Agility sustainable supply chain in automobile industry
Abstract
Automobile industries are facing rapid and unanticipated changes in their business envi¬ronment. New strategies are needed to remain competitive in the market for those companies. The supply chain plays a crucial role in automobile companies, and improving the supply chain helps them to be successful in the competition. The agile paradigm allows companies to be flexible in the compe¬tition, and also sustainable paradigm helps them to popularity among the organizational system. The primary purpose of this study is to combine agile supply chain and sustainable supply chain as one strategy. For this purpose, 73 factors obtained from previous studies and the Fuzzy Delphi Method and Fuzzy Best Worst Method were used to find the best factors and rank them. The results show that 26 elements accepted and after ranking Quality, Supply chain configuration, Customer satisfaction, Suppliers ’green initiatives and Top management vision were the best five factors. In addition, the results confirmed the finding and the new model for an agile sustainable supply chain.
Keyword : agile supply chain, sustainable supply chain, FDM, FBWM, automobile industry
How to Cite
Bathaei, A., Awang, S. R., Štreimikienė, D., & Ahmad, T. (2025). Agility sustainable supply chain in automobile industry. Technological and Economic Development of Economy, 31(2), 619–638. https://doi.org/10.3846/tede.2025.23231
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
References
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Kusi-Sarpong, S., Gupta, H., Khan, S. A., Chiappetta Jabbour, C. J., Rehman, S. T., & Kusi-Sarpong, H. (2023). Sustainable supplier selection based on industry 4.0 initiatives within the context of circular economy implementation in supply chain operations. Production Planning & Control, 34(10), 999–1019. https://doi.org/10.1080/09537287.2021.1980906
Lutz, C. J., & Bodendorf, F. (2020). Analyzing industry stakeholders using open-source competitive intelligence – A case study in the automotive supply industry. Journal of Enterprise Information Management, 33(3), 579–599. https://doi.org/10.1108/JEIM-08-2019-0234
Masoumi, S. M., Kazemi, N., & Abdul-Rashid, S. H. (2019). Sustainable supply chain management in the automotive industry: A process-oriented review. Sustainability, 11(14), Article 3945. https://doi.org/10.3390/su11143945
Matinheikki, J., Kauppi, K., Brandon-Jones, A., & van Raaij, E. M. (2022). Making agency theory work for supply chain relationships: A systematic review across four disciplines. International Journal of Operations & Production Management, 42(13), 299–334. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJOPM-12-2021-0757
Mpuon, J. A., Edama, A. J. M., Effiong, C., Obo, E. B., Ndem, S. E., Anna, E. H., Lebo, M. P., & Akam, H. S. (2024). Impact of agile business transformation dynamics on the supply chain performance of manufacturing firms. International Journal of Agile Systems and Management, 17(2), 153–192. https://doi.org/10.1504/IJASM.2024.138821
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Nosratpour, M., Nazeri, A., & Soofifard, R. (2018). Study on the relationship between supply chain quality management practices and performance in the Iranian automotive industry. International Journal of Productivity and Quality Management, 23(4), 492–523. https://doi.org/10.1504/IJPQM.2018.090262
Rane, S. B., Thakker, S. V., & Kant, R. (2021). Stakeholders’ involvement in green supply chain: A perspective of blockchain IoT-integrated architecture. Management of Environmental Quality: An International Journal, 32(6), 1166–1191. https://doi.org/10.1108/MEQ-11-2019-0248
Reyes, J., Mula, J., & Díaz-Madroñero, M. (2023). Development of a conceptual model for lean supply chain planning in industry 4.0: Multidimensional analysis for operations management. Production Planning & Control, 34(12), 1209–1224. https://doi.org/10.1080/09537287.2021.1993373
Shah, K. J., Pan, S.-Y., Lee, I., Kim, H., You, Z., Zheng, J.-M., & Chiang, P.-C. (2021). Green transportation for sustainability: Review of current barriers, strategies, and innovative technologies. Journal of Cleaner Production, 326, Article 129392. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2021.129392
