Academic literature on the topic 'Supplier survey'

This paper presents the results from an empirical survey of chemical suppliers, which examines the influence of customer relationship functions on supplier involvement in customer new product development (NPD) from the supplier's perspective. Using multiple regression analysis, we can demonstrate a positive influence between the direct functions (e.g., profit, volume) of customer relationship and supplier involvement in customer NPD. Differentiating between innovative and non-innovative suppliers leads to distinctive differences. While the direct functions are a strong predictor for the supplier involvement in the non-innovative supplier group, in the innovative group only indirect functions (innovation, market, scout and access functions) influence the supplier involvement. These results show that mutual support in the NPD and open network are the imperative triggers for the involvement of innovative suppliers. The obtained results provide theoretical as well as practical implications for the supplier involvement in customer NPD.

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore the impact of supplier development (SD) on supplier’s performance by sharing implicit knowledge in mentorship under the influence of supplier’s organizational culture (OC). Design/methodology/approach A survey questionnaire was employed to collect data from 226 employees of participating suppliers after conducting mentorship training at the suppliers’ site. The data were analyzed by the partial least squares structural equation modeling with software SmartPLS Ver. 3.0. Findings The empirical analysis indicates that SD by mentorship partially mediates the total effects of OC – power distance and uncertainty avoidance – on performance. It completely mediates the collaborative culture on performance. Originality/value This study may confirm that the SD program by mentorship is a viable strategy to enhance the performance of supply chain partners and the selection of suppliers.

AbstractThe supplier selection process is very important to companies as selecting the right suppliers that fit companies strategy needs brings drastic savings. Therefore, this paper seeks to address the key area of supplies evaluation from the supplier review perspective. The purpose was to identify the most important criteria for suppliers’ evaluation and develop evaluation tool based on surveyed criteria. The research was conducted through structured questionnaire and the sample focused on small to medium sized companies (SMEs) in Greece. In total eighty companies participated in the survey answering the full questionnaire which consisted of questions whether these companies utilize some suppliers’ evaluation criteria and what criteria if any is applied. The main statistical instrument used in the study is Principal Component Analysis (PCA). Thus, the research has shown that the main criteria are: the attitude of the vendor towards the customer, supplier delivery time, product quality and price. Conclusions are made on the suitability and usefulness of suppliers’ evaluation criteria and in way they are applied in enterprises.

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to evaluate the effects of supplier development programs on the short‐term performance of suppliers and the more long‐term development of their capabilities given the relational learning context of the dyad.Design/methodology/approachData were collected through a survey of strategic suppliers from original equipment manufacturers of the automotive industry located in Mexico.FindingsResults suggest that basic and widely used forms of supplier development hardly lead to improved operational and financial performance of suppliers. More demanding and less frequently used forms of supplier development may lead to improved supplier performance given the suppliers have sufficient absorptive capacity and the presence of an adequate collaborative and relational learning context.Research limitations/implicationsOnly suppliers of firms in the automotive industry were surveyed; participant suppliers were referred by buying firms operating in Mexico.Practical implicationsWhen designing supplier development activities, buying firms need to take into consideration that high involvement and investment on supplier development activities is required when their goal is to improve the supplier base.Social implicationsGovernments organizing supplier development programs should consider the importance of promoting knowledge transfer activities above evaluation and feedback to assure the success of their efforts to develop the national supply industry.Originality/valueThe value of supplier development programs is explored in this paper, taking into account the efforts of the buying firms to transfer knowledge and the moderating effect of the relational and learning context. Relevant recommendations for the design of such programs to buyers, suppliers and government are discussed.

Purpose The authors argue that the supplier’s perspective in managing buyers using relationship commitment is incomplete. The primary reasons for incompleteness are that: the effects of the two types of relationship commitment (i.e. affective and continuance) on buyer behaviors (i.e. individualized consideration and opportunism) are largely ignored from a supplier’s perspective; there is quandary regarding the effects of the two relationship commitment types in a relationship, whether they are favorable or not; and there is also ambiguity regarding the conditions under which relationship commitment types might serve as effective relational governance mechanisms. The paper aims to discuss this issue. Design/methodology/approach The authors employ survey data obtained from 207 suppliers to test the hypotheses using structural equations modeling. Findings The authors extend contemporary knowledge on supplier relationship commitment by revealing that at high-levels of buyer-leverage, supplier affective commitment can induce buyer opportunism and supplier continuance commitment can induce buyer individualized consideration. Furthermore, buyer-leverage positively moderates the interaction effect of supplier commitment types to promote buyer opportunism. Research limitations/implications The authors do not examine a buyer’s perspective, but from a supplier’s perspective, suppliers can maximize their benefits from their relationship commitment by embracing affective commitment while ensuring that buyers do not have excessive leverage. Originality/value The study presents a significant contribution to the extant literature on relationship commitment by probing the dual nature of supplier relationship commitment; albeit for specific configurations of commitment types and buyer-leverage.

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to adopt and contribute to the further development of the relational view by examining the drivers of retailer-supplier collaboration and its effect on the performance of both the retailer and the supplier. Design/methodology/approach – The paper draws its conclusions from a structural analysis of dyadic survey data collected from consumer packaged goods suppliers and retailers in Brazil. In addition, objective retailer performance measures (retailer in-stock performance) are included in the data set. Findings – The results indicate that a supplier's customer orientation is an important determinant of supplier relationship-specific investments and, ultimately, supply chain collaboration. The empirical results also indicate that retailers stand to benefit the most from a supplier's collaborative efforts. In addition, there is evidence that a supplier's customer orientation is positively related to its own performance. Research limitations/implications – The limited sample size – a result of the dyadic nature of the data – constitutes a limitation and, at the same time, presents opportunities for future, larger-scale studies. Nonetheless, this study highlights the value of customer orientation and collaboration in terms of driving performance outcomes for both suppliers and buyers, while invoking the notion that the benefits of supply chain collaboration accrue differentially over time from the retailers’ and suppliers’ perspectives. Originality/value – While many of the relationships set forth in this research have been implicitly assumed by proponents of the relational view, this study furthers the development of the relational view by explicitly modeling supplier relationship-specific investments and customer orientation as antecedents of collaboration. Moreover, the study contributes to the literature on buyer-supplier collaboration by simultaneously exploring to what extent both suppliers and retailers derive benefits from such collaboration.

