Supply Chain Finance
Dear Sir/Madam, the main objective of the following questionnaire is to investigate what are the main drivers (environmental, technological, inter-organisational, ethical and international) that can lead companies, regardless of their size, to adopt Sustainable Supply Chain Finance (SSCFF) solutions in today's global market, which is increasingly characterised by high levels of uncertainty, complexity and dynamism. The importance of the survey lies in the combination of supply chain finance issues with ESG issues, which are of growing and strong interest to companies and stakeholders. The survey will take approximately 20 minutes to complete. Completion of the questionnaire is voluntary and can be stopped at any time. The answers will be collected and processed anonymously by the University of Pavia for research purposes and statistical analysis on aggregated or anonymous data, without the possibility of identifying the user. No profiling activity is planned. A short report of the results will be sent on request to those who participate in the questionnaire and consent to leave their email address.
Q1. Company name
Q2. Email address
Q3. Gender
*
Male
Female
Non-binary/other
Prefers not to answer
Q4. Your age
*
< 25
25-35
36-45
46-55
56-65
>66
Q5. Your qualification
*
High School Diploma
Bachelor's Degree
Master's Degree/Specialisation Degree
Four-year degree
Master in Business Administration (MBA)
PhD
Other
Q6. Your working experience (expressed in years)
*
< 3
< 5
< 10
< 20
>=20
Q7. Your professional qualification
*
Chief Financial Officer/Chief Financial Officer (CFO)
Treasury manager
Administrative Manager
Purchasing Manager (CPO)
Supply Chain Manager/Supply Chain Manager
Operations Manager
Export Manager
Internationalisation Manager
Managing Director
Founder
Other
Q8. What is your personal level of knowledge on the subject of Supply Chain Finance?
*
Very high
High
Moderate
Low
Very low
No knowledge
Q9. What is your personal experience level in implementing Supply Chain Finance?
*
Very high
High
Moderate
Low
Very low
No experience
Q10. What is your personal level of knowledge on the topic of SUSTAINABLE Supply Chain Finance?
*
Very high
High
Moderate
Low
Very low
No knowledge
Q11. What is your personal experience level in implementing SUSTAINABLE Supply Chain Finance?
*
Very high
High
Moderate
Low
Very low
No experience
Q12. Founding year of the enterprise where you are currently working (specify)
*
express in 4-digit, e.g., 1984
Q13. Size of company where you are currently working (in terms of number of employees)
*
< 10
10-50
51-250
>250
Q14. Number of branches of the enterprise where you are currently working
*
Q15. Country of origin of the company where you are currently working
*
Seleziona
Italy
Eastern Europe and Balkans (Russia, Romania, Bulgaria, Hungary, Baltic States, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Poland, Ukraine)
Central and Western Europe
Americas (North, Central, and South America)
Asia
Other
Select
Q16. Sector of the enterprise in which you are currently working (refer to NACE code when possible)
*
Seleziona
Agriculture, forestry and fishing
Mining and quarrying
Manufacturing
Electricity, gas, steam and air conditioning supply
Water supply; sewerage, waste treatment and remediation activities
Construction
Wholesale and retail trade; repair of motor vehicles and motorbikes
Transport and storage
Accommodation and food services
Information and communication services
Financial and insurance activities
Real estate activities
Professional, scientific and technical activities
Administrative and support service activities
Public administration and defence; compulsory social security
Education
Health and social work activities
Arts, entertainment and recreation activities
Other service activities
Activities of households as employers of domestic personnel; undifferentiated goods- and services-producing activities of households for own use
Activities of extraterritorial organisations and bodies
Other
Select
Q17. KPI performance: indicate the company's ROA (in percentage) for each of the last 3 approved financial years, indicating the year
*
Eg. 2% (2021), 3% (2022), 4% (2023)
Q18. What is the level of experience of the company where you are currently working regarding the adoption of Industry 4.0 technologies (e.g: Internet of Things, Big Data & Analytics, Robotics, Simulation, Block Chain, etc...)
