Jean Nollet

Adapting Purchasing to Supply Chain Management

Predicts that in the decade ahead, the purchasing function will have to shed its service and operational perspective and take on the challenge of effective contribution to organizational goals and strategies. Describes how, in this evolution, the make or buy decision and increasing reliance on outsourcing will change the purchasing manager into a manager of integrated operations.

Issues on partnering: evidences from subcontracting in aeronautics

Abstract This article presents the findings of exploratory research on technology transfer and subcontracting in aeronautics. The purpose of this research is to explore the impact that the type of subcontracting agreement (otherwise partnering characteristics) could have on the level of technology transfer occurring between a main contractor and its subcontractors. The scope and the nature of technology flows taking place through equipment acquisition or know-how and the complexities arising from the way the subcontracting relationships are managed are considered. The aeronautical industry was selected because it is technology-intensive and presents technology transfers. In our sample we observe that: (1) the main contractor and its subcontractors do not necessarily develop the same perceptions of their subcontracting agreements; (2) the technology transfer flows are mainly unidirectional, going from the main contractor to its subcontractors; and (3) partnering seems to be an idealized condition rather than a reality. The managerial implications of our findings are discussed.

The impact of the supply chain on core competencies and knowledge management: directions for future research

In today’s increasingly competitive business environment, the implementation of technological innovations (products or processes) can rarely be done in isolation. More and more, companies must network with each other to pool resources and knowledge, allowing for the creation of competitive advantages. They may join various networks, but their supply chain network is deemed as a natural and more stable one. Many articles have been published on the importance and the impacts of supply chain performance. However, this article brings an integrated view to these concepts. First, it shows how the concepts of the resource-based view and knowledge management fit together. Then, it summarises the principles supporting supply chain management, and it integrates the conclusions of a number of studies dealing with knowledge management and supply chain management. Finally, the article suggests and discusses some key research questions that could lead to a more integrated research stream.

Professional Service Firms and Total Quality Management:A Good Fit?

A recent managerial trend is the move towards total quality management (TQM) in all economic sectors: manufacturing, service, public and now the professional services. Successful implementation of TQM requires that staff in adopting organizations change how they work and, in particular, how they relate to customers and co‐workers. However, professionals have several characteristics that make them difficult to manage. Examines some potential difficulties in the TQM approach as it applies to professional service firms, describes some successes and discusses some implementation issues.

Reverse Logistics Networks and Governance Structures

Over the last few years, the management of reverse logistics has become increasingly important for organizations and a field of interest for researchers. We observe that the implementation and coordination of reverse logistics networks call for original responses with regard to their governance structure. In this context, the research question for this article is which factors explain the existence and contribution of different governance structures in reverse logistics. Our research is exploratory in nature, and we look at the following reverse logistics networks: recycling of used tires, empty beer bottles, used paint, and paper products. Some of our case studies feature original arrangements where additional stakeholders, such as government organizations and dedicated third parties, become involved in the governance of reverse logistics networks and modify the natural relationships normally observed in traditional supply chains.

Streamlining humanitarian and peacekeeping supply chains

Purpose – Over the last decade, temporary supply chains (TSCs) have become a well-recognized logistics model. In TSCs, supply chain members are organized for an ad hoc project; they pool resources in order to make the project successful. Although it might be perceived that TSCs are unstable due to their temporary nature, this paper aims to discuss how TSCs can be managed so as to be both stable and agile, while achieving the stated objectives; since the stability-agility context could be really challenging in humanitarian and peacekeeping supply chains, this is the one that has been selected. Design/methodology/approach – The authors reviewed the literature, research reports and electronic documents on humanitarian and peacekeeping supply chains, to understand the main challenges in terms of managerial and social impacts of logistical operations in a disaster context. Findings – The disaster context is very peculiar, since it requires tremendous agility when a natural or man-made catastrophe hits, so that...

