Assessing circularity along the agri-food supply chain: a decision making tool

Circular economy (CE) is gaining momentum as a sustainable and resource efficient economic model. In the agri-food context, the CE transition would effectively tackle the natural resource depletion, responding the urging challenges of food waste and insecurity. Combining systematic literature review and expert interviews, this paper addresses how CE strategies can be assessed in the context of agri-food supply chain. The study brings some initial advancement in circularity assessment, presenting a list of CE indicators relevant for each CE strategy and supply chain stage. Perspectives from the practitioner experts are integrated to present further considerations for advancement

Co-creation with customers and suppliers: an exploratory study

Purpose: Co-creation along the new product development (NPD) seems the winning approach in nowadays market. The purpose of this paper is to explore the collaboration and interaction flows between suppliers and customers in co-creation initiatives devoted to NPD. Design/methodology/approach: After developing a classification of demand-side and supply-side involvement in co-creation along the NPD process, 13 cases of co-creation in the consumer goods industry, within the Italian context, have been analyzed. Findings: Three patterns of co-creation have been identified: supplier-driven approach: companies co-creating with suppliers in multiple NPD phases, while involving customers only in one; customer-driven approach: companies involving customers in multiple phases, while engaging suppliers only in one and firm-driven approach: companies involving both customers and suppliers in one single phase. Further, the locus of relevant knowledge drives to different co-creation approaches. Research limitations/implications: The work contributes to extant literature by: providing a classification of demand-side and supply-side involvement in NPD; empirically investigating the interaction flows between customers and suppliers in co-creation initiatives along the NPD; highlighting the factors potentially affecting a concurrent involvement of customers and suppliers in NPD. Practical implications: The findings can help to efficiently and effectively design and manage the relation with both suppliers and customers in co-creation projects devoted to NPD. Originality/value: The involvement of suppliers and customers in co-creation initiatives has been so far analyzed only separately in literature. This study opens a new stream of research, stressing how the evolution of the market, toward a more participative one, spurs the need to investigate the collaboration and interaction flows between the two actors

Unpacking Proximity for Sustainability in Short Food Supply Chains

Short food supply chains (SFSCs) have been frequently named as sustainable alternatives to global chains, associated with the concept of local chain, and emphasizing the role of geographical proximity for achieving sustainability. However, it is also recognized that geographical proximity is not enough to build SFSCs and create a sustainable impact. A multi-dimensional approach identifies three types of proximity: geographical, relational, and informational proximity to define SFSCs. Hence, the aim of this study is to extend that body of literature by investigating the role of relational and informational proximities in SFSCs. We analyze a set of 23 companies in four food industry sectors in Italy to characterize the practices implemented to build proximity, upstream and downstream, in their supply chains. Our findings reveal a combination of different practices along the three proximity dimensions that define SFSCs. These results allow also to underline how specific practices for relational and information proximity are paramount for attaining sustainability objectives in SFSCs

When sustainability becomes an order winner: linking supply uncertainty and sustainable supply chain strategies

This study investigates how to implement a sustainable supply chain strategy by choosing a set of sustainable practices while considering the strategic priority assigned to sustainability within a company’s competitive strategy (i.e., an order winner (OW), market qualifier (MQ) or desirable attribute (DA)). Therefore, two research questions arise: RQ1. What are the sustainable supply chain management (SSCM) practices adopted by companies under the different levels of priority assigned to sustainability (i.e., OW, MQ and DA)? and RQ2. How does supply uncertainty influence the choices regarding the SSCM practices to adopt or vice versa? We addressed these questions through a two-step methodology that includes 10 exploratory case studies in different industries and four explanatory cases in the furniture industry. Six research propositions are developed, and we show how some sustainable practices are common to all companies in the sample, while others are only applicable when sustainability is an MQ or an OW. Moreover, in contrast to the suggestion in the literature, we observed that companies with sustainability as an OW implement sustainability practices despite increasing exposure to supply uncertainty. However, when sustainability is a DA or an MQ, companies might implement sustainable practices with the aim of reducing supply uncertainty rather than for sustainability goals. The cases show that investment in these practices can trigger a transition towards a situation in which sustainability is an OW

Supply chain integration for collaborative innovation projects : Unraveling the role of project complexity and project management methods

