The thesis of leagility revisited

Abstract

Both postponement and information decoupling have been considered as relevant initiatives in making the agile supply chain a reality. It is commonly argued that the two can be combined into “leagility”, which is the combination of agility with lean capabilities within one supply chain. Based upon a one‐year study of agility in the supply chain, this paper indicates that leagility might work well in operational terms as lean capabilities can contribute to agile performance and might often be a prerequisite. If the leagility approach is to work, though, it is required to fit within a purely agile supply chain strategy, rather than a purely lean approach. Thus it is concluded that the leagility thesis does not fundamentally challenge the agility concept. Specific suggestions on how to move forward in creating the agile supply chain are then developed.