Network Capability Configurations as a Catalyst for Competitive Advantage
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Karl Gerhard Schalm
Karl Gerhard Schalm, M. Sc., born in 1996, studied industrial engineering with a specialization in mechanical engineering at RWTH Aachen University. He is a research associate at the Institute of Technology Management at the University of St.Gallen in the area of production management in the research group Global Production.
and
Thomas Friedli
Prof. Dr. Thomas Friedli, born in 1971, is a Professor of Business Administration in the field of Production Management and Director of the Institute of Technology Management at the University of St. Gallen. In addition to international manufacturing networks, his main research areas include operational excellence and smart services.
Abstract
Historically, manufacturing companies supplied world markets out of their home countries. Today, most of them rely on a network of globally spread plants. The benefits a network provides are summarized under the term network capabilities. It remains open, how a well-designed network can compensate the lack in competitive advantage in, e. g., quality or flexibility. This article sheds light on which configurations of network capabilities are worthwhile investing into under defined contingencies.
Abstract
In der Vergangenheit belieferten produzierende Unternehmen die Weltmärkte aus ihren Heimatländern, heute werden meist globale Netzwerke genutzt. Deren Vorteile werden unter dem Begriff Netzwerkfähigkeiten subsumiert. Offen bleibt, wie ein gut gestaltetes Netzwerk fehlende Wettbewerbsvorteile, wie z. B. bei Qualität oder Flexibilität, kompensieren kann. Dieser Beitrag beleuchtet, in welche Konfigurationen von Netzwerkfähigkeiten sich ein Investment unter bestimmten Voraussetzungen lohnt.
Note
This article is peer reviewed by the members of the ZWF Advisory Board.
About the authors
Karl Gerhard Schalm, M. Sc., born in 1996, studied industrial engineering with a specialization in mechanical engineering at RWTH Aachen University. He is a research associate at the Institute of Technology Management at the University of St.Gallen in the area of production management in the research group Global Production.
Prof. Dr. Thomas Friedli, born in 1971, is a Professor of Business Administration in the field of Production Management and Director of the Institute of Technology Management at the University of St. Gallen. In addition to international manufacturing networks, his main research areas include operational excellence and smart services.
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Articles in the same Issue
- Frontmatter
- Editorial
- Strategien der Produktion
- Global Production
- Managing Global Manufacturing 2025+
- Current Topics in International Manufacturing
- Strategic Manufacturing Network Performance Assessment Tool
- Tactical Order Allocation in International Manufacturing Networks
- Centralism or Autonomy?
- Company-Specific Plant Roles
- Network Capability Configurations as a Catalyst for Competitive Advantage
- Integrating Risk into the Analysis
- Interview
- Wir denken unsere Prozesse neu!
- Nachhaltigkeit
- Nachhaltige Produktionsoptimierung
- Substitution von energieintensiven Primärmaterialien
- Geschäftsmodelle
- Geschäftsmodellentwicklung für Kreislaufwirtschaft und Nachhaltigkeit
- Fehlerprävention
- Prädiktion menschlicher Fehler in der Linienmontage
- Tribologie
- Ressourceneffiziente Prozesse durch modifizierte Werkzeugoberflächen
- Energieeffizienz
- Vom Verbrauchsmonitoring zur Verbrauchsprognose
- Künstliche Intelligenz
- Integration eines ChatGPT-gestützten Part Vectorizers in das Trichter-Sieb-Modell
- Digitale Zwillinge
- Simulationsgestützte Optimierung globaler Produktionsnetzwerke
- Digitalisierung
- Business Engineering
- Die Konvergenz des Building Information Models und des Digitalen Zwillings im Fabriklebenszyklus
- Vorschau
- Vorschau
Articles in the same Issue
- Frontmatter
- Editorial
- Strategien der Produktion
- Global Production
- Managing Global Manufacturing 2025+
- Current Topics in International Manufacturing
- Strategic Manufacturing Network Performance Assessment Tool
- Tactical Order Allocation in International Manufacturing Networks
- Centralism or Autonomy?
- Company-Specific Plant Roles
- Network Capability Configurations as a Catalyst for Competitive Advantage
- Integrating Risk into the Analysis
- Interview
- Wir denken unsere Prozesse neu!
- Nachhaltigkeit
- Nachhaltige Produktionsoptimierung
- Substitution von energieintensiven Primärmaterialien
- Geschäftsmodelle
- Geschäftsmodellentwicklung für Kreislaufwirtschaft und Nachhaltigkeit
- Fehlerprävention
- Prädiktion menschlicher Fehler in der Linienmontage
- Tribologie
- Ressourceneffiziente Prozesse durch modifizierte Werkzeugoberflächen
- Energieeffizienz
- Vom Verbrauchsmonitoring zur Verbrauchsprognose
- Künstliche Intelligenz
- Integration eines ChatGPT-gestützten Part Vectorizers in das Trichter-Sieb-Modell
- Digitale Zwillinge
- Simulationsgestützte Optimierung globaler Produktionsnetzwerke
- Digitalisierung
- Business Engineering
- Die Konvergenz des Building Information Models und des Digitalen Zwillings im Fabriklebenszyklus
- Vorschau
- Vorschau
