Search results

The purpose of this paper is to look at how novel measures of supply chain performance can be used to identify unnecessary waste in terms of under-loaded vehicles and extended delivery times, along with their causes. In particular it focuses on problems that can be tackled without the need for capital expenditure. The measures go under the collective name of “turbulence”. This represents the chain deviating from its goals. Quantifying unnecessary waste then allows unnecessary carbon emissions to be estimated while pointing to what changes will have the biggest impact. The measures have been used by three companies and some early results are provided.

The approach was first to use evidence from the literature to show the value of having a new measure. Next the creation of one specific new measure, called relative turbulence, a relative measure for the more general concept of turbulence. Third testing it in the field with data from companies. Then showing how carbon emissions can be derived.

The first finding is that the analysis can pinpoint sources of unnecessary emissions. Second the results suggest excessive emissions arise both though poor planning and poor practice. Third that there is a need for two models – from the users’ viewpoint and the carriers’ viewpoint. Finally the approach can be used with field data that is currently available, thus avoiding expensive one-off studies.

The main research implication is that entropic measures are useful and can provide fresh insights. Being generic they may be applicable in other contexts. However, they can be mathematically tricky to use.

The analysis has been tested in companies and findings are included in the paper. They provide an insight that is not available solely from current measures. Businesses cannot only measure emissions but start to pinpoint causes.

The main areas of original contributions are in the introduction of a new measure, based on entropic principles, particularly the one called relative turbulence. The second is juxtaposing this measure with standard measures to gain new insights. Finally the idea that supply networks can be built from, what is called the irreducible chain.

This review aims to provide researchers and managers interested in supply networks with a strategic review of this rapidly expanding field. It does not attempt a comprehensive review of the enormous and fast growing literature but does present the breadth and depth of research and practice in the area. The central aspect of the paper is to suggest that the field can be viewed from four perspectives which all researchers and managers implicitly or explicitly use: upstream, as purchaser; downstream, as supplier; static network, as an auditor of position within its supply network, typically comprising several supply chains, providing a static and comparative view; and dynamic network, as strategist, seeking opportunities to improve the firm's position in an existing network or creating a new network, providing a strategic, dynamic and long‐term view.

Production management is a complex activity which takes place either formally or informally in all manufacturing organisations. However, despite its importance, the term production management has never been adequately defined. This article attempts to rectify this by examining some of the fundamental principles of the organisation. From these a possible definition of production management is developed. An abstract hierarchical model of production management is presented. It is argued that this model is a generalised representation of any production management system. The implications of both the model and proposed definition are then examined.