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With smart sensors and embedded drivers, today’s automotive industry has taken a giant leap in emerging technologies like Machine learning, Artificial intelligence, and the Internet of things and started to build data-driven decision-making strategies to compete in global smart manufacturing. This paper proposes a novel design framework that uses Federated learning-Artificial intelligence (FAI) for decision-making and Smart Contract (SC) policies for process execution and control in a completely automated smart automobile manufacturing industry. The proposed design introduces a novel element called Trust Threshold Limit (TTL) that helps moderate the excess usage of embedded equipment, tools, energy, and cost functions, limiting wastages in the manufacturing processes. This research highlights the use cases of AI in decentralised Blockchain with smart contracts, the company’s trading policies, and its advantages for effectively handling market risk assessments during socio-economic crisis. The developed model supported by real-time cases incorporated cost functions, delivery time and energy evaluations. Results spotlight the use of FAI in decision accuracy for the developed smart contract-based Automobile Assembly Model (AAM), thereby qualitatively limiting the threshold level of cost, energy and other control functions in procurement assembly and manufacturing. Customisation and graphical user interface with cloud integration are some challenges of this model.

This study considers how effective South African manufacturing enterprises have used Industry 4.0 tools and applications to achieve sustainability in supply chain operations. Organization Informati...

The global agri-food sector is in a dire need of transitioning into sustainable consumption and production patterns. The circular economy concept offers a viable pathway to improve resource efficiency and recover value from food loss and waste. Although China has made circular economy a strategic component of its national development strategy, it has faced multiple barriers which persisted in the full-scale implementation of sustainable food consumption and production. We aimed to empirically investigate these barriers, based on data from three key stakeholder groups in the food supply chains: the food processors, sales and distribution firms, and consumers. We quantified the cause-and-effect relationships among barriers by the fuzzy decision making-trial and evaluation laboratory analysis (Fuzzy DEMATEL) technique. All groups identify weak enforcement of environmental regulations and lack of environmental education and accountability as key cause barriers in China. Our results suggest that policy level changes include enhanced regulatory attention, and new educational initiatives will be required in China. Managers should focus on waste separation and gaining economies of scale. Together, these initiatives will help promote sustainable consumption and production for a paradigm shift to a circular agri-food supply chain system.

PurposeAgriculture value chains (AVCs) have experienced unprecedented disruption during the COVID-19 pandemic, with lockdowns and stringent social distancing restrictions making buying and selling behaviours complex and uncertain. This study aims provide a theoretical framework describing the stakeholder behaviours that arise in severely disrupted value chains, which give rise to inter-organisational initiatives that impact industry sustainability.Design/methodology/approachA mixed-methods approach is adopted, in which uncertainty theory and relational governance theory and structured interviews with 15 AVC stakeholders underpin the initial conceptual model. The framework is empirically validated via partial least squares structural equation modelling using data from an online survey of 185 AVC stakeholders based in India.FindingsThe findings reveal that buyer and supplier uncertainty created by the COVID-19 lockdowns gives rise to behaviours that encourage stakeholders to engage in relational governance initiatives. Progressive farmers and other AVC stakeholders welcome this improved information sharing, which encourages self-reliance that positively impacts agricultural productivity and sustainability.Practical implicationsThe new framework offers farmers and other stakeholders in developing nations possibilities to sustain their AVCs even in dire circumstances. In India, this also requires an enabling ecosystem to enhance smallholders' marketing power and help them take advantage of recent agricultural reforms.Originality/valueResearch is scarce into the impact of buyer and seller behaviour during extreme supply chain disruptions. This study applies relational governance and uncertainty theories, leading to a proposed risk aversion theory.

The study focuses on understanding how different supply chain stakeholders' power dynamics influence supply chain relationships' stability and dynamics in a logistics triad. The study uses a qualit...