The article focuses on the procurement of goods to support the business operations of organisations, with special reference to South African practice. The following aspects are detailed: (1) identifying and specifying procurement needs; (2) selecting suppliers; and (3) controlling suppliers’ performance. It is deduced that the procurement management process consists of five principal steps: (1) identifying and specifying a procurement need; (2) supplier survey; (3) investigation and assessment of suppliers; (4) choice of supplier(s); and (5) establishing and developing relationships with suppliers and controlling their performance. Steps 2, 3 and 4 collectively form the supplier selection phase.

Purpose This paper aims to understand the process of initiating ingredient/component (IC) branding from the supplier's perspective. It proposes modeling entrepreneurial orientation (EO) as an antecedent factor and differentiation abilities (functional and reputational) as mediators. Investigating IC branding from the supplier's perspective is critical given the cost and risk associated with implementing such a strategy. Design/methodology/approach A total of 5,254 manufacturing companies were screened to identify IC supplier firms that meet certain criteria. Survey data were collected from 77 top managers (Chief Executive Officers or Chief Marketing Officers) of IC supplier firms. The paper uses partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) and SPSS in analyzing data. Findings The results indicate that IC branding is a complex strategy – one involving a number of steps that need to be taken in a specific order. More specifically, results indicate that IC branding starts with EO exerting a positive influence on IC functional differentiation ability (FDA). FDA facilitates reputational differentiation ability (RDA), which in turn encourages the supplier to initiate IC branding. Originality/value This paper addresses an important gap by studying the process through, which suppliers initiate IC branding.

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to shed light on the dynamics of buyer–supplier industrial relationships and the role of customer attractiveness—a requisite to obtain best efforts from suppliers involved in collaborative initiatives.Design/methodology/approachThe paper develops a theoretical framework tested through an international survey with a structured equation modeling approach.FindingsResults confirm that customer attractiveness positively affects both innovation and cost performance ensured by suppliers. Moreover, several direct and indirect antecedents of customer attractiveness are identified, including characteristics of the buying firm’s procurement department (i.e. procurement knowledge and procurement status) and supply chain relationship characteristics (i.e. proficiency of supplier collaboration and visibility).Research limitations/implicationsBecause of the survey approach, the research results are limited to the data collected.Practical implicationsFindings support the relevance of collaborative relationships in improving performance, and the key role procurement department could play in managing the multifaceted aspects of supplier collaboration.Originality/valueThis paper investigates, on the one hand, why customer attractiveness is relevant for supply chain management, and what are the effects on innovation and cost performance ensured by suppliers; on the other hand, antecedents of customer attractiveness are considered, with a main focus on organizational and relational procurement variables.

PT. Mayer Indah Indonesia is a company engaged in the field of textile. In order to face business competition, there are several problems that often arise, namely not having supplier selection procedures. The supplier selection conducted by the company's purchasing department at this time is a direct survey and price comparison. supplier distance with the company so that shipping costs are high and ease of negotiation and payment systems. So the supplier selection needs to be done by using the right method in accordance with company standards, namely weighted product (wp) with the aim of providing information to companies about alternative methods that can be used in objectively selecting suppliers and providing input on the performance of suppliers. Keywords: Selection, Chemical Supplier, Best, Weighted Product.

The purpose of this study is to investigate the suppliers’ view of their relation to Stora Enso. The study focuses on the relation between the central purchasing unit of Stora Enso and the suppliers but also gives indications of how the overall interface between Stora Enso and the suppliers works. The purpose is explored through a number of research objectives, which are presented below.

Areas essential for the functioning of the central purchasing unit:

- The overall organisation of Stora Enso’s purchasing activities,

- Stora Enso’s cross-functional purchasing teams,

- The internal coordination and communication,

- The relational bonds between Stora Enso and the suppliers

Important goals and visions for the central purchasing unit:

- Minimising the Total Business Cost,

- Being an attractive partner to the suppliers

Currently discussed issues within the central purchasing organisation:

- The potential for closer cooperation between Stora Enso and the suppliers,

- The professionalism of Stora Enso’s purchasers

Stora Enso is well organised for purchasing but the centrally coordinated cross-functional teams are not working as well as they could. The internal coordination has improved lately but the central purchasing unit’s mission to optimise for Stora Enso as a whole often creates tension within the organisation, as a result of the mills being profit centres. The internal communication is not efficient, and the suppliers are strengthening their bonds with the mills by taking over the responsibility for certain information flows. The central purchasing unit and the cross-functional teams have the responsibility but not the authority to carry out their task of identifying and reducing the Total Business Cost. Stora Enso is an attractive customer for their suppliers, mainly because of the big volumes they represent. The current negotiation strategies are not advantageous for the introduction of collaborative supplier relations but other factors in the relation between the suppliers and Stora Enso speak strongly in favour for such a strategic change. When it comes to professionalism and business moral the suppliers give the central purchasing unit a very positive evaluation.

