Supply Chain Finance issues: An exploratory survey on Moroccan companies

Abstract

This paper is part of the work that highlights the importance of managing financial flows in Supply Chain Management. Indeed, our research focuses on identifying the stakes of Supply Chain Finance in the context of Moroccan companies and on the study of the role of SCF in the chain's efficiency through an exploratory study.

Based on a literature review, we discerned the potential impact of SCF on the chain's efficiency. Empirically, we conducted an exploratory qualitative study to examine Moroccan managers' knowledge of our key concepts by asking how financing issues were addressed in their companies. To this end, we conducted ten semi-structured interviews.

Thus, based on the results obtained, we find that SCF is positively linked to the optimization of the efficiency of the supply chain, as it facilitates access to financing for SMEs while offering a balance between the different and sometimes contradictory needs of the supply chain actors.

In general, our research contributes to the conceptualization of SCF as a financial resource and an approach related to supply chain management. 

The main limitation of our research is that considering Moroccan companies (SMEs) represents a challenge, as it is a new and little-explored context. This perspective can be justified because most studies on SCF have mainly focused on developed and emerging countries. Thus, a further statistical analysis, such as using structural equations, would be necessary to justify a more generalized conclusion.

Keywords: Supply chain finance, effectiveness of the chain, qualitative approach, Moroccan companies.

JEL Classification : L2 ; M20 ; M21

Paper type : Empirical research