Rodrigo Cambiaghi Azevedo, Sophie D’ Amours, Mikael Rönnqvist A New Reference Model for Core Supply Chain Processes A New Reference Model for Core Supply Chain Processes Rodrigo Cambiaghi Azevedo* Université Laval, Quebec City, Canada Sophie D’Amours Université Laval, Quebec City, Canada Mikael Rönnqvist Université Laval, Quebec City, Canada Supply chain processes-oriented frameworks are of great importance for academics and practitioners since they play a central role in responding to the challenge of helping different elements of a supply chain become more integrated toward common objectives. In this context, the objective of this article is twofold: first we contribute to the discussion on objectives, development approaches, and applications of process-oriented supply chain models. Second, we propose an alternative reference model based on a rigorous conception phase. Through this approach, knowledge concerning different taxonomies for supply chain processes has been analysed, the existing models have then been evaluated in the light of these definitions, and finally, the model has been developed based on a content analysis of 184 articles. Proposing this new model aims to define a central element of an overarching SCM perspective which combines business processes and management competencies. * Corresponding Author. E-mail address: rodrigo.cambiaghi@ey.com I. This fact along with the increasing importance of the SCM body of knowledge explains why the most suitable collection of processes when implementing an SCM philosophy is often the subject of intensive debate among academia and practitioners. In spite of several attempts that exist in the literature (e.g. Hewitt, 1994; Srivastava et al., 1999), two reference models are currently recognised most when defining supply chain processes: SCOR (Supply Chain Operations Reference-model) developed by the APICS- INTRODUCTION A common belief in academia and in practice is related to the fact that business process and supply chain management are considered to be tightly interrelated concepts. In an almost cliché fashion, authors constantly affirm that the former is a core element when managing supply chains (Katunzi, 2011; Lambert et al., 2005; Mentzer et al., 2001; Trkman et al., 2007) and that the structuring and optimisation of those processes overshoot individualized silos results. Journal of Supply Chain and Operations Management, Volume 14, Special Issue, January 2016 1 Rodrigo Cambiaghi Azevedo, Sophie D’ Amours, Mikael Rönnqvist A New Reference Model for Core Supply Chain Processes Supply Chain Council (2012) and GSCF (Global Supply Chain Forum). In spite of the proposition and dissemination of the SCOR and GSCF models, three main facts have been observed and they sustain the debate in this article. First, both models diverge according to certain fundamental characteristics (Lambert et al., 2005). While the SCOR model is primarily focussed on defining the core activities of an organisation as a set of interrelated entities, the primary focus of the GSCF model is on the management aspects of these activities towards higher organisational performance. Second, along with their divergence in terms of focus, these models have not yet been compared through a complementary perspective. When presenting the GSCF model, Lambert et al. (2005) compare it to the SCOR model according to four main dimensions: scope, intra-company connectedness, inter-company connectedness, and drivers of value generation. The authors conclude that when implementing supply chain processes, managers will have to decide which framework best meets the needs of their firm’s supply chain. However, for the progress of this essential knowledge domain, further analyses of both models (independently or comparatively) as well as new models propositions will certainly be required. A third fact, which in a certain way is an outcome of the first ones, is that the SCM literature still does not present any sign of convergence regarding supply chain processes nomenclatures and scopes. Consulting publications in five major international SCM journals between 1996 and 2007, we identified 142 different processes nomenclatures. Within this sample, different process scopes were frequently found for the same nomenclature at the same time that a variety of names was usually correlated to a unique process. The same divergent profile is still found when more recent publications are analysed. In fact, this unrestricted proliferation of processes definitions created hurdles to the continuous evolution of certain processes domains in the SCM literature. A sound reference model should assist in improving this situation. Therefore, this article aims to highlight the importance of having an overarching understanding of different kinds of supply chain processes as well as more scientific foundations when developing and debating reference models. To do so, a summary of the state of the art on different business processes classifications is presented, allowing us to compare the SCOR and GSCF models within this context. Based on this comparison, the authors have identified the conditions for proposing an alternative reference model for core supply chain processes. The model proposed was developed from the content analysis of 184 articles available in the literature. Structured around seven core processes, the model contributes to further advances in the practical and academic fields. It does so essentially by restructuring core activities and decisions which need to be carried out to successfully operate a supply chain as well as by making it possible to link core processes with competence theory elements such as organisational and individual capabilities, skills and knowledge as well as with contingent elements of a firm such as its market condition and pursued strategies as well as organisational culture and leadership profiles. In the following section, we summarise the literature concerning business processes classifications and we debate the SCOR and GSCF models in the light of these classifications. Next, the proposed reference model for supply chain core processes is presented together with a description of the methodology applied and a debate regarding the implications and contributions of the model. Finally, the article concludes by outlining its main findings as well as calling for further research on this essential business subject. Journal of Supply Chain and Operations Management, Volume 14, Special Issue, January 2016 2 Rodrigo Cambiaghi Azevedo, Sophie D’ Amours, Mikael Rönnqvist A New Reference Model for Core Supply Chain Processes II. Xerox, and British Telecom. This discussion might be regarded as the first endeavour to classify business processes according to different levels of importance and role. Following Davenport’s proposal, most academics and practitioners have, in their works on business processes, maintained that they are operational or managerial, without