Traceability is a complex concept which meaning depends on, first of all, the way in which different actors (pure retailer, industrial retailer, branded manufacturer, local producers, etc..) interpret it. In a generic way, traceability regards the sharing of knowledge on product information (semifinished and final) and production process along the supply chain in btb networks until the consumers in the final market in order to give them information on the origin of the product and on all the production stages. Furthermore, traceability can be employed to reach different aims as logistics efficiency, branding policies, ethics, anti-counterfeit, ecc... The main aim of the paper is the analysis of the relation between the theme of traceability and buyer-seller relationship. The concept of traceability has undoubtedly an important impact on the relationships between actors along the supply chain, in particular in the fashion industry where there is an even more strong integration between industrial and retail functions. In the textile-clothing pipeline, traceability has in fact an increasing relevance due to the changes in the organization of production networks, especially considering the global shift of production to new industrialized countries and emerging markets (low cost of factors). In fact, while in the past decades production networks localized in specific territories (as in the industrial district in Italy) were competitive with respect to global production networks, more recently the non recognition (e.g. in terms of the willingness to pay a higher price) of the final market to the value of local base production lead actors more and more to extend their supply base globally. In this context, traceability is supposed to be a competitive leverage which can contribute to grant extra-value to local production networks in the competition with global production networks. Different supply chains (local, global) assign different roles to the concept of traceability. In fact, while for global network traceability could be linked with supply chain management and logistic efficiency for local networks it could be linked to the building of a brand, as the so called “made in” effect. Furthermore the dominant actor in the network (either local or global) represents another factor which influences the concept of traceability. In fact, if the dominant actor is an industrial retailer traceability could be more connected to the organization of the production network and to the management of the stores, while if the dominant actor is a branded manufacturer the concept could be more linked with branding policies. In this context, the paper aims to analyse how traceability affects buyer-seller relationships in the fashion industry. Empirically, it presents findings from a case analysis process, different actors are considered and different traceability concepts emerge. More specifically five cases are presented and commented. The case analysis shows how different traceability concepts adopted by the dominant actor in the network affect buyer-seller relationships in each specific supply network and how different aims are pursued in each specific case. The paper ends with some final remarks on the managerial implications of the adoption of the concept of traceability in the fashion supply chain.

Traceability along the supply chain and its impact on buyer-seller relationships: evidences from the fashion industry / S.Guercini; A.Runfola. - ELETTRONICO. - (2007), pp. 1-16. (Intervento presentato al convegno 23rd Annual IMP Conference "Exploiting the B2B knowledge network: new perspectives and core concepts" tenutosi a Manchester - United Kingdom nel August 30th-September 1st).

Traceability along the supply chain and its impact on buyer-seller relationships: evidences from the fashion industry

GUERCINI, SIMONE;
2007

Abstract

Traceability is a complex concept which meaning depends on, first of all, the way in which different actors (pure retailer, industrial retailer, branded manufacturer, local producers, etc..) interpret it. In a generic way, traceability regards the sharing of knowledge on product information (semifinished and final) and production process along the supply chain in btb networks until the consumers in the final market in order to give them information on the origin of the product and on all the production stages. Furthermore, traceability can be employed to reach different aims as logistics efficiency, branding policies, ethics, anti-counterfeit, ecc... The main aim of the paper is the analysis of the relation between the theme of traceability and buyer-seller relationship. The concept of traceability has undoubtedly an important impact on the relationships between actors along the supply chain, in particular in the fashion industry where there is an even more strong integration between industrial and retail functions. In the textile-clothing pipeline, traceability has in fact an increasing relevance due to the changes in the organization of production networks, especially considering the global shift of production to new industrialized countries and emerging markets (low cost of factors). In fact, while in the past decades production networks localized in specific territories (as in the industrial district in Italy) were competitive with respect to global production networks, more recently the non recognition (e.g. in terms of the willingness to pay a higher price) of the final market to the value of local base production lead actors more and more to extend their supply base globally. In this context, traceability is supposed to be a competitive leverage which can contribute to grant extra-value to local production networks in the competition with global production networks. Different supply chains (local, global) assign different roles to the concept of traceability. In fact, while for global network traceability could be linked with supply chain management and logistic efficiency for local networks it could be linked to the building of a brand, as the so called “made in” effect. Furthermore the dominant actor in the network (either local or global) represents another factor which influences the concept of traceability. In fact, if the dominant actor is an industrial retailer traceability could be more connected to the organization of the production network and to the management of the stores, while if the dominant actor is a branded manufacturer the concept could be more linked with branding policies. In this context, the paper aims to analyse how traceability affects buyer-seller relationships in the fashion industry. Empirically, it presents findings from a case analysis process, different actors are considered and different traceability concepts emerge. More specifically five cases are presented and commented. The case analysis shows how different traceability concepts adopted by the dominant actor in the network affect buyer-seller relationships in each specific supply network and how different aims are pursued in each specific case. The paper ends with some final remarks on the managerial implications of the adoption of the concept of traceability in the fashion supply chain.
2007
23rd Annual IMP Conference “Exploiting the B2B knowledge network: new perspectives and core concepts”, Manchester (United Kingdom), August 30th-September 1st
23rd Annual IMP Conference "Exploiting the B2B knowledge network: new perspectives and core concepts"
Manchester - United Kingdom
August 30th-September 1st
S.Guercini; A.Runfola
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Utilizza questo identificatore per citare o creare un link a questa risorsa: https://hdl.handle.net/2158/330354
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