Table V Illustration of coded data for... | Emerald Publishing

Table V

Illustration of coded data for configurational attributes

Example description	Strength of association	Coding category
Alpha: “Centralized hub-and-spoke model allows us to have very efficient distribution, wide coverage while keeping incremental costs low” (Senior operations manager) Bravo: “Decentralized structure enables shortening delivery lead-time and costs. […] Complexity is managed by allocating consumers to stores but trade-off global view of inventory […] due to distributed flows […]” (Supply chain director) Charlie: “By default, stocks in Charlie’s warehouses are always considered cheapest. If none had stock, we will search for dropship suppliers based on pricing” (Head of dropshipping operations) Delta: “[…] marketplace is too huge to realize integration between partners. We set up a platform for partners to use and they just have to comply” (Supply chain director) Echo: “Simple and direct point-to-point flow from local inventory points […]” (Transportation analyst) Foxtrot: “[…] we have a mixture of fast and slow moving lines, making sure we’ve got the right lines in those big hubs, and the right volume to cope with demand both from spokes and from home delivery” (Central operations director) Golf: “[…] fulfilling online orders using front stock you’re going to end up causing availability issues or increasing stock holding cost, because you’ll need to hold more stock at the local level than you’d have from a centralized fulfillment point” (Supply chain and innovation manager)	+++	Structure and flow
Alpha: “We only have three CFCs now, so it’s easy for suppliers to deliver […] some suppliers pre-segment the products and deliver direct to our separate zones, reducing lead-time between orders and on-shelf replenishment” (Supply chain engagement manager) Bravo: “[…] suppliers only deliver to the National DCs and in some cases Regional DCs, Retailer B will then trunk the stocks through its secondary distribution network to the stores and FCs, hence minimum influence on relationships with suppliers” (E-commerce manager) Charlie: “[…] FCs dedicated to handling different products. E.g. one managed by CEVA for furniture and TVs, one by EXPERT for white goods, one clothing […] we work with different specialists handling the products” (Head of dropshipping operations) Delta: “FCs are set up to be able to take containers of various sizes and delivery types, open 24/7, and are located in places where there is a good transportation network so that suppliers can deliver easily [..] helps to reduce transaction frictions” (Senior manager) Echo: “No involvement from partners for this service model as we handle everything from inbound logistics to last-mile delivery. Suppliers only get the aggregate volume. For deliveries, very transactional, we contract self-employed for last-mile” (Senior in-stock manager) Foxtrot: “Our key suppliers ship directly into our DCs. But now, for some suppliers we’re dealing with direct deliveries into hubs, either on demand or simply direct replenishment to hubs” (Central operations director) Golf: “[…] easy for us to work with Golf because they only have one National DC. They then use their own distribution network to replenish stores and the Burton FC. Sometimes, they do backhauling for us” (E-commerce manager)	+++	Structure and relationship governance
Alpha: “Our key value proposition is freshness. Delivering direct from our CFCs without going through stores reduces handling time” (Operations manager) Bravo: “[…] in-store fulfillment model […] one-to-one allocation of store to consumer, range is limited by what’s available in the allocated store. Consumers in the catchment area of the dark stores will have access to wider range “(Supply chain analyst) Charlie: “Using centralized FCs for fulfillment and dropshipping allow us to offer convenience for in-store collection and wide product range respectively” (Senior operations manager) Delta: “Combination of centralized fulfillment and dropship from sellers enable us to offer the widest range of products especially long-tail ones […]” (Senior vendor manager) Echo: “Local inventory points allow us to offer one-hour delivery service […]” Foxtrot: “We’ve the biggest home delivery network in the UK. The speed that we’re able to fulfill customers’ needs and stock availability are second to none” (Central operations director) Golf: “[…] difficult to replicate because we’ve so many stores, but the bit that makes a challenge for us is that we can’t move our cut-off time as quickly as other retailers as we’ve got a lot more considerations” (Omnichannel value proposition manager)	++	Structure and service architecture
