Effect of supplier-buyer cooperation on supply chain financing availability of SMEs

Supply Chain Finance Assistance for Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises Using Cognitive Web Services

When it comes to offering loans to small and medium-sized enterprises, the supply chain finance industries will produce cash flow and commodities (SMEs). The supply management is implemented with cognitive web service. Under the terms of information exchange, a credit risk assessment will be performed for supply chain finance with data analytics. In support vector machine technology, parameters are chosen using a genetic algorithm. To analyze the credit risk of support vector machines, a BP neural network was used to link the evolutionary algorithm with supply chain finance (GA-SVM-BPNN-SCF). Using a genetic algorithm and a support vector machine has overall classification accuracy equal to the BP neural network method. In addition, the role of the supply chain (SC) in mediating the link between SCF adoption, and the importance of supply chain effectiveness (SCE) is discussed. This research helps marketers and professionals better understand how to use SCF in their enterprises to reduce risk and improve SCF by providing data and connecting with financial institutions.

Framework of Blockchain-Supported E-Commerce Platform for Small and Medium Enterprises

Small and medium enterprises (SMEs) play an important role in promoting the national economy and providing employment opportunities. E-commerce platforms may facilitate transactions between these enterprises. However, transactions on the e-commerce platform are non-face-to-face, strongly virtual, and variable, resulting in SMEs often facing moral hazards and opportunistic behaviors. Blockchain is a distributed ledger consisting of an encryption algorithm, consensus mechanism, and smart contracts, having the characteristics of authenticity, security, transparency, and unforgeability. Thus, the problems faced by SMEs can be resolved by combining e-commerce platforms and blockchain technology. In this study, we first provide a conceptual framework for blockchain-supported e-commerce platforms for SMEs. Second, based on this conceptual framework, we build a total business architecture. Finally, we propose three key applications to illustrate how the platform facilitates SMEs in solving financing and trading problems. This study provides significant guidance for the operation and management of blockchain-supported e-commerce platforms for these enterprises.

Supply chain network and financing performance of small and medium enterprises in China: a survey and quasi-replication using fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis

Purpose

This paper examines how weak ties and strong ties in the supply chain network influence the financing performance of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) through the mediation of information sharing and innovation capability.

Design/methodology/approach

Questionnaires were administered to 208 financial managers responsible for supply chain finance in SMEs in China. Data analysis techniques used included multiple regression analysis and fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis.

Findings

The authors found that weak ties had a more substantial impact on the financing performance of SMEs than strong ties did. Information sharing and innovation capability played a mediating role between weak and strong ties and the financing performance of SMEs. In addition, information sharing and innovation capability complement each other and jointly influence the financing performance of SMEs.

Practical implications

SMEs are suggested to actively embed themselves in the supply chain network to increase financing opportunities and reduce financing costs. The authors also recommend SMEs to enhance the level of their information sharing in the supply chain network and take advantage of their network ties to access and adopt new technology from other organisations and conduct collaborative innovation with partner institutions.

Originality/value

The paper extends the authors’ understanding of supply chain finance by exploring the intrinsic mechanism of how various constructs (weak ties, strong ties, information sharing and innovation capability) in the supply chain network have an impact on the financing performance of SMEs. In particular, the authors explore the under-researched mediating effect of information sharing and innovation capability on the relationship between network ties and the financing performance of SMEs.

Effects of cloud computing assimilation on supply chain financing risks of SMEs

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to examine how cloud computing assimilation reduces supply chain financing (SCF) risks of small and medium enterprises (SMEs). This study also investigated the mediating roles of internal and external supply chain integration between cloud computing assimilation and the SCF risks of SMEs, as well as the moderating role of environmental competitiveness.

Design/methodology/approach

Data was collected from surveys of SMEs located in China. Multiple regression analysis was used to validate the proposed theoretical model and research hypotheses.

Findings

The findings show that cloud computing assimilation could reduce the SCF risks of SMEs directly. The results also indicate that both internal and external supply chain integration mediate the relationship between cloud computing assimilation and SCF risks. Furthermore, environmental competitiveness inhibits the effects of cloud computing assimilation on SCF risks.

Originality/value

To our best knowledge, this is the preliminary study to explore the role of cloud computing assimilation in reducing the SCF risks of SMEs. Also, this study attempted to investigate the process by which cloud computing assimilation affects the SCF risks of SMEs.