During the last decade, research related to Supply Chain Management has got a great deal of attention. The focus has especially circulated around supply chain integration and centralisation due to the increasingly competitive global market. The aim of this thesis has been to investigate how the supply chain performance in international manufacturing companies could be improved. By having a qualitative approach, this thesis contributes to earlier conducted research by providing a holistic view on supply chain management. This is by the authors considered crucial to manage the complexity of supply chain management and supply chain change. The specific context examined in this thesis concerns the spare parts distribution of large international manufacturing companies. The methods used during the case study consisted of a thorough literature review, external interviews and workshops with experts within supply chain management and supply chain change, and several interviews with employees at different levels and functions at the focal company, Toyota Material Handling Europe. Two of the interviewed external experts were managers at the supply chain function at Volvo Construction Equipment and Ericsson. To answer the main research question, three sub-queries have been examined. The first one concerns what main areas of difficulty that can be identified in the current supply chain of the focal company and in international manufacturing companies in general. The second sub-query concerns which supply chain policies that could be used to solve identified areas of difficulty. Finally, the third sub-query concerns which prerequisites that could be identified to successfully manage change within supply chains. The results imply that Information and Inventory Management are the main supply chain related areas in need of improvements at the focal company, as well as in international manufacturing companies in general. Thereby supply chain performance could be improved if performance within these areas is enhanced. To solve these two identified areas of difficulty, four theoretical supply chain policies related to supply chain integration have been examined due to complexity, need of investments during an implementation, as well as each policy’s possibility to solve the identified areas of difficulty. The supply chain policy Vendor-Managed Inventory was considered the most appropriate policy for the focal company to implement. As a consequence, an evaluation of the focal company’s readiness to implement a Vendor-Managed Inventory policy was also conducted by using a supply chain readiness framework developed by Niranjan, Wagner and Nguyen (2012). Based on the literature review, including the theoretical evaluation of the appropriateness of implementing Vendor-Managed Inventory, together with the findings from the external expert interviews, the focal company is recommended to implement a Vendor-Managed Inventory strategy. However, the focal company is also recommended to see such an implementation as an opportunity to later investigate the possibility to also include large suppliers in the collaboration. This would increase the level of integration among supply chain members further and thereby secure the company has the possibility to receive the advantages associated with sharing information (including Points-of-Sales data) with all supply chain members.   From a theoretical perspective the conclusion is that Vendor-Managed Inventory, with its focus on supply chain integration through collaboration and information sharing among supply chain members, is considered appropriate to implement when companies want to improve performance in one or all of these areas. Furthermore, the usage of a consignment stock agreement might be an appropriate complement to Vendor-Managed Inventory due to the international context. However, the authors suggest that international manufacturing companies should strive towards including large suppliers in the supply chain collaboration to increase performance further. Thereby they should move towards capabilities promoted in the supply chain policy Collaborative Planning, Forecasting and Replenishment, which advocate a higher level of integration than Vendor-Managed Inventory. Another main finding pinpoints the importance of a well-formulated and communicated vision in the beginning of a transformation, to manage supply chain change successfully. As a consequence, the authors of this thesis expanded the supply chain framework developed by Chopra and Meindl (2010) to also include vision. In addition, legal has been added as an important supply chain driver since it affects supply chain possibilities and decisions. The added parts are considered critical for the framework to be applicable in an international and rapidly changing business environment. Furthermore, the authors suggest the extended framework should be used to support companies evaluate the current and a desired future supply chain in accordance with examined change management literature. / Supply Chain Management har under det senaste decenniet fått mycket uppmärksamhet. På