Functional Bottlenecks of Wholesaler – Retailer Two Tiered Supply Chain in Distribution Channel of Food Production

One of the success factors of any production firm is optimizing the distribution channel of products and identifying bottlenecks in each level of the supply chain can be a basis for selecting and managing the supply chain in the distribution channel. Therefore, this research has been conducted with the aim of identifying the functional bottlenecks of the   wholesaler-retailer two-tier supply chain in the distribution channel of food production units. This research was conducted in the form of a descriptive and applied research. Initially, in the qualitative phase, by using qualitative content analysis and by interviewing 26 experts in this field, the functions of wholesale and retail levels of food were conceptualized as  first-order codes and then as second-order codes. Next, in order to explain the model, using the opinions of 61 economic experts in the supply chain field, the degree of influence and effectiveness of the functions was determined using the DEMATEL technique. Findings show that at the wholesale level, sales promotion, compliance with market rules and ethics, active cooperation with the manufacturer, and financing of the chain are the main functions. At the same time, providing services to consumers, obeying market rules and ethics, promoting sales, financing the chain, and optimizing the product portfolio are considered the most effective functional bottlenecks in the retail sector. Based on the results, the identified bottlenecks can be used to map the value stream of distribution channels to identify process improvement opportunities for a more efficient supply chain. Also, the managers of food industry units, while familiarizing themselves with the key performance indicators of the chain, can consider the parts that can be improved in smoothing the flow of goods, money and information in the supply chain.</em>