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PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to investigate, using survey data, how a firm may be able to leverage innovation or processes specifically developed for one customer across its entire customer network using on-site, or implanted, employees.Design/methodology/approachData collected from a survey of 309 implanted logistics service provider (LSP) representatives are analyzed using structural equation modeling.FindingsThe findings show that intra-organizational task interdependence and face-to-face communication can lead to a greater understanding of firm processes developed for specific customers and greater diffusion of these new processes to other customers. Rather than separating customers that require implanted employees, these implants can be a conduit of valuable information and process enhancements that can positively impact a firm's customer network.Originality/valueThe current research shows how LSPs can effectively use their customer networks to provide process improvements for multiple customers. Specifically, transferring processes between customers can lead to efficiencies and contribute to supply chain robustness not possible without process diffusion.

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to shed light on the body of logistics customer service (LCS) research published in leading logistics journals from 1990 to 2017. Specifically, the paper presents a call to arms for logistics and supply chain researchers to address new and emerging issues impacting customer service in the age of omnichannel and e-commerce retailing.Design/methodology/approachThe authors reviewed academic journals to identify articles focusing on LCS from 1990 through 2017. The authors noted trends in academic research activity/focus and supplemented the findings by examining more recent trends covered in trade publication articles.FindingsThe authors observed a large amount of LCS research in the early 1990s and 2000s, but noticed a substantial decline in coverage within academic journals since the late 2000s while industry continues to give customer service issues even greater attention. The difference between the level of coverage within academic journals and the increased importance firms place on customer service represents a critical gap and opportunity for scholars. This research represents a "call to arms" to address this gap. With particular emphasis on observed customer impatience and escalating requests, within omni- and e-commerce channels of distribution, we suggest greater theoretical insights into customer service strategies and their role in successfully navigating today's changing logistics service environment are needed.Originality/valueThe review serves as a call for more attention to customer service issues within leading logistics journals. Suggestions for research into new and emerging topics are offered.

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to determine how a firm's strategic orientation affects service innovation capability and the resulting impact on market performance.Design/methodology/approachA survey was administered to supply chain executives. Structural equation modeling was used to analyze the relationships among the following constructs: customer orientation, competitor orientation, cost orientation, service innovation, and market performance.FindingsAlthough the relationship between cost orientation and service innovation is not supported, the relationships between customer orientation and competitor orientation and service innovation are supported. Additionally, the relationship between service innovation and market performance is supported.Research limitations/implicationsThis study is one of a limited number of studies which has empirically addressed service innovation. Additional research is needed to address the impact of a firm's strategic orientation on product innovation capability.Practical implicationsThe study found that firms seeking to develop a service innovation capability should employ customer orientation, competitor orientation, or a combination of the two different types of strategic orientation.Originality/valueService innovation has received very little empirical attention in the current innovation literature. This paper fills in some of the gaps in the literature.

PurposeThis research is aimed at understanding how inter-organizational team members' ability to encode, interpret, retain and recall knowledge can lead to effective supply chain collaboration, resulting in improved firm performance. Using the lens of transactive memory systems (TMS), this research demonstrates the value of knowing who knows what (specialization), is it trustworthy (credibility) and how to retrieve it (coordination) on supply chain firm performance through network collaboration.Design/methodology/approachThe authors used a multi-method approach that includes quantitative survey methodology and a qualitative methodology using semi-structured interviews. In total, 207 survey responses and six semi-structured interviews provided valuable insights into the use of TMS in supply chain relationships.FindingsThis study shows that TMS can enable firms to exploit potential benefits of collaboration on network optimization, thus improving the overall efficiency and process innovations.Practical implicationsTo maintain the efficient use of a firm's assets while suppliers get added or removed from the network, this study's findings suggest that managers should be more knowledgeable of supply chain partners carrying codified knowledge, which can contribute to superior firm performance. Recognizing that when two or more firms collaborate, there are multiple supply chains affected by each decision, it is important that managers carefully assign the specific role of each firm within the supply chain.Originality/valueThis research takes a new approach to network optimization by specifically considering how firms work together to share information about their changing networks to allow firms throughout the supply chain to gain greater levels of asset efficiency and process improvement.

PurposeInterest in reverse logistics (RL) as a critical component of supply chain management (SCM) is gaining more traction with both practitioners and academics. Because of RL's growing strategic importance, it is imperative to conduct a timely and comprehensive literature review and to identify associated opportunities for future research. The paper aims to discuss these issues.Design/methodology/approachIn this paper, the researchers conduct an extensive bibliometric analysis of published academic articles on RL for the period of 1992-2015. Specifically, the CiteSpace software is utilized to conduct document co-citation analysis and burst detection analysis on 912 selected RL articles and their 22,642 references.FindingsThis research identifies the most influential RL research publications/citations in each of the five periods and their research contribution. Using co-citation analysis, the authors are able to identify and illustrate major research themes, knowledge groups, and future research opportunities in the RL field.Originality/valueIn contrast to existing literature review studies in the logistics field, the study uses impact factor as a key article selection criterion. The influential articles identified in this process well represent the core literature and RL body of knowledge and have important implications for future research.