Concepts of collaboration: supply chain management in a global food industry (original) (raw)
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Supply Chain Management: An International Journal, 2007
PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to analyse the concept of supply chain collaboration and to provide an overall framework that can be used as a conceptual landmark for further empirical research. In addition, the concept is explored in the context of agri‐food industry and particularities are identified. Finally, the paper submits empirical evidence from an exploratory case study in the agri‐food industry, at the grower‐processor interface, and information regarding the way the concept is actually applied in small medium‐sized enterprises (SMEs) is presented.Design/methodology/approachThe paper employed case study research by conducting in‐depth interviews in the two companies.FindingsSupply chain collaboration concept is of significant importance for the agri‐food industry however, some constraints arise due to the nature of industry's products, and the specific structure of the sector. Subsequently, collaboration in the supply chain is often limited to operational issues an...
Abstract title: SUPPLY CHAIN COLLABORATION: A ONE-BEST-WAY PRACTICE?
2000
Supply chain (SC) collaboration in supply chain management literature is commonly considered a one-best-way recipe to improve performance. The basic assumption is "the more collaboration -the better the management of the supply network". This article challenges this assumption, by introducing explanations that different forms of supply chain collaboration exist and different aspects of collaboration might be important under different conditions. Using Galbraith's contingency theory as its starting point, and case-study method, this article proposes a contingency theory of SC collaboration in logistics processes. It is suggested that specific conditions -i.e. goals of the collaboration, products sold by companies involved in the collaboration, elasticity of demand, number of potential partners, and stage of development of the collaboration -can affect the information processing required to implement SC collaboration. In turn, the characteristics of the information processing determine the information and communication technologies and liaison devices used to support collaboration.
Understanding the meaning of collaboration in the supply chain
Supply Chain Management: An International Journal, 2004
Despite its infancy, some authors are already suggesting that the writing may be on the wall for supply chain collaboration. It has been reported that supply chain collaboration has proved difficult to implement; there has been an over‐reliance on technology in trying to implement it; a failure to understand when and with whom to collaborate; and fundamentally a lack of trust between trading partners. This paper proposes that a supply chain segmentation approach, based on customer buying behaviour and service needs, is the most appropriate context for collaboration. The paper also proposes the need for a greater understanding of the elements that make up supply chain collaboration, and in particular how the relevant cultural, strategic and implementation elements inter‐relate with each other.
European Management Journal, 2005
Collaboration in the supply chain has been widely discussed, and a wealth of concepts is at hand. Large-scale projects like the Efficient Consumer Response (ECR) in the fast moving consumer goods sector, for example, or Vendor Managed Inventory (VMI) and Collaborative Planning, Forecasting and Replenishment (CPFR) initiatives more generally provide a rich continuum of strategies for collaborating amongst supply chain partners. While individual successful implementations of the latter have already been reported, there has not yet been the widespread adoption that was originally hoped for. In our research, we looked at implementations across several industries and countries, and our findings show that the slow progress to date may be due to a lack of common understanding of these concepts, and the difficulty of integrating external collaboration with internal production and inventory control. In this paper, we set out to classify collaboration initiatives using a conceptual water-tank analogy, and discuss their dynamic behavior and key characteristics. We draw upon case studies from both successful and less successful implementations to illustrate what companies need to do to fully benefit from their collaborative efforts, given their particular circumstances. We conclude that the effectiveness of supply chain collaboration relies upon two factors: the level to which it integrates internal and external operations, and the level to which the efforts are aligned to the supply chain settings in terms of the geographical dispersion, the demand pattern, and the product characteristics.
Supply chain collaboration: what's happening
The International Journal of Logistics Management, 2005
Purpose -Collaboration has been referred to as the driving force behind effective supply chain management and may be the ultimate core capability. However, there is a fairly widespread belief that few firms have truly capitalized on its potential. A study was undertaken to assess the current level of supply chain collaboration and identify best practice. Design/methodology/approach -Supply chain executives provided insights into collaboration. Survey data, personal interviews, and a review of the collaboration literature were used to develop a conceptual model profiling behavior, culture, and relational interactions associated with successful collaboration. Findings -Positive collaboration-related outcomes include enhancements to efficiency, effectiveness, and market positions for the respondents' firms.
A Taxonomy of Supply Chain Collaboration
2002
Abstract Supply chain collaboration has emerged as an important cooperative strategy leading to new focus on interorganisational boundaries as the determinants of performance. Although collaboration increasingly receives great attention both from practitioners and academics, relatively little attention has been given to systematically reviewing the research literature that has appeared about supply chain collaboration. The purpose of this paper is to examine previous studies on supply chain collaboration based on a taxonomy.
BUILDING SUPPLY CHAIN COLLABORATION: DIFFERENT COLLABORATIVE APPROACHES
This research aims to examine the characteristics, requirements, benefits, barriers and applicability of various collaborative relationships. Research papers from various sources have been perused as secondary source of data. From these papers, a conceptual framework of various collaborative strategies has been developed. Three types of collaborative approaches (collaborative transaction management; collaborative event management; and collaborative process management) are proposed. The three collaborative approaches are compared and contrasted. Benefits and limitations associated with each type of collaboration are discussed. Managers can use these approaches to assess current collaborations and seek ways to improve current collaborative efforts. Managers can also use the approaches to develop collaborative strategies across a broad spectrum of relationships in order to determine which type of collaboration best its each individual business relationship. This research extends previous relationship typologies by focusing speciacally on collaborative relationships. The research examines various types of collaborative relationships in order to categorize collaborative approaches in a manner useful to academicians and practitioners.
Realities of supply chain collaboration
The International Journal of Logistics Management, 2006
Successful supply chain collaboration (SCC) practices are rather exceptional, yet collaboration is believed to be the single most pressing need in supply chain management. In this paper we discuss the realities of SCC, present prerequisites for the collaboration process, indicate where the process starts and where it may terminate. During the discussion we make use of the concepts of Theory of Constraints (TOC) and approach SCC as an ongoing effort dealing with the supply chain constraints. The roles of the entities in this ongoing effort are not always clear. Often SCC is proclaimed to be a joint decision-making process. However, keeping in mind the powerhouses in the chain, we believe that other structures are possible as well. We emphasize the need for: 1) having an adequate supply chain strategy and well-articulated goals, which form the basis for: 2) leading supply chain change, and: 3) governing the continual process of strategy alignment and supply chain change, which is itself a dynamic process. These three tasks are featured by many interactions and characterize the continuous improvement of a SCC process. A step-by-step approach like this enables the involved chain entities to climb the ladder of collaboration and take the supply chain performance to a higher level.