Think Exogenous to Excel: Alternative Supply Chain Data to Improve Transparency and Decisions

Efficient decisions along the supply chain have traditionally demanded sophisticated information sharing processes. Even with decades of research on theoretical and practical developments on integrating systems and stakeholders, in practice, we still seem to struggle to achieve full transparency and mitigate inefficiency challenges. We explore the emerging sentiment analysis technique to augment sales and operations planning (S&OP) with currently unavailable exogenous information. Even though sentiment analysis has gained traction, a comprehensive application in supply chains has not yet been attempted. Relevant topics are reviewed to allow an examination of the key relationships in a process framework, grounded in dual-process and bullwhip effect theory. Our proposed conceptual framework extends our conception of sentiment analysis integration to improve supply chain decisions and performance. The framework addresses managers interested in developing additional analytical capabilities and researchers to initiate further empirical research on the potential held by sentiment analysis in supply chain research

Exploring the Relationship between Supply Network Configuration, Interorganizational Information Sharing and Performance

ABSTRACT EXPLORING THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN SUPPLY NETWORK CONFIGURATION, INTER-ORGANIZATIONAL INFORMATION SHARING AND PERFORMANCE By MARCIA DALEY August 2008 Committee Chair: Dr. Subhashish Samaddar Major Department: Decision Science Critical to the success of a firm is the ability of managers to coordinate the complex network of business relationships that can exist between business partners in the supply network. However many managers are unsure on how best to leverage their resources to capitalize on the information sharing opportunities that are available in such networks. Although there is significant research on information sharing, the area of inter-organizational information sharing (IIS) is still evolving and there is limited research on IIS in relation to systemic factors within supply networks. To help fill this gap in the literature, a primary focus of this dissertation is on the relationship between the design of the supply network and IIS. The design of the supply network is characterized by the supply network configuration which is comprised of (1) the network pattern, (2) the number of stages in the supply network, and (3) where the firm is located in that supply network. Four different types of IIS are investigated, herein. These types of IIS are a function of the frequency with which information is shared and the scope of information shared. Type 1 (Type 2) IIS is the low (high) frequency state where only operational information is shared. Similarly, Type 3 (Type 4) is the low (high) frequency state where strategic information is shared. The argument is that the type of IIS varies depending on the configuration of the supply network and that this relationship is influenced by the coordination structure established between firms in the network. The second focus of this dissertation deals with the relationship between IIS and performance. Research findings on the benefits to be gained from IIS have been ambiguous, with some researchers claiming reduced cost in the supply network with IIS, and others finding minimal or no benefits. To add clarity to these findings, the role that uncertainty plays in the relationship between IIS and performance is examined. The thesis presented is that the positive relationship between IIS types and the performance of the supply network is impacted by process uncertainty (i.e. the variability in process outcomes and production times), and partner uncertainty. Social network theory and transaction cost economics provide the theoretical lens for this dissertation. A model is developed and will be empirically validated in a cross-sectional setting, utilizing a sampling frame randomly selected and comprised of supply management executives from various industries within the United States

In pursuit of supply chain fit

Purpose- The purpose of this paper is to develop exploratory propositions and a conceptual framework on the interaction between organisational structure (decision-making centralisation and internal coordination) and the relationship between supply chain fit and firm performance. Design/methodology/approach- Through a case study, two corporate groups with distinctive organisational structures were examined; both are undergoing a critical moment of changes to their top management and are reshaping their corporate and supply chain strategies. Data on decision-making centralisation, internal coordination mechanisms, supply, demand and innovation uncertainties, and supply chain strategies were collected from key respondents. Findings- The analysis conducted suggests the need to consider the joint interaction between organisational structure and supply chain fit in offsetting the implications of a potential misfit on firm performance. Furthermore, the context sensitivity of a supply chain is often overlooked, hence simply modifying supply chain strategy does not necessarily lead to a variation in firm performance. Practical implications- This research is of particular importance to most organisations in the testing times of uncertainty in the global landscape. It guides supply chain practitioners to better understand which elements of the organisational structure interact with the uncertainty of supply, demand and innovation. Originality/value- This paper is one of the first to investigate the interaction between elements of organisational structure and supply chain fit and identify decision-making centralisation and coordination as the internal uncertainty factors that are most relevant to supply chain fit research. A conceptual framework has been built for future testing, in which the organisational structure moderates the relationship between supply chain fit and firm performance

Reducing supply risk caused by the stockwhip effect in supply chains

To enhance today's supplier relationship management, it requires collaborative relationship information especially supplier's capability intelligence. Intimate knowledge about the supply network leads to the collective synergy to overcome supply uncertainties. Incompatible relationships create supply risk caused by the stockwhip effect. The challenge to procurement managers is to ensure that there are no supply disruptions. This paper investigates and proposes a conceptual model for reducing supply risk caused by 'stockwhip effect'. Stockwhip effect is the domino effect of constraints in the higher order supplier network. This conceptual model lays the foundation for future action research in better mitigation of supply risk

A Semantic Approach to Secure Collaborative Inter-Organizational eBusiness Processes (SSCIOBP)

