Supply and demand chain management: the effect of adding services to product offerings
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to understand how firms manage their product and service offerings, integrating supply chain management (SCM) and demand chain management (DCM) strategies. Adding services to the product portfolio of a firm may bring benefits to an organisation, but requires a reconsideration of the supply chain management approach.
Design/methodology/approach
A survey is used to collect data, with valid questionnaires obtained for 4,227 UK-based respondents. Empirical analysis utilises structural equation modelling (SEM).
Findings
The paper proposes that a combination of management approaches is required by firms which add services to their portfolio of traditional product offerings. A supply chain management approach may be suitable for traditional product offerings. The management of the services value chain, where the customers' role as value creator is a central feature of the construct, is better served by integration of the market orientation of DCM.
Originality/value
The paper addresses a research gap related to the shift in traditional activities carried out by a firm moving from purely product to a product service offer and reconsiders the supply and demand chain management approach. The paper is from a Business to Consumer (B2C) perspective. In this context, the work pioneers analysis into a particular case where a firm's product and service offerings may be substitutes for each other in the eyes of the customer.
Keywords
Acknowledgements
Received 5 November 2012 Revised 18 July 2013 Accepted 18 July 2013
Citation
F. Bustinza, O., C. Parry, G. and Vendrell-Herrero, F. (2013), "Supply and demand chain management: the effect of adding services to product offerings", Supply Chain Management, Vol. 18 No. 6, pp. 618-629. https://doi.org/10.1108/SCM-05-2013-0149
Publisher
:Emerald Group Publishing Limited
Copyright © 2013, Emerald Group Publishing Limited