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The development of strategic supply chain mapping techniques has been slowed by four critical issues. The purpose of this paper is to answer a call to address supply chain mapping techniques and issues. It offers recommendations for more readable and useful strategic supply chain maps.

The paper utilized executive MBA, traditional MBA, and graduating logistics undergraduates' applied economic input/output data to refine mapping techniques.

The paper addresses strategic supply chain mapping issues to serve as the next step in advancing the evolution of strategic supply chain mapping techniques. It utilizes geovisualization to provide useful guidance to individuals trying to map their current supply chain and seeking potential improvements.

The paper is limited in that strategic supply chain mapping is in its infancy. Future research may consider use of the technique comparing alternative approaches to a supply chain, as well as the application of Pareto analysis and other metrics to focus on critical components for mapping.

The use of input/output analysis initiates mapping at the macro industry level as a key starting point. Geovisualization techniques allow those mapping to offer a great amount of detail in a simple, easy‐to‐read format to identify the critical components of the specific supply chain.

This paper is the critical next step to help further advance the evolution of strategic supply chain mapping techniques by both practitioner and academic.

To empirically examine the usefulness and value of supply chain mapping (SC mapping), which has been neglected despite its importance in research and practice.

Based on three combined theoretical perspectives, we conducted a case study on a car manufacturer's managers mapping their downstream supply chain (SC). We conducted semi-structured interviews and a mapping exercise with them, followed by a focus group.

We find differences between individual and corporate SC maps and between how managers define the outbound SC, the SC map they draw and what they say when mapping. The three theoretical perspectives allow us to enrich SC mapping thinking. We focus on boundary objects to formulate propositions. SC mapping and maps are discussed with respect to contemporary SCs and SCM.

Based on a single case study on one firm's outbound SC. Research could be expanded to the company's external partners and follow the development and use of maps in real time.

Highlights the usefulness and difficulties of SC mapping, for individuals and organisations. For the company, it opens avenues for further development and use of SC mapping to improve inter-functional and inter-organisational collaboration.

Confirms the need for SC mapping competences in SCM and consequently the usefulness of teaching SC mapping courses in logistics and SCM programs.

Highlights the usefulness of SC mapping and rekindles interest in SC mapping and maps in SCM. Introduces boundary objects into SCM research.

The aim of this paper is to propose a mapping framework for evaluating supply chain learning potential for the context of small‐ to medium‐sized enterprises (SMEs).

The extracts of recently completed case based research for ten manufacturing SME units and facts reported in the previous research are utilized for the deduction of proposed framework. Initially, 25 learning factors were extracted from the literature which were related to various learning characteristics of SMEs. This helped to develop a mapping framework comprising 55 arguments for evaluating supply chain learning potential/penetration in SME organizations.

An application of the mapping framework is demonstrated for two case organizations.

The framework will help SME managers to identify weak areas in their supply chain and adopt learning and knowledge management perspectives to improve upon select dimensions, such as customer responsiveness, flexibility, inventory management and lead time issues through better supply chain planning, coordination and information sharing.

The proposed framework integrates the insights reported in three different bodies of knowledge, such as organizational learning, supply chain planning and small and medium scale enterprises, and hence can be seen as a unique supply chain evaluation template for the case of SMEs.

The aim of this study is to present a model for service supply chain performance evaluation (SSCPE) based on fuzzy cognitive mapping (FCM).

Despite the unique nature of services, which distinguishes them from goods, the performance evaluation of service supply chains (SSCs) has still not received adequate attention from researchers or practitioners. With the help of in-depth interviews conducted with insurance industry experts in Iran, the performance measures of SSCs are defined, and the relevance between the performance measures, which are based upon the knowledge of experts in this field, are presented as a fuzzy cognitive map.

By blocking the aggregate map of experts, a model for SSCPE is developed that discusses performance measures and metrics of strategic, tactical and operational SSC processes, such as service-providing management, service-enabling management, market management, cash-flow management, customer-relationship management, supplier-relationship management, knowledge- and information-flow management and risk management. Indexes of FCM models indicate that the supply chain service quality and strategy blocks have the most importance compared with others.

