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Original equipment manufacturers and other manufacturing companies rely on the delivery performance of their upstream suppliers to maintain a steady production process. However, supplier capacity uncertainty and delayed delivery often poses a major concern to manufacturers to carry out their production plan as per the desired schedules. The purpose of this paper is to develop a decision model that can improve the delivery performance of suppliers to minimise fluctuations in the supply quantity and the delivery time and thus maximising the performance of the supply chain.

The authors studied a single manufacturer – single supplier supply chain considering supplier uncertain capacity allocation and uncertain time of delivery. Mathematical models are developed to capture expected profit of manufacturer and supplier under this uncertain allocation and delivery behaviour of supplier. A reward–penalty mechanism is proposed to minimise delivery quantity and time of delivery fluctuations from the supplier. Further, an order-fulfilment heuristic based on delivery probability is developed to modify the order quantity which can maximise the probability of a successful deliveries from the supplier.

Analytical results reveal that the proposed reward–penalty mechanism improves the supplier delivery consistency. This consistent delivery performance helps the manufacturer to maintain a steady production schedule and high market share. Modified ordering schedule developed using proposed probability-based heuristic improves the success probability of delivery from the supplier.

Practitioners can benefit from the findings of this study to comprehend how contracts and ordering policy can improve the supplier delivery performance in a manufacturing supply chain.

This paper improves the supplier delivery performance considering both the uncertain capacity allocation and uncertain time of delivery.

The purpose is to explore how the configurations resulting from the interplay of last mile logistics practices and firm characteristics are associated with firm performance in an omni-channel context.

Drawing on configuration theory (CT), the authors use fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA) to analyze data on 72 Swedish omni-channel retailers.

Four configurations are identified—store-oriented small and medium-sized enterprises (SME's), online-oriented SME's, large store-oriented retailers and large online-oriented retailers. The results show that while offering a wide range of delivery options is necessary to achieve high performance, it is not sufficient, and that returns and fulfilment should be simultaneously considered. For instance, large high-performers leverage their stores and warehouses for fulfilment and returns in an integrated way irrespective of sales channel-mix. However, SME's appear to focus on fulfilment simplicity with less-costly delivery alternatives, where store-oriented SME's leverage stores and the online-oriented counterparts leverage warehouses. Consequently, the authors develop a configurational taxonomy and discuss a set of recipes which provide insights for researchers and practitioners.

The study provides a more comprehensive understanding of the pathways to success, and potential pitfalls, in the last mile logistics context.

This study applies a novel methodology in the field, namely fsQCA, to explore the paths to competitive advantage. It covers a wide range of stages in the LM including back-end fulfilment, delivery and returns. It also provides insight into the logistics practices of both SME's and large omni-channel retailers.

This paper investigates the logistics management in the e-grocery sector. It contrasts the key issues faced by practitioners and the topics addressed in the academic literature, to identify potential misalignments between research and practice and propose avenues for future efforts.

This work adopts a twofold methodological approach. From an academic perspective, a systematic literature review (SLR) is performed to define the topics addressed so far by scholars when analysing e-grocery logistics. From a managerial perspective, a Delphi study is accomplished to identify the most significant issues faced by logistics practitioners in the e-grocery context and the associated significance.

The study develops a conceptual framework, identifying and mapping the 9 main logistics challenges for e-grocery along 4 clusters, in the light of a logistics-related revision of the SCOR model: distribution network design (area to be served, infrastructures), order fulfilment process (picking, order storage, consolidation, delivery), logistics-related choices from other domains (product range, stock-out management) and automation. These elements are discussed along three dimensions: criticalities, basic and advanced/automation-based solutions. Finally, the main gaps are identified – in terms of both under-investigated topics (order storage and stock-out management) and investigated topics needing further research (picking and automation) – and research questions and hypotheses are outlined.

This paper provides a threefold contribution, revolving around the developed framework. First, it investigates the state of the art about e-grocery logistics, classifying the addressed themes. Second, it explores the main issues e-grocery introduces for logistics practitioners. Third, it contrasts the two outcomes, identifying the misalignment between research and practice, and accordingly, proposing research directions.

Perishable inventory management for the grocery sector has become more challenging with extended omnichannel activities and emerging consumer expectations. This paper aims to identify and formalize key performance measures of omnichannel perishable inventory management (OCPI) and explore the influence of operational and market-related factors on these measures.

The inductive approach of this research synthesizes three performance measures (product waste, lost sales and freshness) and four influencing factors (channel effect, demand variability, product perishability and shelf life visibility) for OCPI, through industry investigation, expert interviews and a systematic literature review. Treating OCPI as a complex adaptive system and considering its transaction costs, this paper formalizes the OCPI performance measures and their influencing factors in two statements and four propositions, which are then tested through numerical analysis with simulation.

Product waste, lost sales and freshness are identified as distinctive OCPI performance measures, which are influenced by product perishability, shelf life visibility, demand variability and channel effects. The OCPI sensitivity to those influencing factors is diverse, whereas those factors are found to moderate each other's effects.

