Sustainable Quality in downstream Supply-chain A novel model for incorporating sustainable continuous improvements in quality of delivery mechanisms in downstream supply chain using Fuzzy Logic

Order fulfilment process is foundatio nal to all other supply chain improvements. On -time performance is an established competitive edge issue now. Better performers in on-time deliveries have unfailingly held larger market shares and in most cases hold added leverage to charge higher prices and premiums. Delivery reliability is single most valued dimension of customer service. Improving this single dimension increases sales and increase the margins of existing sales. Based on a comprehensive market research that tests the validity of the premises above; this conceptual research paper proposes a novel model for continuously improving the downstream supply chain performance by building sustainable quality into Producer-Retailer relationship . The model uses fuzzy logic to remove the underlying uncertainties in Producer - Retailer relationship; and based the fuzzy generated crisp values, takes a TOC (Theory of Constraints) perspective to focus on constraints identification in downstream supply chain (Producer -Retailer relationship) and pushing them out of the system. Along -with constraint management, the model proposes a novel method for building sustainable CI (Continuous Improvement) into the downstream supply chain. Compared to the impacts the excellence or otherwise in downstream supply chain has on the revenues and profitability of a business, this field is generally under researched. Moreover, less and less businesses actually adopt structured approaches to achieve excellence here, since no such model is available. The model demonstrates that sustainable quality in downstream supply - chain can prove to be the factor which would be the basis of market leadership among competitors. It also strengthens the case of JIT (Just in Time) production by potentially minimizing/removing the need of Finished Goods Inventory.

Keywords:

Defuzzification , Delivery reliability , Downstream supply-chain , External Integration , Fuzzy Logic , Fuzzy membership , Fuzzyfication , FIS (Fuzzy Inference System) , Ontime performance , Sustainable Quality , Theory of Constraints