Operations and Supply Chain Management Commons^™

The Semiconductor Shortage: An Analysis Of Potential And Ongoing Remediation Efforts And Their Implications On The Industry & Macroeconomy, Carter Young

University Honors Theses

In recent months, the health of the macroeconomy has suffered due to logistical issues, inflation, and the labor market. Specifically, supply-side shocks within the semiconductor industry have dramatically affected firms’ ability to produce chipsets. The resulting destabilization is felt across innumerable downstream sectors which rely on these products for implementation into their own finished goods. This paper examines the exact impacts of these recent developments within the semiconductor industry, utilizing what-if and historical analysis to gauge how logistical issues, inflation, and increased capital expenditures will financially impact both firms within the industry and those which depend on their production. Additionally, …

Opportunities For Vietnam's Footwear Industry After The 2019-2020 Pandemic To Achieve Competitive Advantage, Thuan Nguyen

University Honors Theses

Vietnam's footwear industry is the main topic of the research. The thesis paper will evaluate the industry's current performance based on existing data to discover Vietnam's footwear opportunities to achieve a competitive advantage over other countries after the COVID-19 pandemic. Vietnam plays a crucial role in the global footwear industry and its supply chain. My thesis methodology will be an abductive approach strategy, using both data and theory to find an explanation, which itself can be shown to be true or viable. The research and implementation theory of Michael Porter’s Diamond Model will allow for the identification of opportunities for …

21st Century Supply Chain Innovations In The Fast Food Industry, Saitoti Meekisho

University Honors Theses

In the last 20 years, attending to consumer demand for at-home delivery has been an area of concern for supply chain specialists in the restaurant industry. Applying logistically-sound processes for food delivery to its final destination (Also called last-mile delivery) has become a necessity for restaurants to gain and sustain competitive advantages. This research seeks to catalog the dynamic last-mile delivery innovations by restaurants per consumer demand, assess the competitive sustainability of four current food delivery methods (takeout, restaurant delivery, 3^rd party company delivery, & monthly meal delivery) using the VRIN framework, and suggest collaborative delivery strategies for future …

An Analysis Of The Competitive Advantages And Threats For Micro, Small & Medium-Sized Businesses (Msmes) In Mexico, Jose Luis Pool Sierra

University Honors Theses

This thesis analyzes the Micro, Small & Medium-sized (MSMEs) businesses in Mexico, their current threats and competitive advantages. The research explores the major issues business owners face and potential strategies they could implement in order to thrive and promote growth for their organizations, using strategies in Supply Chain Management and Good Managerial planning practices, such as the application of the Supply Chain Operations Reference Model (SCOR). The thesis also analyzes a medium-sized business in Mexico and recommends strategies based on the SCOR framework that such an organization could apply to their business operations in order to avoid obstacles and potential …

B-Line Sustainable Urban Delivery: Can Last-Mile Bicycle Delivery Survive The E-Commerce Minefield?, Madeleine Pullman, Jacen Greene, Wanying Shi, Stephan Kaplan

Business Faculty Publications and Presentations

As the population of cities in the western United States continues to boom, the demand for retail and wholesale food has followed suit. To deal with the accompanying increase in traffic and congestion from population and business growth, the city of Portland planned to increase bikeways and reduce the use of single-occupant vehicles to less than 30% of total commuters by 2026. Despite efforts to decrease dependence on vehicles, traffic congestion in Portland
continued to increase, and traditional vehicle delivery in the urban area became less and less efficient. As ride-sharing services and online retailers increased their presence in the …

A New Product Anti-Counterfeiting Blockchain Using A Truly Decentralized Dynamic Consensus Protocol, Naif Alzahrani, Nirupama Bulusu

Computer Science Faculty Publications and Presentations

The growth of counterfeit goods has plagued the international community for decades. Nowadays, the battle against counterfeiting remains a significant challenge. Most of the current anti‐counterfeiting systems are centralized. Motivated by the evolution of blockchain technology, we propose (Block‐Supply), a decentralized anti‐counterfeiting supply chain that exploits NFC and blockchain technologies. This paper also proposes a new truly decentralized consensus protocol that, unlike most of the existing protocols, does not require PoW and randomly employs a different set of different size of validators each time a new block is proposed. Our protocol utilizes a game theoretical model to analyze the risk …

