abstract: Despite significant growth in research about supply chain integration, many questions remain unanswered regarding the path to integration and the benefits that can be accrued. This dissertation examines three aspects of supply chain integration in the health sector, leveraging the healthcare context to extend the theoretical boundaries, as well as applying supply chain knowledge to an industry known to be immature in terms of its supply chain practices. In the first chapter, a supply chain operating model that breaks away from the traditional healthcare supply chain structures is examined. Consolidated Service Centers (CSCs) embody a shared services strategy, consolidating supply chain functions across multiple hospitals (i.e. horizontal integration) and disintermediating several key roles in healthcare supply chains such as the group purchasing organizations and national distributors. Through case studies, key characteristics of CSCs that enable them to reduce the level of supply chain complexity are examined. The second chapter investigates buyer-supplier relationships in healthcare (i.e. supplier integration), where a high level of distrust exists between hospitals and their suppliers. This context is leveraged to study both enablers and barriers to buyer-supplier trust. The results suggest that contracting counteracts the negative effects of dependence on trust. Furthermore, the study reveals that hospital buyers may, in some situations, perceive dedicated resource investments made by suppliers as trust barriers, associating such investments with supplier upselling and entrenchment tactics. This runs contrary to how dedicated investments are perceived in most other industries. In the third chapter, the triadic relationship between the hospital, supplier, and physician is taken into consideration. Given their professional autonomy and power, physicians commonly undermine hospital efforts in supply base rationalization and standardization. This study examines whether physician-hospital integration (i.e. customer integration) can drive physicians towards supply selection practices that align with the hospital’s sourcing strategies and ultimately result in better supply chain performance. This study utilizes theory on agency triads and professionalism and tests hypotheses through a random effects regression model applied to data about hospital financial performance and physician-hospital arrangements. / Dissertation/Thesis / Doctoral Dissertation Business Administration 2016

