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The purpose of this paper is to analyze preferred supplier enablers (PSEs) and measure the interdependencies among themselves for enhancing preferred supplier relationship.

In the current study, an approach has been developed in which the significance of various PSEs was determined by applying Fuzzy Analytic Hierarchy Process (FAHP) and the prominent PSEs were screened out through Pareto analysis. Also, the interdependence among the prominent PSEs was measured by applying the Fuzzy Decision Making Trial and Evaluation Laboratory method in order to select the right PSEs in ascribing the Preferred Supplier Status. Finally, the weakest relationships among the PSEs were confirmed by applying the student’s t-test and then an impact relationship map of PSEs was developed.

The strength of relationships among the PSEs, grouping of PSEs into causes and effects on a causal diagram and a concise impact relationship map of PSEs were determined. Further, the PSEs that a manufacturer must primarily focus and monitor were also obtained.

The study was conducted in an Indian electronic manufacturing environment. Therefore, the results obtained would be more relevant to the high end technology product manufacturers operating in the developing countries.

From the current study, a manufacturer can alleviate, favorably associate and integrate with the good suppliers and then eventually establish a strong supply base.

Manufacturers are looking for the closer and favored relationships by bringing in the concept of preferred supplier while dealing with their key suppliers. Thus, the results obtained from the current study would be of great assistance to a manufacturer in gaining an extra cutting-edge and, in turn, tackling the increased competitive pressures and reduced availability of resources.

Dealers positioned at the downstream of the supply chains are those who can directly influence demand scenario for the manufacturer. However, manufacturer has to ensure that the influence is favorable by competitively fulfilling the anticipations of the dealers. In this regard, the purpose of this paper is focused on developing sustainable strategic relationships between manufacturer and dealer.

In this paper, the basic requirements of the dealers expected to be fulfilled by a manufacturer are analyzed by applying fuzzy Analytic Hierarchy Process and fuzzy Quality Function Deployment. The said approach is implemented in a case situation of a paint manufacturing company in India, and the results are analyzed to provide directions for the company to strategically align manufacturer–dealer relationships.

It was found that the case company has to focus mainly on promotions and advertisements, painters meet, and recognition offered to the dealers. Although pricing was also considered as one of the prominent aspects yet through competitive assessment the case company was found to be better off compared to its competitors.

As the results obtained in the current study are specific to a manufacturing environment, they cannot be generalized for all the companies. However, similar approach can be adopted for analyzing the customer requirements in order to achieve dealers’ attractiveness and satisfaction.

The application of proposed approach assists a manufacturer to pursue right strategy to practice for achieving dealer attractiveness and satisfaction. This will definitely help the supply chain managers to have the right requirements of the dealers’ are fulfilled on priority.

The purpose of this paper is to provide an approach that a manufacturer can periodically use to measure the performances of its supplier development programs (SDPs). It also quantifies and indicates the specific supplier development outcomes (SDOs) that a manufacturer has to concentrate in improving its SDPs.

The proposed methodology integrates fuzzy analytic hierarchy process (to determine the importance of SDOs), Pareto analysis (to choose the significant SDOs) and fuzzy logic (to periodically determine the performance indices and grades of the SDPs) methods to measure the performances of SDPs. In order to demonstrate the utility of the methodology, a case situation is presented where the performance measures of SDPs running at five key suppliers of an Indian turbine manufacturing company were determined.

By periodically applying the above mentioned methodology, the performance indices of a manufacturer’s SDPs are measured, monitored and managed effectively. It is shown that the methodology is advantageous in clearly indicating the scope of improvement for the SDPs along the specific SDOs.

Since the obtained results in this study are specific to a manufacturing environment, they may not be generalized. However, the generic lists of SDOs mentioned in the paper and the proposed approach can be used in any manufacturing environment for analyzing the performances of SDPs.

The performance analysis of SDPs would help a manufacturer to know more about the functioning of its SDPs along the timeline and provide the scope for improvement.

The proposed approach successfully measures and also grades the performances of SDPs. The results enable the supplier development managers to effectively distribute their investments and efforts along the SDPs.

The purpose of this paper is to assist a manufacturer for determining the principal supplier development impediments (SDIs) that are affecting the supplier development programs (SDPs) and yield a basis for drawing the appropriate mitigation strategies.

The proposed approach starts with the application of fuzzy analytic hierarchy process and Pareto analysis to obtain the principal SDIs. Subsequently, the interpretive structural modeling and Fuzzy-Matrice d’Impacts Croisés-Multiplication Appliquée à un Classement analysis are applied on the principal SDIs to explore the root causes inducing ineffectiveness in the SDPs.

