Supply chain management: a strategic perspective

TLDR

Supply chain management, an integrated strategic approach to purchasing and logistics, has become a key tool for U.S. firms to enhance quality, customer service, and competitive success. The study surveyed senior managers across industries to examine supply chain and supplier evaluation practices, distilling them into key constructs linked to firm performance. The authors surveyed senior managers across industries and reduced the identified practices to a smaller set of constructs related to firm performance.

Abstract

Many leading firms in the USA have adopted an integrated strategic approach to purchasing and logistics management known as supply chain management. As the twenty‐first century begins, supply chain management has become a significant strategic tool for firms striving to improve quality, customer service and competitive success. This article surveyed senior managers in various industries to study the prevalent supply chain management and supplier evaluation practices. The study reduced these practices to a smaller set of constructs and related the constructs to firm performance. The results show that many constructs were correlated with firm performance and that some constructs were found to adversely affect performance.