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The interplay between a firm's customer portfolio and the firm's performance presents a theoretical conundrum that challenges traditional supply chains. In particular, the role of government customer concentration—how extensively a firm incorporates government entities as part of its customer base—emerges as a pivotal factor with the potential to both bolster and burden firm performance. Analyzing 3,643 firm‐year observations from the U.S. Federal Procurement Data System‐Next Generation, Compustat, and FactSet Revere reveals an inverse U‐shaped relationship between government customer concentration and firm performance. Excessive or insufficient government customer concentration adversely impacts performance, suggesting that a strategic balance is essential. Firm size, absorptive capacity, and network embeddedness are crucial in navigating this complex relationship, guiding a firm toward optimizing its government customer portfolio. This research advances the discourse on customer base management, underscoring the essential strategic considerations for firms interacting with government buyers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This editorial embodies a series of essays from the current and past editors of the Journal of Business Logistics in marking the 40th anniversary of the journal. The compendium is intended to illustrate the evolution in logistics thought and practice as well as the journal's role in documenting and advancing the field. Key trends are identified in each era. Further, each editor expresses opinions of the current and future state of the discipline. This review reflects on the evolution of the Journal of Business Logistics and envisions the futures of the logistics field and supply chain discipline. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The bottom of the pyramid-that is, the world's four billion consumers who live on $5 or less per day-is one of the last untapped markets for multinational companies (MNCs) to drive revenue and profit growth. However, most MNCs have found it difficult to make money 'solving the pressing needs of low-income communities.' We explore why the bottom of the pyramid has become a strategic focal point. We also identify and discuss fundamental differences and trade-offs MNCs encounter in meeting the demands of the world's lowest-income consumers. Drawing on the experience of exemplar case studies, we describe how MNCs can leverage resources to build the infrastructures needed to think differently about how to measure financial performance, design products differently to leverage both customization and standardization, and deliver differently to compensate for infrastructural deficiencies. Finally, given much of the product acceptance-and-profitability challenge falls under the purview of supply chain decision makers, we call for research in specific operational and relational domains to help companies design supply chain networks and processes for success at the bottom of the pyramid. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose – The accurate measurement of demand variability amplification across different nodes in the supply chain, or “bullwhip effect,” is critical for firms to achieve more efficient inventory, production, and ordering planning processes. Building on recent analytical research that suggests that data aggregation tends to mask the bullwhip effect in the retail industry, the purpose of this paper is to empirically investigate whether different patterns of data aggregation influence its measurement. Design/methodology/approach – Utilizing weekly, product-level order and sales data from three product categories of a consumer packaged goods manufacturer, the study uses hierarchical linear modeling to empirically test the effects of data aggregation on different measures of bullwhip. Findings – The authors findings lend strong support to the masking effect of aggregating sales and order data along product-location and temporal dimensions, as well as the dampening effect of seasonality on the measurement of the bullwhip effect. Research limitations/implications – These findings indicate that inconsistencies found in the literature may be due to measurement aggregation and statistical techniques, both of which should be applied with care by academics and practitioners in order to preserve the fidelity of their analyses. Originality/value – Using product-weekly level data that cover both seasonal and non-seasonal demand, this study is the first, to the author’s knowledge, to systematically aggregate data up to category and monthly levels to empirically examine the impact of data aggregation and seasonality on bullwhip measurement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Strategic systems design is essential to structuring and governing a supply chain for competitive advantage. To effectively co-create value, decision makers must manage the three rights of supply chain design: right players, right roles, and right relationships. Doing this well requires managers discern how the unwritten competitive rules are changing as well as determine firm readiness to compete. As part of this analysis, we briefly explore five emerging 'game changers' that represent potential supply chain design inflection points: (1) Big Data and predictive analytics, (2) additive manufacturing, (3) autonomous vehicles, (4) materials science, and (5) borderless supply chains. We also consider four forces that impede transformation to higher levels of value co-creation: (1) supply chain security, (2) failed change management, (3) lack of trust as a governance mechanism, and (4) poor understanding of the 'luxury' nature of corporate social responsibility initiatives. How well managers address sociostructural and sociotechnical issues will determine firm survivability and success. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Our goal at JBL is not just to provide a forum for theoretical conversation but also to proactively invite more insightful and interactive conversation. As active inquiry and open dialogue are critical to achieving this goal, we discuss the nature of inquiry and argue for developing the skills and conditions required to promote dialogue over discussion. Only through more profound dialogue can we address the challenges of a tumultuous decision-making environment, advance theoretical understanding, and improve managerial practice. We then introduce ' Dialogue,' a new feature at JBL, which will consist of concise statements of alternative perspectives and diverse views. Through Dialogue, we invite members of the supply chain community to join colleagues in a grand adventure of knowledge discovery. We hope you will agree that the quest for understanding is more fun when we travel the path of discovery together. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The primary question of management scholarship is, 'What leads some firms to be successful even as others fail?' Over the years, a variety of dominant logics have emerged to inform this question. Synthesized, these logics make it clear that companies win when they create customer value better than the competition and efficiently enough to be profitable. That is, firms that design distinctive and dynamic value-added systems win competitive battles. This observation is salient to the Journal of Business Logistics community as systems design and value creation are focal decision areas of supply chain management. With this in mind, we briefly discuss two of many areas for which strategic supply chain research can inform differential performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT Previous experimental research demonstrates that inefficient replenishment decision making in the supply chain can be caused by specific judgment and decision biases. Based on the literature we use controlled experiments involving both student subjects and supply chain managers to test debiasing interventions that provide declarative knowledge, which is theorized to enhance the acquisition of procedural knowledge. We first investigate the effects of three debiasing components in a single-echelon setting: knowledge of bullwhip, inventory position (IP), and use of a target order-up-to quantity. Experiment 1 (N = 1,608 decisions by 67 student subjects) using a 2 × 2 × 2 factorial design for the three components finds that the conceptual understanding of IP is salient for efficient replenishment decisions. We next examine the effects of the components in a simulated, multi-echelon, serial supply chain, which introduces the additional complexity of coordination risk. Experiment 2 (N = 3,072 decisions by 128 student subjects) using a 2 × 2 × 2 factorial design finds that although subjects benefit from training components, there is evidence of cognitive overload with an increased quantity of information. Finally we test whether these debiasing components may be an effective training program for practicing supply chain managers who can be expected to have higher levels of procedural knowledge through experience gained in the field. Experiment 3 (N = 864 decisions by 36 supply chain managers) using a 2 × 1 design investigates the effects of an instructional training intervention which includes all three debiasing components and finds the intervention to reduce costs by 14%. We provide avenues for future research and successful practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The authors offer perspectives on the field of inventory management in business logistics. They note the applications of equilibrium theory to inventory management at the tactical level such as how much to order and when to order. They also discuss the matrix of expertise in method and topics when submitting manuscripts to the "Journal of Business Logistics." Also tackled are some important questions in logistics and supply chain management that require combinations of old and common methods.

