Showing papers on "Supply chain published in 2013"

Tackling climate change through livestock : a global assessment of emissions and mitigation opportunities

Abstract: As renewed international efforts are needed to curb greenhouse gas emissions, the livestock sector can contribute its part. An important emitter of greenhouse gas, it also has the potential to significantly reduce its emissions. This report provides a unique global assessment of the magnitude, the sources and pathways of emissions from different livestock production systems and supply chains. Relying on life cycle assessment, statistical analysis and scenario building, it also provides estimates of the sector’s mitigation potential and identifies concrete options to reduce emissions. The report is a useful resource for stakeholders from livestock producers to policy-makers, researchers and civil society representatives, which also intends to inform the public debate on the role of livestock supply chains in climate change and possible solution.

Carbon Footprint and the Management of Supply Chains: Insights From Simple Models

Abstract: Using relatively simple and widely used models, we illustrate how carbon emission concerns could be integrated into operational decision-making with regard to procurement, production, and inventory management. We show how, by associating carbon emission parameters with various decision variables, traditional models can be modified to support decision-making that accounts for both cost and carbon footprint. We examine how the values of these parameters as well as the parameters of regulatory emission control policies affect cost and emissions. We use the models to study the extent to which carbon reduction requirements can be addressed by operational adjustments, as an alternative (or a supplement) to costly investments in carbon-reducing technologies. We also use the models to investigate the impact of collaboration among firms within the same supply chain on their costs and carbon emissions and study the incentives firms might have in seeking such cooperation. We provide a series of insights that highlight the impact of operational decisions on carbon emissions and the importance of operational models in evaluating the impact of different regulatory policies and in assessing the benefits of investments in more carbon efficient technologies. Note to Practitioners-Firms worldwide, responding to the threat of government legislation or to concerns raised by their own consumers or shareholders, are undertaking initiatives to reduce their carbon footprint. It is the conventional thinking that such initiatives will require either capital investments or a switch to more expensive sources of energy or input material. In this paper, we show that firms could effectively reduce their carbon emissions without significantly increasing their costs by making only operational adjustments and by collaborating with other members of their supply chain. We describe optimization models that can be used by firms to support operational decision making and supply chain collaboration, while taking into account carbon emissions. We analyze the effect of different emission regulations, including strict emission caps, taxes on emissions, cap-and-offset, and cap-and-trade, on supply chain management decisions. In particular, we show that the presence of emission regulation can significantly increase the value of supply chain collaboration.

Data Science, Predictive Analytics, and Big Data: A Revolution that Will Transform Supply Chain Design and Management

Abstract: We illuminate the myriad of opportunities for research where supply chain management intersects with data science, predictive analytics, and big data, collectively referred to as DPB. We show that these terms are not only becoming popular but are also relevant to supply chain research and education. Data science requires both domain knowledge and a broad set of quantitative skills, but there is a dearth of literature on the topic and many questions. We call for research on skills that are needed by SCM data scientists and discuss how such skills and domain knowledge affect the effectiveness of a SCM data scientist. Such knowledge is crucial to developing future supply chain leaders. We propose definitions of data science and predictive analytics as applied to supply chain management. We examine possible applications of DPB in practice and provide examples of research questions from these applications, as well as examples of research questions employing DPB that stem from management theories. Finally, we propose specific steps interested researchers can take to respond to our call for research on the intersection of supply chain management and DPB.

Data Science, Predictive Analytics, and Big Data: A Revolution That Will Transform Supply Chain Design and Management

Abstract: We illuminate the myriad of opportunities for research where supply chain management (SCM) intersects with data science, predictive analytics, and big data, collectively referred to as DPB. We show that these terms are not only becoming popular but are also relevant to supply chain research and education. Data science requires both domain knowledge and a broad set of quantitative skills, but there is a dearth of literature on the topic and many questions. We call for research on skills that are needed by SCM data scientists and discuss how such skills and domain knowledge affect the effectiveness of an SCM data scientist. Such knowledge is crucial to develop future supply chain leaders. We propose definitions of data science and predictive analytics as applied to SCM. We examine possible applications of DPB in practice and provide examples of research questions from these applications, as well as examples of research questions employing DPB that stem from management theories. Finally, we propose specific steps interested researchers can take to respond to our call for research on the intersection of SCM and DPB.

