Complexity Measurement in Supply Chains: Case-based research

The purpose of this paper is the prototypical application of a developed decision model supporting a company to identify those partners in the supply network which are of main importance from a complexity-oriented perspective under fast changing business conditions. Practical applicability of the conceptual model is validated within a multiple case study in the Austrian agricultural industry. An adapted version of the pattern-matching-technique is applied. Based on the predicted pattern developed in expert interviews and the empirically based pattern achieved from model application, statistical methods (in particular hyper-geometric-distribution and hit-rate) and Receiver-Operating-Characteristic-curves are used for in-depth evaluation of model outcomes.