questioning their definitions. Consequently, there is little progress to be found in terms of processes classification. An interesting research stream was followed by Markus et al. (2002). Perceiving higher knowledge dynamism for some processes and the consequent complexity in structuring them with modelling approaches in use at that time, the authors proposed the concept of “Emergent Knowledge Processes” (EKPs) and investigated a new theory for information systems (IS) to support them. EKPs are defined as organisational activity patterns that exhibit three characteristics in combination (Markus et al., 2002): BUSINESS PROCESSES CLASSIFICATION Business process (BP) is defined as a group of logically related tasks that draws on multiple functional skills and organisational resources and that focusses on delivering value to its stakeholders (Adesola and Baines, 2005; Aguilar-Savén, 2004; Burgess, 1998; Davenport, 1993; Hammer, 1990; Skrinjar and Trkman, 2013; Tinnila, 1995). Its body of knowledge is composed of a vast literature on topics such as Business Process Reengineering, Business Process Design/Redesign, Business Process Management and Business Process Modelling, just to mention a few. In spite of the innumerable theoretical and practical developments already published in a variety of periodicals since the 1980’s, it has been observed that debates around classification for different types of business process have rarely been explored. This topic was initially discussed in the pioneer work of Davenport in 1993. In his work, the author categorised business processes as operational or managerial; however, a clear definition and debate for each category is lacking. Nevertheless, Davenport exemplified business processes such as “Product Development”, “Customer Acquisition”, “Customer Requirements Identification”, “Manufacturing”, “Integrated Logistics”, “Order Management” and “Post-sale Service” as being typical operational processes in manufacturing firms, while “Performance Monitoring”, “Information Management”, “Asset Management”, “Human Resource Management”, and “Planning and Resource Allocation” are viewed as typical management processes. In addition, when discussing the ideal extension for a business process (the trade-off between “integration benefits versus management complexity”), the author described examples of processes considered core by large corporations such as IBM, (1) An emergent process of “deliberations” with no best structure or sequence; (2) Highly unpredictable potential users and work context; and (3) Information requirements that include general, specific and tacit knowledge distributed across experts and nonexperts. In spite of its important contribution, the concept of EKPs has not fulfilled its potential due to its primary focus on supporting information systems. In addition, placing IS as their research focal point has also prevented the authors from exploring new frontiers of business processes classification where emergent, as well as structured and predictable activity patterns are applied together when pursuing value creation for firms’ shareholders. Certainly, considering processes such as “strategic business planning” and “new product development” as Journal of Supply Chain and Operations Management, Volume 14, Special Issue, January 2016 3 Rodrigo Cambiaghi Azevedo, Sophie D’ Amours, Mikael Rönnqvist A New Reference Model for Core Supply Chain Processes purely emergent, as argued by Markus et al. (2002), disregards all prior knowledge about existing logics for these processes. Mentzer et al. (2007) have revamped the discussion on business processes classification. In a more comprehensive and emphatic approach, the authors propose three main process categories: (i) core processes that are needed to attain business goals by enabling goods and services to reach an external customer; (ii) support processes that are needed to make the core processes work as well as possible, but which are not critical to the success of the company; (iii) management processes which are broader knowledge domains used to control and coordinate the core and support processes. In following the presented line of evolution for business processes classification, it becomes commonly understood that while core processes demonstrate structured and predictable patterns of performance, management processes are considered broad knowledge domains with activities that are not always executed in definite order. Besides its activities-performance pattern, when meticulously analysed, the definition of management process presented by Mentzer et al. (2007) and also the explanation of EKPs defended by Markus et al. (2002), approximate the concept of managing firms’ competences. The term ‘competence’ is defined as the ability to sustain the coordinated deployment of assets in ways that help a firm achieve its goals (Sanchez, 2004). According to Harmsen and Jensen (2004) its study relies on the investigation of the association between a company’s internal characteristics (e.g. activities, assets, capabilities, skills as well as organisational and individual knowledge) and market value creation. From this perspective, even though an exhaustive debate about terminologies is beyond the scope of this article, it is more appropriate to use the term “management competence” instead of “management process”. Davenport (1993) corroborates this perspective when affirming that the term “management process” is, in a certain way, an oxymoron. As a result, management competences act through core processes activities and assume two important responsibilities: first, to assure the deployment of competence elements among the different core processes acting as coordination and control mechanisms with each other; second, by explicitly addressing issues such as organisational and individual knowledge, to facilitate learning and continuous improvement for core and support processes. This combination of core processes and management competences is supported by the coordination theory proposed by Malone and Crowston (1994). According to the authors, this theory attempts to address the growing interest in questions about how the activities of complex systems can be coordinated. The theory is founded on the idea of conceptual separation of two types of activity that are present within any process: activity that directly contributes to the output of the process (business goals) and additional activities called coordination mechanisms, which must be carried out in order to manage various interdependencies among activities and resources. As an interdisciplinary area, the study of coordination draws on a variety of disciplines including computer science, organisation theory, management science, economics, linguistics, and psychology (Malone and Crowston, 1994). Consequently, it underpins the proposal that management competences are less adequate when developing reference models since their existence in firms