Humanitarian supply chains (HSCs) play an essential role in alleviating humanitarian crises in disaster-prone settings where lead-time effectiveness is critical. Information systems are key to the integration between humanitarian organizations (HOs) and donors, particularly for performance management that supports preparedness. However, empirical research on how information systems influence such integration remains limited. This study addresses this gap using a mixed-methods approach that operationalizes information systems as characteristics, capabilities, and flows, and links them to the integration between HOs and donors in performance management during preparedness. The methodology consists of a three-phase mixed-methods approach, including survey pretesting through focus group discussions, a survey of 145 Indonesian HOs operating in disaster-prone settings, and focus group discussions to validate the interpretation of the quantitative results. Hierarchical regression analysis reveals that information systems characteristics and capabilities significantly influence integration, and information systems flow can influence integration when challenges are addressed. Theoretically, the study advances understanding of how information systems enable integration for preparedness. In practice, it highlights the need to standardize data formats, define performance metrics and communication protocols, and implement training initiatives. The findings offer insights that strengthen HSC preparedness in similar settings and suggest topics for future research.

Purpose: The ultimate goal of humanitarian supply chains (HSCs) is to save lives and alleviate suffering during disasters in the shortest possible time, emphasizing the importance of lead-time effectiveness (LTE). However, there is a lack of LTE metrics along HSCs, and a concern that HSC actors therefore cannot prove they are achieving LTE. This study aims to develop a framework of tailored performance metrics for LTE along an HSC.

Design/methodology/approach: The study first conducted a systematic literature review of HSC articles and then reviewed commercial supply chain articles to identify LTE performance metrics. These metrics were positioned across three logistics activities (procurement, inbound, and outbound transportation) and two HSC stages (preparedness and response) to develop a framework of tailored performance metrics for LTE along an HSC.

Findings: The study found that no identified study defined LTE. Existing HSC research focuses on either lead-time (LT) or effectiveness (E) rather than LTE, with inconsistent and uneven coverage of metric definitions along an HSC. To address these issues, insights from CSC research were incorporated, resulting in a framework with 11 LT metrics (e.g., supplier lead-time), nine effectiveness metrics (e.g., beneficiaries’ satisfaction), and one proposed LTE metric.

Research limitations/implications: This study contributed to the literature on performance management in HSC by integrating lead-time and effectiveness metrics across logistics activities and HSC stages. This provides a foundation for future research on LTE in HSC contexts.

Practical implications: The tailored performance metrics for LTE offer a clear set of applicable performance metrics in logistics activities along an HSC that can guide and be used by HSC actors.

Societal implications: The framework encourages HSC actors to apply LTE, enabling timely human responses and better support for beneficiaries in crises.

Original/value: The study's value lies in its analyses of HSCs and the integration of insights from CSCs to tailor LTE. This approach provides a novel framework that combines both contexts in tailoring performance metrics for LTE in the HSC context.

Purpose

The study aims to operationalize the information systems in the humanitarian supply chain performance management between humanitarian organizations and donors in the preparedness stage, which can be used for empirical studies.

Design/methodology/approach

The study used a systematic literature review using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) to gather and analyze 17 peer-reviewed publications. Then, analyses were used to develop an operationalization.

Findings

Most publications focused on operationalization in one area, e.g., information systems, performance management, or preparedness stage. Only seven publications provided survey/interview instruments/guidelines, operationalized into questions/variables for future empirical studies covering three areas: description, initial understanding, and analysis.

Research limitation/implications

The operationalization can be pretested for question appropriateness and used to collect data from humanitarian organizations and donors, highlighting the relationship between information systems and performance management in the preparedness stage.

Social implications

The study lays the foundation for its contribution to the social community in conducting empirical studies (e.g., surveys) by initially operationalizing information systems in the humanitarian supply chain performance management, potentially improving lead-time effectiveness and cost-efficiency.

Original/value

Previous studies did not provide operationalizing information systems for humanitarian supply chain performance management in the preparedness stage for empirical studies.

Experiment är en relativt ovanlig forskningsmetod i logistikforskningsprojekt, trots att metoden har många fördelar. Genom ett experiment, som genomförs av de deltagande företagen men med stöd av forskarna, är det tydligare för företagen hur resultaten kan vara direkt användbara och därmed att forskningen manifesteras och nyttiggörs på ett konkret sätt. Det här exemplet baseras på en grupp forskare som tillsammans med fyra företag i ett forskningsprojekt kring säkerhetsbuffertdimensionering använt just experiment som metod. Syftet med artikeln är att visa på erfarenheter och lärdomar från företag och forskare med att använda experiment som forskningsmetod. 

