Relationships Between Supply Chain Integration and Product Quality

Question: Discuss about the Relationships Between Supply Chain Integration and Product Quality. Answer: Introduction The topic of the article constitute The Relationships between Supply Chain Integration and Product Quality: The 4th International Conference on Electrical Engineering and Informatics written by Zahra Lotfi, Shahnorbanun Sahran, Muriati Mukhtar and Ali Taei Zadeh. The main purpose of the literature review has determined the overview of supply chain integration and product quality. It has further made evaluations on proposing conceptual framework and present hypothesis. The main hypothesis has been answered based on the key considerations of operations management such as the effect of customer integration, internal integration and supplier integration on design quality and conformance quality. The hypothesis has been further seen to be positively associated with the research and the derived hypothesis is assumed on secondary data. The main implications and the findings of the data are based on various types of deductive research approach to infer the recommendation and the conclusion f or the report (Lotfi et al., 2013). Literature Review and Critiques: Main Purpose of the Article The main purpose of the study has been has been seen to find the supplier integration, internal integration, external integration on the product quality, design quality on the manufacturing sector as a whole. Hence, the main consideration has been seen in studying the impact of seamless integration of supply chain on the quality of the products, logistics and customers. The main purpose of the study has been further aimed to propose an integrated conceptual framework among the product quality and supply chain integration, quality of the products, logistics and customers, which is based on six hypothesis set for the study. The conceptual model has been able to show the main application of the suitable tools for the integration among the product quality and firms (Dobrzykowski et al., 2014). Key Questions of the Article The first key hypothesis set for the study is to prove the factors such as effect of supply chain integration on design quality which has been depicted with effect of customer integration on design quality. The second key hypothesis has been further related to the effect of the internal integration on the design quality. The third hypothesis associated to the study has been further seen to be associated to the effect of supplier integration on the quality of the design. The fourth hypothesis is associated to the integration effect of the supply chain on the conformance and the customer who has been seen with proving whether there is any relation with conformance quality. The fifth hypothesis has been able to prove the relationship of internal integration with conformance quality. The sixth hypothesis consideration has been further seen to be based on relationship of supplier integration on the conformance quality (Croson et al., 2013). Most Important Information of the Article The research study has been able to state on the importance of Supply Chain Management (SCM) since 1990s. Some of the main consideration of the secondary interpretation of the data has been identified in terms of Customer Integration, supplier integration and internal integration. As per the given literature review of the articles, customer integration has been referred as acquiring inventory information, technological information and marketing information from the customers (Galindo Batta, 2013). It has been further seen that manufacturers can use this information for producing the products which will be able to meet the user preference of the customers. The customer integration has been further seen to be based on the various types of the factors associated to downstream integration. The outgoing set of the services and products has been further based on the data collected ranging from the customers to the suppliers. The customer integration lead has been based on creating a relat ionship with customer and hence conducive in gaining better understanding of customers preferences (Radnor Noke, 2013). The customer integration has been further seen to be based on engaging of the customers in terms of their opinion on the production. The various types of the used method has been further seen to be based in the integration and enhancing the coordination between the customers and the manufacturers (Drake Spinler, 2013). The integration of the suppler data has been further seen to be based on the availability of the different type the information which is considered for the supply chain. The integration with the supplier has been able to provide the relevant information based on effective participation and decision making. Such an effective relationship and the communication strategy has been seen to be conducive in the overall integration of operations management with the consideration of overall logistics process and further integration of the data with the present customer, technical and financial information with the suppliers. Based on the consideration from the information on the article it has been further evaluated that the manufacturers and the suppliers may share the data associated to demand forecasts, production plans, and the appropriate levels of inventory. The information sharing scheme has been seen to be relevant with enhancing the production and product with the requirements and bet ter utilization of the factorys cost and the capabilities (Chan Green, 2013). The internal incretion of the various types of the internal departments has been seen with the incoming material and the distribution process. This has further involved the integration across the various departments which have been seen to be based on the departments for fulfilling the requirement of the customers. The main suggestions have been further seen to be depicted based on the interplay of the functional departments, production, procurement, logistics, marketing, distribution and sales. The internal integration has been able to demonstrate the functions and the practice based on the collaborative and organized way to collect the demands of the customer. Henceforth, the functions of the departments have been seen to be related to the various types of the factors such as functional coordination of the teams. It has been further seen with the functional coordination with the teams for joint planning of the shared information (Guide Ketokivi, 2015). Some of the other articles included in the study have been further seen in terms of design quality and conformance quality. The main interpretation associated to the design quality has been able to focus on the value of the product and measure of the characteristics which is seen to base on the meeting of the new requirements by the group of customers (Slack et al., 2013). The concept of conformance quality has been further seen to be associated to the various types the inclusion of the information and the products delivered to the customers. This is further seen to be based on the varied range of the factors such as reliability and product design (Slack et al., 2013) Main Inferences of the Article The various types of the inference made in the study have been seen with positive relationship of customer integration with the design quality. The internal integration has been further seen with a positive relationship