Linkages influencing NPD-SCM alignment — Evidence from Indian automotive industry

New product development and supply chain management activities have become important for success of an organization. Better results are expected when the two activities are aligned with each other. This paper attempts to analyze the NPD-SCM alignment in an Indian automotive firm using case study approach. Five key linkages affecting the alignment have been identified from review of relevant literature. Since these linkages may exhibit inter-dependence, analytic network process (ANP) is used to find out their relative contribution in improving NPD-SCM alignment in the selected firm. Results indicate that voice of customer (VOC), modularity, supply chain responsiveness (SCR), and early supplier involvement (ESI) are important contributors towards NPD-SCM alignment. Results have been discussed with company executives for drawing insights to explore possible reasons. The paper finally concludes by providing few potential directions for future work.