This article discusses the role of the C-suite in logistics management and logistics research. It explores the contribution of logistics to day-to-day operations. It also analyzes the influence of supply chain management on business model design and on strategy development and execution. The importance of the C-suite in achieving customer satisfaction is discussed.

The authors discuss the relevance of a theory to business logistics and supply chain research as well as what constitutes a valuable theoretical contribution. They highlight what theory is not. They outline ideas that provide a starting point for identifying and evaluating theoretical contributions. They also suggest a three-step action plan for a better theory in supply chain research.

Accurate demand forecasts are critical to maintaining customer service levels and minimizing total costs, yet increasingly difficult to achieve. Using weekly point-of-sale (POS) and order data for 10 ready-to-eat cereal stock-keeping units from 18 regional U.S. grocery distribution centers, this research empirically investigates two demand forecasting issues: (1) the accuracy of top-down versus bottom-up demand forecasts; and (2) whether shared POS data improve demand forecast accuracy. The results reveal a previously unexplored relationship between demand forecast methodology and the use of shared POS data. We find that the superiority of the top-down or bottom-up forecasting as the more accurate demand forecast method depends on whether shared POS data are used. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Given that the impact of retail shelf facings and price on a product’s market share is of substantial interest to marketing managers in the retail supply chain, we examine whether these relationships may be interdependent with the firm’s supply chain activities. We offer predictions regarding the interdependence of the marketing and supply chain variables using monthly in-store observations from 62 different retail stores from five different chains, taken over a 24-month period. The in-store observations included price and number of facings, which is combined with data obtained from the manufacturer on case pack quantity and market share data from the ACNielsen HomeScan consumer scanner panel. Results indicate that shelf facings impact the effects of price and case pack quantity on market share. In addition, we explore the strength of relationships across retailers employing everyday low price versus HiLo pricing strategies. Generally, our findings suggest that retailers and suppliers must work to integrate marketing activities and supply chain processes both within and across firms to most effectively serve the consumer at the retail shelf and increase market share. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Cross-docking can reduce inventory in a retail supply chain but in certain situations it can result in more inventory being required in the stores to achieve the same customer service levels. In this paper we develop models to predict the changes in the retailer’s system-wide inventory levels as a result of cross-docking, an important factor managers must consider when making decisions about cross-docking. We also examine the impact of a number of relevant parameters on the benefit of cross-docking. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

This article discusses supply chain information sharing in a vendor managed inventory partnership. Automatic replenishment programs (ARP) represent a type of inventory management designed to improve efficiency across the supply chain. ARP Programs such as Continuous Replenishment Planning, Efficient Consumer Response, Quick Response, and Vendor-Managed Inventory (VMI) can be defined as partnership initiatives based on information sharing among the members in attempts to match supply and demand as closely as possible. VMI, one of the most widely discussed initiatives for improving multi-firm supply chain efficiency, involves the vendor making the replenishment decision for products supplied to a customer based on specific inventory and supply chain policies. Information sharing between supply chain members is necessary for implementing VMI. However, information sharing in a VMI partnership raises a number of issues: different incentives and performance measures exist between the vendor and the customer; issues also arise regarding confidentiality, trust, technology investments and expenses, inventory ownership, and antitrust regulations. When supply chain members overcome these issues and jointly define the information to be shared in establishing a VMI partnership, the vendor is faced with the challenge of using that information effectively.

With the assistance of 12 guest editors, the Journal of Business Logistics ( JBL) has initiated a sequence of special topics forums ( STFs) intended to stimulate research on themes that are both fundamental and timely. In an attempt to complement the quality and depth of the impact of research published in JBL, the objective of this strategy is to continue to increase the breadth of the impact of JBL on research in our discipline. A small number of articles have the preponderance of impact: 1% of the articles published in JBL account for over 20% of all JBL citations and half of the articles account for 95% of all citations. Our selection of the STFs is aimed at increasing the breadth of impact of the research published in JBL. Each STF that is discussed in this Editorial addresses relevant and timely research questions that should have a lasting impact on theory and practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article describes the effort of the "International Journal of Logistics Management" (IJLM) in advancing knowledge and practice in the discipline of business logistics. IJLM welcomes all methodological approaches of inquiry into phenomena associated with logistics and supply chains. IJLM also welcomes manuscripts that address process integration when it is relevant to logistics.