Research Poster (visual summary) for the master's thesis of Jakub Plonski at Univeristy of Twente and Trilux Germany regarding "The development of method for identification of innovation from suppliers based on a supplier assessment" - 02.2014. More details including the public version of the whole master's thesis @ https://de.linkedin.com/in/jakubplonski

1. PROBLEM STATEMENT
RESEARCH QUESTION The master’s thesis will follow the action research
approach, which is not a pure “pattern analysis”.
“Action research is about working towards practical
outcomes, and also creating new forms of
understanding, since action without understanding
and reflection is blind, just a theory without action is
meaningless.”
(Reason & Bradbury, 2001, p. 2)
RESEARCH METHOD
Through an SRM software (Pool4Tool) the
questionnaire
is going to be send to the suppliers of the firm TRILUX
GmbH Co. KG. The sample size is 40 to 50 chosen
Suppliers (case studies). At this point of the research it
is expected that clusters of suppliers (“bubbles”) are
going to be formed after the results come back. The
validation of the suppliers profiles will happen during a
workshop with the experts (category manager,
technology manager etc.) from the firm.
CONCEPTUAL MODEL EXPECTED RESULT
Scientific validated and executable method for supplier
innovativeness assessment and classification
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Corsten, D./ Felde, J. (2005). Exploring the performance effects of key-supplier collaboration: an empirical investigation into Swissbuyer-supplier
relationships. International Journal of Physical Distribution & Logistics Management, 35 (6), 445-61.
Faes, W./Matthyssens, P. (2009). Insights into the process of changing sourcing strategies, Emerald ,24, 245-255.
Handfield, R.B./ Ragatz, G.L./ Petersen, K.J./ Monczka, R.M. (1999). Involving suppliers in new product development. California Management Review,
42 (1), 59-81.
Monczka, R.M./ Trent, R.J. (1997). Purchasing and sourcing 1997: trends and implications. CT: Center for Advanced Purchasing Studies (CAPS),
(in press).
Ragatz, G. L./ Handfield, R. B./ Petersen, K. J. (2002). Benefits associated with supplier integration into new product development under conditions
of technology uncertainty. Journal of Business Research, 55 (5), 389-400.
Reason, P./ Bradbury, H. (2001). Handbook of action research: participative inquiry and practice, 1 ed., London etc.: Sage Publications.
Savidas, E./ Dwyer, F. R. (2000). An Examination of Organizational Factors Influencing New Product Success in Internal and Alliance-Based Process.
Journal of Marketing, 64, 31-49.
Schiele, H. (2012). Accessing supplier innovation by being their preferred customer. Research-technology Management, 55 (1), 44-55.
Schiele, H. (2010). Innovationen von und mit Lieferanten. [Innovation from and with suppliers.] Enschede, The Netherlands: BME-Report
Soosay, C. A./ Hyland, P. W./ Ferrer, M. (2008). Supply chain collaboration: capabilities for continuous innovation. Supply Chain Management: An
International Journal, 13 (2), 160-169.
How to assess an existing supplier in order to recognize
its innovation potential?
How to restructure current supplier base of a company
in order to choose the innovative suppliers with the aim
to build up or develop a strategic new product
development relationship?
“theoretical and empirical knowledge, that can be
applied in action;” (Reason & Bradbury, 2001, p. 2)
Furthermore because the pilot questionnaire is going to
be conducted through a SRM software, there is no
better fitting research method than an action research
approach for “work in progress” projects. Additional the
master’s thesis can support the application of a new
research method and in the same time produce
TU Berlin – Chair of Entrepreneurship and Innovationsmanagement
University of Twente – Chair of Technology Management – Innovation of Operations
Jakub Plonski
The development of a method for the identification of innovation from suppliers
based on a supplier assessment illustrated on the example of the company TRILUX GmbH & Co. KG
1. Rigorous literature review for variable
overview
2. Selection to most important variables
according to literature
3. Confirmation of most important
variables with category managers
4. Preparation of questionnaires about
key variables for innovativeness
assessment
5. Interview of suppliers through SRM
6. Visualization of the results
7. Categorization of the suppliers in to
the particular quadrant
8. Validation of the results (in-house
workshop)
9. Reassessment of the suppliers (if
needed)
10.Delivery of a method for supplier
innovativeness assessment to the firm
11.Scientific proof for the chosen
variables used in the method
Questionnaires
for suppliers
Matrix (graph)
with results
Workshop with
experts (results
validation)
Valid executable
model
Rigorous
literature review
Company input
(Category
Managers)
11 RESEARCH STEPS
As a final outcome is a reliable questionnaire expected
(evaluation tool), which will help the firm to assess
innovativeness of its existing whole supplier base in
order to make strategic purchasing decision with which
supplier to engage in collaborative new product
development.
Figure 1: The action research cycle
Figure 4: Preferred customer matrix and generic strategies for buying firm
Figure 3: Dynamic path of a product in the purchasing portfolio matrix
In order to recognize an innovative supplier the
master’s thesis is going to deal with the development
of a method for the identification of innovative
suppliers in order to access their innovations. The
research question concentrate on the investigation of
innovation indicators of suppliers and the choice of the
most important indicators for the particular branch in
this particular case the lighting industry illustrated on
the example of the firm TRILUX GmbH & Co. KG.
Figure 2: Innovation change model
“I never did anything worth doing by
accident, nor did any of my inventions
come by accident.”
Thomas Alva Edison (1847 – 1931)
Taking this opportunity as granted I would like to express my gratitude to all people, who made it possible to write the master’s thesis at TRILUX
GmbH & Co. KG. Especially I would to thank Prof. Dr. Holger Schiele – Head of the Chair of Techonology Management – Innovation of Operations at
University of Twente for the continuous support on the way to make it happen. I would like thank Mr. Thomas Fobbe – Head of Purchasing and
Member of Management Board at TRILUX GmbH & Co. KG for taking the time and giving me precious advice at the start. I would like to thank
Mr. Ulrich Albrecht – Head of Category Management at TRILUX GmbH & Co. KG for sharing with me his enormous experience in the field of
purchasing. I would like to thank all the employees in the purchasing department for being available and spending the extra time to explain me the
day-to-day business of category managers (E. Benzel, A. Gomolzig, S. Echtermeyer, U. Liffers, A. Lux, S. Noy, P. Stawarz,) and the project purchasing
team (C. Pietzk, S. Bruchhage, M. Koep) . I would like to thank the project manager Mrs. Sonja Walter for her valuable insights in project
management. Last but not least I would like to thank Mr. Martin Peck from the construction department at TRILUX GmbH & Co. KG for his expertise
and support during the printing process of this research poster.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS