Supply Network Reorganization in the Tanning Industry: An Action Research Project

The aim of this research is analyzing how supply networks operating in tanning industry can be redesigned to make production processes efficient and environmentally safe. Very strict environmental laws force tanning companies to regulate sewage water reuse and purification, and reduce the chemicals used in production. These laws motivate the search for new tanning technologies that comply with the standards of emission required by the environmental legislation. An action research project developed in collaboration with Gruppo Dani, one of the largest Italian tannery, is conducted to understand how the supply network of a tanning company could be redesigned, in order to reduce environmental impact of tanning production processes. Preliminary findings provide new insights on how increased collaboration among leading supply chain partners allows implementation of innovative technologies that show a low environmental impact, on the one side, and help to reduce throughput time, on the other.