Stuart Milligan, University of Bath will perform a "dress rehearsal" for his forthcoming PhD viva. He will present his research and is keen to answer some probing questions to help him to prepare for the day. The session will be useful for those with an interest in this topic, as well as those that may want to take notes on (or help with) viva preparation.

This study contributes to a theoretical and empirical understanding of the marketing and supply chain interface in the context of omni-channel fulfilment. Adopting structural contingency theory, we posit that consumer demand interacts with channel integration to affect fulfilment efficiency. Building on the literature on omni-channel fulfilment, we hypothesise that as omni-channel activity increases, fulfilment efficiency decreases, and second, that a supply chain with integrated modes of fulfilment will perform better than independent modes of omni-channel fulfilment. To test our hypotheses, we draw upon a unique dataset of omni-channel fulfilment activity from a leading global omni-channel retailer. We find significant evidence to support each of our hypotheses and in doing so, the findings of this study allow us to quantify the magnitude of the efficiency implications of adopting omni-channel on back-end fulfilment. Based on these findings, we provide insights for both theory and practice.