Supply chain transformation in APC Ireland: lean thinking, opposing logics and bricolage

Abstract

This paper presents a number of observations and findings from an ongoing study of supply chain transformation in a subsidiary of American Power Conversion (APC) located in the West of Ireland. The study is being carried out in a period of significant change within both the Irish economy and the APC Corporation. The research addresses the question of how innovation can contribute to the sustainability and development of the Operations function in a time of transition. To begin with, a review is presented of relevant research and theory in the areas of lean supply, innovative culture and information systems bricolage. Then the context and composition of the lean transformation team involved in the case study are described together with the research design. The work proposes to make a contribution in two areas. Firstly by providing empirical evidence of the role of innovation in an organizational transformation and the challenge of incorporating bricolage in the course of information systems design. Secondly to the building of theory by proposing that organizational innovation can be viewed as a dynamic process of tuning “opposing logics”. The paper concludes by suggesting that the study has significance in the context of Ireland’s objectives of moving to an innovation economy and of strengthening academic-industrial collaboration.