How do supply chain management and information systems practices influence operational performance? Evidence from emerging country SMEs

Supply chain performance in the power distribution sector

Purpose

In today’s highly competitive milieu, many organizations are entering into the international market to gain greater share and take advantage of higher production. However, the introduction of advanced technology has brought a significant amount of competition within the supply chain especially within the bounds of the power distribution sector. This study aims to examine how information and knowledge sharing influence supply chain performance in the power distribution sector.

Design/methodology/approach

The quantitative method and cross-sectional survey design were used in the study. A sample of 200 officers specifically selected from power distribution companies was used for the study. Data was analysed using descriptive, correlation, regression and structural equation models.

Findings

The relationship between information sharing, knowledge sharing and performance of the supply chain are positively mediated by supply chain collaboration. The findings indicate that technological innovation positively moderates the relationship between information sharing, knowledge sharing and supply chain performance.

Practical implications

Information sharing, knowledge sharing and technological innovation are critical indicators driving the supply chain operation of power distribution organizations.

Originality/value

This study presents a contemporary approach towards understanding knowledge and information sharing as antecedents of supply chain performance.

An integrated supply chain – human resource management approach for improved supply chain performance

Purpose

Human resource management (HRM) is struggling to cope with the increasingly volatile demand for skilled resources in the logistics and supply chain sector. Thus, this study discovers the possible integration of HRM and supply chain management (SCM) practices for improved supply chain performance. The purpose of this study is to explore the effect of intra HRM–SCM and joint HRM–SCM decisions on the performance of the supply chain.

Design/methodology/approach

An intra HRM–SCM and joint HRM–SCM model is developed following an empirical study. Survey data collected from 109 supply chain managers from Indian logistics firms are used to test the developed hypotheses. Structural equation modeling is used to analyze and validate the model.

Findings

The results suggest that supply chain performance is significantly influenced by joint HRM–SCM, compared to intra HRM–SCM practices, especially under volatile demand environments. Training and development, recruitment and selection, and performance management affect joint HRM–SCM significantly compared to the other three factors identified. Moreover, HRM and SCM show strong correlation and mutual support in identifying and fulfilling the demand of the logistics and supply chain sector.

Practical implications

With a growing trend toward globalization and digitalization, a joint HRM–SCM model will help businesses make robust and informed decisions for improved supply chain performance.

Originality/value

An empirical relationship between joint HRM–SCM, intra HRM–SCM, supply chain inhibitors and supply chain performance is established in this study. Although some part of this relationship may already exist, the study provides robust evidence to support this complex, collaborative relationship.

Effectiveness of performance measurement framework on manufacturers supply chain – case of Saudi Arabia

Purpose

This study aims to provide a collaborative supply chain system using a combination of two already existed methods, i.e. levels of decision-making and supply chain operation reference (SCOR).

Design/methodology/approach

A two-phase methodology was conducted based on field analysis and survey analysis. Field analysis included a critical analysis of literature related to supply chain performance measurement and identified related indicators.

Findings

In a survey analysis, a questionnaire was developed to test the established indicators from managers and employees of manufacturing companies. It formulated a novel model for the performance measurement of the supply chain (SC) which included 4 factors (customer, efficiency, flexibility and product), with a total of 31 sub-components.

Originality/value

The structure provides a tied horizontal (SCOR) and vertical (progressive decision) in relation to the features that characterize the SC performance. This system enables the decision-makers to make decisions at the strategic, tactical and operational levels. It reflects the performance measures reliability, authenticity and its application in various SC. It also improves communication with the regional party while ensuring a preventive schedule for maintenance.

Understanding the impact of supply-side decisions and practices on supply risk management

Purpose

In the era of market turbulence, sourcing specialists consistently face challenges to keep the availability of the material efficiently and effectively without any disruption. Sourcing strategies and planning have a huge impact on procurement performance. The purpose of this paper is to examine the relationships among different sourcing strategies and supply risk management and performance and additionally, the role of procurement practices in different strategic settings.

Design/methodology/approach

This is empirical research that collected data gathered from 223 procurement specialists working in various manufacturing firms through a structured questionnaire. Valid data is then analyzed through the structure equation modeling technique for hypotheses testing.

Findings

The findings of this study reveal that supplier development is a partial complementary mediator between multiple supplier strategy and supply-side risk management. While in a volatile business environment, strategic supplier strategy has a significant negative impact on supply-side risk management, and in this case supplier development acts as a competing partial mediator between the two. Contract management has resulted in an important mechanism to be deployed in a strategic sourcing strategy. It is also shown that supplier risk management is also associated with improved supply management performance.

Practical implications

This paper establishes an explanation of theoretical and practical understanding of sourcing strategies and empirically shows that supplier development is the appropriate mechanism to deal with supply-side risk management, which in turn positively impacts on supplier management performance.

