Logistik: Hur påverkar Just-In-Time på lönsamheten av ett företag?

Ett företag har som grunduppgift att hållas verksamt genom att ekonomiskt prestera bättre för varje år. Logistik är det verksamhetsområde som står för majoriteten av ett företags kostnader. Kostnader i sig är en dålig sak för företag, men det är även en möjlighet för logistiken att sänka dessa kostnader, vilket i sin tur är bra för företagets lön-samhet. Just-In-Time (JIT) är en produktions- och styrfilosofi inom logistiken, där det huvudsakliga målet är att minska lagernivåerna och att eliminera allt onödigt. Syftet med denna studie är att finna ett samband mellan JIT och lönsamhet ur ett logistiskt perspektiv. Vid studien används DuPont-modellen som definition av lönsamhet samt som ett jämförelseverktyg där sex olika finansiella faktorer mäts. Metoden för studien är kvalitativ i form av en litteraturstudie. Materialet som analyseras hämtas endast från Arcadas databaser och analysen av materialet sker i form av innehållsanalys. Resultaten av materialet som analyserades är väldigt blandat. Många studier påpekar att det råder brist på forskning inom detta ämnesområdet, vilket även kan vara orsaken till dessa blandade resultat. Det går dock att urskilja tre finansiella mått från DuPont-modellen som påver-kas positivt av JIT. Dessa är: intäkter, kostnader och lager. Ingen studie visade att JIT skulle ha negativ inverkan på ett företags lönsamhet. Andra intressanta faktorer som JIT hade en positiv inverkan på är operativa prestanda, t.ex. minskade ledtider

A decision-making approach for investigating the potential effects of near sourcing on supply chain

Purpose - Near sourcing is starting to be regarded as a valid alternative to global sourcing in order to leverage supply chain (SC) responsiveness and economic efficiency. The present work proposes a decision-making approach developed in collaboration with a leading Italian retailer that was willing to turn the global store furniture procurement process into near sourcing. Design/methodology/approach - Action research is employed. The limitations of the traditional SC organisation and purchasing process of the company are first identified. On such basis, an inventory management model is applied to run spreadsheet estimates where different purchasing and SC management strategies are adopted to determine the solution providing the lowest cost performance. Finally, a risk analysis of the selected best SC arrangement is conducted and results are discussed. Findings - Switching from East Asian suppliers to continental vendors enables a SC reengineering that increases flexibility and responsiveness to demand uncertainty which, together with decreased transportation costs, assures economic viability, thus proving the benefits of near sourcing. Research limitations/implications - The decision-making framework provides a methodological roadmap to address the comparison between near and global sourcing policies and to calculate the savings of the former against the latter. The approach could include additional organisational aspects and cost categories impacting on near sourcing and could be adapted to investigate different products, services, and business sectors. Originality/value - The work provides SC researchers and practitioners with a structured approach for understanding what drives companies to adopt near sourcing and for quantitatively assessing its advantage

The strategic importance of supply chains and the RFID radio data identification system

Purpose: The paper presents the issues related to the process of supply chain management. It presents the essence and classification of supply chains and the interpretation of global supply network management. Design/Methodology/Approach: Using systems theory as a basis, a RFID utilization and outcome(s) performance model was developed from the literature. The study uses surveys conducted among twenty companies in the 2016-2017 research year. Enterprises that use RFID technologies in the supply chain were analyzed. Findings: The Findings indicate that application of RFID technology leads to improved manufacturing efficiency and manufacturing effectiveness, while improvement in efficiency lead directly to improved organizational performance, and improvements in effectiveness lead directly to improved supply chain performance. Practical Implications: Certain policy implications and obligations accrue are companies that use RFID technology in their supply order to manage the company more efficiently. Originality/Value: The publication presents the results of research carried out in enterprises using the new RFID system as a modern technique of supporting supply chain management to increase the efficiency of cooperation throughout the entire supply chain.peer-reviewe

Accounting for competitive advantage: The resource-based view of the firm and the labour theory of value

This article uses accounting concepts to assist the field of strategic management in its search for a theory of value, competitive advantage and superior profitability. Specifically, it argues that the resource-based view of the firm requires a labour theory of value creation. Using the circuit of capital as an organizing framework this article integrates RBV and Marx's value theory, by introducing the notion of value as socially necessary labour time, into the analysis of resource-based advantage. This enables us to identify the impact of particular sources of competitive advantage as they become diffused through an industry. Some resource-based advantages, when eventually imitated lead to an overall reduction in industry profitability, and other advantages lead to increases in industry average profitability

