Richard Cuthbertson

Introduction to the Special Issue Information Technology in Retail: Toward Omnichannel Retailing

The increased deployment of new technologies such as smart mobile devices and social networks and the growing importance of in-store technological solutions create new opportunities and challenges for retailers. As the line between online and physical channels is blurred, a new approach to channel integration is emerging—the omnichannel, which aims to deliver a seamless customer experience regardless of the channel. This introduction presents the results of focus group discussions on the role of information technology in retail, new business models, and the future role of traditional stores as e-commerce advances. Key issues that emerged from the discussion include the need for channel integration, the impact of mobile technologies, the growing role of social media, the changing role of physical brick-and-mortar stores, the need to respond to diverse customer requirements, the balance between personalization and privacy, and, finally, supply chain redesign. The four papers in this Special Issue explore these themes further.

Performance measurement systems in supply chains: A framework for contextual analysis

Purpose - The purpose of this article is to propose a common framework for the empirical analysis of supply chain performance measurement systems used in different supply chain contexts. Design/methodology/approach - This is a conceptual paper, which includes an extensive literature review and an illustrative case study. The content, context, process framework is applied to structure the body of knowledge and the case study. Findings - Supply chain performance measurement is a context-dependent process, tailored to specific supply chain requirements. To understand how a performance measurement system in a supply chain has developed and is used there is a need to capture its context, process and content. Research limitations/implications - The framework is illustrated by a single case study. Further empirical research is required to fully appreciate the breadth of application of this framework. Practical implications - The proposed framework can help to develop performance measurement systems that are suitable for certain organisational and supply chain contexts in which a company operates, as well as to compare different systems used across different supply chains. Originality/value - The paper demonstrates an approach for analysing existing supply chain performance measurement systems that can be applied across different supply chains and sectors. This will create an opportunity to use a consistent data collection process across a variety of supply chain situations and thus generate data for further theory development.

Supply chain best practices – identification and categorisation of measures and benefits

Purpose - This research aims to identify, categorise and compare supply chain measures and benefits listed in literature-based case studies that were named as “best practices”. Design/methodology/approach - The research applies iterative triangulation which is a method used to build theories from existing case studies. Selected case studies collected by project partners are used as a source of secondary data. The paper applies various approaches to classifying supply chains as well as identifying the difference between measures proposed in the literature and those used by case companies. Findings - The analysis of the selected sample of cases indicated that the most common measures were related to economic aspects and to operational level activities. There is a lack of shared supply chain measures at the inter-organizational level, while social and environmental aspects are largely ignored. Originality/value - The majority of the measures identified in the collected cases were economic (relating to cost, time, quality and customer). Metrics at an operational level dominate, while supply chain metrics are hardly used. Findings indicate that current performance measurement approaches do not generally include social and environmental issues, which are becoming increasingly important in business.

Sustainability – a new dimension in information systems evaluation

This paper received Outstanding Paper Award 2010, Emerald Literati Network Awards for Excellence Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to introduce sustainability as a new dimension of information systems (IS) evaluation. Customers, policymakers and business partners increasingly require the monitoring and reporting of the organisational impact on sustainability. However, traditional IS evaluation approaches are not able to capture the impact of information technology (IT)/IS on sustainability, especially in relation to social and environmental dimensions, so the authors want to stimulate discussion and research related to this area. Design/methodology/approach - This paper is conceptual. However, it is based on the results of an existing related research project focussed on supply chain evaluation. Findings In order to stimulate discussion and research, the authors propose a framework that was originally developed to evaluate supply chain practices, in which IS often play a major role. The framework is built on three dimensions economic, social and environmental which are divided further into three sub-dimensions. It can be used as a starting point to develop a framework for sustainability-oriented IS evaluation. Research limitations/implications - The framework was originally developed for supply chain evaluation; however, it has generic features that can be adjusted or modified in order to be applied to a whole range of IT/IS initiatives Practical implications - Sustainability and its new dimensions create new challenges for information systems evaluation. Companies require frameworks and tools that can help them to measure and evaluate the impact of IS on sustainability. The researchers role is to answer such needs and focus on this emerging research topic; this paper aims to stimulate such research. Originality/value - Sustainability is a new dimension in IT/IS evaluation. Current approaches do not include all sustainability dimensions (environmental aspects are excluded, evaluation of the social impact is limited). This paper is based on the paper submitted by the authors for the European and Mediterranean Conference on Information Systems EMCIS 2008, 25-26 May, Al Bostan Rotana, Dubai (ISVN 978-1-902316-58-1). For more details about EMCIS, please visit www.emcis.org

Sustainable Supply Chain Management

A – MINOR REQUIREMENTS – 18 HOURS (18 advanced) A minor in Sustainable Supply Chain Management will provide students with the knowledge, skills and practices essential for operational decision making from a sustainability perspective. All three aspects of sustainability – economic, social and environmental – are emphasized. Graduates may be employed in either manufacturing or service organizations in the areas of supply chain, distribution, retail operations, or environmental management.

