Towards a framework for supply chain finance for the supply side

Buyers increasingly offer financing alternatives to their suppliers – so called supply chain finance (SCF) practices for the supply side. Expected benefits however do not always materialize for involved actors. Guidance is needed when to provide these SCF practices to suppliers and why to select different types of practices. To provide this guidance, the paper involves an exploratory multiple-case study design including data within eight buyer-supplier-financial service provider triads. The findings explain contextual situations for the provision of SCF practices based on the contingency approach. They distinguish endogenous, relationship-related and exogenous contingencies within the aforementioned triads. Differentiation criteria are determined for the selection of SCF practices along the dimensions ‘time of financing’ (pre- versus post-shipment) and ‘source of funds’ (supply chain internal and external). Testable propositions and key learnings summarize the derived findings and form the basis to develop a contingency framework on SCF practices for the supply side.