Supply Chain Management: An International Journal

Purpose – The purpose of the paper is to investigate the relationship between supply chain maturity and performance, with specific references both to the business process orientation maturity model and to the supply chain operation reference model.

Design/methodology/approach – Quantitative, survey based research was carried out with 478 Brazilian companies. Statistical analysis combined the use of descriptive statistics and structural equation modeling.

Findings – Empirical results indicate a strong and positive statistical relationship between supply chain maturity and performance. The results also suggest that the deliver process maturity has a higher impact on overall performance than the other supply chain processes.

Research limitations/implications – Quantifying supply chain maturity and performance is an opportunity for a company to align its performance measurements and process improvement actions with its broader policies and strategies. The use of this approach has been validated in several previous research studies in organizational self-assessment and business management.

Practical implications – Maturity models are valuable frameworks for corporate leadership. This study provides solid statistical evidence that a company that has achieved a higher maturity level and implemented the maturity factors also has achieved superior performance. It also validates the application of these specific maturity factors in South America, specifically Brazil.

Originality/value – This paper confirms and expands upon earlier research suggesting higher levels of process maturity were related to superior performance. This paper also examines the evolution of performance measurement systems, moving from a traditional approach to a more process oriented perspective by reporting on the origins of maturity models and presenting the main empirical contributions through the use of the business process maturity model and supply chain operation reference model.