A review of modeling approaches for sustainable supply chain management

Abstract: More than 300 papers have been published in the last 15years on the topic of green or sustainable (forward) supply chains Looking at the research methodologies employed, only 36 papers apply quantitative models This is in contrast to, for example, the neighboring field of reverse or closed-loop supply chains where several reviews on respective quantitative models have already been provided The paper summarizes research on quantitative models for forward supply chains and thereby contributes to the further substantiation of the field While different kinds of models are applied, it is evident that the social side of sustainability is not taken into account On the environmental side, life-cycle assessment based approaches and impact criteria clearly dominate On the modeling side there are three dominant approaches: equilibrium models, multi-criteria decision making and analytical hierarchy process There has been only limited empirical research so far The paper ends with suggestions for future research

Ensuring Supply Chain Resilience: Development and Implementation of an Assessment Tool

Abstract: In today's tightly connected global economy, traditional management practices that rely on “steady-state” conditions are challenged by chaotic external pressures and turbulent change. Just in the last few years, the world has experienced a string of catastrophic events, including a global economic meltdown, a volcanic eruption in Iceland, an oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, a disastrous tsunami and power blackout in Japan, and political upheavals in Africa and the Middle East. Managing the risk of an uncertain future is a challenge that requires resilience—the ability to survive, adapt, and grow in the face of turbulent change. This research develops a measurement tool titled the Supply Chain Resilience Assessment and Management (SCRAM™). Data gathered from seven global manufacturing and service firms are used to validate SCRAM™, using qualitative methodology with 1,369 empirical items from focus groups reviewing 14 recent disruptions. Critical linkages are uncovered between the inherent vulnerability factors and controllable capability factors. Through mixed-method triangulation, this research identified 311 specific linkages that can be used to guide a resilience improvement process. Pilot testing suggests a correlation between increased resilience and improved supply chain performance.

The influence of relational competencies on supply chain resilience: a relational view

Abstract: Purpose – The purpose of this research is to explore the resilience domain, which is important in the field of supply chain management; it investigates the effects relational competencies have for resilience and the effect resilience, in turn, has on a supply chain ' s customer value. Design/methodology/approach – The research is empirical in nature and employs a confirmatory approach that builds on the relational view as a primary theoretical foundation. It utilizes survey data collected from manufacturing firms from three countries, which is analyzed using structural equation modeling. Findings – It is found that communicative and cooperative relationships have a positive effect on resilience, while integration does not have a significant effect. It is also found that improved resilience, obtained by investing in agility and robustness, enhances a supply chain ' s customer value. Practical implications – Some findings contrast the expectations derived from theory. Particularly, practitioners can learn t...

A Meta‐Analysis of Environmentally Sustainable Supply Chain Management Practices and Firm Performance

Abstract: Studies linking environmental sustainability to firm performance have been increasing as more companies are contemplating the implementation of sustainable practices internally and in coordination with other firms along their supply chains. However, findings from these studies have found positive and negative associations, leaving practitioners perplexed as to what actions would be beneficial to pursue. With hypotheses grounded in the natural resource–based view of the firm, the current study examines over 20 years of research on environmental supply chain practices using a meta-analysis to determine whether the overall effect of these specific practices on firm performance is, in fact, positive. The results show that the link between environmental supply chain practices and market-based, operational-based and accounting-based forms of firm performance is positive and significant, providing support for the business case that sustainable supply chain management results in increased firm performance. Different operationalizations of supply chain practices — upstream, design, production and downstream — along with industry, sample region, firm size and time are examined as moderators of this relationship with nuanced results that help to extend the discipline's understanding of the relationship between environmentally sustainable supply chain management and firm performance.