Alpha: “Promotions, product range, merchandising right products and enhanced product content on the website are very important for winning shoppers, if you try and promote as much for the suppliers without their support and investments, you’ll go bust!” (Head of general merchandise) Bravo: “We’ve employees based in Retailer B’s HO to do forecasting and order replenishment enabling instantaneous reaction to demand volatility […] improves flow of information and stocks” (Commercial director) Charlie: “Mostly it comes down to price, If you can do that, you’ll get the business and what we get is just standard service.” (Head of dropshipping operations) Delta: “Retailer C’s replenishment systems are designed more for general merchandise, not for CPG, and if we want business improvement in our area, they will require us to invest more in their platform (E-commerce manager) Echo: “Because we’re so transparent, partners can reach Retailer C very quickly and vice versa, allowing consumers to get their products extremely fast” (Supply chain director) Foxtrot: “Due to our relationship, we have the supplier commitment to manufacture and deliver on-time, and therefore we can accurately work out the time to consumers” (Central operations director) Golf: “We share varied levels of details with the suppliers depending, partly on our relationship with them. Some data we make available as part of the package, if they support us with other opportunities” (Supply manager)	+++	Flow and relationship governance
Mixed results (full data available upon request)	?	Flow and service architecture
Alpha: “[…] 10-year partnership with Waitrose resulting in joint buying agreements with several suppliers allow Retailer A to obtain competitive pricing translating to more competitive pricing for their consumers” (E-commerce manager) Bravo: “[…] sophisticated collaboration involving supplier’s staffing at our Head Office enables fast response to demand signals thereby improving availability and impact of contingencies” (Head online grocery) Charlie: “Everyone is paying for failure, so it’s in both parties’ interest to get rid of it […]” (Head of dropshipping operations) Delta: “We believe in selection, availability and good value for money. To meet these three, suppliers need to work with us in a very transparent manner, be agile and action our forecasts […] deliver within agreed timelines […] all these have a domino effect, so you can offer and sell more and consumers are happy” (Supply chain director) Echo: “Partners know our ambition and because we’ve a huge shopper base, it attracts suppliers to adapt to our requirements and in some cases, we obtain exclusivity in our product-service offering” (Senior in-stock manager) Foxtrot: “[…] continues to be a huge opportunity, and we’ve pushed suppliers to develop dropship propositions to help us increase range” (Buying manager) Golf: “So we’d probably be looking with some of the suppliers, looking at future trends and opportunities to be trialed and develop ahead of the rest of the market” (Supply manager)	++	Relationship governance and service architecture
Alpha: “We provide the highest convenience through our one-hour delivery proposition for customers by continuously optimizing the flows within our network and with our carrier partner” (Chief technology officer) Bravo: “Our in-store fulfilment structure combined with our own vehicle fleet allow us to offer our customers very competitive delivery pricing with high delivery performance, often times exceeding customer expectations” (Commercial director) Charlie: “It’s obviously critical we combine the different aspects of delivery associated with the distribution structure, the network flows, and the development of relationships with our core 3PLs in a way that allow us to offer an attractive delivery service proposition and the highest level of customer service experience” (Supply chain analyst) Delta: “Our fulfilment centers are strategically located around the country […] using our in-house developed systems to connect with our market sellers, we build our competitive advantage around next-day delivery service for our Prime members” (Senior manager) Echo: “[…] Echo’s platform strategy enables full visibility across the entire network not only for us, but also for our independent contractors, restaurants, retail stores, etc., to consistently deliver orders on time and in full” (Senior in-stock manager) Foxtrot: “[…] it’s all about how to optimize our network flows and ensuring the adopted network distribution structure are aligned with our value proposition to obtain delivery economics and customer satisfaction” (Commercial director) Golf: “They’re not mutually exclusive: optimizing our network structure, ensuring we maintain good relationships with our supply chain partners, and offering a competitive delivery proposition are fundamental to consistently deliver high service performance for our customers” (Supply chain and innovation manager)	+++	LMSN configuration and performance