Strategic Alliances For Technology Adoption: Alliances And Partnerships For Blockchain Adoption, Anju Babu, Charles Weber

Engineering and Technology Management Faculty Publications and Presentations

This paper aims to study the relevance and importance of strategic alliances for emerging technology adoption. The case researched and discussed here is Blockchain adoption in the semiconductor industry. As a technology, Blockchain has been around for over a decade and is known to provide tremendous value in business transactions. However, the adoption has not gained traction mainly due to the fact that it takes a network to adopt an industrial Blockchain and cannot work in silos. Most companies are shying away from it as they haven't explored what makes a successful strategy for adoption. A literature review was done …

Organizational Communication And Individual Behavior: Implications For Supply Chain Risk Management, Scott Duhadway, Steven Carnovale, Vijay R. Kannan

Business Faculty Publications and Presentations

Risk is a significant issue for supply chain managers. Not only must they contend with multiple dimensions of risk in decision making, they must reconcile decision making with broader organizational interests. This study examines the influence of organizational communication regarding supply chain risk on individual decision-making strategies and the perceptions of risk. A multi-stage experimental design is applied, in which decision makers make decisions across three dimensions of risk and adjust their risk-taking behavior after being presented with organizational communication regarding supply chain risk levels. The relationship between organizational communication and the perceptions of supply chain risk is then explored …

Emerging Discourse Incubator: The Roles Of Institutional Complexity And Hybridity In Social Impact Supply Chain Management, Madeleine E. Pullman, Annachiara Longoni, Davide Luzzini

Business Faculty Publications and Presentations

Supply chain research and practice has moved beyond green or environmental issues to include social issues. But much of the focus still remains on attempts of large companies to reduce social harm along their supply chains rather than creating social good. At the same time, research investigating the role of NGOs in supply chains or humanitarian logistics often emphasizes temporary initiatives and overlooks long term viability. This conceptual paper seeks to expand the playing field by looking at how social enterprises manage their supply chains to generate social benefit while maintaining or improving their financial viability in the long term. …

A Refined Framework Of Information Sharing In Perishable Product Supply Chains, Luluk Lusiantoro, Nicky Yates, Carlos Mena, Liz Varga

Business Faculty Publications and Presentations

Purpose – This study contributes to our understanding of the relationship between information sharing and performance of perishable product supply chains (PPSC). Building on transaction cost economics (TCE), organisational information processing theory (OIPT), and contingency theory (CT) this study proposes a theoretical framework to guide future research into information sharing in perishable product supply chains (IS-PPSC).

Design/methodology/approach – Using the systematic literature review methodology, 48 peer-reviewed articles are carefully selected, mapped, and assessed. Template analysis is performed to unravel the relationship mechanisms between information sharing and PPSC performance.

Findings – We find that the relationship between information sharing and PPSC …

Toward A Three-Dimensional Framework For Omni-Channel, Soroosh Saghiri, Richard Wilding, Carlos Mena, Michael Bourlakis

Business Faculty Publications and Presentations

The omni-channel, as an emerging trend in retail, aims to coordinate processes and technologies across supply and sales channels. The evolution of this concept is still nascent. This paper develops a conceptual framework for omni-channel systems, configured by three dimensions of channel stage, channel type and channel agent. Integration and visibility are also explored and discussed as the main enablers, which support the implementation of omni-channel framework.