Productivity in Professional Services

This article reviews several published articles in the management of accounting, dentistry, engineering, law, and medicine, as well as some more general articles to reveal techniques of general applicability in the enhancement of productivity in professional services. It starts by briefly discussing recent developments in the service sector and the relevant differences between goods and services (especially professional services). The main body of the article summarises what is known about operating a professional service productively. The techniques are grouped into nine categories, most of which are commonly found in the productivity literature. The article concludes that high productivity in professional services begins with management focusing on productivity, followed by designing the right service with the right delivery system, using assistants and automation wherever appropriate. It also concludes that the professions have a lot in common from a managerial viewpoint. The article concludes with som...

Power Relationships and Their Impact on Competency Development

This article studies the impacts of various types of buyer-supplier relationships on competency development. For this exploratory study, data were collected using a questionnaire administered to 25 procurement professionals in various industries. Results indicate that a buyer who is the dominant party in the relationship achieves a much higher level of competency development than the supplier. When the supplier has the upper hand, however, the buyer tends to develop more competencies than when the supplier is the dominated party. One important managerial implication is the potential for suppliers to focus more on competency development when they feel that the buyer is in the dominant position.

Purchasing of logistical services: a new view of LSPs’ proactive strategies

Purpose The purpose of this viewpoint is to analyze the emergence of a modified equilibrium in the relationship between buyers (“shippers”) and suppliers (“providers”) of logistical services. In the 1990s, the logistical service providers (LSPs) had relatively little power and were often asked to perform basic operations. The situation has evolved as a result of proactive strategies implemented by some forward-thinking LSPs. In this viewpoint, the emphasis is on the strategies developed by shippers which the authors labeled the “ramp effect”. Design/methodology/approach The authors discuss the impact of the ramp effect on LSPs’ innovation processes. This viewpoint is based on the authors’ experience in the field, on a literature review focused on the logistics industry and on the purchasing strategies applied to logistical services. Findings The authors show that the buyers of logistical services have lost some of their power because of two main factors: LSPs’ embeddedness in the shipper’s supply chain and the transformation of LSPs into orchestrators (labeled fourth-party logistics). This viewpoint discusses the relational disequilibrium between shippers and LSPs rather than the cooperative relationships between them. Originality/value The ramp effect as a source of innovation and proactive strategies for LSPs has never been covered in the management literature. This viewpoint provides both academics and practitioners with a different perspective of the relational disequilibrium between buyers and sellers of logistical services.

L’impact des technologies de linformatioi sur les structures de gestion des achats : des leçons pour la gestion de la chaîne logistique

Le déploiement d’une chaîne logistique performante exige une adéquation appropriée avec les structures organisationnelles. Le domaine des achats a justement produit des études sur le sujet qui peuvent inspirer les réflexions des gestionnaires de la chaîne logistique. Souvent, les études dans ce dernier domaine tendent à classifier les structures comme étant centralisées ou décentralisées. Cependant, la réalité est plus complexe. D’abord, entre ces deux options extrêmes, il existe une variété de structures hybrides. Ensuite, d’autres dimensions doivent être intégrées à la configuration d’une structure, notamment la formalisation et la spécialisation. Par ailleurs, les technologies de l’information (TI) peuvent contribuer au déploiement de structures plus complexes. Leur apport a été étudié dans une multitude de contextes, mais très peu dans le domaine de la gestion des achats. Une étude de cas retraçant une expérience de mise en œuvre d’une structure de gestion des achats dans une société internationale de services financiers permet de dégager des observations intéressantes à ce sujet. Les résultats de cette étude indiquent que dans ce cas : 1) la structure est nettement le fruit d’une stratégie délibérée permettant de rehausser la contribution de la fonction achats ; 2) les TI facilitent un découpage entre les décisions d’exécution et les décisions de contrôle, ce qui peut favoriser simultanément la centralisation et la décentralisation de la structure ; 3) avec l’apport des TI, la centralisation d’une activité ne signifie pas nécessairement sa déconnection de la base opérationnelle ; 4) les TI renforcent le formalisme de l’organisation. Nos travaux indiquent aux gestionnaires des achats et de la logistique qu’au-delà des schémas traditionnellement analysés, ils peuvent maintenant envisager de nouvelles structures qui leur permettront de tenir compte des objectifs à atteindre, tout en visant une plus grande efficacité.