PurposeThe paper aims to evaluate how progressive stakeholders view the adoption of contemporary techniques such as virtual technology in driving sustainable quality in an emerging economy context.Design/methodology/approachThe authors adopted a systematic literature review to develop the theoretical framework for virtual reality (VR) technology adoption in sustaining quality in agriculture production. The framework was refined after discussion with a panel of academic experts. The refined theoretical framework was further empirically validated using Partial Least Square Structure Equation Modelling.FindingsThe study focuses on the future perspective of the perception for progressive farming with the adoption of VR technology in an emerging economy. The data were collected from the stakeholders (farmers, collectives, cooperative, etc.), for their future perspectives for the adoption of VR technology and sustainable quality agriculture production. The study may help build up VR technology in emerging economies which may take years to be established.Research limitations/implicationsThe perception of the future perspective of VR technology study conducted has limitations. The findings are well established on technology adoption; however, the technology used will take many extra years to find its application in the agriculture sector. The study offers insightful theoretical, managerial and policy implications for sustainable quality in agriculture production through the adoption of virtual reality (VR) technology. The authors found very few works that focused on VR technology adoption.Originality/valueThe study discusses VR, which has an impact on sustaining the quality of agriculture production. The study has notable managerial and policy implications that suggest the future perspective for VR technology in agriculture production. The study is an unexplored area that needs research to capture future perspectives.

Purpose This study aims to provide a comprehensive understanding of the supply chain (SC) operations of importing used vehicles into New Zealand and how such SCs affect business practices and performance. Design/methodology/approach The study uses an exploratory qualitative semi-structured interview approach to interview the different stakeholders involved in the global used vehicle SC. Findings The research identifies the overall network structure of the used import vehicle SC from Japan to New Zealand and characterises key aspects of its operations and network connections. This paper finds that Japanese buying agents have integrated increasing numbers of services to provide a trouble-free trading platform, which has created a direct-import model for used vehicle companies in New Zealand. Practical implications The findings and recommendations are useful in designing and managing the used vehicle SC for all stakeholders and effective real-time management of uncertain factors. Originality/value The paper primarily analyses SC operations by researching the cooperation and coordination between SC components and networks, based on providing the flow of used vehicles from Japan to New Zealand. It constitutes a pioneering practice-perspective research paper in this domain.

Real-time monitoring, is now the integral component in smart manufacturing with the rapid application of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in manufacturing. Machine Learning (ML) algorithms and Intern...

This study intends to identify, analyse, and evaluate sustainability assessment (SA) methods, along with the critical factors of sustainable manufacturing (SM) practice. Based on the opinion of experts and a literature review, 10 SA methods and 20 critical factors of SM practice were identified and analysed in relation to their optimal selection in sustainable operations. This research uses a fuzzy MULTIMOORA (Multi-Objective Optimisation on the basis of a Ratio Analysis plus the full multiplicative form) to rank SA methods based on the weights of the critical factors of SM practice obtained using a fuzzy analytic hierarchy process (AHP). A case study of the leather processing industry in India describes the use of the technique in practice. The ranks obtained using the AHP-fuzzy MULTIMOORA is compared with those obtained using the best–worst method (BWM)-fuzzy MULTIMOORA. The results reveal that the Index of Social Progress and the Social Life Cycle Assessment are the top two reliable SA methods based on the identified critical factors of SM practice. Among the critical factors, the ‘identification of alternative raw materials’, ‘methane mitigation’, and ‘opting for re-utilisation’ are identified as the prominent critical factors of SM practices. In addition to the critical factors of SM, this study also evaluates SA methods as they help to monitor industrial progress towards sustainability. These findings provide useful insights to practitioners and can help them select optimal and robust SA methods.

Despite the growing interest in supply chain integration and port performance in the maritime literature, there is a lack of detailed studies into the barriers to integration in port-centric logistics. This study explores the barriers to port-centric supply chain integration from an emerging economy and multistakeholder perspective by using the DEMATEL (Decision Making-Trial and Evaluation Laboratory) analysis technique. The findings indicate that institutional requirements, lack of awareness by stakeholders, and port-centric supply chain integration all significantly impact supply chain projects that have been designed to offer maximum value to customers at a low cost. Other crucial barriers include the absence of benchmarking standards and lack of an innovation culture. The policy and managerial implications are explained.

