Supply Chain Sustainability Challenges

This assignment examines the complex landscape of sustainability within supply chains. It delves into various barriers hindering the adoption of green practices across industries, employing qualitative research methods to gather insights from experts and practitioners. The analysis focuses on identifying key challenges, understanding their impact, and exploring potential strategies for mitigating risks associated with unsustainable supply chain operations.

Running head: RESEARCH PROJECT
A Study to investigate the critical factors that will influence the supply chain framework
Name of the Student:
Name of the University:
Author Note:

1RESEARCH PROJECT
Acknowledgment
I would like to thank my supervisor who has provided me the opportunity to work on this
research study that is based on “Critical factors that will influence the supply chain framework”.
I would also like to thank my co-workers and my friends who has supported me in carrying out
the research. I would like to thank Mr. ___________________ who has guided me in each step
of the research study. I would also like to thank my parents for providing me moral and financial
support.

2RESEARCH PROJECT
Contents
1. Introduction..................................................................................................................................4
What is the setting for your project?............................................................................................4
What are the aims of your project?..............................................................................................4
What is your project about?.........................................................................................................4
How and why did you chose the project?....................................................................................6
2. Literature Review........................................................................................................................6
2.1 Framework for green supply chain management...................................................................6
2.2. Critical factors for the success of supply chain....................................................................7
2.2.1 Communication...............................................................................................................8
2.2.2 Manage relationships......................................................................................................8
2.2.3 Planning tools.................................................................................................................9
2.2.4 Build plans and vision....................................................................................................9
2.2.5. Take up management responsibility..............................................................................9
2.2.6 Share benefits, costs and risks......................................................................................10
2.2.7 Manage data..................................................................................................................10
2.2. 8 Train the users and manage change in the organization..............................................11
2.2.9 Monitor and evaluate performance...............................................................................11
2.2.10 Reengineer processes..................................................................................................12
2.2.11 Assess the legacy and the IT system...........................................................................12

3RESEARCH PROJECT
2.2.12. Frame team projects...................................................................................................12
2.2.13 Strategic factors..........................................................................................................13
2.2.14 Technological factors..................................................................................................13
2.2.15 Organizational factors.................................................................................................14
2.2.16 Operational factors......................................................................................................14
3. Process.......................................................................................................................................15
What methodology did you adopt (inductive or deductive)?....................................................15
What methods did you chose?...................................................................................................16
How did you carry out your project?.............................................................................................17
Discussion and Evaluation.............................................................................................................18
An analytical critical discussion of your project with references to literature to support your
arguments...................................................................................................................................18
Graphical analysis......................................................................................................................20
5:Conclusion and Recommendation..............................................................................................26
What do your findings show?....................................................................................................26
What were the limitations of you project?.................................................................................28
What recommendations would you make on the basis of your findings?.................................29
Do you think your recommendations are innovative or entrepreneurial? How and why are they?
.......................................................................................................................................................30
Appendix........................................................................................................................................31

4RESEARCH PROJECT
References......................................................................................................................................35
1. Introduction
What is the setting for your project?
The paper is divided in the following section. Part 1 will deal with the
introduction of the paper and it will highlight the research objectives, research motivation and
contribution. Part 2 will highlight the literature, which was conducted by the previous scholars,
and this will help to recognize the independent variable and thus build up the research
hypothesis. In part 3, the data collection method and research methodology will be described in
details. Moreover, Section 4 will highlight and compare the findings of the previous studies.
Section 5 will deal with conclusion of the paper.
What are the aims of your project?
The main objective of the project is to analyse the critical factors that will affect
the supply chain. It will also investigate how to minimize the critical factors so that it becomes
easier to maintain the supply chain framework. Moreover, it will also highlight the critical
factors and the supply chain element that are dependent on each other.
What is your project about?
The project is associated with the supply chain framework and the various factors
that will affect the supply chain. The recognition of the factors are important and it was also
highlighted by the previous researchers. The company must develop proper relationship with the
suppliers and thus it will help in developing the level of commitment. The supply chain

5RESEARCH PROJECT
framework is also associated with quality, on time delivery, level of rivalry among the other
firms and competition in these sector. Environmental uncertainty is regarded as the vital factor
that is associated with the strategic supply management plan. The rise in the outsourcing
activities in different industries will augment the awareness of the importance of different supply
chain management that will help in building better relationships among the different
organization. The companies must understand that imports are a better option and thus helps in
obtaining flexibility in the supply chain framework. The uncertainty will affect the performance
of the company and thus it will reduce the strategic relationship with the suppliers in the
organization. The companies must try to execute the new strategies that will help them to deal
with different kinds of uncertainties in the supply chain framework. It is important for the
companies to remain inclined towards the suppliers in different ways. The adversarial
relationship is mainly associated with the relationship between the suppliers and the buyers. It
can be said that there will be no cost reduction in the supply chain framework (Tachizawa and
Yew Wong 2014). It will be beneficial for the suppliers to develop alliance and partnerships that
will be beneficial to the buyers as well as to them. It might be based on personal, production and
symbolic networking and this in turn will be associated with strategic alliance in the
organization. The co-ordination and integration of different activities with the suppliers and the
importance to understand the needs of the customers will be beneficial to the organization. The
important planning tools are the manufacturing resource planning, material requirement planning
and enterprise resource planning. These planning tools will allow the organization to schedule
the various production activities that are specific and helpful in meeting the deadlines. There are
also some important IT tools that will be used in management and execution of the activities and
associations in the supply chain framework (Zare 2017).