grund av en ökande internationell handel har forskningen framförallt behandlat Integration och Centralisering inom distributionskedjor. Syftet med denna studie har varit att undersöka hur man kan förbättra prestandan av distributionskedjan hos internationella tillverkningsföretag. Genom ett kvalitativt angreppssätt bidrar denna studie med ett holistiskt synsätt av Supply Chain Management, vilket av författarna är ansett kritiskt för att kunna hantera komplexiteten relaterad till Supply Chain Management och förändringsarbete inom detta område. Studiens forskningsfråga har kunnat besvaras genom att undersöka tre delfrågor. Den första behandlar att identifiera huvudproblemområden i distributionskedjan hos fokusföretaget samt internationella tillverkningsföretag generellt. Den andra delfrågan behandlar vilka teoretiska supply chain policies som skulle kunna användas för att lösa de identifierade problemområdena, medan den tredje och sista delfrågan handlar om att identifiera förutsättningar för att kunna hantera förändringsarbete av, och inom, distributionskedjor på ett lyckat sätt. Samtliga delfrågor och huvudfrågan har kunnat besvaras genom genomförandet av en litteraturstudie, intervjuer och workshops med externa områdesexperter inom Supply Chain Management och Supply Chain Change, samt interna intervjuer med anställda på olika avdelningar och nivåer inom fokusföretaget, Toyota Material Handling Europe. Två av de intervjuade experterna utgjordes av chefer på logistikavdelningen på två stora internationella tillverkningsföretag. Företagen i fråga utgjordes av Volvo Construction Equipment respektive Ericsson. Resultaten visar att Informations- och Lagerhantering anses vara de huvudområden inom Supply Chain Management, vilka är i störst behov av förbättringar och förändringar på fokusföretaget samt i stora internationella tillverkningsföretag generellt. Därmed kan prestandan av distributionskedjan förbättras om företag fokuserar på dessa två områden. För att förbättra Informations- och Lagerhanteringen har fyra teoretiska supply chain policies utvärderats, vilka alla mer eller mindre fokuserar på att öka integrationen mellan medlemmar inom distributionskedjan. Genom att utvärdera dessa supply chain policies med avseende på komplexitet, implementationskostnader samt möjlighet att lösa de identifierade huvudproblemområdena, har författarna kunnat dra slutsatsen att policyn Vendor-Managed Inventory bör vara mest passande att implementera på fokusföretaget. I och med detta resultat utvärderades fokusföretagets lämplighet att implementera Vendor-Managed Inventory utifrån en teoretisk modell utvecklad av Niranjan, Wagner och Nguyen (2012). Resultatet av denna utvärdering stödde det tidigare antagandet att Vendor-Managed Inventory är lämpligt för fokusföretaget att implementera. Författarna rekommenderar dock att en VMI-implementation ska ses som ett första steg varefter förtaget även skall utvärdera möjligheten att inkludera sina större leverantörer och därmed öka integrationen av distributionskedjan ytterligare. Detta för att verkligen uppnå de fördelar informationsdelning kan medföra om information delas med samtliga medlemmar i kedjan. Författarna har med hjälp av dessa resultat kunnat dra den teoretiska och generella slutsatsen att Vendor-Managed Inventory, med dess fokus på att öka integrationen i distributionskedjan genom ökat samarbete och ökad informationsdelning mellan distributionskedjans medlemmar, anses lämplig att implementera då företag vill eller behöver förbättras inom dessa områden. Vidare kan avtalsmodellen Consignment Stock komplettera Vendor-Managed Inventory i en internationell kontext genom användandet av en legal ägare av lager, oavsett lagerposition. Författarna rekommenderar även att stora internationella tillverkningsföretag bör sträva mot att inkludera sina större leverantörer och därmed öka integrationen av, och samarbetet inom, distributionskedjan. Detta skulle medföra att prestandan av distributionskedjan förbättras ytterligare. Därmed bör de utvecklas mot supply chain policyn Collaborative Planning, Forecasting and Replenishment, vilken förespråkar en högre nivå av samarbete än Vendor-Managed Inventory. Vidare visar studien vikten av en välformulerad och kommunicerad Vision i början av större förändringsprojekt. Detta för att öka chanserna till lyckade och välmotiverade förändringar. I och med identifieringen av visionens vitala del i förändringsprojekt, vidareutvecklade författarna modellen; Supply Chain Decison-Making Framework, utvecklad av Chopra & Meindl (2010), till att även inkludera Vision. Dessutom adderades Legala aspekter, då de påverkar både beslutsfattande och möjligheter inom en internationell kontext. Både Vision och Legala aspekter anses av författarna vara kritiska delar för att modellen skall vara applicerbar i en internationell och föränderlig miljö. I linje med forskning inom förändringshantering som identifierats i litteraturen, anses Chopra & Meindl’s vidareutvecklade modell nu vara lämplig att användas som en hjälp för företag att utvärdera sin nuvarande och önskade framtida distributionsstruktur.

