Evolution of the migratory supply chain model
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to reflect upon the impact of the original work and provide an updated model to reflect the changing environment for supply chains. In 2000, a migratory model for supply chain evolution was proposed.
Design/methodology/approach
The authors start by analysing the content of the papers that have cited the original Christopher and Towill (2000) paper. The development of an updated migratory model is informed by the findings from this, and then demonstrated through a case study of the book supply chain.
Findings
Despite being the major contribution, the majority of citing papers actually use other parts of the original work, and some potential reasons for this are proposed. An extra stage is added to the migratory model, reflecting a customer centric strategy.
Research limitations/implications
Given that the migratory model appears under-researched, the authors identify this as an opportunity for future research and suggest that methods less common in supply chain management are used.
Practical implications
The updated migratory model can be used by supply chain managers to develop appropriate supply chain strategies for their organisations, while emphasising that many of the underlying tools to enable this reflect traditional industrial engineering approaches.
Originality/value
The updated migratory model represents a new contribution to understanding the evolution of supply chains.
Keywords
Acknowledgements
This paper is dedicated to the memory of Professor Denis Towill, who passed away in August 2015. As well as providing insightful guidance to those he worked with, Professor Towill’s research has undoubtedly contributed significantly to the supply chain management community.
Citation
Potter, A., Towill, D.R. and Christopher, M. (2015), "Evolution of the migratory supply chain model", Supply Chain Management, Vol. 20 No. 6, pp. 603-612. https://doi.org/10.1108/SCM-06-2015-0231
Publisher
:Emerald Group Publishing Limited
Copyright © 2015, Emerald Group Publishing Limited