PurposeHumanitarian supply chains (HSCs) by their very nature require urgent reaction to unforeseeable needs, making it difficult to properly plan for the support of actual demands. As such, integrating sustainability into traditional HSC practices continues to present a challenge to governments, nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) and other humanitarian-related agencies. This study focuses on identifying and categorizing the leading enablers to green humanitarian supply chains (GHSCs) and proposes a model for improving the responsiveness based upon a fuzzy total interpretive structural modelling approach.Design/methodology/approachTotal interpretive structural modelling (TISM) uses group decision-making to identify contextual relationships among each pair of enablers and elucidates the nature of each underlying relationship. The fuzzy TISM shows the level of strength (very high influence, high influence, low influence and very low influence) of each enabler in relation to other enablers, which can help to inform management decision-making.FindingsGHSC management requires strategic planning of inventory and logistics management. The importance of collaborative relationship building with HSC partners for developing capability and the effective use of available resources are keys to success. These improved relationships also help to promote postponement and similar speculation-based logistics strategies, as well as advanced purchasing and pre-positioning strategies. Finally, the speed and quality of response is found to be the top enabler in GHSC management.Research limitations/implicationsOne noted shortcoming of the chosen research method is its reliance on subjective expert judgement. However, collecting judgements is at the basis of many research methods, and the research team took utmost care throughout the research process to allay biases. Future empirical research can further examine the relationships suggested herein. Managers can use the model developed in this research to consider impactful ways to design and execute sustainable HSCs.Originality/valueTo the best of the authors' knowledge, this is a novel attempt to identify enablers to GHSC management. Secondly, the research team has used an advanced methodology (fuzzy TISM) to develop the contextual inter-relationships among the enablers which has not been used earlier in this direction before and thus advances the GHSC literature.

Healthcare is one of the most critical sectors due to its importance in handling public health. With the outbreak of various diseases, more recently during Covid-19, this sector has gained further attention. The pandemic has exposed vulnerabilities in the healthcare supply chain (HSC). Recent advancements like the adoption of various advanced technologies viz. AI and Industry 4.0 in the healthcare supply chain are turning out to be game-changers. This study focuses on identifying critical success factors (CSFs) for AI adoption in HSC in the emerging economy context. Rough SWARA is used for ranking CSFs of AI adoption in HSC. Results indicate that technological (TEC) factors are the most influential factor that impacts the adoption of AI in HSC in the context of emerging economies, followed by institutional or environmental (INT), human (HUM), and organizational (ORG) dimensions.

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Purpose The purpose of this paper is threefold: first, to investigate the role of big data and predictive analytics (BDPA) and social capital on the performance of humanitarian supply chains (HSCs); second, to explore the different performance measurement frameworks and develop a conceptual model for an HSC context that can be used by humanitarian organizations; and third, to provide insights for future research direction. Design/methodology/approach After a detailed review of relevant literature, grounded in resource-based view and social capital theory, the paper proposes a conceptual model that depicts the influence of BDPA and social capital on the performance of an HSC. Findings The study deliberates that BDPA as a capability improves the effectiveness of humanitarian missions to achieve its goals. It uncovers the fact that social capital binds people, organization or a country to form a network and has a critical role in the form of monetary or non-monetary support in disaster management. Further, it argues that social capital combined with BDPA capability can result in a better HSC performance. Research limitations/implications The proposed model integrating BDPA and social capital for HSC performance is conceptual and it needs to be empirically validated. Practical implications Organizations and practitioners may use this framework by mobilizing social capital, BDPA to enhance their abilities to help victims of calamities. Social implications Findings from study can help improve coordination among different stakeholders in HSC, effectiveness of humanitarian operations, which means lives saved and faster reconstruction process after disaster. Second, by implementing performance measurements framework recommended by study, donors and other stakeholders will get much desired transparency at each stage of HSCs. Originality/value The findings contribute to the missing link of social capital and BDPA to the existing performance of HSC literature, finally leading to a better HSC performance.