The need for fast, flexible, and sustainable deliveries has become a key priority for companies as customers demand more convenience in their purchasing experience. Retailers have responded by developing their logistics into an omnichannel to meet these expectations, which has made the supply chain more complex. The following study has been conducted at The Company, a telecommunication company aiming to be competitive in the market with fast deliveries through its omnichannel. In 2015, The Company set the logistics vision of “Availability as The Competitive Advantage”, aiming for 15-minute deliveries of all physical products in Sweden. This study involved investigating the logistical consequences of realising 15-minute deliveries in an omnichannel company. Therefore, the purpose of this study was formulated: “The purpose is to investigate the logistical consequences for The Company if the logistics vision of 15-minute deliveries is realised.” Since The Company cannot provide 15-minute deliveries today, local inventory points must be added to the underlying warehouse structure, acting simultaneously as storage points and parcel boxes. Firstly, the study involved creating scenarios for The Company where the customer can reach any local inventory point within 15 minutes by bicycle. Four scenarios were designed realising 15-minute deliveries in Sweden, Östergötland County, Jönköping County, and Stockholm respectively. For all four scenarios the number of local inventory points, central- and satellite warehouses, stores, replenishment- and distribution flows were decided by semi-structured interviews with The Company. Furthermore, investigating the logistical consequences involved two supply chain business processes connected to demand and supply: the demand management- and order fulfilment process. The included activities in the demand management process were Plan Forecast, Collect Data, Forecast, Synchronization and Communication of Forecast, Measure Performance. In the order fulfilment process, activities included were Defining Requirements, Evaluation of Logistics Network, Order Fulfilment Plan, Process Order, Pick and Pack Order, and Transport and Delivery. 12 respondents from The Company were interviewed to analyse the current activities and the required activities in the four scenarios. The logistical consequences to bridge the gaps were found and investigated. In the two processes investigated, 14 logistical consequences were found, seven in the demand management process and seven in the order fulfilment process. The study’s result indicates that rapid deliveries imply the same logistical consequences regardless of geographical area and the number of local inventory points for The Company. Covering Sweden implies bigger gaps and consequences than solely covering a big city. Many of the logistical consequences address similar gaps and logistical consequences resulting in the two processes interfacing. Consequently, the logistical consequences were divided into three main categories: system, strategic, and operational. Despite the difference between the four scenarios, many of the respondents have expressed the challenging future ahead by offering 15-minute deliveries. To fulfil the logistics vision The Company must focus on the logistical consequences identified in this study. It will require major significant changes in The Company’s logistics system adding stores. However, the focus of the study lied in understanding the requirements of the demand management and order fulfilment processes within the designed scenarios. Moreover, The Company is recommended to prioritize these consequences and then actively address them.

The world is changing, what has been known to work has been put to the test when both the geopolitical and the environmental climate are changing. War, a pandemic, material shortage, financial difficulties and an overall dis- tressed global transportation sector have shown that the ever-more important topic of resilience is crucial to stay relevant in today’s competitive markets. Companies are therefore switching focus towards ensuring sufficient supply chain resilience capabilities to handle these ever-changing situations on the global market.  In this thesis, we focus on how Volvo SML is working with resilience today, and how graph theory and optimisation can be useful tools when analysing a supply chain’s resilience. We made a qualitative analysis by conducting inter- views with employees and comparing our findings with capabilities related to resilience. In addition, we conducted a quantitative analysis by constructing a simulation of the supply chain, comparing two topology metrics and two op- timisation metrics, to analyse the robustness of the aftermarket supply chain.  We analysed the data and summarised the insights gathered from the inter- views using a resilience capability framework. Volvo SML proved to be agile and reactive when dealing with disruptions but is missing some key capabil- ities during the pre-and post-disruption phases. Some areas of improvement we identified were: robustness, collaboration and redundancy. We proved that the simulation is useful when evaluating the robustness of a supply chain, and we showed that a more flexible way of working would improve the overall robustness of Volvo SML’s aftermarket supply chain.