To manage perishables more effectively, with less waste and lost sales for the business and fresher products for the consumer, omnichannel firms need to consider store and online channel requirements and strive to reduce demand variability, extend product shelf life and facilitate item-level shelf life visibility. While flexible logistics capacity and dynamic pricing can mitigate demand variability, the product shelf life extension needs modifications in product design, production, or storage conditions. OCPI executives can also increase the product shelf life visibility through advanced stock monitoring/tracking technologies (e.g. smart tags or more comprehensive barcodes), particularly for the online channel which demands fresher products.

This paper provides a novel theoretical view on perishables in omnichannel systems. It specifies the OCPI performance, beyond typical inventory policies for cost minimization, while discussing its sensitivity to operations and market factors.

The purpose of the present research is to address the issue by conceptualizing artificial intelligence (AI) experience quality and its dimensions, and furthermore, to empirically test the relationships among AI experience quality, positive affective reactions, AI experience satisfaction and AI-seeking intention.

The data were collected from an AI community canteen in Shanghai. They were also analyzed using exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses (EFA and CFA) and structural equation modeling (SEM).

Four primary dimensions and 15 sub-dimensions of AI experience quality for community canteens were identified. The hypothesized paths between the higher-order constructs – AI experience quality, positive affective reactions, AI experience satisfaction and AI-seeking intention – were confirmed as well.

This is the first study to synthesize AI experience quality, positive affective reactions, AI experience satisfaction and AI-seeking intention in an AI restaurant setting.

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).

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.

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.

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.

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.

The purpose of this study is to identify the factors that create value for the customer in the area of e-commerce logistics and to verify whether these factors impact online retailers' performance through customer satisfaction and customer loyalty in a business to customer (B2C) area.

For the purpose of the study, a model of logistics value in e-commerce was introduced. The model was proposed based on the literature review. A total of 592 correctly filled questionnaires from telephone and web interviews [computer-assisted telephone interview (CATI) and computer-assisted web interview (CAWI)] were studied. The exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and structural equation modeling (SEM) were conducted in the study.

It was confirmed that four of five defined logistics value dimensions have positive impact on customer satisfaction. These dimensions are communication of delivery status, convenience of receipt, reception experience and convenience of return. The influence of speed of delivery on customer satisfaction was not confirmed. It was also confirmed that customer satisfaction has a positive impact on customer loyalty and that customer loyalty positively impacts online retailers' performance.

The study contributes to the current understanding of the influence of logistics factors on online retailers' performance through customer satisfaction and customer loyalty. There have been few studies that concern logistics value in e-commerce, with particular emphasis on above-mentioned relations. It is especially an important issue due to the fact that logistics can potentially lead to gain a competitive advantage in e-commerce.

This study aims to explore how transformational leaders enhance public service employees’ growth satisfaction in the job and mitigate job stress and burnout, incorporating follower interpersonal communication satisfaction with the leader (IPCSL) as a mediator.

On the basis of the survey data collected from the Indian public service employees, regression analysis, bootstrapping and SOBEL test are used to test the proposed research model.

The findings highlighted a partial mediation of follower interpersonal communication satisfaction with leader between transformational leadership (TL) and public service employees’ growth satisfaction in the job. Although there was no significant direct effect of TL on job stress and burnout, the results underlined a significant indirect effect of follower IPCSL.

By examining the important role of follower IPCSL, this study unravels the precise intervening mechanism between TL and follower affective outcomes like growth satisfaction in job, job stress and burnout among public service employees.

This study aims to investigate the contribution of blockchain technology to supply chain risk management and its impact on performance among Indian manufacturing companies.

Drawing on a resource-based view, dynamic capability and system of systems theory, this study examines the direct relationships between blockchain, supply chain risk management and supply chain performance. The authors validate the mediating effects of three supply chain risk management components, namely supply risk management, demand risk management and cyber security management, on financial transaction reliability and information reliability. Data were collected from 204 Indian manufacturing companies that have adopted blockchain technology.

The results demonstrate that companies adopting blockchain technology have experienced positive outcomes in managing supply chain-related risks, financial transaction reliability and information reliability. These findings provide valuable guidance to managers, highlighting blockchain as a competitive advantage for supply chain management.

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, no previous research on blockchain-based risk management capabilities has been conducted.

This exploratory study aims to explore the operational and financial constraints faced by small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in India during the COVID-19 pandemic. The paper highlights the role of supply chain finance (SCF) in the uncertain business environment caused by the pandemic.

The study adopts an inductive approach and conducts convergent interviews with 32 SME owners and bank officials who are associated with SME-related financial transactions. The analysis of the interview data has been done through a grounded theory approach.

The findings portray four key themes representing the operational and financial constraints faced by SMEs during the pandemic. Further, the study identifies four drivers of SCF adoption among SMEs, including capital constraints, high inventory turnover cycle time, high order fulfilment cycle time and long debtors’ collection period.

The study provides various insights to the managers and owners of SMEs to deal with the economic crisis and eliminate the financial pressure created by the pandemic. The study enlightens the policymakers about the struggles of the SMEs during the economic turmoil created by the pandemic and guides them to introduce the relevant policies to resolve their problems.

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first study to identify the factors driving the SMEs to adopt SCF due to the economic chaos created by the pandemic. Also, the study theoretically contributes to the literature by developing a theoretical framework for SCF adoption based on grounded theory.