T. van der Vaart

Modelling the integration-performance relationship : Collaborative practices, enablers and contextual factors

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to investigate the impact of different dimensions of supply chain integration on performance, while considering both the interconnections between these supply chain integration dimensions and the effect of context. Specifically, the authors investigate the relationship between two enablers (communication infrastructure and cooperative behaviour) and two practices (planning information and joint improvement), and the moderating effect of supply complexity on their relationship with performance.Design/methodology/approach – A survey among 145 Dutch and Spanish manufacturers is used to gather data on the buyer‐supplier relationship. Both the sample and two subsamples – for high and low supply complexity – are analysed using SmartPLS.Findings – The paper finds that two dimensions – communication infrastructure and cooperative behaviour – enable the two collaborative practices: joint improvement and planning information. All mentioned supply chain integration dimensions, ...

Operational antecedents of integrated patient planning in hospitals

Purpose – Hospitals struggle to integrate the planning from different departments; resulting in unacceptable waiting times for patients. The literature mainly addresses general, organizational factors inhibiting or enabling integration and omits important factors stemming from the care delivery process. Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to uncover operational antecedents and to assess their effect on the integration of hospital planning. Design/methodology/approach – The study is based on a three-hospital multi-case study. The main findings stem from over 40 in-depth interviews with specialists, nurses, planners, and managers of four specialties that are all involved in the orthopedic internal supply chain. Findings – This study identifies five critical operational antecedents: performance management, shared resources, information technology, process visibility, and uncertainty/variability. The latter two are of specific importance in a healthcare context. Three distinctive roles are identified; ini...

The fit between ICT Needs and ICT capability and its influence on supply chain performance

Information and communication technology (ICT) utilization is considered as one of the major factors in supply chain management and an important approach to improve supply chain performance. Based upon some concerns regarding the constructs, measurements and items used, this paper analyses survey- based research with respect to the relationship between ICT and SCM, supply chain performance. Based upon analysis, this paper proposes a model to explore avenues for further research that could better distinguish the interrelationships among ICT, SCM and supply chain performance.

An optimal investment and inventory policy

The relation between the optimal production level and the optimal investment in a flexible manufacturing machine will be the subject of this paper. The study concerns the production of N families of products on one production machine. The investment level in a particular production machine is assumed to depend on both the intra and inter family set-up times. The optimal production level will be shown to depend on the optimal investment choice made and as such on both the intra- and inter-family set-up times. The results show the necessity of coordination between several departments, as for instance the production planning department and financial department, of an organization. Moreover it will be argued that circumstances exist in which mathematical models can be used in a more qualitative level of analysis.