Search results
1 – 10 of over 46000Hongyan Dai, Yan Wen, Weihua Zhou, Tingting Tong and Xun Xu
The overuse and scarcity of resources emphasize the importance of the circular economy. The technology facilitated by Industry 4.0 stimulates the implementation of the circular…
Abstract
Purpose
The overuse and scarcity of resources emphasize the importance of the circular economy. The technology facilitated by Industry 4.0 stimulates the implementation of the circular economy that aims to reduce resource use and enhance operational efficiency. This study focuses on enhancing delivery efficiency in an online-to-offline (O2O) context from an Industry 4.0 technology-facilitated personal configuration perspective, that is, comparing in-house and crowdsourced delivery efficiency in China's O2O on-demand food delivery context.
Design/methodology/approach
The authors collect 128,152 orders from 38 restaurants of an online restaurant chain in China. The authors adopt multiple regression analysis to examine the delivery efficiency gap between in-house and crowdsourced deliverymen and the determinants of this efficiency gap.
Findings
The findings of this study reveal that crowdsourced deliverymen exhibit higher delivery efficiency, in terms of a shorter delivery time, than in-house deliverymen. In addition, the authors find that platforms providing monetary incentives or implementing late delivery penalties enlarge this efficiency gap. Furthermore, the authors show that external factors, such as working on weekends and bad weather conditions, contribute to the narrowing of this performance efficiency.
Practical implications
The study's findings suggest that platforms should use advanced technologies facilitated by Industry 4.0 to optimize their personnel configuration to enhance their delivery efficiency and reduce carbon emissions. The effective approaches include using financial incentives and improving working schedules.
Originality/value
The authors' findings contribute to the online fulfillment literature by focusing on delivery efficiency in the O2O context from the Industry 4.0 technology-facilitated personnel configuration perspective. The authors examine how internal and external factors moderate the performance efficiency between these two types of deliverymen.
Details
Keywords
Pamela Danese, Pietro Romano and Thomas Bortolotti
The purpose of this paper is to study whether just in time (JIT) supply practices interact with JIT production practices by positively moderating the relationship between JIT…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to study whether just in time (JIT) supply practices interact with JIT production practices by positively moderating the relationship between JIT production and efficiency/delivery performance.
Design/methodology/approach
In total, six hypotheses are developed on the relationships between JIT production, JIT supply, efficiency and delivery performance. The hypotheses are tested through a hierarchical regression analysis using data from a sample of 207 manufacturing plants.
Findings
JIT production practices positively affect both efficiency and delivery. JIT supply practices positively moderate the relationship between JIT production and delivery, while there is no significant moderating effect when considering the impact on efficiency. The role of JIT supply as moderator is twofold. On the one hand, it strengthens the positive impact of JIT production on delivery through a complementary effect. On the other hand, low levels of adoption of JIT supply practices can hinder and – for extremely low levels – cancel the impact of JIT production practices on delivery.
Practical implications
When efficiency is the priority, companies should direct their efforts on JIT production. However, when their aim is to maximize delivery, they should invest on both JIT production and JIT supply. Results found advise managers to implement some JIT supply practices during the early stages of JIT production programs, because the total absence of any JIT linkages with suppliers can limit JIT production benefits on delivery performance.
Originality/value
This study elaborates on the mutual influence between JIT production and JIT supply practices and demonstrates that they have a different weight and contribute to different aspects of performance improvement. This can help managers involved in JIT implementation to better allocate scarce resources.
Details
Keywords
The purpose of this paper is to provide a retrospective evaluation of the findings first put forward in the article Efficiency in Service Delivery: Technological or Humanistic…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to provide a retrospective evaluation of the findings first put forward in the article Efficiency in Service Delivery: Technological or Humanistic Approaches?, and to offer directions for further research and developments in the research area.
Design/methodology/approach
Research directions which emanated from the publication of the article have been examined in the light of current service(s) marketing theory and practice. As a result, promising current and future strands of research have been identified.