Why Research in Sustainable Supply Chain Management Should Have No Future

Abstract: In the last two decades the topic of sustainability has moved from the fringes of supply chain management research to the mainstream and is now an area of significant research activity. In this paper we argue that while this increase in acceptance and activity is welcome and has lead to a greater understanding of sustainability, our present knowledge is not sufficient to create truly sustainable supply chains. We build on this insight to identify five main issues that future research needs to address. We argue that when it comes to the theory of sustainable supply chain management, previous research has focused on the synergistic and familiar while overlooking trade-offs and radical innovation. These theoretical issues are compounded by measures that do not truly capture a supply chain’s impacts and methods that are better at looking backwards than forwards. The paper concludes by proposing a series of recommendations that address these issues to help in the development of truly sustainable supply chains.

The impact of IT capabilities on firm performance: The mediating roles of absorptive capacity and supply chain agility

Abstract: Researchers and practitioners regard information technology (IT) as a competitive tool. However, current knowledge on IT capability mechanisms that affect firm performance remains unclear. Based on the dynamic capabilities perspective and the view of a hierarchy of capabilities, this article proposes a model to examine how IT capabilities (i.e., flexible IT infrastructure and IT assimilation) affect firm performance through absorptive capacity and supply chain agility in the supply chain context. Survey data show that absorptive capacity and supply chain agility fully mediate the influences of IT capabilities on firm performance. In addition to the direct effects, absorptive capacity also has indirect effects on firm performance by shaping supply chain agility. We conclude with implications and suggestions for future research.

Closed-Loop Supply Chains: A Critical Review, and Future Research†

Abstract: In this article, I present a review and tutorial of the literature on closed-loop supply chains, which are supply chains where, in addition to typical forward flows, there are reverse flows of used products (postconsumer use) back to manufacturers. Examples include supply chains with consumer returns, leasing options, and end-of-use returns with remanufacturing. I classify the literature in terms of strategic, tactical, and operational issues, but I focus on strategic issues (such as when should an original equipment manufacturer (OEM) remanufacture, response to take-back legislation, and network design, among others) and tactical issues (used product acquisition and disposition decisions). The article is written in the form of a tutorial, where for each topic I present a base model with underlying assumptions and results, comment on extensions, and conclude with my view on needed research areas.

A meta-analysis of supply chain integration and firm performance

Abstract: As supply chain activities become more dispersed among customers, suppliers and service providers, there is an increased need for customers and suppliers to work together more closely. Supply chain integration (SCI) has been a highly researched topic during the last 20 years. A meta-analytic approach is used to provide a quantitative review of the empirical literature in SCI, and examines relevant design and contextual factors. Eighty independent samples across 86 peer-reviewed journal articles, yielding a total of 17,467 observations, were obtained and analyzed. While general support exists in favor of the positive impact of SCI on firm performance in the literature, this research helps clarify mixed findings that presently exist. Our results indicate that there is a positive and significant correlation between SCI and firm performance. Additional subgroups and moderators are tested and provide nuanced views of the scope and specific dimensions of SCI, firm performance and their relationships.

A fuzzy multi criteria approach for evaluating green supplier's performance in green supply chain with linguistic preferences

Abstract: Today's international business environment has forced many firms to focus on supply chain management to gain a competitive advantage. During recent years, supplier selection process in the supply chain has become a key strategic consideration. With the growing worldwide awareness of environmental protection and the corresponding increase in legislation and regulations, green purchasing has become an important issue for companies to gain environmental sustainability. Traditionally, companies consider criteria such as price, quality and lead time, when evaluating supplier performance and do not give enough attention to environmental criteria as a means to evaluate suppliers. Now, many companies have begun to implement green supply chain management (GSCM) and to consider environmental issues and the measurement of their suppliers’ environmental performance. This paper examines GSCM to propose a fuzzy multi criteria approach for green suppliers’ evaluation. We apply fuzzy set theory to translate the subjective human perceptions into a solid crisp value. These linguistic preferences are combined through fuzzy TOPSIS to generate an overall performance score for each supplier. A numerical example is presented to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed approach.