Supply chain visibility (SCV) has been gaining attention as a key for supply chainperformance. The key characteristics of SCV are information accessibility, accuracy,timeliness, completeness and usage, all of which aid in the enhancement ofoperational and strategic supply chain activities. Despite the increasing acceptanceof the importance of SCV, knowledge regarding SCV is scattered. There is a needfor knowledge regarding the conditions affecting the realisation of SCV, whichmotivates this thesis.The thesis contains three research questions. First, it identifies andcategorises the conditions affecting SCV to provide a holistic view of SCV. Second,given the role of SCV in decision making, it investigates what supply chaininformation is important for SCV from a supply practitioner’s point of view. Third,it explores the possibilities and challenges of implementing technologies toimprove SCV in practice.The findings include a holistic framework on SCV based on the literature andempirical research. The framework categorises the factors affecting SCV and itsoutcome as antecedents, barriers and challenges and drivers and effects. Amongthe identified essential supply chain information for SCV, there is a consensus thatdata regarding deliveries, deviations, supplier capabilities, inventories andcapacities are the most important. In terms of approaching SCV in practice, thisthesis identifies the steps for translating SCV problem areas into technologicalsolutions to enhance supply chain performance. However, the full SCV effort willrequire a focus on people, processes and technology. Given its role in decisionmaking and performance, SCV is difficult yet important to implement.This thesis outlines four main academic contributions: i) adding to theacademic research and detailing the need for more research on SCV, ii) a state-ofthe-art understanding of SCV, iii) empirically exploring the factors influencing SCVand iv) confirming and adding to previous research on the technologies for SCV.For supply chain practitioners, the present thesis offers guidance and insights toplan, implement and further enhance SCV to attain increased levels of supply chainperformance. / Synlighet i försörjningskedjor, s.k. Supply Chain Visibility (SCV), har fått ökaduppmärksamhet för sin betydelse för försörjningskedjors prestanda. För att nå SCVhar olika egenskaper hos information mellan försörjningsleden pekats ut:tillgänglighet, noggrannhet, aktualitet, fullständighet och användbarhet. Alla dessaegenskaper stödjer förbättring av både operativa och strategiska aktiviteter iförsörjningskedjor. Även om värdet av SCV generellt sett är oomtvistat, ärkunskapen kring SCV inte samlad. Det finns ett ökat behov av kunskap omförutsättningar och förhållanden som påverkar hur vi kan nå synlighet iförsörjningskedjor, vilket är motivet till denna avhandling.Avhandlingen bygger på tre forskningsfrågor. Den första identifierar ochkategoriserar förhållanden som påverkar SCV med avsikt att ge en holistisk syn.Den andra frågan undersöker, utgående från relaterade beslut som ska fattas,vilken information för SCV som är viktig för försörjningskedjors intressenter. Dentredje utforskar möjligheterna och utmaningarna med att implementerateknologier för att förbättra SCV i praktiken.Resultaten inkluderar ett holistiskt ramverk av SCV baserat på litteratur ochempirisk forskning. Ramverket kategoriserar de faktorer som påverkar SCV ochdess utfall, som förutsättningar, barriärer och utmaningar, drivkrafter och effekter.Rörande den information som är viktig vid SCV, är bilden att leverans, avvikelse,leverantörskapacitet, lager och kapacitetsrelaterade data är viktigast. För attförverkliga SCV i praktiken, introduceras steg för att översätta problemområdenrelaterad till SCV till tekniska lösningar, allt i syfte att stimuleraförsörjningskedjors prestanda. Dock kräver SCV en gedigen insats med fokus påmänniskor, processer och teknologier.Denna avhandling tillför i huvudsak fyra akademiska bidrag: i) ett bidrag tillden akademiska forskningen och detaljerat behov rörande fortsatt forskning inomSCV, ii) en övergripande sammanställning av kunskapsfronten rörande SCV, iii) ettempiriskt utforskande av faktorer som påverkar SCV och iv) en bekräftelse och ettbidrag till tidigare forskning om teknologierna för SCV. För industriella aktörer,tillför denna avhandling vägledning och insikter för att planera, etablera,implementera och ytterligare förbättra SCV.

