Zain A. J. The Impact of Supply Chain Management on Achieving Competitive Advantage: An Applied Study on Private Sector

Abstract

Supply chain management has become one of the most prominent factors that directly affect the success of companies and their ability to achieve a sustainable competitive advantage in our current era. The research aimed to test three private sector companies operating in Basra Governorate in Iraq with the aim of improving performance and enhancing their competitiveness. The research relied on the descriptive analytical approach and the quantitative approach. A questionnaire was distributed to a sample of managers of these companies and a number of their employees. This data and information were subjected to statistical analysis using the SPSS-V 23 program to study the impact of supply chain management in its dimensions (integration with suppliers, integration with intermediaries and distributors, integration with customers) in achieving competitive advantage in its dimensions (cost, quality, flexibility, delivery). The results showed the existence of a relationship of influence and correlation between the two variables. The research reached a set of conclusions, the most important of which are: the existence of a significant effect of supply chain management in its dimensions (integration with customers) on competitive advantage (cost), the existence of a significant effect of supply chain management in its dimensions (integration with customers, integration with suppliers) on competitive advantage (quality, flexibility), the existence of a significant effect of supply chain management in its dimensions (integration with customers, integration with brokers and distributors) on competitive advantage (delivery) for companies within the research sample at a significance level of 5%.