relies on several different business aspects including company culture, organisational structures, leadership profiles, personnel performance evaluation and reward systems among others (Worley and Lawler, 2006; Gattorna, 2006). Figure 1 illustrates the overarching SCM framework where the supply chain Journal of Supply Chain and Operations Management, Volume 14, Special Issue, January 2016 4 Rodrigo Cambiaghi Azevedo, Sophie D’ Amours, Mikael Rönnqvist A New Reference Model for Core Supply Chain Processes processes classification proposed by Mentzer et al. (2007) is complemented with the competence theory knowledge previously exposed. In it, management competences are depicted as sets of elements, such as the ones described by Sanchez (2004), which are applied throughout core processes. From this perspective, it can be seen that both the SCOR and GSCF models, are not to be considered self-excluding models but complementary to some extent. They simply approach the supply chain processes field from two distinct viewpoints. While the focus of the SCOR model is essentially on the identification of core processes, the purpose of the GSCF model is basically to expose the most important management competences required to succeed in terms of coordination of any supply chain. However, as previously mentioned, management competences seem to be more contingent on important business characteristics such as company culture, organisational structures and leadership profiles and therefore less suitable for the development of reference models. For instance, when analysing the reference model for the demand management process proposed by the GSCF model, it can be observed that while the description of the process encompasses a series of discussions related to different forums (strategic, tactical and operational) within organisations, the level of detail presented for the activities is not enough insightful since it misses important elements such as individual and corporative knowledge around customer behaviours and forecasting approaches or the reward system for forecast accuracy as well as the organisational culture underpinning this system. The feasibility of constructing reference models for supply chain management competencies will be posted later in the text as a main research area for further improvements of this business discipline. FIGURE 1. SUPPLY CHAIN PROCESSES CLASSIFICATION FRAMEWORK. Journal of Supply Chain and Operations Management, Volume 14, Special Issue, January 2016 5 Rodrigo Cambiaghi Azevedo, Sophie D’ Amours, Mikael Rönnqvist A New Reference Model for Core Supply Chain Processes In addition, in spite of the fact of being complementary, the addition of the SCOR and GSCF models presents a certain level of overlap. For instance, activities related to customer order entry (e.g. filling orders and checking product availability) are seen within the deliver process of the SCOR model as well as within the order fulfilment process of the GSCF. This phenomenon might be related to the fact that both models were developed based on consensus analysis of SCM professionals without a prior debate on different types of business processes. Thus, this article presents a first attempt in the literature to apply an innovative scientific approach to elaborate a reference model for supply chain processes. The model, described in the sequence, sets its focus exclusively on the identification of supply chain core processes which will hopefully engender additional debate in terms of supply chain process-oriented models as well as enable further research on supply chain management competences. III. literature is related to the mature stage of the SCM body of knowledge which allows delineating sustainable propositions. With the introduction of the concept in the early 1980s (Oliver and Webber, 1992), SCM literature has rapidly increased in size during the 1990s (Carter and Ellram, 2003) and during the first decade of the 2000s (Burgess et al., 2006). Next the methodology applied to construct the model is detailed, followed by the introduction of the model itself and finally, an evaluation of the resulting model is provided. 3.1. Methodology In order to build up a reference model essentially from the literature review, a content analysis method was centrally applied. Content analysis is defined as a technique for making reliable inferences by systematically and objectively identifying special characteristics of messages such as texts, audios, etc. (Berg, 1998). It is considered an appropriate method for comprehensive literature reviews (Cullinane and Toy, 2000), and thus considered appropriate to investigate implicit core process characteristics alongside explicit process descriptions in articles. It is important to emphasise that, when defining a process-oriented framework, one important issue is related to the company’s locus along the value chain. As for SCOR and GSCF, we focus our model on the manufacturing industry, especially for companies which add value to incoming raw materials and commercialise finished products on a business-to-business model. Later in this text, we discuss the opportunity to apply the proposed framework as a meta-model in the development of industry-specific reference models (i.e. aerospace, automotive, brewing or chemical). Due to its focus, the proposed model might not be completely applicable for retailers, wholesalers and purely extractive or general service businesses. This limitation will New Supply Chain Core Processes Framework This section proposes an alternative reference model for core supply chain processes. The conception of the model was first elaborated on explicit knowledge available in the literature and then validated through tacit knowledge of SCM professionals. The justification for this approach is twofold: first of all, as previously mentioned, the SCOR and GSCF models were developed based strictly on consensus analysis of SCM professionals (tacit knowledge) and there is still no evidence of consensus in the literature on the adoption of their processes nomenclatures and scopes. Therefore, we aim to contribute to minimising this gap by fundamentally raising a literature-based supply chain core processes model. A second central motivation to search for core processes in the Journal of Supply Chain and Operations Management, Volume 14, Special Issue, January 2016 6 Rodrigo Cambiaghi Azevedo, Sophie D’ Amours, Mikael Rönnqvist A New Reference Model for Core Supply Chain Processes be further addressed in the concluding remarks of the paper where recommendations for additional research are proposed. Therefore, the construction of the model involved four main phases: first, two activities were performed in parallel. While one searched for processes nomenclatures used most in the literature, the other investigated the central characteristics of supply chain core processes. Next, articles containing the nomenclatures identified were selected and