Impacts of the Distribution Process on Onion Supply Chain Management in Singida Urban District (Published)

The objectives of the study is to identify the impacts of the distribution process on onion Supply chain management in Singida Urban District.  This study was carried out in Singida Urban District which is one of the famous places in Tanzania practicing onions farming however, there are other regions such as Arusha, Mbeya, Kilimanjaro, Manyara, and Njombe where the onions are produced. Population is set of a wide group from which, the sample is drawn for the purpose of generalized opinions of many by small numbers of representatives. This study targeted warehouse operators, farmers, retailers, distributors, consumers and key informative personnel involved in onions produces within the study area of Singida Urban District. The study used a sample size of 100 respondents less than the targeted sample size of 138 obtained from the estimated population large than 1000. Based on studies in Ethiopia, the onion supply chain took about 0.44% of the entire agriculture participant’s dominant crop for commercial purposes. The results suggest that the distribution channels used by majority of onion farmers were whole sellers. onion  SC  influence  by the  distribution  process  of onions, such as number of market locations and distribution channels used to use a two-way ANOVA study revealed that different distribution channels have different variability in the onion supply chain the types of distribution channel used were statistically significant [F (1, 86) =1.25, p=0.01].

Keywords: Supply Chain, Supply chain management, distribution process

The Effect of Sustainable Supply Chain Management On Firm Innovative Performance: A Study of Manufacturing Firms in Nigeria (Published)

The study sought to establish the effect of sustainable supply chain management practices on innovative performance of manufacturing firms in Nigeria. The precise goals were to evaluate how Nigerian manufacturing companies performed in terms of innovation in relation to economic, environmental, and social dimension of sustainability. The Transaction Cost Economics (TCE) Theory and the Stakeholder Theory were both used in the study. The study employed a descriptive survey approach, with three Nigerian manufacturing companies as the target population. The study used a purposeful sampling strategy, and the researcher decided that a sample size of 120 was manageable. A pilot study was conducted to evaluate the validity and reliability of the research instrument prior to the collection of data. A 91% response rate was obtained, and the results were displayed in tables using percentages. The analysis showed that sustainable supply chain management practices had a positive and significant impact on the innovative performance of manufacturing companies in Nigeria, demonstrating that economic, environmental, and social dimension of sustainability all had a significant positive impact on this performance. The research consequently advises manufacturing companies to engage in more sustainable operations so as boost their competitive edge.

Keywords: Innovative Performance, Supply Chain, Sustainability, economic dimension, environmental dimension, social dimension

Circular Economy and Supply Chain Change: The Case of Industries in A French Port (Published)

Faced with depleting natural resources, the circular economy offers a solution to achieving sustainable economic development by bringing material, energy, by-products, and waste back into the loop. This article aims to highlight changes in supply chains brought about by circular economy practices. To this end, we followed six companies from various sectors located in a port area that have adopted circular economy practices. Using qualitative case study methodology, we show that transitioning from a linear to a circular economy requires significant transformations and changes at different supply chain levels to achieve a circular supply chain such as changing partners, sourcing locations, increasing the number of suppliers, and upstream waste management.  

Keywords: Changing, Supply Chain, circular economy, industrial ecology, port

Adoption of Logistics Planning Model in evaluating the performance of SPDC-based Logistics firms, Nigeria (Published)

The paper proffers that logistics planning processes are dynamic capabilities because of improvement in logistics competitive capabilities and enhanced disaster immunity. Data from a sample of 230 top/middle managers representing different SPDC-based logistics firms were randomly selected from the Nigerian logistics employees are analyzed using a structural equation modelling methodology. The findings suggest that logistics planning influences financial performance via improvement in logistics, competitive capability and enhanced disaster immunity in SPDC-based Logistics firms. Further, the results indicate that when an SPDC-based Logistics firm employs mindful-planning processes, an essential element within logistics planning, it can avoid the trade-off between risk management and efficiency. Thus, when firms hire logistics planning, they gain a competitive advantage, which improves financial performance. The results indicate that logistics performance is positively impacted by logistics planning strategy and that both logistics performance and logistics planning strategy positively impact marketing performance, which in turn positively impacts financial performance. Both logistics planning strategy and logistics performance were found to affect financial performance directly. As SPDC-based Logistics firms work to improve the logistics processes, they support their organization’s logistics planning strategy, resulting in improved performance for the overall supply chain.

Keywords: Logistics planning, SPDC, Supply Chain, competitive-capabilities, disaster-immunity

Effect of Sustainable Supply Chain Management on Consumers’ Purchase Intension (Published)

This study examined the effect of sustainable supply chain management (SSCM) on consumers’ purchase intension. Specifically, the study determine the extent to which SSCM practice that are socially and environmental sustainable create self brand connection compare to SSCM practices which are not socially or environmental sustainable. It also investigates the extent to which supply chain management practices that are socially and environmental sustainable reduces dissonance compare to supply chain management practices that are not socially or environmentally sustainable. The study adopted quantitative research approach while the population consists of staff and major dealers of Dangote cement PLC who have made official purchase for an upward of five years. Data used for the study was collected using structured questionnaire while data analysis was done using linear regression. The study reveals that sustainable supply chain management practices is capable of connecting customer with the product of firms. The coefficient of determination (R²) obtain reveal that 91.70% of customer loyalty was as a result of sustainable supply chain management. It was recommended that firms that are eco-friendly should educate members of the public by indicating it on their labels in order to adequately distinguish it from those firms that are not environmentally friendly. This will clear any negative feeling from customer which may increase dissonance in them.

