Abstract:
This research study is an examination of the influencing factors on lead time performance
in a capital equipment supply environment. The research is being undertaken as a case
study of the capital equipment supply environment of the offshore oil exploration and
production industry on the UK Continental Shelf. The study methodology is justified as
a case supply environment, with multiple sources of data from research instruments
including: exploratory and detailed interviews and structured survey methods. The
literature review examines time-based approaches to supply chain improvement and the
literature related to supply chain integration. Relevant literature related to supply chain
systems/structures and relationships/infrastructure are examined as potential influencing
factors on lead time performance. A background of the generic case environment is
provided, along with relevant literature related to the supply chain in oil exploration and
production. The results of a survey of the state of integration of the offshore supply chain
are presented and analysed, followed by the results of a structured mail survey within the
capital equipment environment. The survey information is used to inform the Case
Research phase and define a division of the case environment related to different
complexity levels. Individual cases are analysed based on the framework from the
literature review and refined from the survey phase. The research questions are addressed
at the level of each individual case and propositions derived which are then validated
based on cross-case comparisons. Aspects of literature that are supported by the study are
discussed along with those areas where there is a contribution to literature. Contribution
to supply chain theory is justified related to the derivation of a Types Classification
Model as a means of understanding the generic nature of a capital equipment supply
chain. Contribution to methodology is justified, based on the use of a supply
environment for study and the use of a supply chain trace-back method.