analysed, allowing finally the construction of a new reference model. These phases are presented in more detail as follows. Management (IJLM), Journal of Business Logistics (JBL), and Supply Chain Management Review (SCMR). We used these periodicals to search for different supply chain process nomenclatures. The searching mechanism looked at each of the selected journals for articles containing the exact terms “process” and “supply chain management” appearing in any part of their text. By guaranteeing the presence of these two terms simultaneously, we expected to find articles discussing SCM-related subjects at the same time that any type of business process nomenclature (e.g. “production process” or “order management process”) would be found in the texts. It is important to emphasise that on this occasion, the research was still not looking for process descriptions (e.g. scope, activities, involved players, etc.). This activity would be addressed in a further step of the research (Supply Chain Processes Literature Search and Literature Content Analysis). At this point in time, the research was restricted to the identification of different process nomenclatures mostly used in the literature. For the proposed search, the ABI/Inform Global Proquest academic database was used and the time period considered was between January 1, 1996 and December 31, 2007. The starting search period was chosen as it was associated with the year of launching of the SCOR and GSCF models since after this event the supply chain process nomenclatures in the literature should be in some way influenced by the nomenclatures adopted by both reference models. The search procedure came up with a total of 182 articles. After eliminating articles in Supply Chain Processes Nomenclatures Identification – this initial phase was dedicated to identifying the supply chain process nomenclatures most used in the literature. Firstly identifying supply chain process nomenclatures would later allow us to search for literature references which could be analysed in the light of core processes characteristics. The execution of this step was founded on the work developed by Menachof et al. (2009). Through a large survey with experienced academic professionals, the authors analysed 82 periodicals in the SCM arena (including traditional peer-reviewed journals, practitionerfocussed publications, editor-reviewed journals and cross-disciplinary periodicals) and ranked them according to a composite rating of periodical usefulness in terms of teaching, outreach and research. According to their research, the five top classified periodicals were (in alphabetical order): Harvard Business Review (HBR), International Journal of Physical Distribution and Logistics Management (IJPD&LM), International Journal of Logistics Journal of Supply Chain and Operations Management, Volume 14, Special Issue, January 2016 7 Rodrigo Cambiaghi Azevedo, Sophie D’ Amours, Mikael Rönnqvist A New Reference Model for Core Supply Chain Processes interview format and book reviews, 162 articles were kept for the nomenclatures search analysis. By analysing all 162 articles, 142 different business process nomenclatures were found. Out of 142 nomenclatures, 102 appeared in a single article. As previously mentioned, similar profile is found today with more recent publications. Specification of supply chain core processes characteristics – a phase concurrent with the identification of business process nomenclatures specified supply chain core process characteristics that should be considered in the literature content analysis. In an analogous effort, Srivastava et al. (1999) used four criteria selecting core business processes using a marketing perspective: (i) a core process should address fundamental but common business tasks that are critical to the achievement of the organisation’s goal; (ii) each core process should manifest a prima facie case that contributes to customer value creation; (iii) each process should be more macro than micro-level; (iv) the core processes should manifest clear (macro and micro) interactions and interrelationships. Based on the work of Srivastava et al. (1999) and the general SCM and business process literatures (previously debated), we identified three main characteristics for a supply chain core process. First, a core process, from a macroperspective, must be represented as a set of structured and continuous interrelated activities, events, and resources. By searching for structured and continuous process characteristics, we intend to differentiate core processes from management competences since our objective relies upon the former. Second, the description of the analysed process should present enough evidence that the process is executed based on complementary expertise from different parts of a supply chain. Third, core processes must be focussed on external customers by dealing with their information or transactions. This characteristic is aligned with the prima facie case mentioned by Srivastava et al. (1999). Supply Chain Processes Literature Search and Literature Analysis – the previous steps supplied initial evidence on how to search for core processes in the literature and, from this stage on, the research applied an iterativeexploratory approach. First of all, for each of the 142 process nomenclatures previously found, a subsequent literature search was performed. This activity aimed to find articles containing process descriptions which could be analysed in the light of the supply chain core processes characteristics. At this stage, all academic and non-academic peerreviewed English language periodicals were considered for analysis. This periodical sampling was chosen due to the fact that allowing the search on other periodicals outside the SCM domain would potentially bring in different perceptions of processes and processes inter-relationships from different business domains; contributing in this way to the multidisciplinary approach contemplated by the SCM concept. In addition, keeping a broader approach for possible periodicals would make it possible for us to include important literatures dedicated to certain domains such as general business administration as well as business process management Journal of Supply Chain and Operations Management, Volume 14, Special Issue, January 2016 8 Rodrigo Cambiaghi Azevedo, Sophie D’ Amours, Mikael Rönnqvist A New Reference Model for Core Supply Chain Processes (BPM). Making use again of the ABI/Inform Global Proquest academic database and considering the same time boundaries previously adopted, the search looked for the exact process nomenclature in the document title combined with the search for the exact term “business process” in the document text. The main reason for combining these two parameters in the searching mechanism was the expectation of a higher probability of selecting articles focussed on the description of core process characteristics. This initial