Background: In today’s disrupted global market, manufacturing firms increasingly struggle to maintain strong customer service performance due to rising expectations, regulatory shifts, and complex supplier networks (Alicke & Foster, 2024; Flynn et al., 2010). Effective collaboration, especially in sourcing, is essential for timely, high-quality, and responsive operations (Dubey et al., 2024). This study explores how supplier integration affects customer service performance, using a SCOR model-based case study (ASCM, 2022).

Purpose: This study aims to explore how collaboration with internal and external suppliers during sourcing impacts customer service performance in manufacturing. Focusing on on-time delivery, accuracy, and responsiveness, it examines how integration strategies enhance operational outcomes. The research uses a qualitative case study guided by the SCOR model’s “Source” process to assess collaboration and service reliability in practice.

Method: This study uses a qualitative, embedded case study approach centered on a Swedish manufacturing firm with internal and external suppliers. Data were gathered through ten semi-structured interviews with key stakeholders, ensuring triangulation and credibility (Saunders et al., 2023). Thematic analysis, supported by NVivo, followed an abductive reasoning process combining theoretical and empirical insights. Guided by a pragmatist philosophy, the study applies the SCOR model’s “Source” process to examine how supplier collaboration influences customer service performance.

Conclusion:  This study examined how collaboration with internal and external suppliers impacts customer service performance in manufacturing. Using the SCOR model’s “Source” process and a qualitative case study, it found that effective integration—through communication, alignment, and shared practices—enhances delivery reliability and responsiveness. Despite challenges like system complexity and supplier variability, strong collaboration can significantly improve sourcing outcomes and service performance.