Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to document the outcome of a
global three-year long supply chain improvement initiative at a
multi-national producer of branded sporting goods that is transforming
from a holding structure to an integrated company. The case company is
comprised of seven internationally well-known sport brands, which form a
diverse set of independent sub-cases, on which the same supply chain
metrics and change project approach was applied to improve supply chain
performance. Design/methodology/approach - By using in-depth case study
and statistical analysis the paper analyzes across the brands how supply
chain complexity (SKU count), supply chain type (make or buy) and
seasonality affect completeness and punctuality of deliveries, and
inventory as the change project progresses. Findings - Results show that
reduction in supply chain complexity improves delivery performance, but
has no impact on inventory. Supply chain type has no impact on service
level, but brands with in-house production are better in improving
inventory than those with outsourced production. Non-seasonal business
units improve service faster than seasonal ones, yet there is no impact
on inventory. Research limitations/implications - The longitudinal data
used for the analysis is biased with the general business trend, yet the
rich data from different cases and three-years of data collection
enables generalizations to a certain level. Practical implications - The
in-depth case study serves as an example for other companies on how to
initiate a supply chain improvement project across business units with
tangible results. Originality/value - The seven sub-cases with their
different characteristics on which the same improvement initiative was
applied sets a unique ground for longitudinal analysis to study supply
chain complexity, type and seasonality.