Os investimentos em tecnologia da informação (TI) possibilitam a criação, sustentação e expansão das vantagens competitivas das empresas na cadeia de suprimento, sendo considerados críticos para apoiar as relações interorganizacionais. Uma forma de enfrentar as mudanças ambientais é desenhar uma governança da cadeia de suprimentos (GCS) que equilibre os interesses das organizações e as decisões dos gestores. Entretanto, tradicionalmente a cadeia de suprimentos é estudada de uma perspectiva das operações, com o foco interfuncional ou intraorganizacional, sendo necessário aumentar o escopo dos estudos sobre o assunto, combinando com diferentes temas como a TI, considerada um aspecto importante na cadeia de suprimentos. Assim, o objetivo dessa tese é desenvolver um modelo para avaliar a influência dos investimentos em TI na GCS e o efeito da GCS no desempenho da cadeia de suprimentos. Para alcançar esse objetivo, foi realizada uma pesquisa com uma etapa qualitativa e outra quantitativa. Na etapa qualitativa foram realizados estudo de casos múltiplos em seis grandes empresas brasileiras e seus fornecedores. Foi possível identificar e explorar quais os principais elementos relacionados a cada um dos constructos propostos (investimentos em TI, governança contratual, governança relacional, governança transacional e desempenho da cadeia) e desenvolver um instrumento de pesquisa inicial. Na etapa quantitativa, primeiro foi realizado um estudo survey pré-teste com uma amostra pequena de grandes empresas para refinar o instrumento de pesquisa, que posteriormente foi aplicado em uma grande amostra de empresas brasileiras chamado de estudo completo. Então foi aplicado o questionário em mais de 120 empresas e 185 questionários válidos. A partir da aplicação de análises estatísticas, utilizando modelagem de equações estruturais, foi possível validar o modelo e analisar as hipóteses de pesquisa. Foi identificado que existe uma influência significativa entre os investimentos em TI nas concepções da GCS (contratual, relacional e transacional) e com a própria governança na cadeia. Assim, os investimentos em TI são realizados para monitorar, rastrear, compartilhar informações, integrar as atividades e reduzir os custos nas transações relacionadas com a GCS entre as empresas na cadeia. Além disso, foi identificado que existe um efeito positivo da GCS como um todo e da governança contratual, em um nível menor, no desempenho da cadeia no que diz respeito mais aos indicadores financeiros, como o retorno dos investimentos e retorno sobre as vendas. Percebe-se que as práticas da governança da cadeia influenciadas pelos investimentos em TI estão relacionadas positivamente com o desempenho da cadeia de forma ampla e composta. Os gestores devem analisar os fenômenos na cadeia de forma multidimensional e não aspectos isolados e de forma individual. O estudo apresenta avanços tanto teóricos, utilizando diferentes teorias para suportar as análises e relações na cadeia e combinar diferentes temas como investimentos em TI, GCS e desempenho da cadeia, como práticos por desenvolver e validar um modelo que permite aos executivos tomarem decisões melhores na cadeia de suprimentos por possibilitar uma análise e melhor compreensão das atividades e processos na cadeia. / Information technology (IT) investments enable the creation, support and expansion of the competitive advantages of companies in the supply chain, which are considered critical to support interorganizational relationships. One way to face changes in business environmental is to design a governance supply chain (SCG) that balances the interests of organizations and the decisions of managers. However, the supply chain is traditionally studied with an operation perspective, with the focus being inter-functional or intra-organizational. It is thus necessary to increase the scope of the studies on the subject, combining different themes such as IT; which are considered an important aspect in the supply chain. The objective of this dissertation is to develop a model to evaluate the influence of IT investments in SCG and the effect of SCG on supply chain performance. For this purpose, a qualitative and a quantitative research were conducted. In the qualitative stage, multiple case studies were conducted in six large Brazilian companies and their suppliers. These studies made it possible to identify and explore which are the main elements related to each of the proposed constructs (IT investments, contractual governance, relational governance, transactional governance and supply chain performance) and develop an initial research instrument. In the quantitative phase, a pre-test survey was conducted with a small sample of large companies to refine the survey instrument to be applied on a large sample of Brazilian companies called completed study. The finalized questionnaire was then applied to more than 120 companies, resulting in 185 valid questionnaires. From the application of statistical analysis, using structural equation modeling, it was possible to validate the model and analyze the research hypotheses. It was identified that IT investments significantly influence SCG conceptions (contractual, relational and transactional) and the SCG itself. IT investments are undertaken to monitor, track, share information, integrate activities and reduce costs in transactions between companies related to SCG. Furthermore, it was identified that there is positive effect of SCG and the contractual governance, in a lower level, on the performance of supply chain with respect to more financial indicators such as return on investment and return on sales. Thus, it is clear that the practices of SCG influenced by IT investments are positively related with supply chain performance broadly and composed, in which managers must analyze phenomena in the supply with a multidimensional view; as opposed to an isolated and individual one. The study presents both theoretical advances - using different theories to support the analysis and relationships in the supply chain using different themes like IT investment, SCG and supply chain performance - and practical ones that develop and validate a model that allows managers to make better decisions in the supply chain by enabling enhanced analysis and a better understanding of the activities and processes in the supply chain.

As organizações estão cada vez mais dependentes das suas cadeias de suprimentos. Devido à globalização e outros fatores, as cadeias de suprimentos podem se tornar bastante complexas, e existem riscos internos e externos que podem afetar as cadeias de suprimentos das mais diversas formas. O objetivo geral deste trabalho foi levantar conceitos e métodos que possam facilitar a gestão de riscos na cadeia de suprimentos, através de estudos exploratórios na literatura, gerando resultados de relevância gerencial. O método se baseou em uma revisão de literatura e análise dos resultados. Como resultado da análise apresentada foi possível contribuir com a literatura da seguinte forma: (i) consolidação de definições de gestão de riscos na cadeia de suprimentos (GRCS); (ii) consolidação de um conjunto de fases que compreendem a gestão de riscos na cadeia de suprimentos em fases ou subprocessos; (iii) estruturação de um procedimento, em nível conceitual, que permita orientar a análise de riscos na cadeia de suprimentos, pela ótica do desempenho; (iv) proposição de uma Estrutura Analítica de Riscos (EAR) para GRCS que possa servir de inspiração para as análises de gestão de riscos em empresas ou para uso em pesquisas da área. / Organizations are increasingly dependent on their supply chains. Due to globalization and other factors, supply chains may become quite complex, and there are internal and external risks that may affect supply chains in many different ways. The general objective of this work was to erect concepts and methods that may facilitate the management of risks in the supply chain, through exploratory studies in the literature, generating results of managerial relevance. The method was based on a literature review and analysis of these results. As a result of the analysis presented it was possible to contribute to the literature as follows: (i) consolidation of definitions on Supply Chain Risk Management (SCRM); (ii) consolidation of a set of phases that comprise the Supply Chain Risk Management in phases or subprocesses; (iii) structuring of a procedure, at a conceptual level, so as to steer risk analysis in the supply chain, based on the perspective of performance; (iv) proposal of a Risk Breakdown Structure (RBS) for SCRM that may serve as inspiration for the Supply Chain Risk Management in companies or for use in research area.