Supply chain integration (SCI) is crucial for the success of innovation projects led by focal firms in collaboration with customers and suppliers. However, prior research offers limited insights into how SCI configurations may vary according to project characteristics and project management (PM) methods. As alternatives to the traditional stage-gate PM approach have emerged, SCI has become increasingly complex. Drawing on project complexity theory, we seek to understand how different SCI configurations and PM methods intersect in 15 cases of collaborative innovation projects across 11 multinational firms. Our findings reveal that projects with varying levels of supply, customization, and technological complexity require distinct arcs of integration, paired with appropriate PM methods. The implementation of these strategies hinges on the PM capabilities of the focal firm and its supply chain partners. This study contributes to the SCI literature by theorizing how different sources of project complexity shape choices regarding PM methods and the arcs of integration that focal firms adopt

Disentangling the Association of Hydroxychloroquine Treatment with Mortality in Covid-19 Hospitalized Patients through Hierarchical Clustering

The efficacy of hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) in treating SARS-CoV-2 infection is harshly debated, with observational and ex- perimental studies reporting contrasting results. To clarify the role of HCQ in Covid-19 patients, we carried out a retrospective observational study of 4,396 unselected patients hospitalized for Covid-19 in Italy (February–May 2020). Patients’ characteristics were collected at entry, including age, sex, obesity, smoking status, blood parameters, history of diabetes, cancer, cardiovascular and chronic pulmonary diseases, and medications in use. These were used to identify subtypes of patients with similar char- acteristics through hierarchical clustering based on Gower distance. Using multivariable Cox regressions, these clusters were then tested for association with mortality and modification of effect by treatment with HCQ. We identified two clusters, one of 3,913 younger patients with lower circulating inflammation levels and better renal function, and one of 483 generally older and more comorbid subjects, more prevalently men and smokers. The latter group was at increased death risk adjusted by HCQ (HR [CI95%] � 3.80[3.08-4.67]), while HCQ showed an independent inverse association (0.51[0.43-0.61]), as well as a significant influence of cluster∗HCQ interaction (p < 0.001). This was driven by a differential association of HCQ with mortality between the high (0.89[0.65-1.22]) and the low risk cluster (0.46[0.39-0.54]). These effects survived adjustments for additional medications in use and were concordant with associations with disease severity and outcome. These findings suggest a particularly beneficial effect of HCQ within low risk Covid-19 patients and may contribute to clarifying the current controversy on HCQ efficacy in Covid- 19 treatment

Sustainable supply chain strategy deployment: achieving strategic fit with sustainability