The selection of suitable supply partners is a strategic issue for managers working in humanitarian operations and has received little attention in the literature. In humanitarian operations, complexity characterizes the continuous-aid procurement operations, and the selection criteria can differ from those used in commercial supply chain settings. This paper advances knowledge by introducing a supply partner selection framework for continuous-aid procurement. A proposed multi-criteria decision-making model uses selection criteria attributes verified by the extant literature and by field experts. A fuzzy Analytic Hierarchy Process is then used to compute criterion weights, and a fuzzy Technique for Order Performance by Similarity to Ideal Solution is used to rank supply partner alternatives. Even with elevated levels of subjectivity, these techniques enable humanitarian operation stakeholders to select the best supply partner effectively. An actual case illustrates how the proposed framework efficiently identifies the most suitable continuous-aid supply partner for the prevailing situation.

The objective of the paper is to analyse supply chain (SC) excellence from the practitioners’ perspective in the New Zealand (NZ) context. The extant literature does not focus on achieving this excellence with the contemporary factors of this dynamic field. The study is an exploratory one using the structured Delphi technique to understand the ground level experience of the practitioners on the constructs of supply chain excellence. In this paper, we have administered three poll rounds to gather insights from the SC practitioners on the various enablers and barriers that impact supply chain excellence in the NZ environment. Seven supply chain management constructs are explored for their relationships with barriers and enablers in achieving the excellence in supply chains. The outcomes reveal that the people relevant issues (i.e. SCM knowledge education and supply chain culture) are more significant than other technical and operational factors. However, the influences from specific NZ business envi...

Supply chain (SC) sustainability has become a global issue. To develop sustainability focused SC networks, the role of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) is of great significance. An effective information system and management can help not only in improving better customer service and in cost control, but also can assist planning to achieve the three pillars of sustainability (ecological, economic, and societal development), thereby enhancing business efficiency. This paper aims to identify and evaluate the drivers relevant to ICT for sustainability initiatives in SCs. The drivers are finalized through a literature survey and use of the Delphi technique. The finalized drivers are analyzed by a procedure using the fuzzy DEMATEL approach. The research findings suggest that “Government support systems and subsidies”, “Knowledge and awareness of ICT tools and techniques,” and “Information systems network design” drivers have the most significant influences in the implementation of ICT for incorporating sustainability in SCs. This work may help practitioners and researchers in strategic decision-making and in formulating effective plans for the implementation of ICT and for incorporating sustainable concepts in SCs.

As the business ecosystem is very becoming volatile with uncertainty accompanied with poor process centric practices leading to complexity and contributing to ambiguous decision making. Such a scenario constitutes a Volatile, Uncertain, Complex and Ambiguous world known as VUCA world. To manage the business in VUCA world, companies have started adopting emerging technologies such as Circular Economy (CE) and Internet of Things (IoT). These technologies combined with a proactive decision-making process promote Ethical Business Practices (EBP) that can lead a sustainable business operation in the market. Therefore, the present study assesses the impact of CE; IoT and EBP (CE-IoTEBP) in the food processing industry. Here, the factors that are influencing the company’s preference towards the CE-IoTEBP were analysed. Further to evaluate CE-IoTEBP, an evaluation model was developed. Using, Churchill approach, exhaustive list of factors (79 factors) relevant to the model were identified. Then, Ant colony optimisation was used to reduce the number of factors (39 factors) to make the model robust and apt for the evaluation of CE-IoTEBP. This was followed by using the Fuzzy ANN system for classifying the factors based on the level of contributions to assess the level of adoption intention of CE-IoTEBP in the industry. Through, fuzzy decoding (FANN) the final value for the CE-IoTEBP adoption intention was obtained. Additionally, this research proposes a deployment model for evaluating the CE-IoTEBP in the food processing industry to improve the low contributing factors. The use of Ant Colony Optimisation (ACO) method makes the decision making significantly robust and the ANN system improves its efficiency. The deployment model can be a reference for both academicians and practitioners to emulate in different industries.

