Supply Chain Survey 2024
It was Alfred D. Chandler Jr. who once spoke the words Strategy before Structure.[1] The strategy must determine the structure of the company and that can only be achieved by making choices. Often hard choices. With this in mind we developed this survey. A survey that helps to determine the strategy alignment and helps to translate the strategy into practical and distinct KPIs. We can then use to come up with new supply chain solutions.
Insight in the strategy alignment, supply chain maturity, and resilience
The structure of the survey is very simple and consists of roughly 4 parts. We start with some general questions to create company profile, we later on use to compare the organization with its peers. The actual survey itself starts with a chapter on strategy and the customer. By describing the supply chain systematically, step by step, we generate a complete picture and gain detailed insight in its maturity.
We designed the survey in such a way that it can ben used without any outside support of consultancy. One can fill out the survey with colleagues or all by yourself. It does not require abig project or investments. The one thing that is needed is time to fill out the survey and conduct a structured analysis of the supply chain.
Who is this survey made for?
The simple answer to that question is anyone who has part in the supply chain. It simply enhances the understanding of its purpose, structure and complexity. But in particular for supply chain management and leadership this survey can add a lot of value. During the development and testing of the survey, we deployed it a broad circle within the company, involving, for example, Marketing, Sales, Production, R&D. This turned out to be particularly valuable. It led to a better understanding of what exactly the supply chain should be able to do, its strengths, limitations and priorities.
Is it worth the effort?
Aren’t there already countless of these types of maturity scans? Scans that generate some sort of recommendation after only a few questions. We can assure you, this is totally different in structure, depth and outcome. The value of our survey is conducting the survey itself. It results in a detailed profile of the supply chain and has been developed to gain a good understanding of the supply chain. In addition we provide a complete mapping of strategy profiles and the key performance indicators that should be prioritized in order to support the specific strategy. By doing this we pinpoint the key value elements that are important to the customer.
Based on the questionnaire that focuses on the strategy, it clearly emerges what the value elements are and which KPIs should come first. Given the strategy. I can truly say that this outcome and insight is one of the greatest strengths. A second outcome provides insight into how far the current structure is in line with the strategy and in which areas steps still need to be taken. In terms of organization, people, training, data and technology.
Some words on the methodology
It’s a common technique: maturity. The concept of process maturity proposes that a process has a lifecycle that can be assessed by the extent to which the process is defined, managed, measured and controlled. Such a model is often used as a benchmarking model for similar processes with other industries.[1]
The problem, however, with many of these maturity models is that they are not very specific. The organization that is the subject of discussion is barely described. It’s all quite generic if I’m being completely honest. We have chosen a slightly different approach and heavily rely on a detailed profile.
[1] Chandler Jr., A.D., (1962), Strategy and Structure: Chapters in the History of the American Industrial Enterprise, MIT Press, 15 Aug 1969 – Business & Economics.
[2] Netland, T.H., E. Alfnes, H.Fauske, HOW MATURE IS YOUR SUPPLY CHAIN? – A SUPPLY CHAIN MATURITY ASSESSMENT TEST .
[3] Cheshmberah, Mohsen & Beheshtikia, Safoura. (2021). Supply chain management maturity: An All-Encompassing literature review on models, dimensions and approaches. Logforum. 16. 10.
[4] Hansali, Oumaima & Elrhanimi, Samah & el Abbadi, Laila. (2022). Supply Chain Maturity Models- A Comparative Review. Logforum. 18. 435-450.
[5] Reyes, H. G. and Giachetti, R. (2010) ‘Using experts to develop a supply chain maturity model in Mexico’, Supply Chain Management: An International Journal, 15(6), pp. 415–424.
[6] Pöppelbuß, J. and Röglinger, M. (2011) ‘What makes a useful maturity model? A framework of general design principles for maturity models and its demonstration in business process management’, in Ecis, p. Paper28.
[7] Fraser, P., Moultrie, J., Gregory, M. (2002); ‘The use of maturity models/grids as a tool in assessing product development capability’, IEEE International Engineering Management Conference, 1.
[8] Van Dyk, L. (2013) The Development of a Telemedicine Service Maturity Model. Stellenbosch university.
Interested in participating in the 2024 survey?
We specialize in guiding organizations with the transition to digital supply chain management and the use of quantative optimization and simulation models. Our expertise lies in leveraging these advanced analytics tools to streamline operations, enhance visibility, and optimize supply chain performance.
