Purpose - Value chain analysis (VCA) can expose strategic and operational misalignments within chains, and the consequential misallocation of resources, and hence opportunities for improvements which create value and economic sustainability. This paper's purpose is to argue why and how VCA needs to integrate the social and environmental aspects of sustainability in pursuit of sustainable competitive advantage. Design/methodology/approach - Based on a review of existing methods and case studies, the paper proposes three dimensions of VCA, which illustrate the flaws in narrow tools, and the need to broaden the boundaries of VCA, the interpretation of "value" and relationships along the chain in order to highlight opportunities for creating sustainable value chains. Findings - To date VCA has largely focused on economic sustainability and paid inadequate attention to social and environment consequences of firm behaviour and the (re) allocation of resources within and between firms in the chain. This risks producing recommendations which either ignore the competitive advantage offered from improving environmental management and social welfare, or have such detrimental external consequences as to render any proposals unsustainable when exposed to government or broader (public) scrutiny. Research limitations/implications - VCA variants need to be developed which incorporate all three pillars of sustainability. Some initial experiences are presented and ideas for future research and applications proposed. Practical implications - The development of sustainable VCA tools should identify business opportunities consistent with Porter and Kramer's imperative for value chains to create shared value between business and society. Originality/value - Adopting the broader dimensions identified will allow VCA to become more widely applicable, and more relevant in business scenarios where there is a growing imperative to include social and environmental impacts into "mainstream" business strategies

2005),"Value chain analysis: an approach to supply chain improvement in agri-food chains", If you would like to write for this, or any other Emerald publication, then please use our Emerald for Authors service information about how to choose which publication to write for and submission guidelines are available for all. Please visit www.emeraldinsight.com/authors for more information. About Emerald www.emeraldinsight.comEmerald is a global publisher linking research and practice to the benefit of society. The company manages a portfolio of more than 290 journals and over 2,350 books and book series volumes, as well as providing an extensive range of online products and additional customer resources and services.Emerald is both COUNTER 4 and TRANSFER compliant. The organization is a partner of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) and also works with Portico and the LOCKSS initiative for digital archive preservation.Abstract Purpose -The paper shows how sustainable value chain analysis (SVCA) can be used as a diagnostic tool to identify misalignment between resource allocation and consumer preferences, using a case study of the Oxford Landing wine chain, from South Australia to the UK. Design/methodology/approach -The study incorporates a combination of value chain analysis (VCA) and life cycle analysis (LCA) in a single methodology to determine which activities, at each stage in the supply chain, create value (in the eyes of consumers) and the contribution of these activities to greenhouse gas emissions. Findings -The case study demonstrates the value of comparing the consumer value associated with a particular activity with the emissions associated with that activity, as this draws the attention of managers, at each stage of the supply chain, to the potential trade-offs that exist and the danger of focusing on either one (adding value or reducing emissions) in isolation.Research limitations/implications -The main limitation of the research methodology is that the study focuses on a single product (Oxford Landing) and a single chain to a single country (UK). Thus, it is difficult to generalise from the results of this single case study to the (South Australian) wine industry in general, without further information from other wineries and consumer perceptions of their brands in different parts of the world. Practical implications -The case study highlights the importance of taking a holistic view when considering the sustainability of a product, process or chain -trade-offs between environmental benefits and consumer perceptions of value can have significant commercial implications. It also illustrates the potential for SVCA to be used as a guide for the allocation of research and development expenditure (public and private) in pursuit of sustainable competitive advantage. Originality/value -The study is the first to combine LCA with VCA in a context that allows researchers, practitioners and policymakers to identify areas for improvement, in what they do and how they do it.

Abstract:The traceability practices and systems of 48 separate seafood businesses were assessed as part of an evaluation of 9 global seafood value chains (from catch to point of sale to the consumer). The purpose was to gain insights and provide knowledge about the impact of traceability on improving seafood industry business performance, including reducing waste, and enhancing consumer trust. In addition, the project developed and delivered a tool that can be used by stakeholders that are seeking to better understand the return on investment of implementation of traceability practices and solutions. Using structured and semistructured interviews of over 80 individuals, the research revealed that traceability is more highly valued by businesses, regardless of their size, if they engage more often in highly collaborative activities with their suppliers and customers. A survey in 5 nations about consumer perceptions with regards to seafood and the key factors influencing their purchasing decisions delivered insights into the discrete choices that consumers make when buying seafood products. The consumer survey data were incorporated into a "Discrete Choice Simulator" that others can use to compare and contrast the preferences of consumers in these countries and better understand what factors regarding traceability impact on their buying decisions. The research concluded with several recommendations for businesses, governments, and nongovernment organizations.