This paper explores the behavioral tendencies of buyer-supplier dyads during sustainable supply chain governance (SSCG) decision-making under the complexity and uncertainty of the sustainable performance of their partners. In doing so, this work builds on Behavioral Decision Theory (BDT), together with the literature on dyadic buyer-supplier relationships, to develop a theoretical framework to examine factors affecting the SSCG decisions of supply chain managers and firm representatives under uncertainty of the sustainable performance of their partners. An experimental vignette methodology (EVM) is used to collect and analyze data from 374 matched buyer-supplier dyads. The findings suggest that behavioral uncertainty could lead to both contractual and relational SSCG. However, the interaction of interpersonal trust and relational experience is critical to shaping the SSCG decision. The findings of the study suggest that behavioral uncertainty does not play significant role in shaping SSCG decisions. However, the interplay with negative relational experience may lead to more contractual SSCG. Furthermore, the degree of interpersonal trust between the buyer and supplier representatives significantly encourages them to opt for more relational SSCG. The study supports that positive relational experience helps to strengthen the trust. Using our findings, supply chain managers and executives should strive to build interpersonal trust between their employees and positive relational experience with their supply chain partners to develop relational SSCG throughout the supply chains.

Coastal shipping has been widely recognised as a sustainable and efficient alternative to road transport. However, the barriers encountered in the industry have not been systematically studied in any region. From an Indian perspective, this study aims to prioritise barriers to coastal shipping development for effective policy interventions. It identifies important barriers through a Delphi study and then quantifies their cause-and-effect relationships by the decision making-trial and evaluation laboratory analysis (DEMATEL) technique. It is interesting that the main barriers, those have most impact on coastal shipping development, are not necessarily the ones most widely recognised. The study also uncovers the hidden cause-and-effect relationships between several barriers. Four main barriers are identified: (1) Indian maritime legislation (especially cabotage rules); (2) issues in the infrastructure and procedures at port and port-centric areas; (3) underdevelopment of small ports; (4) lack of a collaborative culture among the various service providers involved in the logistics supply chain. This study finally recommends relaxing cabotage rules to stimulate the inflow of foreign capital to grow coastal shipping, improving the current port system through joint efforts of the ports, Indian customs and government, and fostering supply chain collaboration.

Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO) algorithm is widely used in Robotic search applications. This paper proposes a PSO algorithm to locate the brightest spot in a given search space using a swarm of robots. Each robot of the swarm acts as a particle in PSO; each particle updates its position, velocity, personal best location and personal best cost measurement based on the light intensity at any position till it reaches its target. The robots communicate the measured light intensity and its position with each other. The position of robots is obtained using ArUco markers with the help of an overhead camera. An ultrasonic sensor is interfaced with the robots for static and dynamic obstacle avoidance. Simulation of the PSO algorithm is implemented using MATLAB software.

Waste management requires a new vision and drastic improvements for a transition to a zero-waste circular economy. In reality, however, many economies are producing more and more waste, which poses a serious challenge to environmental sustainability. The problem is enormously complex as it involves a variety of stakeholders, demands behavioral changes, and requires a complete rethinking of the current waste management systems and the dominant linear economic model. Smart enabling technologies can aid in a transformation of waste management toward a circular economy, but many barriers persist. This study first shortlists twelve important barriers to smart waste management in China based on interviews with experienced practitioners. It then prioritizes these barriers through a scientific prioritization technique, fuzzy Decision-Making Trial and Evaluation Laboratory (DEMATEL), based on the survey data from three representative stakeholders. It identified three key causal barriers: the lack of regulatory pressures, the lack of environmental education and culture of environmental protection, and the lack of market pressures and demands. Practical and theoretical implications were discussed based on the research results and findings. (C) 2019 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. Funding Agencies|National Natural Science Foundation of ChinaNational Natural Science Foundation of China [51875251]; 2018 Guangzhou Innovation Leading Talent Program (China) [2019-09-03-06-1004-0002]; Blue Fire Project (Huizhou) IndustryUniversity-Research Joint Innovation Fund of Ministry of Education (China) [CXZJHZ201722]; Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities (China)Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities [11618401]Postprint version uploaded on author’s personal web page: https://ylifin.wordpress.com/publications/