Online retail loyalty strategies

This paper investigates how e-tailers design and implement their loyalty marketing strategies. The majority of the research was carried out via interviews with directors or senior managers from multi-channel and pure-play online retailers from across the world, and supported by secondary research. The main finding is that the loyalty marketing strategy employed is dependent upon the fundamental structure of the retailer-customer relationship. Other findings indicate that the importance of new customer acquisition and customer retention (loyalty) online depends on how long the retailer has been operating online; customer loyalty is created by implementing actions throughout the firm, rather than just relying on isolated marketing actions; communications with the customer should be at a frequency relative to customer purchasing frequency; and successful e-tailing practices consists of continually measuring and modelling customer sales, satisfaction and value, both in terms of absolute figures and trends.

Fitness map: a classification of internal strategic fit in service organisations

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to investigate the relationship between internal strategic fit and business performance, propose six classifications of internal fit using the “strategic map” managerial framework and identify how firms should best move from one classification to another and the impact that these changes will have on business performance. Design/methodology/approach – Empirical research was conducted in 12 service organisations. Based on these findings, two fit-performance relationships were identified and the “fitness map” framework was developed showing six classifications of fit. Findings – The alignment of operations strategy within an organisation is significantly and positively related to market share, whereas, the alignment of the service delivery system is significantly and positively related to return on sales. However, neither the alignment of the operations strategy nor the service delivery system appears to have a relationship with return on investment. Six classifications of internal strategic fit emerged: poorly aligned organisations are either “understanding processes” or “understanding markets”, medium-fit companies are “managing processes” or “developing service offerings” and well-aligned firms are “leveraging services and process capabilities” or “leveraging markets and design capabilities”. Practical implications – The fit-performance relationships show how changes in the alignment of operations strategy and delivery system impact business performance differently. Using this knowledge, practitioners can use the “strategic map” framework to identify their classification of fit and understand how it has been created, benchmark their level of fit against other businesses, understand how to move from one level of fit to another and how these decisions will impact business performance. Originality/value – The papers findings start to address the gap in the literature on internal strategic fit within service organisations and meet the need for more management tools to help businesses develop strategies, understand the level of fit they create and how they can impact business performance.

Performance measurement and metrics in supply chains: an exploratory study

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to explore the approaches and metrics used to measure supply chain (SC) performance, and to understand the relative perceived importance of such measures. Design/methodology/approach – This research is based on empirical data captured through a survey of SC professionals in a variety of business sectors. Findings – The research confirms the importance of the balanced scorecard (BSC) approach, with BSC, SCOR and economic value added being the most commonly used tools. Economic metrics dominate, focused on cost and customer service. While social and environmental-related measures are of emerging importance, they appear to be of similar importance to economic metrics only when backed up by a legal obligation. Research limitations/implications – The small sample of 51 companies was based on access and the group is not wholly representative of all businesses. Respondents were mainly managers from EU countries involved in procurement, logistics and transport activities. Su...

Technology-based innovation for independent living: policy and innovation in the United Kingdom, Scandinavia, and the United States.

Interest in utilizing technology to help older adults remain living at home is growing; however, uptake remains low. We present a conceptual framework for understanding independent living technology innovation within health and social services. Public policy and innovation in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Scandinavia are profiled as case studies. In all profiled countries, independent living technology is more rapidly advancing than associated state policy, regulation, and payment systems. The findings from this comparative analysis reveal areas for further exploration, including policy subsystem environments in which technologies and services are regulated, as well as trends and desires of older adults and their caregivers within particular cultural contexts.

The service innovation triangle: a tool for exploring value creation through service innovation

This paper provides a new framework for service innovation based on an extensive literature review, semi-structured interviews with some of the best known thinkers and practitioners in the field of innovation, as well as supported through case study analysis, in order to identify the components of service innovation and their interrelationships, especially with respect to creating value through the innovative management of business models, service systems and the resulting customer experiences. The result of this research is the service innovation triangle, a simple but rich model, consisting of nine integrated elements in three layers. The service innovation triangle can be used by firms to explore innovation opportunities for themselves, customers, and suppliers, as well as providing a foundation for future research in the area of service innovation.