procedure resulted in 51 articles, which were then analysed. For each of these initial articles, a meticulous content analysis was performed to identify evidence for each of the three characteristics of a core supply chain process previously described. In addition, the analysis of these initial articles led to a second round of literature search, where some new process nomenclatures retrieved from the initial 51 articles were added to the initial list of nomenclatures, as well as additional publications for certain specific nomenclatures being required in order to collect further evidence about process characteristics. While for the additional nomenclatures, the literature searching mechanism was applied with the same degree of rigour as previously, for the existing nomenclatures, different searching mechanisms were tested (i.e. it was allowed to search process nomenclature throughout the document text, instead of only in its title). Finally, a total of 184 articles were identified and analysed. Table 1 illustrates the five journals with the highest presence of articles analysed. A list of the articles included can be obtained from the authors upon a written request. TABLE 1. LIST OF JOURNALS WITH HIGHEST PRESENCE OF ARTICLES ANALYSED. Journal # of Articles The Journal of Business Forecasting 12 Business Process Management Journal 11 International Journal of Operations & Production Management 9 Production Planning & Control 7 International Journal of Production Economics 7 Journal of Supply Chain and Operations Management, Volume 14, Special Issue, January 2016 9 Rodrigo Cambiaghi Azevedo, Sophie D’ Amours, Mikael Rönnqvist A New Reference Model for Core Supply Chain Processes FIGURE 2. SUPPLY CHAIN CORE PROCESSES MODEL. among those three core process characteristics were also found in articles related to nomenclatures such as “S&OP process”, “order fulfilment process”, “inventory replenishment process”, “quotation process”, “delivery process”, and “ordering process”. In hand with the results of the content analysis, we started an intensive investigation in terms of the processes scopes proposed by high adherent core process nomenclatures. This task allowed us to define logically the boundaries of a set of core processes identified in the articles as well as their inter-relationships. Its development was performed through iterative ad-hoc validations with 12 members of our research teams. Model Construction: the analyses of the 184 selected articles came up with the percentages that each core process characteristic was found evident for articles analysed under a certain process nomenclature. For instance, out of the 32 articles analysed under the nomenclature “Strategic Planning Process”, 25 (78%) presented clear evidence of a structured and continuous set of inter-related activities, resources and events. 23 articles (72%) presented apparent proof for multi-disciplinary knowledge required for the process performance and 15 (47%) clearly transmitted the importance and the structure to deal with customer information and transactions. Higher levels of evidence Journal of Supply Chain and Operations Management, Volume 14, Special Issue, January 2016 10 Rodrigo Cambiaghi Azevedo, Sophie D’ Amours, Mikael Rönnqvist A New Reference Model for Core Supply Chain Processes Additionally, through our experience in management consulting, the application of this model has been discussed with several global companies in different industries that are undergoing substantial supply chain transformation initiatives. Finally, along with clear processes boundaries, nomenclatures for each process were determined based on two straightforward criteria: applying the same taxonomy in case of high level of nomenclature standardisation in the literature (i.e. strategic planning, S&OP, order fulfilment, inventory replenishment and product return); or defining a new taxonomy in case of the existence of recent and considerable trends on the process emphasis or due to the lack of consensus in the literature. The previously mentioned ad-hoc validations with SCM professionals also supported the definition of the final nomenclatures applied in the proposed model. parts of the model. It is important to state that the descriptions presented below do not intend to demonstrate all possible activities existing in each core process. Some main activities are highlighted along the text with the aim of supporting the definition of the process scope. The recommendations for further research will raise the need for more detailed analyses in terms of possible sub-processes and activities within each process domain. 3.2.1. Strategic Planning Process (SPP) Johnson and Scholes (1997) define strategic planning as the direction and scope of an organisation over the long term which achieves advantages for the organisation through its configuration of resources within a changing environment to meet the needs of markets and fulfil stakeholder expectations. Consequently, the strategic planning process relates to the mechanisms for the development of the strategic plan and its subsequent deployment (e.g., O’Regan and Ghobadian, 2002, Dibrell et al., 2014). According to Larsen et al. (2000), strategic planning is a cyclical process which normally takes place once a year with revisions during the year. The planning horizon spans from twelve months to ten years depending on conditions such as market complexity (Jennings and Disney, 2006; Larsen et al., 2000) and company growth rate (Larsen et al., 2000). Jennings and Disney (2006) affirm that there appears to be general agreement among strategic planning researchers that the strategic planning process consists of three major components: (i) formulation (including setting objectives and assessing the external and internal environments, evaluating and selecting strategic alternatives); (ii) implementation; and (iii) control. 3.2. Core Supply Chain Processes Framework This section presents the reference model developed. Its construction resulted in a proposition of seven inter-related core supply chain processes. They are: strategic planning process, sales and operations planning process, value commitment process, order fulfilment process, inventory replenishment process, product return process, and value development process. Figure 2 illustrates the proposed model and the following subsections present each process. Instead of presenting the entire theoretical discussion found in the literature of each process, we focus on presenting the process definitions, objectives and main activities found in the literature analysed as well as their connections with the remaining 3.2.2. Sales & Operations Planning Process (S&OP) Journal of Supply Chain and Operations Management, Volume 14, Special Issue, January 2016 11 Rodrigo Cambiaghi Azevedo, Sophie D’ Amours, Mikael Rönnqvist A New Reference Model for Core Supply Chain Processes Olhager et al. (2001) define the sales and operations planning