Speed models for energy-efficient maritime transportation: A taxonomy and survey

Abstract: International shipping accounts for 2.7% of worldwide CO 2 emissions, and measures to curb future emissions growth are sought with a high sense of urgency. With the increased quest for greener shipping, reducing the speed of ships has obtained an increased role as one of the measures to be applied toward that end. Already speed has been important for economic reasons, as it is a key determinant of fuel cost, a significant component of the operating cost of ships. Moreover, speed is an important parameter of the overall logistical operation of a shipping company and of the overall supply chain and may directly or indirectly impact fleet size, ship size, cargo inventory costs and shippers’ balance sheets. Changes in ship speed may also induce modal shifts, if cargo can choose other modes because they are faster. However, as emissions are directly proportional to fuel consumed, speed is also very much connected with the environmental dimension of shipping. So when shipping markets are in a depressed state and “slow-steaming” is the prevalent practice for economic reasons, an important side benefit is reduced emissions. In fact there are many indications that this practice, very much applied these days, will be the norm in the future. This paper presents a survey of speed models in maritime transportation, that is, models in which speed is one of the decision variables. A taxonomy of such models is also presented, according to a set of parameters.

Rare Earth Elements: The Global Supply Chain

Abstract: This report provides a discussion on the major issues and concerns of the global supply chain for rare earth elements, their major end uses, and legislative and other policy proposals that Congress may consider to improve the U.S. rare earth position. The concentration of production of rare earth elements (REEs) outside the United States raises the important issue of supply vulnerability, since they are used for new energy technologies and national security applications.

Antecedents and Enablers of Supply Chain Agility and its Effect on Performance

Abstract: This paper investigates the fundamental building blocks of supply chain agility, which are conceptualised as supply- and demand-side competence. While the former refers to production and supply management related activities, the latter refers to distribution and demand management related activities. The model further assesses the influence of supply chain agility on operational performance, as well as its mediating role in the relationship between supply- and demand-side competence and performance. Within this framework, process compliance, i.e. how well supply chain management processes are internally executed by the firm's employees, is viewed as an enabler (moderator) on the relationship between supply chain competencies and supply chain agility. Theoretical substantiation is provided by the resource-based view of the firm augmented with the dynamic capabilities perspective. The model is tested with data from 121 supply chain management professionals. Implications for both academic theory development and supply chain and production management practice are provided.

Exploring the integration of sustainability and supply chain management

Abstract: Purpose – The aim of this paper is to provide a snapshot of the existing research and suggest potential opportunities for academic inquiry related to the concept of sustainable supply chain management.Design/methodology/approach – The researchers review the extant literature at the intersection of “sustainability” and “supply chain management”. This literature is subsequently categorized with the aid of a classification matrix derived from the literature in order to review the current state of thought development across three distinct disciplines (logistics/supply chain management, operations/production management and social/environmental management). The analysis suggests future research opportunities in this area.Findings – The findings indicate that the existing literature is primarily focused on individual sustainability and supply chain dimensions rather than taking a more integrated approach. In addition, the findings suggest both the emergence of a group of themes within an individual dimension, su...

Supply chain coordination with emissions reduction incentives

Abstract: The European Union Emissions Trading System (EU-ETS) is considered one of the main legislative systems that are set up to reduce emissions and protect the environment. Most of the works in the literature approach this system from a legislation and/or global point of view. Little has been done to examine this system from the perspective of the user. This work is believed to be the first to consider the EU-ETS system in a supply chain and operations management context. A two-level (vendor–buyer) supply chain model with a coordination mechanism is presented while accounting for greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from manufacturing processes. Different emissions trading schemes are considered, and possible combinations between these schemes are presented. The developed model could be found useful by mangers who wish to jointly minimise the inventory-related and GHG emissions costs of their supply chains when penalties for exceeding emissions limits are considered. Numerical examples are presented, and results are...

Toward a Theory of Multi-Tier Supply Chain Management

Abstract: Recent trends toward outsourcing and global sourcing have created longer, more complex and more fragmented supply chains. In this research, we aim to instigate a theoretical development of multi-tier supply chain (MSC) management by adopting an inductive case study research design. Following a multiple case research design, we investigate three-tier supply chains to develop a theory of MSC management. Each of the investigated supply chains consists of a buyer, supplier and supplier's supplier. Based on the case studies, propositions are built concerning how MSCs operate. As an underlying methodology, we first conduct a within-case analysis and then expand that analysis to the cross-case context. The results show the impact that the dynamics of the MSC have on power balance, structure, interdependence and relationship stability inherent in MSCs.