Shekarian, E., Ijadi, B., Zare, A., & Majava, J. (2022). Sustainable supply chain management: A comprehensive systematic review of industrial practices. Sustainability, 14(13), Article 7892. https://doi.org/10.3390/su14137892
Shin, N., Park, S. H., & Park, S. (2019). Partnership-based supply chain collaboration: Impact on commitment, innovation, and firm performance. Sustainability, 11(2), Article 449. https://doi.org/10.3390/su11020449
Soleimani, H., Chaharlang, Y., & Ghaderi, H. (2018). Collection and distribution of returned-remanufactured products in a vehicle routing problem with pickup and delivery considering sustainable and green criteria. Journal of Cleaner Production, 172, 960–970. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2017.10.124
Štreimikienė, D., Bathaei, A., & Streimikis, J. (2024). MCDM approaches for supplier selection in sustainable supply chain management. Sustainability, 16(23), Article 10446. https://doi.org/10.3390/su162310446
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Taghikhah, F., Voinov, A., & Shukla, N. (2019). Extending the supply chain to address sustainability. Journal of Cleaner Production, 229, 652–666. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2019.05.051
Talukder, B., & Tripathi, S. (2021). Impact of supply chain performance on firms’ export capability: Development of a statistical model. Global Business Review, Article 09721509211044303. https://doi.org/10.1177/09721509211044303
Umar, M., & Wilson, M. (2021). Supply chain resilience: Unleashing the power of collaboration in disaster management. Sustainability, 13(19), Article 10573. https://doi.org/10.3390/su131910573
Üstündağ, A., & Ungan, M. C. (2020). Supplier flexibility and performance: An empirical research. Business Process Management Journal, 26(7), 1851–1870. https://doi.org/10.1108/BPMJ-01-2019-0027
Valiyan, H., Abdoli, M., Koushki Jahromi, A., Zamanianfar, L., & Gholizadeh, P. (2023). Analysis of the integrating sustainable value creation process: Evidence from Iran’s automotive industry. The TQM Journal, 35(7), 1632–1657. https://doi.org/10.1108/TQM-11-2021-0323
Xu, Y., Zhu, X., Wen, X., & Herrera-Viedma, E. (2021). Fuzzy best-worst method and its application in initial water rights allocation. Applied Soft Computing, 101, Article 107007. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.asoc.2020.107007
Yu, Y., Zhang, M., & Huo, B. (2019). The impact of supply chain quality integration on green supply chain management and environmental performance. Total Quality Management & Business Excellence, 30(9–10), 1110–1125. https://doi.org/10.1080/14783363.2017.1356684
Agarwal, A., Shankar, R., & Tiwari, M. K. (2007). Modeling agility of supply chain. Industrial Marketing Management, 36(4), 443–457. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.indmarman.2005.12.004
Ageron, B., Gunasekaran, A., & Spalanzani, A. (2012). Sustainable supply management: An empirical study. International Journal of Production Economics, 140(1), 168–182. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijpe.2011.04.007
Bathaei, A., Mardani, A., Baležentis, T., Awang, S. R., Štreimikienė, D., Fei, G. C., & Zakuan, N. (2019). Application of fuzzy analytical network process (ANP) and VIKOR for the assessment of green agility critical success factors in dairy companies. Symmetry, 11(2), Article 250. https://doi.org/10.3390/sym11020250
Bathaei, A., Awang, S. R., & Ahmad, T. (2021). Important factors for agile supply chain in Iranian automobile industries. International Journal of Social Science of Human Research, 4(6), 1259–1269. https://doi.org/10.47191/ijsshr/v4-i6-06
Bratt, C., Sroufe, R., & Broman, G. (2021). Implementing strategic sustainable supply chain management. Sustainability, 13(15), Article 8132. https://doi.org/10.3390/su13158132
Fang, C., & Zhang, J. (2018). Performance of green supply chain management: A systematic review and meta analysis. Journal of Cleaner Production, 183, 1064–1081. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2018.02.171
