Coping with rising supply chain complexity: conceptualising a supply network map structure model to address that challenge

Abstract

The complexity in supply networks is increasing and influences the competitive position of the focal company. Traditional approaches like supply chain mapping only show the focal company's relationships with suppliers and customers along the vertical supply chain, but are not capable to map any horizontal buyer-supplier relationships with other companies. Hence, this paper introduces a new supply network map structure model that extends the multi-tier view towards suppliers and customers along the vertical supply chain also to the complementors and competitors across the horizontal supply chain. Thus, the model enables the development of the existing supply chain mapping theory further into a holistic supply network mapping method. The model has been conceptualised with the help of 13 semi-structured interviews and is based on relevant models from the strategic management and the purchasing and supply management (PSM) literature. According to design science, it has been refined in several iterations.

Explaining Firm Performance During the COVID-19 With fsQCA: The Role of Supply Network Complexity, Inventory Turns, and Geographic Dispersion

“…The increased supply network complexity has an impact on the core firm's competitive position, and the traditional mapping method only shows the relationship between suppliers and customers in the vertical supply chain of the core firm. While the supply network map structure model broadens the perspective of suppliers and customers in the traditional supply chain to the complements and competitors in the horizontal supply chain (Kappel et al, 2020).…”

Industry 4.0 in purchasing and supply management : defining future roles and skills

“…• Delke, V., Schiele, H., & Buchholz, W. (2020). Mind the Gap: Identifying Skill Gaps in Purchasing and Supply Management, Proceedings of the 29th IPSERA Conference, Knoxville, USA (postponed).…”

“…• Delke, V., Schiele, H., & Buchholz, W. (2020). Identifying Future Skills Requirements: Differentiating between Direct and Indirect Material Purchasers, Proceedings of the 29th IPSERA Conference, Knoxville, USA (postponed).…”

“…The past supply chain perspective, in which only a limited number of stakeholders could be managed due to insufficient transparency, is changing into a more holistic supply network perspective (Lorentz et al, 2021). In the supply network, stakeholders need to be strategically managed on a horizontal and vertical axis to meet the organisation's strategic objectives (Kappel et al, 2020). The new feature is the technology that enables the achievement of supply network transparency, but it is not helpful without the strategic knowledge on which interpreting the findings is based.…”