Dynamic supply chain capabilities: how market sensing, supply chain agility and adaptability affect supply chain ambidexterity

Purpose: This paper positions market sensing, supply chain agility and supply chain adaptability as a coherent cluster of dynamic supply chain capabilities. The purpose of the paper is to understand how dynamic supply chain capabilities interrelate and their effect on supply chain ambidexterity. Design/methodology/approach: Based on a survey of Pakistani manufacturing firms, a theoretically-derived model was tested in a structural equation model. Findings: The results of the study show that a market-sensing capability is an antecedent of supply chain agility and supply chain adaptability. Furthermore, supply chain agility, directly, and supply chain adaptability, indirectly, affect supply chain ambidexterity. Supply chain agility therefore mediates the relationship between supply chain adaptability and supply chain ambidexterity. Originality/value: The contribution of this study lies in: (1) identifying dynamic capability clusters relevant for achieving supply chain ambidexterity;(2) evaluating performance implications of dynamic capabilities in the supply chain, specifically supply chain agility and adaptability; and (3) proposing a unique measurement of supply chain ambidexterity in the light supply chain theory, and empirically evaluating the relationship between dynamic capabilities and supply chain ambidexterity

Role of Optimal Production Plan at the Focal Firm in Optimization of the Supply Chain

Supply chain management and optimization is a critical aspect of modern enterprises and an expanding area of research. Modeling and optimization are the traditional tools of supply chain management. The techniques have been used by many companies for planning, manufacturing, and other decision areas in supply chains. Current study is motivated by the fact that optimization studies in supply chain management have mostly considered network optimization. Supply chain management however, requires alignment between the supply chain partners at the tactical level. As a first step towards achieving this goal, current study presents a model that incorporates the activity level planning at the focal firm in a supply chain. This paper presents a new mixed integer programming model that incorporates optimization of production planning at the focal firm while optimizing the strategic alignment of the supply chain entities. The model represents a four step, multi-echelon supply chain including supplier, warehouse, manufacturer, and retailer. The manufacturer in this network represents the focal firm. This model is an attempt to integrate the production planning decisions in the network optimization decisions

Determining the antecedents of dynamic supply chain capabilities

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to determine the antecedents of dynamic supply chain capabilities (DSCCs). The authors test entrepreneurial orientation (EO) and supply chain learning orientation (SCLO) as two antecedents of DSCCs. Design/methodology/approach The paper uses structural equation modelling to test a hypothetical model. Data are gathered from a survey of 275 operations managers in Pakistan’s turbulent manufacturing industry. Findings The findings suggest that the weaker direct effects of EO, in comparison to the indirect effects, indicate that an SCLO mediates the relationship between EO and DSCCs. Research limitations/implications It is widely accepted that firms do not compete with each other, instead, it is end-to-end supply chains that fight for market dominance. Many scholars use the dynamic capabilities view to understand supply chain level competition. However, the dynamic capabilities view is firm-centric in its examination of how companies transform internal resources to compete in the external environment. The theoretical contribution of this paper is a roadmap of how to build dynamic, supply-chain level and capabilities by determining the key antecedents. This paper explains that DSCCs emerge when buyers and suppliers share strategic orientations. Firms with an EO and the ability to learn with supply chain partners are well-positioned to develop DSCCs. This provides a new angle to theory testing by indicating that dynamic capabilities are enabled by an EO and an ability to learn with supply chain partners. Practical implications Managers are given the building blocks of DSCCs, starting with fostering an entrepreneurially-oriented mindset in the company and then learning with supply chain partners. Entrepreneurially-oriented managers are encouraged to take risks and co-develop innovative ideas with suppliers during the supply chain learning process. Originality/value This study is one of the earliest efforts to determine the strategic orientations that antecede the emergence of DSCCs

Separating the isomers-Efficient synthesis of the N-hydroxysuccinimide esters of 5 and 6-carboxyfluorescein diacetate and 5 and 6-carboxyrhodamine B

AbstractDiacetate protection of 5 and 6-carboxyfluorescein followed by synthesis of the N-hydroxysuccinimide esters allowed ready separation of the two isomers on a multi-gram scale. The 5 and 6-carboxyrhodamine B N-hydroxysuccinimide esters were also readily synthesised and separated

Synthesis and biological action of novel 4-position-modified derivatives of D-<i>myo</i>-inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate

The design of a range of 4-position-modified D-myo-inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate derivatives is described. The enantioselective synthesis of these compounds is reported, along with initial biological analysis, which indicates that these compounds do not act as D-myo-inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate receptor agonists or antagonists