International Journal of Engineering and Technology

The purpose of this study is to propose a theoretical framework based on a balanced scorecard (BSC) for performance measurement in the water desalination supply chain (WDSC). The reason for choosing this context is that the supply chain (SC) of water desalination has received a great amount of attention, due to issues related to the increased need of fresh water for agricultural, industrial and human consumptions. The research methodology is based on literature analysis concerning performance measurement and metrics, the water desalination industry and the BSC model. Different SC performance measures which related to WDSC have been reviewed and distributed into four BSC perspectives: financial, customer, internal business, and learning & growth. The article provides a structured theoretical framework specific for WDSC. This is the first developed framework in WDSC which could serve as a reference to develop applicable performance indicators, and it is expected that both researchers and practitioners would benefit from the proposed framework.