6RESEARCH PROJECT
How and why did you chose the project?
The research paper is different from the other research methods and it focuses on a
different area compared to the previous researches. The supply chain management framework is
applied by the different companies and it yields proper results such as financial performance,
time reduction, building trust among the supplier and customer satisfaction. The project is
chosen because it is significant for the companies to resort to the varied supply chain practices
so that they can improve their performance. It is also imperative to understand the working of a
supply chain and the various factors that are associated with it. Moreover, the organizations must
also focus on improving the effectiveness of the supply chain management. The businesses were
driven by monopolistic strategies. The small and the medium enterprises find the task of supply
chain very challenging and it is important to find out appropriate ways to deal with these supply
chain strategies effectively. To face the challenges and to overcome them, it is important for the
organizations to have effective collaboration with the customers and the suppliers and this should
be in terms of quality, delivery, innovation and cost (Stadtler 2015).
2. Literature Review
2.1 Framework for green supply chain management
According to Govindan et al.(2014), the variation in the production processes will help in
influencing the supply chain management. Some of the major impact will include the capabilities
of the processes that will use different materials, the capabilities of the process to integrate the
remanufactured or the reusable components in the system and the processes that are generally
used for the prevention of waste. This focus on the environment innovation is due to the fact that
production is one of the most important element in the operational cycle that will help in the

7RESEARCH PROJECT
development of the organization. It can be said that this supply chain plays a significant role in
the implementation and improvement of competitive advantage of the firm. The identification of
the business benefits for varied environmental initiatives and improvement in the performance of
the businesses is vital for the dissemination of initiatives in small and large enterprises.
Moreover, green supply chain is defined as one of the main effort that is aimed at reduction of
waste for environmental as well as economic reasons with reference to protection of the
environment. The internal environmental operations, green purchasing and green logistic are
regarded as integrative in the supply chain approaches. It can also be said that green supply chain
must focus on the grounded as well as experimental approaches. There are certain organizations
that fail to adopt the green supply chain management concepts due to certain internal factors
such as communication structure, sunk costs, institutional norms and internal politics. It is also
important to identify the different barriers which must be removed for the adoption of green
supply chain management practices.
2.2. Critical factors for the success of supply chain
Denolf et al.(2015), has highlighted that the success of the organization depends on its
ability to co-operate and integrate the varied supply chain partners in the organization. The
enterprises also needs to transcend the different boundaries in the traditional organization and the
other enterprises are also trying to adopt these system. The organizations must also build the
supply chain framework in such a way so that the relationship between their partners are built
and co-ordinated in a proper way. These contracts are regarded as the legal instruments that are
used to define the different inter-organizational cultures in the organization. This kind of
connection among the supply chain organizations is regarded as a good predictor for the success
of supply chain relationships. The trust among the supply chain partners is important for the

8RESEARCH PROJECT
assurance and information sharing among the organizations. In many organizations, the
managers are unwilling to share the information and they believe that the information received
must be trustworthy and credible. These relationships in the supply chain framework will affect
the structure of the organization. The differences between the varied actors in the supply chain
framework may vary due to technical capabilities , attitude, culture and management in the
organization. The supply chain management in these case will have the same capabilities and
they will try to bring further improvement in the supply chain framework in the organization.
2.2.1 Communication
According to Mellor, Hao and Zhang (2014), it is necessary to implement a supply chain
information system that require proper and successful communication between the varied
organizations who are participating in the supply chain framework. This will help to reduce the
frustrations and the resistance and also develop the future technology that will be involved in
taking certain important decisions in the supply chain framework within the varied organization.
It can be said that the impact of these implementation processes must be communicated prior to
the implementation and within the supply chain framework. Open and frequent communication
plays a vital role in the implementation of supply chain information system.
2.2.2 Manage relationships
According to Govindan et al.(2014), trust plays an essential role in the management of
relationship and this factor plays a crucial role in supply chain. The sharing of information
among the members will also increase if there is proper trust among the members in the
organization. Management of relationship and effective communication are an important method
of mistrust and this will help to boost the chances of success in the organization.

9RESEARCH PROJECT
2.2.3 Planning tools
According to Wu et al. (2015), the management planning tools will help in the integration
of resource planning activities in the organization. The ERP tools in the organization will help to
integrate the different possibilities that are associated with the processes in the value chain
framework in the organization. It is generally regarded as a single system that includes the
inventory management processes, financial planning and production planning in the
organization. In certain cases, it is also regarded as the backbone of the logistic system in a large
number of firms. The different kind of IT tools will be used to manage and execute the
relationships and activities in the supply chain framework in the organization.
2.2.4 Build plans and vision
According to Heckmann, Comes and Nickel (2015), it is important to collaborate with the
supply chain partners and share common objectives and views that will be used on the
implementation of the supply chain information system. It will also lead to divergence that are
associated with the implementation, improvement in the information exchange and direction of
the supply chain information system. Moreover, it is also vital to collaborate with the supply
chain partner and align the particular mission and vision effectively that will help to build a joint
business plan in the organization. The implementation of the inter-organizational commercial
system and it will also help in the reinforcement of the objectives that emerges in different
organizations in which communication is open between them.
2.2.5. Take up management responsibility
According to Wu et al. (2015), it has been found that participation and commitment of
the management in varied collaborating partners is regarded as an important critical factors for
the success of supply chain. The management team is assigned with several responsibilities and