Example description	Strength of association	Coding category
Alpha: “Centralized hub-and-spoke model allows us to have very efficient distribution, wide coverage while keeping incremental costs low” (Senior operations manager)Bravo: “Decentralized structure enables shortening delivery lead-time and costs. […] Complexity is managed by allocating consumers to stores but trade-off global view of inventory […] due to distributed flows […]” (Supply chain director)Charlie: “By default, stocks in Charlie’s warehouses are always considered cheapest. If none had stock, we will search for dropship suppliers based on pricing” (Head of dropshipping operations)Delta: “[…] marketplace is too huge to realize integration between partners. We set up a platform for partners to use and they just have to comply” (Supply chain director)Echo: “Simple and direct point-to-point flow from local inventory points […]” (Transportation analyst)Foxtrot: “[…] we have a mixture of fast and slow moving lines, making sure we’ve got the right lines in those big hubs, and the right volume to cope with demand both from spokes and from home delivery” (Central operations director)Golf: “[…] fulfilling online orders using front stock you’re going to end up causing availability issues or increasing stock holding cost, because you’ll need to hold more stock at the local level than you’d have from a centralized fulfillment point” (Supply chain and innovation manager)	+++	Structure and flow
Alpha: “We only have three CFCs now, so it’s easy for suppliers to deliver […] some suppliers pre-segment the products and deliver direct to our separate zones, reducing lead-time between orders and on-shelf replenishment” (Supply chain engagement manager)Bravo: “[…] suppliers only deliver to the National DCs and in some cases Regional DCs, Retailer B will then trunk the stocks through its secondary distribution network to the stores and FCs, hence minimum influence on relationships with suppliers” (E-commerce manager)Charlie: “[…] FCs dedicated to handling different products. E.g. one managed by CEVA for furniture and TVs, one by EXPERT for white goods, one clothing […] we work with different specialists handling the products” (Head of dropshipping operations)Delta: “FCs are set up to be able to take containers of various sizes and delivery types, open 24/7, and are located in places where there is a good transportation network so that suppliers can deliver easily [..] helps to reduce transaction frictions” (Senior manager)Echo: “No involvement from partners for this service model as we handle everything from inbound logistics to last-mile delivery. Suppliers only get the aggregate volume. For deliveries, very transactional, we contract self-employed for last-mile” (Senior in-stock manager)Foxtrot: “Our key suppliers ship directly into our DCs. But now, for some suppliers we’re dealing with direct deliveries into hubs, either on demand or simply direct replenishment to hubs” (Central operations director)Golf: “[…] easy for us to work with Golf because they only have one National DC. They then use their own distribution network to replenish stores and the Burton FC. Sometimes, they do backhauling for us” (E-commerce manager)	+++	Structure and relationship governance
Alpha: “Our key value proposition is freshness. Delivering direct from our CFCs without going through stores reduces handling time” (Operations manager)Bravo: “[…] in-store fulfillment model […] one-to-one allocation of store to consumer, range is limited by what’s available in the allocated store. Consumers in the catchment area of the dark stores will have access to wider range “(Supply chain analyst)Charlie: “Using centralized FCs for fulfillment and dropshipping allow us to offer convenience for in-store collection and wide product range respectively” (Senior operations manager)Delta: “Combination of centralized fulfillment and dropship from sellers enable us to offer the widest range of products especially long-tail ones […]” (Senior vendor manager)Echo: “Local inventory points allow us to offer one-hour delivery service […]”Foxtrot: “We’ve the biggest home delivery network in the UK. The speed that we’re able to fulfill customers’ needs and stock availability are second to none” (Central operations director)Golf: “[…] difficult to replicate because we’ve so many stores, but the bit that makes a challenge for us is that we can’t move our cut-off time as quickly as other retailers as we’ve got a lot more considerations” (Omnichannel value proposition manager)	++	Structure and service architecture
