Services supply chain management and organisational performance

Purpose - The purpose of the study is to explore and identify appropriate performance measures for effective service supply chain management (SSCM) with the aim of developing a performance measurement framework (PMF) for service supply chains (SSC) that addresses the uniqueness of services and can be used by both sides of the service contracts. Methodology/design/approach - Research was conducted within an exploratory, sequential, mixed-method strategy with three distinct phases. In the first phase, two case studies were analysed from a dyad perspective through semi-structured interviews to explore SSC performance measures currently in use. Phase II comprised two worldwide surveys of 121 service and manufacturing companies to identify the importance of specific measures. In the last phase, three case studies were conducted, using semi-structured interviews to identify best practices in service performance. Findings and results - Four service performance measure dimensions were identified that are prioritised by service providers and manufacturers, namely dependability, quality, responsiveness and assets & cost. The current study further suggests several best practices as approaches to work on the most critical performance measures. Conclusion/contribution - The foundation of the research was to consider service systems as a supply chain (SC) network of different actors involved in the service design and provision. Through a mixed-method research design, appropriate performance measures for SSC were identified. The result of the investigation is a comprehensive SSC PMF that includes a set of 30 performance measures and best practices to enhance and maintain superior service delivery. Additionally, an implementation model for the PMF is provided.