A framework for supply chain performance measurement

Abstract

Supply chain performance measurement (SCPM) is evolving due to the diffusion of Industry 4.0 technologies. Traditional approaches, such as Beamon's (1999) Resources-Output-Flexibility (R-O-F) model, possess strong strategic logic but do not offer direct procedural guidance and lack digital sensitivity. Process-oriented frameworks, such as Supply Chain Operations Reference (SCOR), propose operational guidance but lack a unifying performance logic based on trade-offs. Digital maturity models apply at an aggregated level and show no direct linkage to performance indicators. Empirical evidence suggests that while companies face a rising abundance of digital solutions and access to data-driven opportunities, there is still a lack of structured frameworks that jointly consider strategic, operational and digital aspects of performance measurement. The inability of existing frameworks to fully explain performance changes reflects limited explanatory power on how digital technologies rewire performance generation or alter the understanding of traditional performance indicators. Thus, the identified research gap lies in the fact that existing approaches still fall short of fully integrating strategic performance dimensions, operational process structures, and the heterogeneous impact of digital technologies within a coherent framework. This article proposes an integrated conceptual framework that combines the strategic dimensions of R-O-F and the SCOR process building blocks. Digital sensitivity is introduced as an overarching interpretive attribute of performance indicators that accounts for the non-uniform role digital technologies play in performance generation and measurement. This framework allows managers, controllers and data specialists to structure and comprehend performance measurement systems based on strategic goals and digital enablement, while linking performance interpretation to both operational processes and the technological context.