Evolution of the migratory supply chain model

Abstract

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to reflect upon the impact of the original work and provide an updated model to reflect the changing environment for supply chains. In 2000, a migratory model for supply chain evolution was proposed. Design/methodology/approach – The authors start by analysing the content of the papers that have cited the original Christopher and Towill (2000) paper. The development of an updated migratory model is informed by the findings from this, and then demonstrated through a case study of the book supply chain. Findings – Despite being the major contribution, the majority of citing papers actually use other parts of the original work, and some potential reasons for this are proposed. An extra stage is added to the migratory model, reflecting a customer centric strategy. Research limitations/implications – Given that the migratory model appears under-researched, the authors identify this as an opportunity for future research and suggest that methods less common in supply chain management are used. Practical implications – The updated migratory model can be used by supply chain managers to develop appropriate supply chain strategies for their organisations, while emphasising that many of the underlying tools to enable this reflect traditional industrial engineering approaches. Originality/value – The updated migratory model represents a new contribution to understanding the evolution of supply chains.