Purpose Integration is a key element of supply chain management (SCM) and a lot of research has been executed within the field of supply chain integration (SCI). The purpose of this paper is to particularly identify the intellectual research front and foundation of SCI and how they developed over time. Design/methodology/approach The authors examined more than 1,700 peer-reviewed academic papers that were published between 1995 and 2019 in nearly 40 relevant peer-reviewed academic journals (all indexed in Web of Science). The authors analysed the structure of more than 55,000 individual references with the R-package bibliometrix and used VOSviewer for visualization. Findings The SCI research front is characterized by papers that show the effects of SCI on the firm performance, the consequences of SCI on SCM in general and present the enablers of SCI. The research front is embedded within the resource-based, transaction cost and contingency theory. The intellectual foundation refers to conceptual modelling, definitional clarification and integration dimensions. The research identifies Frohlich and Westbrook’s (2001) paper as the central reference for this research area. The dynamic evolution of the intellectual foundation of SCI changed from theorising in Phase 1 (1995–2006) towards empirical testing in Phase 2 (2007–2019). Research limitations/implications The results refer to the SCI discussion within a preselected number of peer-reviewed academic journals and to the data quality as provided by the Web of Science. Originality/value The study explored the research front and intellectual foundation of SCI. It reveals the most important papers and journals of this area by using bibliometric tools such as bibliometrix, biblioshiny and VOSviewer. The paper shows trends in research themes, theories and methodological developments.

PurposeThe aim of this paper is to offer an overview of the current state of research in a specific field of transport, namely synchromodality. This includes a conceptual discussion of this innovative transport concept to differentiate it from previous concepts as well as the identification of the antecedents, mechanisms and effects of synchromodality.Design/methodology/approachThe paper combines systematic and content analysis-based approaches to literature review to analyse and synthesise a final sample of 88 publications related to synchromodality.FindingsSynchromodality is a transport concept in its infancy which suffers from ambiguous definitions and a lack of theoretical grounding. The paper identifies four mechanisms which differentiate synchromodality from other transport concepts: real-time switching, integrated network planning, horizontal collaboration and mode-free booking. Seven technical and six managerial antecedents for these mechanisms of synchromodality are defined.Research limitations/implicationsExisting research on synchromodality is largely focused on technical antecedents (e.g. information and communication technology, sophisticated planning systems). Suggestions for further research include managerial problems such as business models or measures to induce a mental shift and trust.Originality/valueThis paper gives a structured overview of the research field of synchromodality and presents existing research from a content-focused perspective. It also indicates opportunities for future research and contributes to a generally accepted understanding of synchromodality.

Supply chains can be defined as long, complex and interwoven sequences of order-connected firms (see Kotzab & Otto, 2004). The management of such chains is concerned with the identification of an optimal strategy for the complete chain which induces an integration of business processes amongst a number of companies (Ryu et al., 2013). This integration is based on different levels of interaction of the involved firms ranging from harmonizing or synchronising activities (= coordination) to working together as equal partners (= cooperation) and even acting as one single entity (= collaboration).

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