Identification and causal assessment of supply chain flexibility

Abstract

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to map the causal relations among various supply chain flexibility (SCF) dimensions having significant impact on the Indian personal hygiene industry. Design/methodology/approach The author(s) have gone through extensive literature review and extracted 22 SCF dimensions. After conducting field visits and expert interaction in the firm related to case industry, 11 major SCF dimensions that seem to have a significant amount of influence on supply chain performance of the firms were retained for further consideration. The author(s) have used decision making trial and evaluation laboratory (DEMATEL) to establish initial causality and structural equation model (SEM) to investigate the contribution of different flexibility dimensions on overall SCF. Findings After DEMATEL analysis, three major SCF dimensions were considered for SEM modeling. The result shows that product flexibility and physical distribution flexibility have favorable influence on the SCF, while the demand management flexibility adversely impacts overall SCF. Practical implications The approach adopted in the study can help firms to determine and exercise the flexibility dimensions of a particular supply chain. The DEMATEL and SEM offer a facilitation to explain the causal relationship between the different dimensions to take long-term decisions and address the uncertainty in the demand and supply side. Originality/value This paper has made an attempt to evaluate the supply chain flexibilities, prioritize them and evaluate the relationship amongst these flexibilities and the degree to which they affect or are affected by one another in the Indian personal hygiene industry.

Selection of environmental-conscious sourcing: an empirical investigation

“…So, vagueness cannot fully be eliminated using these methods. Singh et al (2019) and Singh and Modgil (2020) applied decision-making trial and evaluation laboratory (DEMATEL) method for supply chain performance assessment. DEMATEL is an effective method for solving multi-criteria decision problems, and it considers interdependent relationships among factors and finds the critical factor through a structural model.…”

Supply chain agility assessment of an Indonesian humanitarian organization

“…Flexibility is the foundation of an agile HSC as it allows humanitarian organizations to deal with uncertainty and volatility in demand at the event of disaster (Charles et al, 2010). Singh et al (2019) stated that supply chain flexibility is related to the ability to meet varied and unusual demand and its 11 major dimensions are coordination, volume, physical distribution, sourcing, new product, demand management, product, manufacturing and response to market, process and expansion. Charles et al (2010), on the other hand, argued that only four dimensions (or capabilities) of flexibility are relevant for an HSC: volume, delivery, mix (or demand management) and product flexibility.…”

“…5.5 Improving Aksi Cepat Tanggap's supply chain agility Based on Figure 5, we suggest that the agility of ACT's supply chain can be improved by increasing the score in the flexibility component. A flexible supply chain requires flexible supply chain partners (Singh et al, 2019); hence, ACT's supply chain flexibility can be achieved by improving its procurement management. This is needed to ensure the availability of relief supplies as a Sodaqo minimart may not be available near the affected area or its capacity may not be sufficient to satisfy the demand.…”

An integrative framework of supply chain flexibility

“…Unfortunately, SCF is a complex, multidimensional and hard-to-capture concept. The confusion and ambiguity about SCF seriously inhibit its effective implementation and actualization of its benefits (Singh et al , 2019). The answers to the research question of “do improvements in one supply chain flexibility dimension affect improvements in another?” will be meaningful to practitioners in designing supply chain strategy.…”