Elements That Affect Supply Chain Integration

Organizations recognize that they have to create close relationships with at least some of their supply chain partners. Yet they often lack a clear idea of what these relationships should look like and what factors can trigger their further development.

Anto John Verghese of the University of Houston and Xenophon Koufteros of Texas A&M University conducted interviews and a survey on how organizations implement and view supply chain integration. Through analysis of the survey data, Verghese and Koufteros found that certain behaviors are important to supply chain relationships. They also found that some factors are more relevant to increased intimacy within supply chain relationships and that some factors matter more when a relationship transitions from one intimacy level to another.