Juliana Hsuan

Complementary theories to supply chain management

Purpose – The paper seeks to discuss and develop SCM as a scientific discipline using different theories from non-logistics areas to explain interorganizational phenomena. It also attempts to establish a frame of reference that allows us to mitigate the gap between the current SCM research and practice and the theoretical explanations of how to structure and manage supply chains. Design/methodology/approach – The paper introduces three different perspectives that together will contribute to a broader understanding of SCM in practice: an economic perspective; a socio-economic perspective; and a strategic perspective. The theoretical framework is applied to two important research topics within SCM: third party logistics (TPL); and new product development (NPD). Findings – There is no such thing as “a unified theory of SCM”. Depending on the concrete situation, one can choose one theory as the dominant explanatory theory, and then complement it with one or several of the other theoretical perspectives. Research limitations/implications – The way the four theories complement one another is explored on a conceptual basis, but further research into this direction may explore more deeply how these alleged complementarities occur in practice, and how managers mould their decisions by these ideas. Practical implications – The four theories can provide normative support to important management decisions in supply chains, such as outsourcing, safeguards against opportunism, and alignment of incentives. Originality/value – The main contribution is that one cannot rely on one theoretical explanation when analyzing phenomena in SCM. It is neccessary to consider several theories and how they may complement one another in order to provide a more comprehensive view of SCM.

Service Architecture and Modularity

An understanding of the nature of service architecture and modularity is crucial to service design and innovation. Two sets of approaches are developed that further our understanding and support decision making. First is a systematic decomposition approach to architecture modeling that allows organizations to understand their current architecture, evaluate alternative architectures, and identify key interfaces between different parts of the service. Second, the article develops a service modularity function (SMF), a mathematical model indicating the degree of modularity deriving from unique services and the degree to which the modules can be replicated across a variety of services. Three areas are identified that can contribute to competitiveness: the possession of unique service modules or elements not easily copied in the short term by competitors; the ability to exploit these through replication across multiple services and/or multiple sites; and the presence of a degree of modularity, which in turn supports both customization and rapid new product development. The SMF can support decision making in the design of services and the exploitation of service innovation. In particular, the relationship between architecture and modularity and the roles of service contact personnel in the customization of services is shown to be complementary. It is proposed that service customization can be either combinatorial (the combination of a set of service processes and products to create a unique service) or menu driven (the selection of one or more services from a set of existing services/products to meet customer needs).

Complementary Theories to Supply Chain Management Revisited: From Borrowing Theories to Theorizing

Purpose Supply chain management (SCM) suffers as well as benefits from a ‘conceptual slack’. The aim of this paper is to identify ways by which the theorizing of SCM takes place, with particular attention to complementary theories. Design/methodology/approach The nature of SCM is discussed, and the role and relevance of theorizing is addressed by using key characteristics of ‘academic scholarship’ based on a literature review of SCM and evaluation of application of theory and theory development. Findings The integrative and multi-layered nature of SCM sets the conditions for ‘theorizing SCM’ that can take place through various forms: theory application, new theoretical combinations, and sensitivity to managerial practice. It is pivotal that future research explore further the performative potential of SCM. Research limitations/implications Research with focus on theory development or using complementary theories to advancing understanding of SCM can benefit from the five building blocks of theorizing SCM proposed in the paper. Practical implications Theoretical principles in SCM are not only used to describe practical problems, but also used to ‘produce the world’; supply chains can be seen as organizational units that act or consummate an action that delivers a particular performance. Originality/value We portray SCM sensitivity to managerial challenges by moving from borrowing to a more bilateral view on theorizing of SCM, reflecting the nature of SCM.

Introduction to innovation within and across borders: : A review and future directions

Innovation is an integral part of every firms ongoing operations. While new product and service creation is an essential task to ensure a firms immediate success in the marketplace, process and supply chain innovations can also create a unique source of competitive advantage for the future. Encouraging innovative thinking, developing new innovations, and managing the processes by which those innovations are developed are critical aspects of todays firm. Consequently, research which aids in the creation and maintenance of innovative firms is an important topic of inquiry for research communities on innovation management, including the operations management and information systems communities. We review the literature in this important area and offer suggestions for future research on the following topics: innovation within a firm and across the supply chain, technology management, and new product and service development.