This thesis deals with the problems of design and operation of process supply chains. Process supply chains face many challenges due to volatile market conditions, production and transportation delays, and stiff market competition, which ultimately affect their profitability. Supply chain management (SCM) is the process of managing the flow of materials and information within supply chain to optimize the SC performance. SCM is carried out using a hierarchical decision-making framework, where the top most layer looks at network design and the bottom-most layer deals with scheduling day-to-day activities. In this research, the systems engineering principles are applied to devise an improved methodology for supply chain optimization (SCO). First, we consider the design of supply chain in the presence of demand uncertainty. The representation of network topology plays an important role in deriving the optimal network design. In real practice, the shipping cost for transferring goods from one location to another is determined based on service time and quantity. More importantly, the cost associated with establishing a transportation linkage is relatively small for existing transportation infrastructure and can be changed if beneficial. The flexibility of changing the transportation routes is included in the network topology representation by the explicit inclusion of time limited transportation contract agreements. Further, the customer demand is volatile, and it is very difficult to predict accurately. To handle the demand uncertainty, a two-stage stochastic programming formulation is applied in the SC design approach. Next, we consider the problem of handling uncertainty in SC planning by applying a system engineering control principle, robust model predictive control (MPC). The uncertainty in model parameters (yield) and demand are captured by stochastic programming. In this approach, the planning activities are represented by a hybrid model with decisions governed by logical conditions/rulesets. An MPC based rolling horizon control framework is used to schedule the planning activities, where the SC performance is expressed using a multi-criterion objective comprising customer service and economics. The uncertainty in demand and yield are propagated by two mechanisms - an open-loop approach, and an approximate closed-loop strategy. Finally, we consider the problem of integration of SC planning and scheduling. Due to the use of different time scale models for planning and scheduling, the decision derived from the planning layer may result in infeasibility when those targets are implemented at the scheduling level, which ultimately affects the supply chain efficiency. To address this issue, we model tactical and operational planning activities using an integrated hybrid time modeling approach in which the first few planning periods are formulated using an operational planning model and the remaining time periods are modeled with a tactical planning model. The main rationale for formulating an integrated model is that customer demand forecast becomes less accurate for a future time, therefore making a detailed planning model unnecessary. A key benefit of using a hybrid modeling approach is that it avoids the problem of infeasibility encountered in the hierarchical decision framework, as well as the computational burden associated with the use of a detailed planning model over a long time horizon. We employ an MPC based rolling horizon framework as a tactical decision policy where the integrated model is used to predict the system behavior. / Thesis / Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

<p>  </p> <p>Supply chain security continues to be an overlooked field with consequences that can disrupt industrial complexes, cause irreparable harm to critical infrastructure services, and bring unparalleled devastation to human lives. These risks, once constrained to physical tactics, have advanced to undetectable cyber strategies as in the case of the infamous third-party attacks on Target and SolarWinds (Wright, 2021). Moreover, no one sector appears to be immune, as a study by the Government Accountability Office (GAO) found that federal agencies also lag in complying with their own standards as published by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) (Eyadema, 2021).  Throughout this research study, malicious infiltrations propagated by nefarious actors were explored to identify countermeasures and best practices that can be deployed to protect organizations. Often, the lack of defense strategies is not from an absence of information, but from overly complex procedures and a lack of concise requirements. In a recent survey of Department of Defense (DoD) suppliers, 46% of respondents claimed that the supply chain requirements were too difficult to understand, thus reaffirming the importance of creating tools and techniques that are pragmatic and easily implementable (Boyd, 2020).</p> <p><br></p> <p>The research study presented offered notable safeguards through a literature review of prior studies, standards, and a document analysis of three prominent Information Technology (IT) companies who have made considerable advances in the field of IT supply chain. The results of the research led to the creation of the <em>Roberts Categorization Pyramid </em>which follows a zero-trust framework of “never trust, always verify” (Pavana & Prasad, 2022, p. 2). The pyramid is then further broken down into a formidable six-layer support structure consisting of governance, physical security, sourcing security, manufacturing, hardware security, and software security best practices. Finally, the importance of persistent vigilance throughout the life cycle of IT is highlighted through a continuous monitoring defense strategy layer that engulfs the entirety of the pyramid.  Through this compilation of pragmatic countermeasures, supply chain practitioners can become more informed, leading to more mindful decisions and protective requirements in future solicitations and supplier flow-downs. </p>

