Ann Vereecke

Leveraging the impact of supply chain integration through information technology

Purpose n n n n nCompanies increasingly exchange information to work more closely with supply chain partners. Although information exchange is a critical element for up- and downstream partnerships, the purpose of this paper is to indicate that it is not a guarantee for improved performance and should be combined with other integration tactics to fully capture its benefits. n n n n nDesign/methodology/approach n n n n nUsing a global sample in the industrial sector, a moderated mediation framework for both upstream and downstream integration, which links integration tactics to operational performance, was empirically tested. n n n n nFindings n n n n nThis research shows that operational integration is indispensable to capture the benefits of information exchange. In addition, it points out that the impact of the use of information technology (IT) is stronger for upstream integration. n n n n nPractical implications n n n n nWhile the data show that the use of IT significantly improves the delivery performance in the supply chain, it also signals to managers how and when to invest in supply chain integration tactics. n n n n nOriginality/value n n n n nThis paper contributes to a better understanding of the supply chain integration-performance link, by clarifying some of the inconsistencies in previous literature and by simultaneously analyzing upstream and downstream implications.

Reservation and allocation policies for influenza vaccines

This research investigates the impact of alternative allocation mechanisms that can be employed in the context of vaccine inventory rationing. Available vaccine inventory can be allocated to arrivals from high priority (target groups such as healthcare professionals) and low priority (non-target groups) demand classes using Partitioned Allocation (PA), Standard Nesting (SN), and Theft Nesting (TN). In any one of the mechanisms, a part of the available inventory is reserved for the exclusive use of the high priority demand class. They differ, however, in how the unreserved portion of the inventory is utilized: Under PA, demand from the high (low) priority class consumes only the reserved (unreserved) quantity. Under SN, demand from the high priority class first consumes the reserved quantity; once and if this quantity is exhausted, high priority demand competes with low priority demand for the remaining inventory. Under TN the sequence of allocation is reversed: both demand classes first compete for the unreserved inventory. Once this portion of inventory is exhausted, high priority demand is fulfilled from the reserved inventory and low priority demand is rejected. We develop service level (probability of fulfilling the entire demand) and fill rate (fraction of demand fulfilled) expressions for all three allocation mechanisms. Based on these expressions, numerical analyses are conducted to illustrate which allocation mechanism a health planner should choose depending on the availability of vaccines, and how the health planner should set the reserved quantity for the high priority class. We observe that (1) there exist certain conditions under which one of the allocation mechanisms outperforms the others and (2) this effect is determined by the decision maker’s choice of the performance measure.

Organising for supply chain management

Many companies have introduced the supply chain function in their organisation. Little attention, however, is devoted to the way the supply chain function is organised, e.g. the range of responsibilities it has, the position it occupies in the hierarchy and the skills it requires. The literature on this is scarce. This paper provides initial benchmarking data on company decisions regarding the roles and responsibilities of their supply chain managers and how the various supply chain tasks are coordinated and integrated. Our empirical study in the food, pharmaceutical, and chemical industries shows that differences in supply chain organisational structures are not random. We find that the way the supply chain function is organised seems to depend on the industry and its complexity and, we might speculate, on the strategy of the organisation. By highlighting and trying to explain these differences, we hope to raise top management awareness regarding the structuring options for their supply chain function and the importance of this issue for the organisation.