Abstract There is no commonly agreed theory available to define supplier satisfaction and to measure it. Qualitative research is the key to find the definition and metrics for supplier satisfaction. It gives the possibility to refer behaviours, interactions between companies and organizational functioning. This research has studied supplier satisfaction measurement and how it could be used as a management tool. Supplier Satisfaction Survey is a management tool for a company to improve and further develop its internal and external processes within its supply chain. The aim is to measure the quality of relationship between the supplier and 'the company' in terms of how the supplier views 'the company' both in business and communication- related aspects. The results highlight the areas where the supplier and 'the company' have together invested resources to improve processes but also to identify areas that can still be improved. Survey results are also inputs for the strategic planning of the company as well as everyday operations and business behaviour. Supplier satisfaction survey is the latest part of the continuous development of the supply chain management. A literature review tells how supply chain management has developed over time from setting a supply chain structure in place and further focusing more detailed parts such as cost structure and product customisation. The latest trend is to have close cooperation with supply chain partners and synchronize operations -in particular the supplier and manufacturing part of the supply chain need fine-tuning
Tiivistelmä Toimittajatyytyväisyyden ja sen mittaamiseen ei vielä ole yleisesti hyväksyttyä (/sovittua) teoriaa. Kvalitatiivinen tutkimus antaa työkalut määritelmän ja mittareiden luomiseen. Se mahdollistaa tutkia käyttäymistä, vuorovaikutuksia yritysten ja organisaatioiden välillä. Toimittajatyytyväisyys on yrityksen johtamistyökalu, jonka avulla yritys voi parantaa ja edelleen kehittää niin sisäisiä kuin ulkoisia prosesseja toimittajaketjussa. Ideana on mitata toimittajasuhteen laatua - miten toimittaja arvostaa ostajayrityksen toimintaa kaupanteon ja kommunikaation näkökulmasta. Tässä tutkimuksessa keskitytään ensin toimittajatyytyväisyyden konseptin luomiseen ja toiseksi toimittajatyytyväisyyden mittaamiseen ja kuinka sitä voidaan edelleen käyttää yrityksen johtamistyökaluna. Tulokset tuovat esiin alueet, mihin toimittaja ja ostajayritys ovat yhdessä jo investoinneet resursseja parantaakseen prosesseja, mutta myös ne alueet, joihin vielä pitää kiinnittää huomiota. Tulokset toimivat informaationa niin yrityksen strategisessa suunnittelussa kuin joka päiväisessä toiminnassa. Toimittajatyytyväisyyden mittaus on uusimpia menetelmiä jatkuvasti kehittyvässä toimittajaketjun hallinnassa. Kirjallisuuskatsaus kertoo kuinka toimittajaketjun hallinta on kehittynyt aikojen kuluessa alkaen toimittajaketjun rakenteen kuvaamisesta ja edelleen keskittyen yksityiskohtaisempiin alueisiin kuten kustannuksiin ja tuotteiden yksilöintiin. Viimeisimpinä trendeinä ovat olleet yhteistyön parantaminen toimittajaketjussa olevien yritysten välillä, aktiviteettien synkronointi ja erityisesti toimittaja - valmistaja lenkin kooperaation hiominen

This diploma thesis deals with the selection and evaluation of suppliers in the construction industry. It is divided into a theoretical and a practical part. The theoretical part focuses on corporate purchasing, supplier selection and supplier evaluation and describes the methods that solve this problem. In the practical part, the theoretical knowledge is transferred into practice. There is a questionnaire responded to by the construction companies. Based on the results of the questionnaire, four hypotheses are compiled and tested. Three managed interviews with construction company employees are also recorded. The last part is a case study. It addresses the design of the system for the selection and evaluation of suppliers in a particular construction company.

ABSTRACTNowadays the importance of environmental logistics is increasing while organizations are trying to pay more attention to their transport activities. Since PNL is a famous logistics company in Nordic countries and transport activates are done by sub contractors they intend to make sound environmental choices by assessing their suppliers from environmental performance in order to identify the best suppliers which is comply with the PNL environmental policy.In this project the survey study and questionnaire has been made in order to evaluate the supplier performance from environmental perspective. At first the investigation has been made for improving the previous questionnaire which was made by PNL. Some parts were revised according to researchers‟ knowledge, reliable references and suggestion of environmental consultant. Lots of study has been made in order to find the most importing effects that can affect environmentalism. Obtained results from questionnaire were analyzed and appropriate suggestions were given in order to enlighten the significant importance of environmental issues.Due to complexity of decision making environment, the applicable and reliable method should be applied to cope with complexity and the factors that can affect the objective while simplifying the process. Analytical Hierarchy process has been applied for this project in order to change the qualitative situation into quantitative manner to rate the suppliers based on their performance.The first step in AHP process is constructing hierarchy in two or more level for evaluating the alternatives. The goal of the project is environmental performance .Second level is criteria which has been made according to literature and the importance of them while the suggestions of consultant has been applied as well. Third level is sub criteria which are questions of questionnaire and finally the forth level include alternative which is suppliers.Next step in AHP process is weighting criteria and sub criteria and making pair wise comparison between them. Procedure of weighting is done by researchers and managers from PNL in order to decrease the subjectivity of decision making process. The result from suppliers has been investigated and points were given to them according to their performance and ability regarding environmental logistics.Sensitivity analysis was made for analyzing the result from AHP in order to investigate the responsiveness of the result.Key words: Logistics, Environmentalism, AHP Method, Supplier Assessment, Survey Study.