*
Very high
High
Moderate
Low
Very low
No experience
Q19. What is the level of importance in terms of FORMAL collaboration between different departments within the company where you are currently working?
*
Very high
High
Moderate
Low
Very low
No formal collaboration
Q20. What is the level of importance in terms of INFORMAL collaboration between different departments within the company where you are currently working?
*
Very high
High
Moderate
Low
Very low
No informal collaboration
SUPPLY CHAIN FINANCE
In brief, Supply Chain Finance means the set of financing and risk mitigation solutions that allow a company to optimise its own working capital and that of the supply chain in which it operates, leveraging the role it plays within the Supply Chain.
Q21. Has your company already implemented Supply Chain Finance tools?
*
Yes
No
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REASONS FOR IMPLEMENTING SUPPLY CHAIN FINANCE TOOLS
Q21.1 If yes, for what reasons? Select all suitable answers.
*
Increasing the economic-financial performance of my company
Making our business processes more agile and flexible
Making our business processes more transparent
Making the supply chain more agile and flexible
Making the supply chain more transparent
Improving the visibility of supplier information
Improving the information transparency of suppliers
Q21.2 What is the level of experience of the company you are currently working in implementing Supply Chain Finance?
*
Very high experience
High experience
Moderate experience
Low experience
Very low experience
Q21.3 In the last 5 years, how often has the company you are currently working in used the following services/tools to find resources?
*
1-2 times a month
1-2 times a year
Less than once a year
Never used, but we plan to use it in the future
Never used because it is not useful
Never used, I do not know the instrument
Equity crowdfunding
Peer to peer o crowdfunding lending for short term needs
Peer to peer o crowdfunding lending for long run needs (eg. investments)
Invoice trading
Traditional Factoring
Dynamic discounting
Reverse factoring or indirect factoring
Crypto assets
I have never used the previous tools/services
Q21.4 If you have used an innovative tool (Fintech) at least once, what are the main reasons that led you to use this channel (online platforms) to meet your needs? (select the three main reasons)
*
Difficulty in accessing credit through traditional channels (banking and credit)
Need to diversify instruments and channels for raising financial resources
Ease of access to Fintech channels
Fast response times from Fintech companies
Reduced costs of loans raised through Fintech companies
Other
Q21.5 Which of the following enabling factors for a Supply Chain Finance programme do you consider most relevant
*
Supply Chain Management
Global Supply Chain Management
Impact of Advanced Technology
Increased Competition
New Trade Finance Models
Globalisation and Trade Growth
Focus on Prospective Cash Flow
Q21.6 Which of the following professional qualifications do you consider necessary in the integration/selection and management of a Supply Chain Finance programme?
*
Financial Manager/Chief Financial Officer (CFO)
Treasury Manager
Chief Procurement Officer (CPO)
Chief Supply Chain/Supply Chain Manager
Operational Manager
Export Manager
Other
Q21.7 How relevant do you consider the following steps that make up the CCC (Cash Conversion Cycle) in the integration/choice of a Supply Chain Finance programme: (1=little relevant; 5=very relevant)
*
1 (little relevant)
2
3
4
5 (very relevant)
Credit
Procure-to-Pay
Sales
Procurement
Inventory
Collection (DSO)
Order-to-Collect
Accounts Payable (DPO)
Invoicing & Billing
Q21.8 To what extent does the current interest rate scenario condition the integration/choice of a Supply Chain Finance programme
*
Very relevant
Moderately relevant
Not very relevant
Not relevant at all
Q21.9 Which benefits do you consider important for the adoption of SCF solutions?(0=not at all important; 5= extremely important)
*
0 (not at all important)
1
2
3
4
5 (very relevant)
Improved financial position
Better performance in terms of ROI and ROE
Improved credit rating
Lower cost of debt
Better access to credit
Lower probability of financial distress
Improved business processes
Improved efficiency
Better relations with customers/suppliers
Better relations with banks/financial institutions
Involvement of FinTech/insurance/logistics partners
Improved sustainability
Reduced procurement costs
Increased revenues
Q21.10 Which of the following outputs do you consider a priority with the integration/choice of a Supply Chain Finance programme (0= not at all priority; 5= extremely important priority)
*
0 (not a priority)
1
2
3
4
5 (extremely important priority)
Stability and financial control of the supply chain
Involvement of regulators and supervisory bodies on standard financial indicators
Increased interaction with financial actors involved (banks, Fintech, insurance companies, etc.)
