A new framework for supply chain management Conceptual model and empirical test R. Cigolini Politecnico di Milano, Dipartimento di Economia e Produzione, Milano, Italy M. Cozzi The Boston Consulting Group, Milano, Italy, and M. Perona University of Brescia, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Brescia, Italy Keywords Supply chain management, Management techniques Abstract Supply chain management (SCM) is explored from an operational perspective, following a threefold approach. The article introduces a set of management techniques and supporting tools that can be used to analyse and describe SCM strategies. It proposes a new normative tool and uses it to examine a large set of relevant SCM case studies pertaining to seven industries: apparel, automobile, grocery, white goods, pharmaceuticals, computers and book publishing. The article develops a new conceptual framework for SCM strategies and test it based on empirical evidence. The new schemes proposed here provide a normative tool to define and represent supply chain strategies, a contingency model to support managers in designing supply chain strategies, and some hints for further research. 1. Introduction 1.1. Background Supply chain management (SCM) often refers either to a process-oriented management approach to sourcing, producing and delivering goods and services to end consumers or, in a broader meaning, to the co-ordination of the various actors belonging to the same supply chain (Harland, 1996). Co-operation among firms belonging to the same supply chain is nowadays recognised as a powerful source of competitive advantage (Christopher, 1992b). Leading-edge companies realised that by transferring costs either upstream or downstream, they are actually not increasing their competitiveness, since all costs ultimately make their way to consumers. Hence, SCM tasks firms to The Emerald Research Register for this journal is available at The current issue and full text archive of this journal is available at www.emeraldinsight.com/researchregister www.emeraldinsight.com/0144-3577.htm The authors wish to thank Dr Angellara, Dr Adani and Dr Chessa, formerly students at the Politecnico di Milano, for without their help this study could not have been made. Thanks also to Dr Jenna of McKinsey & Co. Italy, who financially supported a part of the study and actively took part in it. The authors are also grateful to the (anonymous) referees for providing valuable contributions and insights in order to improve the content of this paper and its presentation, and to Professors John Stevenson and Pietro Perona, for improving so much the English of this paper. A new framework for SCM 7 International Journal of Operations & Production Management Vol. 24 No. 1, 2004 pp. 7-41 q Emerald Group Publishing Limited 0144-3577 DOI 10.1108/01443570410510979