A patient monitor device for use during open heart surgery has been designed and constructed. The device uses a VIC 20 microcomputer along with some additional circuitry to monitor 3 separate functions. The first patient variable monitored is the blood flow rate through the extracorporeal blood circuit during surgery. The device also continuously monitors and displays 6 separate temperatures. Finally, 3 individual timers are monitored and displayed with the device. Both the hardware and the software used in the design are fully described.
Master of Science

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Financiadora de Estudos e Projetos
This research aims to present and analyze the practices that can be established by focus companies with their suppliers, distributors and consumers, so that sustainability is embedded in their supply chains. Moreover, as a way to better understand the dynamics of sustainability, the research also analyzes the barriers faced by organizations when adopting this type of practice. From the information obtained by the technique of systematic literature review, we developed a questionnaire for the empirical stage of this research - a survey with organizations known for adopting sustainable practices. Among the results, it is emphasized that the practices aimed at environmental issues are further explored, both in literature and empirically. Regarding the practices with suppliers, those that require a lesser degree of involvement between companies - less collaboration - and had a more assessment nature stood out. Considering the chain downstream, practices among distributors are still poorly known, both in literature and empirically; and practices that stood out with consumers referred to the sharing of information, and labeling of products. Considering the barriers, the more relevant indicated by respondents was the cost. From the results obtained, proposals were outlined, both theoretical and practical, about the incorporation of sustainable practices throughout the supply chain, and how to overcome potential barriers. It is believed that these proposals can be a starting point for further academic research, and still be used by managers interested in the sustainable management of their organizations.
Esta pesquisa tem como objetivo apresentar e analisar as práticas que podem ser estabelecidas pelas empresas foco junto a seus fornecedores, distribuidores e consumidores, para que a sustentabilidade seja incorporada em suas cadeias de suprimentos. Além disso, como uma forma de se compreender melhor a dinâmica da sustentabilidade, a pesquisa também analisa as barreiras enfrentadas pelas organizações quando da adoção desse tipo de prática. A partir das informações obtidas por meio da técnica de revisão sistemática da literatura, desenvolveuse um questionário para a etapa empírica do trabalho - uma survey junto a organizações que reconhecidamente adotam práticas sustentáveis. Dentre os resultados obtidos, destaca-se que as práticas voltadas a questões ambientais são mais exploradas, tanto na literatura quanto na prática. Com relação às práticas junto aos fornecedores, as que mais se destacam são aquelas que precisam de um menor grau de envolvimento entre as empresas menor colaboração e que possuem um cunho mais avaliativo. Considerando a cadeia a jusante, as ações junto aos distribuidores ainda são pouco difundidas, tanto na literatura quanto na prática; e as práticas de destaque junto aos consumidores referiram-se ao compartilhamento de informações, e à rotulagem de produtos. Considerando ainda as barreiras, a de maior relevância indicada pelos respondentes foi o custo. Finalmente, a partir dos resultados obtidos, foram delineadas propostas, tanto teóricas quanto práticas, relativas à incorporação de práticas sustentáveis ao longo das cadeias de suprimento, e à superação das possíveis barreiras. Acredita-se que as mesmas possam ser ponto de partida para novas pesquisas acadêmicas, e ainda ser utilizadas por gestores interessados na gestão sustentável de suas organizações.

This thesis concerns the safety in user interfaces. In particular it concerns the user interfaces in systems in which safety is critical. I have studied such systems in the maritime industry, where we for instance may find them on the bridges of ships. Computer systems get more and more important in the daily routines of humans, and it is important that this does not go unnoticed. Designers of computer systems need to take human factors into consideration when designing their systems. These considerations might be especially important in complex systems, as these are often safety critical. The bridges on ships are likely to include complex systems for the operator to handle, as they often involve multiple screens, or other factors that increase the complexity of a system. Such factors might include being able to pay attention to several incidents at once. When dealing with complex systems, it is important that the operator knows how to handle the system, and also how to react when an incident occurs. These are factors that need to be considered by the designer when making the system and theories on how to do this are described in the thesis. I have also described standards which consider this, like the ISO 11064 standard, or the Atomos regulation and the ISO 17894 which considers this for the maritime industry in particular. Parts of the industry have made an effort to develop tools to be used to improve the safety. I have studied some of these efforts and presented them in the thesis. Furthermore, I have developed a survey to study how the individual members and different parts of the industry feel and behave towards safety. The survey gave an insight into reality of how safety is being handled in the industry as a whole. In particular it pointed to the main problem of the maritime industry, that the industry is very heterogeneous, and also that the different parts of the industry are in competition with each other. Most of the respondents had not heard about the Atomos regulation or the ISO 17894 standards, efforts that could have been used as a tool to improve the level of safety. The questionnaire also showed that while most of the respondents are satisfied with the level of safety in their organization, they are not satisfied with the level of safety in the overall industry. The thesis consists of six parts. Part I deals with the introduction and general theory from research methods and psychology. Part II deals with usability and related standards. These include ISO 11064, theory on usability and a description of an accident due to poorly designed user interface. Part III describes relevant background from the maritime industry, which involves the ISO 17894 standard, the Atomos regulation and e-navigation, an example of a newly made effort. Part IV gives a description of the development of my questionnaire, and also provides the results and conclusions made from them. Part V provides the conclusions and suggestions for future work, while part VI contains appendices.