with the design quality. The main inferences of the study have been further able to state the positive relationship of the supplier with the design quality. The customer integration of the information has been identified with a positive relationship with conformance quality. The internal integration has showed a positive relationship with the conformance quality. The study has been further able to infer that the customer integration has a positive relationship with the supplier integration and internal integration has a positive integration with both customer integration and supplier (Hitt et al., 2016). Main Assumptions of the Article The consideration of the main hypothesis in the study has been seen to be taken into account by framing three hypotheses such as showing of the hypothesis and its effect on the supply chain integration with the design quality. This aspect of the hypothesis has shown to prove the factors such as effect of supply chain integration on design quality which has been depicted with effect of customer integration on design quality. The second key hypothesis questions associated to the study has been further related to the effect of the internal integration on the design quality. The third hypothesis is associated to the study has been further seen to be associated to the effect of supplier integration on the quality of the design. The next three hypotheses have been considered with the depiction of effect of supply chain integration with the conformance quality. This has been observed with hypothesis associated to the integration of the effect of the supply chain on the conformance and the customer has been seen with proving whether there is any relation with conformance quality. Similarly the fifth hypothesis has been able to prove the relationship of internal integration with conformance quality. The sixth hypothesis consideration has been further seen to be based on relationship of supplier integration on the conformance quality. Implications The main implications has been seen with the product quality as a composite product characteristics and determination of the expectation of the customers. Several research works has been further able to depict that relationship with the supply chain performance has been seen with the focus on the supply chain and integration of the relationship with the strategic performance. The main implication of the report has shown that very little attention was given in the various dimensions of the supply chain. The literature review of the study has been further able to imply that a very little focus has been seen to be given in components of supply chain such as internal integration, supplier integration and the customer integration. The report has been further able to imply that relationship with some dimensions, and the rest focuses on only one or two dimensions of supply chain integration. The previous study has been further seen with the summarization of the prior literature on the relationship among the various dimensions of performance and supply chain integration. This particular study has been able to state on the different aspects proposed for the conceptual framework selected for the study. In the previous study the literature has been able to show the relationship among the dimensions of performance and supply chain. In this particular study, we have been able to infer the various aspects of the supplier integration, customer integration based on some of the research articles. It has been further inferred that the literature review of the research is seen to be based on three independent variables namely Internal Integration, customer integration and integration with the supplier. The dependent variables of the study has been further able to consider the two major aspects of the study namely conformance quality and design quality. In total the research has used 5 constructs based on ten relationships. The main argument with the research has been noted with interpretation of both upstream (as supply), downstream (as distribution) and the end customer Conclusion and Recommendations The study has been able to introduce various aspects of the conceptual framework which has depicted the relationship of the varied dimensions of the supply chain and quality of products in the manufacturing sector. The research model has been further able to introduce the internal integration with its impact on the supplier and the customer. On the contrary the conformance quality has been seen with its relevant effects on the individual dimension of supply chain and the quality of product. The study has considered theoretical dimension to the literature review based on the several evidences relating to the impacts of external and internal impacts relating to the design and conformance quality thereby stating on the improvements based on the competitive capabilities of the firms. The study has only highlighted on the effects of supply chain on the product quality, whereas it needs to consider several other important aspects of improving the firms performance. The research model should be also applied to other sectors apart from manufacturing, to test the overall integrity of the study. The study should also consider the link of the business construct with the other companies. References Chan, C., Green, L. (2013). Handbook of Healthcare Operations Management. Handbook of Healthcare Operations Management (Vol. 184). https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-5885-2 Croson, R., Schultz, K., Siemsen, E., Yeo, M. L. (2013). Behavioral operations: The state of the field. Journal of Operations Management. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jom.2012.12.001 Dobrzykowski, D., Saboori Deilami, V., Hong, P., Kim, S. C. (2014). A structured analysis of operations and supply chain management research in healthcare (1982-2011). International Journal of Production Economics, 147(PART B), 514530. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijpe.2013.04.055 Drake, D. F., Spinler, S. (2013). Sustainable Operations Management: An Enduring Stream or a Passing Fancy? Manufacturing Service Operations Management, 15(4), 689700. https://doi.org/10.1287/msom.2013.0456 Galindo, G., Batta, R. (2013). Review of recent developments in OR/MS research in disaster operations management. European Journal of Operational Research. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ejor.2013.01.039 Guide, V. D. R., Ketokivi, M. (2015). Notes from the Editors: Restructuring the Journal of Operations Management. Journal of Operations Management. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0272-6963(15)00073-X Hitt, M. A., Xu, K., Carnes, C. M. (2016). Resource based theory in operations management research. Journal of Operations Management, 41, 7794. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jom.2015.11.002 Lotfi, Z., Sahran, S., Mukhtar, M., Zadeh, A. T. (2013). The relationships between supply chain integration and product quality.Procedia Technology,11, 471-478. Radnor, Z. J., Noke, H. (2013). Conceptualising and contextualising public sector operations management. Production Planning Control: The Management of Operations, 24(1011), 867876. https://doi.org/10.1080/09537287.2012.666884 Slack, N., Brandon-Jones, A., Johnston, R. (2013). Operations Management. Operations Management. Slack, N., Chambers, S., Johnston, R. (2013). Operations Management. Operations Management. https://doi.org/9780132342711