Alpha: “Promotions, product range, merchandising right products and enhanced product content on the website are very important for winning shoppers, if you try and promote as much for the suppliers without their support and investments, you’ll go bust!” (Head of general merchandise)Bravo: “We’ve employees based in Retailer B’s HO to do forecasting and order replenishment enabling instantaneous reaction to demand volatility […] improves flow of information and stocks” (Commercial director)Charlie: “Mostly it comes down to price, If you can do that, you’ll get the business and what we get is just standard service.” (Head of dropshipping operations)Delta: “Retailer C’s replenishment systems are designed more for general merchandise, not for CPG, and if we want business improvement in our area, they will require us to invest more in their platform (E-commerce manager)Echo: “Because we’re so transparent, partners can reach Retailer C very quickly and vice versa, allowing consumers to get their products extremely fast” (Supply chain director)Foxtrot: “Due to our relationship, we have the supplier commitment to manufacture and deliver on-time, and therefore we can accurately work out the time to consumers” (Central operations director)Golf: “We share varied levels of details with the suppliers depending, partly on our relationship with them. Some data we make available as part of the package, if they support us with other opportunities” (Supply manager)	+++	Flow and relationship governance
Mixed results (full data available upon request)	?	Flow and service architecture
Alpha: “[…] 10-year partnership with Waitrose resulting in joint buying agreements with several suppliers allow Retailer A to obtain competitive pricing translating to more competitive pricing for their consumers” (E-commerce manager)Bravo: “[…] sophisticated collaboration involving supplier’s staffing at our Head Office enables fast response to demand signals thereby improving availability and impact of contingencies” (Head online grocery)Charlie: “Everyone is paying for failure, so it’s in both parties’ interest to get rid of it […]” (Head of dropshipping operations)Delta: “We believe in selection, availability and good value for money. To meet these three, suppliers need to work with us in a very transparent manner, be agile and action our forecasts […] deliver within agreed timelines […] all these have a domino effect, so you can offer and sell more and consumers are happy” (Supply chain director)Echo: “Partners know our ambition and because we’ve a huge shopper base, it attracts suppliers to adapt to our requirements and in some cases, we obtain exclusivity in our product-service offering” (Senior in-stock manager)Foxtrot: “[…] continues to be a huge opportunity, and we’ve pushed suppliers to develop dropship propositions to help us increase range” (Buying manager)Golf: “So we’d probably be looking with some of the suppliers, looking at future trends and opportunities to be trialed and develop ahead of the rest of the market” (Supply manager)	++	Relationship governance and service architecture
Alpha: “We provide the highest convenience through our one-hour delivery proposition for customers by continuously optimizing the flows within our network and with our carrier partner” (Chief technology officer)Bravo: “Our in-store fulfilment structure combined with our own vehicle fleet allow us to offer our customers very competitive delivery pricing with high delivery performance, often times exceeding customer expectations” (Commercial director)Charlie: “It’s obviously critical we combine the different aspects of delivery associated with the distribution structure, the network flows, and the development of relationships with our core 3PLs in a way that allow us to offer an attractive delivery service proposition and the highest level of customer service experience” (Supply chain analyst)Delta: “Our fulfilment centers are strategically located around the country […] using our in-house developed systems to connect with our market sellers, we build our competitive advantage around next-day delivery service for our Prime members” (Senior manager)Echo: “[…] Echo’s platform strategy enables full visibility across the entire network not only for us, but also for our independent contractors, restaurants, retail stores, etc., to consistently deliver orders on time and in full” (Senior in-stock manager)Foxtrot: “[…] it’s all about how to optimize our network flows and ensuring the adopted network distribution structure are aligned with our value proposition to obtain delivery economics and customer satisfaction” (Commercial director)Golf: “They’re not mutually exclusive: optimizing our network structure, ensuring we maintain good relationships with our supply chain partners, and offering a competitive delivery proposition are fundamental to consistently deliver high service performance for our customers” (Supply chain and innovation manager)	+++	LMSN configuration and performance