The primary objective of this paper is to investigate the relationship between total quality management practices (TQMP), supply chain management practices (SCMP), information technology capabilities, supply chain technology adoption and firm supply performance. In addition, the study also tries to investigate the mediating role of information technology capabilities and supply chain technology adoption in the relationship between TQMP, SCMP, and firm supply performance. The study is carried out on a sample of textile firms of Pakistan. To achieve the research objective, Smart PLS-3 is used for the analysis of the data gathered from the textile firms of Pakistan. The results of the study show a great deal of agreement with the hypothesized results. The information technology capabilities, supply chain technology adoption both appear to play mediators between TQMP, SCMP, and firm supply performance. The results of the study will be useful for policymakers and researchers to understand the emerging role of technology in strategic management and operational management.

This paper investigates the role played by service quality at supplier-manufacturer dyad in small-medium manufacturing units, and presents a model to establish that contribution of both the supplier and manufacturer towards service quality could lead to satisfaction followed by loyalty. The research design for this study includes a combination of literature survey, exploratory interviews with practitioners, and a questionnaire survey conducted through interview schedule from 120 respondents working in different small-medium manufacturing units of North India. Structural equation modeling (SEM) is used for data analysis. The paper develops dual directional scales to evaluate service quality at supplier-manufacturer dyad and tests a set of four propositions. A model showing linkages of manufacturer (manufacturing unit’s) service quality with supplier service quality leading to satisfaction and loyalty is also developed. The model is empirically tested and is found to be fit. This study would be of interest to SME managers particularly engaged in ‘purchase’ function and researchers working on inter-firm supply chains in such units. This study recommends forming strong collaborative relationships with suppliers to achieve a win-win situation.

Supply chain performance has been a key element of competitive strategy to boost organizational productivity and profitability. In the United Kingdom (UK), a survey disclosed that approximately 40% of the UK’s gross domestic product (GDP) was consumed on supply chain related activities. Because of the extensive use of gross domestic product (GDP) on supply chain, it is important to work on UK based supply chain companies and to reveal various factors to enhance supply chain performance. Therefore, the primary objective of the current study is to investigate the combine effect of audit determinants and leadership styles to enhance supply chain performance in UK based companies. Data were collected from audit department employees and other managerial employees who are closely related to supply chain activities. After analyzing the data through Smart PLS 3, it was found that audit and leadership styles played important contribution in supply chain performance. Moreover, top management and employee commitment to change maintained significant influence to enhance positive effect on audit and leadership. This study is much significant for UK supply chain companies to enhance supply chain performance.

During the past few years, there have been tremendous attempts among various companies to implement the principles of supply chain management to increase their capabilities. Reduction in supply chain cost is an important element to support competitive advantage. However, to manage the cost of supply chain, managing target and order costs is essential. Reduction in both target cost and order cost is crucial to maintain reasonable supply chain cost, which directly influences the competitive advantage. Thus, the primary objective of this study is to support competitive advantage by the help of integration between target cost and order cost. To achieve this, quantitative research technique was adopted based on a survey technique and 300 questionnaires were distributed among the managerial employees of supply chain companies in Iraq. While analyzing the data through Smart PLS 3, it was revealed that any reduction in target cost and order cost could decrease the overall supply chain cost and this helps to sustain competitive advantage. Therefore, supply chain cost plays the mediating role to enhance competitive advantage through integration of the target cost and the order cost. Finally, this study is beneficial for supply chain companies to enhance competitive advantage through reduction in supply chain cost.

The primary objective of the present paper is to explore the link between supply logistic integration, competitive performance, lean process and supply performance. To achieve our research objectives, we develop a unique model, which conceptualizes the said relationship. Porter’s value chain and the resource based views are used as theatrical lenses of the current study using Amos software package based on a data set of 220 Iraqi manufacturing firms. Structural equation modeling (SEM) is employed to analyze the dataset. The findings of the study show that the there was a positive relationship between supply logistics and competitive performance (operational) and supply performance and lean processes were partially mediating this relationship. The study also shows the importance of managing both internal (production processes) and external processes (logistics and supply chain) of firms’ operations in an integrated manner in which supply chain management acts through key internal processes to impact competitive performance. This is the first study, which uncovers what happens “in between” the incoming materials and the end outputs delivered by firms into the market. This “in between black box” is important in improving our understanding of how inbound supply activities are translated into outbound competitive performance outcomes.

