Three perspectives on supply chain design

Sammanfattning: As companies increasingly cooperate with and rely on other companies to compete on a global market, the concept of supply chain management and logistics is gaining interest, from practitioner as well as researchers. Studies of high-performing companies, such as Benetton, Toyota and Nissan report that these organizations take a strategic view of the whole process of supply from original sources of material to end customers, achieving more efficient operations management and more effective strategic management.Supply chain management has received an increased interest during the last 10 years, similar concepts such. The study identifies a need for design studies in the area of supply chain and logistics, partly because few studies has been made with a design approach and that traditional methods for design are often focused on design of one function or the formal organizational aspects of logistics. Supply chains are more complex than these types of design, since several companies and several different functions are included. The study is based on a systems approach and is theory generating. The focus of the study is on identifying design variables that can be used to understand the logistics content of a supply chain design and to generate alternative design solutions. The study builds on the -assumption that it is not enough to measure efficiency or effectiveness of a system. It is also necessary to understand the logic under which the system operates. It is only based on that understanding that a new design can be made.To handle the increased complexity in supply chain design the system is analysed using three perspectives, process, function and organization. Design variables are identified in each of the perspectives, in the form of a number of constructs and concepts. The constructs are tested in two case studies. The study is theory generating and the results can therefore not be said to do more than suggest the importance of a number of design variables, and the importance to in supply chain design to use several perspectives. The three identified perspectives have been found relevant as well as the theory generated constructs. This does however not mean that these are the only three possible perspectives or the only important design variables. Further research is needed in the area of supply chain design before a design model can be suggested. This study suggests a structure for how to organize design variables using three perspectives (process, function, and organization) and three levels of abstraction (construct, concept, and activity). It is also suggested that to generate design solutions these have to be addressed in a certain order. The complexity makes it impossible to address all questions at the same time. The methodology follows what is suggested when using a saticficing approach in systems theory.The first step is to clarify the aim of the new design by using the conceptual level. The concepts are often based on best practice studies and often suggest a design solution that has been found useful. The next step is to define the content of the system that is to be designed by defining the activities that are included. To uphold the supply chain focus it is suggested that the constructs in the process perspective are addressed in the next step. The last two steps are to address the constructs in the functional and the organizational perspectives in that order.