Building collaboration in FMCG supply chains: a time-based perspective

Purpose This study aims to examine how supply chain collaboration (SCC) initiatives in logistics develop and are sustained over time. While SCC is widely discussed in the literature, existing research predominantly adopts static perspectives, treating collaboration mechanisms as stable configurations rather than temporally evolving practices. This study addresses this gap by adopting a temporal, process-oriented perspective on SCC development. Design/methodology/approach The study adopts a qualitative multiple-case research design, analysing 15 collaboration initiatives across nine companies, comprising major food retailers and multinational producers, operating in the Italian Fast-Moving Consumer Goods sector. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews, pre-interview questionnaires and company documentation and analysed through within-case and cross-case analysis. Findings The findings show that collaboration mechanisms do not function uniformly across the lifecycle of an initiative: their role and relevance shift as partnerships mature. The cross-case analysis identifies two additional empirical insights: collaborative function autonomy, the degree of operational independence enjoyed by logistics teams in driving collaboration, and the dual role of time, both as an operational resource and as a relational enabler of trust. Building on these insights, the study proposes a time-based framework mapping how mechanisms are introduced, adapted and sustained across four phases: inception, development, execution and evolution. Practical implications The framework provides managers with a phased roadmap for designing and managing collaborative initiatives, supporting more realistic expectations about the pace of collaboration and the investments required at each stage. It also functions as a diagnostic tool, enabling organisations to identify gaps in their collaborative capabilities and plan targeted interventions. Originality/value The study’s central theoretical contribution is the concept of collaborative timing: the strategic alignment of mechanism introduction with the relational and operational maturity of the partnership. This concept is grounded in two supporting empirical contributions: first, evidence that established SCC mechanisms acquire different roles depending on the phase of an initiative; and second, a time-based framework that distinguishes phase-specific from continuous mechanisms across four phases (inception, development, execution, evolution).