Segmenting critical success factors of humanitarian supply chains using fuzzy DEMATEL

P, Rao KV. Post-COVID-19 strategic sourcing decisions for escorting stakeholders’ expectations and supplier performance in construction project works

Purpose

The occurrence of COVID-19 has impacted the wide-reaching dimensions of manufacturing, materials, procurement, management, etc., and has loaded disruptions in the wide range of supply chain (SC) activities. The impact of COVID-19 has twisted supplier performance and influenced stakeholders’ thinking towards selecting supplier sources and making strategic sourcing decision for convinced arrangement of construction management (CM) resources. Nowadays, suppliers are intently evaluated by stakeholders in post-COVID-19 phase to induce agile availability of CM resources. Accordingly, this paper aims to demonstrate competent CM dimensions under post COVID-19 scenario for ease managing construction projects by the stakeholders.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors have implicated Grey Sets Theory along with decision-making trial and evaluation laboratory (DEMATEL) technique for understanding significant outcomes. Varieties of diverse decision aspects responsible for strategically influencing supplier sourcing decision is projected under post COVID-19 scenario for handling construction projects by the stakeholders.

Findings

This study investigated sustainable construction management dimensions (SCMD) at the stage of resource deliveries and client aspirations under post COVID-19 situation. The study demonstrated “Lead time” as the most crucial, “Product Range” as the second and “Customers dealings and relationship” as the third crucial aspect considering by the stakeholders for selecting supplier sources based on the attainment of performance score of 0.1338, 0.1273 and 0.1268, respectively. It is found that high lead time stimulates the stakeholders to divert their orders to other competent supplier sources holding a low degree of lead time as compared.

Research limitations/implications

The present study rollovers its existence by serving critical thinking, conceptual modelling, criteria identification and evaluation under CM domain for drafting effectual strategies by the suppliers. The study investigated the impact of COVID-19 on stakeholders’ decision-making and enlisted SCMD that strategically stimulated them in choosing supplier sourcing decision.

Originality/value

The present study realizes the insights of stakeholders in the post COVID-19 scenario related to the supplier sources based on performance score. The study quantified sustainable supplier attribute for construction work and practices. The study analysed the expectations of the stakeholders purchasing different varieties of construction materials from supplier sources for civil works in the post COVID-19 scenario.

Issues and analysis of critical success factors for the sustainable initiatives in the supply chain during COVID- 19 pandemic outbreak in India: A case study

The coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has severely affected the supply chain all over. A major challenge for the supply chain (SC) is to address this disruption risk and bring sustainability to SC. The objective of this paper is to identify the stakeholders' requirements and critical success factors (CSFs) for the sustainability initiative in SC during this pandemic situation. Three potential stakeholders' requirements and a total of 16 critical success factors have been identified by taking inputs from experts and decision-makers. Further, these critical factors are analyzed and ranked based on a hybrid quality function deployment (QFD)-best-worst methodology (BWM). The QFD method has been used to identify the stakeholder’ requirements. And, the BWM has been adopted to prioritize the CSFs. The scientific value of the study is the contribution of the framework model for the sustainable initiatives in the SC during the COVID-19 pandemic outbreak, identification of stakeholders’ requirements and CSFs, and prioritizes these CSFs. The top three most critical success factors are found to be social distancing, emergency logistics systems, and emergency backup facilities. The proposed framework provides a roadmap to operation and supply chain managers to come up with good solutions for sustainability initiatives in the supply chain during and after the pandemic outbreak.

Analysis of critical success factors for blockchain technology implementation in healthcare sector

Purpose

Recently, blockchain technology (BT) has resolved healthcare data management challenges. It helps healthcare providers automate medical records and mining to aid in data sharing and making more accurate diagnoses. This paper attempts to identify the critical success factors (CSFs) for successfully implementing BT in healthcare.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper is methodologically structured in four phases. The first phase leads to identifying success factors by reviewing the extant literature. In the second phase, expert opinions were solicited to authenticate the critical success factors required to implement BT in the healthcare sector. Decision Making Trial and Evaluation Laboratory (DEMATEL) method was employed to find the cause-and-effect relationship among the third phase’s critical success factors. In phase 4, the authors resort to validating the final results and findings.