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

This study first provides a comparative analysis of the impact of supply chain management (SCM) and information systems (IS) practices on operational performance (OPER) of small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) operating in two neighbouring emerging country markets of Turkey and Bulgaria. Then, we investigate moderating effects of both SCM–IS-linked enablers and inhibitors on the links between SCM and IS practices and OPER of SMEs. To this end, we first empirically identify the underlying dimensions of SCM and IS practices, and SCM–IS-related enabling and inhibiting factors. Second, a series of regression analyses are undertaken to estimate the impact of the study's constructs on OPER of SMEs. The results are discussed comparatively within the contexts of both Turkish and Bulgarian SMEs and beyond. The study makes a significant contribution to the extant literature through obtaining and analysing cross-national survey data of SCM and IS practices in emerging country markets

Inventory and the Shape of the Earth

How important are local country conditions to firms' operations performance, as revealed in their inventory levels? Under a “flat world” hypothesis, differences in firms' inventory levels are explained more by differences among industries and firms themselves, rather than differences among country conditions (e.g., institutions, infrastructure). In a “round earth” hypothesis, country factors out-weigh firm and industry factors. Using all COMPUSTAT observations for manufacturing firms in 70 countries, covering the years 1994 through 2004, we find little evidence for the “round earth” hypothesis. In our baseline model, country effects explain at most 12.7% of inventory variance, while firm differences explain 35.5%, and industry differences explain 28.5%. This finding is robust to a number of sensitivity tests. Apart from the empirical contribution, this finding can be a useful stylized fact for further theoretical development into the locus of inventory variance. It also has a practical implication - perhaps inventory practices are much more transportable across countries than we have known before.

The integration of human resource and operation management practices and its link with performance: A longitudinal latent class study

This paper reviews the literature on the association between lean production and performance. From this, propositions on the integration and evolution of operation and human resource management practices associated with the lean production concept are developed. Using 24 years of data on the use of seven core OM and HRM practices in British manufacturing firms, the potential link between integration in the use of practices and productivity is tested. In each year, three latent clusters are identified via ordered restricted latent class models; the cluster that consistently makes a more integrated use of practices outperforms the others. Furthermore, the longitudinal nature of the data permits modeling the growth curves of each practice in the sample, recognizing any similarity in growth and investigating whether or not an early integration in adoption of practices is associated with higher final productivity. The results show that pioneers are more productive, thus suggesting that the head start in integrating core OM and HRM practices associated with the lean production concept has paid off. © 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved

Strategic supply chain management implications of an unregulated BREXIT

Due to the integrated, complex and long supply chain structure of the automotive industry and the large size of cross-border trade of components and cars between UK´s and EU´s automotive supply chain actors, the implementation of a tariff scheme and custom handling procedures in the event of an unregulated (hard) BREXIT by March 2019 negatively affects the industry. The fundamental Four Freedoms are hindered resulting in an increase of sourcing costs. Assembly parts and distribution of final cars becomes costlier. The crucial JIT (just-in-time) philosophy is jeopardized due to the requirement of safety stock and custom checks. The purpose of this thesis is to develop a case study providing students with an effective way to apply Strategic- and Supply Chain Management (SCM) concepts based on a real case scenario of automobile industry (BMW). Professors are provided with resolution documents to effectively assess students’ solutions. A deductive approach was adopted in which the causal relationship between a hard BREXIT and strategic SCM implications is elaborated. A qualitative exploratory method was adopted, and the nature of the collected data is primarily qualitative, but also entails quantitative elements. Data was retrieved from scientific articles, industry specific reports, company reports, interviews and documentation from BMW. A hard BREXIT presents great challenges for BMW and their suppliers. BMW should foster cooperation with suppliers and engage in more backward integration policies to secure supply of strategic components and avoid supply stops. Supply network flexibility is crucial to maintain a sustained competitive SC. To offset trade barrier costs, BMW should partially shift MINI and eMINI production from the UK to other suitable European countries such as Hungary or the Netherlands and the company should aim towards more local sourcing in the UK for more standardized components

A Review of Distribution Related Problems in Logistics and Supply Chain Research

A comprehensive review of distribution problems in logistics and supply chain management is presented in this paper. We first review the definitions of distribution, and then define it from a new perspective. We also present and compare different taxonomies of distribution networks. Next, the importance and difficulties of distribution research are discussed. We point out that there are 12 issues in distribution research that need to be addressed. The major conclusion of the paper is that future research needs to address an integrated approach to distribution design and to consider and incorporate the sustainability development concept