Title: Manufacturing backsourcing: a case study of a company's process framework

Authors: Hans Solli-Sæther; Jan Terje Karlsen; Andrea Blindheim Slyngstad

Addresses: Department of International Business, NTNU Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Ålesund, Norway ' Department of Leadership and Organizational Behaviour, BI Norwegian Business School, Oslo, Norway ' Department of International Business, NTNU Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Ålesund, Norway

Abstract: The purpose of this study is to examine the backsourcing process. Based on previous research and lessons learned from a case study of a supplier of maritime equipment in a Scandinavian cluster, important drivers, activities and challenges related to the backsourcing process are identified. The key contribution of this research is the development of a stepwise model of how companies can backsource. It is a framework describing how companies can conduct the backsourcing process, which consists of four phases consisting of different objectives and activities. Moreover, three main challenges are identified, namely limitations in capacity, re-building knowledge, and adapting the backsourced product to the production site. In addition to filling a gap in the existing literature, the framework can also be used as an analytic tool to help managers deal with the decisions and challenges related to the backsourcing process.

Keywords: backsourcing; manufacturing industry; sourcing process.

DOI: 10.1504/EJIM.2023.128427

European Journal of International Management, 2023 Vol.19 No.2, pp.177 - 197

Received: 26 Feb 2018
Accepted: 10 Jan 2019
Published online: 23 Jan 2023 *

Full-text access for editors Full-text access for subscribers Purchase this article Comment on this article