process as the forum where different functional strategies meet to establish an operations plan that economically serves the needs of the market, while supporting both the strategic and financial plans of the firm. In other words, the goal of the sales and operations planning process is to continuously balance demand, supply, distribution, and financial plans to achieve corporate objectives (Whisenant, 2006). With the planning horizon varying from three months to over three years (Grimson and Pike, 2007), the S&OP process usually takes place in monthly cycles with a rigid process agenda. Sub-processes involved in the S&OP process usually include: demand plan generation; generation of an operations plan reflecting the foreseen demand as well as its financial consequences; S&OP meetings for plans alignment and validation; and, finally, communication of the decisions taken and generation of plans’ accountability (Bower, 2006; Wallace, 2006; Grimson and Pyke, 2007, Tuomikangas and Kaipia, 2014). exact value expected by individual customers (Gattorna, 2006). On the other hand, concepts such as revenue management have been presented as the counterpart knowledge required for protecting value for selling organisations (Talluri and Van Ryzin, 2005). Based on the literature (Bramham et al., 2005; Daniel et al., 2003; Hvam et al., 2006), we present four sub-processes commonly present in the value commitment process literature: 3.2.3. Value Commitment Process (VCP) The value commitment process is in charge of conducting the mutual discussion and arrangement of terms of a sales order. To accomplish this, it spans from the initial dialogue between the company and the customer when dealing with a requirement, up to the moment when the customer inquiry is converted into an order for the vendor. We named the process “value commitment” as it is during this set of activities that values are agreed upon between both parties in a negotiation, the customer and the selling company. In this context, value can be understood to be a combination of product characteristics, price and customer services. In the last years literature has intensively addressed reasons and methods as to how to identify, promise, and consequently deliver the Initiate dialogue – the dialogue with an individual customer might begin with either party (Daniel et al., 2003). It may be conducted through any of the selling channels a company has available (e.g., Internet, direct sales, telesales, etc.); Develop quotation – this stage involves steps such as assessing the feasibility of product construction according to the customer’s required configuration, analysing standard options and required modifications (Bramham et al., 2005), determining material lists and estimating product prices (Hvam et al., 2006); Negotiate / Tailor – this sub-process starts by presenting the initial quotation to the customer followed by an iterative process, which may involve the seller modifying its offer in order to meet the customer’s needs better (Daniel et al., 2003). In this stage, aspects such as product characteristics, price and payment conditions as well as operational (e.g. delivery lead-time and order flexibility) and product related services (e.g. warranty and return policies) are discussed. The negotiation of operational services is usually supported by concepts such as available-to-promise (ATP) and capable-to-promise (CTP) which aim to provide realistic information when Journal of Supply Chain and Operations Management, Volume 14, Special Issue, January 2016 12 Rodrigo Cambiaghi Azevedo, Sophie D’ Amours, Mikael Rönnqvist A New Reference Model for Core Supply Chain Processes promising delivery lead-time to customers; Commit – finally, at this stage both parties have to commit to the transaction (Daniel et al., 2003). The customer quote document is thus converted into a customer order when an agreement on all negotiated aspects is achieved. The conversion of the customer quote into customer order triggers the order fulfilment process. This event is symbolised in our framework by the linking-element C.P. – commitment point. fulfilment process encompasses the order-todelivery and order-to-cash cycles. However, like the value commitment process, the order fulfilment process also presents different configurations depending on the operations environment applied to the order (Pil and Holweg, 2004; Dominguez and Framinan, 2013). In other words, the location of the order decoupling point (DP) sets the scope of the order fulfilment process as well as its complementary inventory replenishment process. The literature defines order fulfilment as a process driven by final customer orders, while the inventory replenishment process is driven by forecast or inventory replenishment orders. For instance, if an order is fulfilled according to make-to-stock strategy, the shortterm planning and execution of activities related to sourcing and manufacturing are not performed under the order fulfilment process scope since the order is delivered directly from inventory. In this case, those activities are performed under the inventory replenishment process. However, as the strategy moves towards higher levels of product customisation (e.g. assemble-to-order and make-to-order), more such activities are incorporated into the order fulfilment process up to the level that, in engineer-to-order environments where not even raw materials are kept in stock, the order fulfilment process takes responsibility for all short-term planning and execution for sourcing and manufacturing activities. In theory, this eliminates the need for the inventory replenishment process. Figure 3 illustrates the complementary responsibilities of the order fulfilment and inventory replenishment processes in different operations environments. Therefore, based on the literature analysed, we found four major sub-processes related to OFP: Notably, the value commitment process presents a different configuration and levels of importance when analysing contrasting strategies and operations environments. For example, in make-to-stock environments the process may eliminate quotation related activities and also simplify negotiation-related activities to product availability check and payment conditions selection. However, in “to-order” environments the process is more complex and extremely important to firm performance and consequently for the entire supply chain. Additional aspects such as supplier-customer involvement experience or simply the sales channel used for the transaction might require different activities when negotiating an agreement. The development of situationalbased models is recommended as further research of this work. 3.2.4. Order Fulfilment Process (OFP) As previously mentioned, the order fulfilment process is triggered when a customer quote (inquiry) is converted into a customer order. Subsequently, it covers all related activities from the moment the order is received to