Managing Supply Risks: A System Theory Approach to Supply Early Warning Systems

• Christopher Jahns
• Evi Hartmann
• Marco Moder

External developments and incidents in the upstream supply chain can lead to a vulnerable Supply Management. To fully cover the existing range of supply risks, attention needs to be focused on the early stage of Supply Risk Management. The purpose of this paper is to provide insights into the key factors of Early Warning Systems in Supply Management: Why is such a system necessary and how should it be developed and implemented in order to identify, analyse, and assess risks in Supply Management? Literature analysis shows the demand for more theoretically grounded and empirical research in this area. Hence, based on systems theory, a model for a Supply Early Warning System is proposed. This basic research model alongside with several propositions about the influence of a Supply Early Warning System on the total Supply Performance will be tested during a questionnaire-based survey in the automotive industry.

Seiten 195 - 212