Findings
The original article examined technological and humanistic approaches to improving service delivery efficiency. In doing so, it included two services classification schemes which provided context for the managerial implications presented. The original article was published in 1989. Much has changed since then, especially with regard to technological approaches to service delivery. However, the implications included in the original article for the most part hold. Future researchers are offered a variety of possible directions to pursue in light of the changes, especially in technology, that have occurred since the publication of the original article.
Originality/value
The original article was highly rated and generated discussion and important further research. It has value as part of the history of service(s) marketing research. The retrospective analysis by the author gives a unique insight into processes and thinking associated with understanding key aspects that contribute to the historical development of service(s) marketing, and provides substantial food for thought for future research directions.
Details
Keywords
Roberto Sarmiento, Mike Byrne, Luis Rene Contreras and Nick Rich
To provide a selective bibliography on reported empirical evidence regarding the compatibility/trade‐offs relationships between delivery reliability and other manufacturing…
Abstract
Purpose
To provide a selective bibliography on reported empirical evidence regarding the compatibility/trade‐offs relationships between delivery reliability and other manufacturing capabilities, and also identify specific areas for future research.
Design/methodology/approach
The paper conceptually examines published studies which have reported a trade‐off/compatibility situation between delivery reliability and other manufacturing capabilities such as internal quality, external quality, manufacturing costs, inventory costs, etc. Some different aspects of delivery reliability are also discussed.
Findings
Principally, the paper identifies a need to study in more detail the different variables (manufacturing capabilities, contextual variables and manufacturing practices) that could be potentially associated with the achievement of high manufacturing efficiency (high levels of outputs/low levels of inputs) in terms of delivery reliability, materials inventory and safety resources.
Research limitations/implications
The literature review in the paper is intended to be exhaustive. Nevertheless, it is probable that scientific papers that report related/relevant material are involuntarily omitted.
Practical implications
By means of a detailed review of the literature, the paper identifies specific themes for future research. The paper also should be of help to practitioners as it gathers the empirical evidence regarding the compatibility/trade‐off situation between delivery reliability and other areas of manufacturing.
Originality/value
Some papers have dealt with literature reviews on manufacturing strategy as a whole. Nevertheless, to the best of our knowledge, this is the first paper that offers a literature review on delivery reliability. This paper also suggests a novel model of manufacturing efficiency and also proposes a methodology (data envelopment analysis) with which this approach can be examined in more detail.
Details
Keywords
Mattias Hallgren, Jan Olhager and Roger G. Schroeder
The purpose of this paper is to present and test a new model for competitive capabilities. Traditionally, a cumulative model has been viewed as having one sequence of building…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to present and test a new model for competitive capabilities. Traditionally, a cumulative model has been viewed as having one sequence of building competitive capabilities in a firm in support of market needs, including quality, delivery, cost efficiency and flexibility. Although appealing as a conceptual model, empirical testing has not been able to fully support the cumulative model. This paper acknowledges the need for a hybrid approach to managing capability progression. It brings together the literature on trade‐offs, cumulative capabilities, and order winners and qualifiers.
Design/methodology/approach
A new hybrid approach for modelling competitive capabilities is tested empirically using data from the high performance manufacturing (HPM) study, round 3, including three industries and seven countries – a total of 211 plants.
Findings
The hybrid model shows significantly better fit with the data from the sample than the cumulative models suggested by previous literature. Empirical support is found for the traditional perception that a high level of quality is a prerequisite for a high level of delivery performance. However, cost efficiency and flexibility do not exhibit a cumulative pattern. Instead, the results show that they are developed in parallel. The findings suggest that a balance between cost efficiency and flexibility is built upon high levels of quality and delivery performance.
Research limitations/implications
Since we limit the empirical investigation to three industries and seven countries, it would be interesting to extend the testing of this model to more industries and countries. This research shows that combining perspectives and insights from different research streams – in this case, trade‐off theory and the concepts of cumulative capabilities, and order winners and qualifiers – can be fruitful.