Experimentet har gått ut på att sätta upp en adaptiv dimensioneringsmetod av olika säkerhetsbuffertar, och prova sig fram till en förbättrad leveransförmåga. Data har samlats i form av intervjuer och workshopdiskussioner, samt reflektioner från företagen direkt. Företagens respektive forskarnas erfarenheter och lärdomar presenteras. Företagen upplever t.ex. att de får bidra med input till projektet på ett annat vis än genom att enbart bli intervjuade eller lösa givna uppgifter, och att de samtidigt får ut direkt företagsnytta med sin insatta tid. Samtidigt ställer det här stora krav på att företagen är engagerade i forskningen och har möjlighet att genomföra ett experiment som kanske kräver en del ”handpåläggning” och kan påverka den ordinarie verksamheten. Forskarna upplever att det kräver mer i form av gedigen planering och förarbete, att tydligt specificera experimentet och dess ingående delar så att det är praktiskt tillämpbart. Avstämningsmöten med företagen har visat sig varit viktigt för att vägleda, reda ut oklarheter och kontrollera status. Bådas erfarenhet är att utväxlingen på den insatta tiden är avsevärd om experimentet utformas med en balans mellan företagens och forskarnas behov. Företagen bidrar med datainsamling och erfarenheter från praktisk tillämpning, vilket ger viktiga insikter till den teoretiska utvecklingen. Sammantaget blir nettoeffekten positiv för alla inblandade parter. Metoden innebär både fler och längre iterationer mellan företag och forskare vilket gör att tillgången på kalendertid är central. Avslutningsvis sammanfattas ett antal erfarenheter som kan vara till nytta för företag och forskare som vill använda experiment som forskningsmetod.

Purpose

The purposes of this study were (1) to explore empirical challenges in dimensioning safety buffers and their implications and (2) to organise those challenges into a framework.

Design/methodology/approach

In a multiple-case study following an exploratory, qualitative and empirical approach, 20 semi-structured interviews were conducted in six cases. Representatives of all cases subsequently participated in an interactive workshop, after which a questionnaire was used to assess the impact and presence of each challenge. A cross-case analysis was performed to situate empirical findings within the literature.

Findings

Ten challenges were identified in four areas of dimensioning safety buffers: decision management, responsibilities, methods for dimensioning safety buffers and input data. All challenges had both direct and indirect negative implications for dimensioning safety buffers and were synthesised into a framework.

Research limitations/implications

This study complements the literature on dimensioning safety buffers with qualitative insights into challenges in dimensioning safety buffers and implications in practice.

Practical implications

Practitioners can use the framework to understand and overcome challenges in dimensioning safety buffers and their negative implications.

Originality/value

This study responds to the scarcity of qualitative and empirical studies on dimensioning safety buffers and the absence of any overview of the challenges therein.

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to identify, characterize and assess supplier flexibility measurement practices in the order-to-delivery process.

Design/methodology/approach: The study involved a survey; participants were 224 purchasing managers at Swedish manufacturing companies that had more than 20 employees.

Findings: Scrutiny of the details of measurement practices revealed that most respondents actually do not specifically measure supplier flexibility. Instead they measure other measures like delivery reliability, conduct qualitative follow-ups, or cannot specify how supplier flexibility is measured. It was acknowledged that they measure different supplier flexibility aspects, and the applied measures were characterized, e.g. in terms of which flexibility dimension they represent.

Research limitations/implications: Conceptual clarifications and adaptations to measuring supplier flexibility in the order-to-delivery process are provided. The identified measures can be a contribution in further developing literature on flexibility performance measurement.

Practical implications: Purchasing, logistics and supply chain managers in search of supplier flexibility performance measurement can find ways to measure and an extended flexibility vocabulary. This has the potential to improve flexibility in the supply chain.

Originality/value: Even though flexibility is claimed as being an important competitive advantage, few empirical studies and operationalized measures exist, particularly in the order-to-delivery process.

Purpose: This study aims to explore how to apply and integrate the performance management (PM) process in humanitarian supply chains (HSCs) among and between humanitarian organizations (HOs) and donors so as to improve cost-efficiency (CE) and lead-time effectiveness (LTE) in the stage of natural disaster preparedness.

Design/methodology/approach: This study adapts and operationalizes a framework for the PM process used in commercial supply chains to assess HSCs. A multiple-case study with two types of actors – six HOs and three donors—is used to describe the applications of the PM process and analyze the level of integration between the actors.

