The impact of supplier integration on customer integration and new product performance: The mediating role of manufacturing flexibility (Case study: IRANKhodro Co.)

This study entitled Analysis of the impacts of suppliers integration and customers integration on new product performance through mediating role of manufacturing flexibility and service ability" investigates the important role of suppliers integration on manufacturing flexibility, service ability, customers integration and finally new product performance regarding trust theory among IranKhodro's employees. In this study regarding the model of study there is a main hypothesis (which investigates significance of impact supplier integration on new product performance) and there are five lateral hypotheses (which investigate significance of impact of supplier integration on manufacturing flexibility and service ability and also significance of impact of manufacturing flexibility and service ability on customer integration and customer integration on new product performance). This study is an applied research regarding the purpose and is a survey based study with the correlation approach regarding the method of execution. The sample of this study is limited and consists of 650 managers, supervisors senior experts of IranKhodro. Due to limited size of study's sample, 173 samples were selected using simple random sampling method using Cochran's limited smaple size formula. Data collecting tool in this study is a 30 question questionnaire. The validity of this questionnaire were acknowledged by supervisor and advisor professors and management experts. Also, the reliability of this questionnaire were supported by Cronbach's Alpha of 97%. Study questionnaire includes demographic questions and main questions for testing hypotheses. From 173 distributed questionnaires 165 were back (return rate=95%). In addition, collected data were analysed by statistical tests using AMOS and SPSS software in two levels including descriptive tests: frequency, percent cumulative percentage, mean and standard deviation and perceptive tests: t-test, regression modeling, ANOVA, nonparametric test of Kolmogorov-Smirnov and nonparametric test of Friedman. Based on study findings all of hypotheses were supported. Also, study results showed that third lateral hypothesis with path coefficient of 0.61 has the most effect and the forth lateral hypothesis with path coefficient of 0.21 has the least effect. Therefore, regarding study findings, suppliers integration has a significant impact on new product performance.