Proposing a Supply Chain Collaboration Framework for Synchronous Flow Implementation in the Automotive Industry: A Moroccan Case Study

Abstract

The present paper reports on studying synchronous flow implementation, as a lean supply chain tools, through a collaborative relationship with suppliers. This involves consolidating with a new contribution to the development and application of a supply chain collaboration framework between automotive constructor and first-tier equipment suppliers to achieve the synchronous flow of components. The objective is to provide the automotive companies with a decision-making tool for selecting strategic suppliers to collaborate with, examining the collaboration context in terms of motivators, drivers, and barriers and evaluating the collaboration performance. Therefore, our contribution is structured as follows. As a first step, an overview of papers reporting on collaboration, lean supply chain, and synchronous flow is provided to identify the key elements of successful collaboration relationships. As a result, a preliminary framework is elaborated. The second step described the case study of a leading automotive firm “RENAULT” and its suppliers in Morocco. Based on semi-structured interviews conducted with participants from these companies, the preliminary framework was improved. The next section discusses the obtained results as well as the improved framework. Finally, conclusions and suggestions for further works are included.

Analysis and modeling of supply chain management of fresh products based on genetic algorithm

“…It is call Pareto-optimal installation or non-dominated installation. Target-programming, target attainment, direction method and distance- method can be used as resolving multi-level issue (Mark et al 2020 ; Lee et al 2016 ). In this paper, genetic algorithm was used to acquire Pareto-optimal resolving for multi-level target.…”

Special Issue “Modeling of Supply Chain Systems”

“…al. [4], the authors investigate a vertical collaborative model across an automotive constructor and first-tier equipment suppliers. The key factors impacting a successful collaboration are first established.…”

“…Highly optimized supply chain processes are risk abound. For instance, these processes may not allow for large inventory buffering as in the automotive case study introduced in [4]. Resources and lead times optimization can also result in narrow risk margins [5].…”

Lean supply chain management and Industry 4.0 interrelationships: the status quo and future perspectives

“…Lean is a management system that has grown from its primary purpose as a set of tools in the manufacturing field [for instance, Just in Time (JIT)] to a human-centric systems perspective that can be used in any process and any environment (for example, LM) (Alefari et al , 2017). Lean management’s main goal is to produce high-quality products that satisfy demanding customers with as few resources as possible (Kadarova and Demecko, 2016; Ibn El Farouk et al , 2020), as Lean definition tends to vary based on the perspective and application from which we desire to define it. For example, LM is a production method based on the philosophy of increasing productivity while reducing waste in a production process (Psomas and Antony, 2019).…”