Findings

Based on the analysis, 21 CSFs were identified and grouped under six dimensions. After applying the DEMATEL technique, nine factors belong to the causal group, and the remaining 12 factors fall under the effect group. The top three influencing factors of blockchain technology implementation in the healthcare ecosystem are data transparency, track and traceability and government support, whereas; implementation cost was the least influential.

Originality/value

This study provides a roadmap and may facilitate healthcare professionals to overcome contemporary challenges with the help of BT.

A multi-stage method to determine organizational constraint structure and its application in a steel plant in India

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to identify potential constraints and determine the constraint structure in a steel manufacturing plant. “Potential constraint” is defined as a factor that is either a constraint at present or can become one in the future and “constraint structure” is used to denote the network of influences between the potential constraints in an organization.

Design/methodology/approach

A three-step methodology was followed. First, potential constraints in a steel manufacturing plant were identified with a literature review and expert inputs. Then, the fuzzy decision-making trial and evaluation laboratory (fuzzy DEMATEL) technique was applied to uncover the structure and finally, an ex-post validation and refinement of the results was done with help from other experts.

Findings

A total of 10 key potential constraints to steel manufacturing were identified. The two outputs of fuzzy DEMATEL – the influence scatter plot (ISP) and the influence network diagram (IND) – together reveal the constraint structure. The 10 potential constraints could be classified into three types – influencers, mediators and influenced – respectively. Of these “Top management commitment (TMC)” and “Clear vision and long-term planning (CLP)” influence other factors the most, and are themselves influenced the least; while “Customer Relationship Management (CRM)” is most influenced by other factors, while influencing other factors the least.

Practical implications

Potential constraints and the constraint structure can help decision makers in a steel manufacturing plant to identify which organizational factors to address and achieving the plant's goals.

Originality/value

This is the first study that analyzed organizational level constraints in a steel manufacturing context.

Analysing the critical success factors and the risks associated with third-party logistics in the food supply chain: a case of coffee industry

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to analyse various risks associated with third-party logistics (3PL) in the coffee supply chain and to present a framework that computes the influence of these risks on the critical success factors of the coffee supply chain.

Design/methodology/approach

The risks have been identified through a comprehensive literature review and validation by industry experts. The paper utilises an interpretive structural modelling (ISM) methodology for developing a hierarchical relationship among the CSFs. Furthermore, fuzzy MICMAC analysis is carried out to categorise these CSFs based on their driving power and dependence value. The fuzzy technique for order preferences by the similarity of an ideal solution (fuzzy-TOPSIS) approach has been applied to prioritise the risks associated with 3PL based on their ability to influence the CSFs of the coffee SC. Furthermore, we performed a sensitivity analysis to analyse the stability of the results obtained in this study.

Findings

This study illustrates ten risks associated with 3PL and five CSFs in the coffee supply chain. The analysis revealed that coffee enterprises need to develop a balanced pricing strategy to ensure a sustainable competitive advantage, whereas the lack of direct customer communication is the most dominant 3PL risk affecting the CSFs.

Practical implications

This research provides coffee enterprises with a generalised framework with set parameters that can be used to attain a successful coffee supply chain in any developing nation.

Originality/value

The study contributes to the literature by being the first kind of study, which has used fuzzy ISM-MICMAC to analyse the CSFs of the coffee supply chain and fuzzy-TOPSIS for analysing the impact of various risks associated with the 3PL in the coffee supply chain. Thus, this work can be considered a benchmark for future research and advancement in the coffee business field.

Developing a QFD model for prioritizing the CSFs of ERP based on the enablers of organizational agility

Purpose

The main purpose of this study is to develop a model for prioritizing the critical success factors (CSF) of enterprise resources planning (ERP) based on the enablers of organizational agility (OA).

Design/methodology/approach

First, the CSFs of ERP and the enablers of OA have been identified and classified using Decision-Making Trial and Evaluation Laboratory (DEMATEL), and then a three-phase quality function deployment (QFD) model has been designed to prioritize the influencing and influenced criteria. The proposed approach has been examined in the banking sector.

Findings

Major findings indicated that organizational structure, IT technology infrastructure, and commitment and support by top managers were selected as indicators with top priority.

