Supply chain management implementation in the Spanish grocery sector: An exploratory study

Cristina Giménez

Economics Working Papers from Department of Economics and Business, Universitat Pompeu Fabra

Abstract: This paper explores the integration process that firms follow to implement Supply Chain Management (SCM) and the main barriers and benefits related to this strategy. This study has been inspired in the SCM literature, especially in the logistics integration model by Stevens [1]. Due to the exploratory nature of this paper and the need to obtain an in depth knowledge of the SCM development in the Spanish grocery sector, we used the case study methodology. A multiple case study analysis based on interviews with leading manufacturers and retailers was conducted. The results of this analysis suggest that firms seem to follow the integration process proposed by Stevens, integrating internally first, and then, extending this integration to other supply chain members. The cases also show that Spanish manufacturers, in general, seem to have a higher level of SCM development than Spanish retailers. Regarding the benefits that SCM can bring, most of the companies identify the general objectives of cost and stock reductions and service improvements. However, with respect to the barriers found in its implementation, retailers and manufacturers are not coincident: manufacturers seem to see more barriers with respect to aspects related to the other party, such as distrust and a lack of culture of sharing information, while retailers find as main barriers the need of a “know-how”, the company culture and the history and habits.

Keywords: Supply chain management; grocery sector; logistics integration process (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: L29 L66 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2003-03, Revised 2003-09
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-eec and nep-net
References: View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

Downloads: (external link)
https://econ-papers.upf.edu/papers/668.pdf Whole Paper (application/pdf)

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:upf:upfgen:668

Access Statistics for this paper

More papers in Economics Working Papers from Department of Economics and Business, Universitat Pompeu Fabra
Bibliographic data for series maintained by ( this e-mail address is bad, please contact ).