The outcomes of the proposed approach were demonstrated through a case study conducted in an Indian automotive components manufacturing company. The principal SDIs were identified, ranked, classified and structurally related for the said case company’s manufacturing environment. It was found that the lack of competent workforce, level of nascent relationship between manufacturer and suppliers and poor devolution of authority were the main SDIs that the case company has to primarily focus to make its SDPs effective.

Although the study was conducted in a practical case situation, the obtained results are not indiscriminate to the other case situations. However, the proposed approach can be applied for analyzing the SDIs in any manufacturing environment once the set of SDIs relevant to that environment are carefully chosen.

The methodology would assist a manufacturer to proactively identify the SDIs that it has to primarily focus and subsequently devise the mitigation strategies for smooth running of its SDPs.

By utilizing the identified SDIs and applying the proposed methodology a manufacturer can find the main SDIs that are making the SDPs ineffective and accordingly fix the hindrances through certain mitigation strategies designed.

The purpose of this paper is to quantify, evaluate and compare the implementation performance of a supplier development (SD) program using graph theoretic approach (GTA).

Broadly 13 critical success factors (CSFs) were identified and they were classified into four significant categories (SCs). Featuring these SCs and CSFs under each SC, GTA was proposed for evaluating the implementation performance of SD programs. The analysis was further extended to evaluate the performance of a SD program along the timeline to capture the other influences (if any), eventually compare the results with different performance situations and accordingly set the future targets.

In order to demonstrate the utility of the proposed approach it was applied to an Indian manufacturing company. The results obtained shown that there has been a significant growth achieved in the implementation performance of a SD program over a period of three years (i.e. 12 quarters) along the chosen SCs and CSFs under each SC. It was also found that still there was a performance gap and scope for improvement in the SD program of the case company.

The proposed approach is aimed at providing a procedure for evaluating the implementation performance of a SD program. This study is an attempt to assist a manufacturer to assess its SD program and accordingly define its course of actions.

Although many issues related to SD have been widely recognized and studied, there are no specific studies available in the literature to assess the implementation performance of SD programs along the timeline. The proposed model has the ability to capture the performance and interdependencies of SCs, CSFs under each SC and also to quantify the implementation performance of a SD program along the timeline.

The purpose of this paper is to assist a manufacturer with a process to measure the level of preferred supplier status (PSS) of its key suppliers along the timeline.

In measuring the PSS, the prominent preferred supplier enablers (PSEs) were identified and were broadly categorized under manufacturer’s interest component, common interest component and supplier’s characteristic component. These PSEs were further analyzed by using fuzzy analytic hierarchy process, Euclidean distance measurement and grey relation analysis methods. In order to demonstrate the application and utility of the proposed approach, a case study conducted in an Indian automotive component manufacturing company has been presented.

By applying the proposed methodology in a case company, the PSSs of five of its key suppliers were measured and then the suppliers’ characteristic scores were determined. Based on these scores, a preferential status plot of the suppliers was developed. Through the status plot, the manufacturer was suggested with whom the proposed initiatives can be productive and with whom the manufacturer has to appeal for improvement strategies.

Since the methodology was tried in the Indian manufacturing environment, the emphasis laid on the PSEs and in turn the measurement of PSS may not address the concern at large.

Measuring PSS would not only earn competitive advantages for the manufacturers but also facilitate the evolution of competitive suppliers.

Measuring PSS along the time would assist a manufacturer to effectively manage the preferences given to its suppliers and thereby enhance the supply base contribution in the value addition process.

The purpose of this paper is to identify, rank, classify and establish the structural relationships between the preferred customer enablers (PCEs). This analysis would assist a manufacturer in selectively exercising the PCEs and effectively run-through the concept of reverse marketing in the buyer-supplier relationships.

In the current study, the interpretive structure modelling and Fuzzy Matriced’ Impacts Croisés Appliquée á un Classement methods are used to analyze and structurally relate the PCEs for Indian automotive component manufacturing industry. Furthermore, the structural relationships among the PCEs were confirmed by applying a Student’s t-test.

The classification of PCEs through driver dependence diagrams, structural digraphs of PCEs and statistical significance of the relationships between the PCEs are the main outcomes of this study. Further, certain PCEs (under supplier interest and common interest domains) were recommended in the Indian manufacturing environment to broadly control and monitor for achieving the preferred customer status (PCS).

