Informatics Publishing Limited

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to prioritize the supply chain flexibility dimensions (extracted from literature) using TOPSIS Methodology in Indian FMCG industry. Authors have visited case firm to have an idea of issues related to flexibility. Flexibility is the ease by which an organisation can adapt or change itself to the changing business environments and customer needs. It is the ability of a system to respond to internal or external changes which may affect its value delivery in cost effective and timely manner. Flexibility enables an organisation to swiftly respond to any uncertainty by sustaining its output and profitability. These uncertainties may be in a form of a risk or an opportunity, in former case the primary objective of flexibility becomes to sustain while in the latter case the primary objective is to increase or enhance the value delivery system of the organization. Thus, being flexible has helped many organisations to pass the test of the time with flying colours. The factors of changing consumer behaviours, frequent innovations in technologies across various domains and raging price wars have made flexibility the need of the hour. One such industry which is constantly driven by these factors is the Fast Moving Consumer Goods or FMCG industry. To thrive in the unpredictable, uncertain and turbulent modern business environment flexibility in supply chain is must.

To carry out this study authors have done extensive literature review and extracted supply chain flexibility dimensions, most suited for Indian FMCG firm, accordingly designed the self-administered questionnaire and floated it among executives of case industry. The feedback authors received in terms of filled up questionnaire become the input of data analytics using TOPSIS, and finally designed the structured hierarchy of supply chain flexibility dimensions. This study will help firm to understand which area to focus upon the most to make firm’s supply chain flexible enough to cope up with uncertainties present in external environment.

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