Originality/value

This study contributes to supply chain risk management literature, especially in the context of strategic risk management and explains how a strategic decision can impact supply risk management. This provides a piece of empirical evidence regarding the use of well-established procurement practices to improve supply performance.

Exploring the relationship between ICT, SCM practices and organizational performance in agri-food supply chain

Purpose

This paper presents the concerns in agri-food supply chain. Further the research investigates the role of information and communication technology (ICT) in agri-food supply chain and determines the impact of supply chain management (SCM) practices on firm performance.

Design/methodology/approach

The theoretical framework was proposed for the study on the basis of existing literature. Data for the study was collected with the help of structured questionnaire from 121 executives and officers of the public food distribution agency. Partial least square (PLS)–structured equation modeling was employed to test the framework and hypotheses.

Findings

The results indicate that ICT and SCM practices (logistics integration and supplier relationships) have a significant relationship. Furthermore, SCM practices (information sharing, supplier relationship and logistics integration) have a significant and positive impact on performance of the organization.

Research limitations/implications

Further research could be carried out to test the moderation effect of SCM practices between ICT and organizational performance (OP). Extending the research study to the companies operating in other sectors can enhance the external validity of the study and improve the accuracy of parameters examined.

Practical implications

This study can be of interest to the agri-food industry as well as other industry practitioners interested in improving the performance of the organization from the view of supply chain.

Originality/value

The outcomes of this study have important implications that translate into a series of recommendations for the management of public food distribution as well as other agri-food-based supply chains.

A hybrid framework for ranking the knowledge management solutions adoption in supply chains

Purpose

This paper aims to select and rank the solutions of knowledge management and apply them to the supply chain for boosting its performance. Therefore, organizations can focus on the high-priority solutions and assign the resources to the strategies related to these solutions.

Design/methodology/approach

A decision making trial and evaluation laboratory-based analytic network process method is first used to rank the barriers of implementing the knowledge solutions and preference ranking organization method for enrichment evaluations technique is then used to rank the knowledge-based solutions which improve the overall performance of the supply chain. Then, a mathematical model is proposed to select the best solutions where the effectiveness and fairness are maximized while the cost and risk are minimized. The proposed model is implemented over a dairy supply chain in Iran. The solutions are obtained using the literature and the experts’ panel of the supply chain.

Findings

Lack of trust and commitment of supply chain members, besides different interests, values and cultures of the supply chain members, is the most challenging barrier to knowledge management solution. Strengthening the cooperation culture in the chain, setting up a transparent workflow or open-door policy, setting up enough incentives and reward and punishment and setting up positive leadership toward knowledge management are the most important strategies for removing the existing barriers or decreasing their impact on the supply chain.

Originality/value

Solutions with the highest priority are not necessarily the best solutions for implementation; the requirements of organizations must also be considered. Mathematical model in this study helped to select solutions based on their cost and risk, as well as their priority level.

Effect of supply chain management practices on customer development and start-up performance

Purpose

The number of entrepreneurial start-ups operating in developing countries has grown tremendously in recent years. However, research suggests that most start-ups in developing countries fail shortly after becoming operational. The purpose of this paper explores how supply chain management (SCM) practices may enhance the performance of start-ups in developing countries.

Design/methodology/approach

The study develops and empirically tests a research model which explores the effect of SCM practices on customer development and start-up performance. A survey of 300 start-ups operating in Ghana was conducted, with 72 usable responses obtained. The research model was analyzed using partial least squares structural equation modeling.

Findings

The results confirmed the positive impact of SCM practices on customer development and start-up performance. Customer development was also found to positively impact start-up performance. Additionally, a partial mediation role of customer development on relationship between SCM practices and start-up performance was observed.

Originality/value

To the best of the researchers’ knowledge, this is the first study that empirically explores the effects of SCM practices on the performance of start-ups. This is also the first study that examines the effect of SCM practices on customer development to the best of the researchers’ knowledge.

Benchmarking the logistics management implementation using Delphi and fuzzy DEMATEL

Purpose

From last few decades, logistics management (LM) constitutes a global concern among organization’s supply chain (SC) to improve their business effectiveness. The purpose of this paper is to uncover and analyze the critical factors (CFs) related to the implementation of effective LM concept and benchmark the SC performance.

Design/methodology/approach

The most common (16) CFs were identified and selected through literature and use of the Delphi method. Subsequently, the selected most common CFs were analyzed to distinguish their causal relations using the fuzzy Decision Making Trial and Evaluation Laboratory (DEMATEL) technique under unclear surroundings. A case example of Indian Logistics Company is also discussed to reveal the practical applicability of the research.

