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In recent decades the automotive industry has established a variety of new forms of logistics integration between automobile assemblers and their suppliers, in particular those in the first tier. The purpose of this paper is to outline which form of logistics integration original equipment manufacturer (OEM) assembly plants use to link up with proximate suppliers, and to classify and compare different types of logistics supplier integration.

The data and insights for this paper come from a literature review of research and practitioner papers and studies to survey logistics integration models in theory and practice. In addition, data are collected through semi‐structured interviews and site visits.

The main findings are summarised in five conditions which characterise logistics supplier integration in the automotive industry. These conditions vary significantly between local dedicated supply as discussed in this paper and the traditional supply, which is distant and scattered around suppliers. These main conditions are “geographical proximity”, “delivery contents, volume and sequence”, “shared investment and asset specificity”, “information sharing and information technology system integration” as well as “transport system”. Although all of the five conditions were considered relevant for the description of existing integration forms, only the “geographical proximity” dimension is emerged as most suited for a formal typology. Therefore, a seven‐step integration model was developed which allows for a categorisation and comparison of existing logistics integration forms of proximate supply.

This research aims to support the academic study of cross‐company and inter‐organisational supplier integration by providing consistent criteria for cross‐site comparisons. A holistic and consistent understanding of different logistics integration types will be necessary, which will help in evaluating the actual integration forms such as supplier parks.

The majority of studies into the supplier integration phenomenon conclude that logistical concerns are the driving factor behind supplier co‐location. Therefore, the focus of this research is on the spectrum of vertical integration in logistics between the vehicle manufacturers and their suppliers.

The purpose of this paper is to develop a purchasing-logistics integration (PLI) conceptualization along two dimensions: mutual responsibility and integrative efforts. This conceptualization is then tested as to whether it provides any insights for supplier performance.

Information-Processing Theory is used to posit hypotheses linking the dimensions of PLI with various measures of supplier performance. Hypotheses are then tested with a dyadic data set of purchasing and logistics managers, using multiple regression methods.

Purchasing managers found mutual responsibility to positively influence supplier delivery speed, whereas logistics managers found it to positively influence supplier price performance. Generally speaking, purchasing managers perceived a stronger linkage between formal integrative efforts (liaison roles and joint reward systems) and supplier performance, whereas logistics managers perceived this linkage to be stronger for informal integrative efforts such as information exchange and collaboration.

Study results are cross-sectional in nature and consist of three major industry groupings. The dyadic data were analyzed separately to avoid significant data loss.

Supply chain managers will find the areas where purchasing and logistics managers overlap in their perceptions (as well as where they differ) useful. In addition, an understanding of how PLI influences supplier performance should help improve organizational effectiveness.

PLI is a highly important, yet understudied, internal connection. This study provides a useful framework in helping academics and practitioners better understand this crucial internal connection, and how it relates to the performance extracted from suppliers.

The purpose of this paper is to explore the relationship between supply chain management practices, logistics capabilities, logistics integration and competitive advantage of Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in a developing country.

Using a structured questionnaire survey, cross-sectional data collected from 204 SMEs in Kampala – Uganda were analysed using exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis, and Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) using AMOS version 26 to validate the theorised relationships.

The study findings revealed that both supply chain management practices and logistics integration are positively and significantly associated with competitive advantage. Also, both supply chain management practices and logistics capabilities are positively and significantly associated with logistics integration. Additionally, the authors found that logistics integration partially mediates in the relationships between supply chain management practices and competitive advantage, and logistics capabilities and competitive advantage. Conclusively, the three independent variables collectively account for 11% variance in competitive advantage of SMEs.

Given the general observation that SMEs are fundamental to socio-economic development, yet resource constrained, this study uses Resource-based and dynamic capabilities theoretical perspectives to provide an empirical understanding of the supply chain and logistics resources and capabilities necessary for building competitive advantage of SMEs in the context of a developing economy.

The purpose of this paper is to develop a comprehensive conceptual model for the impact of hospital-supplier integration on the overall performance of healthcare organisations. It also investigates the moderating role of lean practices between hospital-supplier integration and hospital performance.

Data were collected from 498 public and private hospitals in Saudi Arabia using a survey. Structural equation modelling was used for data analysis.

The results indicate that hospital-supplier integration has a positive impact on the hospital performance. These effects are even more notable when adopting lean practices in the hospitals.

The data were collected from one developing country, namely Saudi Arabia. Thus, the findings may be relevant to the Saudi context but not those of other developing countries. Second, the data were collected from the hospitals’ end but not from the suppliers, so the latter’s perspectives on the themes covered here are not known. Future research may investigate the validity of the model in various developing countries whose healthcare systems have different characteristics, and the relationships between hospitals and their suppliers may follow different governance models.

The developed model and results will help hospitals in the Saudi health system to make better decisions on managing their logistics and supply partners.

This study extends the current research by developing a model that highlights the impact of hospital-supplier integration on the overall performance of healthcare organisations and tests this model to confirm its validity. To the authors’ knowledge, this study would be one of the first that uses both lean thinking and relational view of competitive advantage theory combined to examine the moderating role of lean practices on the inter-organisational relationships in Saudi Arabia.

Supply chain integration (SCI) and flexibility (SCF) are recognised as crucial business practices and capability in the global competitive market. However, limited research has paid attention to study the relationship between SCI, SCF and their impact on supply chain performance (SCP). Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to establish a relationship between integration, flexibility and performance.

The structural equation modelling technique was used to analyse the 187 data collected from Indian organisations through the survey methodology.