Standardisation of information flows used in the operation of individual solutions
Adequate sizing of upstream and downstream credit lines in the supply chain
Monitoring of key performance and sustainability indicators in the supply chain
Q21.11 Which entity hosts the SCF platform or tool you use the most
*
Bank
Other financial intermediary
Fintech platform
In-house platform
Customer/supplier platform
We are not using any SCF tools at the moment
Q21.12 What is your development strategy for SCF solutions?
*
Downsizing
No modification
Expansion
Strong expansion
SUSTAINABLE SUPPLY CHAIN FINANCE
To make Supply Chain Finance sustainable it is necessary to assign an ESG rating to suppliers and choose whether to use a system to incentivise, improve or exclude suppliers who are not very virtuous in their ESG ratings.
Q22. Has the company you are currently working for already implemented Sustainable Supply Chain Finance tools?
*
Yes
No
I don't know
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REASONS FOR IMPLEMENTING SUSTAINABLE SUPPLY CHAIN FINANCE TOOLS
Q22.1 If yes, for what reasons
*
Increasing the economic-financial performance of my company
Making our business processes more agile and flexible
Making our business processes more transparent
Making the supply chain more agile and flexible
Making the supply chain more transparent
Improving the economic sustainability of my business
Improving the social sustainability of my company
Improving the environmental sustainability of my company
Improving the economic sustainability of suppliers
Improving the social sustainability of suppliers
Improving the environmental sustainability of suppliers. Improve the information visibility of suppliers
Improving the information transparency of suppliers
Incentivising suppliers to design and develop more sustainable products
Incentivising suppliers to design more sustainable services
Incentivising suppliers to design more sustainable processes
Excluding suppliers who are not economically sustainable
Excluding environmentally unsustainable suppliers
Excluding socially unsustainable suppliers
Q22.2 What is the level of experience of the company you are currently working in regarding the implementation of Sustainable Supply Chain Finance?
*
Very low
Low
Moderate
High
Very high
No experience
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PROPENSION TO IMPLEMENT SUPPLY CHAIN FINANCE SOLUTIONS
Q23. Based on a scale from 1 (very low) to 5 (very high), what is the propensity of the company where you are currently working to implement Supply Chain Finance solutions?
*
Very low
Low
Average
High
Very high
PROPENSION TO IMPLEMENT SUSTAINABLE SUPPLY CHAIN FINANCE SOLUTIONS
Q24. Based on a scale from 1 (very low) to 5 (very high), what is the propensity of the company where you are currently working to implement SUSTAINABLE Supply Chain Finance solutions?
*
Very low
Low
Average
High
Very high
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ENVIRONMENTAL ORIENTATION
Q25. Based on a scale from 1 (Completely disagree) to 7 (Completely agree), how much do you agree with the following statements:
*
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
Environmental regulation is the primary driver for all our environmental activities
Our environmental activities are directed towards complying with institutional norms and/or regulations
We believe that our environmental activities will differentiate us from our competitors
We believe that our ecological responsiveness will lead to long-term profitability
We engage in environmentally friendly activities because it is the right thing to do
Our environmental initiatives are driven by self-interest rather than a sense of obligation
Q26. Based on a scale from 1 (Completely disagree) to 7 (Completely agree), how much do you agree with the following statements:
*
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
We select suppliers based on their environmental competence
Suppliers are selected based on their ability to support our environmental objectives
We select suppliers based on their environmental performance
We select suppliers based on their ability to develop environmentally friendly goods
Q27. Based on a scale from 1 (Completely disagree) to 7 (Completely agree), how much do you agree with the following statements:
*
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
We conduct regular environmental audits into our suppliers' internal operations
We periodically evaluate our suppliers' environmentally friendly practices
We make site visits to suppliers' premises to help them improve their eco-performance
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TECHNOLOGICAL ORIENTATION
Q28. Based on a scale from 1 (Completely disagree) to 7 (Completely agree), how much do you agree with the following statements regarding the application of IT:
*
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
To interconnect different functional departments through a computer network
To integrate internal resources
To share resources with business partners
To access the resources of heterogeneous organisations in the global network
To support business processes such as ordering, procurement, transportation, inventory, sales and distribution
Q29. On a scale of 0 (no adoption) to 5 (total adoption) how would you rate the level of adoption/implementation of the following technologies within the company you currently work in
*
0
1
2
3
4
5
Robotics
Collaborative Robotics
Cyber Security
Big Data
Internet of Things
Cloud Computing
Vertical and Horizontal Integration
Blockchain
Augmented Reality
Simulation
Artificial Intelligence
Q30. From 0 (no impact) to 5 (disruptive impact), which of the following technologies could drive the adoption of Sustainable Supply Chain Finance tools?