O desenho e a gestão de uma cadeia de suprimentos apresentam-se, hoje, como um dos problemas mais importantes e de difícil resolução encontrado pelos gestores. A gestão da cadeia de suprimentos é uma das áreas de maior interesse da Pesquisa Operacional aplicada, buscando determinar a melhor estratégia de produção, transporte e estoque com menor custo e tempo possíveis. Esta dissertação apresenta os resultados de um estudo que objetivou implementar e avaliar uma heurística baseada em Busca Tabu para otimização de uma rede de cadeia de suprimentos. Para tanto, foi utilizada uma modelagem single-source proposta por Farias e Borenstein (2012). O problema foi resolvido com uma adaptação do método de Lee e Kwon (2010), buscando por meio de operações de troca de centros de distribuição (CDs) e arcos encontrar a configuração de menor custo para uma rede de cadeia de suprimentos. Foram resolvidas as 22 instâncias propostas por Farias e Borenstein (2012) e os resultados comprovam que, para esses cenários, o método aplicado teve um bom desempenho computacional, obtendo resultados com uma redução de 81,03% no tempo médio de processamento; contudo, as soluções obtidas pela heurística apresentaram custos médios 4,98% superiores aos resultados ótimos. Por fim, o problema foi resolvido para outras quatro instâncias com características reais, comprovando a eficiência da heurística para problemas de grande escala, visto que todas as soluções foram obtidas em um tempo inferior a 2 minutos de processamento. / The design and supply chain management are currently one of the most important and difficult problems encountered by business managers. Supply chain management is one of the most engaging areas in applied Operations Research, which seeks to determine the best strategy regarding production, shipping and storage at the lowest cost and shortest time possible. This thesis shows the results of a research that aimed to implement and evaluate a heuristic based on Tabu Search to optimize a supply chain network. For this purpose, a single-source model proposed by Farias and Borenstein (2012) was used. The problem was solved by adapting the Lee and Kwon method (2010), exchanging distribution centers (DCs) and arcs, to find the lowest cost for a supply chain network. Twenty two instances proposed by Farias and Borenstein (2012) were resolved and the results indicate that, for these scenarios, the applied method had a good computational performance, getting results with 81.03% of reduction in the average processing time. However, there was an increase of 4.98% in the average cost of the solutions obtained through the heuristic method when compared to the optimal results. Finally, the problem was solved for four other instances with real features, proving the efficiency of the heuristic for large-scale problems, since all solutions were obtained in a time less than 2 minutes of processing.

O desenho e a gestão de uma cadeia de suprimentos apresentam-se, hoje, como um dos problemas mais importantes e de difícil resolução encontrado pelos gestores. A gestão da cadeia de suprimentos é uma das áreas de maior interesse da Pesquisa Operacional aplicada, buscando determinar a melhor estratégia de produção, transporte e estoque com menor custo e tempo possíveis. Esta dissertação apresenta os resultados de um estudo que objetivou implementar e avaliar uma heurística baseada em Busca Tabu para otimização de uma rede de cadeia de suprimentos. Para tanto, foi utilizada uma modelagem single-source proposta por Farias e Borenstein (2012). O problema foi resolvido com uma adaptação do método de Lee e Kwon (2010), buscando por meio de operações de troca de centros de distribuição (CDs) e arcos encontrar a configuração de menor custo para uma rede de cadeia de suprimentos. Foram resolvidas as 22 instâncias propostas por Farias e Borenstein (2012) e os resultados comprovam que, para esses cenários, o método aplicado teve um bom desempenho computacional, obtendo resultados com uma redução de 81,03% no tempo médio de processamento; contudo, as soluções obtidas pela heurística apresentaram custos médios 4,98% superiores aos resultados ótimos. Por fim, o problema foi resolvido para outras quatro instâncias com características reais, comprovando a eficiência da heurística para problemas de grande escala, visto que todas as soluções foram obtidas em um tempo inferior a 2 minutos de processamento. / The design and supply chain management are currently one of the most important and difficult problems encountered by business managers. Supply chain management is one of the most engaging areas in applied Operations Research, which seeks to determine the best strategy regarding production, shipping and storage at the lowest cost and shortest time possible. This thesis shows the results of a research that aimed to implement and evaluate a heuristic based on Tabu Search to optimize a supply chain network. For this purpose, a single-source model proposed by Farias and Borenstein (2012) was used. The problem was solved by adapting the Lee and Kwon method (2010), exchanging distribution centers (DCs) and arcs, to find the lowest cost for a supply chain network. Twenty two instances proposed by Farias and Borenstein (2012) were resolved and the results indicate that, for these scenarios, the applied method had a good computational performance, getting results with 81.03% of reduction in the average processing time. However, there was an increase of 4.98% in the average cost of the solutions obtained through the heuristic method when compared to the optimal results. Finally, the problem was solved for four other instances with real features, proving the efficiency of the heuristic for large-scale problems, since all solutions were obtained in a time less than 2 minutes of processing.