The information supply chain (ISC) involves the exchange, organization, selection, and synthesis of relevant knowledge and information about production, purchase planning, demand forecasting, and inventory among collaborating business partners in a value chain. Information and knowledge sharing in an ISC occurs in a business process context. Seamless knowledge exchange within and across organizations involved in secure business processes is critically needed to secure and cultivate the information supply chain. Extant literature does not explicitly consider or systematically represent component knowledge, process knowledge and security knowledge for business processes within and across organizations. As a result, organizations engaged in collaborative inter-organizational processes continue to be plagued with issues such as semantic conflict issues, lack of integration of heterogeneous systems, and lack of security knowledge regarding authorized access to resources. Without appropriate security controls, manual interventions lead to unauthorized access to resources. These problems motivate our Semantic Approach to Secure Collaborative Inter-Organizational eBusiness Processes (SSCIOBP). We follow a design science paradigm to identify meta-requirements of SSCIOBP and develop the design artifact. SSCIOBP is evaluated using observational and descriptive evaluation methods following Hevner et al. (2004). We apply our approach to show how the Collaborative Planning Forecasting and Replenishment (CPFR) industry standard models can be enhanced using the proposed design artifact. We apply SSCIOBP to a case study to illustrate its applicability in mapping core business processes of organizations to solve semantic inter-operability issues and systematically incorporate component, process and security knowledge in the design of secure business processes across the information supply chain

The Role of Knowledge Management in Supply Chain Management: A Literature Review

Purpose: The aim of this paper is to examine the state of knowledge management research in supply chain management from three standpoints, methodological approach, supply chain management area, and knowledge management processes. Design/methodology/approach: To achieve this, a systematic review is conducted over the period 2000-2014 on the basis of a qualitative content analysis. Findings: Major results showed that knowledge management can be viewed as a leverage mechanism for: (i) supply chain integration; (ii) the enhancement of intra and inter-relations across the supply chain; (iii) supply chain strategy alignment; and (iv) the reinforcement of knowledge transfer in product development. Some supply chain management areas such as reverse logistics, inventory management, forecasting/demand planning, outsourcing, and risk management have been explored only to some extent. Furthermore, knowledge transfer is being studied in the majority of the articles, mainly by both case study and survey approach; mathematical models and simulation techniques are used in very limited articles. Findings concerning theoretical perspectives and managerial issues are also described. Research limitations/implications: The limitation of our study encompasses the aspects of search period (2000-2014), selection of search databases (Web of Science and SCOPUS and language selection (English). Practical implications: The exhibition of the KM processes within the SC context may help practitioners and managers interested in implementing KM initiatives to replicate the methodologies in order to increase the possibilities of a successful KM adoption. Originality/value: The systematic review will contribute to the understanding of the present state of research in the knowledge management theory, with focus on the supply chain, as there are no state-of-knowledge studies that report a systematic literature review approach.Peer Reviewe

Supply chain resilience and risk management strategies and methods

Abstract. The changing global market due to Industry 4.0 and the recent pandemic effect has created a need for more responsiveness in an organization’s supply chain. Supply chain resilience offers the firm not only to avoid disruptions but also to withstand the losses due to a disruption. The objective of this research is to find out how resilience is defined so far in other literature and find out the strategies available to gain the resilience fit for an organization. First, in the literature review, the previous studies on resilience were studied to understand what supply chain resilience means. Then, the key results and findings are discussed and conclusions are presented. The research found some interesting strategies for gaining the resilience fit. The benefits and the stakeholders for each strategy are also pointed out. These strategies can be used according to the organization’s business strategy. These strategies aligned with the business strategy can make a huge difference to withstand potential disruption and gaining a competitive advantage against the market competitors

Scenarios as channels of forecast advice

Today's business environment provides tougher competition than ever before, stressing the important role played by information and forecasts in decision-making. The scenario method has been popular for focused organizational learning, decision making and strategic thinking in business contexts, and yet, its use in communicating forecast information and advice has received little research attention. This is surprising since scenarios may provide valuable tools for communication between forecast providers and users in organizations, offering efficient platforms for information exchange via structured storylines of plausible futures. In this paper, we aim to explore the effectiveness of using scenarios as channels of forecast advice. An experimental study is designed to investigate the effects of providing scenarios as forecast advice on individual and group-based judgmental predictions. Participants are given time series information and model forecasts, along with (i) best-case, (ii) worst-case, (iii) both, or (iv) no scenarios. Different forecasting formats are used (i.e., point forecast, best-case forecast, worst-case forecast, and surprise probability), and both individual predictions and consensus forecasts are requested. Forecasts made with and without scenarios are compared for each of these formats to explore the potential effects of providing scenarios as forecast advice. In addition, group effects are investigated via comparisons of composite versus consensus predictions. The paper concludes with a discussion of results and implications for future research on scenario use in forecasting

Sales Growth of New Pharmaceuticals Across the Globe: The Role of Regulatory Regimes

Prior marketing literature has overlooked the role of regulatory regimes in explaining international sales growth of new products. This paper addresses this gap in the context of new pharmaceuticals (15 new molecules in 34 countries) and sheds light on the effect regulatory regimes have on new drug sales across the globe. Based on a time-varying coefficient model, we find that differences in regulation substantially contribute to cross-country variation in sales. One of the regulatory constraints investigated, i.e. manufacturer price controls, has a positive effect on drug sales. The other forms of regulation such as restrictions of physician prescription budgets and the prohibition of direct-to-consumer advertising tend to hurt sales. The effect of manufacturer price controls is similar for newly launched and mature drugs. In contrast, regulations on physician prescription budget and direct-to-consumer advertising have a differential effect for newly launched and mature drugs. While the former hurts mature drugs more, the latter has a larger effect on newly launched drugs. In addition to these regulatory effects, we find that national culture, economic wealth, introduction timing, lagged sales and competition, also affect drug sales. Our findings may be used as input by managers for international launch and sales decisions. They may also be used by public policy administrators to compare drug sales in their country to other countries and to assess the role of regulatory regimes therein.economics;regulation;culture;drug;international new product growth;penalized splines;pharmaceutical;timevarying effects