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Open research questions in Quality and Supply Management

298 gap statements mined from Quality and Supply Management papers in our 7.9M-paper local library, which holds 2,139 papers on the topic — drawn mostly from each paper's own stated research gap, future-work, challenge and limitation notes, and its abstract. The ones listed below are a selection still marked open; each names the study that raised it, with a DOI link where the paper has one.

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What the literature leaves open

  • It offers a replicable way to test candidate SCOR-linked financial proxies under public-data constraints, shows that support is sparse once weak-identification and multiple-testing limits are taken seriously, and sets a clearer agenda for future work in larger, sector-matched samples with direct validation against internal operational measures.

    Candidate SCOR-Linked Financial Proxies: Exploratory Evidence from a 12-Firm Panel Using SCOR_E Ratio Analysis of Supply Chain Efficiency · 2026 · DOI

  • Future research should focus on developing and empirically validating a logistics-specific lean maturity model grounded in the OVRGP criteria, testing cross-context generalizability across comparable supply chain configurations, and longitudinally validating the relationship between lean maturity progression and network-level performance outcomes.

    Reproducibility Standards for Lean Maturity Models: Design Guidelines for Logistics Operations · 2026 · DOI

  • The study shows that BP and MP should be examined as related but distinct outcome dimensions, since the same logistics drivers do not produce identical effects across both.

    Applying Technological Innovation in Logistics, Logistics Capability, and Lean Logistics for Improved Business and Market Performance in Serbia · 2026 · DOI

  • However, further research is necessary, as there remains considerable room for improvement in these methodologies. The results obtained show that HUEPs is a technique that supports the continuous monitoring of machines to anticipate failures; however, the use of HUEPs for quality purposes was not explored.

    Application of a Predictive Model to Reduce Unplanned Downtime in Automotive Industry Production Processes: A Sustainability Perspective · 2025 · DOI

  • This research highlights that while employees in the healthcare sector value the essence of their work and their relationships at the workplace, their satisfaction with working conditions, development opportunities, performance incentives, communication, remuneration, and organizational culture is lacking.

    Sustainable Healthcare Quality and Job Satisfaction through Organizational Culture: Approaches and Outcomes · 2024 · DOI

  • This demonstrates that technological superiority alone is insufficient for evaluating an appropriate WMS.

    An Integrated Decision Framework for Evaluating Warehouse Management Systems · 2026 · DOI

  • The work reported in this article is intended to contribute to closing the gap in the research field regarding the relationships between the adoption of Industry 4.

    From Adopting Industry 4.0 Technologies to Improving Operational Performance in Hospital Supply Chain: The Moderating Effect of HSC Complexity · 2025 · DOI

  • Future research should explore the long-term sustainability of the proposed improvements, particularly the effectiveness of process mentoring, ongoing training and monthly reporting in maintaining inventory accuracy.

    Targeting Toward Optimal Inventory in Automotive Industry—An Analysis Based on Six Sigma Methodology · 2025 · DOI

  • Several limitations of this study should be acknowledged when interpreting the findings and considering directions for future research.

    Digital Supply Chain Adoption and Operational Performance: The Moderating Role of Digital Dynamic Capabilities · 2026 · DOI

  • Although prior studies recognized that lean implementation is context-dependent, this perspective in the realm of the relationships between lean and resilience is underexplored.

    The context-dependent nature of the relationships between lean and resilience: the role of process improvement · 2026 · DOI

  • Supplier relationship management (SRM) remains insufficiently understood from a lifecycle perspective.

    Beyond dissolution: a lifecycle model of supplier relationship management · 2026 · DOI

  • The study is limited by the constraints of the scoping review approach, reliance on past literature, and the absence of statistical synthesis.

    Leadership and supply chain excellence in the age of digitalization: a scoping review and research agenda · 2026 · DOI

  • Future research should focus on building stronger evidence for Lean’s long-term benefits through large-scale and longitudinal studies, identifying the factors and mechanisms that support successful implementation in the Ready-Made Garment (RMG) sector, and examining the social impacts, such as occupational health and safety (OHS) issues, that may emerge from high-efficiency work environments.

    Applications of lean manufacturing in the textile garments industry · 2026 · DOI

  • The management practices of textile retail supply chains in Bangladesh are not well documented. There is a lack of research on the retail textile industry in Bangladesh.

    Supply Chain Capabilities, Operational Constraints, and Performance in Bangladesh’s Textile Retail Sector: A Mixed-Methods Investigation · 2026 · DOI

  • The results provide a focus for the SCM literature to move away from the export-oriented garment industry in Bangladesh and towards the comparatively under-researched retail textile industry.