In this paper, a stochastic model of a closed-loop supply chain (CLSC) with one risk-averse manufacturer, one risk-averse retailer and one risk-averse third party is developed. To analyze how the members make decisions about wholesale price, collection rate, retail price and sales effort under different decision-making structures, the optimal decision problem under uncertain price and sales effort-dependent demand is studied through development of four game theoretical models. The equilibrium results between various models are compared and the optimal decisions from each member’s perspective are investigated. According to the results, the third party-led model has better performance than manufacturer-led model. The cooperation mode of manufacturer and retailer is beneficial for the whole chain and customers and the cooperation mode of manufacturer and third party is the most effective model to collect the used-product. Finally, to increase the performance of decentralized CLSC compared with the centralized CLSC, a coordination contract is developed. The results indicate that this contract is advantageous for the members of CLSC, the customers, and the environmental issues.

E-commerce market of Pakistan is instable which causes low performance of e-logistic industry. Thus, logistic industry of Pakistan is lacking as compared to other developing countries such as China, India, and Malaysia. Low performance is majorly based on low staff service quality, inappropriate website design and goods traceability system. As remedies of these issues, the current study introduced firm’s IT capability and information communication technology (ICT). The primary objective of this study is to investigate the determinants of e-logistic firm’s performance in Pakistan. To achieve this objective, quantitative research approach along with cross-sectional research design was used. By using the survey method, 300 questionnaires were distributed among the managerial staff of e-logistic companies. Smart PLS 3 was used as a statistical tool. It is found that staff service quality, website design and e-traceability had significant and positive relationships with firm’s e-logistic performance. Moreover, firm’s IT capability as a moderator enhanced the positive effect of staff service quality, website design and e-traceability. Nevertheless, information communication technology (ICT) positively mediated the relationship between e-traceability and firm’s e-logistic performance. Hence, firm’s IT capability and information communication technology (ICT) are the key elements to decrease various issues of staff service quality, website design and e-traceability. The study is much significant for practitioners and e-logistic companies to enhance performance by focusing on firm’s IT capability and information communication technology (ICT).

Today, most industrial managers in the world are interested in protecting the environment and biological resources. On the other hand, current technologies are getting momentum towards specialization and globalization. Thus, in order to remain in a highly competitive world market, producers have to respond to the customers' demands under different circumstances. The leading role of distribution centers to deliver products to customers on time and to reduce the costs of stock maintenance has attracted the attention of many supply chain managers in current competitive conditions. Cross docking is a logistic strategy aiming to reduce the stock and increase the level of customer's satisfaction. Products are delivered from the supplier to the customers through cross docking. In this paper, a nonlinear multiproduct vehicle location-routing model is presented with heterogeneous vehicles. Each truck can carry one or more types of products. In other words, compatibility between product and vehicle has been accounted for here. This model aims to find out the possible minimum number of cross dockings among the existing set of discrete locations and minimize the total cost of opening cross docking centers as well as vehicle transportation (distribution and operation cost) costs. In sum, the model aims to find the number of cross docking centers, the number of vehicles and the best route in the distribution network. Since the model is mixed integer programming, to apply the model to medium and large scale problems, meta innovative genetic and particle swarm optimization algorithms are introduced. The results obtained from examining various problems show high efficiency of the proposed methods.

This paper presents a model to solve the multi-objective location-routing problem with capacitated vehicles. The main purposes of the model are to find the optimal number and location of depots, the optimal number of vehicles, and the best allocation of customers to distribution centers and to the vehicles. In addition, the model seeks to optimize vehicle routes and sequence to serve the customers. The proposed model considers vehicles’ traveled distances, service time and waiting time while guaranteeing that the sum of these parameters is lower than a predetermined value. Two objective functions are investigated. First objective function minimizes the total cost of the system and the second one minimizes the gap between the vehicles’ traveled distances. To solve the problem, a Multi-Objective Imperialist Competitive Algorithm (MOICA) is developed. The efficiency of the MOICA is demonstrated via comparing with a famous meta-heuristics, named Non-Dominated Sorting Genetic Algorithm-II (NSGA-II). Based on response surface methodology, for each algorithm, several crossover and mutation strategies are adjusted. The results, in terms of two well-known comparison metrics, indicate that the proposed MOICA outperforms NSGA-II especially in large sized problems.

In this study, we incorporate trade credit policy into a joint marketing and pricing problem in which demand rate depends on the length of the credit period provided by the retailer for her customers, marketing expenditure, and selling price. The trade credit policy adopted here is a delayed payment policy in partial form in which the customers must pay a percent of the total purchasing cost at the time of placing an order and can pay the remaining amount later. Shortages are allowed and partially backordered. The main objective of this study is to determine the optimal credit period, marketing expenditure, selling price, and variables of inventory control simultaneously in order to maximize retailer’s total profit. For solving the proposed problem, first an approximation method is applied to simplify the profit function and transform the problem into a constrained Signomial Geometric Programming (SGP) problem, then a global optimization approach is used for solving the model. Finally, a numerical example and sensitivity analysis of the important parameters are conducted to show the effectiveness of proposed approach.