Research limitations/implications

Research variables were limited to the enablers of OA and the CSFs of ERP; analysis was time-consuming due to the interconnected multiple QFD phases, and findings were limited to the selected branches of a bank. The bank managers were suggested to enhance their commitment and support toward ERP. Also, it was recommended to the managers to evaluate their organizational structure and empower it as much as possible toward the fulfillment of customers' requirements and customers' expected agility.

Originality/value

The development of the QFD matrices and dividing the factors of each research variables into influencing and influenced factors distinguished this study from the literature.

Modeling the enablers of humanitarian supply chain management: a hybrid group decision-making approach

Purpose

This paper intends to explore and appraise the humanitarian supply chain management enablers (HSCMEs) for efficient and effective humanitarian operations. This research aims to analyze the interaction of enablers for humanitarian supply chain management (HSCM) using a proposed hybrid framework consists of fuzzy Delphi (FD), interpretive structural modeling (ISM)–matriced impacts croises multiplication appliquee a un classement (MICMAC) and revised Simos approach.

Design/methodology/approach

This research is deliberate to identify 28 HSCMEs through a literature review and experts' opinions; out of which 20 HSCMEs are selected using FD. ISM is applied to know contextual relationship among the selected HSCMEs for developing a hierarchical model. The MICMAC analysis classifies the HSCMEs based on driving power and dependence power to validate the developed hierarchical ISM structure. The revised Simos technique is used to prioritize the HSCMEs to access its relative significance in humanitarian operations.

Findings

The finding of the analysis suggests that government policy and leadership support obtained the highest priority, having high driving power and low dependence power is significantly strategic and emerged as the leading driver for the HSCM implementation.

Research limitations/implications

ISM model presents an insight into interrelationship among HSCMEs, but this cannot quantify the impact of each HSCMEs.

Practical implications

Disaster relief aid agencies and stakeholders may focus on the enablers having high driving power and higher weight in designing and executing an effective and efficient humanitarian supply chain and to improve their activities and strategies of HSCM.

Social implications

This research helps humanitarian logisticians and humanitarian organizations to make better decisions to improve their operational performance in pre and postdisaster phases.

Originality/value

This paper explores the application of proposed hybrid framework to analyze the HSCMEs that can be considered as the original contribution.

Influence of big data and predictive analytics and social capital on performance of humanitarian supply chain

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.

Social and financial aid for disaster relief operations using CSR and crowdfunding

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to understand the interlinkages between corporate social responsibility (CSR) and crowdfunding in the context of disaster relief operations (DRO). It intends to explore how information quality moderates the relationship of CSR and crowdfunding to achieve financial and social stability. The study also controls variables such as type of disaster, size of the firm and sector to which the firms belong while drawing implications.

Design/methodology/approach

The study collects empirical data in an Indian context through a structured questionnaire. The respondents belong to organizations which made a financial contribution toward DRO during the past decade (2008–2018). The sample size for data analysis is 232 responses belonging to different industries like plastic, chemical, textile and apparel, automotive parts and electronics, and construction. The study employs partial least squares structural equation modeling for testing the hypothesis.

Findings

Results indicate a positive effect of CSR activities on donation-based crowdfunding to achieve financial and social normalcy in a DRO. CSR can thus be used as an alternate way to support DRO. Results also reveal that quality of information positively impacts the relationship between crowdfunding and social aid as well as financial aid offered to the victims of the disasters. It is further observed that the type of disaster accounts for the inflow and frequency of funds made by companies as a part of their CSR activities.

Research limitations/implications

The study restricts its analysis to CSR contributions made by Indian firms for DRO in an Indian context. While the study is centered in an Indian context, it holds strong implications by offering guidelines and framework for integrating funds of the government, CSR contributions of companies and donations made by citizens. The outcome also provokes thoughts on testing the results with multiple disasters across the globe in order to validate the findings and possibly extend them.

Originality/value

The approach of the study holds a unique slot in understanding concepts relating to CSR, crowdfunding and information science literature in the context of DRO. The study offers unique contribution in making the readers aware how CSR funds, when guided through a donation-based crowdfunding platform can help achieve social and financial aid for the victims of natural disaster.