A complex network approach to supply chain network theory

Abstract: Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to advance supply chain network theory by applying theoretical and empirical developments in complex network literature to the context of supply chains as complex adaptive systems. The authors synthesize these advancements to gain an understanding of the network properties underlying efficient supply chains. To develop a suitable theory of supply chain networks, the authors look to mirror the properties of complex network models with real‐world supply chains.Design/methodology/approach – The authors review complex network literature drawn from multiple disciplines in top scientific journals. From this interdisciplinary review a series of propositions are developed around supply chain complexity and adaptive phenomena.Findings – This paper proposes that the structure of efficient supply chains follows a “scale‐free” network. This proposal emerges from arguments that the key properties of efficient supply chains are a short characteristic path length, a high clustering...

3D Printing Disrupts Manufacturing: How Economies of One Create New Rules of Competition: 3D Printing May Represent a Disruption to the Manufacturing Industry as Profound as the Industrial Revolution

Abstract: Before the Industrial Revolution, goods were produced by local artisans and craftsmen relying primarily on locally available materials and selling primarily to local customers. These artisans conceived of and then made products, and they sold these products in their own small shops or out of their homes. In this environment, the customer was directly linked to the producer; there was no middleman and no supply chain. The Industrial Revolution ushered in an era of innovation in production methods, mining methods, and machine tools that enabled mass production and allowed the replacement of labor with machines. In the past 200 years, the elements of production have been refined, but the underlying economics have remained: competitive advantage goes to the company or companies (organized into a supply chain) that can produce the highest quality part at the lowest cost. Fixed costs--infrastructure and machinery--became separate from variable costs--those expenditures that increased on a per-unit production basis, such as labor and materials. Economies-of-scale production models meant that high-volume production reduced the contribution of the fixed-cost portion of the cost equation, thus reducing the per-unit cost. Simply put, high throughput and efficiency yielded higher profits (Pine 1993). Today we are entering an era many believe will be as disruptive to the manufacturing sector as the Industrial Revolution was--the age of 3D printing (Koten 2013). At a EuroMold fair in November 2012, 3D Systems used one of its 3D printers to print a hammer. The Economist (2012) used this example to compare the traditional supply chain design-build-deliver model with the emerging 3D printing model: Ask a factory today to make you a single hammer to your own design and you will be presented with a bill for thousands of dollars. The makers would have to produce a mould, cast the head, machine it to a suitable finish, turn a wooden handle and then assemble the parts. To do that for one hammer would be prohibitively expensive. If you are producing thousands of hammers, each one of them would be much cheaper, thanks to economies of scale. For a 3D printer, though, economies of scale will matter much less. Its software can be endlessly tweaked and it can make just about anything. According to Richard D'Aveni (2013), "businesses all along the supply, manufacturing, and retailing chains [will need] to rethink their strategies and operations" (34). Indeed, the rise of 3D printing and additive manufacturing will replace the competitive dynamics of traditional economies-of-scale production with an economies-of-one production model, at least for some industries and products. In essence, future manufacturers will be governed by two sets of rules: economies of scale for interchangeable parts produced at high volumes, and economies of one for highly customizable products that can be built layer by layer. Each model brings its own economic factors and sources of competitive advantage (Table 1). The Competitive Dynamics of Economies of Scale Traditional manufacturing relies on a design-build-deliver model. In this model, roles and responsibilities of the various participants are well established. Designers translate customer needs into viable products. Producers own facilities that emphasize efficiency and low-cost production. In the past four decades, these producers have increasingly relied on a distributed and extended supply chain, sourcing the lowest-cost providers to build components and subassemblies on a global scale. The production methods employed by these manufacturers have relied heavily on subtractive manufacturing methods, which begin with a solid physical form that is ground, cut, drilled, milled, lathed, and otherwise has material removed from it to make the shapes needed to build components, subassemblies, and ultimately complete products. …