This research is built upon the empirical and secondary data. Multiple case studies and expert interview methods are employed for data collection to validate the recommended framework and to explore its …

Understanding Risk Management For Intentional Supply Chain Disruptions: Risk Detection, Risk Mitigation, And Risk Recovery, Scott Duhadway, Steven Carnovale, Benjamin Hazen

Business Faculty Publications and Presentations

Strategies to mitigate supply chain risk tend to treat disruptive events as homogenous, despite having different causes and requiring different risk management strategies. We develop a framework to understand effective risk management strategies by considering whether a disruption was caused by an intentional or inadvertent act and whether the source of the disruption was endogenous or exogenous to the supply chain. Based on exploring evidence from risk management strategies for specific disruptions, we find that risk detection is important for both intentional and inadvertent disruptions, while effective risk management practices differ in terms of risk mitigation (relational versus process based …

Production Planning Using Evolving Demand Forecasts In The Automotive Industry, Hakan Yildiz, Scott Duhadway, Ram Narasimhan, Sriram Narayanan

Business Faculty Publications and Presentations

This paper considers an auto parts supplier who receives order release updates from its customers and revises its production plan for future periods on a weekly basis. The inaccuracy of the order releases causes significant costs in the form of premium expedited transportation, production overtime, and excess inventory. This setting provides a rich context for studying order release variance, because the supply chain has adopted a just-in-time (JIT) approach where ideal inventory levels are kept at zero. This leads to a high reliance on order release accuracy in order to manage production quantities. This paper presents an optimization model that …

Characterizing Agile Supply Partnerships In The Fashion Industry, Corrado Cerruti, Carlos Mena, Heather Skipworth, Ernesto Tavoletti

Business Faculty Publications and Presentations

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to investigate high-involvement and short-term supply relationships, known as agile supply partnerships (ASPs), and explores the conditions that support the development of such inter-organizational relationships.

Design/methodology/approach – A qualitative exploratory research design was followed, based on in-depth case studies of Italian fashion footwear manufacturers and their relationships with key suppliers.

Findings – ASPs appear to be most relevant in supply material categories which have a high impact on the appearance or functionality of the product. Conversely, in supply categories with a low impact, long-term partnerships are preferred. Four main characteristics of ASPs …

Exploring Strategic Strengths And Weaknesses Of Retail Purchasing Groups, Erik Sandberg, Carlos Mena

Business Faculty Publications and Presentations

Retail purchasing groups consist of small, independent, specialised stores that join together and collaborate on purchasing and other areas. In comparison to large-scale corporate retail chains, often labelled mega-retailers, retail purchasing groups are based on collaborative external integration between a central unit and the independent, local dealers. The overall purpose of this research is to explore the specific characteristics that underscore a retail purchasing group. The paper has two research questions: (1) What are the strengths and weaknesses of a supply chain structure based on external integration? and (2) In what areas are the purchasing groups' ownership structure particularly advantageous …

Supply Chain Integration Configurations: Process Structure And Product Newness, Christos Tsinopoulos, Carlos Mena

Business Faculty Publications and Presentations

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to explore the configurations of supply chain integration.

Design/methodology/approach – The authors use qualitative data from manufacturers shortlisted for the UK’s Manufacturing Excellence awards over three years. Detailed processes and policies of 68 manufacturers are analysed.

Findings – Process structure and product newness require different supply chain configurations, which change as products mature. Supply chain integration is dynamic, and the extent of collaboration between suppliers and customers will be different at different moments in time. The authors define and discuss four key supply chain configurations: customised; ramp-up; recurring; coordinated.

Research limitations/implications – …

Exploring Capability Maturity Models And Relevant Practices As Solutions Addressing It Service Offshoring Project Issues, Rosine Hanna Salman

Dissertations and Theses

Western countries' information technology and software intensive firms are increasingly producing software and IT services in developing countries. With this swift advancement in offshoring, there are many issues that can be investigated which will enable companies to maximize their benefits from offshoring. However, significant challenges can occur throughout the lifecycle of offshoring IT service projects that turn the potential benefits into losses. This research investigated CMM/CMMI best practices and their effects on managing and mitigating critical issues associated with offshore development.

