Exploring the impact of innovation implementation on supply chain configuration

Considering the foreseen digital transformation and rapid dissemination of technological innovations, this paper investigates what happens along the supply chain (SC) when process and product innovation practices are implemented. The research examines the SC strategy and configuration of four product families; it considers the configuration to incorporate the whole range of SC functions and relationships. The paper addresses the little attention paid to the process innovation dimension in SC literature, and develops a framework capturing the dynamics between innovation implementation and configuration decisions and settings. The provided analyses guide practitioners on better management of innovation implementation along the supply chain

Developing, implementing and evaluating OSH interventions in SMEs : a pilot, exploratory study

The literature on occupational safety and health (OSH) interventions contains many debates on how interventions should work, but far less attention has been paid to how they actually do work, and to the contextual factors that influence their implementation, development and effect. The need of improving the understanding of the OSH interventions issue is particularly relevant for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), since they experience worse OSH conditions, and have fewer physical, economic and organizational resources if compared to larger enterprises; thus, SMEs strongly need to focus their few resources in the decision-making process so as to select and put in place only the most proper interventions. This exploratory study is based on interviews with safety officers of 5 SMEs, and it gives an overview of the key features of the actual intervention process in SMEs and of the contextual factors making this actual intervention process similar or dissimilar to the ideal case. The results show how much qualitative and experience driven the actual intervention process is; they should be used to direct the future research towards an increasingly applicable one, to enable practitioners from SMEs to develop, implement and evaluate their OSH interventions in an “ideal” way

How do different supply chain configuration settings impact on performance trade-offs?

The notion of 'fit' in the supply chain management (SCM) literature has evolved following the adoption of the contingency approach in an endeavour to achieve greater organisational effectiveness. In this paper, we investigate the possible approaches to achieving a state of fit between supply chain configuration settings and performance indicators, while taking into account the contextual factors related to different industry sectors and geographical dispersion levels. This study addresses the pressing issue of the performance trade-offs faced by companies to achieve a higher service level and customer satisfaction (effectiveness) on the one hand, while being costefficient on the other hand (efficiency). The paper contributes to the SCM literature and practice through synthesising a conceptual framework that scrutinises the relationships between six individual configuration settings and nine effectiveness/efficiency indicators. The study's findings explain the motivations behind different configuration decisions, which help in obtaining the most appropriate fit between supply chain configuration and performance

A meta-model for choosing a supplier selection technique within an EPC company

The literature proposes numerous supplier selection techniques; these, however, are not all equally useful in different buying situations. A description of the link between the buying situation and the most appropriate selection technique is lacking. The investigation into the buying process within an engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) environment shows how buying situations are distinctly heterogeneous and render necessary the use of varied supplier selection techniques. The proposed meta-model allows for the choice of the most appropriate supplier selection technique in relation to a specific buying situation within an EPC environment. In order to develop the meta-model, it was necessary, above all, to introduce a ranking for the various buying situations. In order to accomplish this, the contextual factors that condition the selection criteria within EPCs had to be singled out. These contextual factors were then grouped under two macro-factors: the degree of difficulty in managing the purchase and the impact of the purchase on the project. The two identified macro-factors thus allowed for the definition of a two-dimensional space in which four different buying situations were identified. For each of these, the current supplier selection techniques were analyzed, as well as the links characterizing the practice within the industry and the scope for improvement. Based on these observations and on the knowledge of existing techniques, it is now possible to determine the optimum selection technique

Matching successful supply chain configuration practices of best performer suppliers with clients' wishes: Guidelines for the Italian engineered valve suppliers of the Oil & Gas sector

This research, anchoring on supply chain configuration data of Italian best performer valve suppliers, achieved from previous published studies, aims to provide a new competitive boost to Italian engineered valve suppliers within the EPC (Engineering, Procurement and Construction) supply chain of the Oil & Gas sector. This research, through the matching of the most effective and significant supply chain configuration practices enabled by best performer valve suppliers with EPC clients' wishes towards the improvement of the valve value chain, provides actionable guidelines to increase the supply chain competitiveness of suppliers of the valve industry. This paper offers a practical support to valve suppliers that need to effectively and rapidly reconfigure their supply chain and gain a new competitive edge. Moreover, the proposed research methodology can be a theoretical base to improve the supplier base of other EPC supply chains

Supplier selection and supply chain configuration in the projects environment

Suppliers in the Engineering-Procurement-Construction (EPC) projects environment are often qualified based on their annual turnover, and as a result a relatively large number of small suppliers get excluded at a preliminary stage from the approved vendors’ list of EPC contractors. To facilitate an inclusive evaluation of a wide range of capabilities of the suppliers, this research examines the application of a broader perspective for supplier selection in the projects environment. Supply chain configuration is put forward as a capability, the development of which contributes to the improvement of the supply network, and so should be reflected in the supplier selection criteria in projects’ environment. This research offers guidelines for EPC contractors which wish to adopt an all-encompassing approach in supplier selection, and guides suppliers and supply chain researchers to consider the supply chain (re-)configuration as a proactive plan for the survival of suppliers which operate in global high-uncertainty environments

Economic evaluation of OSH and its way to SMEs : a constructive review

Aim This paper reviews scientific work of the past decade dealing with the economic evaluation of Occupational Safety and Health (OSH). The focus is on the modelling approaches and practical tools (methods) used to carry out economic evaluations, with emphasis on Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs). Methods The search of relevant publications was performed mainly through international bibliographic databases and science search engines, and also by examining citations from other authors. Results The relevant features of currently available evaluation approaches are described. The main difficulties and/or methodological limitations in this domain are highlighted and discussed; emphasis is put on the needs and particular constraints of SMEs. Conclusions From this scrutiny, it seems fair to conclude that, no matter the complexity and/or the degree of convergence and divergence between the various approaches currently in use, it is nonetheless consensual that economic evaluation of OSH needs more multidisciplinary research. Moreover, it is also apparent that large corporate groups are already persuaded that “safety pays and rewards” and are engaging in systematic evaluation attempts; by contrast, much more needs to be done to make the case with the smaller enterprises. Impact in future work Stemming from the literature review, the paper ends with an overall vision (kind of meta-model) to assist the modelling of future tools and includes a research agenda for future work

Supporting Decisions on Industrial Plant Modularization: A Case Study Approach in the Oil and Gas Sector

This paper aims at filling the gap between academic and practitioner view and knowledge on modularisation in the oil and gas sector. It shows how a theoretical framework on modularisation has been successfully applied in two case studies. A replicable methodology is given to illustrate how to customize the proposed framework in an operative context. The purpose is to increase both awareness and knowledge of a firm about the potential of the modular approach and to offer a proper support for decision makers along the overall project delivery chain and under the different stakeholders’ point of view. The comparison among theoretical studies about the modular approach and the real practice in EPC field allows finding further tactical and strategic developments of industrial plant projects execution