Feizabadi, J., & Alibakhshi, S. (2022). Synergistic effect of cooperation and coordination to enhance the firm’s supply chain adaptability and performance. Benchmarking: An International Journal, 29(1), 136–171. https://doi.org/10.1108/BIJ-11-2020-0589
Ghasemian Sahebi, I., Toufighi, S. P., Azzavi, M., Masoomi, B., & Maleki, M. H. (2024). Fuzzy ISM–DEMATEL modeling for the sustainable development hindrances in the renewable energy supply chain. International Journal of Energy Sector Management, 18(1), 43–70. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJESM-05-2022-0024
Giunipero, L. C., Hooker, R. E., & Denslow, D. (2012). Purchasing and supply management sustainability: Drivers and barriers. Journal of Purchasing and Supply Management, 18(4), 258–269. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pursup.2012.06.003
Gopal, P., & Thakkar, J. (2016). Sustainable supply chain practices: An empirical investigation on Indian automobile industry. Production Planning & Control, 27(1), 49–64. https://doi.org/10.1080/09537287.2015.1060368
Gopalakrishnan, K., Yusuf, Y. Y., Musa, A., Abubakar, T., & Ambursa, H. M. (2012). Sustainable supply chain management: A case study of British Aerospace (BAe) Systems. International Journal of Production Economics, 140(1), 193–203. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijpe.2012.01.003
Iqbal, A., Liu, X., & Chen, G.-H. (2020). Municipal solid waste: Review of best practices in application of life cycle assessment and sustainable management techniques. Science of the Total Environment, 729, Article 138622. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.138622
Kelishomi, A. M., & Nisticò, R. (2022). Employment effects of economic sanctions in Iran. World Development, 151, Article 105760. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.worlddev.2021.105760
Khalili, S. M., Pooya, A., Kazemi, M., & Fakoor Saghih, A. M. (2024). Integrated resilient and sustainable gasoline supply chain model with operational and disruption risks: A case study of Iran. Environment, Development and Sustainability, 1–73. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10668-024-05162-8
Kumar, A., Mangla, S. K., Luthra, S., & Ishizaka, A. (2019). Evaluating the human resource related soft dimensions in green supply chain management implementation. Production Planning & Control, 30(9), 699–715. https://doi.org/10.1080/09537287.2018.1555342
Kusi-Sarpong, S., Gupta, H., Khan, S. A., Chiappetta Jabbour, C. J., Rehman, S. T., & Kusi-Sarpong, H. (2023). Sustainable supplier selection based on industry 4.0 initiatives within the context of circular economy implementation in supply chain operations. Production Planning & Control, 34(10), 999–1019. https://doi.org/10.1080/09537287.2021.1980906
Lutz, C. J., & Bodendorf, F. (2020). Analyzing industry stakeholders using open-source competitive intelligence – A case study in the automotive supply industry. Journal of Enterprise Information Management, 33(3), 579–599. https://doi.org/10.1108/JEIM-08-2019-0234
Masoumi, S. M., Kazemi, N., & Abdul-Rashid, S. H. (2019). Sustainable supply chain management in the automotive industry: A process-oriented review. Sustainability, 11(14), Article 3945. https://doi.org/10.3390/su11143945
Matinheikki, J., Kauppi, K., Brandon-Jones, A., & van Raaij, E. M. (2022). Making agency theory work for supply chain relationships: A systematic review across four disciplines. International Journal of Operations & Production Management, 42(13), 299–334. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJOPM-12-2021-0757
Mpuon, J. A., Edama, A. J. M., Effiong, C., Obo, E. B., Ndem, S. E., Anna, E. H., Lebo, M. P., & Akam, H. S. (2024). Impact of agile business transformation dynamics on the supply chain performance of manufacturing firms. International Journal of Agile Systems and Management, 17(2), 153–192. https://doi.org/10.1504/IJASM.2024.138821
Naradda Gamage, S. K., Ekanayake, E., Abeyrathne, G., Prasanna, R., Jayasundara, J., & Rajapakshe, P. (2020). A review of global challenges and survival strategies of small and medium enterprises (SMEs). Economies, 8(4), Article 79. https://doi.org/10.3390/economies8040079