Un numero crescente di aziende in diversi settori è oggi la prova della transizione in atto relativamente al ruolo conferito alla sostenibilità (i.e. l’attenzione alla dimensione ambientale e sociale): da sinonimo di “green washing” o mero rispetto delle normative vigenti a un'arma per ottenere un vantaggio competitivo (Grosvold et al., 2014). Esistono infatti numerose aziende che si pongono sul mercato come player sostenibili, offrendo prodotti “green” e che riflettono standard di approvvigionamento e produzione socialmente responsabili. In altri casi, la sostenibilità è vista come una caratteristica che i prodotti e i processi delle aziende devono “mantenere” per poter competere sul mercato. Nel presente lavoro di tesi, l'approccio utilizzato riflette queste chiavi di lettura. Questa prospettiva non è nuova nella letteratura di supply chain management, ma è stata fino ad ora adottata relativamente ad altri differenziali competitivi tradizionali, quali costo e livello di servizio, senza quindi includere la sostenibilità. Un ambito consolidato della letteratura di supply chain management sostiene, infatti, che, solo una volta appresi i cosiddetti “order winner” e “market qualifier” (Hill e Hill, 2009), sia possibile concepire una strategia di supply chain coerente (Aitken et al., 2005). Lo studio si propone di indagare come le aziende implementino differenti strategie di supply chain orientate alla sostenibilità, a seconda del ruolo strategico che essa ricopre, sia essa cioè un order winner (OW), un market qualifier (MQ) o un semplice attributo desiderabile (DA). Utilizzando un campione di sedici studi di caso esplorativi e nove studi di caso esplicativi, abbiamo osservato che le aziende che vedono la sostenibilità come OW sviluppano pratiche con un impatto sulla configurazione della loro rete di fornitura, attribuiscono incentivi ai fornitori legati a parametri ambientali e sociali e esercitano una tutela forte sugli “input" del processo produttivo, conferendo ad essi, anche nel caso si tratti di commodity, un elevato valore strategico. Le aziende che invece interpretano la sostenibilità come MQ sviluppano pratiche quali: modifiche del processo produttivo al fine di ridurre l'impatto ambientale e una serie di pratiche a tutela di uno sviluppo prodotto sostenibile. Infine, alcune pratiche riflettono il ruolo della sostenibilità intesa come DA e allo stesso tempo rappresentano la base per lo sviluppo di tutte le altre pratiche. Si tratta, per esempio, dell’applicazione di criteri di qualifica, selezione e monitoraggio dei fornitori sostenibili o l’adozione di certificazioni ambientali e sociali di prodotto e di processo. Attraverso gli studi di caso vengono inoltre identificati alcuni fattori contingenti, come l’instabilità nei processi a monte della supply chain, che, a parità di ruolo strategico della sostenibilità, determina lo sviluppo di pratiche differenti da parte delle aziende. Infine, l'ultima parte del lavoro si occupa di dimostrare, attraverso una serie di ventisei interviste strutturate condotte in aziende del settore dell’arredamento, che, se il set di pratiche di sostenibilità messe in atto dalle aziende risulta coerente con il posizionamento strategico, l’impatto sulle performance di Triple Bottom Line risulta positivo. Crediamo che questo studio possa supportare i manager a dedicare risorse adeguate per l’implementazione di pratiche di sostenibilità nei processi di supply chain, per ottenere benefici sociali e ambientali di lungo termine.Scholars suggest that sustainable supply chain management can be studied by broadening the scope of supply chain management and adding environmental and social criteria to the different facets involved (Beske and Seuring, 2014). On the practical side, examples from different industries are nowadays proof of the transition taken by sustainability from being merely a buzzword for green washing purposes to a competitive weapon used to secure a competitive advantage over rival companies (Grosvold et al., 2014). It appears clear that there are many examples of companies positioning themselves on the market as sustainable players, offering environmentally friendly and socially responsible products that are chosen by customers precisely because of these features. The same is true for players who see sustainability as something “to maintain”, that can be taken for granted by its customers. In the present thesis, the aim is to approach sustainability through this lens. The perspective is not new in the supply chain strategy literature, but has yet to be been broadened to include sustainability. A branch of supply chain management literature indeed advocates that, once order winners and market qualifiers (Hill and Hill, 2009) are fully understood, it will be possible to design and implement consistent interventions in supply chain processes (Aitken et al., 2005). Moreover, literature on supply chain strategy claims that the alignment between customer requirements and supply chain capabilities is the key to achieving what is known as the supply chain strategic fit (Chopra and Meindl, 2013). Including sustainability in this perspective is at the origins of the overall research objective of this thesis. The study consists of investigating how companies deploy sustainable supply chain strategies, where sustainability is intended as an order winner (OW) and a market qualifier (MQ) as well as a desirable attribute (DA). Using a set of 16 exploratory and 9 explanatory case studies, we observed that companies that see sustainability as an order winner develop a diverse set of capabilities. These are strategic supply network design change, product input stewardship and supplier engagement. Companies that address sustainability as a market qualifier develop instead capabilities that reflect the goal of building a sustainable guardianship of the supply base and product development stewardship and are pro-active in facing environmental challenges in production through measure of pollution prevention. These capabilities lead to others where sustainability is a desirable (i.e. “nice to have”) attribute: supplier selection and qualification criteria, pollution control, sustainable packaging and sustainable logistics solutions. We complete the picture by noting that contingencies such as supply process instability are crucial, assuming that the strategic role of sustainability is the same, when choosing between different practices. The last part of the work is concerned with proving, through a set of 26 structured interviews, that achieving a strategic fit with sustainability has a positive effect on Triple Bottom Line performance. We believe this study can help managers to devote appropriate resources to the development of sustainable capabilities, in order to reap benefits in environmental and social terms.DIPARTIMENTO DI INGEGNERIA GESTIONALE28CARIDI, MARIATRUCCO, PAOL

Mitigating supply chain risk through new product development : an exploratory study

