52 research outputs found
Strategic positioning:an integrated decision process for manufacturers
Purpose â This paper describes research that has sought to create a formal and rational process that guides manufacturers through the strategic positioning decision. Design/methodology/approach â The methodology is based on a series of case studies to develop and test the decision process. Findings â A decision process that leads the practitioner through an analytical process to decide which manufacturing activities they should carryout themselves. Practical implications â Strategic positioning is concerned with choosing those production related activities that an organisations should carry out internally, and those that should be external and under the ownership and control of suppliers, partners, distributors and customers. Originality/value â This concept extends traditional decision paradigms, such as those associated with âmake versus buyâ and âoutsourcingâ, by looking at the interactions between manufacturing operations and the wider supply chain networks associated with the organisation
Japanese supply chain relationships in recession
The remarkable nature of Japanâs supply chain relationships has been identified as a significant factor in its industrial success, especially in the automotive and electronics sectors. Yet, Japanese companies do not recognise the term âsupply chain managementâ. For four decades Japanâs industrial giants developed sourcing strategies based on highly-pressured, customer-dominated supply relationships in which sub-contractors enjoyed the benefits of the success of their customers at the expense of yielding their autonomy. In 1991, the Japanese economy plunged into deep recession and has yet to recover. Large corporations now appear vulnerable and almost all Japanâs banks are technically insolvent. This article explains the ways in which recession has affected the supply chain relationships in Japan and the domestic and international sourcing strategies that shape them. Japanese industrial customers are now putting increased pressure on their suppliers to provide technical solutions and to develop links with other customers for the first time. The sub-structures of the keiretsu appear to be giving way to open competition with âparentâ firms selling equity in subsidiaries. Profound changes appear to be underway in Japanese industrial sourcing strategiesâsuppliers can no longer rely on retaining business simply by obedience and hard work. Instead, they face an open, fiercely competitive environmentâat home and abroad. In this new order, Japanese suppliers are developing new competitive technical and commercial capabilities, enabling their Japanese industrial customers to concentrate on real-time, market-driven configuration of products, without needing to hold stocks in their supply chains and distribution channels. Meanwhile, Japan is seeking to re-establish its position of leading player in East Asia
Influences on the outsourcing process: some lessons from the telecommunications industry
Customer-supplier relationship evaluation: towards a conceptual and managerial framework
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