Sub-supplier management

Sub-suppliers - the suppliers of a focal company's directly contracted suppliers with whom the focal company has no contractual relationship, also termed tier-n suppliers - have become of increasing concern to companies and their various stakeholders. Conventional supply chain management approaches consider direct suppliers being in charge of and responsible for sub-suppliers; however, it rarely occurs. Challenges in the upstream supply chain and new public policy require new approaches to realize targets and objectives also in the context of companies that are part of the supply chain but lack a direct contractual relationship with a focal company. This chapter covers the status quo of the body of knowledge in sub-supplier management and points to numerous streams of research to further progress this rather new field.