10RESEARCH PROJECT
it comprises of the management representatives from different participating organizations that
will help to increase cross company interaction. The main responsibility of the management team
is provision of financial support because there might be certain cases that might lead to
implementation failure in the organization. Moreover, the managers are also assigned with the
responsibility of supporting the employees psychologically and thus helping them to solve their
problem as and when required. The employees will try to seek the support of the management
when they are trusted by them. It has been found that the collaborating partners in the supply
chain failed to achieve the objectives of the business without the support of each other.
2.2.6 Share benefits, costs and risks
According to Brandenburg et al. (2015), it can be said that budget consensus plays a
critical role in supply chain. This is due to non-alignment factors that is regarded as an important
obstacle for the successful execution of supply chain information system. Moreover, the supply
chain partners must also negotiate on the supply chain distributing costs, risks and benefits in the
organization. In certain cases, it has been found that the relationships and incompatibilities
among the supply chain partners in terms of software, management, manpower training and
system design might be misleading. Thus, it can be said that the supply chain organizations will
be benefitted through the implementation of a proper software that will compensate the large
partners to gain the benefits and transfer to the other ones.
2.2.7 Manage data
Wu et al. (2015) has stated that the execution of a supply chain information will require
effective data management and other strategies in the organization. . The privileges associated
with access of information and security are the most important concern for the supply chain
partners. The security concerns in this organization will be successful when there are more

11RESEARCH PROJECT
competitors who are involved in the supply chain process. The concerns related to data can be
coped up with the help of adequate training, firewalls and safeguards. These data might be
accurate and the supply chain partners do not share the information accurately due to varied
operational practices and information systems in the organization.
2.2. 8 Train the users and manage change in the organization
Wu et al. (2015) has predicted that in the implementation of supply chain information
system, there might be disinclination in using the information system and to share accurate
information with the users. The employees will prefer status quo and they are ready to change as
and when required in implementation of the supply chain framework in the organization. The
user from different participating organizations also gets concerned in the selection and design of
the information system and gain confidence in this process. It can be said that the increasing
confidence in the system might be achieved through proper training and realistic expectations.
Moreover, appropriate training will educate the users on the working of the system and the
benefits derived from it.
2.2.9 Monitor and evaluate performance
According to Govindan et al.(2014), the vision and objectives must be built properly
among the supply chain partners. Moreover, there must be performance measurement team who
will be paid attention for the non-aligned measurements and thus they form crucial barriers for
the supply chain management. These performance measurement must also support the supply
chain processes and the varied information security in the organization. Thus, it can be said that
performance measurements are constructed among the firms and the implementation process and
direction might vary in the organization.

12RESEARCH PROJECT
2.2.10 Reengineer processes
Wong, Wong and Boon-Itt (2015) has stated that the information and the production
processes can be re-engineered using the varied processes. The current processes must be
mapped correctly when it is necessary to implement supply chain information system that will be
mapped by the enterprises who are engaged in the supply chain framework. Moreover, it is also
important to reshape the production and the information processes that requires the
responsibilities and duties of the employees, guidelines among the partners and the proper
organizational hierarchy.
2.2.11 Assess the legacy and the IT system
Wilhelm et al.(2016) has stated that the IT and the current business system must be
assessed because the success of the organization is dependent on stability, strategic horizons and
goals in the organization. Moreover, it is also essential to implement the supply chain
information system in the organization. In certain cases, the partners who are involved in the
supply chain lack sufficient internal information on the technology that is used to transfer
information and value that plays a vital role for the supply chain partner.
2.2.12. Frame team projects
According to Govindan et al.(2014), a cross organizational implementation team must be
engaged with the supply chain partner in the implementation of supply chain information system.
These team must be actively engaged and facilitated for the implementation of successful project
in the organization. The supply chain team must consist of several sub teams such as partner
team, management team, business team and technical team. This management team consists of
the top executives who are involved in the supply chain organization. On the other hand, the

13RESEARCH PROJECT
technical team comprises of the technicians and the business team consists of the project
managers who are associated with the project and thus work for the development of the project.
2.2.13 Strategic factors
Ab Talib and Abdul Hamid (2014) has stated that there are certain important decisions
that are taken by the manufacturing companies who are involved in the supply chain framework
and this are associated with the product and the market characteristics. It is important to utilize
technology investment and the processes that are used in the utilization of the product and it
must also be checked that these products fulfills the business needs. There are products with high
degree of customization, increased functionality and low volume that plays an important role in
the supply chain framework in the organization. The implementation of the manufacturing sector
must be preceded with the strategic alignment and the research and development strategies in
the organization. This technology must be linked to the various capabilities in the manufacturing
sector and it can be viewed from the market pull strategy in the organization.
2.2.14 Technological factors
Melnyk, Narasimhan and DeCampos (2014) has stated that it is important to gain
competitive advantage for the successful functioning of the manufacturing organization and the
varied technological benefits that will affect the business strategy. These technological benefits
will pose benefits to the organization and it is vital for the firms to understand the trade-offs
between the organizational process. In certain cases, lack of technical standard also acts as a
major barrier for adoption in the organization. There is also no system in the supply chain
processes involved in the manufacturing sector and thus there might be barriers to adoption in
these sector. The adopting organizations must present the ability in a balanced, clear and precise
way for the successful working of the supply chain framework.