Findings indicate that external integration contributes significantly to realise SCF and SCP. Sourcing and logistics flexibility also help to improve the SCP. The mediation analysis showed that the association of customer and supplier integration with SCP is partially and fully mediated by logistics flexibility, respectively. This study suggests that integration influences the SCP when the firm has a strong association with downstream partners and enough capability for logistics flexibility.

The study has collected cross-sectional data to analyse the relationship between SCI, SCF and SCP. However, as integration requires an effort of the years, longitudinal data and industry-specific studies may provide comprehensive views to validate the results of this study.

Building on relational view theory and dynamic capability theory, the study has proposed the SCP assessment framework based on the relationship between SCI and SCF.

The purpose of this paper is to expand knowledge of supply chain management (SCM) by empirically testing the moderating effects of supply chain dynamism (SCD) on the association between supply chain integration (SCI) and logistics performance.

Survey methods were used to measure the perspective of South Korean manufacturers. Moderated hierarchical regression analysis was undertaken to test the proposed hypotheses empirically.

The findings suggest that SCI can enhance logistics performance when the level of SCD is high, but the effects of SCI on logistics performance are blurred at low levels of SCD.

This finding provides empirical evidence of the moderating effects of SCD on the SCI-logistics performance link and offers a new interpretation of the relationship. This work contributes to SCM disciplines by providing theory-driven and empirically tested explanations.

Notes that logistics costs in the grocery sector, in Italy, are about 25,000 billion lire and that in order to reduce these costs logistics integration has to be improved between institutions of the distribution channel. Focuses on two of the main institutions of the grocery distribution channel: branded product industry and large‐scale trade. Referring to these institutions and to the logistics functions they carry out, analyses integration areas in order to identify some organizational and managerial solutions for improving interfunctional and interorganizational co‐ordination. In particular, divides these solutions into three main groups according to the level of integration they refer to: internal integration (inside each business), vertical integration (between businesses located at different stages of the channel) and horizontal integration (between different businesses located on the same level of the channel). Internal and horizontal integration are the prerequisites for achieving vertical integration and consequently for achieving synergies between the institutions involved.

This paper presents the concerns in agri-food supply chain. Further the research investigates the role of information and communication technology (ICT) in agri-food supply chain and determines the impact of supply chain management (SCM) practices on firm performance.

The theoretical framework was proposed for the study on the basis of existing literature. Data for the study was collected with the help of structured questionnaire from 121 executives and officers of the public food distribution agency. Partial least square (PLS)–structured equation modeling was employed to test the framework and hypotheses.

The results indicate that ICT and SCM practices (logistics integration and supplier relationships) have a significant relationship. Furthermore, SCM practices (information sharing, supplier relationship and logistics integration) have a significant and positive impact on performance of the organization.

Further research could be carried out to test the moderation effect of SCM practices between ICT and organizational performance (OP). Extending the research study to the companies operating in other sectors can enhance the external validity of the study and improve the accuracy of parameters examined.

This study can be of interest to the agri-food industry as well as other industry practitioners interested in improving the performance of the organization from the view of supply chain.

The outcomes of this study have important implications that translate into a series of recommendations for the management of public food distribution as well as other agri-food-based supply chains.

Using the assumptions of the resource-based view, relational view and swift, even flow theories and the overarching principles of supply chain management, the study aims to test the role of information technology (IT) capability (cross-functional application, supply chain application and data consistency) in enabling supply chain integration (SCI; internal, customer and supplier integration) and the impact of SCI on firm's operational performance in terms of quality, delivery, production cost, inventory level, customer service and product-mix flexibility.

The structural equation modeling approach is used to test theoretical predictions underlying the relationship among dimensions of IT capability, SCI and operational performance based on data obtained from senior executives of 108 large manufacturing firms listed in the Tokyo Stock Exchange.

The results suggest that IT capability has positive impact on SCI, except for data consistency, which is found to have negative impact on internal integration. The results further indicate that SCI, especially customer integration, has positive and significant impact on all operational performance indicators.

The findings inform future initiatives associated with the SCI improvement via specific IT capabilities. When undertaking such initiatives, managers are advised to consider the differential impact of the following IT capabilities on SCI: cross-functional applications, supply chain applications, and data consistency capability.

The study makes an empirical contribution to the body of knowledge by demonstrating the value of the multidimensional representation and analysis of IT capability, SCI, and operational performance given a differential and even opposed influence by some of the dimensions in specific business contexts.

Based on the resource-based view and organizational capability theory, we examine the effect of information technology (IT) on company performance through supply chain integration (SCI) from the upstream and downstream perspective of the whole supply chain.

Based on data collected from 296 cross-border e-commerce (CBE) companies in China, we used structural equation modeling with LISREL to test the conceptual model.

The results show that supplier and customer IT significantly promote supplier and customer system and process integration. Supplier system and process integration enhance operational performance. Meanwhile, IT indirectly affects financial performance through operational performance. Customer system integration has positive effects on operational and financial performance, with an indirect effect on financial performance through operational performance. However, customer process integration only improves financial performance.

We only use cross-sectional data from Zhejiang province of China to investigate relationships of related constructs. Future studies can also use longitudinal data in combination with secondary data from other provinces, regions and countries.

The results provide important managerial insights for CBE companies to sustain their competitive advantages by improving their performances through IT and SCI practices throughout the upstream and downstream data-driven supply chain.

This study contributes to the IT and SCI literature by exploring the effectiveness of IT in improving SCI and company performance from the upstream and downstream perspective and the perspective of IT.