the instant the customer obtains the product and the seller collects the agreed compensation. In other words, the order Generate activities checking Order – encompasses such as order editing, customer credit, and Journal of Supply Chain and Operations Management, Volume 14, Special Issue, January 2016 13 Rodrigo Cambiaghi Azevedo, Sophie D’ Amours, Mikael Rönnqvist A New Reference Model for Core Supply Chain Processes transmitting order from point of sales to upstream member (Croxton, 2003). Short-term Plan and Execute Sourcing and Manufacturing – comprises activities such as Master Production Scheduling (MPS), Rough Cut Capacity Planning (RCCP), Materials Requirement Planning (MRP), Capacity Requirement Planning (CRP), purchasing and manufacturing orders release as well as its consequent execution and control (Amaro et al., 1999; Kritchanchai and MacCarthy, 1999; Stevenson et al., 2005; Wikner and Rudberg, 2005). As previously mentioned, this set of activities is elective depending on the location of the order decoupling point. Deliver – involves tasks such as delivery scheduling, vehicle preparation (e.g. loading), outbound transportation and when necessary, tasks related to product installation and set-up (Kritchanchai and MacCarthy, 1999). Billing and Collect – while billing involves tasks related to sending the order invoice to the customer (Croxton, 2003), cash collect tasks are related to invoice payment by the customer (Kallio et al., 2000). the inventory level, examples of key performance indicators to measure its efficiency might be inventory turnover and number of stock-out per period of time (Jammernegg and Reiner, 2007). Therefore, we list three major subprocesses found in the literature about the process: 3.2.5. Inventory Replenishment Process (IRP) Figure 3 presents the inventory replenishment process as the counterpart of the order fulfilment process. Its responsibilities span from the update of the forecast as well as inventory consumption along the value chain network up to the moment when the material is replaced in its exact inventory position. Since the focus of the process is the replenishment of Update Forecasting / Inventory Consumption – involves activities such as the deployment of the sales plan coming from the S&OP process to the stock-keeping units (SKUs) level, the update of forecast data based on recent demand behaviours as well as the update of sales quotas for example per region, customer type, or customer. The concept of Distribution Requirements Planning (DRP) might be applied to translate forecast data into inventory requirements for a certain location. In pull-based environments, the consumption of the inventory by the customer is transmitted, normally automated, to sellers, starting up the inventory replenishment process; Short-term Plan and Execute Sourcing and Manufacturing – this activity was debated previously within the scope of the order fulfilment process. Its execution under the order fulfilment or inventory replenishment process depends on location of the order decoupling point (Figure 3); Distribute Inventory – involves all the steps required after manufacturing (e.g. transportation preparation, orders consolidation, transport load and execution) up to the moment the product is placed in its final inventory location; Journal of Supply Chain and Operations Management, Volume 14, Special Issue, January 2016 14 Rodrigo Cambiaghi Azevedo, Sophie D’ Amours, Mikael Rönnqvist A New Reference Model for Core Supply Chain Processes FIGURE 3. COMPLEMENTARY RESPONSIBILITIES OF OFP AND IRP IN DIFFERENT OPERATIONS ENVIRONMENTS (adapted from Poulin et al., 2006). 3.2.6. Product Return Process (PRP) 3.2.7. Value Development Process (VDP) The sixth supply chain core process is the product return process. The process begins when a customer decides to return one or more products to the seller (Amini et al., 2005). It ends with the disposal of the product by the seller and the provision of a solution for the customer. Some descriptions found in the literature reflect characteristics related to the retail sector (Autry et al., 2007; Bernon et al., 2013). However, in terms of the manufacturing industry, Guide Jr. and Wassenhove (2006) affirm that there are three primary groups of elements in every return case: (i) the product return execution (receive, sort, analyse the quality of the returned product, disposal, respond to the customer, etc.), (ii) remanufacturing operational strategies, (3) remanufactured products market development. The two latter groups give evidence of the interactions existing between the product return process and other core processes such as the S&OP, value commitment, order fulfilment and inventory replenishment. Activities related to the value development process were found in the literature under a series of nomenclatures (e.g. product development process, product design process, product introduction process, etc.). By performing content analysis, we identified that these processes descriptions available in the literature present a high level of evidence of analysed core supply chain process characteristics. We denominated the process “value development” due to contributions in the literature that emphasise the dynamic environment companies are currently facing, driven by competition for value generation in terms of products and associated services for customers (Hughes and Chafin, 1996; Hart et al., 1999; Gattorna, 2006). Thus, the value development process involves the whole series of steps from the generation of an idea or an opportunity, through the project proposal, prototyping and testing to the launching and post-launch review of a product/service (or a combination of both) that adds value to end users, the company and the value chain (Hughes and Journal of Supply Chain and Operations Management, Volume 14, Special Issue, January 2016 15 Rodrigo Cambiaghi Azevedo, Sophie D’ Amours, Mikael Rönnqvist A New Reference Model for Core Supply Chain Processes Chafin, 1996; Sroufe et al., 2000). In addition, the process is the only core process to present a structured and continuous behaviour where activities are deployed from a strategic perspective to an operational level inside a single process (Holmes and Campbell Jr., 2004; Dooley and Johnson, 2001). require a greater level of dependence on aspects such as organisational culture and desired strategic positioning. Another implication brought up by this paper is related to the method applied for the investigation of the set of core processes most commonly required in manufacturing environments. The method was designed to simultaneously explore scientific and applied as well as tacit and implicit knowledge available in the SCM arena. Traditional frameworks have basically relied on tacit knowledge of SCM professionals without comprehensively exploring the knowledge available in the vast SCM literature. By employing this method, this article supports the argument that