Mestrado em Economia e Gestão de Ciência, Tecnologia e Inovação
Atualmente, a inovação e o investimento em investigação & desenvolvimento (I&D) aparentam ser fatores de diferenciação e vantagem competitiva no panorama organizacional, independentemente da indústria em questão. A procura pela inovação constante e melhoria contínua, assim como pela realização de atividades de I&D, é realizada de várias formas e com vários objetivos. A Indústria Têxtil e Vestuário encontra-se num momento onde a evolução é constante e a inovação um pilar. Adicionalmente, a qualidade e competência melhoradas foram sempre os meios requeridos para que esta indústria se globalizasse e internacionalizasse. Deste modo, no ambiente incerto atual, o setor têxtil aposta na inovação contínua e persistente, com o objetivo de melhorar e de definir novos standards, através das atividades acima mencionadas e das suas ligações. Por conseguinte, o objetivo deste trabalho é demonstrar que a colaboração tem um papel importante na procura pela inovação através das várias atividades realizadas pelas empresas, na Indústria Têxtil e Vestuário Portuguesa. Em adição, pretende-se também demonstrar que as atividades de I&D estão positivamente ligadas à inovação. Os principais resultados revelam que a realização de atividades de I&D está ligada à inovação, sendo esta uma ligação positiva. Além disso, concluiu-se que as colaborações com fornecedores e clientes têm uma relação positiva com a inovação, mas não moderam a relação entre as várias atividades e a inovação. Esta dissertação permitiu explorar relações numa indústria pautada pela inovação e melhoria contínua, onde é proposta a colaboração como fator moderador, aumentando o conhecimento sobre esta indústria.
Currently, innovation and investment in research & development (R&D) appear to be factors of differentiation and competitive advantage in the organizational landscape, regardless of the industry in question. The search for constant innovation and continuous improvement, as well as for carrying out R&D activities, is carried out in various ways and with various objectives. The Textile and Clothing Industry is at a time where evolution is constant and innovation a pillar. In addition, improved quality and competence have always been the means required for this industry to globalize and internationalize. Thus, in today's uncertain environment, the textile sector bets on continuous and persistent innovation, with the aim of improving and defining new standards, through the activities mentioned above and their connections. Therefore, the objective of this work is to demonstrate that collaboration has an important role in the search for innovation through the various activities carried out by companies, in the Portuguese Textile and Clothing Industry. In addition, it is also intended to demonstrate that R&D activities drive innovation. The main results reveal that R&D activities are connected to innovation, which is a positive connection. Moreover, it was concluded that collaborations with suppliers and customers have a positive relationship with innovation, but do not moderate the relationship between the various activities and innovation. This dissertation allowed to explore relationships in an industry guided by innovation and continuous improvement, where collaboration is proposed as a moderating factor, increasing the knowledge about this industry.
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AbstractThe seven barriers to be overcome on the way to successful implementation of servitization are as follows: customers; organizational structure and culture; knowledge and information; products and activities; competitors, suppliers, and partners; economic and finance; and society and environment. We will look at each of the barriers in more detail, based on the ranking described in Chap. 10.1007/978-3-030-80511-1_1. This chapter draws from the published and unpublished work of the authors using the survey data and the interview insights. This chapter will use cases to describe how others overcame the barriers (Fig. 2.1).

AbstractThis chapter focuses on the identification of challenges that supply chains of the future will most likely face. The primary input in this process are the potential optimistic/pessimistic/intermediate future scenarios based on trends within political, economic, social, technological, legal, and environmental dimensions. Based on such input, we present a list of major challenges/opportunities in relation to the design and operations of Supply Chains (SCs) in the near future. The preliminary list is calibrated and validated based on the input from industry stakeholders (to account for the perspectives of different supply chain actors such as buyers, suppliers, policy makers, and supply chain facilitators) in order to make sure that these challenges are indeed of practical relevance and grounded in reality. The aforementioned challenges are aggregated into several clusters aiming at providing decision makers with a tool that would enable them to quickly and easily spot the relevant challenges and take proper actions to mitigate any potential risk.

AbstractA survey approach was applied to examine the technical characteristics of fish farming practice in Egypt and Nigeria. Critical issues such as floods and other vices were considered in bringing out the inference and level of aquaculture in both countries. Multistage sampling technique was used to select the study area and the number of respondents. Both primary and secondary data were used in the analysis. Eighty fish farmers were randomly selected from each of the country, making a total of 160 respondents. The socioeconomic characteristics revealed that aquaculture is an antique venture in Africa with Egypt taking the lead, i.e., 99% of the respondents practice in large-scales production of more than 11 Fadden/acre per, and 100% males depend mainly on agricultural drainage water for their earthen ponds. Ninety-eight percent cultured tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) which was believed to have originated from the Nile River. In terms of financial performance and partial economic analysis, tilapia production commands more sales in Egypt, while catfish (Clarias) production is seen as a promising venture in Nigeria. The fish farmers have various perceptions and reactions toward environmental changes factors such as cost of labor/manpower and inputs, poor water quality, and fish extension services, and climate change impedes aquaculture development in the countries. To achieve the scale of aquaculture expansion as observed in Asian and other developed part of the world, efforts should be geared toward continental and regional integration in order to encourage aquaculture practices in Nigeria and other parts of Africa. More so, government intervention and incentives should be paramount in Egypt to reduce the excessive exploitation of the private input suppliers.

In this paper, we present our findings of a survey exploring the adoption of the new product development process improvement concepts in the automotive suppliers sector in Turkey. With this investigation, we aim to uncover differences in the way suppliers are adopting new product development (NPD) process improvement concepts. Our results indicate that indeed the adoption of the concepts varies across suppliers, and two important factors explaining, in part, this result are: (1) supplier involvement in design, and (2) the potential branding impact of the part/modules supplied.

Because of rising global competition and more rapid technological changes, the need for faster development of products with higher quality and reliability has increased, also elevating the importance of supplier involvement. Accordingly, companies give high priority to development of relationships with their suppliers, including collaborative product development. This paper focuses on evaluating current suppliers, which are to be involved in design decisions and product development processes. First, an overview of the supplier involvement in product development process is described. Then, a questionnaire form is introduced, which was administered to 40 automotive suppliers to determine the supplier selection criteria’s importance levels. Survey results were evaluated using statistical means for reliability and suitability. Finally, in order to select the best supplier, results were evaluated using a method integrating Analytical Network Process (ANP) and Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (TOPSIS). The evaluation criteria were weighted with ANP, and then supplier companies were ranked using TOPSIS methodology.

