Information sharing in supply chains: a review of risks and opportunities using the Systematic Literature Network Analysis (SLNA)

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to identify and discuss the most important research areas on information sharing in supply chains and related risks, taking into account their evolution over time. This paper sheds light on what is happening today and what the trajectories for the future are, with particular respect to the implications for supply chain management. Design/Methodology/Approach – The dynamic literature review method called Systematic Literature Network Analysis (SLNA) was adopted. It combines the Systematic Literature Review approach and bibliographic network analyses, and it relies on objective measures and algorithms to perform quantitative literature-based detection of emerging topics. Findings-The focus of the literature seems to be on threats internal to the extended supply chain rather than external attacks, such as viruses, traditionally related to information technology (IT). The main arising risk appears to be the intentional or non-intentional leakage of information. Also, papers analyse the implications for information sharing coming from " soft " factors such as trust and collaboration among supply chain partners. Opportunities are also highlighted and include how information sharing can be leveraged to confront disruptions and increase resilience. Research limitations/implications – The adopted methodology allows providing an original perspective on the investigated topic, i.e. how information sharing in supply chains and related risks are evolving over time due to the turbulent advances in technology. Practical implications-Emergent and highly critical risks related to information sharing are highlighted to support the design of supply chain risks strategies. Also, critical areas to the development of " beyond-the-dyad " initiatives to manage information sharing risks emerge. Opportunities coming from information sharing that are less known and exploited by companies are provided. Originality/value – This study focuses on the supply chain perspective rather than the traditional IT-based view of information sharing. According to this perspective, this study provides a dynamic representation of the literature on the investigated topic. This is an important contribution to the topic of information sharing in supply chains, which is continuously evolving and shaping new supply chain models

The bullwhip effect: Progress, trends and directions

This is the final version. Available on open access from Elsevier via the DOI in this recordThe bullwhip effect refers to the phenomenon where order variability increases as the orders move upstream in the supply chain. This paper provides a review of the bullwhip literature which adopts empirical, experimental and analytical methodologies. Early econometric evidence of bullwhip is highlighted. Findings from empirical and experimental research are compared with analytical and simulation results. Assumptions and approximations for modelling the bullwhip effect in terms of demand, forecast, delay, replenishment policy, and coordination strategy are considered. We identify recent research trends and future research directions concerned with supply chain structure, product type, price, competition and sustainability

Vendor Managed inventory, from concept to processes, for an unified view

International audienceIn a supplier-customer relationship, Vendor Managed Inventory (VMI) is currently used to monitor the customer's inventory replenishment. However the integration of VMI implies consequences on the collaboration process that links the different planning processes of each partner. This paper proposes a unified view of the VMI: beyond the short term pull system inventory replenishment, partners have to share their vision of the demand, their requirements and their constraints to fix middle/long term common objectives for each article concerned by VMI. There are many ways to specify these links between VMI and partner's planning processes

Dynamic Analysis of Healthcare Service Delivery: Application of Lean and Agile Concepts

Hospitals are looking to industry for proven tools to manage increasingly complex operations and reduce costs simultaneously with improving quality of care. Currently, €˜lean€™ is the preferred system redesign paradigm, which focuses on removing process waste and variation. However, the high level of complexity and uncertainty inherent to healthcare make it incredibly challenging to remove variability and achieve the stable process rates necessary for lean redesign efforts to be effective. This research explores the use of an alternative redesign paradigm €“ €˜agile€™ €“ which was developed in manufacturing to optimize product delivery in volatile demand environments with highly variable customer requirements. €˜Agile€™ redesign focuses on increasing system responsiveness to customers through improved resource coordination and flexibility. System dynamics simulation and empirical case study are used to explore the impact of following an agile redesign approach in healthcare on service access, care quality, and cost; determine the comparative effectiveness of individual agile redesign strategies; and identify opportunities where lean methods can contribute to the creation of responsive, agile enterprises by analyzing hybrid lean-agile approaches. This dissertation contributes to the emerging literature on applying supply chain management concepts in healthcare, and opens a new path for designing healthcare systems that provide the right care, at the right time, to the right patient, at the lowest price