14RESEARCH PROJECT
2.2.15 Organizational factors
Wilhelm et al.(2016) has stated that the size of the organization plays a critical role in the
implementation of the new processes and technologies. The small business organization cannot
compete with the larger organization and there are several theories that are not suitable for the
small business organization. It can be said that the various approaches that are applied in the
implementation processes of small business enterprises are different from the large enterprises or
the supply chain process of multinational companies. There are also certain challenges in the
strategic options and the established norms that are associated in the supply chain framework in
varied organization. The manufacturing technologies requires the engineers and the designers
who plays an active role in the different designs involved in the manufacturing sector.
2.2.16 Operational factors
Ab Talib and Abdul Hamid (2014) has stated that a change in the operational process will
influence the administrative as well as operational structure that has the probability to change in
the future. The design of the product is a major operational area in the supply chain framework
of an organization. The characteristics of the manufacturing sector requires new tools and
practices that must be developed for the successful functioning of the supply chain framework.
An important area of operation that has the probability to change in the future is associated with
quality control and production planning in the organization. It can be said that different
organization has used different processes such as orientation strategies, volume strategies,
layering strategies and support generation strategies.
Besides these above mentioned factors, the skills of the consultant, budget and schedule
reliability, implementation skills of the team and the computability with the legacy system are
also plays a major role in the supply chain framework in the organization.

15RESEARCH PROJECT
3. Process
What methodology did you adopt (inductive or deductive)?
Research methodology refers to the approach that the researcher will follow to carry on
the research (Kumar 2014). The methodology includes many different aspects such as, research
purpose, research design, research approach, data collection, sampling, and data analysis.
Research purpose states the general direction of the research, that whether it will be exploratory
or explanatory. In exploratory research, the researcher explores the research topic in a complete
new angle, while in explanatory research; the researcher explains the research topic on the basis
of already established theories (Mackey and Gass 2015). Research design is of various types.
Case study, thematic analysis, grounded theory etc. fall under this category. Case study is the
mostly used research design as it helps to assess the research topic on the basis of social context
(Sekaran and Bougie 2016). Research approach defines the basic plan of the researcher to answer
the research questions. In which perspective the researcher is going to address the issue is the
matter of research approach (Taylor, Bogdan and DeVault 2015).
In this research paper, the author has adopted the deductive approach and the emphasis is
given on the causality factors. The researchers will start with the social theory that and they will
find it compelling to test the different implications. The researcher will also focus on the specific
level rather than focusing on general level. Moreover, the deductive approach is associated with
scientific investigation and it is the duty of the researcher to find out the existing theories and test
the hypothesis associated with those theories (Singh 2015). It is also important for the researcher
to pay attention to the hypothesis and thus find out proper ways to support it. The critical factors
affecting the supply chain in different organizations will be deduced from the earlier theories

16RESEARCH PROJECT
given by the researchers that is reliable and trustworthy. It will also be beneficial for the author
in validating and testing the theories in finding out the critical factors affecting the supply chain.
What methods did you chose?
In the research, the author has used the qualitative factors to find out the critical factors
affecting the supply chain framework. To collect the data, the researcher has conducted an
interview and survey on the managers and employees of XYZ Logistics, Singapore. It is an
eminent company of Singapore in the field of supply chain management and logistics. The
researcher has chosen to take the company as case study to get a more clear idea about the supply
chain framework factors. He had used purposing sampling while selecting the managers for the
interview. In this type of sampling, the researchers selected the samples in a way which would be
beneficial to get a desired outcome. Here, he will interpret that these managers have the
specialization in handling the factors that have impact on the supply chain framework of XYZ
Logistics. On the other hand, to choose the 30 employees for the survey, the researcher will
apply the method of simple random sampling. In this type of sampling, each of the sampling has
equal probability of being chosen (Best and Kahn 2016). Demographic factors and their
perception about the important factors influencing the supply chain will be tested through the
survey analysis.
Primary data will be collected by the author through questionnaire survey process. The
managers and employees engaged in the supply chain framework will be asked questions and
based upon their experiences, the author will interpret the study. Moreover, my colleagues and
co-workers will also be asked certain questions. The interview process is subjective and less
reliable than the other methods (Sekaran and Bougie 2016). Moreover, it will provide some
insight and guidelines regarding the critical factors responsible for the success of supply chain.