The paper develops an original SSCPE model that can be used as a basis for SSC improvement and develops an excellence model for SSC.

The purpose of this study is to apply value stream mapping (VSM) in Malaysian pharmaceutical production warehouse. A current and future state value stream map from the raw material receiving end to the production unit was developed to find out waste and unwanted lead time. It was very much essential to cut down the supply chain lead time at the initial phase as the raw material unloading, sorting, temporary storage and dispatch to production were seen contributing to a huge lead time build-up.

The study was initiated with the selection of a product family, construction of the current state map, identification of various wastes and the development of future state map.

The expected outcomes of the study include the quantification of wastes, improvement in value-added percentage and lead time reduction.

The study was carried out in a single pharmaceutical company. The results of the study are deployable and can be functional in similar production organizations. Contrary to common VSMs that capture core production processes, this study provides strong insights that shall help design lean supply chains, especially in the pharmaceutical domain. This paper has also addressed the viability of the lean in the pharmaceutical warehouse and the reduction in lead time to improve demand forecasting, marketing and sales.

The results of this study have indicated that a significant reduction in pharmaceutical warehouse supply chain lead time is possible as a result of the implementation of VSM from the supply chain’s perspective.

The insights from this study help in understanding the pharmaceutical supply chain risks and their outcomes.

The paper reports a real-time study conducted in a warehouse of a pharmaceutical organization. Hence, the contributions are original.

The issue of the supply chain has been given much attention in recent decades, both in the academic arena as well as in the business world. It has become so important that organizations have begun to directly manage the supply chain, appointing specific managers to perform this function. New challenges now include a focus on supply to determine the right time and place for product delivery. Some authors indicate a close relationship between Total Quality Management and the supply chain regarding its philosophical and operational goals and perspectives. Lee (2004) goes even further by indicating that only organizations that devise agile, adaptable and aligned supply chains will be able to continue competing in today’s environment. Therefore, observing and measuring the supply chain at all times is critical for today’s organizations. The purpose of this paper is to describe the implementation of a tool called Supply Chain Value Stream Mapping (SCVSM) in order to thoroughly understand competitive priorities of volume and delivery (On-time Delivery (OTD)) for any supply chain in organizations.

An exploratory case study was conducted. Two manufacturing company which have been established in Mexico with a robust supply chain for at least 20 years, were selected. The paper chronicles the implementation of SCVSM in both case studies. Three methods were used to gather data: direct observation; documentary analysis and semi-structured interviews.

This paper proposes a new tool for operation management called SCVSM. Its development, refinement and applied in both case studies. The evidence shows that it is possible to apply the tool (SCVSM) to visualize the variables volume and OTD in supply chains. In consequence, this research has made a small empirical contribution to the theoretical field of supply chain quality management.

This paper has the same limitations as all other case-study-based research, including analysis subjectivity and questionable generalization of findings. There may well also be a theoretical gap in the geographic region because the paper only analyzes two companies established in Mexico.

Derived to describe both case studies on how to apply the SCVSM tool it may prove to be of value to practitioners and managers involved in the field. Similarly, a section on managerial implications has also been included.

The study contributes to the limited existing literature on the Supply Chain Quality Management and subsequently disseminates this information in order to provide impetus, guidance and support toward increasing the development companies in an attempt to move the Mexico manufacturing sector toward world class manufacturing performance.

The purpose of this paper is to analyse the concept of supply chain resilience (SCRES) within a concept mapping framework to seek conceptual clarity, with an emphasis on SCRES definitions, essential elements and managerial practices.

A systematic literature review was conducted of 103 peer-reviewed journal articles from the year 2000 to 2015, with the aim of answering a focus review question.

Through analysis and synthesis of the literature, the study revealed three major constructs used to define SCRES: phases of resilience, resilience strategies and the capabilities needed to be resilient. Emerging from the capabilities construct are five core SCRES capabilities: the ability to anticipate, to adapt, to respond, to recover and to learn. Also, given the need to consolidate the various constructs of SCRES, the study identified 13 essential elements and 84 managerial practices that support firms to achieve the five capabilities, which are then linked to SCRES strategies and phases to establish the connections that provide an integrated view of the concept.