Component failure in bolsters and side frames remains a problem for both railroads and suppliers, causing expensive repairs and even derailments. To understand and combat this problem, an evaluation of the steel was required. Bolsters were obtained from several suppliers to evaluate the current state of Association of American Railroads (AAR) M-201 standard for Grade B+ cast steel. Charpy impact and tensile test samples were machined from critical areas of these castings and tested at an independent laboratory. Distinct differences were found in processes and in mechanical properties between some suppliers. Supplier names are not identified in this paper. Based on the chemical and mechanical testing results and data analysis, changes to AAR M-201 Grade B+ requirements have been proposed. Additional bolsters have been obtained for further testing. These bolsters will incorporate the proposed changes to the standard and the same mechanical testing will be performed on them to determine the effectiveness of the proposed changes. Full scale static or fatigue testing will be conducted on additional bolsters. A survey of scrapped bolsters and side frames from several railcar producers and reclaim operations was conducted to determine the leading causes of failures of components removed from service. These results form the basis for a database that can be used to identify failure trends.

The existing tables giving “m and y” values, used in the Taylor Forge method for bolted flange connections calculation, have remained unchanged through years. Some gasket types do not appear in these tables and no reference is made to a Tightness Class associated to these values. The need for an update of the exiting tables has been raised by the supplier of French codes (CODAP® [1] and CODETI® [2]). A survey about the recommended values of “m and y” and their associated expected leakage rates for the gasket types available on the market has been performed. The wide discrepancy in the test procedures and the gasket parameter values showed the need for the development of a common test procedure. The new test procedure giving tables of “m and y” values depending on the tightness class is presented here. The application of this procedure on several gasket types, lead to the publication of new tables for “m and y” values, in the last French codes revision.

Nowadays, enterprises’ efforts are focused on increasing their product values with additional services and contents to satisfy diverse customer needs in competitive market environments. Trends of integrating services and products lead to the emergence of a product-service system (PSS). To enable designers and manufactures to implement and embody a PSS solution in new product development, there is a need for a comprehensive design framework to facilitate the design factors of PSS in complex business environments. The objective of this research is to propose a product-service system design framework to identify design factors for products and services in the context of a business ecosystem. In this paper, we introduce primary and secondary functions to understand customer purchasing motivations, which can be represented as the design factors. A survey on representative IT products is conducted to identify the design factors in terms of PSS. A business ecosystem is a group of entities associated with PSS. With the emergence of PSS, competitions in homogeneous market segment now become confrontations among different business ecosystems. In the proposed framework, we define a Product-Service platform (PS platform) as interface for customers toward PSS manufacturers, its supplier, and contents providers in the business ecosystem. Further, we discuss PS platform’s roles and advantages with case studies involving electronic consumer products.

This report analyzes the current service level of winter operations in Indiana and explores opportunities to optimize performance. We analyze data regarding winter operations managed by INDOT and provide specific quantified estimates of opportunities to improve efficiency while also managing costs. For our exploration, we use data provided by INDOT sources, qualitative insights from interviews with INDOT personnel, literature survey data and benchmarking information, salt and supplier data analysis, and simulation. As part of our research, we developed a simulation model to visually represent the impact of alternate management of trucks for snow removal and a dashboard to understand the impact. Our analysis suggests the following: (1) opportunities exist to coordinate salt delivery by suppliers and combine local city salt purchases with INDOT’s purchases to save costs, (2) adjusting routes will reduce deadhead, (3) understanding truck maintenance and truck locations improves performance, and (4) incorporating critical locations into snow route planning will meet service thresholds. These insights provide implementable recommendation initiatives to improve winter operations performance. The simulation tool developed in this project simulates various weather events to draw insights and determine appropriate resource allocations and opportunities for improving operational efficiency. The report thus provides a quantifiable approach to winter operations that can improve the overall service level and efficiency of the process.

