Antecedents of Quality Information Sharing in the FMCG Industry

Information sharing in a retail supply chain presents challenges of mapping information flow in terms of collection and transfer capabilities from one point to other internal and external users. Efficient mapping information flow seems to be dependent on information availability, velocity and the level of volatility. This would strengthen partnerships between the upstream and downstream sites of a supply chain in terms of information capturing, transformation and exchange between both internal and external supply chain users. This study examines the relative magnitude of advance economic information sharing in optimizing integrated supply chain activities in the consumer goods industry. It further analyses the challenges of bullwhip effect from the perspective of electronically-enabled supply chain management (eSCM) systems and information sharing in the fast moving consumer goods (FMCG) industry. The study finds that information sharing is related to supply chain performance targets in the FMCG industry in terms of a higher order fulfillment rate and achieving shorter order cycle time through integrated e-SCM systems. The managerial implications of this study are that integrated IT infrastructure capability and top management support (in terms of visible involvement, commitment and participation of executives and the allocation of the necessary resources) are significant antecedents of the quality of shared information

Engineering patterns of supply chain optimization to manage oscillation effect

The cascading order variability from downstream trumping up the upstream site of the supply chain network indicates the deleterious effect to the performance of the fast moving consumer goods industry. The fundamental likelihood to optimization in this industry requires dexterous flows of quasi-real-time information, as well as reliable product availability. In this context, this study analyzes the challenges of bullwhip effect on the perspective of ingenious optimization strategies, and further contemplates to establish the engineering patterns of interrelationships on the magnitude of pooling the resources to advance supply chain capabilities. The suppression of bullwhip effect on underlying optimization strategies is sought to elevate accelerated responsiveness, improve network demand visibility and reduce volatility in frequencies to inventory replenishment. A rigorous and disciplined quantitative approach afforded the tentatively development of pattern of interrelated supply chain dimensions. The factor analysis method was used on 448 responses and insightful findings were produced from the compelling purposive sampling technique. The findings indicate that the magnitude of better ameliorating bullwhip effect, the value of competitive economic information and strength of selected optimization strategies depend on the model of unified engineering patterns. This paper provides insights to FMCG industry on using innovative strategies and modern technology to enhance supply chain visibility through integrated systems networks

Electronic supply chain management systems in managing the bullwhip effect on selected fast moving consumer goods.

Ph. D. University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban 2014.The amplitude in order variability as orders surge upstream a supply chain epitomises a phenomenon commonly called the bullwhip effect. The real consumer demand orders are comparatively and tentatively evinced less variability while trading supply chain members on the midstream and upstream stages experience the amplified order vacillations. The oscillator effect reveals a number of pernicious problems throughout the supply chain networks, as downstream sites include harmful bloated inventory and shortages with poor customer service, and the midstream and upstream sites depict the disharmonic capacity on improper planning and inconsistent scheduling in production. This study investigates the selected fast moving consumer goods (FMCG) industry on the amplified consumer demand order variability as orders cascade from downstream (retailers) to the midstream as well as upstream sites of the supply chain network.The effect of electronically-enabled supply chain management (e-SCM) systems remains the central hypothesis for instant information sharing on inventory positioning, integrated supply chain management processes and improved profitability through positive performance targets and outcomes across supply chain trading partners. The main objective aims to understand the on extent of the relationship to which the phenomenon of bullwhip effect can be explained by e-SCM system diffusion, optimal inventory positioning, strategic information sharing and global optimisation strategies. These seamless linkages between supply chain partners seem to entrench velocity on quasi-real-time information flow in consumer demand and supply sides, inventory status and availability, and capacity availability. This study found empirical research evidence on e-SCM systems that retail supply chain businesses have fastidiously adapted to technology clockspeed for the last five years. The majority of the respondents (92%) for both upstream and downstream echelon categories agreed that e-SCM systems have a significant role to play in mitigating the consumer demand order variability in the supply chain network. This study further discovered that the migration from in-house IT systems to integrated e-SCM systems (65%) would entrench close integration of information exchange and processes across different parts of the organisation and inter-organisational linkages. The e-SCM systems diffusion also depicted a positive linear relationship to the extent to which the organisations efficiently and timeously communicate the future strategic needs and demand order replenishments throughout the entire supply chain network. However, the access to advance economic information negatively related to e-SCM systems with the virtue of legal constraints and template-based information attachments

The effects of university staff's perceptions of corporate social responsibility in the life assurance industry on their propensity to purchase life assurance products.

Thesis (M.Com.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, 2004.Whether the clients were in pretty good health or very good health, the clients would generally pay the same price. But now insurers are looking more closely at the healthiest customers, understanding that someone who is not overweight, and who has low cholesterol and no family history of major medical conditions is a better risk than the average person

Displacement Effect on Local Traders by Emerging Markets: Durban Townships

The propounded omnipresent of township malls and aggressive suppliers' expansion into the emerging markets epitomises the greater potential to create jobs and improve the economic transformation. However, it is important to note that these developments could trammel local traders' economic prosperity than abrupt veracity of growth and symbiotic trajectory. While the encroachment of mainstream retailers into South African township markets offers business opportunities and economies of scope to consumers. The objectives which underpinned this study: to explore local township traders' perceptions on the displacement effects from shared value-creation in emerging markets; and to establish the extent of the transformation of retail enterprise development and the displacement of local traders. The study used quantitative methods to analyse the data collected from 301 respondents to amass primary data. The study found that, while local traders appreciate the transformation and development of the townships brought about by shopping mall development, their businesses have been displaced by the emergence of township malls

Antecedent of sustainable cooperative within the social capital networks

Sustainable agricultural system contextualizes cooperative practices to reflect competitive economic returns, the continuous supply of essential and life-supporting ecosystem services, and enhanced food security. The study seeks to establish the challenges of small scale farmers in transforming into mainstream sustainable commercial farming and accessing competitive markets through greener economic functionality of the agricultural cooperative. To address these challenging phases and gaps towards growth prospects, this paper provides a comprehensive literature review and phenomenological approach on the underlying paradigm of personal knowledge and subjectivity. The purpose of this paper is twofold: to assess the extent of sustainable socio-economic network influence of Sicabazini farming cooperative on the potential shift in the living standard, and to examine the antecedent economics of environmental farming cooperative challenges to traverse the growth prospects with the context of cooperative social capital networks. The paper adopted the qualitative paradigm using interviews as data collection instrument on fifty participants from Sicabazini farming cooperative. In providing richer understanding and more insightful and inductive discussions on the phenomena, the rigorous application of case study content analysis reveals credibility assurance that the role of the sustainable farming cooperative benefits the economics of dual objectivity (social and economic nature) while simultaneously elevating environment of agricultural prosperity and creating sustainable job opportunities in remote rural areas. Furthermore, to transferability value of this study, the lack of resources and less accessible larger markets coupled by languishing commercial growth prospects influence the progressive phases of environmental cooperative. Keywords: cooperatives, sustainable farming, social capital, stakeholder theory. JEL Classification: Q13, Q56, Q5