Collaborative purchasing of complex technologies in healthcare

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to investigate how buyers and the vendors pursue alignment in collaborative purchasing (CP) of complex medical technologies. Design/methodology/approach – Through a literature review in CP, the paper identify factors for shareholder alignment (i.e. aligning the needs of the buyers within the purchasing group) and customer alignment (i.e. aligning buyers’ needs with the vendors offering strategies) and investigate how they manifest in the case of CP of complex technology in the Danish National Healthcare System. Findings – Shareholder alignment requires appropriate management of the relationships, expertise and guidance in simplifying procedures and effective management of the purchasing group. Customer alignment is facilitated by buyers’ understating of the vendor’s design options, which are moderated by the vendor’s design strategies. Research limitations/implications – The findings and generalizations from a single case study are limited to the complexity of the pu...

Service Science: The Opportunity to Re-think What We Know About Service Design

The evolution of service science or Service Science, Management and Engineering – SSME, provides us with a platform to critically review the area of service design. The drivers for this include the lack of cross-disciplinary writing on service design, the limitations of the treatment of service design as an extension of product design and the dominance of B2C and neglect of B2B design. Three perspectives are used: service delivery systems, service architecture including modularity and platforms, and the service supply chain/network. Empirical examples are provided and a service modularity function is developed. It is argued that an important role of SSME is to be able to link the operationally based service architectures and resulting design methods and information system (IS) architectures, and that there is a need to develop a combined view of the physical, organisational, and IS architectures of services.

Service modularity and architecture – an overview and research agenda

Purpose Services are highly important in a world economy which has increasingly become service driven. There is a growing need to better understand the possibilities for, and requirements of, designing modular service architectures. The purpose of this paper is to elaborate on the roots of the emerging research stream on service modularity, provide a concise overview of existing work on the subject, and outline an agenda for future research on service modularity and architecture. The articles in the special issue offer four diverse sets of research on service modularity and architecture. Design/methodology/approach The paper is built on a literature review mapping the current body of literature on the topic and developing future research directions in service modularity and architecture. Findings The growing focus on services has triggered needs to investigate the suitability and implementation of physical-product-focused modularity principles and theories in service contexts, and to search for principles/theories that enhance services. The expanding research stream has explored various aspects of service modularity in empirical contexts. Future research should focus on service-specific modularity theories and principles, platform-based and mass-customized service business models, comparative research designs, customer perspectives and service experience, performance in context of modular services, empirical evidence of benefits and challenges, architectural innovation in services, modularization in multi-provider contexts, and modularity in hybrid offerings combining service and tangible product modules. Originality/value Nine areas are recommended for further research on service modularity and architecture. The introductory piece also discusses the roots of service modularity and provides an overview of current contributions.

Exploring modularity in services: cases from tourism

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine how modularity manifests in the design of services. The study brings new insights on the organization of service firms by empirically exploring and theoretically advancing the intersection of modularity and service design. Design/methodology/approach The paper compares two companies that offer similar services in the same geographical region but represent polar case types. A framework grounded on extant literature is constructed and applied to the two cases to assess its practicality and provide theoretical insights. Findings The paper demonstrates the effects of modularity and integrality on a range of different analytical levels in service architectures. Taking a holistic approach, the authors synthesize and empirically deploy a framework comprised of the three most prevalent themes in modularity and service design literature: Offering (service concept), intra-firm organization (service delivery system), and inter-firm relationships (service network). They posit that service architectures require the examination of different analytical levels due to the complex and dynamic nature of service business. Additionally, the analysis provides new insights on the mirroring hypothesis of modularity theory to services. Originality/value The paper provides a conceptualization of service architectures drawing on service design, modularity, and market relationships. The study enriches service design literature with elements from modularity theory and elaborates on the theoretical implications of service modularity in general.

Technological Innovations: Impacts on Supply Chains

Supply chains have benefitted tremendously from digital and transportation technologies over the years. Advanced IT systems have enhanced inventory and demand visibility and facilitated communications with global partners and customers, while transportation technologies have improved the speed and efficiency necessary to transport goods globally. However, dramatic changes in both of these areas are on the horizon. The emergence of new technologies such as 3D printing, virtual reality, autonomous vehicles, drones, and the Internet of Things (IoT) will force the next big wave of changes in global supply chains. While some of these technologies have been adopted by individual firms, many questions remain concerning how these technologies will drive new supply chain policies, business models, and regulations in the future. To illustrate, while technologies such as autonomous vehicles and IoT facilitate supply chain efficiency and transparency, they also increase the risk of compromising data security. In this chapter, we offer a brief overview of each of these emerging technologies and summarize the impact on the supply chain. We intend for this chapter to spur interest and research into not only these technologies and their impact on supply chains, but also into envisioning the supply chains of the future.