    Supply Chain Capabilities, Operational Constraints, and Performance in Bangladesh’s Textile Retail Sector: A Mixed-Methods Investigation · 2026 · DOI

  • Based on the outcomes of this research, some recommendations are presented to enrich the adoption and effectiveness of lean supply chain practices among SMEs in Ghana: Firstly, customized training programs should be developed to equip SME managers and employees with practical knowledge of lean tools such as Kaizen, Just-in-Time (JIT), and Value Stream Mapping (VSM).

    The Impact of Lean Supply Chain Practices on Cost Performance among SMEs in Ghana · 2026 · DOI

  • There is a need to develop an outpatient service flow model that can reduce waiting times in internal medicine clinics. The current service flow design and processes are inefficient, leading to prolonged waiting times.

    Applying Lean Hospital Strategies to Minimise Waiting Times in the Internal Medicine Clinic · 2026 · DOI

  • Fourth, inventory management should be integrated as a strategic capability within organizational planning to improve efficiency, competitiveness, and long-term financial sustainability.

    Inventory management practices and perceived financial performance among managers in cement manufacturing firms in Tororo, Uganda · 2026 · DOI

  • Existing studies are generally fragmented, focusing on individual methods or limited combinations of approaches. There is a lack of comprehensive understanding regarding how these methods can be integrated to improve workshop performance.

    Pendekatan Integratif Untuk Peningkatan Efektivitas Layanan dan Operasional Bengkel Otomotif: Systematic Literature Review · 2026 · DOI

  • There is a lack of research examining how SRM contributes to the organizational effectiveness of food and beverage manufacturing companies in the UK. The study aims to fill this gap by reviewing existing literature.

    Supplier Relationship Management For Improved Performance Of Manufacturing Firms In United Kingdom · 2026 · DOI

  • The study does not account for industry-specific factors that may condition the strength of the observed associations between TQM practices and firm outcomes.

    Financial and Market Performance-Driven TQM: The Mediating Roles of Supply Chain Resilience and Corporate Social Performance · 2026 · DOI

  • First, the study’s scope was limited to the selected SCMP variables, excluding other influential practices such as supplier collaboration, risk management, or sustainability initiatives.

    Integrating CRM, Lean Practices, and Use of IT to Enhance Operational Performance: The Mediating Role of Quality Information Sharing · 2025 · DOI

  • Finally, we sought to answer: What are the research’s weaknesses?

    Statistical Analysis of Lean Construction Barriers to Optimize Its Implementation Using PLS-SEM and PCA · 2024 · DOI

  • This work is peer-reviewed, openly published, and permanently archived This article is openly accessible and reusable with proper attribution.

    Streamlining Efficiency: Integrating Lean Principles in Agile Supply Chain · 2026 · DOI

  • The existing research on digital transformation in manufacturing has focused on broader organizational levels.

    Assessing Critical Barriers to Smart Maintenance Implementation in Indian SMEs: ISM–MICMAC Based Structural Analysis · 2026 · DOI

Most-cited papers in Quality and Supply Management

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Open questions raised by papers listed on this page include: (1) Supplier relationship management (SRM) remains insufficiently understood from a lifecycle perspective (“Beyond dissolution: a lifecycle model of supplier relationship management”, 2026); (2) There is a lack of research on the retail textile industry in Bangladesh (“Supply Chain Capabilities, Operational Constraints, and Performance in…”, 2026); (3) There is a need to develop an outpatient service flow model that can reduce waiting times in internal medicine clinics (“Applying Lean Hospital Strategies to Minimise Waiting Times in the Internal…”, 2026); (4) There is a lack of comprehensive understanding regarding how these methods can be integrated to improve workshop performance (“Pendekatan Integratif Untuk Peningkatan Efektivitas Layanan dan Operasional…”, 2026); (5) There is a lack of research examining how SRM contributes to the organizational effectiveness of food and beverage manufacturing companies in the UK (“Supplier Relationship Management For Improved Performance Of Manufacturing…”, 2026). 298 gap statements have been mined from Quality and Supply Management papers in our 7.9M-paper local library, which holds 2,139 papers on the topic; the gaps come from whichever of those papers state one. They are mostly the research gaps the authors state and the papers' abstracts, plus future-work, limitations and challenges passages. The ones listed below are a selection still marked open; each names the study that raised it, with a DOI link where the paper has one, so you can read the original claim in context.

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