Purpose/objectives: The research deals with establishing a best practice model in SRM for manufacturing companies in the European transportation industry. The objective of the thesis is to identify schools of thought in SRM, to highlight the causal factors for supply disruptions and to\ud
outline how supply disruptions can be anticipated, managed and prevented. The identified best practices shall be categorized and utilized to establish a best practice model for the respective sector. The purpose is to show how supply chain resilience can be accomplished in global and complex supply chains by means of proactive SRM.\ud
Design/methodology/approach: The empirical part of the research has been conducted with a qualitative and multiple approach over a period of more than two years. The paper examines best practice elements through a systematic literature review combined with semi-structured interviews\ud
involving senior managers in SRM in the European transportation industry. Two case studies have been included for confirming or disconfirming the best practice elements. The empirical part has been divided into four phases: (1) verifying or falsifying the appropriateness of the research questions, (2) best practice identification and categorization, (3) confirmation or disconfirmation of\ud
best practices in SRM, and (4) refining best practice elements.\ud
Findings: The findings represent a significant contribution on how to deal with complex and global supply networks. They will help researchers and practitioners faced with the task of setting up supplier relationships. Furthermore, the findings can be applied when establishing an overall best\ud
practice framework and SRM model.\ud
Research limitations/implications: The research focuses on establishing a best practice SRM model for multinational manufacturing companies in the European transportation industry. The model has not yet been implemented. Therefore, implementation and application to other industries will have to be the subject of further research