1.1 Macroeconomic summary Economic recovery has consistently outperformed the technical staff’s expectations following a steep decline in activity in the second quarter of 2020. At the same time, total and core inflation rates have fallen and remain at low levels, suggesting that a significant element of the reactivation of Colombia’s economy has been related to recovery in potential GDP. This would support the technical staff’s diagnosis of weak aggregate demand and ample excess capacity. The most recently available data on 2020 growth suggests a contraction in economic activity of 6.8%, lower than estimates from January’s Monetary Policy Report (-7.2%). High-frequency indicators suggest that economic performance was significantly more dynamic than expected in January, despite mobility restrictions and quarantine measures. This has also come amid declines in total and core inflation, the latter of which was below January projections if controlling for certain relative price changes. This suggests that the unexpected strength of recent growth contains elements of demand, and that excess capacity, while significant, could be lower than previously estimated. Nevertheless, uncertainty over the measurement of excess capacity continues to be unusually high and marked both by variations in the way different economic sectors and spending components have been affected by the pandemic, and by uneven price behavior. The size of excess capacity, and in particular the evolution of the pandemic in forthcoming quarters, constitute substantial risks to the macroeconomic forecast presented in this report. Despite the unexpected strength of the recovery, the technical staff continues to project ample excess capacity that is expected to remain on the forecast horizon, alongside core inflation that will likely remain below the target. Domestic demand remains below 2019 levels amid unusually significant uncertainty over the size of excess capacity in the economy. High national unemployment (14.6% for February 2021) reflects a loose labor market, while observed total and core inflation continue to be below 2%. Inflationary pressures from the exchange rate are expected to continue to be low, with relatively little pass-through on inflation. This would be compatible with a negative output gap. Excess productive capacity and the expectation of core inflation below the 3% target on the forecast horizon provide a basis for an expansive monetary policy posture. The technical staff’s assessment of certain shocks and their expected effects on the economy, as well as the presence of several sources of uncertainty and related assumptions about their potential macroeconomic impacts, remain a feature of this report. The coronavirus pandemic, in particular, continues to affect the public health environment, and the reopening of Colombia’s economy remains incomplete. The technical staff’s assessment is that the COVID-19 shock has affected both aggregate demand and supply, but that the impact on demand has been deeper and more persistent. Given this persistence, the central forecast accounts for a gradual tightening of the output gap in the absence of new waves of contagion, and as vaccination campaigns progress. The central forecast continues to include an expected increase of total and core inflation rates in the second quarter of 2021, alongside the lapse of the temporary price relief measures put in place in 2020. Additional COVID-19 outbreaks (of uncertain duration and intensity) represent a significant risk factor that could affect these projections. Additionally, the forecast continues to include an upward trend in sovereign risk premiums, reflected by higher levels of public debt that in the wake of the pandemic are likely to persist on the forecast horizon, even in the context of a fiscal adjustment. At the same time, the projection accounts for the shortterm effects on private domestic demand from a fiscal adjustment along the lines of the one currently being proposed by the national government. This would be compatible with a gradual recovery of private domestic demand in 2022. The size and characteristics of the fiscal adjustment that is ultimately implemented, as well as the corresponding market response, represent another source of forecast uncertainty. Newly available information offers evidence of the potential for significant changes to the macroeconomic scenario, though without altering the general diagnosis described above. The most recent data on inflation, growth, fiscal policy, and international financial conditions suggests a more dynamic economy than previously expected. However, a third wave of the pandemic has delayed the re-opening of Colombia’s economy and brought with it a deceleration in economic activity. Detailed descriptions of these considerations and subsequent changes to the macroeconomic forecast are presented below. The expected annual decline in GDP (-0.3%) in the first quarter of 2021 appears to have been less pronounced than projected in January (-4.8%). Partial closures in January to address a second wave of COVID-19 appear to have had a less significant negative impact on the economy than previously estimated. This is reflected in figures related to mobility, energy demand, industry and retail sales, foreign trade, commercial transactions from selected banks, and the national statistics agency’s (DANE) economic tracking indicator (ISE). Output is now expected to have declined annually in the first quarter by 0.3%. Private consumption likely continued to recover, registering levels somewhat above those from the previous year, while public consumption likely increased significantly. While a recovery in investment in both housing and in other buildings and structures is expected, overall investment levels in this case likely continued to be low, and gross fixed capital formation is expected to continue to show significant annual declines. Imports likely recovered to again outpace exports, though both are expected to register significant annual declines. Economic activity that outpaced projections, an increase in oil prices and other export products, and an expected increase in public spending this year account for the upward revision to the 2021 growth forecast (from 4.6% with a range between 2% and 6% in January, to 6.0% with a range between 3% and 7% in April). As a result, the output gap is expected to be smaller and to tighten more rapidly than projected in the previous report, though it is still expected to remain in negative territory on the forecast horizon. Wide forecast intervals reflect the fact that the future evolution of the COVID-19 pandemic remains a significant source of uncertainty on these projections. The delay in the recovery of economic activity as a result of the resurgence of COVID-19 in the first quarter appears to have been less significant than projected in the January report. The central forecast scenario expects this improved performance to continue in 2021 alongside increased consumer and business confidence. Low real interest rates and an active credit supply would also support this dynamic, and the overall conditions would be expected to spur a recovery in consumption and investment. Increased growth in public spending and public works based on the national government’s spending plan (Plan Financiero del Gobierno) are other factors to consider. Additionally, an expected recovery in global demand and higher projected prices for oil and coffee would further contribute to improved external revenues and would favor investment, in particular in the oil sector. Given the above, the technical staff’s 2021 growth forecast has been revised upward from 4.6% in January (range from 2% to 6%) to 6.0% in April (range from 3% to 7%). These projections account for the potential for the third wave of COVID-19 to have a larger and more persistent effect on the economy than the previous wave, while also supposing that there will not be any additional significant waves of the pandemic and that mobility restrictions will be relaxed as a result. Economic growth in 2022 is expected to be 3%, with a range between 1% and 5%. This figure would be lower than projected in the January report (3.6% with a range between 2% and 6%), due to a higher base of comparison given the upward revision to expected GDP in 2021. This forecast also takes into account the likely effects on private demand of a fiscal adjustment of the size currently being proposed by the national government, and which would come into effect in 2022. Excess in productive capacity is now expected to be lower than estimated in January but continues to be