17RESEARCH PROJECT
The qualitative methods of analysis will be used by the researcher to get an idea about the
perspectives of the participants on critical factors that have an impact on the supply chain
framework (Lewis 2015). Using a case study approach helps in assessing the factors on the basis
of the operations of a logistics company, and that will be helpful in understanding the critical
importance of the factors. Visual representation of the collected data will be provided to see the
pattern of the responses.
How did you carry out your project?
The researcher has planned to take the deductive approach of research and will be using
qualitative method of data analysis to know which factors play critical role in the supply chain
framework. To conduct the research study, the author had collected the primary data and
analyzed it using case study design under qualitative analysis. Primary data is the data, which is
collected directly from the field of research and from the people, who are directly involved in the
issue (Lewis 2015). The method of research to be adopted here is called explanatory research.
Under this process, the researcher tried to explain the causality between the factors and their
impact on the supply chain framework.
Primary data was collected by interviewing the managers and the employees who are
involved in the supply chain processes. Four open ended questions were asked to the managers
of the XYZ Logistics and the responses were noted down. 30 employees were chosen randomly
and asked 15 close ended questions, which focused on few demographic factors and on the
importance of the critical factor influencing the supply chain. The responses were evaluated
accordingly using the descriptive method. The author carried out the survey through the simple
interview process and the responses were marked accordingly. It can be said that method outline

18RESEARCH PROJECT
is regarded as the main frame of methodology that will provide a systematic and basic structure
(Blumer 2016). Thereby, through the use of interview questions and survey, the researcher
collected primary data and by using the descriptive analysis, the researcher has focused on the
level of importance of the critical factors and how the managers of the company, XYZ Logistics,
perceive about the influence of the critical factors on the supply chain.
Discussion and Evaluation
An analytical critical discussion of your project with references to literature to support
your arguments
It has been found that proper and effective communication is important for the effective
functioning of supply chain framework. An interview was conducted among the managers of
XYZ Logistics and it has been found that these managers has given greater attention to
communication and interpersonal relationships. Mellor, Hao and Zhang (2014), has highlighted
that communication plays a critical position in the success of the organization and open
communication is vital in these case. This has been highlighted the logistics company that is
analysed in this paper. It has also been found that innovation plays a significant role in the
development of new product and the process of implementation and acceptation of the new
product. It has been found that there are three levels of innovation that needs to be highlighted in
the supply chain framework such as project level, sectorial and regional level. These innovation
will allow the companies to grow and survive in the complex market environment. The
implementation of significantly or new products or processes will help in the development of a

19RESEARCH PROJECT
new market strategy. Moreover, the design, innovation and implementation of new product will
help in the creation of new customer value and the financial returns of the organization.
According to Wu et al. (2015), the planning tools in an organization will help to schedule
the production activities in the organization to meet specific deadlines based on inventory,
material requirement, Enterprise Resource Planning and the varied bills of material in the
organization. The ERP tool will also allow the organization to integrate the different processing
information task that is associated with the different processes in the value chain framework.
These planning tools are also regarded as the backbone of the logistic system in a large number
of firms. The companies are also prone to work with varied suppliers in different ways. The
relationship with the suppliers will satisfy the needs of the company. This type of relationship
with the suppliers will allow for cost reduction in the supply chain process. It is also important to
find out whether proper relationship is based on the price of the product and this price is
generally chosen between the suppliers and the buyers. It can be said that this type of association
will not allow for cost reduction in the supply chain framework.
It can be said that the relationship with the customers in the supply chain network will
allow the companies to compete with each other, reduce cost and improve the quality of the
product. The relationship with the customers has become an strategic issue in the supply chain
framework. Govindan et al.(2014), has suggested that environmental uncertainties has negatively
affected the supply chain framework and it becomes difficult for the company to forsee the
future. The use of information technology has helped the companies to utilize these technologies
and to remain competitive in the market. The critical success factors in the supply chain
framework must have strategic objectives in a simple manner. The organization must measure
the performance of the supply chain framework by considering the internal processes as well as

20RESEARCH PROJECT
the inputs of the shareholders in the organization. It can be said that the importance of having
strategic management system will help in the establishment of long term and short term goals.
Graphical analysis
To conduct the research and find the implications, the researcher has adopted the deductive
approach and case study research design. He approached to XYZ Logistics in Singapore, to
conduct an interview about the critical factors that have a considerable impact on the supply
chain operations of the company. XYZ logistics is one of the most well known companies of
Singapore in the field of supply chain and logistics. The employees were asked close ended
questions due to the fact that, from their responses the researcher would get the idea of the
factors having significant influence on the supply chain.
They were asked few questions, such as, most critical factors affecting supply chain, the factor(s)
affecting the success of the company, impact of technology on supply chain and impact of
operational factors on effective functioning of the company. From the responses of the first
question, that is, most critical factors, all the employees unanimously agreed on the factors of
planning, budget consensus, data management, technological factors and operational factors.
Hence, it can be understood from their responses that, the success of supply chain does not
depend only on one factor; rather it is an integration of various elements, such the above
mentioned factors.
They were asked about which factor (s) contributes the most in the success of the
company. All the managers highlighted that there were many critical factors for success of the
company. It can be understood that, success of a company is heavily dependent on the
operations, proper planning and accurate budgeting. Unless there is a good strategic plan and a