The current study provides certain basis for a manufacturer to selectively emphasize and monitor the right PCEs and in turn effectively achieve the PCS from its key suppliers. The findings from the current analysis are more applicable in the context of Indian automotive component manufacturing industry.

The outcomes from the methodology would provide a basis for a manufacturer to develop the right strategies to become a preferred supply chain partner.

Even though the concept of PCS or reverse marketing can make remarkable impact on the business practices, it has been an ignored topic of research and its practice has been passively prophesied. In this regard, the current study could be a worthy addition toward the practice of preferred customer concept.

Discount grocery stores (DGSs) are attractive food supply chain (FSC) channels because many cost-conscious Indians use them for monthly needs. Despite capacity, DGSs must address customer concerns about store crowd densities and improve their COVID-19 preparedness. The purpose of this study is to learn how retail operations strategies can improve customer experience and how stores can benefit.

The study looked at a case study where retail operations are run more efficiently, and the customer experience is enhanced by standardizing and customizing customer transactions. The potential benefits that customers and retailers might anticipate are then statistically verified. Next, the potential benefits were examined to determine which ones from customers’ and retailers’ views should be prioritized to increase satisfaction.

The case situation analysis in the study demonstrates how DGSs can improve their retail operations to reduce customer wait times and provide greater convenience. The study also provides practitioners with potential benefits to pursue from the perspectives of retailers, customers and both retailers and customers.

This study requires many past transactions and can be considered an extension of the current study, so it does not capture floor space and capacity improvements.

This research can help FSC retailers compete with upstream supply chain partners and customers in omnichannel retailing. By improving DGS retailer capacity and customer experience, this study can benefit all FSC stakeholders.

Although there are numerous potential benefits that practitioners can pursue, the current study suggests that practitioners focus on those that can improve retailer and customer satisfaction.

The purpose of this paper is to identify, quantify and establish relationship (i.e. cause and effect) among various supplier development program enablers (SDPEs) in a specific manufacturing environment.

The proposed methodology runs into four phases, i.e. defining supplier development program (SDP) environment, identifying relevant SDPEs, collecting experts’ qualitative opinions regarding SDPEs and analyzing the SDPEs using Fuzzy DEMATEL (Decision Making Trial and Evaluation Laboratory). The fourth phase is programmed using Matlab 7.10.0 (R2010a). The proposed methodology is implemented in an Indian manufacturing company and the results are analyzed to provide directions for the company while implementing SDPs.

The proposed methodology leads to the ranking of SDPEs, classification of SDPEs into cause and effect groups and establishment of interactions for each SDPE using impact relationship map. Of the 20 SDPEs considered in the analysis, “top management commitment” and “mutual visits by competent personnel from both sides” are the two most important SDPEs for implementing SDP in an Indian manufacturing company taken as a case study. The outcomes are verified by consulting the said company’s experts and their validity is confirmed.

Because the results obtained are specific to a manufacturing environment, they cannot be generalized. However, the proposed approach can be adopted for analyzing SDPEs in any manufacturing environment, provided the set of SDPEs is selected considering its priorities.

The proposed methodology will identify the SDPEs to be managed for successful implementation of SDPs.

The proposed methodology has the capability to rank the SDPEs and their interrelationships. This will definitely help supply chain managers to precisely choose and manipulate the SDPEs for successful implementation of SDP.

The purpose of this paper is to identify and analyze the agile manufacturing barriers (AMBs) for establishing a cause and effect relationship among them.

A methodology is proposed using fuzzy decision-making trial and evaluation laboratory (DEMATEL) to capture multiple experts’ qualitative judgments for mitigating the impact of the AMBs. In order to validate the proposed methodology, it is applied to an Indian automobile manufacturing company.

Out of 36 AMBs identified through literature review, 20 AMBs are found to be relevant to the case company. Five AMBs (i.e. lack of resource reconfiguration, inefficient conflicting management styles, imperfect market knowledge, inadequate information handling and improper strategic plan) were identified as significant cause group where the case company has to put efforts and resources. Also the impact relationship matrix for each AMB has been developed to visualize its interactions (i.e. influencing and influenced) among other AMBs.

The results obtained are specific to the Indian automobile manufacturing company and it cannot be generalized for every manufacturing company or any other sector. However, the proposed approach can be a basis and provide a platform to understand and analyze the interactions between AMBs.

The proposed methodology will show the appropriate areas for allocating efforts and resources to mitigate the impact of AMBs for successful implementation of agile manufacturing.

According to the authors’ knowledge, no work is reported in the literature that proposes a framework using fuzzy DEMATEL for the analysis of AMBs in Indian automobile manufacturing company.