A rythmanalytic approach to understand the problematic nature of supply chain integration: The case of a customer ordered production strategy

Paper in proceeding, 2011

Implementing a customer ordered production strategy involves changes in supply chain integration compared to if production was based on forecasts of demand. In a study of Volvo Cars’ customer ordered strategy it was found that the degree of implementation changed over time, especially in relation to business cycles. It seems, with reference to statements made by respondents involved in practice at different stages in the supply chain, that there exists different “world views” and logics of action depending of the actors’ position in the chain: A business logic downstream and an industrial logic upstream from the assembler (Volvo Cars split in “manufacturing” and “sales”). Time, space and energy are different in the logics. Transport providers adapt and coordinate activities with logic of their own . To understand time, space and energy we refer to the ideas put forward by Lefebvre on rhythm in everyday life. It is important to be aware of ongoing changes in the everydayness for supply chain integration knowledge. Integration needs to be handled as a process, it is not given by plans and procedures as state. We interpret the empirical findings by applying Lefebvre’s conceptual framework. The approach facilitates a better understanding of the supply chain integration process and potentialities of temporal alignment.