Success factors for continuous supply chain process improvement: evidence from Japanese manufacturers

ABSTRACT

This study explores how firms can realise ‘continuous’ supply chain process improvement. Specifically, this study proposes the success factors of routinised activities (also called ‘repeated activities’) in the supply chain process improvement. Eight Japanese manufacturers are selected for the case studies. These firms are selected based on their supply chain process operation capabilities. From the case studies, we find that the planning of supply chain process improvement depends on the existing stage of the firm’s Supply Chain Management reform. In addition, even firms with high scores for supply chain process operation capabilities do not have supply chain performance systems. Furthermore, quite surprisingly, many Japanese manufacturers tend to improve their supply chain processes in the absence of such systems.

KEYWORDS:

• Supply chain management
• supply chain process improvement capabilities
• case studies
• Japanese manufacturers

Acknowledgments

The authors thank the eight firms of case studies for their cooperation.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by a Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C) (23530517).