In this paper, we define supply chain quality management (SCQM) to operationalize and understand the effect of increased emphasis on supply chain management on the practice of quality management. We review current research in quality management and identify common themes found in the literature. Key quality management content variables identified are customer focus, quality practices, supplier relations, leadership, HR practices, business results, and safety. We use these variables to propose areas for future research in the field of supply chain quality management.
The increasing emphasis on supply chain management is causing researchers to rethink models, constructs, and frameworks for quality management that have been developed for the field of operations management. While some work has been done in this area (Thirumalai and Sinha, 2005, Benton and Maloni, 2005 and Flynn and Flynn, 2005), more scholarly work is needed. Research in quality management has often focused on internal versus external views of quality, with the internal view focusing on process and the external view focusing on the customer. As firms adopt the systems approach implicit in supply chain management, they must merge these views as they internalize upstream and downstream processes with their own.
To understand the field of supply chain quality management (SCQM), we must first define the term by deconstructing it. Bowersox et al. (2007) state that supply chain management consists of firms collaborating to leverage strategic position and to improve operating efficiency. This includes partnering with other firms in chains of relationships that result in downstream benefits to customers. Similarly, the quality management perspective has traditionally considered interacting aspects of systems such as processes, inputs, machines, people, procedures, plant, and equipment as means of creating excellence in products and services (Deming, 2000). This systems-based view of quality also applies to supply chains as well.
According to Fawcett et al. (2006), competition now is not only found at the firm level. Business competition now exists as supply chains seek to gain advantage over competing supply chains. This level of competition requires a much greater level of coordination among chains or networks of suppliers, distributors, producers, and customers. As a result, we adopt the following definition:
Supply chain quality management (SCQM) is defined as a systems-based approach to performance improvement that leverages opportunities created by upstream and downstream linkages with suppliers and customers.
This special issue on research in supply chain quality contains papers that provide greater insights into how decisions about quality management, quality assurance, and quality control need to be recast to improve supply chain performance.
In this paper, we first defined the term, supply chain quality management by combining differing theoretical constructs from the literature. We then reviewed the articles and submissions for this special issue to help to identify key variables and constructs for future research in supply chain quality.
As we stated, the purpose of this special issue of the journal is, in a sense, to create a new field of study known as supply chain quality management (SCQM). SCQM is an important emergent area that needs to be further researched so that we can understand how more emphasis on supply chain management will change how we approach, research, and teach quality tools and philosophies. This special issue of the journal of operations management represents a good early step in this process