Using a web based survey, data was collected from 451 Information Technology and software development firms in the US. …

Supply Chain Risk Management In India: An Empirical Study Of Sourcing And Operations Disruptions, Their Frequency, Severity, Mitigation Methods, And Expectations, Andreas Udbye

Dissertations and Theses

With an annual growth of almost 20% since the year 2000, Indian merchandise exports exceeded 300 billion U.S. dollars in 2012. The country is becoming a major supplier to the world. However, companies sourcing products and operating in India are experiencing a variety of supply chain disruptions that impede their operations and finances. The purpose of this dissertation is to investigate the frequency, impact and severity of supply chain risks experienced by companies in India, as well as assess the usefulness of mitigation methods and enquire about future expected disruptions. It is hoped that the results will prepare managers to …

What Role Does Government Procurement Play In Manufacturing In The Uk And Internationally And How Might This Change In The Future, Barbara Morton, Gregg Paget, Carlos Mena

Business Faculty Publications and Presentations

This report, commissioned by the Government Office for Science, has the general aim of reviewing the available evidence concerning the impact and role of public sector procurement on UK manufacturing. Specifically the report addresses the following questions:

1. What is the current framework for Government procurement in the UK?
2. How does Government procurement directly and indirectly impact on manufacturing activities?
3. How do UK procurement frameworks compare to other competitor nation procurement in terms of supporting manufacturing?
4. In what ways could co-ordinated procurement (procurement that meets multiple Government departmental goals) catalyse and support UK Manufacturing?

Previous research has shown that public procurement …

Madécasse: Competing With A 4x Fairtrade Business Model, Scott Marshall, Darrell Brown, Bex Sakarias, Min Cai

Business Faculty Publications and Presentations

Brett Beach and Tim McCollum, co-founders of Madécasse, spent two years as Peace Corps volunteers in Madagascar. During that time, they fell in love with the country and its people. Recognizing the need of the Malagasy for stable jobs and fair wages and the connection between poverty and environmental destruction, Brett and Tim discussed possibilities for a social enterprise in the country.

Madagascar presents a beautiful yet challenging place to operate a business. It has a wide range of flora and fauna, approximately 70% of which are found nowhere else on Earth and it produces coffee, vanilla, sugar, cotton, pepper, …

Supply Network Relationships: A Review Of Empirical Evidence, Andrew Humphries, Carlos Mena

Business Faculty Publications and Presentations

Supply networks are prevalent industry structures which, like the academic literature, are complex, confusing and short on practical guidance. We evaluate the current position of empirical research to expose the main constructs that can be used to study cooperative supply network relationships, to identify emergent themes, gaps and shortcomings, to share insights with managers and, to propose future research approaches. Five significant drivers of supply network relationship behaviors are identified: complexity, power, alignment of objectives, knowledge management and coordination. This paper provides a unique, topical 'map' of the supply networks field and proposes a theoretical model for integrating the many …

Resource Maps For Fresh Meat Across Retail And Wholesale Supply Chains, Peter Whitehead, Martin Palmer, Carlos Mena, Adrian Williams, Christine Walsh

Business Faculty Publications and Presentations

Consumers spend more money on meat than any other food item. WRAP has already shown that households are wasting around 570,000 tonnes of fresh meat each year, of which 260,000 (46%) is avoidable with a value of about £1,300M. These wasted products also include embedded water and embedded carbon. This research has focused on the supply of meat from the farm gate onwards, including livestock slaughtering, meat preparation, processing and packaging, distribution and retail. It focuses on fresh meat from the four animal species which comprise some 96% by weight of all animals slaughtered for human consumption, namely chickens, cattle, …

Fruit And Vegetable Resource Maps: Mapping Fruit And Vegetable Waste Through The Wholesale Supply Chain, Leon A. Terry, Carlos Mena, Adrian Williams, Nigel Jenney, Peter Whitehead

Business Faculty Publications and Presentations

Research by WRAP has shown that households waste around three million tonnes of fruit and vegetables per year, raising concerns about the economic and environmental impacts of food waste. This study has been conducted to quantify the level of loss and waste of fruit and vegetables before they reach consumers, through the retail and wholesale supply chain. Furthermore, the study determined how, where and why the product was wasted.

