Aligning competitive priorities in the supply chain: the role of interactions with suppliers

Purpose – Over the last decade, competition in the manufacturing sector has increased as globalization and customer requirements have evolved. Now, organizations are competing not only with their internal capabilities but also on their abilities to leverage capabilities in the supply chain. Recent studies suggest that strategic alignment in the supply chain, assessed by the degree of matching between supply management and market requirements, is critical for the success of organizations in the global marketplace. The purpose of this paper is to examine the possible linkage between strategic alignment (or lack of) in the supply chain, based on the traditional competitive priorities (i.e. cost, quality, flexibility and delivery), and the type of interactions with suppliers.Design/methodology/approach – Strategic alignment in the supply chain was measured by the difference between customer's requirements and the emphasis that the organization puts on these same requirements in dealing with its suppliers. The...