Sep 22
The IUP Journal of Supply Chain Management
Focus
The first paper is "Big Data Analytics in Supply Chain Management: Dynamic Capabilities View" by Pankaj M Madhani. It highlights how companies are generating huge amounts of data and using business analytic technology to convert it into information, knowledge and intelligence. It states that Big Data usage and BDA deployment can help improve supply chain performance and integrate supply chain processes. Drawing on Dynamic Capabilities View (DCV), the paper explains how Big Data usage and BDA capabilities contribute to the improvement of supply chain performance. Some of the key benefits of Big Data deployment in supply chain are effective management of demand volatility, improved flexibility, visibility, and integration of supply chain processes across the supply chain network. BDA as a dynamic capability enables firms to respond to changing external environment by reconfiguring resources and capabilities of supply chain networks. The paper proposes various frameworks to understand the impact of BDA on supply chain performance through the lens of DCV, which can be very useful for supply chain managers.
Shwetha Kumari and G V Muralidhara highlight the issues faced by agriculture sector in the case study "Ninjacart: Disrupting Fresh Produce Supply Chain in India". They present the case of Ninjakart, a leading agritech firm in India which was formed in response to the broken agriculture supply chain. Soon, the owners of Ninjacart shifted the operations from B2C to B2B. Ninjacart used advanced level supply chain algorithms that it developed in-house, predictive analytics, Big Data, IoT technology, and mobile applications. By 2020, Ninjacart became one of the largest fresh produce supply chain companies in India. As part of its future plans, Ninjacart was banking on Machine Learning to improve operations. However, it faced several challenges. Its next challenge was scaling up its operations while improving efficiency and profitability.
In the research note "Dark Store Expansion: Ultrafast Logistics for Q-Commerce", Gilles Pache explains the concept of Dark Store, which is expanding at a fast pace in countries like Germany, Turkey, US and India. Dark Stores are primarily small distribution warehouses whose aim is to offer ultrafast deliveries (in just a few minutes), popularly referred to as "instant deliveries" after the products are ordered online via applications. These logistical centers take the form of a "shadow" shop, with shelves where products are stored, but unlike a traditional shop, they are not accessible to customers, but only to order pickers who select items that are then transported by delivery drivers. The research note further highlights the benefits and problems posed by dark stores. The benefits include instantaneous access to products ordered online by the customer, while the major problem is that the logistics are totally immersed in the city, causing nuisance to residents and unfair competition for small shops.
Consulting Editor
Big Data Analytics in Supply Chain Management: Dynamic Capabilities View
Supply chains generate huge amounts of data (i.e., Big Data) that companies can turn into intelligence through analytics. Big Data usage and Big Data Analytics (BDA) deployment can deliver competitive advantages across various supply chain decisions as it builds multiple capabilities for supply chain networks. This paper explains how Big Data usage and BDA capabilities contribute to improving supply chain performance, based on the Dynamic Capabilities View (DCV). The BDA is a type of dynamic capability of an organization, and its deployment in supply chain operations effectively manages demand volatility, efficiently handles cost fluctuations, and improves the visibility, flexibility, and integration of supply chain processes across the networks. BDA as a dynamic capability enables firms to respond to changing external environment by reconfiguring resources and capabilities of supply chain networks. The paper develops various frameworks to understand and study the impact of BDA on supply chain performance through the lens of DCV.
Case Study Ninjacart: Disrupting Fresh Produce Supply Chain in India
In response to the broken agriculture supply chain caused by a lack of storage facilities, lack of transportation, and manifold intermediaries and lack of transparency and traceability, Thirukumaran Nagarajan launched Ninjacart, a leading agritech firm in India, in 2015, along with Sharath Babu Loganathan, Ashutosh Vikram, Kartheeswaran K K and Vasudevan Chinnathambi. After exploring the issues in the agriculture sector, Ninjacart shifted its operations from B2C to B2B, to leverage the profitable business opportunity. Ninjacart used advanced level supply chain algorithms that it developed in-house, predictive analytics, Big Data, IoT technology, and mobile applications to help farmers overcome the various issues they were grappling with. As of early 2020, Ninjacart became one of the largest fresh produce supply chain companies in India. With the Covid-19 pandemic leaving millions of farmers across India in the lurch, Ninjacart launched many initiatives. As part of its future plans, Ninjacart was banking on Machine Learning to improve operations. However, it faced several challenges. Having established itself as a prominent player, Ninjacart's next challenge was scaling up its operations while improving efficiency and profitability at the same time.
Research Note Dark Store Expansion: Ultrafast Logistics for Q-Commerce
Their names are Gorillas, Getir, Gopuffand Blinkit, and from their homecountries of Germany, Turkey, USand India, respectively, they may be buildingthe electronic commerce (e-commerce)logistics of the future, aided by fundraisingthat now exceeds $1 bn. These startups areat the origin of a business model that isattracting the attention of the traditionalplayers in retailing, such as the Frenchcompany Casino, which has joined forceswith Gorillas to develop a network of darkstores to serve its quick commerce(q-commerce) activity. Dark stores? Theconcept has become very popular, but alsovery controversial, especially in Europe.These are small distribution warehouseswhose aim is to offer ultrafast delivery, injust a few minutes, of products orderedonline via applications, what Dablanc et al.(2017) call "instant deliveries". Theselogistical centers take the form of a"shadow" shop, with shelves where productsare stored, but unlike a traditional shop,they are not accessible to customers, butonly to order pickers who select items thatare then transported by delivery drivers.
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