Keywords: Cognitive Dissonance., Purchases Intension, Supply Chain, Sustainability

Influence of Supply Chain Resilience on Performance of Categorized Hospitals in Kenya (Published)

The study sought to establish the relationship between supply chain resilience and performance of categorized hospitals in Kenya. The study sampled 264 supply chain managers from 773 hospitals offering both inpatient and outpatient services in Kenya as listed by National Hospital Insurance Fund (NHIF). The sampling technique was stratified random sampling based on the eight regions as identified by NHIF. The study adopted Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) model to measure performance of hospitals. The study findings indicated that private hospitals had a higher DEA score compared to the public and faith based hospitals. The findings implied that private hospitals were generally efficient than other type of hospitals. Further, the study found that supply chain resilience had a positive significant relationship with performance. The study recommended the use of outsourcing, spare capacity, and use of local suppliers to mitigate against hospital operational risks.

Keywords: Hospitals, Performance, Resilience, Risks., Supply Chain

Influence of Customer Relationship on Performance of Manufacturing Firms in Kenya (Published)

The study sought to determine the influence customer relationship practices on organizational performance in the manufacturing firms in Kenya. The target population for the study was the senior staff in supply chain, operations and finance or equivalent managers in the 563 manufacturing organizations listed by Kenya Association of Manufacturers (KAM). The sampling technique was stratified random sampling in based on the 14 sectors as identified by KAM. The study sampled 312 respondents from 104 firms. The study found a positive significant relationship between customer relationship and performance of manufacturing firms in Kenya. Among the aspects of customer relationship that contributed highly to performance of manufacturing firms included exchange of information with customers, ensuring product visibility within the market and incorporating the views of customers in production process. The study recommended the adoption of customer relationship management practices as a way of improving and sustaining performance of organizations.

Keywords: Customer relationship, KAM, Manufacturing, Performance, Supply Chain

Decision Support System in Supply Chain Management: Literature Review (Published)

The term Decision Support System (DSS) is widely, though inconsistently used, but in its essence, it stands for any kind of “system” which provides valuable information necessary to support decision making (DM) process. These systems are much appreciated in highly complex environments where problems or tasks have varying degrees of structure, majority of them being unstructured or semi-structured. Nowadays, manufacturers need systems that helps to react and adapt to the constantly changing business environment. The internal data processing system of a company can only offer minimum support because it is related to transactions. Hence, DSS combine human skills with the abilities of computers to provide efficient management of data, reporting, analytics, modelling and planning issues. This paper provides the reader of a comprehensive overview of the state-of the-art literature on DSS and describes present techniques of relevant DSS applications within supply chain management.

Keywords: DSS, Models, Supply Chain, Systems

Meta-Analysis on Sustainable Supply Chain Management: An Analytical Approach (Published)

Sustainability in Supply Chain is a key area in business that great attention is being looked into by academicians and practioners in recent times. The literature of sustainable supply chain management is still scant and several literature review has been conducted to investigate the state of the art knowledge of sustainable supply chain management. The field of text mining is rapidly evolving but little has been done on the techniques used in the study of sustainable supply chain management. The major objective of the study was to conduct a meta–analysis of the literature review studies in the area of sustainable supply chain management. Specifically the objective of the study was to find out the state of the art knowledge in sustainable supply chain and to use text mining techniques to derive the most frequent used words in keywords, abstracts and conclusion of the literature review papers on sustainable supply chain management. Major trends and current research topics in sustainable supply chain management were identified. A total of 57 papers were identified, the process was iterative involving many hours of reading, additional collection of literature, synthesis and refinement. The leading peer reviewed journals, universities, and authors were identified as well. The study adopted meta-analysis and content based qualitative approach of published literature for assessing the appropriateness of the framework presented in the research articles. More specifically the alignment between keywords, abstract and conclusion was studied. Finally, suggestion and recommendation was provided for the research agenda in the field of sustainable supply chain management

Keywords: Supply Chain, Sustainability, Sustainable Supply Chain, Text Mining

Supply Chain Flexibility, Agility and Firm Performance (Published)

Supply chain flexibility is widely seen as one major response to the increasing uncertainty and competition in the marketplace. That is to say a firm with a flexible supply chain is likely to survive and grow its market share. Despite several evidences suggesting that performance improvements are related to SCM, managing supply chains today and practicing flexibility has become more difficult due to the fact that business environments are highly competitive, businesses are going more global, dynamic, and customer‐driven. Therefore, this study assessed the path between supply chain flexibility and firm performance using supply chain agility as a moderating variable. A total of 77 manufacturing and service firms operating in the Kumasi metropolis were selected as sample. The sample was made up of key management staff as well as non-management operatives of the firms. Questionnaires was used as instrument for data collection. The findings revealed that SC Flexibility and SC Agility positively correlated firm performance (p<0.01/0.05). Additionally, moderating SC Agility on SC Flexibility, produced a positive effect, however the effect was insignificant and this implies that SC agility does not significantly moderate the positive impact the SC Flexibility has on firm performance. SC flexibility better predicts firm performance through SC Agility as a moderator and not moderator. Therefore, it is rather necessary to appreciate the individual roles that both SC Flexibility and SC Agility play to ensure value for customers and thereby contributing to firm performance and not necessarily moderating each other.

Keywords: Agility, Firm Performance, Flexibility, Supply Chain