Findings

Provision of the effective information communication and technological developments in the system and Management dedication, support and involvement CFs are found to have the top most influences in the effective implementation of LM. This paper also groups the CFs into cause and effect relationship which provides valuable insights for analyzing the factors in successful implementation of LM.

Practical implications

This work attempts to understand the different CFs, their relative position and the importance rating in the system, due to which, managers can differentiate the factor which greatly affects the concepts of implementing LM, and thus, improvements can be made accordingly.

Originality/value

First, this work offers 16 CFs to LM implementation from a SC scenario. Second, in the context of contributing to the theory, the combined Delphi and fuzzy DEMATEL-based model is provided that helps in managing the logistic related issues effectively.

A Capability Maturity Model for Life Cycle Management at the Industry Sector Level

One approach to incorporate environmental sustainability in organisations is the implementation of Life Cycle Management (LCM). LCM is a comprehensive and integrated approach for measuring and managing environmental impacts. Successful sector-wide uptake of LCM has the potential to enable the environmental impacts associated with an industry sector to be efficiently measured and managed in a continual improvement process. There is an opportunity for the New Zealand primary sector to strengthen its competitiveness in the global market place by demonstrating the environmental credentials of its products and supporting the country’s “green and clean” image. Previous research has identified the barriers and enablers to successful LCM uptake by New Zealand primary sector Small and Medium sized Enterprises (SMEs) in a sector-based context. This paper builds on that foundation and presents a Life Cycle Management Uptake Evaluation Framework (LUEF) that allows both individual organisations and industry sectors to identify the key factors affecting successful LCM uptake and assess their level of maturity for each factor. The key factors used in this study are structure, culture, resource availability, LCM strategy, knowledge, market requirements and communication. The study employed a qualitative methodology and used face-to-face interviews with different stakeholders in the value chain for the New Zealand kiwifruit sector to inform the development of the framework. In the framework, each factor is represented as a maturity scale to allow organisations as well as industry sectors to assess their position on the scale. This will help them to create a baseline assessment, both for themselves as an organisation, as well as on an industry sector level. The baseline assessment will allow them to identify areas for improvements, which can be tracked over time by checking the progress on the scales in the individual areas. It can also be used as a communication tool for stakeholders in the supply chain (e.g., growers, post-harvest operators and staff from industry boards). These stakeholders can use the tool to measure and compare performance, including evaluating their own performance against the industry average, as well as performance of the industry sector over time. This is useful to engage these stakeholders and demonstrate that changes (such as reducing carbon footprints) have a positive impact and lead to progress (as well as highlighting any actions that need to be reviewed and adjusted).

An examination of the importance of big data analytics in supply chain agility development

Purpose

This paper aims to investigate the influence of big data analytics (BDA) personnel expertise capabilities in the development of supply chain (SC) agility. Based on extant literature, the study explores the role of BDA technical knowledge, BDA technology management knowledge, BDA business knowledge and BDA relational knowledge in SC agility development. Furthermore, the author also explores the inter-relationships among these four BDA personnel expertise capabilities.

Design/methodology/approach

An expert team consisting of IT practitioners (with a minimum experience of five years) were chosen to comment and modify the established scale items of the constructs used in the study. Subsequently, the measures were further pre-tested with 61 students specializing in computer science and information technology. The final survey was mailed to 651 IT professionals with a minimum experience of five years or more in an allied field. Repeated follow-ups and reminders resulted in 176 completed responses. The responses were analysed using partial least squares in SmartPLS 2.0.M3.

Findings

Findings suggested that BDA technology management knowledge, BDA business knowledge and BDA relational knowledge are prominent enablers of SC agility. Furthermore, BDA technology management knowledge is an essential precursor of BDA technical knowledge and BDA business knowledge.

Originality/value

The study is the foremost in addressing the importance of BDA personnel expertise capabilities in the development of SC agility. Furthermore, it is also the foremost in exploring the inter-relationships among the BDA personnel expertise capabilities.

Application of FMEA to Study the Risk Perception of SMEs Throughout the ERP Adoption Life Cycle

In this paper, the authors have tried to validate the risk perception of ERP adoption in SMEs using Failure Modes and Effects Analysis (FMEA). The work significantly contributes to the existing body of ERP adoption knowledge to the SMEs. Foremost, an ERP adoption life cycle addressed to SMES comprising of five distinct phases is proposed. Second, a well-laid out inventory of risk factors have been identified. Third, FMEA is applied to understand, validate the risk perception of respondents on ERP adoption in SMEs. Exploiting the ERP System, Inadequate financial management, Lack of Owners' Commitment, Ineffective communication with users and change in project scope are the top five highest perceived risks based on the risk perception number (RPN). The process centric approach to system implementation through FMEA also prescribes pertinent recommendations to the stakeholder ecosystem to proactively defend against vulnerabilities during the ERP adoption life cycle.