Industry 4.0 requires firms to adopt the latest technology to be more effective. However, previous studies have not addressed customer engagement (CE) and its direct benefit (buying) and indirect benefits (referring, influencing, and feedback) using modern technologies such as industry 4.0. The present study analyses customer engagement in regard to real-time information receiving (RTIR) in the downstream operations implemented through software-as-a-service technology. The data is collected from 533 customers of small businesses in retail, food & beverages, and accommodation sectors. The study's empirical model is validated using the theory of information sharing (ToIS). The outcomes specify that RTIR is the antecedent of CE. The results show the mediation effect of customer orientation on RTIR and CE relationship. The study also confirms that gender moderates three out of the four examined relationships between RTIR and CE. Subsequently, our outcomes offer a deeper understanding of RTIR and CE, imbedded in ToIS. This article exposes industry practitioners to RTIR and CE in terms of direct benefit and indirect benefits with modern technologies in downstream operations. This study provides a new theoretical framework using ToIS to advance RTIR in downstream operations through SaaS and CE.

Consumers expect global apparel suppliers to adhere to strict social sustainability standards following several deadly noncompliance incidents. This study provides a unique contribution to social sustainability governance by utilizing a causal-effect analysis to classify noncompliance antecedents into causal and effect groups and analyze the interactions. Combining a structured Delphi technique, involving thirty senior manufacturing professionals in the Indian apparel sector, with a fuzzy Decision-Making Trial and Evaluation Laboratory method (DEMATEL) revealed specific antecedents related to the adherence to social sustainability standards. The most influential antecedents identified were manufacturing cluster behavior, stringent regulations, multiple standards, business continuity, and buyer preference. Notably, the study theorizes that a supplier's compliance deliberations intertwine with operational considerations around business volumes, costs, inappropriate governance, and regional cultural norms. Stakeholder theory and the theory of reasoned action help explain the institutional logics underlying the interactions between antecedents and highlight the crucial need for local production hubs to adopt universal social compliance codes. To our knowledge, this research is the first to identify manufacturing cluster behavior as a leading cause of noncompliance, highlighting the need to recognize clusters as essential stakeholders. The study has notable implications for brands, suppliers, governments, manufacturing councils, and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) that call for coordinated action and new forms of governance to minimize the incidences of noncompliance by apparel suppliers.

The paper attempts to develop an ‘Online Susceptibility Scale’ (OSS) by focusing on the factors that influence shopper buying decisions in an online environment as they are not adequately addressed in the literature. The proposed scale supports the understanding of the impact of online information which leads to consumer decisions. The study involves qualitative and quantitative studies to develop the scale. Eleven items are identified for the scale development which were borrowed from literature and modified through focus group discussions. Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) resulted in three factor groups: Evidential online influence (five items), Confirmational online influence (three items), and Experiential online influence (three items). Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) has validated the factor structure. Results indicate that the three factors explaining online information sources have a significant impact during buyer purchase decision-making. The study relates ‘Online Susceptibility Scale’ (OSS) to online retailers for exploring the online shopping influences, thereby managing their campaigns accordingly. Managerial and theoretical implications of this new scale are discussed.

Social sustainability is a major concern in global supply chains for protecting workers from exploitation and for providing a safe working environment. Although there are stipulated standards to govern supply chain social sustainability, it is not uncommon to hear of businesses being reported for noncompliance issues. Even reputable firms such as Unilever have been criticized for production labor exploitation. Consumers now increasingly expect sellers to disclose information on social sustainability, but sellers are confronted with the challenge of traceability in their multi-tier global supply chains. Blockchain offers a promising future to achieve instant traceability in supply chain social sustainability. This study develops a system architecture that integrates the use of blockchain, internet-of-things (IoT) and big data analytics to allow sellers to monitor their supply chain social sustainability efficiently and effectively. System implementation cost and potential challenges are analyzed before the research is concluded.