Nosratpour, M., Nazeri, A., & Soofifard, R. (2018). Study on the relationship between supply chain quality management practices and performance in the Iranian automotive industry. International Journal of Productivity and Quality Management, 23(4), 492–523. https://doi.org/10.1504/IJPQM.2018.090262
Rane, S. B., Thakker, S. V., & Kant, R. (2021). Stakeholders’ involvement in green supply chain: A perspective of blockchain IoT-integrated architecture. Management of Environmental Quality: An International Journal, 32(6), 1166–1191. https://doi.org/10.1108/MEQ-11-2019-0248
Reyes, J., Mula, J., & Díaz-Madroñero, M. (2023). Development of a conceptual model for lean supply chain planning in industry 4.0: Multidimensional analysis for operations management. Production Planning & Control, 34(12), 1209–1224. https://doi.org/10.1080/09537287.2021.1993373
Shah, K. J., Pan, S.-Y., Lee, I., Kim, H., You, Z., Zheng, J.-M., & Chiang, P.-C. (2021). Green transportation for sustainability: Review of current barriers, strategies, and innovative technologies. Journal of Cleaner Production, 326, Article 129392. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2021.129392
Shekarian, E., Ijadi, B., Zare, A., & Majava, J. (2022). Sustainable supply chain management: A comprehensive systematic review of industrial practices. Sustainability, 14(13), Article 7892. https://doi.org/10.3390/su14137892
Shin, N., Park, S. H., & Park, S. (2019). Partnership-based supply chain collaboration: Impact on commitment, innovation, and firm performance. Sustainability, 11(2), Article 449. https://doi.org/10.3390/su11020449
Soleimani, H., Chaharlang, Y., & Ghaderi, H. (2018). Collection and distribution of returned-remanufactured products in a vehicle routing problem with pickup and delivery considering sustainable and green criteria. Journal of Cleaner Production, 172, 960–970. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2017.10.124
Štreimikienė, D., Bathaei, A., & Streimikis, J. (2024). MCDM approaches for supplier selection in sustainable supply chain management. Sustainability, 16(23), Article 10446. https://doi.org/10.3390/su162310446
Suifan, T., Alazab, M., & Alhyari, S. (2019). Trade-off among lean, agile, resilient and green paradigms: An empirical study on pharmaceutical industry in Jordan using a TOPSIS-entropy method. International Journal of Advanced Operations Management, 11(1–2), 69–101. https://doi.org/10.1504/IJAOM.2019.098493
Sytch, M., Kim, Y., & Page, S. (2022). Supplier-selection practices for robust global supply chain networks: A simulation of the global auto industry. California Management Review, 64(2), 119–142. https://doi.org/10.1177/00081256211070335
Taghikhah, F., Voinov, A., & Shukla, N. (2019). Extending the supply chain to address sustainability. Journal of Cleaner Production, 229, 652–666. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2019.05.051
Talukder, B., & Tripathi, S. (2021). Impact of supply chain performance on firms’ export capability: Development of a statistical model. Global Business Review, Article 09721509211044303. https://doi.org/10.1177/09721509211044303
Umar, M., & Wilson, M. (2021). Supply chain resilience: Unleashing the power of collaboration in disaster management. Sustainability, 13(19), Article 10573. https://doi.org/10.3390/su131910573
Üstündağ, A., & Ungan, M. C. (2020). Supplier flexibility and performance: An empirical research. Business Process Management Journal, 26(7), 1851–1870. https://doi.org/10.1108/BPMJ-01-2019-0027
Valiyan, H., Abdoli, M., Koushki Jahromi, A., Zamanianfar, L., & Gholizadeh, P. (2023). Analysis of the integrating sustainable value creation process: Evidence from Iran’s automotive industry. The TQM Journal, 35(7), 1632–1657. https://doi.org/10.1108/TQM-11-2021-0323
Xu, Y., Zhu, X., Wen, X., & Herrera-Viedma, E. (2021). Fuzzy best-worst method and its application in initial water rights allocation. Applied Soft Computing, 101, Article 107007. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.asoc.2020.107007
Yu, Y., Zhang, M., & Huo, B. (2019). The impact of supply chain quality integration on green supply chain management and environmental performance. Total Quality Management & Business Excellence, 30(9–10), 1110–1125. https://doi.org/10.1080/14783363.2017.1356684