more scientifically relevant methods are required when developing robust processes-oriented supply chain models. Nevertheless, the main limitations of the method here applied rely first on the lack of statistical inferences when sampling the articles for the content analysis. Second, different methods of defining processes nomenclatures and searching mechanisms could be also applied and statistically tested. In addition, the ad-hoc validations with SCM professionals used during the framework development should next evolve to surveybased methods in order to increase the exposure of the model to different professional profiles. Finally, the use of research methods such as case studies, where the proposed model could be investigated in depth in specific settings, is also considered a subsequent step of this research. In addition, three main implications can be found with the introduction of the new framework: first, when compared to the equivalent SCOR model, the proposed model presents improved propositions in terms of supply chain comprehensiveness as well as a more evident business process perspective. By denominating the processes around functional responsibilities (e.g. source, make and delivery), the SCOR model still lacks IV. IMPLICATIONS AND LIMITATIONS OF THE PROPOSED MODEL This section analyses the main implications of the proposed model for practical and scientific contexts and identifies its limitations which should drive future advances in this important knowledge domain. First of all, the discussion regarding different classifications of supply chain processes presented prior to the development of the core processes model improves the theoretical ground for processes-oriented supply chain models. The advocated classification, which combines core and support processes with management competences, provides a framework to support a clear definition of focus and expected contributions for reference models. Following this perspective, core processes propositions should focus on defining a logically-related set of activities that draws on multiple departmental skills which enable goods and services to reach their marketplace. In complement, the study of management processes should investigate competencebased elements to be embedded in the firm’s coordination and control mechanisms in order to attain its strategic positioning. Through the understanding of supply chain processes classification, we found opportunities for improvement of the current state of the art for core processes reference models. However, a further advance of this research should investigate the feasibility of proposing reference models for supply chain management competences since they seem to Journal of Supply Chain and Operations Management, Volume 14, Special Issue, January 2016 16 Rodrigo Cambiaghi Azevedo, Sophie D’ Amours, Mikael Rönnqvist A New Reference Model for Core Supply Chain Processes structuring organisations around flows of customer-driven activities. For instance, the Source process in the SCOR model presents five macro activities: 1. Schedule Product Deliveries; 2. Receive Products; 3. Verify Product; 4. Transfer Product and; 5. Authorise Supplier Payment. The responsibilities and knowledge involved in all activities are usually found completely within the procurement department of manufacturing firms, therefore missing the multiple functional skills claimed by the business process definition. Similar examples can be found for instance within different configurations proposed by the Make process. In terms of supply chain comprehensiveness, core activities related to customer value development and commitment were later addressed by the Supply Chain Council through the CCOR (Customer-Chain Operations Reference-model) and the DCOR (Design-Chain Operations Reference-model) models with the aim of filling the existing gap in the SCOR model. However, a potential meta-model involving the association of the three reference models developed (DCOR / SCOR / CCOR) is still scarcely explored in the literature. Second, in spite of their vast literature and applications in the SCM arena, processes such as strategic planning and sales and operations planning are not explicitly considered in existing SCM processes frameworks. After interviewing 120 companies, Poirier & Quinn (2006) found that S&OP process ranks second in terms of the most important SCM initiatives, thus demonstrating its core importance for companies today. The SCOR model still presents S&OP as a best practice for the subprocess P1 – Plan Supply Chain, but it fails to structure a planning hierarchy where processes deploy supply chain decisions (e.g. assets requirement/utilisation, demand visibility, supply chain investments, etc.) through different planning horizons and information aggregation levels. Finally, the proposed model explicitly debates the organisation of two key moments of truth within any manufacturing business: the commitment point (C.P.) and the decoupling point (D.P.). C.P. can be summarised as the instant when market positioning strategies pursued by a firm are translated into commitments to customers through parameters such as price and discounts, order flexibility, delivery lead-time and reliability. In complement, D.P. determines how operational activities and decisions should be organised to fulfil those commitments. Thus, by making these moments explicit, the model copes with the challenge of streamlining supply chain processes to handle multiple operational strategies. The SCOR model, addresses the D.P. decision by separately describing the processes Source, Make and Deliver according to MTS, MTO and ETO strategies. By offering this simple structure, the model falls short in aligning these activities with front-end activities and decisions in the supply chain as well as it dismantles a logical and continuous flow of activities and decisions through the traditional silos perspective within organisations. V. CONCLUDING REMARKS This paper has sought to revitalise the debate concerning process-oriented supply chain reference models. After reviewing the fundamentals of this important management discipline, the paper assesses the currently most recognized reference models and proposes a new reference model for core supply chain processes. A central piece in this proposition, the use of coordination theory, has supported the comprehension that activities performed to plan and move products and services to customers should be analysed in complement to elements of firms that are continuously deployed to successfully achieve their strategic positioning in the marketplace. Journal of Supply Chain and Operations Management, Volume 14, Special Issue, January 2016 17 Rodrigo Cambiaghi Azevedo, Sophie D’ Amours, Mikael Rönnqvist A New Reference Model for Core Supply Chain Processes The article also calls for a higher level of systematic investigation in this field. 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