significant and affected by high levels of uncertainty, as reflected in the wide forecast intervals. The possibility of new waves of the virus (of uncertain intensity and duration) represents a significant downward risk to projected GDP growth, and is signaled by the lower limits of the ranges provided in this report. Inflation (1.51%) and inflation excluding food and regulated items (0.94%) declined in March compared to December, continuing below the 3% target. The decline in inflation in this period was below projections, explained in large part by unanticipated increases in the costs of certain foods (3.92%) and regulated items (1.52%). An increase in international food and shipping prices, increased foreign demand for beef, and specific upward pressures on perishable food supplies appear to explain a lower-than-expected deceleration in the consumer price index (CPI) for foods. An unexpected increase in regulated items prices came amid unanticipated increases in international fuel prices, on some utilities rates, and for regulated education prices. The decline in annual inflation excluding food and regulated items between December and March was in line with projections from January, though this included downward pressure from a significant reduction in telecommunications rates due to the imminent entry of a new operator. When controlling for the effects of this relative price change, inflation excluding food and regulated items exceeds levels forecast in the previous report. Within this indicator of core inflation, the CPI for goods (1.05%) accelerated due to a reversion of the effects of the VAT-free day in November, which was largely accounted for in February, and possibly by the transmission of a recent depreciation of the peso on domestic prices for certain items (electric and household appliances). For their part, services prices decelerated and showed the lowest rate of annual growth (0.89%) among the large consumer baskets in the CPI. Within the services basket, the annual change in rental prices continued to decline, while those services that continue to experience the most significant restrictions on returning to normal operations (tourism, cinemas, nightlife, etc.) continued to register significant price declines. As previously mentioned, telephone rates also fell significantly due to increased competition in the market. Total inflation is expected to continue to be affected by ample excesses in productive capacity for the remainder of 2021 and 2022, though less so than projected in January. As a result, convergence to the inflation target is now expected to be somewhat faster than estimated in the previous report, assuming the absence of significant additional outbreaks of COVID-19. The technical staff’s year-end inflation projections for 2021 and 2022 have increased, suggesting figures around 3% due largely to variation in food and regulated items prices. The projection for inflation excluding food and regulated items also increased, but remains below 3%. Price relief measures on indirect taxes implemented in 2020 are expected to lapse in the second quarter of 2021, generating a one-off effect on prices and temporarily affecting inflation excluding food and regulated items. However, indexation to low levels of past inflation, weak demand, and ample excess productive capacity are expected to keep core inflation below the target, near 2.3% at the end of 2021 (previously 2.1%). The reversion in 2021 of the effects of some price relief measures on utility rates from 2020 should lead to an increase in the CPI for regulated items in the second half of this year. Annual price changes are now expected to be higher than estimated in the January report due to an increased expected path for fuel prices and unanticipated increases in regulated education prices. The projection for the CPI for foods has increased compared to the previous report, taking into account certain factors that were not anticipated in January (a less favorable agricultural cycle, increased pressure from international prices, and transport costs). Given the above, year-end annual inflation for 2021 and 2022 is now expected to be 3% and 2.8%, respectively, which would be above projections from January (2.3% and 2,7%). For its part, expected inflation based on analyst surveys suggests year-end inflation in 2021 and 2022 of 2.8% and 3.1%, respectively. There remains significant uncertainty surrounding the inflation forecasts included in this report due to several factors: 1) the evolution of the pandemic; 2) the difficulty in evaluating the size and persistence of excess productive capacity; 3) the timing and manner in which price relief measures will lapse; and 4) the future behavior of food prices. Projected 2021 growth in foreign demand (4.4% to 5.2%) and the supposed average oil price (USD 53 to USD 61 per Brent benchmark barrel) were both revised upward. An increase in long-term international interest rates has been reflected in a depreciation of the peso and could result in relatively tighter external financial conditions for emerging market economies, including Colombia. Average growth among Colombia’s trade partners was greater than expected in the fourth quarter of 2020. This, together with a sizable fiscal stimulus approved in the United States and the onset of a massive global vaccination campaign, largely explains the projected increase in foreign demand growth in 2021. The resilience of the goods market in the face of global crisis and an expected normalization in international trade are additional factors. These considerations and the expected continuation of a gradual reduction of mobility restrictions abroad suggest that Colombia’s trade partners could grow on average by 5.2% in 2021 and around 3.4% in 2022. The improved prospects for global economic growth have led to an increase in current and expected oil prices. Production interruptions due to a heavy winter, reduced inventories, and increased supply restrictions instituted by producing countries have also contributed to the increase. Meanwhile, market forecasts and recent Federal Reserve pronouncements suggest that the benchmark interest rate in the U.S. will remain stable for the next two years. Nevertheless, a significant increase in public spending in the country has fostered expectations for greater growth and inflation, as well as increased uncertainty over the moment in which a normalization of monetary policy might begin. This has been reflected in an increase in long-term interest rates. In this context, emerging market economies in the region, including Colombia, have registered increases in sovereign risk premiums and long-term domestic interest rates, and a depreciation of local currencies against the dollar. Recent outbreaks of COVID-19 in several of these economies; limits on vaccine supply and the slow pace of immunization campaigns in some countries; a significant increase in public debt; and tensions between the United States and China, among other factors, all add to a high level of uncertainty surrounding interest rate spreads, external financing conditions, and the future performance of risk premiums. The impact that this environment could have on the exchange rate and on domestic financing conditions represent risks to the macroeconomic and monetary policy forecasts. Domestic financial conditions continue to favor recovery in economic activity. The transmission of reductions to the policy interest rate on credit rates has been significant. The banking portfolio continues to recover amid circumstances that have affected both the supply and demand for loans, and in which some credit risks have materialized. Preferential and ordinary commercial interest rates have fallen to a similar degree as the benchmark interest rate. As is generally the case, this transmission has come at a slower pace for consumer credit rates, and has been further delayed in the case of mortgage rates. Commercial credit levels stabilized above pre-pandemic levels in March, following an increase resulting from significant liquidity requirements for businesses in the second quarter of 2020. The consumer credit portfolio continued to recover and has now surpassed February 2020 levels, though overall growth in the portfolio remains low. At the same time, portfolio projections and default indicators have increased, and credit establishment earnings have come down. Despite this, credit disbursements continue to recover and solvency indicators remain well above regulatory minimums. 1.2 Monetary policy decision In its meetings in March and April the BDBR left the benchmark interest rate unchanged at 1.75%.