Framework

The Triple-A supply chain (agility, adaptability, alignment)

The question it answers

When a fast, low-cost supply chain still falters under disruption, what must an operations director build so it stays agile, adaptable and aligned across partners?

Origin
Lee (2004)
Diagram type
Comparison table
Level of analysis
Industry
Topics
Strategy & leadershipSupply chain & operations
Chess knight on a glass compass, icon for strategy and leadership

Diagram

The Triple-A supply chain (agility, adaptability, alignment)

CriterionAgilityAdaptabilityAlignment
MeaningRespond quickly to supply and demand swings while staying cheapAdjust the network when market or strategy changes, spotting structural shifts earlyInterests of the parties in the chain point the same way
Sign it is missingSpeed bought at the cost of moneyOld network kept after the market has movedEach party optimises alone and pushes cost onto others

Pitfalls

Pitfall

The three qualities must go together; with one missing, the chain degrades.

Sources

References

Listed A–Z by author surname, Harvard style. A source with a DOI links to https://doi.org/…; one without links to its page or says plainly that it has no DOI.

  1. Lee, H.L. (2004) ‘The triple-A supply chain’, Harvard Business Review, 82(10), pp. 102–112.No DOIhbr.orgSource page