21RESEARCH PROJECT
budget to support that, a company cannot progress. For a company, operating in the supply chain
and logistics industry, the success depends on planning and budget, followed by data
management, technological factors, operations, and strategic factors.
Analysis of Question 1 from the questionnaire
From the questionnaire, it can be said that different critical factors affects the supply
chain framework and majority of the employees have opined with the view that government
support palys an important role in this case.
Qs1
Frequency Percent Valid Percent Cumulative Percent
Valid
Government support 5 16.7 16.7 16.7
Uncertainty aspects from
overseas 11 36.7 36.7 53.3
Information technology 4 13.3 13.3 66.7
All of the above 10 33.3 33.3 100.0
Total 30 100.0 100.0

22RESEARCH PROJECT
From the above analysis, it can be said that 16.7% percent(i.e. 5 out of 30 people
supported) the role of government. On the other hand, 11 people have supported that the
uncertainty aspects from the overseas also affects the supply chain framework in the
organization.
Analysis of Question 2 from the Questionnaire
Qs2

23RESEARCH PROJECT
Frequency Percent Valid Percent Cumulative
Percent
Valid
Information technology 6 20.0 20.0 20.0
Supply chain relationships 16 53.3 53.3 73.3
Value-added process 7 23.3 23.3 96.7
Communication tools 1 3.3 3.3 100.0
Total 30 100.0 100.0

24RESEARCH PROJECT
From the above analysis, it can be said that 16 people and 7 people have supported that
the supply chain relationship and the value added processes are considered to be the two most
critical factors that influences the supply chain framework. Moreover only 20% people have
supported that information technology palys an important role in this case.
Analysis of Question 3 from the Questionnaire
Qs3
Frequency Percent Valid Percent Cumulative Percent
Valid
Help integrate resource planning
task in an organization 11 36.7 36.7 36.7
Facilitate data transfer and
communication between trading
parties
8 26.7 26.7 63.3
Allow all stakeholder in supply
chain to communicate amongst
each other
10 33.3 33.3 96.7
All of the above 1 3.3 3.3 100.0
Total 30 100.0 100.0

25RESEARCH PROJECT
It can be said that 11 people have supported that integration of resources as well as
planning is considered the two most important factors that are critical for the development of an
organization. Moreover, 33.3% people have also supported that the stakeholders must be allowed
to communicate with each other in the supply chain framework.
Analysis of Question 4 from the Questionnaire

26RESEARCH PROJECT
Qs4
Frequency Percent Valid Percent Cumulative
Percent
Valid
Lack of competitive
advantage 6 20.0 20.0 20.0
Improved competitive edge 9 30.0 30.0 50.0
High cost of implementation 10 33.3 33.3 83.3
None of the above 5 16.7 16.7 100.0
Total 30 100.0 100.0

27RESEARCH PROJECT
From the above analysis, it can be said that high cost of implementation as well as
improved competitive advantage plays an important role in the supply chain framework in the
organization. This depicts that majority of the people has supported these two factors and only
20% people has laid emphasis on lack of competitive advantage that is considered critical in the
supply chain framework.

28RESEARCH PROJECT
5:Conclusion and Recommendation
What do your findings show?
From the above mentioned discussion, it can be said that the factors that are mentioned in
the literature review chapter is important in the success of supply chain. It has been obtained that
sharing the benefits, costs and risks and taking the responsibility of the management are the
important factors that affects the business operations. From the response of the participants, it
can be said that the employees are not very satisfied with the service quality of the organization.
The findings also provide a theoretical framework for the supply chain management by
identification and testing the factors that are responsible for the success of supply chain factors.
The manufacturers can also try to achieve improvement in the supply chain performance by
effective and proper management of the critical factors and the items that are pointed out in the
research. The industry support organization can also help to utilize the results of this research to
get better assistance and find out important programs for the effective functioning of supply
chain. The management involved in the supply chain practices must also remain involved in the
effective management of the value added processes and this factors directly influence the supply
chain relationships. Thus, it affects the performance of the supply chain management. Moreover,
it is also important for the managers to focus on communication and to carry out this process in
co-ordination with the suppliers in the organization. The importance of this supply chain
relationships and the significance of this concept will increase the satisfaction of the customers.
It is important for the researcher to realize that the flow of information must be in a co-ordinated
manner, the exchange of data and access to information will improve the supplier and the
customer relationship. The implementation of the various process strategies will improve the
performance of the supply chain management.

29RESEARCH PROJECT
Linking with Objectives:
Objective 1: To analyze the critical factors that will influence the supply chain framework
The critical success factors are highlighted in the literature review. According to
Govindan et al.(2014), the information system of a company must be selective and
discriminating. The emerging companies must focus on the critical success factors of the existing
companies that are associated with the supply chain framework. The author has also highlighted
that in many industries there are six major critical factors that are responsible for the success of
supply chain. It can be said that every individual firm has critical success factors that depends on
the competitive strategy, geographic and industrial position, time factors as well as
environmental factors.
Objective 2: To investigate how to minimize the critical factors to maintain the supply
chain framework
The uncertainty of a business environment depends on different sources and it includes a
wide variety of the customer’s need. The environmental uncertainties are associated on how hard
they will forsee the future. The supply chain performance will be subjected to environmental
uncertainties and this will allow to decide the different aggressive factors that will be taken into
account. The use of proper information technology has helped the companies to utilize the
information technology to remain competitive.
Objective 3: To evaluate the critical factors and the various supply chain elements that are
dependent on each other

