scholarly journals Digital Supply Chain Twins—Conceptual Clarification, Use Cases and Benefits

Logistics ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (4) ◽  
pp. 86
Author(s):  
Benno Gerlach ◽  
Simon Zarnitz ◽  
Benjamin Nitsche ◽  
Frank Straube

Background: Digital supply chain twins (DSCT) are gaining increased attention in academia and practice as they emerge as one of the most important trends in logistics and supply chain management (LSCM). Still, there seems to be no common understanding of the term in scientific literature. Moreover, the broad field of LSCM allows for a multitude of feasible application areas and use cases, yet there exists no conclusive list of them as to date. Methods: This study builds upon a systematic literature review of 66 DSCT articles to identify application areas of DSCT in LSCM as well as specific use cases and their respective intended benefits. Results: To start with, the study derives a unified definition of DSCTs, including possible scopes of applications. Afterwards, five application areas of DSCT in LSCM are synthesized as well as 14 individual use cases and their respective intended benefits. Conclusions: The study leads towards a conceptual clarification of DSCT that is of importance for research and practice alike. For managers it additionally provides up-to-date use cases to guide DSCT applications in practice.

2011 ◽  
Vol 2 (3) ◽  
pp. 30-48 ◽  
Author(s):  
Edward Sweeney

A wide range of definitions of supply chain management (SCM) have been developed over the last three decades. The philosophy of SCM is based firmly on a recognition that it is only by working in a more integrated manner that competitive advantage can be maximised. However, for this to become a reality the development of common definitions and understandings between supply chain partners is a critical success factor. The corollary of this is that a lack of definitional consistency and a common understanding is an inhibitor to the successful adoption of SCM thinking in practice. This paper reviews a number of definitions of SCM, as well as discussions and analyses of such definitions. This leads to the central point posited in the paper – the need for a ‘unified definition’. Such a definitional construct, labelled the Four Fundamentals of SCM, is proposed with the core of the paper providing a narrative description of this construct based on a wide range of literature.


Author(s):  
Edward Sweeney

A wide range of definitions of supply chain management (SCM) have been developed over the last three decades. The philosophy of SCM is based firmly on a recognition that it is only by working in a more integrated manner that competitive advantage can be maximised. However, for this to become a reality the development of common definitions and understandings between supply chain partners is a critical success factor. The corollary of this is that a lack of definitional consistency and a common understanding is an inhibitor to the successful adoption of SCM thinking in practice. This paper reviews a number of definitions of SCM, as well as discussions and analyses of such definitions. This leads to the central point posited in the paper – the need for a ‘unified definition’. Such a definitional construct, labelled the Four Fundamentals of SCM, is proposed with the core of the paper providing a narrative description of this construct based on a wide range of literature.


Author(s):  
Jens K. Roehrich ◽  
Beverly B. Tyler ◽  
Jas Kalra ◽  
Brian Squire

Contracts are a formal mode of governing interorganizational relationships. They specify the terms and conditions of the agreement between two parties, interpret and adapt the relevant legal and industrial norms, serve as framing devices, and establish the rules and norms underpinning the relationship. The objective of this chapter is to synthesize the extant literature on interorganizational contracting to guide future research and practice. This chapter focuses on the three phases of contracting: (1) designing the contracting portfolio; (2) negotiating initial contracts; and (3) managing the relationship using contracts. The chapter explores the key decisions in each phase and the criteria involved in making these decisions. In doing so, it draws on existing research and theoretical frameworks that have contributed to the development of the contracting literature. The chapter also identifies some important and interesting directions for future contracting research and offers suggestions regarding how selected theoretical lenses might guide these endeavors. The principal conclusion is that while the existing research has primarily focused on the structural issues guiding contracting design, a more processual, social, and behavioral focus is required in future developments of the contracting literature.


2018 ◽  
Vol 15 (3) ◽  
pp. 265-287 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bhavana Mathur ◽  
Sumit Gupta ◽  
Makhan Lal Meena ◽  
G.S. Dangayach

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to examine the causal linkages among supply chain practices, effectiveness of supply chain performance (SCP) and organizational performance (OP) in Indian healthcare industries.Design/methodology/approachThis paper is helpful in developing a framework for linking a healthcare supply chain practice to its OP, and thus identifies how such a linkage can be connected to the effectiveness of SCP. Such effort also enables the authors to derive a set of recommended supply chain practices for SC performance.FindingsFrom the literature review, this paper finds that, in the context of Indian healthcare industries, efficient SC performance may play a critical role for overall OP improvement, as there is a close interrelationship between supply chain management (SCM) practices and SCP that may have a more significant effect on OP improvement.Research limitations/implicationsThe principle limitation of the paper is that it is performed only in a particular industry and with a questionnaire survey which could be extended in future for other industries also. Another limitation of the paper is that it is focused only on the SCP of medical device and equipment supply chain which is a small portion of the whole healthcare supply chain, and therefore requires further research covering various other domains of healthcare supply chain. Another limitation of the study is that the sample survey has been taken from only one respondent per company at one point of time which may create biasness in the results. Thus, future research should collect data through multiple members from the organization.Practical implicationsThis study contributes to know the effect of SCM practices on healthcare SCP and provides a practical and useful tool to evaluate the extent of effectiveness of SCP and finally their impact on the healthcare OP. Finally, this study provides conceptual and descriptive literature regarding SCM practices that leads to improvement in healthcare performance.Social implicationsThis study adds to the knowledge on healthcare SCM performance by exploring the relationship between supply chain practices, healthcare SCP and healthcare OP and by developing and testing a research framework thus help in improving patient satisfaction.Originality/valueThis study attempts to show how the potential benefits of supply chain practices can no longer be ignored in healthcare supply chain.


Author(s):  
Yongtao Shen ◽  
Boonsub Panichakarn

Agriculture is widely treated as a base of national economy. The product provides the basic need for human, and its safety and stability are exposed to the constant attention of everyone. With the progress of human science and technology, more and more resources can be extracted from nature, and agricultural products nowadays are not be limited to food, but also be used as raw materials for fuel or other products. Meanwhile, trade between the two regions is often due to a comparative advantage in the production of a product, such as better technology, easier access to raw materials and the like (Dollar & Kraay, 2004). Therefore, agricultural product trade is a very important topic. This study believes that supply chains are an effective way to increase the value of agricultural product trade, for example effectively collaborating makes agricultural products available to end-consumers as quickly as possible. Supply chain management aims to satisfy consumer demands and improve the competitiveness (Dias & Ierapetritou, 2017) in various industries (Oelze et al., 2018). However, there is still blank between agricultural product trade and supply chain academically, figuring out what is agricultural product trade supply chain and what is related to this chain would be essential.


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