Purpose – According to the most recent theories, the competitiveness of organizations is based on the development of competencies. Core competencies result from greater mastery than competitors of organizational abilities valued by customers. This paper seeks to investigate how a more thorough...

Purpose – This paper aims to examine the direct and indirect effects of the use of electronic markets (e‐markets), access to online data and trading partner collaboration on operational performance. Design/methodology/approach – This study involved survey data from 233 Australian firms....

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to explore different units of analysis applicable to the analysis of healthcare service supply chains. Design/methodology/approach – The paper is based on a literature review, conceptual analysis and two case studies based on process mapping and...

Purpose – Before China's opening and reform policy transformed foreign trade, personal relationships characterised mainly domestic trade. Burgeoning international supply chains (ISC) require efficient document transfers to accompany large cargo shipments, but China's users of bills of lading...

Purpose – Vehicle manufacturer “CarCo” has spent decades developing its supply strategy based on customer ordered production. Yet the combination of an over‐crowded European market and the need to grow sales poses a dilemma: what strategy does it adopt to manage its global operations?...

Both postponement and outsourcing have been identified as important characteristics of modern and competitive supply chains. The implementation of postponement may require extensive (spatial) reconfiguration of the supply chain. Presents findings from interviews with managers of food,...

More sophisticated customer demand chains and electronic business pose new challenges to supply chain management. Delivery sizes decrease as a result of more deliveries directly to the point of use. Customers are demanding products and deliveries customised to their specific needs. Also, the...

Discusses supply chain management practices, with emphasis on purchasing, in Botswana (a developing country). Focuses on problems facing business operations and how to improve the situation. Presents the views of purchasing personnel from public and private organizations and of students taking...

An efficient supply chain is becoming increasingly important as globalization and technological advancement combine to make the modern marketplace more competitive than ever. An example of this can be seen at Matsushita, a Japanese‐based industry leader who has had to fight to remain...

Supply chain management has become such a popular topic in modern business management and researches. It brings the revolutionary philosophy and approach to manage the business with the sustained competitiveness. However, the existing performance measurement theory fails to provide its necessary...