30RESEARCH PROJECT
There must be lowering of non-valuable service in the supply chain management because
the excessive inventories, inefficient information flow, transportation are the major drivers of
inefficiency in the supply chain framework. The companies must try to reduce this service by
adding the processes and thus it will improve customer satisfaction that is regarded as the
ultimate goal of supply chain framework. There must be ample support in the research for
linking the management performances and the supply chain practices. The expectation of the
customers and the perceived quality are the major inputs for achievement of customer
satisfaction. It is the duty of the managers to be concerned with the behavior of the customers
and they must always try to focus on the strategies, creation of new product and the
methodologies that will help the company in achieving customer satisfaction. The commitment
of the management is the key factor for effective supply chain management. In many cases, it has
been found that the SMEs do not adequate resources and knowledge to conduct proper analysis
of implementation the supply chain framework in the organization. The other important critical
factors for the success of supply chain have emerged for the development of effective supply
chain framework.
What were the limitations of you project?
There are certain limitations of the project that has been challenging at times for the
researcher and thus it needs to be improved. While conducting the interview, the managers were
asked open ended question and the employees were asked close ended question. This is a major
drawback of the project and to ensure reliability, the managers and the employees must be
interviewed both open ended and close ended question. Moreover, to collect authentic
information and to analyze the data correctly, it is important to carry out the interview process of
the managers and the employees of more than one company. However, in this case, interview

31RESEARCH PROJECT
was conducted among the managers of a particular company i.e. XYZ Logistics. It can be said
that the research would yield appropriate and better results if it is carried out on more than two
companies.
What recommendations would you make on the basis of your findings?
It is also important for the collaboration of customer satisfaction when the customers will
actively participate in improving the internal process of the suppliers. The information
technology will have a positive impact on the value added process. This information technology
will act as a powerful tool in reduction of inventory cost and thus improving the supply chain
responsiveness. The positive relationship between collaboration and information technology can
be measured and the varied items such as time performance management and cost can be
controlled and managed. The findings will provide a hypothetical framework for the supply
chain management by testing and identifying the various factors. The manufacturers can improve
the supply chain performance through effective and careful management of the critical factors
and items that are to identified in the research. The industry will support those organizations that
will use this research to design in a better way and to gain technical assistance for the
manufacturing sector. The manufacturers must also be aware of how significant it is to
communicate and to plan with the suppliers accordingly. The increasing importance of supply
chain relationships will be significant and important to understand the varied concepts that will
increase customer satisfaction. Thus, it can be said that the companies must try to identify the
information technology that will act as a potential area of improvement for the supply chain
management.

32RESEARCH PROJECT
Do you think your recommendations are innovative or entrepreneurial? How and why are
they?
The recommendations can be considered as entrepreneurial, this recommendation has
been adopted by many enterprises, and they must be adopted by the other enterprises too. If all
entrepreneurs adopt these recommendations, the supply chain management will function
effectively and the supply chain management framework will be strengthened.

33RESEARCH PROJECT
Appendix
Case study Company: XYZ Logistics, Singapore
Interview process
The interview will be conducted on four managers of XYZ Logistics in Singapore. Michael
John, Finance manager; Rus Jackson, Business Development (Contract
Logistics/Warehousing);Flora Lewis, Business development (Field Sales); and Wen Yang, sales
support, will be interviewed to get an idea about the critical factors influencing the supply chain
framework of XYZ Logistics. The managers will be asked open ended questions due to the fact
that, from their responses the researcher will get the idea of the factors having significant
influence on the supply chain. The interview questions are as followed.
What are the most critical factors for success of the supply chain framework for your
company?
Michael : communication, interpersonal relationships, planning equipment, data management
and budget consensus.
Rus : planning tools, budget consensus, data management, operational factors, strategic factors
Flora: budget consensus, planning tools, data management, operational factors, technological
factors, communication
Wen: budget consensus, data management, planning tools, communication, operational factors,
technological factors
Which factor(s) according to you affect(s) the success of the company most?

34RESEARCH PROJECT
Michael: planning and budget
Rus: budget and data management
Flora: planning and budget
Wen: planning, budget and operational factors
How far do you think technology affects the supply chain framework of XYZ Logistics?
Michael: more than 75%
Rus: 70%
Flora: 72%
Wen:78%
Do you think operational factors affect the effective functioning of XYZ Logistics?
Michael: yes, very much
Rus: yes
Flora: yes
Wen: yes

35RESEARCH PROJECT
QUESTIONNAIRE
To analyze the critical factors that may influence the supply chain framework
1. Choose the critical factors that influence the supply chain framework below?
A. Government support
B. Uncertainty aspects from overseas
C. Information technology
D. All of the above
2. Highlight two core critical factors most importantly influencing the supply chain framework?
A. Information technology
B. Supply chain relationships
C. Value-added process
D. Communication tools
3. Pick two most opportunities attributable to such critical factors to improve effectiveness of
supply chain framework?
A. Help integrate resource planning task in an organization
B. Facilitate data transfer and communication between trading parties
C. Allow all stakeholder in supply chain to communicate amongst each other
D. All of the above
4. Pick two cost to the organization of the critical factors to the supply chain framework?
A. Lack of competitive advantage
B. Improved competitive edge
C. High cost of implementation
D. None of the above