The Interoperable Seafood Traceability Technology Architecture Issues Brief reflects the growing need to establish a global, secure, interoperable support system for seafood traceability. Establishing effective traceability systems relies on the development of a cohesive and consistent approach to the delivery of information technology capabilities and functions. The ability of business to utilize traceability for commercial gain is heavily influenced by the supply chain in which they operate. The Issues Brief describes factors associated with enterprise-level traceability systems that will impact the design of technology architecture suited to enabling whole chain interoperable traceability. The Brief details why a technology architecture is required, what it means for industry in terms of benefits and opportunities, and how the architecture will translate into practical results. The current situation of many heterogeneous proprietary systems prevents global interoperable traceability from occurring. Utilizing primary research and lessons learned from other industries, the Brief details how the present situation can be addressed. This will enable computerized information systems to communicate syntactically by sharing standardized packages of data. The subsequent stage, semantic interoperability, is achieved by establishing a common language (ontology). The report concludes with a series of recommendations that industry can act upon to design a technology architecture suited to enabling effective global interoperable traceability.Keywords: architecture, chain, interoperability, seafood, semantic, supply, syntactic, technology, traceability, value Executive SummaryThe ability of businesses to proactively manage risks, reduce costs, and increase revenue rests on the effective sharing of information. Verifying the accuracy and rigor of data exchanged within and between businesses for the purposes of traceability rests on the existence of effective interoperable information systems. Effective interoperability relies on sharing a common technology architecture, in other words a common blueprint or framework, among the systems utilized by businesses operating along a value chain.The purpose of this Issues Brief is to support the Interoperable Seafood Traceability Technology Architecture Project being led by the Institute of Food Technologists Global Food Traceability Center. The project stems from a growing realization that a need MS 20151924 Submitted 19/11/2015, Accepted 8/12/2015 exists to establish a global, secure, interoperable support system for seafood traceability. Establishing an effective global traceability systems relies on the development of a cohesive and consistent approach to the delivery of information technology capabilities and functions. Information technology architecture describes the process of achieving this through the methodical development of a common and coherent series of specifications, models, guidelines, and concepts.Technology architectures are developed through engaging in...

Interoperability of communication and information technologies within and between businesses operating along supply chains is being pursued and implemented in numerous industries worldwide to increase the efficiency and effectiveness of operations. The desire for greater interoperability is also driven by the need to reduce business risk through more informed management decisions. Interoperability is achieved by the development of a technology architecture that guides the design and implementation of communication systems existing within individual businesses and between businesses comprising the supply chain. Technology architectures are developed through a purposeful dialogue about why the architecture is required, the benefits and opportunities that the architecture offers the industry, and how the architecture will translate into practical results. An assessment of how the finance, travel, and health industries and a sector of the food industry-fresh produce-have implemented interoperability was conducted to identify lessons learned that can aid the development of interoperability in the seafood industry. The findings include identification of the need for strong, effective governance during the establishment and operation of an interoperability initiative to ensure the existence of common protocols and standards. The resulting insights were distilled into a series of principles for enabling syntactic and semantic interoperability in any industry, which we summarize in this article. Categorized as "structural," "operational," and "integrative," the principles describe requirements and solutions that are pivotal to enabling businesses to create and capture value from full chain interoperability. The principles are also fundamental to allowing governments and advocacy groups to use traceability for public good.

Verifying the accuracy and rigor of data exchanged within and between businesses for the purposes of traceability rests on the existence of effective and efficient interoperable information systems that meet users' needs. Interoperability, particularly given the complexities intrinsic to the seafood industry, requires that the systems used by businesses operating along the supply chain share a common technology architecture that is robust, resilient, and evolves as industry needs change. Technology architectures are developed through engaging industry stakeholders in understanding why an architecture is required, the benefits provided to the industry and individual businesses and supply chains, and how the architecture will translate into practical results. This article begins by reiterating the benefits that the global seafood industry can capture by implementing interoperable chain-length traceability and the reason for basing the architecture on a peer-to-peer networked database concept versus more traditional centralized or linear approaches. A summary of capabilities that already exist within the seafood industry that the proposed architecture uses is discussed; and a strategy for implementing the architecture is presented. The 6-step strategy is presented in the form of a critical path.

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