O estudo consiste em analisar as diferenças do supply chain de moda entre as coleções tradicionais e o fast fashion, identificando os desafios e ações empreendidas pelas empresas têxteis que atuam no início da cadeia produtiva de moda. Tomando como base a literatura sobre as gestões da cadeia produtiva de moda e as mudanças ocorridas no mercado, identificou-se a contradição no tempo de aprovisionamento no que diz respeito às etapas de produção entre a moda tradicional e o fast fashion, termo em inglês, traduzido como moda rápida. As análises e comparações entre as gestões da cadeia produtiva de moda compreendem como esses dois sistemas atuam no mercado. Por um lado, existem as empresas de moda programada tradicional que pelo conceito e o tempo utilizado para o desenvolvimento de suas coleções funcionam como uma forma de imposição do consumo de seus produtos, já o modelo fast fashion pode ser interpretado como uma resposta do mercado consumidor. Com isso, a necessidade de diminuir o time to market para reduzir o risco exige encontrar soluções produtivas adequadas. A partir de uma revisão de literatura e de uma pesquisa exploratória, foi possível identificar como o setor têxtil, que atua no início da cadeia produtiva de moda, corresponde às diferenças de supply chain entre as coleções tradicionais e o fast fashion / This study consists on analyzing the supply chain differences between the traditional collections and the fast fashion, identifying the challenges and the undertaken actions by textile companies that act in the beginning of fashion productive chain. Taking as a base the literature on fashion productive chain management and the market changes, the contradiction on provision time was identified about the production levels between the traditional fashion and the fast fashion. The analysis and comparisons between fashion productive chain management comprehend on how theses both methods act on market. On the one hand there are the scheduled traditional fashion companies that through conception and the used time to develop their collection, it works as imposition consumption for their products, whereas the fast fashion way can be seen as the customer reply. Therewith, there is a need to reduce the time to market to decrease the risk new productive solutions must be found. From a literature review and a deep research, it was possible to identify how the textile sector, which operates at the beginning of the production chain fashion, corresponds to the supply chain differences between traditional collections and the fast fashion

Abstract The aim of this study is to deepen current understanding concerning cyclicality in the Finnish sawmill industry. Traditionally, economic actors in the sawmill industry have faced dramatic price and demand fluctuations. Managers often regard cyclicality as natural and unavoidable in the industry. Accordingly, research related to business cycles in the Finnish sawmill industry has consisted of short-term studies that have mainly focused on predicting the turning points of cycles. In contrast to these short-term investigations, this study proffers research on cyclicality that is both empirical and historical. It aims to emphasise the actor perspective that seems to be absent in existing research on business cycles and cyclicality. In line with the adopted perspective, business cycles are not merely objective economic phenomena external to their observers. As regards the research, the above view necessitates a more complete understanding of business cycles and historical knowledge of the industry and the actors in its supply chain. The idea that heavy economic fluctuation is detrimental to all is emphasised in this thesis, though it has been argued that in the short term, some actors at the lower end of a distribution chain may take advantage of cyclicality by game playing. However, in the long run there are very few actors, if any, who profit from business cycles. The empirical data was primarily collected during a number of discussions with sawmill experts and in essence, the problem of cyclicality is observed through the eyes of Finnish sawmill managers. However, interviews with intermediaries as well as many public statistics and archive documents were also used to describe and explain the economic fluctuations over three decades in the industry. Industry-, supply chain- and dyadic business relationship-levels are used in the empirical and theoretical parts of the thesis. Business cycle theories by economists form the context for the study of cyclicality. Systems thinking presents the total picture of cyclicality as a problem in a specific industry, whereas the Bullwhip/Forrester effect describes cyclicality in a supply chain, and explanations for cyclicality in the Finnish sawmill industry are studied in terms of supply chain management. In particular, the presented sub-cases of dyadic business relationships shed light on the power of long-term business relationships as a smoothing-out strategy. The findings of this study reveal that there is another option for managers other than considering the cycles as being "natural", and that there is an opportunity to affect the traditional mode of behaviour in coping with business cycles. It is argued that the structures, behavioural patterns and management components of supply chain management play major roles when the sources of cyclicality and opportunities to moderate business cycles are investigated.

