Developing a strategic supply chain integration framework for the Malaysian rubber industry

This study develops a Strategic Supply Chain Integration Framework (SSCIF) for the Malaysian rubber industry by connecting operational diagnosis, strategy formulation, and implementation planning. A qualitative, document-based single-industry case study was conducted. To establish an auditable evidence base, a retrospective review began with 62 records identified in the working bibliography. Following screening, one duplicate and 33 records that were unrelated, insufficiently attributable, commercially oriented, or not used in the analysis were excluded. The final evidence set comprised 28 sources: 18 analytical documents and 10 conceptual or methodological sources. The analytical documents included government and policy publications, peer-reviewed studies, established industry and research organisation reports, one doctoral thesis, and two news reports, used exclusively to support industry corroboration. Evidence was coded into six fishbone categories, translated into SWOT factors using explicit internal–external classification rules, matched through TOWS analysis, and screened according to feasibility, expected supply-chain impact, and contextual fit. The findings indicate that supply unreliability and operating-cost pressures were not attributable to an empirically demonstrated industry-wide increase in operating costs. Instead, they reflected interacting labour and skills constraints, fragmented smallholder coordination, uneven mechanisation, non-standardised handling and quality practices, limited cross-tier information, climate variability, price volatility, and evolving traceability requirements. The SSCIF provides a clear and auditable link between verified causes and strategic responses by specifying evaluated options, responsible parties, required resources, implementation timelines, and key performance indicators. Although the framework is evidence-informed, it has not yet been externally validated; therefore, stakeholder validation and longitudinal performance testing are required.