Performance measurement in the food supply chain: a balanced scorecard approach

The primary objective of this paper is to develop a balanced scorecard (BSC) model that is designed and delimited for performance measurement in the food supply chain.

The research methodology is a combination of literature analysis, Delphi technique and case study‐based research. Starting from the literature concerning performance measurement and metrics, the food industry and the BSC model, the relevant financial and non‐financial indicators, suitable to be used for companies belonging to the food industry, were first identified. Indicators were submitted to a panel of experts, which operated following the Delphi technique, to gather possible suggestions or amendments. In its final form, the resulting BSC model was tested on two companies operating in the food industry, for a final validation.

Results of the case studies show that the companies examined have a similar view for three of the four perspectives of the BSC, which can be thus considered as validated. Conversely, some diverging results were observed concerning the learning and growth perspective.

By focusing on the specific context of the food supply chain, this study completes previous works, which proposed a generic BSC model for supply chain management. On the other hand, the fact that a specific industry field was examined could be seen as a limitation of the work as the results presented are not suitable to be generalized or extended to other contexts, although some extrapolations can be made.

The paper provides a structured performance measurement system tailored for the food supply chain. The BSC model developed could serve as a reference for the food industry, to establish applicable performance appraisal indicators, and it is believed that both researchers and practitioners would benefit from the tool developed.