Transferring academic decision models to practitioners: a structured process

The decision support model presented in this paper is the result of a research project initiated by a large organisation operating in an emerging economy. The exotic business context of this company generated many reservations and questions about the applicability of traditional supply chain management models in terms of the decisions that should be made to design a supply chain. As supply chain management decisions are complex, decision makers often rely on approximate, ineffective decision making processes. Through a process rooted in decision analysis, this paper shows how apparently conflicting academic models of supply chain system design were successfully transferred, absorbed, customised, and used by the company.