Antônio Márcio Tavares Thomé

Sales and operations planning and the firm performance

Purpose - This paper aims to improve upon the highly dispersed sales and operations planning (S&OP) research by integrating the findings of existing studies to identify and measure the size of the effect of S&OP on firm performance. Design/methodology/approach - The methodology adopted was a systematic literature review of 271 abstracts and 55 papers. Three databases were selected for the search – Emerald, EBSCO, and ScienceDirect. Findings - Although empirical evidence of the effects of S&OP in the supply chain is described, relatively few of the 55 papers reviewed estimate the effect of S&OP on firm performance. The research findings indicate a lack of unifying frameworks for the measurement of S&OP and constructs related to firm performance. The review offers partial evidence of the effect of S&OP on firm performance, suggesting the need for additional scientifically sound survey or case study research on S&OP. Practical implications - Practitioners will benefit from insights related to the intermediate role of S&OP in mediating the effects of structural changes on firm performance. There is at least partial evidence that cross-functional planning processes can mitigate the negative effect of misaligned organisational structures and contradictory incentives schemes on firm performance. Formal and informal communications between functions, networking and internal integrating roles can boost performance. Furthermore, internal alignment seems to facilitate supply chain integration with both suppliers and customers, particularly when inter-organisational information systems favour supply chain integration. Originality/value - This paper contributes to providing a better understanding of the role of S&OP as a determinant of firm performance in the supply chain.

Conducting systematic literature review in operations management

Abstract Systematic literature review (SLR) is a well-known research method. However, there is a paucity of detailed SLR guidelines in operations management (OM). The recent interest in SLR in OM has not been followed by the same rigour observed in disciplines as medical sciences and public policy. There are no OM-specific SLR protocols, detailed step-by-step methods and reporting procedures. Therefore, this paper provides a step-by-step approach to SLR for OM scholars and an overview of SLR’s evolution as a research method in OM and the resulting progression of themes. The step-by-step approach aims to serve as a guideline sufficiently broad to avoid skipping any significant step, but still being easy to be understood and applied. The paper describes procedures for rigourous SLR, reveals a growing use of literature review in OM, specially for qualitative SLR and traditional narrative reviews, assesses contemporary and emerging themes in OM, and provides a research agenda.

Collaborative planning, forecasting and replenishment: a literature review

Purpose - – The purpose of this paper is to provide a systematic review of the literature on Collaborative Planning, Forecasting and Replenishment (CPFR). The review emphasises the descriptors of CPFR implementation and models, as well as the impact of CPFR and other supply chain collaboration (SCC) initiatives on supply chain (SC) performance. Design/methodology/approach - – The systematic review includes 50 full-text papers retrieved from four databases: Emerald, EBSCO, ScienceDirect and Wiley. Rigorous and verifiable keywords, review steps and selection criteria were applied to the database and inter-coders agreement was systematically checked. Findings - – There is no consensus regarding the breadth and scope of CPFR configurations. CPFR is context-dependent and varies according to the configuration of the SC. Trust, information-communication technology and the quality of information sharing are main enablers and inhibitors of implementation. Practical implications - – Practitioners will benefit from insights related to the choice of SCC configurations (e.g. number of partners, nature of products and spatial complexity), the importance of trust and empowerment for SCC and the need to outweigh carefully the costs and benefits of specific SCC before implementation. Originality/value - – CPFR, which is considered by many to be the most advanced and the most comprehensive SCC process and has a direct impact upon SC performance. Nonetheless, efforts to synthesise the overall state of the art in CPFR have been rather limited to date. As an effort to fill this gap, this paper provides a better understanding of the role of CPFR as a determinant of SC performance. As an effort to contribute to complete the cycle of theory building based on the literature review, seven propositions for CPFR research are put forward.

Sustainable infrastructure: A review and a research agenda

This paper proposes a taxonomy of themes and a research agenda on sustainable infrastructure, with a focus on sustainable buildings (SB) and green infrastructure (GI). The citation databases of Web of Science formed the basis for a novel strategic thematic analysis of co-citation and co-occurrence of keywords with a longitudinal identification of themes during the last two decades (from 1995 to 2015) of an emerging and ever growing research area. SI is a multidisciplinary endeavour, including a diversified array of disciplines as general engineering, environmental ecology, construction, architecture, urban planning, and geography. This paper traces that the number of publications in SI is growing exponentially since 2003. Over 80% of total citations are concentrated in less than 10% of papers spread over a large number of journals. Most publications originate from the United States, Europe, Australia, and Asia. The main research streams in SI are green infrastructure, sustainable buildings, and assessment methods. Emerging and prevailing research themes include methodological issues of cost-effectiveness, project management and assessment tools. Substantive issues complement the research agenda of emerging themes in the areas of integration of human, economic and corporate social responsibility values in environmental sustainability, urban landscape and sustainable drainage systems, interdisciplinary research in green material, integrated policy research in urbanization, agriculture and nature conservation, and extensions of Green Building (GB) and GI to cities of developing countries.

