Creating the customer‐responsive supply chain: a reconciliation of concepts

Abstract

PurposeWhile the concept of supply chain responsiveness (SCR) has received considerable attention in the operations management literature, mostly under the auspices of concepts such as build‐to‐order, mass customisation, lean and agility, so far there is a lack of comprehensive definition of SCR, as well as a defined relationship between “responsiveness” and “flexibility”. Also, the frameworks at hand tend to consider only a subset of factors previously identified in the literature, and thus do not comprehensively portray the cause‐and‐effect relationships involved. This paper aims to address these gaps.Design/methodology/approachThe paper synthesises the existing contributions to manufacturing and supply chain flexibility and responsiveness, and draws on various related bodies of literature that affect a supply chain's responsiveness such as the discussion of product architecture and modularisation.FindingsFour types of responsiveness are identified: product, volume, mix, and delivery, all of which can relate to different time horizons, and can be present as either potential or demonstrated responsiveness. It is argued that a supply chain can feature different levels of responsiveness at different tiers, depending on the configuration of the individual nodes, as well as the integration thereof. Furthermore, a holistic framework is proposed, distinguishing between requiring and enabling factors for responsiveness, identifying the key relationships within and between these two categories.Research limitations/implicationsThe definition and framework proposed provide novel insights into the concept of SCR as well as a clear terminology that will inform future research. The framework developed in this paper is suitable for both qualitative and holistic quantitative studies.Originality/valueIn addition to a detailed review of the factors associated with SCR, a generic definition of responsiveness is developed. The paper proposes a definition of four types of responsiveness which will support further empirical studies into the concept and its application. Furthermore, a holistic framework is developed that allows for cause‐and‐effect relationships to be investigated and dependencies to be identified.

The Influence of Tactical Flexibilities on the Competitive Advantage of a Firm: An Empirical Study on Jordanian Industrial Companies

“…"Response" refers to the time and cost with which different values within a range can be achieved (e.g. setup time and cost for switching between two products (Reichhart and Holweg, 2007). Upton (1994) considers Slack's classification and adds a third dimension of flexibility: uniformity, which refers to the ability to maintain performance standards as a firm switches among products.…”

Resource-efficient supply chains: a research framework, literature review and research agenda

“…The idea that supply chains have to be responsive to external changes has already been discussed in the SCM literature. Indeed, supply chains have to be responsive to the uncertainty associated with innovative products (Fisher, 1997) and with changes in volume, mix and delivery (Reichhart and Holweg, 2007). The goal of responsive supply chains is ultimately to react quickly and cost-effectively to changing market environments (Gunasekaran et al, 2008).…”

Supply Chain Responsiveness Through Modularity Based Manufacturing Practices: An Exploratory Study

“…A key to responsiveness is the presence of responsive partners upstream and downstream of the focal firm ). Reichhart and Holweg (2007) argue that suppliers' manufacturing systems' responsiveness can be treated as the supply chain's responsiveness. The ability of a firm to react quickly to customer demand is much dependent on the reaction time of its suppliers to address the firm's demand.…”