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This article sought to verify the direct and indirect influence of supply chain integration (SCI) on speed of new products introduction (NPI). We tested the indirect influence of the SCI on NPI using the company absorptive capacity as mediating variable. To do this, we used an online questionnaire encompassing dimensions upon supplier and customer integration into new product development, absorptive capacity and speed of new products introduction. We applied this questionnaire to 82 companies located in the South of Brazil and that belonging to the textile industry. We used the Structural Equation Modeling to test the relationships proposed above. As a result, we found out the neither suppliers, nor customers have direct influence on the speed of new products introduction, but this relationship happens via the manufacturer’s absorptive capacity. Thus, we suggest that, in the textile industry, the integration with partners by itself does not impact on the operational performance once it depends upon the internal resources of the manufacturer to acquire, assimilate and explore the knowledge to commercial ends.
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