Supply Chain Strategie & Organisation: Im Spannungsfeld von Kosten und Reaktionsfähigkeit

Abstract

This thesis is mainly concerned with supply chain strategies and supply chain organizational units in companies. Companies often face a conflict of objectives between cost efficiency and responsiveness, both in the supply chain strategy and in the organizational unit. The aim of this scientific work is to develop a framework that enables the optimal balance between cost efficiency and responsiveness to be found. In order to gain these insights, the theoretical foundations of the supply chain strategy and the supply chain organizational unit were determined. The work is divided into six main chapters. After the introduction, the second chapter describes the strategy definition and the path to achieving strategic fit. In order to achieve strategic fit in companies, it is necessary that there is a match between the competitive strategy and the supply chain strategy. Consequently, the supply chain strategies lean, agile and leagile were described in terms of their characteristics. Lean supply chain strategies enable high cost efficiency with low demand uncertainty and low responsiveness. Agile supply chain structures, on the other hand, enable high responsiveness with high demand uncertainty, at the expense of cost efficiency. Leagile supply chain strategies operate with a hybrid solution, meaning that processes are lean before the customer decoupling point and agile after the customer decoupling point. In order to determine the supply chain strategy in companies, a guideline was designed based on the theoretical principles. The third chapter presents the different perspectives on supply chain management. Here, too, it is shown that companies that deal intensively with supply chain management and integrate supply chain management more comprehensively into the organizational unit are more successful. Furthermore, the characteristics of centralized and decentralized supply chain organizations are determined in chapter three. Significant findings were made with regard to the responsiveness and cost efficiency of supply chain organizations. While decentralized configurations are more responsive due to their flat hierarchical structure, centralized structures are more cost-efficient due to their clear processes and guidelines. To enable companies to determine the degree of centralization, a guideline was derived based on the theoretical findings. In addition, the four VUCA dimensions of volatility, uncertainty, complexity and ambiguity are dealt with in chapter four. In this work, it was determined that the VUCA dimensions of volatility and uncertainty should be dealt with using decentralized structures. The dimensions of complexity and ambiguity, on the other hand, should be dealt with using centralized structures. Based on the findings, a framework was developed in the fifth chapter that makes it possible to determine the optimal balance between cost efficiency and responsiveness. Recommendations for action were also made for companies that have not yet found the optimal balance in the current status quo. The study ends with a concluding discussion and emphasizes the necessity for future research.

Date of Award	2025
Original language	German (Austria)
Supervisor	Markus Gerschberger (Supervisor)