The bullwhip effect: progress, trends and directions

The bullwhip effect refers to the phenomenon where order variability increases as the orders move upstream in the supply chain. This paper provides a review of the bullwhip literature which adopts empirical, experimental and analytical methodologies. Early econometric evidence of bullwhip is highlighted. Findings from empirical and experimental research are compared with analytical and simulation results. Assumptions and approximations for modelling the bullwhip effect in terms of demand, forecast, delay, replenishment policy, and coordination strategy are considered. We identify recent research trends and future research directions concerned with supply chain structure, product type, price, competition and sustainability

Intelligent Optimisation Agents in Supply Networks

This paper describes a model of intelligent supply network that improves efficiency within the supply chain. We argue that intelligence creates efficiency and results in chain optimisation. In particular, intelligent agents technology is used to optimise performance of a beverage logistics network. Optimisation agents can help solve specific problems of supply network: reduce inventories and lessen bullwhip effect, improve communication, and enable chain coordination without adverse risk sharing. We model the beer supply network to demonstrate that products can acquire intelligence to direct themselves throughout the distribution network. Further, they gain a capability to be purchased and sold while in transit. Overviews of the supporting technologies that make intelligent supply network a reality are fully discussed. In particular, optimisation agents have the characteristics of autonomous action, being proactive, reactive, and able to communicate. We demonstrate that agents enhance the flexibility, information visibility, and efficiency of the supply chain management. Suggestions and recommendations for further research are provided

Creating a collaboration based SCM framework. Case Digita Oy

The focus of this research is in the area of Supply Chain Collaboration (SCC). More precisely we studied the TeleCom Installation Services supply chain in the case company Digita Oy. Our goal was to identify the key elements to be considered when pursuing towards SCC; highlight the development areas in Supply Chain Management (SCM) in the case company; study how the SCC efforts can improve SCM in the case company; and construct a Collaboration Based SCM Framework for the case company. Overall aim of the framework was to improve visibility and efficiency of the supply chain, as well as, improve material management. Such a study is important in order to fulfill a gap in existing research in that there is a lack of consensus in the definition of SCC, which causes variation in understanding the concept, as well as, difficulties in implementing such initiative. In addition, SCC initiatives are company and supply chain specific. Also, most of previous research has concentrated on a few industries and a majority of the companies that have successfully implemented SCC approaches fall into the large enterprise category. This, in other words, means that these approaches might be unsuitable for smaller companies, such as Digita Oy. Therefore, the evidence suggests that there was a need for empirical research. The research approach adopted in this dissertation was case study and it included extensive review of relevant literature, as well as, collection and analysis of empirical data obtained from Digita supply chain setting. Primary focus of the empirical work was to gather data by interviews of senior staff from various organisations within the Digita supply chain. In addition, data was collected from company internal systems, documents, project groups and meetings. Finally the findings of both review of literature and empirical research were compared to reach synthesis. The main findings and conclusions drawn from this study are that there are certain key elements that should be considered in Supply Chain Collaboration, as well as, every company should approach adopting it in a different way. In addition, empirical study indicated that Digita has experienced challenges in their overall supply chain activities, and expecially in material management. Therefore, this dissertation recommended that Digita adopts the Updated Collaborative SCM Framework, presented in this thesis, where an influential and impartial logistics integrator would operate as a moderator and information furnace in the supply chain. In other words, this model would combine consultancy, operative implementation, as well as, running operations under a one umbrella of solutions

Maximising the value of supply chain finance

Supply Chain Finance (SCF) arrangements aim to add value by taking a cooperative approach to financing the supply chain. Interest in SCF has been increasing, and decision makers need a comprehensive view of possible applications and their potential. By means of theoretical and empirical exploration, we develop a conceptual framework that allows for positioning of SCF concepts and practices. The framework is based on a delineation of four archetypal SCF policies and the criteria that are relevant for adoption of each policy. The two main contributions of our framework are: (1) it explicitly considers operational motives as well as the financial motives that could prompt a firm to engage financial cooperation; and (2) it uses a discounted cash flow approach to illustrate the trade-offs that arise from different risks in SCF implementations. We use the framework to review policies that have been used in reverse factoring, an SCF practice that has recently become popular. Our study reveals implications for all the parties involved in an SCF implementation