Who Is the Customer? On Multiple-Customer Representation in Supply Chains
<i>Background</i>: Customer orders are key in developing logistics processes and in strategic developments of customer orientation. This paper investigates the notion of customer orientation. In the literature, the concept of customer is underdeveloped in that it is seen as a single obje...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2025-05-01
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| Series: | Logistics |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2305-6290/9/2/65 |
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| author | Benedikte Borgström Luis Araujo Susanne Hertz |
| author_facet | Benedikte Borgström Luis Araujo Susanne Hertz |
| author_sort | Benedikte Borgström |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | <i>Background</i>: Customer orders are key in developing logistics processes and in strategic developments of customer orientation. This paper investigates the notion of customer orientation. In the literature, the concept of customer is underdeveloped in that it is seen as a single object rather than how it is enacted in multiple ways. The study examines a customer-oriented production process managed in the supply chain of an automotive manufacturer. <i>Methods</i>: Based on a longitudinal study we explain what constitutes customer knowledge and what processes are involved in constructing this knowledge. <i>Results</i>: The study shows that in a supply chain, multiple versions of customers coexist and overlap that have implications on how multiple-customer orientation is performed and aligned in the supply chain. <i>Conclusions</i>: We find that customer representations proliferate as a result of multiple objectives; we demonstrate what objects and assemblages bring particular customer representation to life and show that these are used to shape customer orientation. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-25a6bd9c3f3b4d649fbfdea8d5c2a4f2 |
| institution | Matheson Library |
| issn | 2305-6290 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-05-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Logistics |
| spelling | doaj-art-25a6bd9c3f3b4d649fbfdea8d5c2a4f22025-06-25T14:06:29ZengMDPI AGLogistics2305-62902025-05-01926510.3390/logistics9020065Who Is the Customer? On Multiple-Customer Representation in Supply ChainsBenedikte Borgström0Luis Araujo1Susanne Hertz2Department of Urban Studies, Faculty of Culture and Society, Malmö University, 21119 Malmö, SwedenAlliance Manchester Business School, University of Manchester, Manchester M13 9PL, UKJönköping International Business School, Jönköping University, 55318 Jönköping, Sweden<i>Background</i>: Customer orders are key in developing logistics processes and in strategic developments of customer orientation. This paper investigates the notion of customer orientation. In the literature, the concept of customer is underdeveloped in that it is seen as a single object rather than how it is enacted in multiple ways. The study examines a customer-oriented production process managed in the supply chain of an automotive manufacturer. <i>Methods</i>: Based on a longitudinal study we explain what constitutes customer knowledge and what processes are involved in constructing this knowledge. <i>Results</i>: The study shows that in a supply chain, multiple versions of customers coexist and overlap that have implications on how multiple-customer orientation is performed and aligned in the supply chain. <i>Conclusions</i>: We find that customer representations proliferate as a result of multiple objectives; we demonstrate what objects and assemblages bring particular customer representation to life and show that these are used to shape customer orientation.https://www.mdpi.com/2305-6290/9/2/65customer orientationmanagement objectmultiplicitycase studyperformative representationthe customer multiple |
| spellingShingle | Benedikte Borgström Luis Araujo Susanne Hertz Who Is the Customer? On Multiple-Customer Representation in Supply Chains Logistics customer orientation management object multiplicity case study performative representation the customer multiple |
| title | Who Is the Customer? On Multiple-Customer Representation in Supply Chains |
| title_full | Who Is the Customer? On Multiple-Customer Representation in Supply Chains |
| title_fullStr | Who Is the Customer? On Multiple-Customer Representation in Supply Chains |
| title_full_unstemmed | Who Is the Customer? On Multiple-Customer Representation in Supply Chains |
| title_short | Who Is the Customer? On Multiple-Customer Representation in Supply Chains |
| title_sort | who is the customer on multiple customer representation in supply chains |
| topic | customer orientation management object multiplicity case study performative representation the customer multiple |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2305-6290/9/2/65 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT benedikteborgstrom whoisthecustomeronmultiplecustomerrepresentationinsupplychains AT luisaraujo whoisthecustomeronmultiplecustomerrepresentationinsupplychains AT susannehertz whoisthecustomeronmultiplecustomerrepresentationinsupplychains |