Collaboration among hospital supply chain organizations and their internal and external partners has taken many forms partially in response to significant increases in health care costs in the United States while the quality of care delivered has not significantly improved outcomes for patients. An increasingly important factor of this high-cost profile is the cost of supplies including medical/surgical supplies and implants which are the primary focus of this research. The development of new supply chain capabilities alongside internal cost control and process improvement efforts as well as collaborative efforts between hospitals and suppliers have, in many cases, led to incremental efficiencies. However, there has not been a broad study of integration of United States hospital supply chains with their partners, the resulting capabilities, the achievement of supply chain and financial performance outcomes. In a discussion of hospital performance, it is important to note that patient care is critical in decisions made about hospital cost management, thus it is understandable that a specific capability or performance element prioritized in one hospital may be prioritized differently in another. This research examines the relationship between integration capabilities with supply chain and financial performance. Outcomes from multiple studies of this research includes empirical support for a strong link between supply chain capabilities (Study 1) and supply chain performance and directional link between supply chain capabilities as well as supply chain performance and financial outcomes (Studies 2 and 3). Additionally, this research created a practitioner-oriented benchmarking resource intended to aid in the identification of capability/performance gaps and advantages. / Business Administration/Interdisciplinary

Much of the confusion about the effectiveness of information security programs concerns not only how to measure, but also what to measure — an issue of equivocality. Thus, to lower uncertainty for improved decision-making, it is first essential to reduce equivocality by defining, expanding, and clarifying risk factors so that metrics, the "necessary measures," can be unambiguously applied. We formulate a system that (1) allows threats to be accurately measured and tracked, (2) enables the impacts and costs of successful threats to be determined, and (3) aids in evaluating the effectiveness and return on investment of countermeasures. We then examine the quality of controls implemented to mitigate cyber risk and study how effectively they reduce the likelihood of security incidents. Improved control quality was shown to reduce the likelihood of security incidents, yet the results indicate that investing in maximum quality is not necessarily the most efficient use of resources. The next manuscript expands the discussion of cyber risk management beyond single organizations by surveying perceptions and experiences of risk factors related to 3rd parties. To validate and these findings, we undertake in an in-depth investigation of nearly 1000 real-world data breaches occurring over a ten-year period. It provides a robust data model and rich database required by a decision support system for cyber risk in the extended enterprise. To our knowledge, it is the most comprehensive field study ever conducted on the subject. Finally, we incorporate these insights, data, and factors into a simulation model that enables us study the transfer of cyber risk across different supply chain configurations and draw important managerial implications. / Ph. D. / This dissertation comprises several manuscripts exploring various topics under the overall theme of cybersecurity risk in supply chains. The first topic presents the difficulties involved in measuring risk in the cybersecurity domain and discusses how this hinders firms in making justified decisions and taking appropriate actions to manage risk. We then examine the quality of controls implemented to mitigate cyber risk and study how effectively they reduce the likelihood of security incidents. Next, we survey firms to explore perspectives and experiences related to security incidents involving their supply chain partners. To validate these perspectives, we then analyze data collected from over 900 forensic investigations of real-world breaches. This provides excellent visibility into how 3rd parties cause and contribute to incidents in supply chains and key risk factors. Finally, we incorporate these insights, data, and factors into a simulation model that enables us study the transfer of cyber risk across different supply chain configurations and draw important managerial implications.

The essence of this study is to measure the factors that lead to the negative perception of poor service delivery from the Supply and Demand Management (SDM) department of Company X. The Sasolburg operation was selected to pilot the study in order to determine the underlying issues that contribute to the perceived poor service delivery. Improved service delivery would contribute to the organisation’s overall strategy of functional excellence through its operations and service departments. Using a qualitative approach, this study attempts to obtain a clear insight of the perception of poor service delivery and ways of stimulating uniform approaches in order to being able to work together It is essential for the organisation to regularly assess its operational performance in order to ascertain whether progress has been made in terms of strategy changes. The purpose of the study is not to prove that the supply and demand department is not delivering to expectations, but to measure the delivery the factors that create the perception of poor service delivery. The initiative is also to identify the weaknesses, and suggest how these weaknesses can be remedied as well as to share the findings with the various stakeholders within the organisation. The findings of the study demonstrate that communication gaps exists within the organisation and communication is perceived as playing a key role in overcoming poor service delivery / MBA, North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2014

The essence of this study is to measure the factors that lead to the negative perception of poor service delivery from the Supply and Demand Management (SDM) department of Company X. The Sasolburg operation was selected to pilot the study in order to determine the underlying issues that contribute to the perceived poor service delivery. Improved service delivery would contribute to the organisation’s overall strategy of functional excellence through its operations and service departments. Using a qualitative approach, this study attempts to obtain a clear insight of the perception of poor service delivery and ways of stimulating uniform approaches in order to being able to work together It is essential for the organisation to regularly assess its operational performance in order to ascertain whether progress has been made in terms of strategy changes. The purpose of the study is not to prove that the supply and demand department is not delivering to expectations, but to measure the delivery the factors that create the perception of poor service delivery. The initiative is also to identify the weaknesses, and suggest how these weaknesses can be remedied as well as to share the findings with the various stakeholders within the organisation. The findings of the study demonstrate that communication gaps exists within the organisation and communication is perceived as playing a key role in overcoming poor service delivery / MBA, North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2014