Clusters and supply chain management: challenges and obstacles

Purpose: This paper provides an insight into cluster supply chain (CSC) management by identifying challenges and obstacles in the design, implementation and improvement of CSC. This evaluation aims to propose future research directions for the management of CSC. Research Approach: A systematic review of published research on CSC management between 2006 and 2013 is conducted in order to round up previous research in this area and identify the gaps in the design, implementation and management of CSC; up on which the paper closes with a proposed agenda for future work. Findings and Originality: There is a limited understanding of the supply chain cluster concept and the implementation of its practices in addition to the lack of studies that focused on how to model, manage and improve the performance of CSC. Therefore, this paper would contribute to knowledge by providing an insight into CSC management and identifying future research directions for developing SC cluster theories in order to maximize the integration of supply chain and accordingly improving the performance of firms. Research Impact: A limited number of studies have been conducted to demonstrate the potential impact of CSC. The previous research did not provide a comprehensive review focusing on the evolution and the development of CSC idea. The review in this paper will summarise the research up to now in CSC area in order to identify challenges and obstacles in the design, implementation and improvement of CSC and propose future research directions. Practical Impact: This paper helps companies to understand benefits that can be raised from creating CSC and gives them directions for improving their capabilities to create CSC and select SC partners, which consequently help in increasing their competitiveness in terms of enhancing performance and increasing sustainability

Enhancing the Company's Financial Performance of Supply Chain Operations: A Case Study of an Egyptian Manufacturing Company

A limited number of studies have been conducted to demonstrate the potential impact of managing supply chain (SC) day-to-day practices on improving a company's financial performance. Previous research in this area has often failed to develop a fully integrated performance measurement framework which captures the critical link between SC performance and overall business performance. The inability to describe the applied methodology in detail, to cover all business dimensions and to incorporate different levels of decision making were factors found to limit the impact of these frameworks on enhancing organisations performance. This research proposes a procedure to align SC operational strategy to a company's financial strategy in the manufacturing sector through developing a framework linking SC operations' performance to the company's strategic financial objectives. A SCOR FAHP technique is proposed combining the Supply Chain Operation Reference (SCOR) model and the fuzzy analytic hierarchy process (FAHP)technique to analyse, assess and improve the performance of SC operations. Based on the SCOR model, SC processes were mapped and their corresponding performance measures were identified. The relative weights (W) of SC performance measures were calculated using the FAHP technique, then a performance rate (R) was assigned for each measure with respect to a performance rating scale. Finally, the weighted rates (WR) of all measures were aggregated to calculate a supply chain index (SCI) which revealed the overall SC operations' performance. To align SC operations' performance with a company's strategic financial objectives, a performance measurement method is developed linking SC performance metrics (SCOR FAHP technique) to a company’s financial performance metrics. The Du Pont ratio was incorporated in the financial performance metrics. The analysis of this ratio illustrated the priorities of financial performance factors (revenue, cost and assets) through assessing the contribution of each factor to the improvement of the company’s profitability and operating efficiency. The Dempster Shafer/Analytical Hierarchy Processes(DS/AHP) model was employed to determine the relative importance weights of the five main SC performance measures with respect to the priorities of financial performance factors. The appropriate SC operational strategy was formulated with respect to the relative weights of SC performance measures and the priorities of financial performance factors. To evaluate the impact of SC operations’ performance on enhancing the overall financial performance, a supply chain financial link index (SCFLI) was introduced and calculated before and after implementing the formulated SC operational strategy. A scenario approach was undertaken to illustrate how the developed method can be applied according to various possible financial results. A software application system was designed based on Structured Query Language (SQL) database to enable the real application of the developed research procedure. To demonstrate the applicability of the research procedure, a case study of a manufacturing company was conducted. The research provides an original contribution to knowledge by creating a framework linking SC operations' performance to the company's strategic financial objectives for better alignment with the company’s financial strategy. This research is also a contribution in that it proposes two indexes (SCI and SCFLI) to evaluate, monitor and control SC operations’ performance. The analysis of these indexes provides continuous feedback on SC performance and allows tracing SC processes that need improvement resulting in more control over daily SC operations. Moreover, the developed research procedure helps companies to formulate the appropriate SC operational strategy by considering the targeted financial outcome and proposing the subsequent plans of action to enhance and control the performance of the relevant SC operations

International Business Logistics Journal “IBL”

Logistics research and applications are more important today than ever before. Logistics has achieved greater prominence within the business with increased awareness of its operational, strategic, and financial impact on business success. Logistics functions such as warehousing, inventory management, transportation modeling, and other logistics facilities have brought large towns and cities closer together. </p

Linking supply chain processes’ performance to a company’s financial strategic objectives

The main aim of this paper is to develop a performance measurement method which links supply chain (SC) processes’ performance to a company’s financial strategy through demonstrating and utilising the relationship between SC processes’ performance and a company’s financial performance. The Dempster Shafer/Analytical Hierarchy Processes (DS/AHP) model is employed to link SC processes’ performance to the company’s financial performance through determining the relative importance weights of SC performance measures with respect to the priorities of financial performance. The paper also introduces a Supply Chain Financial Link Index (SCFLI) to test the extent to which SC processes’ performance is linked to the company’s financial strategic objectives. This index offers an effective supply chain management (SCM) tool to provide continuous feedback on SC performance and identify the appropriate corrective actions. Analysing this index offers opportunities for detailed evaluation of SC processes’ performance and enables companies to trace SC processes that need improvement, resulting in more control on daily SC operations. The proposed method allows the evaluation, monitoring, and control of SC processes’ performance to enhance SC strategy for better alignment with the company’s financial strategy. Linking SC processes’ performance to the company’s financial strategic objectives enables companies to gain competitive advantages and formulate strategies for improved SCM through linking such strategies to the focus area of enhancing the financial performance. In this paper the rationale and the framework of this method are introduced and then illustrated with a numerical example

Differences in mortality in critically ill elderly patients during the second COVID-19 surge in Europe

Background!#!The primary aim of this study was to assess the outcome of elderly intensive care unit (ICU) patients treated during the spring and autumn COVID-19 surges in Europe.!##!Methods!#!This was a prospective European observational study (the COVIP study) in ICU patients aged 70 years and older admitted with COVID-19 disease from March to December 2020 to 159 ICUs in 14 European countries. An electronic database was used to register a number of parameters including: SOFA score, Clinical Frailty Scale, co-morbidities, usual ICU procedures and survival at 90 days. The study was registered at ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT04321265).!##!Results!#!In total, 2625 patients were included, 1327 from the first and 1298 from the second surge. Median age was 74 and 75 years in surge 1 and 2, respectively. SOFA score was higher in the first surge (median 6 versus 5, p &amp;lt; 0.0001). The PaO!##!Conclusion!#!An unexpected, but significant, decrease in 30-day and 90-day survival was observed during the second surge in our cohort of elderly ICU patients. The reason for this is unclear. Our main concern is whether the widespread changes in practice and treatment of COVID-19 between the two surges have contributed to this increased mortality in elderly patients. Further studies are urgently warranted to provide more evidence for current practice in elderly patients.!##!Trial registration number!#!NCT04321265 , registered March 19th, 2020