Supply Chain Management in New Zealand: Practices, Strategy and Performance.

Abstract

Supply chain management is an important part of New Zealand (NZ) economy yet relatively little empirical evidence is available about the practices of NZ firms and their impact on supply chain performance. In this study, we aim to fill this gap. We have partnered with two associations in NZ, NZPICS (Association of Operations & Supply Chain Professionals) and NZMEA (New Zealand Manufacturers and Exporters Association) and asked their members to provide us with the data on their firms and supply chains; namely their locations, industry sector, customer bases, outsourcing activities, competitive priorities, supply chain management practices (such as information sharing) and performance of their supply chain. We have collected the data through a survey in JulySeptember 2013 and received 145 responses. In order for supply chain networks to compete effectively, they must share information with to be able to jointly make decisions and problem solve and this must be made with an external perspective including its supply chain partners. The results from this survey found that high performing companies are using collaborative supply chain practices to improve their supply chain management capabilities in quality, flexibility and delivery. These performance capabilities are seen to be “customer centric” outcomes that reflect an organisation’s objective of appealing to a target customer segment that is not necessarily cost focused or price-sensitive. Apart from this relation between supply chain practices and performance, we also provide descriptive statistics on the current status of supply chain practices in New Zealand.