managers in many businesses can learn valuable lessons in managing uncertainty from toy makers. This article describes supply chain lessons focused on reducing risk by actively managing both demand and supply variability. These lessons include product variety strategies based on product extensions; rolling mix strategies; leveraged licensing agreements; coordinated outsourcing strategies; and hedging against political and currency risk by producing in many different countries.
Satisfying true customer demand is the primary function of present day enterprises. Furthermore, this activity must be done effectively, efficiently and with appropriate responsiveness. The ultimate design and operational goal in this scenario is thus the seamless market-orientated supply chain described in detail in the paper. The research is based around 13 real-world supply chains that represent a wide range of market sectors. These value streams are classified in relation to their levels of integration versus degree of market orientation. This study concludes that such a matrix provides practitioners with a useful framework for targeting supply chain change programmes.