Analysis of interaction among the enablers of agility in supply chain

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to identify the key supply chain variables, on which the practitioner should focus, to make supply chains of manufacturing enterprises more agile. Further, these variables are structured to determine their interactive behavior. Design/methodology/approach – An interpretive structural modeling (ISM)‐based approach has been employed to model the agility variables of supply chains. These variables have been categorized into five levels based on their driving power and dependence. Findings – The paper identifies various enablers used by researchers and practitioners for flexibility, integration and responsiveness to customers needs. ISM is used to establish mutual relationships among these enablers and to prepare a hierarchy‐based model. Practical implications – The index of enablers, based on driving power and dependency provides useful insights to supply chain managers in identifying strategic variables having high driving power and effective use of these can help in achieving the corporate goals. Originality/value – By presenting enablers in the form of hierarchy using ISM and ranking them into various driving power and dependent categories, this paper is an attempt to develop insights related to agile supply chains in the Indian context.