Title: Demand chain management implementation enablers: an interpretive structural modelling approach

Authors: Narendra Varkhedkar; Prakash Verma; Nitin Seth

Addresses: Jabalpur Engineering College, Jabalpur, 482011 (M.P.), India; Government Polytechnic College, Katni (M.P.), PIN-483501, India ' Industrial and Production Engineering Department, Jabalpur Engineering College, Jabalpur, 482011 (M.P.), India ' Indian Institute of Foreign Trade, IFT Bhawan, B-21, Qutab Institutional Area, New Delhi, 110016, India

Abstract: The proper implementation of demand chain management (DCM) requires the involvement of the whole enterprise to carry out demand creation and demand fulfilment activities. This increases the complexity due to involvement of large number of parameters and their interrelatedness. The purpose of this research paper is to establish a structural relationship among the variables facilitating the fulfilment of demand (enablers) using interpretive structural modelling (ISM). Variables related to DCM are identified from literature and are classified as enablers (facilitating the fulfilment of demand) and challenges (facilitating the creation of demand) by experts. ISM is used to obtain structural relationship among the enablers. The information and communication technology (ICT), and urbanisation are most important variables due to their high driving and low dependence. The model also shows that a large number of variables are linkage variables indicating feedback relationship among them and sensitiveness to change. The findings will help organisations to have better insight in implementation of DCM practices. Further, the paper also attempts to address research implications for future research in this area.

Keywords: demand chain management; DCM; enablers; modelling; interpretive structural modelling; ISM; ICT; urbanisation.

DOI: 10.1504/IJMOM.2015.069228

International Journal of Modelling in Operations Management, 2015 Vol.5 No.1, pp.13 - 32

Received: 08 Oct 2014
Accepted: 09 Dec 2014
Published online: 05 May 2015 *

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