Purpose Customer satisfaction refers to the extent to which customers are happy and satisfied with the products and services provided by a business. The purpose of this paper is twofold: first, to integrate lean tools in the analysis of customer satisfaction and, second, to examine its implications for research and practice. Design/methodology/approach The author proposes the combination of three lean tools in order to design a service quality system that has customer expectations (CEs) as the first input. These tools are quality function deployment (QFD), Hoshin Kanri planning process (HKPP) and benchmarking. The author uses a case study to show the functionality of these tools and the final design of a service quality system for a medical center. Findings Interaction between the service provider and the customer is the primary core activity for service-oriented businesses of different natures. A key relationship between trust in service quality and customer satisfaction cannot be ignored in interpersonal-based service encounters. However, there is a gap in the literature in terms of standardized lean-based procedures or methodologies that lead to improved customer satisfaction that are based directly on CEs. Research limitations/implications Given the variety of the population, the authors developed several methodologies to standardize the customer responses. Using several total quality management tools, the standardization allows the authors to separate the different CEs. The gathering of customers’ expectations (voice of the customers) allows the companies to focus on the real problems expressed by the users of the service, increasing their loyalty and, most importantly in the field under study, the customer’s satisfaction with the service received. Practical implications For practitioners, this study helps with the use of lean tools such as QFD, benchmarking and HKPP and attempts to bridge such a gap with an evidence-based real case. Social implications With the incorporation of all the customer needs, additional elements must be considered in the design of new services. Availability for all and sustainability play an important part of the CEs. Originality/value This paper presents a real application of QFD and Hoshin Kanri and how they may help the service organizations with future development.

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to present empirical results of an analysis of the strategic alignment between order winners selection and external supply chain integration strategies.Design/methodology/approachThe research instrument is an international survey from IMSS II. It was applied in 23 countries. ANOVA was used for statistical analyses.FindingsThe findings show that firms choosing to use price as an order winner do not show any significant difference in the extent of external supply chain integration. On the other hand, firms that use delivery, customer service, quality and/or flexibility as order winners present differences in the extent to which they integrate their external supply chains.Research limitations/implicationsThe results should be treated with caution as any empirical study due to generalizability concerns. The data do not necessarily imply causal relationships, which could be an interesting topic to explore in further research.Practical implicationsThe study highlights the importance of supply chain integration as a competitive competence, meriting management consideration and resources.Originality/valueThe paper shows empirical evidence with a large sample size that some associations exist between external supply chain integration and order winning strategies.

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to investigate the impact of electronic procurement technologies on procurement practices (PPR) and procurement performance (PP).Design/methodology/approachThis paper posits a model of the relationships between e‐procurement technology (EPT) usage, PPR, and PP. This model was tested and validated using a sample of 368 procurement specialists in the USA.FindingsThe findings suggest that EPT usage positively affects managers' perceptions of both PPR and PP.Research limitations/implicationsThe findings of this paper primarily pertain to the operational level of the organization. Future research could also attempt to isolate the impact of individual EPTs on firm performance.Practical implicationsThe contribution for practitioners is to provide guidelines for the use of EPTs, and to report its impact on PP. The measurement instruments developed in this paper can be used to evaluate and benchmark current PPR.Originality/valueThis paper contributes to the literature by providing an empirical test of the impact of EPTs on perceptions of PPR and performance.

Research on service quality and customer satisfaction has become significant in the service industries. This study develops a case study that considers both external and internal service management issues and subsequent service innovations based on the framework of quality function deployment (QFD). The application of the customer window quadrant (CWQ) and the action plan matrix in the analysis of customer and service elements constitute a different approach for QFD. Some benefits and disadvantages of the QFD process are discussed as compared to extant service quality and customer paradigms. Finally, suggestions and directions are offered for future applications, with particular interest in the e‐bank service management issues.

Purpose This study aims to examine the effects of trading partner trust and trading partner power, on supply chain integration, and their impact on business performance in the context of Web-enabled supply chains. In doing so, the authors extend previous studies by exploring this phenomenon by using an integrative theory-driven approach. Design/methodology/approach This study presents a theoretical model grounded on the resource-based and dynamic capabilities views and the social capital theory. Data collected from 175 firms in the USA are used to test the hypotheses using structural equation modeling. Findings Results highlight the importance of trust and supply chain integration on business performance, whereas power did not appear to have an effect on supply chain integration in Web-enabled supply chains. The findings are robust to concerns of endogeneity, common method bias and alternative model specification. Practical implications Companies engaged in Web-enabled supply chains need to focus on increasing their integration efforts, and these efforts must also be accompanied by partnerships built on trust. Trading partners who might be inclined to use coercive strategies to influence other members of the supply chain in Web-enabled environments may be better off using cooperative approaches based on trust to achieve their desired goals. Originality/value This study integrates the resource-based view, dynamic capabilities view and the social capital theory to explore the dynamic relationships between trading partner trust, trading partner power and supply chain integration in Web-enabled supply chains. In doing so, this paper extends prior studies by examining supply chain integration’s impact on business performance and its mediating role, as it relates to trading partner trust and power in Web-enabled supply chains.