Supply chain coordination from supplier selection stages to customer delivery is among the issues creating the most challenges for supply chain management, especially for short-lived and perishable foodstuffs. The current study aims to identify and rank the factors involved in sustainable supply chain in the dairy industry. In this qualitative research, by reviewing the theoretical literature and surveying specialists and experts, the factors affecting supply chain sustainability and the sustainable supply chain dimensions (i.e., economic, social, and environmental) were identified. The determined factors were then ranked. To this end, the analytic hierarchy process (AHP) was used as a decision-making technique and the targeted snowball sampling method was used for sampling. In the qualitative stage, factors were extracted from open interviews with 15 academic experts active in the field of sustainable development and experts in the dairy industry. The social dimension with a weight of 0.493 was recognized as the most important dimension of the sustainable supply chain according to the researchers and experts in the dairy industry. After that, the economic dimension with a weight of 0.314 was in the second rank, and finally, the environmental dimension with a weight of 0.193 was third in rank. پرونده مقاله

In today's competitive markets, organizations must possess a high level of adaptability to gain a competitive edge. To explore the impact of a sustainable supply chain on sustainable competitive advantage, this study examined strategic flexibility and flexibility-productivity as mediating variables. The research focused specifically on the dairy industry in Fars province and involves industry experts from the domestic sector, selected through judgment sampling. Data was collected via a questionnaire, and Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) was employed for analysis. The findings of the study indicated that the economic, environmental, and social dimensions of supply chain sustainability have a significant influence on product flexibility. Additionally, these dimensions have a notable impact on strategic flexibility, except for the social dimension's effect on production flexibility. Furthermore, both production and strategic flexibility positively and significantly contribute to the achievement of sustainable competitive advantage. In conclusion, this research highlighted the importance of a sustainable supply chain in attaining sustainable competitive advantage. The economic, environmental, and social dimensions play a crucial role in enhancing both product and strategic flexibility. By embracing sustainable practices and fostering flexibility in production and strategy, organizations in the dairy industry can maintain a competitive advantage over time. پرونده مقاله