Matching successful supply chain configuration practices of best performer suppliers with clients' wishes: Guidelines for the Italian engineered valve suppliers of the Oil & Gas sector

This research, anchoring on supply chain configuration data of Italian best performer valve suppliers, achieved from previous published studies, aims to provide a new competitive boost to Italian engineered valve suppliers within the EPC (Engineering, Procurement and Construction) supply chain of the Oil & Gas sector. This research, through the matching of the most effective and significant supply chain configuration practices enabled by best performer valve suppliers with EPC clients' wishes towards the improvement of the valve value chain, provides actionable guidelines to increase the supply chain competitiveness of suppliers of the valve industry. This paper offers a practical support to valve suppliers that need to effectively and rapidly reconfigure their supply chain and gain a new competitive edge. Moreover, the proposed research methodology can be a theoretical base to improve the supplier base of other EPC supply chains.