*
0
1
2
3
4
5
Robotics
Collaborative Robotics
Cyber Security
Big Data
Internet of Things
Cloud Computing
Vertical and Horizontal Integration
Blockchain
Augmented Reality
Simulation
Artificial Intelligence
Q31. Considering a scale from 1 (Most likely NO) to 5 (Most likely YES), do you think that Sustainable Supply Chain Finance solutions can push companies towards the adoption of Industry 4.0 technologies also for ESG purposes?
*
Most likely no
Probably not
Neutral
Probably yes
Most likely yes
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INTER-ORGANISATIONAL ORIENTATION
Q32. Based on a scale from 1 (Very weak) to 5 (Very strong), how do you rate your bargaining power towards key suppliers?
*
Very weak
Weak
Moderate
Strong
Very strong
Q33. On a scale of 1 (very low) to 7 (very high) how would you rate the degree to which internal supplier information in the following areas is visible and accessible to the MANUFACTURER through the Inter-Organisational Information System (IOS):
*
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
Order completion status
Backorder status
Production schedules
Current production capacity
Demand planning information
Q34. On a scale of 1 (very low) to 7 (very high) how would you rate the degree to which internal supplier information in the following areas is visible and accessible to the SUPPLIER through the Inter-Organisational Information System (IOS):
*
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
Inventory status
Sales order status
Production schedules
Current production capacity
Demand forecast information
Q35. Based on a scale from 1 (Completely disagree) to 7 (Completely agree), how much do you agree with the following statements:
*
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
The relationship with this partner firm can be characterised as mutually trusting
This partner firm keeps the promises it makes to your company
Your firm is sure that what this partner firm says is true
This partner firm fulfils its commitments exactly as specified
When making important decisions, this partner firm is concerned about your company’s welfare
Q36. Based on a scale from 1 (very low) to 7 (very high), how would you rate the degree of integration of IT systems shared by two or more companies to facilitate access to the information present in each company in the following three dimensions.
*
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
Databases
Applications
File formats
INTERNATIONAL ORIENTATION
Q37. Total number of countries (including the Italian market) in which the company sells its products/services
*
Q38. Percentage of exports (on company turnover) (i.e. foreign sales on total sales)
*
e.g., 36%
Q39. In case of export, in which year did the company start exporting?
*
e.g., 2001
Q40. Total number of Foreign Direct Investments (FDI) in the last year
*
e.g., 12
Q41. Does the company currently have foreign-owned or participated investments?
*
Yes
No
I don't know
Q41.1 If yes, what type of foreign direct investments?
Productive Direct Investments
Commercial Direct Investments
Mixed Direct Investments (both productive and commercial).
Q41.2 In which countries are the direct investments located (specify the type of direct investments: productive, commercial, or mixed).
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ETHICAL ORIENTATION
Q42. Based on a scale from 1 (Completely disagree) to 7 (Completely agree), how much do you agree with the following statements:
*
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
The Company has clear and concrete environmental policies
The Company’s budget planning includes the concerns of environmental investment or procurement
The Company has integrated its environmental plan, vision or mission to its marketing events
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