Supplier Relationship Management in an AI enabled Supply Chain

Table of Contents

CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION

CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW

CHAPTER 3: METHODOLOGY

CHAPTER 4: CASE STUDIES

CHAPTER 5: FRAMEWORK

CHAPTER 6: RESULTS & IMPACT

CHAPTER 7: DISCUSSION

CHAPTER 8: INNOVATIVE SUPPLIER RELATIONSHIP MANAGEMENT IN CRANE SERVICES PROCUREMENT

CHAPTER 9: CONCLUSION

Research Objectives and Themes

This thesis investigates the strategic integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) into Supplier Relationship Management (SRM) within manufacturing to foster resilience and collaboration while balancing operational efficiency with ethical and relational considerations.

• Transformation of traditional reactive SRM into proactive, AI-enabled processes.
• Development of the AI-Enhanced SRM Triad framework for manufacturing contexts.
• Analysis of the balance between AI-driven optimization, human-centric governance, and ethical design.
• Evaluation of AI’s impact on resilience, supplier diversity, and cost-efficiency.
• Mitigation of ethical risks such as algorithmic bias and the inclusion of small-to-medium enterprises (SMEs).

Excerpt from the Book

Summary of Chapters

CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION: This chapter outlines the background, problem statement, and objectives of applying AI to SRM in manufacturing to move beyond reactive practices.

CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW: This chapter synthesizes existing research on the evolution of SRM, the role of AI in supply chains, and the associated ethical and relational challenges.

CHAPTER 3: METHODOLOGY: This chapter details the mixed-methods, multiple-case study design used to collect and analyze data across diverse manufacturing contexts.

CHAPTER 4: CASE STUDIES: This chapter presents empirical insights from John Deere and other cases, highlighting AI's real-world impact and implementation hurdles.

CHAPTER 5: FRAMEWORK: This chapter proposes the AI-Enhanced SRM Triad, a structured framework integrating optimization, governance, and ethical design.

CHAPTER 6: RESULTS & IMPACT: This chapter quantifies the impact of the proposed Triad on resilience, collaboration, and equity metrics within manufacturing firms.

CHAPTER 7: DISCUSSION: This chapter synthesizes the study's findings, evaluating the efficacy of the Triad and discussing its theoretical and practical implications.

CHAPTER 8: INNOVATIVE SUPPLIER RELATIONSHIP MANAGEMENT IN CRANE SERVICES PROCUREMENT: This chapter examines a specialized procurement strategy that leverages underutilized resources to achieve significant cost savings.

CHAPTER 9: CONCLUSION: This chapter summarizes the dissertation's key findings, contributions to supply chain management, and recommendations for future research.

Keywords

Supplier Relationship Management, Artificial Intelligence, Manufacturing, Supply Chain Resilience, AI-Driven Optimization, Human-Centric Governance, Ethical Design, Machine Learning, IoT, Procurement, Predictive Analytics, SME Inclusion, Strategic Sourcing, Risk Mitigation, Digital Transformation

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the core focus of this dissertation?

The dissertation explores how to strategically integrate Artificial Intelligence into Supplier Relationship Management within the manufacturing sector to transition from reactive to proactive, resilient, and ethical supply chain operations.

What are the primary themes discussed in the work?

The work centers on three pillars: AI-driven operational optimization, the preservation of human-centric governance to maintain trust, and the implementation of ethical and inclusive design principles.

What is the main research objective?

The objective is to develop and validate the AI-Enhanced SRM Triad framework, which balances the efficiency gains of AI with the relational and ethical requirements of modern manufacturing supplier networks.

Which scientific methodology is employed?

The study utilizes a pragmatic, mixed-methods, multiple-case study design, triangulating secondary data from large industry leaders with planned primary data to ensure robust and practical findings.

What does the main body of the text cover?

The main body spans from the historical evolution of SRM and AI integration to the presentation of empirical case studies, the development of the Triad framework, and the final synthesis of performance results.

Which keywords define this research?

Key terms include Supplier Relationship Management, Artificial Intelligence, supply chain resilience, machine learning, ethical design, procurement, and strategic sourcing.

How does the proposed framework address SME concerns?

The framework includes an 'Ethical and Inclusive Design' pillar that advocates for bias audits and simplified tools to mitigate the exclusion of SMEs, which often struggle with the high costs of AI adoption.

What specific practical insight does the crane services case study offer?

The case demonstrates that SRM can move beyond mere cost-cutting by identifying underutilized organizational assets to create win-win partnerships, achieving over 30% savings in high-setup-cost procurement environments.