LAUREA MAGISTRALEIl presente lavoro si basa su due importanti filoni di ricerca: il primo inerente al Supply Chain Risk Management (SCRM) e il secondo lo Sviluppo Nuovo Prodotto (NPD). I due temi sono infatti quanto mai attuali. Il SCRM è un approccio emergente e di notevole rilevanza nel mondo dinamico ed interconnesso che si sta delineando, in cui le Supply Chain sono sempre più esposte al rischio, amplificato da diversi fattori di contesto quali: globalizzazione, ricorso all’outsourcing, instabilità politiche dei paesi e disastri naturali. Lo studio intende rispondere a due domande di ricerca, che sono state definite dopo uno studio approfondito della letteratura sul tema del Supply Chain Risk Management e dello Sviluppo Nuovo Prodotto: “quali” sono le pratiche di NPD implementate per mitigare il rischio di Supply Chain? “Come” agiscono queste nella loro azione mitigatrice? Per rispondere a queste domande il lavoro procede con uno studio esplorativo di studi di caso condotto con un campione cross-settoriale di 7 aziende. La ricerca comprende anche uno studio Delphi condotto con 9 esperti di Supply Chain per indagare la relazione di causa-effetto che lega fonti di rischio a performance di Supply Chain. Dallo studio emergono una serie di pratiche NPD che, combinate insieme, formano quelli che abbiamo chiamato “bundle” di strategie. I bundle identificati mitigano tutti fonti di rischio appartenenti al mondo Inbound della Supply Chain. Il lavoro presenta dei risvolti pratici molto utili per i manager: le pratiche di NPD presentano un duplice beneficio. In particolare possono essere utilizzate per migliorare le prestazione del processo di NPD in sé e per agire sotto forma di bundle sulla mitigazione del rischio di Supply Chain. Ciò che risulta dalla studio è quindi una nuova chiave di lettura dello Sviluppo Nuovo Prodotto che permette ai manager di far leva su risorse interne invece di ricorrere a costose ridondanze degli asset per far fronte al rischio di Supply Chain.The present work is based on two main streams of research: Supply Chain Risk Management (SCRM) and New Product Development (NPD). Both topics are gaining increasing relevance in today’s scenario. The former is an emerging and important theme in our dynamic and interconnected world, in which supply chains are increasingly exposed to risks, exacerbated by different factors: i.e. globalization, outsourcing, political instability and natural disasters. The latter is one of the core supply chain processes, through which companies build sustainable competitive advantages, especially in turbulent and innovative environments. The study addresses two research questions, emerged after an in-depth investigation of existing literature concerning supply chain risk management and new product development world: “which” are the NPD practices adopted to mitigate supply chain risk? And “how” these practices can act upon the mitigation of the same risk? To answer these questions the work proceeds with a descriptive explorative stage involving the analysis of 7 case studies representing a cross-industry sample of companies. The work comprises also a Delphi study conducted with 9 experts of supply chain to find the causal relationship exiting between risk sources and supply chain performance impacted. The findings highlight the existence of different categories of NPD practices that combined together contribute to form “bundle of strategies”. The bundles identified mitigate a common category of risk sources: inbound risks. The work provides some useful insights for managers: NPD practices present twofold type of benefits. The former derives from the single NPD practice insisting on a NPD performance, the latter refers instead to the super-additive mitigating effect, on supply chain risk, stemming from the combination of strategies of the same bundles. This result provides a new lens on the topic of NPD and a piece of advice for managers in addressing supply chain risk levering on existing resources instead of pursuing a costly duplication of assets

Exploring the hidden potential of product design to mitigate supply chain risk

Although it is well known that product design affects supply chain management, much less has been written about whether and how product design affects supply chain risk management. This research gap brought us to study the following research questions: which new product development (NPD) practices can mitigate supply chain risk? And how? Based on seven exploratory case studies, we found that four categories of NPD practices, as well as product modularity, are effective supply chain risk mitigation levers. Moreover, we found that the conjoint adoption of NPD practices and product features (i.e. 'bundles') has a synergistic effect on supply chain risk mitigation

On the Impact of Blockchain Technology on Business Models and Supply Chain Management

Digitalization is changing the way companies create value. It is an umbrella term for diverse applications of digital technologies to processes inside companies and along the value chain. This research aims at understanding how literature has addressed the impact of blockchain technology on business models (BM) and supply chains. The study is based on a simple framework assuming that blockchain technology can affect BM directly, but also indirectly via supply chain management (SCM). Thus, three types of relationships are studied: i) the impact of blockchain on BMs, ii) the impact of blockchain on SCM, and iii) the impact of blockchain on BMs via SCM. To this aim, a systematic literature review is conducted using the Web of Science and Scopus databases. The selected 78 relevant articles are analyzed both by descriptive and content analysis. Results show that blockchain technology can affect BMs either generically or in specific industries, while it affects SCM on the dimensions of 1) efficiency and process improvement, 2) transparency and traceability, 3) sustainable SCM, and 4) supply chain collaboration. The indirectly impact of blockchain on BMs via SCM act on the dimensions of 1) supply chain transparency, 2) supply chain restructuring and 3) supply chain collaboration. This paper concludes with a research agenda discussing the open research questions before blockchain can achieve wide adoption in practice