Life cycle assessment (LCA) is widely used for assessing the environmental impacts of a product or service. Collecting reliable data is a major challenge in LCA due to the complexities involved in the tracking and quantifying inputs and outputs at multiple supply chain stages. Blockchain technology offers an ideal solution to overcome the challenge in sustainable supply chain management. Its use in combination with internet-of-things (IoT) and big data analytics and visualization can help organizations achieve operational excellence in conducting LCA for improving supply chain sustainability. This research develops a framework to guide the implementation of Blockchain-based LCA. It proposes a system architecture that integrates the use of Blockchain, IoT, and big data analytics and visualization. The proposed implementation framework and system architecture were validated by practitioners who were experienced with Blockchain applications. The research also analyzes system implementation costs and discusses potential issues and solutions, as well as managerial and policy implications.

Business organizations are facing increasingly pressure from stakeholders to incorporate sustainable initiatives in the supply chains. In supply chain management, risk deals with the ‘disturbance and disruption' in a variety of operations that consequences to undesired consequences. Sustainable supply chain (SSC) risk management is a supply chain strategy that aligns economic goals with a supply chain's ecological course of actions. In this chapter, an attempt is made to prioritize and manage the risks linked to SSC. The analysis has been done by combined Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) and Monte Carlo simulation (MCS) approach, which helps in distinguishing the priority of risks and revealing of the impacts of risk. Initially, the recognized risks are analyzed to know their priority using AHP technique. Next, the uncertainties related to the risks are explored. This is followed by a risk evaluation procedure to access the disruption impacts of these risks using MCS approach. This methodical approach helps in understanding of the probable risks and consequences to emerge in SSC.

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to explore the dimensions of Indian manufacturing firms’ competencies and to study the impact of these competencies on firm performance. Design/methodology/approach – The authors have adopted a literature survey to identify variables and gaps in the research. Based on the construct and its item identified through the literature review the authors have developed a structured questionnaire which was pre-tested before being used for the final survey. The authors have collected data from 100 firms out of 275 targeted firms in two phases which represents a 36.36 per cent response rate. The data have been subjected to exploratory factor analysis (EFA) using varimax rotation, which reduced the data into seven parsimonious and orthogonal factors. The authors then carried out regression analysis using EFA output to test the relationship between six independent variables, representing competencies of the firm and performance. Findings – Findings show that EFA has reduced the data into seven factors, out of which six represent firm competencies and one represents firm performance. The competencies which have been identified are supply-demand coordination and product pricing, logistics, marketing, procurement, manufacturing simplicity and product quality and preventive maintenance. The EFA output was further tested using multiple linear regression analysis which shows that out of six competencies, four are positively supporting, except procurement which is negatively supporting and logistics which is found to be statistically insignificant. Research limitations/implications – The conclusive model suggests that there is considerable impact from other deterministic variables which are not assumed in the present study, and some of the variance has been accounted for by stochastic variables and response error. However, utmost care has been taken to minimise response error by personal follow-up with each of these firms. The outcome of the quantitative analysis provides an insight into firm competencies and their impact on firm performance. It is very important for the managers who are interested in deriving superior performance from their firm and focusing on supply-demand coordination and product pricing, manufacturing simplicity, marketing and product quality and preventive maintenance practices. Originality/value – This original study has been carried out by researchers in India on Indian manufacturing firms and adopted an EFA technique to identify dimensions which are unique in their contribution.

Sustainable Procurement is an emerging concept in India in the recent times. It is imperative for the production firms to look the procurement activity as one of the strategic enabler for sustaining the business in the competitive global environment. Moreover, sustainability in India has been understood in multiple meanings and it is essential to bring the awareness on sustainable procurement and its impact on manufacturing. This chapter elucidates the key drivers of sustainable procurement along with a complete discussion on the importance of those practices in the Indian context. It also lists some of the key trends in the current business environment. The study endorses that manufacturing industry dominated by SMEs are highly reluctant to adopt sustainability as they lack awareness and perceive them as a cost escalation activity. It also reveals challenges faced by the firms and gives a conclusion on the future directions for sustainable procurement research in Indian context.