Systematic review and meta-regression analysis of technical efficiency in dairy farms

Purpose - – The purpose of this paper is to complement and extend previous literature reviews on Technical Efficiency (TE) in dairy farms, analysing the effects of different methodologies and study-specific characteristics on Mean TE (MTE). Design/methodology/approach - – The researchers independently conducted a systematic review of more than 400 abstracts and 85 full-text papers. Original keywords were applied to seven key electronic databases. Results from a meta-regression analysis of 85 published papers totalling 443 TE distributions in dairy farms worldwide are discussed. Findings - – The variation in the MTE indexes reported in the literature can be explained by the methodology of estimations (method of estimation, functional form of frontier models, model dimensionality), the farms geographical location and farm size. Additionally, the results suggest that, given the state of technology prevailing in each country at the time that the studies on TE were conducted, dairy farmers in the sample could increase milk output by 20.9 per cent (level of inefficiency), on average, if they produce on their frontiers. Originality/value - – This study makes two important contributions: first, it updates and compares previous works on frontier estimation of TE in dairy farms; and second, it adds two dimensions of dairy farms, size (herd and land area) and economic development, to the known differentials of TE measurement.

A case method for Sales and Operations Planning: a learning experience from Germany

Abstract Adequate preparation, learning, and training is required for Sales and Operations Planning (S&OP) to aid organizations in achieving the full expected benefits from its implementation. This paper presents a case method for S&OP and the learning experience of its application at the University of Munster (Germany). The “constructive alignment principle” was applied with a “team teaching” approach, involving an executive from the case company. Students improved their knowledge on S&OP and their analytical skills by understanding the conceptual S&OP building blocks and by learning how to deal with them to provide a solution for a case based on a real-life situation. The learning results were evaluated positively during the discipline’s student evaluation of teaching (SET). The applied case method enhanced the student’s motivation and engagement (e.g., higher preparation effort and class attendance), which were considered higher than in other disciplines with the traditional lecture-based education.

Technical efficiency in dairy farms: Research framework, literature classification and research agenda

This systematic literature review integrates the findings of existing studies regarding technical efficiency (TE) in dairy farms. The purpose of this paper is to offer a research framework that assembles TE descriptors, a classification of previous literature that provides the basis for the synthesis and research agenda.,This paper systematically reviews 86 survey research studies using rigorous and reproducible procedures. The review is applied to published survey research.,The framework relates context, inputs, outputs and metrics of TE. There is no agreement among the authors on the context and determinants of TE. The main determinants of TE are geographical location, farm size, investments in veterinary care, feeding and milking practice, TE model estimation techniques, public policy, and management-related variables. This paper offers ten propositions for future research on the controversial results on the determinants of TE. The authors also explore the reasons for the discrepant results based on the Debreu-Farrell’s definition of TE, the contingency theory and the resource-based view of the firm, elucidating the literature and serving as a basis for future investigation. Implications for dairy farmers and researchers close the review.,Meta-analysis and meta-regression studies were long at the forefront of reviews in the TE of dairy farms. This paper offers a novel qualitative research synthesis with frameworks and the classification of previous literature and a research agenda, which provides a new and different perspective for analysis, by innovating over the available quantitative procedures to combine statistical results.

Time series analysis with explanatory variables: A systematic literature review

Abstract Time series analysis with explanatory variables encompasses methods to model and predict correlated data taking into account additional information, known as exogenous variables. A thorough search in literature returned a dearth of systematic literature reviews (SLR) on time series models with explanatory variables. The main objective is to fill this gap by applying a rigorous and reproducible SLR and a bibliometric analysis to study the evolution of this area over time. The study resulted in the identification of the main methods of time series that incorporate input variables per knowledge area and methodology. The largest number of papers belongs to environmental sciences, followed by economics and health. Regression model is the method with the highest number of applications, followed by Artificial Neural Networks and Support Vector Machines, which experienced rapid and recent growth. A research agenda in time series analysis with exogenous variables closes the paper.

Framework de Value Stream Mapping a partir de uma Revisão Sistemática da Literatura

O Value Stream Mapping (VSM) e uma das ferramentas de Lean Manufacturing que tem sido amplamente discutido na literatura para mapeamento de processos de producao e servicos com foco em reducao de desperdicios. Apesar da crescente quantidade de publicacoes sobre o tema, a literatura academica evidencia a ausencia de uma pesquisa sistematica que apresente o estado da arte. Desta forma, este artigo, por meio de uma revisao sistematica e criteriosa da literatura, objetiva reunir informacoes sobre o VSM de forma a identificar suas principais caracteristicas, tendencias e oportunidades para novos desdobramentos e pesquisas futuras. A revisao inclui 263 resumos e 91 artigos selecionados para a revisao e classificacao. A estudo propoe uma sintese, em forma de framework, que apresenta como VSM e adotado em determinados contextos e motivacoes, tracando um melhor entendimento de como a ferramenta e implementada e as respectivas saidas e resultados que podem ser gerados.