Practical implications
The results of this paper provides managers with guidelines concerning the configuration of competitive capabilities. First, a qualifying level of quality needs to be attained, followed by a qualifying level of delivery. Then, a balance between potential order winners, i.e. cost efficiency and flexibility, needs to be attained.
Originality/value
This paper presents a new approach to modelling competitive capabilities that synthesises previous research streams and perspectives from cumulative capabilities, contesting capabilities (trade‐offs), and order winners and qualifiers.
Details
Keywords
Vesa Kämäräinen, Juha Saranen and Jan Holmström
Home delivery of groceries is not yet a very popular service among consumers. One reason for the slow progress has been the time‐consuming and expensive ordering process. In…
Abstract
Home delivery of groceries is not yet a very popular service among consumers. One reason for the slow progress has been the time‐consuming and expensive ordering process. In recent years, Internet‐based solutions have solved most of the problems related to the order transaction process – making ordering simpler, cheaper and faster. However, there are still a lot of unsolved problems in the e‐grocery business. One of the biggest obstacles is inefficient home delivery. This paper examines how different solutions for goods receipt affect home‐delivery efficiency. Different alternatives for receiving the goods are presented and the service levels of these concepts are described from the consumer’s point of view. In addition, the costs for the e‐grocer are studied. The efficiency of using a reception box is demonstrated by simulating two alternative receiving concepts.
Details
Keywords
Nuraddeen Usman Miko and Usman Abbas
Africa has been identified as an area where higher mortality happens due to un-accessibility to health care, drugs and other health facilities. Nigeria, as one of the African…
Abstract
Purpose
Africa has been identified as an area where higher mortality happens due to un-accessibility to health care, drugs and other health facilities. Nigeria, as one of the African countries, is not excluded from such difficulties. This study aims to examine the determinants of efficient last-mile delivery at selected health facilities and the Kaduna State Health Supplies Management Agency (KADSHMA).
Design/methodology/approach
The study sourced data from KADSHMA and the health facilities’ staff, with a total of 261 observations used. Likewise, the respondents were picked from warehouses of each health facility and KADSHMA. The data was analysed using the partial least square structural equation modelling analysis to estimate the relationship among the variables of the study.
Findings
The study’s findings revealed that all five variables of the study (i.e. determinants) were significantly affecting the efficient last-mile delivery. Four constructs (delivery cost [DC], delivery time [DT], mode of delivery [MD] and facilities technology [FT]) have shown a positive and significant association with efficient last-mile delivery, whereas one variable (product mix [PM]) indicated a negative and significant association with efficient last-mile delivery. The study concludes that DC, DT, MD, FT and PM played significant roles in efficient last-mile delivery.
Research limitations/implications
The study provides that specific means of transportation should always be on standby to transport health supplies. Time schedules should always be prepared and adhered to when transporting health supplies to the facilities, and each facility should network with robust technology to ease communication in terms of order and order planning. Additionally, facilities should try as much as possible to reduce the varieties of products when ordering health supplies, as it will increase the efficiency of the delivery.
Originality/value
To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study is the first of its kind that considered these five variables (DC, DT, MD, FT and PM) with impact on the last-mile delivery in one model, especially in the Nigerian case. This is a great contribution to knowledge, more importantly, to the last-mile delivery of the health sector. The result confirmed the importance of these determinants (DC, DT, FT and PM) of last-mile delivery efficiency in saving lives.