Humanitarian supply chain and logistics has succeeded in attracting research attention in recent years as the special field of attention. Purpose of this paper is to introduce the difference between the Continuous Aid programmes from the disaster relief chains in a Humanitarian Supply System. So far the literature was so biased towards only Disaster relief chains. Through the case study and other research, this paper is to establish and advocate that all Humanitarian Supply networks are not having the disaster management orientation and also to establish scope for further discussions and analysis to the area of Continuous aid category. This paper is primarily the conceptual framework for researching the internal operations strategy of any human Supply Network Operations. It reviews the existing literature in Humanitarian supply network and disaster relief measure to establish the current meaning of Humanitarian Supply network. It adopts the micro case based approach to authenticate the concept of including the Continuous Aid programs in “Humanitarian Supply network” which is currently biased towards Disaster relief management. The paper has found the usage of Humanitarian Supply network term in a complement way with Disaster Relief operations/management so far. However, there are operations which do not support the disaster relief measures; On the other hand—it supports the livelihood of the society. Those operations should also be called and classified under the Continuous Aid Category under Humanitarian Supply network operations. Further research and arguments are indispensable to differentiate the Operations dynamics of Continuous Aid Program from the disaster relief management. The discussions can help the re-orientation of research to strengthen and streamline the definitions and areas of Human Supply network. The conceptual paper is analyzing the operations of Humanitarian Supply Chains in detail and gives a new dimension and school of thought with a definition towards Humanitarian Supply networks. This is the original paper written based on the author’s experience with NGOs operating in this field. The concept “Humanitarian Supply Networks” should be established and explored carefully, not to be used extensively only on the disaster relief measures, based on the facts established through this paper. The points discussed in the paper will help to widen the discussions on the Humanitarian Supply Networks field.

India is a leading apparel manufacturing hub by virtue of its traditional involvement in the textile and clothing business. After the phase out of the multi-fibre arrangement (MFA) in 2005, the business dynamics have changed. There is a mixed response to this. It is imperative to study the behaviour in detail. The trend in the industry shows that domestic business is moving up. It is evident that SMEs are facing challenging times and to the closure of their companies too. Various factors contribute to the sustenance. The present study will elucidate those factors in detail and an interpretive structural modelling (ISM) is proposed followed by an MICMAC analysis. The study gives a key input to industry associations to draw out a roadmap for revitalising the apparel manufacturing units.

India is traditionally identified as a manufacturing hub. It is well known for its heritage and skill sets in its textile business. The phase out of multi–fibre agreement (MFA) has impacted a dynamic turn over in the market with tough competitions from other hubs. The players are having barriers to sustain and project as a potential hub. The paper tries to establish the contextual relationship among the various barrier points in the expansion of garment manufacturing SMEs in the global arena. Factors are modelled with the technique called interpretive structural modelling (ISM) by incorporating qualitative judgments from the views of Indian manufacturers, who are the suppliers to leading global brands. The aim of this paper is to categorise and analyse the dependence power as well as driving power of those barriers using MICMAC analysis and to give a different dimension to the post–MFA impact research on the Indian apparel SME domain.

The objective of this study is to determine antecedents of the innovation process in Indian conditions. In this research, researchers have used interpretive structural modelling (ISM) to develop inter-relationship among antecedents of innovation, which will provide direction to researchers for further research. It will further help managers in formulating innovation strategies. The research was conducted based on expert’s opinion about antecedents of innovation. It is observed, ‘scarce resources’ and ‘innovation culture’ are two important antecedents which have affected all the antecedents of innovation in India. In order to increase innovation performance in India, ‘innovation culture’ and ‘scarce resources’ should be resolved. There have been a number of researches about innovation barriers in general. This paper must be taken as a theoretical model development and can be empirically tested in Indian conditions.