The Supply Chain Management Casebook: Comprehensive Coverage and Best Practices in SCM

Case 23. Continuous Process Reforms to Achieve a Hybrid Supply Chain Strategy: Focusing on the Organization in Ricoh

Mikihisa Nakano^†

^† Kyoto Sangyo University, Kita-ku, Kyoto, Kyoto, Japan; [e-mail]

Introduction

Are reforms of business processes in a supply chain (henceforth, supply chain processes) time limited or continuous? Global companies in advanced nations that are exposed to rapidly changing conditions in both their domestic and international markets should adopt an approach for introducing continuous reforms to the supply chain. These global companies must develop supply chain processes that can simultaneously achieve two strategic targets—operational efficiency and responsiveness—to continue to mine mature domestic ...