Measuring supply chain agility in the virtual organization

Abstract

The need for increased flexibility in responding to market demand is driving a heightened interest in virtual, or agile organizations. However, agile response in the supply chain may not always be necessary and may not always be a better alternative than more traditional organizational structures. The model proposed in this paper provides a means of measuring both the need for agility and how agile an organization actually is. This is accomplished through the use of a hierarchical model that details with increasing specificity sources and levels of variance in the supply chain. As the ability to control specified variances increase, the need for agility decreases.

Citation

Margaret Weber, M. (2002), "Measuring supply chain agility in the virtual organization", International Journal of Physical Distribution & Logistics Management, Vol. 32 No. 7, pp. 577-590. https://doi.org/10.1108/09600030210442595