36RESEARCH PROJECT
5. What are the 2 best current strategies used by the organization to identify, analyze and
mitigate critical factors
A. Process strategies
B. Process performance
C. Marketing strategy
D. All of the above
To investigate how to minimize critical factors to maintain supply chain framework
1. Pick 2 most proactive steps that an organization can take to minimize critical factors
mentioned?
A. Innovation
B. Customer satisfaction
C. Customer Service
D. A & C
2. Will the adoption of a demand-driven planning and business operating model anchored on
real-time insights demand and demand shaping help minimize critical factors?
A. Yes
B. No
C. Not at all
D. None of the above
3. Do you think building an adaptive and agile supply chain with swift planning and integrated
execution help minimize the effects of critical factors on supply chain framework?
A. Yes
B. No

37RESEARCH PROJECT
C. Not all
D. None
4. How effective will the optimization of product design and product management for supply,
sustainability and manufacturing to enhance profitable innovation help minimize critical factors?
A. Extremely effective
B. Moderately effective
C. Extremely ineffective
D. Moderately ineffective
5. Do you think aligning an organization supply chain with business goals via the integration of
sales and operations planning with corporate business planning help minimize the critical
factors?
A. No
B. Yes
C. Not sure
D. None
To evaluate how critical factors and supply chain element depend on each other
1. Is there correlation between IT and supply chain management performance?
A. Yes
B. No
C. Not sure
D. None
2. If the answer to the above question is “yes”, which of the following statement describe such a
correlation?

38RESEARCH PROJECT
A. IT positively affects supply chain management performance
B. IT negatively affects supply chain management
C. Not sure
D. Both A and B
3. Does the minimization of the critical factors in the organization have a direct effect on the
supply chain element?
A. Yes
B. No
C. Not sure
D. None
4. Is there a correlation between supply chain relationship and supply chain management
performance?
A. No
B. Yes
C. Not at all
D. Not sure
5.If the answer to question 4 above is “yes” explain the relationship?
A. Supply chain relationship positively affects supply chain management performance
B. Supply chain relationship negatively affects supply chain management performance
C. Not sure of the direction
D. Both A and B

39RESEARCH PROJECT

40RESEARCH PROJECT
References
Ab Talib, M.S. and Abdul Hamid, A.B., 2014. Application of critical success factors in supply
chain management. International Journal of Supply Chain Management, 3(1).
Best, J.W. and Kahn, J.V., 2016. Research in education. Pearson Education India.
Blumer, H., 2016. Research Purpose, Aim and Questions. In Internal Communication in
Bangladeshi Ready-Made Garment Factories (pp. 49-50). Springer Fachmedien Wiesbaden.
Brandenburg, M., Govindan, K., Sarkis, J. and Seuring, S., 2014. Quantitative models for
sustainable supply chain management: Developments and directions. European Journal of
Operational Research, 233(2), pp.299-312.
Denolf, J.M., Trienekens, J.H., Wognum, P.N., van der Vorst, J.G. and Omta, S.O., 2015.
Towards a framework of critical success factors for implementing supply chain information
systems. Computers in Industry, 68, pp.16-26.
Govindan, K., Kaliyan, M., Kannan, D. and Haq, A.N., 2014. Barriers analysis for green supply
chain management implementation in Indian industries using analytic hierarchy
process. International Journal of Production Economics, 147, pp.555-568.
Heckmann, I., Comes, T. and Nickel, S., 2015. A critical review on supply chain risk–Definition,
measure and modeling. Omega, 52, pp.119-132.
Kumar, R., 2014. Research methodology: A step-by-step guide for beginners. Sage.
Lewis, S., 2015. Qualitative inquiry and research design: Choosing among five
approaches. Health promotion practice, 16(4), pp.473-475.

41RESEARCH PROJECT
M. Tachizawa, E. and Yew Wong, C., 2014. Towards a theory of multi-tier sustainable supply
chains: a systematic literature review. Supply Chain Management: An International
Journal, 19(5/6), pp.643-663.
Mackey, A. and Gass, S.M., 2015. Second language research: Methodology and design.
Routledge.
Mellor, S., Hao, L. and Zhang, D., 2014. Additive manufacturing: A framework for
implementation. International Journal of Production Economics, 149, pp.194-201.
Melnyk, S.A., Narasimhan, R. and DeCampos, H.A., 2014. Supply chain design: issues,
challenges, frameworks and solutions.
Sekaran, U. and Bougie, R., 2016. Research methods for business: A skill building approach.
John Wiley & Sons.
Singh, K.D., 2015. Creating your own qualitative research approach: Selecting, integrating and
operationalizing philosophy, methodology and methods. Vision, 19(2), pp.132-146.
Stadtler, H., 2015. Supply chain management: An overview. In Supply chain management and
advanced planning (pp. 3-28). Springer Berlin Heidelberg.
Taylor, S.J., Bogdan, R. and DeVault, M., 2015. Introduction to qualitative research methods: A
guidebook and resource. John Wiley & Sons.
Wilhelm, M.M., Blome, C., Bhakoo, V. and Paulraj, A., 2016. Sustainability in multi-tier supply
chains: Understanding the double agency role of the first-tier supplier. Journal of Operations
Management, 41, pp.42-60.