Den globala uppvärmningen anses idag vara ett av de största hoten mot vår planet. Vi människor är en stor bidragande orsak, efter årtionden av ständigt ökande utsläpp och gränslös konsumtion. Åtgärder måste genomföras inom samtliga sektorer i vårt samhälle. En av dessa sektorer är textilindustrin som årligen producerar mängder med nya produkter för att täcka kunders behov av ständig förnyelse. Som ett steg bort från det linjära slit-och-släng-samhället har företag börjat implementera cirkulära försörjningskedjor, s.k. closed-loop supply chains (CLSC). Denna studie undersöker hur svenska detaljhandelsföretag inom modebranschen arbetar med CLSC för att minska sin klimatpåverkan men även för att skaffa sig konkurrensfördelar. Detta görs genom en teorigenomgång som ligger till grund för en empirisk studie av fyra företag, där två av företagen studeras djupgående genom intervjuer med representanter från företagen. De två andra företagen har studerats på grundare nivå genom granskning av företagens hållbarhetsredovisning och hemsidor. Författarna undersöker även vilka drivkrafter och hot som företag ser med CLSC.

Outsourcing breaks up the supply chain and often increases in number of stakeholders and organizations and therefore puts a higher demand on a well-functioning coordination of the material supply. The logistical task spectrum is characterized by a great degree of variety and dissimilarity which is due to the logistical role itself, functions within both overall economic and business processes, in value-added steps from the processing of raw material to the end user. Research in the field of global sourcing environment has been conducted in prior research, however, the outsourcing environments differs one from another. The purpose of this study is to identify critical logistical factors when transferring to a third party stakeholder. The findings are based on an extensive literature study in the field of logistics and a single case study. An interactive investigation at a large, multinational company provided opportunities to observe and participate in an ongoing global transfer and verify the applicability of the result (matrix concept). The observations were done over a three months’ period and gave the author the opportunity to investigate the logistical setup for the ongoing transfer. The company henceforth Genopower AB, is transferring the assembly and testing to a third party stakeholder located in Indonesia. The motives for the transfer is to increase the company’s market shares in Indonesia and further into Asia. The third party stakeholder, henceforth PT PAK does not have any prior experience in the Gas turbine (Power generation) industry. The study provides a generalized matrix with critical logistical factors which affects the logistical performance measurements, logistical cost and customer service elements. By presenting the findings in terms of factors, the matrix can be applicable on future outsourcing projects and give a clear insight in which of the factors is worth investigating further; prior, during or after the actual transfer as an evaluation tool.

We consider a two-level supply chain involving a manufacturer and a retailer who serves as the quality gatekeeper. The manufacturer determines a wholesale price and a defective rate and announces his decisions to the retailer, who then makes her decisions on the retail price and identification rate that means the percent- age of the defects identified by the retailer and reflects the retailer’s gatekeeping effort on her quality assurance. We accordingly develop a leader-follower game and solve it to find Stackelberg equilibrium for the manufacturer and the retailer. In order to examine whether or not the supply chain benefits from the retailer's quality gatekeeping effort, we also develop and solve another leader-follower game where the manufacturer still announces its wholesale pricing and defective rate decisions but the retailer only decides on the retail price. We show that the manufacturer’s equilibrium defective rate for the game with the retailers gate-keeping is higher than that for the game without the retailer’s gatekeeping. The ratio of the manufacturers profit to the retailer’s profit is increased when the retailer serves as the gatekeeper. Moreover, the retailer reduces her price when she acts as the gatekeeper, if and only if the supply chain-wide cost decreases as a result of the retailer’s gatekeeping effort. We also perform sensitivity analysis of each parameter in our game models to further examine the impacts of the retailer’s gatekeeping on the manufacturer’s and the retailer’s decisions and profits. We find that the retailer’s penalty cost per defect has more significant impacts than the manufacturer’s unit penalty cost. The paper ends with a summary of managerial insights.