E-fulfillment performance evaluation for an e-tailer: a DANP approach

Purpose

E-fulfillment has a significant role to play within e-tailing, which provides products to a customer, comprising primarily of five components: website quality, customization strategy, distribution strategy, last mile delivery and return management. The purpose of this paper is to provide an e-fulfillment performance evaluation framework for an e-tailer, considering the different performance aspects of information systems (IS), marketing and operations for e-tailers.

Design/methodology/approach

Since quite a few performance aspects (i.e. IS, marketing system and operations) need to be factored in while evaluating the e-fulfillment performance, it may be considered as a complex multi-criteria decision-making problem. This study used decision-making trial and evaluation laboratory (DEMATEL) based analytic network process (DANP) to investigate the relationship between performance class and performance aspects, and calculated their weights. These designated weights of performance aspects help managers to find the important aspects needing improvement. The understanding of the interrelationship among the performance aspects enables managers to improve the efficiency of an e-tailing system.

Findings

This study provides the e-fulfillment performance evaluation framework to find the important aspects requiring improvement. The results of this study reveal that the important performance aspects of e-fulfillment performance are return policy, pickup method, innovativeness, assortment type, assortment width, trust (privacy and security) and promised delivery date.

Practical implications

This e-fulfillment performance evaluation could be used by an e-tailer to assess the e-fulfillment performance, and identify areas of improvement.

Originality/value

This study makes a contribution to the present body of knowledge by considering operations related performance aspects except the IS and marketing to evaluate the e-fulfillment performance.

To investigate the determinants of cloud computing adoption in the manufacturing micro, small and medium enterprises

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to identify the critical factors influencing the cloud computing adoption (CCA) in the manufacturing micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) by employing a decision-making trial and evaluation laboratory (DEMATEL) methodology.

Design/methodology/approach

Through literature review and expert opinions, 30 significant factors were identified, and then a DEMATEL approach was applied for exploring the cause–effect relationship between the factors.

Findings

The results of study highlighted that five factors, namely, “hardware scalability and standardisation”, “cost (subscription fees, maintenance cost and implementation cost (CS1)”, “innovation”, “installation and up gradation (CS28)”, and “quality of service” were the most significant factors influencing the CCA in the case sector.

Research limitations/implications

The DEMATEL model was developed by considering expert inputs, and these inputs could be biased which can influence the reliability of the model. This study guides the organisational managers, cloud service providers and governmental organisations in formulating the new policies/strategies or modifying the existing ones for the effective CCA in the case sector.

Originality/value

For the first time. interdependency between the critical factors influencing CCA was discussed by employing the DEMATEL approach in the Indian manufacturing MSMEs context.

A model for supply chain risk management in the automotive industry using fuzzy analytic hierarchy process and fuzzy TOPSIS

Purpose

One of the most important issues in supply chain (SC) management is the identification and management of the risk involved in it. The purpose of this paper is to propose a comprehensive model of supply chain risk management (SCRM) in the product life cycle (PLC) and the operational process cycle (OPC). To decrease the risks in a fuzzy environment, the model considers the organizational performance factors (OPF) and the risk operational practices (ROP).

Design/methodology/approach

Fuzzy analytic hierarchy process is used to determine the weights of the relationships between the PLC, OPC and OPF in the hierarchical structure of the decision problem. In addition, the fuzzy technique for order preference by similarity to ideal solution is employed to recognize the priority of ROPs in dealing with the performance factors. The integrated framework is evaluated using the case study of an automotive company in Iran.

Findings

The results demonstrated that the proposed model can be used to formulate an appropriate method for prioritizing defined alternatives to decrease risk and improve the organizational performance in SCRM under fuzzy conditions.

Research limitations/implications

A major limitation of the study is that a few of the selected criteria for risk assessment are focused only on economic factors. Another limitation of the current study is related to the PLC, OPC and OPF being based on the work of Xia and Chen (2011).

Practical implications

The current study identified the more important stage in the PLC. More significant process in each stage of the PLC and weightier risk factors in each process of the OPC were determined. Some strategies for reducing risk in each stage of the PLC were presented. The best alternatives for reducing risks in SC were indicated.

Originality/value

It is worth mentioning that previous studies have not applied multiple criteria and alternatives to decrease the risks involved in the PLC and OPC parts of the SC under fuzzy conditions. However, it should be stated that some academics have used these techniques separately, in other specialized areas of the SC.