Findings: The activities in the PM process could sometimes be only vaguely described. Both actors emphasized improving CE, with less emphasis on LTE. Both actors have a low level of integration in each PM process activity, decreasing the CE and LTE. Therefore, guidelines for improving the level of PM process integration are provided.

Research limitations/implications: To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study is one of the first to combine literature on HSCs and PM process integration, thereby contributing to both literature fields. The concrete contribution of this study is a framework for PM process application and integration among and between HOs and donors.

Practical implications: The PM process framework can be used to assess PM process application, as well as current and increased level of integration, to improve CE and LTE. The current applications can also inspire other HOs and donors.

Originality/value: Previous studies indicate the lack of frameworks in the PM domain of HSCs, especially in the stage of natural disaster preparedness.

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to develop a framework of strategies to achieving customer order flexibility in and related to the order-to-delivery (OTD) process. The purpose is also to investigate how companies prioritize various strategies to achieve customer order flexibility.

Design/methodology/approach: Based on a literature review, pre-tests and conceptual reasoning, a conceptual framework of strategies related to the order-to-delivery process was developed. The strategies were linked to the order quantity and delivery lead-time flexibility dimensions. This structure resulted in six groups covering enabling as well as remedial strategies. An empirical interview study of ten customer–supplier relationships was conducted.

Findings: The interviews identified additional strategies, thereby expanding the framework. The enabling strategies with the highest median values were “have continuous contact with the customer's purchaser” and “use safety stock of raw materials/semi-finished products”. The remedial strategy with the highest median was “re-plan/re-prioritize the order backlog”. In the delivery sub-process, it was more common to apply remedial strategies for delivery lead-time than for order quantities.

Research limitations/implications: The developed framework is a contribution to the literature on operational flexibility in and related to the OTD process. It complements existing knowledge by taking a supplier perspective.

Practical implications: Suppliers can use the framework as a tool to understand and systematically achieve better customer order flexibility in and related to the OTD process. Customers can use the framework as a checklist for supplier evaluation and supplier development.

Originality/value: Few identified studies include empirical data on customer order flexibility.

Flexibilitet är ett viktigt konkurrensmedel. Att ha flexibla leverantörer är ett alternativ för ett köparföretag till att själv hålla kostsamma buffertar för att säkerställa egen flexibilitet mot kunder. Frågan är hur och med vilka strategier företag kan uppnå kundorder-flexibilitet i order-till-leveransprocessen? Få empiriska studier förekommer på området. Syftet med denna studie är att utveckla ett ramverk bestående av strategier för hur kundorderflexibilitet i order-till-leveransprocessen kan uppnås, samt att empiriskt undersöka hur leverantörer försöker uppnå kundorderflexibilitet. En konceptuell analys av befintlig litteratur genomfördes och sammanställdes i form av ett ramverk med strategier kopplade till två flexibilitetsdimensioner. Flexibilitet i orderkvantitet och flexibilitet i leveranstid har studerats och täcker därmed order- respektive leverans-delprocesserna. Denna struktur ger fyra kombinationer som täcker 21 proaktiva såväl som 18 reaktiva strategier.

Efter att ha sammanställt ramverket av strategier genomfördes en empirisk intervjustudie där nio viktiga leverantörer till fyra stora svenska tillverkare ingick. Leverantörerna är alla viktiga materialleverantörer, som hanterar kundorder med leveranstid, d. v. s.  tillämpar montering mot order (ATO) eller tillverkning mot order (MTO). Deras marknadschefer, key account managers, försäljningschefer eller exportchefer svarade på en intervju som utgick från flexibilitetsstrategierna i ramverket. Svaren avsåg hur de agerar för att uppnå flexibilitet mot den givna köparen, vilket skattades på en skala 1 (inte alls) till 5 (i mycket stor omfattning). De kunde även lägga till ytterligare använda strategier. 

Det visade sig att den strategi som hade högst medelvärde var “vi förbereder oss genom kontinuerliga kontakter med kundens inköpare”. Medelvärdet för använda strategier var högre i order-delprocessen än i leverans-delprocessen. Med de empiriskt genererade strategierna expanderade ramverket till 23 proaktiva och 19 reaktiva strategier. Det utvecklade ramverket är ett bidrag till flexibilitetslitteraturen. Leverantörer kan använda ramverket som ett hjälpmedel för att på ett systematiskt sätt utveckla och uppnå en högre kundorderflexibilitet i order-till-leveransprocessen. Köparföretagen kan använda ramverket som en checklista eller ett verktyg vid leverantörsutveckling.