The supply chain management-marketing interface in product development: An exploratory study

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to explore the marketing-supply chain management (SCM) interface in new product development (NPD) processes through a contingent approach. Design/methodology/approach: The study endorses Thompson's taxonomy of interfaces - pooled interdependence, sequential interdependence and reciprocal interdependence - to classify the approaches observed through case study research on two innovation processes within the same unit. A number of contingent variables is hypothesized as possible factors impacting on the very interface adopted by the company. Thompson's taxonomy and the contingent variables constitute the conceptual framework of the study. Findings: Results show that the conceptual framework provides encouraging results in interpreting the marketing-SCM interface design by companies, even if some refinements, especially as far as the interface taxonomy are concerned, appear necessary to provide a comprehensive understanding of the phenomenon. Research limitations/implications: Since the study is based on two cases, outcomes cannot be generalized. Nonetheless, the preliminary results and the rich understanding of the phenomenon provided by the in-depth case studies suggested a number of research proposition to frame future research on the topic. Originality/value: The paper observes the marketing-SCM interface in a contingent way, providing a new interpretive framework for its analysis and design, and showing how the encouraged view in literature towards marketing-SCM integration may be problematic and counterproductive in specific circumstances.