Date of Conferral
7-2-2024
Date of Award
July 2024
Degree
Doctor of Business Administration (D.B.A.)
School
Business Administration
Advisor
Michael Campo
Abstract
Shifts in consumer demands, access to raw materials, and rapid growth can influence supply chain performance. Tool and Die (T&D) manufacturing leaders tend to be concerned with ineffective supply chains, which can harm firms’ competitiveness and profitability. Grounded in Porter’s Value Chain theory, the purpose of this qualitative pragmatic inquiry was to identify and explore strategies that some leaders in the U.S. tool and die industry use to manage supply chains successfully. The participants were five T&D manufacturing leaders in the eastern United States who successfully managed T&D supply chains. Data were collected using purposeful sampling via semistructured interviews and analyzed using Yin’s process methodology. Thematic analysis identified four themes: a) infrastructure, b) operations, c) human resource management, and d) procurement. A key recommendation for T&D manufacturing leaders is to effectively collaborate and communicate with all stakeholders: employees, suppliers, and third-party logistics (3PLs). Implications for positive social change include the potential for cost reductions and a decrease in import dependency, correlating to the possibility of employment opportunities nationwide.
Recommended Citation
Smith, Rudolph, "Manufacturing Strategies for Optimizing Supply Chains and Mitigating Disruption" (2024). Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies. 16019.
https://scholarworks.waldenu.edu/dissertations/16019