Details
Keywords
Mikko Punakivi and Kari Tanskanen
Recent research into last mile e‐grocery logistics has revealed that goods reception mode is one of the key issues for the operational efficiency of home deliveries. Hitherto, the…
Abstract
Recent research into last mile e‐grocery logistics has revealed that goods reception mode is one of the key issues for the operational efficiency of home deliveries. Hitherto, the research has considered home delivery concepts using attended reception and concepts enabling unattended reception based on customer‐specific reception boxes and delivery boxes. Customer‐specific reception boxes are installed in the consumer’s home yard or garage, while delivery boxes are insulated boxes that are returned to the retailer. Focuses on a third possible concept for unattended deliveries, namely shared reception boxes. Due to shared usage, the utilisation level of the facility is higher than in the case of customer‐specific unattended reception concepts. Analyses the operational cost levels of home delivery concepts using both attended and unattended reception, using real point‐of‐sales data and vehicle routing tools. The results show that transportation costs using the shared reception box concept are 55‐66 per cent lower in comparison with the current standard concept with attended reception and two‐hour delivery time windows. On the basis of our analysis, the cost reduction alone justifies the two‐to‐five‐year payback period of the investment required, even if there is only a fairly small number of deliveries per day. Surprisingly, the payback period is longer when customer density increases.
Details
Keywords
Mohammad Shahidul Kader, Md Rashaduzzaman, Xiao Huang and Seeun Kim
E-commerce continues to experience unprecedented growth, but a lack of understanding of socio-behavioral aspects of green last-mile delivery solutions is conflicting with…
Abstract
Purpose
E-commerce continues to experience unprecedented growth, but a lack of understanding of socio-behavioral aspects of green last-mile delivery solutions is conflicting with e-commerce and shipping companies' climate-related pledges to e-shoppers. This study seeks to correct for research deficiencies in the e-commerce context by determining how e-shoppers' adoption of green last-mile delivery might be influenced by socio-behavioral factors, personality traits; and e-shopping motivations.
Design/methodology/approach
To test the hypotheses, this study collected data from 319 US adults enrolled in an online panel survey and conducted hierarchical regression analyses after controlling for demographic variables.
Findings
Results showed that socio-behavioral variables (attitude, subjective norms and perceived behavior control) contributed 60.3% of the unique variance in explaining purchase intention via green delivery (PIGD). Notably, e-shopping motivations derived from utilitarian features (convenience and energy efficiency) and experiential features (e-shopping adventure) emerged as significant predictors of PIGD. Although personality traits (conscientiousness and openness) significantly predicted PIGD in the regression model, the individual effect of openness was not significant. Further, demographic subgroups, including gender, education and income level revealed significant outcomes, while age and ethnicity exhibited no significant group differences with the above-mentioned variables.
Practical implications
The study findings would provide online retailers and marketers with in-depth insight on how green marketing initiatives can increase responsible consumers' intention to purchase via green delivery.
Originality/value
This is a one-of-a-kind effort that integrates and tests e-shoppers' socio-behavioral factors, e-shopping motivations and personality traits into a single model.
Details
Keywords
Janet Godsell, Donato Masi, Antonios Karatzas and Timothy Mark Brady
The purpose of this paper is to explore the applicability and utility of supply chain (SC) segmentation through demand profiling to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to explore the applicability and utility of supply chain (SC) segmentation through demand profiling to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of infrastructure projects by identifying different types of project demand profiles.
Design/methodology/approach
A three-stage abductive research design was adopted. Stage 1 explored the applicability of SC segmentation, through demand profiling, to the portfolio of infrastructure projects in a utility company. Stage 2 was an iterative process of “theory matching”, to the portfolio, programme and project management literature. In stage 3, theoretical saturation was reached and “theory suggestions” were made through four propositions.
Findings
Four propositions outline how SC segmentation through project demand profiling could improve the effectiveness and efficiency of infrastructure projects. P1: the ability to recognise the different demand profiles of individual projects, and groups thereof, is a portfolio management necessity. P2: projects that contribute to the strategic upgrade of a capital asset should be considered a potential programme of inter-related repeatable projects whose delivery would benefit from economies of repetition. P3: the greater the ability to identify different demand profiles of individual/groups of projects, the greater the delivery efficiency. P4: economies of repetition developed through efficient delivery of programmes of repeatable projects can foster greater efficiency in the delivery of innovative projects through economies of recombination.
Originality/value
This work fills a gap in the portfolio management literature, suggesting that the initial screening, selection and prioritisation of project proposals should be expanded to recognise not only the project type, but also each project’s demand profile.
Details