Eliciting and representing a supply chain strategy

Abstract

Purpose. The purpose of this paper is two-fold: first, to propose a framework that can be used to represent a supply chain strategy for a business unit in a clear and actionable manner; second, to propose a method that can be used to elicit the factual as is supply chain strategy that a business unit currently has in place. Approach. A framework to represent a supply chain strategy for a business unit was developed through an inductive theory-generation approach. A method to elicit the current as is supply chain strategy of a business unit was developed through collaborative management research projects and validated by several third party projects. Findings. The proposed method and framework were used to elicit the as is supply chain strategy of business units in nine different projects, mostly conducted by third parties. In every case, the validity of the result was confirmed by the business unit. Research limitations. The proposed framework and method have limited scalability beyond a single business unit. Also, they may be less useful when the supply chain strategy is undergoing a dramatic transformation. Originality. The paper proposes a novel way to characterize the supply chain strategy of a business unit as a conceptual system. The paper also proposes an innovative approach to tap into the tacit knowledge of the organization to reveal the patterns of decisions underpinning its current supply chain strategy.