Abstract
Supply Chain Management (SCM) in the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) era is contended with changes from global competition stirred by unprecedented technological advancement. This reality has rendered businesses in developing countries incapacitated and unable to accomplish set objectives. Practitioners and stakeholders in the Nigeria Agro-allied Supply Chain (ASC) sector need support with the shrinking state of turnover, high cost of operation, and loss of customers linked to wastage of material and non-material resources. Thus, the research developed a supply chain management framework for the Nigerian Agro-allied industry in the era of the fourth industrial revolution, towards ensuring waste control (reduction and elimination of waste) using lean manufacturing tools. The tools are value stream mapping (VSM), process mapping (PM), and just-in-time (JIT). The study conducted an extensive literature review on the agro-allied supply chain in Nigeria and other countries across the world with related characteristics. In achieving the research objectives, the study adopted a mixed-method approach using a quantitative survey and focus group study. Quantitative data were retrieved through well-structured questionnaires from middle and top-level managers covering 249 sample agro-allied firms. Two hundred questionnaires on a five-point Likert scale were retrieved and subjected to data analysis in the study. Six (6) experts participated in the semi-structured interview; they were selected from the six states, namely Lagos, Oyo, Ogun, Ondo, Ekiti, and Osun, in the southwest region of Nigeria that represent the study area. Data analysis was conducted using Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS) version 28 to show the descriptive and inferential statistics and Nvivo version 2020 to establish the sentiment, cluster, compound query, and thematic analysis of interview data. The study adopted a sequential explanatory design approach, and research findings show that results from the focus group study validate the quantitative analysis. For instance, the study found that using the JIT approach regarding the procurement of raw materials will ensure waste control and better operational efficiency in the sector. Seven (7) critical variables extracted from questionnaires and interviews as determinants of the agro-allied supply chain in Nigeria, namely; JIT Procurement of raw materials, JIT Logistics system, Process Mapped (PM) Production control, Value Stream Mapped (VSM) Research and Development (R&D), VSM Marketing and Sales (M&S), VSM Distribution and Digital Technology (DT) were thus used to develop a supply chain framework for the Industry in Nigeria. The study concludes that adopting lean management tools will engender a positive and
vi
significant change in the Nigerian Agro-allied supply chain, ensuring waste control and customer value maximization. The study recommends that the current supply chain system in the Nigeria Agro-allied sector be revamped using the lean strategy to minimize waste and retain quality standards according to the Standard Organization of Nigeria (SON) guidelines. The study provided an immense and valuable contribution to knowledge, research methodology, and policymakers. For instance, the results obtained from the regression analysis indicate that the application of the agro-allied lean supply chain framework in Nigeria is a seven-factor model. The study is crucial since it addresses theoretical information regarding the variables essential for supply chain management in Nigeria. The framework will be a readymade tool for the industry in making optimum and informed decisions in the 4IR era.
KEYWORDS: Supply Chain Framework; Nigeria; Agro-allied Industry; 4IR; Industry 4.0; Lean Manufacturing