Abstract:
The dynamic external macro environmental changes that are happening have a major impact
on businesses around the world. Businesses which were cocooned and protected from outside
forces due to protectionist policies were accustomed to dealing with and managing
competition at the industry level and firm level. However, opening up of markets to
worldwide competition has made even these internal rivalries more intense. It‘s a well-known
fact that today it‘s not just a competition at firm level, but it has expanded to a level where it
has become a competition between supply chains.
In this sort of a context being customer oriented and embedding customer values in the
supply chain environment becomes highly important to make the supply chain more
appealing to customers amidst these varying conditions which they do not control. The
relationship between customer oriented practices and supply chain performance is an
intriguing relationship which is now becoming a focus of research.
This paper outlines a framework that could be used to identify the impact of factors
influencing the relationship between customer orientated supply chains and supply chain
performance. Past literature on this relationship was analyzed and several existing models by
various authors were identified. These models were later used as the basis and other factors
influencing this relationship which were studied separately, were collated into the base model
to make the model comprehensive. These included organizational learning, supply chain
practices, interactive infrastructure, innovation in supply chains, and supply chain
capabilities. Expert opinion was used in the process of refining the proposed model. The
framework conceptualized through the study could be used to assess supply chain
performance and key variables impacting on the relationship between customer orientated
supply chains and supply chain performance.