Eleven fresh produce types were selected based on their consumption, post-harvest physiology and management. The 11 products chosen were strawberries, raspberries, tomatoes, lettuce, apples, onions, potatoes, brassicas, citrus, avocados and bananas; …

Product Safety And Security In The Global Supply Chain: Issues, Challenges And Research Opportunities, Ann Marucheck, Noel Greis, Carlos Mena, Linning Cai

Business Faculty Publications and Presentations

number of high profile product safety events and recalls have heightened public attention to the safety and security of the products that people consume and use. While product safety isn’t a new topic, the effect of the global supply chain in creating or exacerbating safety risks and vulnerabilities is both timely and relevant. In this essay we focus on how the field of operations management can provide fresh perspectives and insights in addressing the challenges of product safety and security in the global supply chain. We first examine the product safety issues and challenges that arise in five industries that …

Country Natural Beef: A Maturing Co-Op At The Crossroads, Madeleine E. Pullman, Victoria Villa-Lobos, Zhaohui Wu

Business Faculty Publications and Presentations

A Business Base Study of a Group of Northwest Cattle Ranchers that Formed a Co-op to Market Natural Beef Products, in the Face of economic uncertainty and the rise of corporate farms and ranches. Provides an overview of the cattle ranching industry, the history of the co-op, its economic outlook, and future challenges.

Evidence On The Role Of Supplier-Retailer Trading Relationships And Practices In Waste Generation In The Food Chain, Carlos Mena, Peter Whitehead

Business Faculty Publications and Presentations

This report presents the results of the project entitled “Evidence on the role of supplier-retailer trading relationships and practices in waste generation in the food chain” commission by Defra (Project Code SFFSD0705) and undertaken by Cranfield University and IGD between July 2008 and June 2009.

The overall aim of the project was to provide a qualitative analysis of the food and packaging waste arising from the link between food manufacturers and retailers in the UK. The specific objectives of the project were:

• To identify the root causes of waste between suppliers and retailers in the UK
• To assess the magnitude …

Supply Chain Management For Servitized Products: A Multi-Industry Case Study, Mark Johnson, Carlos Mena

Business Faculty Publications and Presentations

Manufacturers are combining products and services in order to provide greater value to the customer and to facilitate longer more profitable business relationships. Organisations that pursue this route are following a strategy of servitization which requires the effective management of supply chains. A framework was developed from the extant literature that was used as a lens for the analysis of supply chains for servitized products. This research uses case studies to explore the challenges and opportunities that face the supply chain management function within organisations that are pursuing a strategy of servitization. The case studies indicate that servitized supply chains …

Innovation In Logistics Services, Carlos Mena, Martin Christopher, Mark Johnson, Fu Jia

Business Faculty Publications and Presentations

The logistics industry manages the flows of products, services and information across customers and suppliers, allowing the integration of supply chains. Innovations in logistics can therefore help improve efficiency and effectiveness across many sectors of the economy. Furthermore, innovation can also have a major impact in reducing the environmental burden of this industry, particularly in terms of pollution and greenhouse gas emissions.

This overall aim of this report is to understand how the government can encourage and facilitate innovation in the logistics industry. The study focuses mainly on the UK and on the role of third party logistics providers (3PLs). …

Global Sourcing And Logistics, Martin Christopher, Fu Jia, Omera Khan, Carlos Mena, Erik Sandberg

Business Faculty Publications and Presentations

The sourcing of products from across the global marketplace is an increasing trend associated with economic development. This trend is the result of many independent decisions taken by firms around the world looking for new sources of competitive advantage. However, these decisions can also have unintended consequences, exposing the firms to hidden costs and risks, creating congestion at different points in the global transport infrastructure and increasing emissions of pollutants and greenhouse gases.

This report presents the results of a project conducted in 2006-07, aimed at improving global sourcing practices, with a particular emphasis on the implications for the UK. …

Is Lean Necessarily Green?, Kumar Venkat, Wayne Wakeland

Systems Science Faculty Publications and Presentations

This paper investigates the environmental performance of lean supply chains using carbon dioxide emissions as the key performance indicator. Lean is based on the premise that compressing time reveals hidden quality problems and that their resolution leads to more efficient, cost-effective business processes. If time compression always implies lower emissions, then a leaner system is always greener as measured by emissions. If time compression does not always lead to lower emissions, then further changes to the lean system may be required in order to make it greener. We use a simulation model of a generic supply chain as well as …