The Role of Material Decoupling Points in Shaping the Product Offering of Supply Chains

The papers seeks to reveal the link between the concept of material decoupling points and the specific levels of product in supply chains. Based on supply chain management literature concerning the prerequisites of the location of material decoupling point and marketing theory of the total product concept, we argue that there is a relationship between the specific positions of material decoupling point in supply chains and the levels of product offering addressed to the consumer. This theoretical proposition is largely confirmed by the analysis of survey responses collected from 231 of European supply chains operating in various industries. The paper contributes to combine the internal operations performed in supply chains with the marketplace requirements of consumers. The findings of the paper provide theory-driven and empirically evidenced explanations for supply chain managers seeking to enrich manufactured and delivered products with the appropriate operational instruments.