The explorative nature of this study and the role of the concept mapping framework, which does not empirically test the relationships in the model, are considered as limitations, to be addressed by the authors in future research.

The originality of this paper lies in the classification of different features of SCRES through a comprehensive concept mapping framework that establishes relationships and interactions between them. This study, therefore, lays a foundation for testing these connections in future empirical studies. The paper brings together fragmented literature from multiple studies to create a solid body of knowledge that addresses the need for conceptual clarity in SCRES literature.

To develop an innovative methodology to apply lean value chain improvement techniques to a complete supply chain for a food product from farm to consumer.

Action research based on a UK case study involving farmers, a food processor and a major retailer.

Value stream analysis (VCA) highlights significant opportunities to improve supply chain performance, profitability and relationships.

Lean/VCA methodologies can be readily applied to the retail and processor elements of food chains. However, further research is required to apply the concepts to farm operations.

Subsequent to this research, VCA techniques have been increasingly adopted in UK agri‐food sectors including meat, dairy, cereals and horticulture.

Application of lean concepts and VCA in the agri‐food sector. Development of a multi‐echelon supply chain improvement methodology.

The purpose of this paper is to explore the impact of configuration on supply network capability. It was believed that a configuration perspective might provide new insights on the capability and performance of supply networks, a gap in the literature, and provide a basis for the development of tools to aid their analysis and design.

The methodology involved the development of a configuration definition and mapping approach extending established strategic and firm level constructs to the network operational level. The resulting tools were tested and refined in a series of case studies across a range of sectors and value chain models. Supply network capability assessments, from the perspective of the focal firm, were then compared with their configuration profiles.

The configuration mapping tools were found to give new insights into the structure of supply networks and allow comparisons to be made across sectors and business models through the use of consistent and quantitative methods and common presentation. They provide the foundations for linking configuration to capability and performance, and contribute to supply network design and development by highlighting the intrinsic capabilities associated with different configurations.

Although multiple case networks have been investigated, the configuration exemplars remain suggestive models. The research suggests that a re‐evaluation of operational process excellence models is needed, where the link between process maturity and performance may require a configuration context.

Advantages of particular configurations have been identified with implications for supply network development and industrial policy.

The paper seeks to develop established strategic management configuration concepts to the analysis and design of supply networks by providing a robust operational definition of supply network configuration and novel tools for their mapping and assessment.

The paper aims to develop a benchmarking framework to address issues such as supply chain complexity and visibility, geographical differences and non-standardized data, ensuring that the entire supply chain environmental impact (in terms of carbon) and resource use for all tiers, including domestic and import flows, are evaluated. Benchmarking has become an important issue in supply chain management practice. However, challenges such as supply chain complexity and visibility, geographical differences and non-standardized data have limited the development of approaches for evaluating performances of product supply chains. This industry-level benchmarking approach ensures that individual firms can compare their carbon emissions against other similarly structured firms.

Benchmarking has become an important issue in supply chain management practice. However, challenges such as supply chain complexity and visibility, geographical differences and non-standardized data have limited the development of approaches for evaluating performances of product supply chains. The paper aims to develop a benchmarking framework to address these issues, ensuring that the entire supply chain environmental impact (in terms of carbon) and resource use for all tiers, including domestic and import flows, are evaluated. This industry-level benchmarking approach ensures that individual firms can compare their carbon emissions against other similarly structured firms.

Supply chain carbon maps are developed as a means of producing industry-level benchmarks to set a measure for the environmental sustainability of product supply chains. The industry-level benchmark provides the first step for firms to manage the environmental performance, identify and target high carbon emission hot-spots and for cross-sectorial benchmarking.

The paper links the theoretical development of supply chain environmental system based on the Multi-Regional Input–Output model to the innovative development of supply chain carbon maps, such that an industry-level benchmarking framework is produced as a means of setting product supply chain carbon emissions benchmarks.