Call for papers: Empirical, Experimental, Exploratory and Analytical Research for the Smarter Supply Chain – Service and Manufacturing Industry

A special issue of International Journal of Value Chain Management

The best word to describe today’s global marketplace is volatile. Expectations, innovations, creativity, collaboration and partnering demand more from the supply chain. Supply chains have grown more global and interconnected and at the same time exposure to shocks and disruptions are also incremental. Even minor missteps and miscalculations can have major consequences as their impacts spread like viruses throughout complex supply chain networks. The key areas to focus in the current volatile supply chain are:

• Globalization and localization – contrary to initial rationale, globalization has proven to be more about revenue growth than cost savings.
• Transparency and visibility – flooded with more info rmation than ever, it is an ever greater struggle to visualize and act on the right info rmation.
• Collaboration and risks on the technology, demand and supply front demand more attention
• Customer closeness – despite demand-driven mantras, companies are better connected to their suppliers than their customers.
• Cost control and service improvement – rapid and constant change is rocking this traditional area of strength and expect to adapt for growth

As compliance mandates, suppliers and info rmation flows multiply, supply chains are becoming more complex, costly and vulnerable. And executives are finding it increasingly difficult to respond to these challenges, especially with conventional supply chain strategies and designs. This is not to say companies have ignored these issues. But it is no longer enough to build supply chains that are efficient, demand-driven or even transparent. Supply chain of the future should be envisioned with technology driven, communication driven and intelligent driven.

Building this kind of supply chain is a strategic undertaking; it implies a different roles and set of responsibilities for supply chain executives. The supply chain executives must become strategic thinkers, collaborators and orchestrators who optimize complex networks of global capabilities. In their increasingly significant positions, it is mandate to create a smarter supply chain.

Smarter supply chains call for research in various fronts. In order to understand the process and people alignment in the organization and to drive the globalization and localization effects, empirical research is essential. Experimental research is required to revitalize the requirements in the technology of machine and materials front and to bring the transparency and visibility in the supply chain. Exploratory research is critical to understand the collaboration, risks and partnering needs for resilient supply chain to elevate the customer closeness. Ana lytical research is pertinent with the aim of cost reduction and service improvement in the supply chain.

This special issue aims to publish articles from researchers and practitioners active in this area. High quality contributions are welcomed from academicians, researchers, practitioners and professionals. Particular interest should be paid to significant success in the use of the most effective technology and supply chain best practices in industries to yield substantial value to the business.

Other streams of interest will be practical applications in the form of quantitative and qualitative case studies based on the special issue topics. Papers must also have real value relevance and be primarily focused on real time implementation. The target audiences are researchers, managers, practitioners and consultants.

Suitable topics include but are not limited to

• Globalization and localization in supply chains
• Supply chain visibility and transparency
• Collaboration and partnering
• Risk assessment and management
• Customer closeness/intimacy in supply chains
• Cost reduction in supply chains
• Service improvement in supply chains
• Empirical research in supply chains
• Experimental research in supply chains
• Exploratory research in supply chains
• Ana lytical and combinatorial research in supply chains
• Materials and machine developments in supply chains
• Supply chain network design
• Supply chain network optimization
• Procurement and spend planning
• Demand planning and forecasting
• Production planning and scheduling in supply chains
• Supply network planning
• Distribution and transportation planning
• Data mining in supply chains
• Performance measurements/balanced scorecard
• Value proposition for customer in supply chains
• Knowledge management
• Technological intervention in supply chains
• Change management in supply chains
• Lean, agile and six sigma in supply chains
• Reverse supply chains
• Closed loop supply chains

Important Dates
Submission of full paper: 30 June 2011
Feedback from referees: 30 July 2011
Submission due date of revised paper: 20 August 2011
Notification of acceptance: 30 September 2011
Submission of final revised paper: 30 October 2011