DB Forum 1 Adding Value through Supply Chain Management Dale Crowe Economic Theory of Adding Value through Supply Chain Management Young (2012) writes that supply chain management (SCM) is a function of collaborating firms working to improve operating efficiency and to leverage strategic positioning. In addition, Young references this function as not only the physical attributes of product distribution, but also to include related information, such as production or delivery status, and the capability to access such information. Such capabilities allow SCM to be an important link in fulfilling customer needs and providing value. Young adds that in the current customer-driven market, the perceived value of the entire relationship …show more content…
The change and new sourcing strategy reduced the complexity of their supply chain and resulted in fewer disruptions. As demand increased for Caterpillar’s equipment, their supply chain was getting bogged down and operating slower causing orders to be delayed. With their new sourcing strategy, customers were allowed to order from “lanes” with readily available options, as opposed to having to fulfill customized orders as they occurred, enabling a more proactive approach throughout the company (Katz, 2011). The lane strategy has helped Caterpillar improve their ability to meet customer demand; as this system consists of four ordering lanes serving a variety of infrastructure equipment models that enables its dealers to offer a wider array of customization choices with different lead times; customers are also given information on how to access these lead times and get order status updates (Katz, 2011). This type of information is one of the value-added services available from SCM. Conclusion Successful SCM is a function that adds value and increases the connection between the customer and the organization. Enhancing customer value and other value-added offerings is a driving force in the goals of an organization. SCM is a link to the successful achievement of those goals. Excellence in SCM brings real customer value and strengthens an organizations relationship with its
Supply management can be studied as both an instant field of practice and forming academic domain (Storey, Emberson, Godsell, & Harrison, 2006). It was eventually about influencing behavior in particular directions and in particular ways. The fundamental logics, drivers, enablers and barriers asset and exact close attention in supply management. Manufacturers, retailers, suppliers, and wholesalers are the members in supply chain. Supply chain management (SCM) is normally applying in integrated wholesaling and retail businesses (Wisner & Tan, 2000). SCM is comprehensiveness with logistics and physical distribution functions with reducing lead time of delivery. It is a comprehensive philosophy intent on management’s purpose to sustain or establish competitiveness in a quickly growing environment, through more able distribution, and purchasing activities (Cooper & Ellram, 1993; Giunipero &
Success for many organizations depends on the firm’s ability to balance product and process changes while exceeding customer expectations for improved cost delivery and quality. In lieu of these issues firms have started to implement principles of supply chain management. Supply chain management mainly involves managing the flow of incoming materials, manufacturing operations, and downstream distribution has to be in alignment that is responsive to change in customer demands eliminating a surplus of inventory.
Supply chain management is a practice that involves the planning, supervision, and implementation of strategies and controls to direct the movement of goods and services provided to customers. The intent of this essay is to incorporate a synopsis of existing literature and to provide the reader with a general understanding of how supply chain management correlates with the organizational design and structure of modern firms. The essay comprehensively reviews the components of supply chain management and their integration with functional areas within an organization. The information presented in this essay
Supply-Chain Management is the activities that procure materials and services, and transform them into intermediate goods and final products and deliver them, through a distribution system (Heizer & Render, 2011, p. 452). DELL is a computer technology corporation that develops sells, repairs and supports, computers and computer related products. DELL has realized that supply chain is becoming more and more important for the success of today’s business world and they work accordingly to keep a competitive advantage in the market. This study will examine to what extent Dell has used supply chain management to gain and retain a competitive advantage in the computer market.
It is concluded that SCM is not yet a discipline and it is moving in the right direction. We can consider that SCM is an emerging discipline. If we look more closely at what is supply chain management and how is it being framed in research, there is much more common issues than there are differences. There is a common core of subjects taught in most supply chain management programs. There is a set of fairly well accepted standards by which a company’s supply chains are judged. There is widespread agreement that supply chain management is a philosophy or orientation of the way that organizations conduct business and that it is multidisciplinary in
Understanding supply chain perspectives was a bit more complicated for me. After reviewing the material, I realized that companies need to find ways to differentiate from other companies. Supply chain strategies help companies make their products more desirable by consumers. Once again I concluded that customer satisfaction is the most important KPI in an organization. Just like marketing strategies, supply chain strategies also target customers. They are a chain of dependent activities that, if used consistently, collaborate to target the highest levels of customer service at a lower cost.
Why is a supply chain important for businesses? Supply chain is a chain of interconnected links that facilitates the movement of supplies, materials, products, and so on (Arway, 2013, pp.3). Supply chain management has become the critical backbone to businesses today (Management Study Guide, 2013). The reason comes from the fact that effective market coverage and availability of products at market locations depends on the effectiveness of supply chain management. Any fault in product not being available at the right time can cause drop in customer interest and demand which can be catastrophic. On the other hand, effective and secure supply chain can successfully boost customer service in following four aspects (Council of Supply Chain
Effective supply chain management (SCM) has evolved as an essential prerequisite of securing competitive advantage and boosting organizational performance as supply chain is an integral part of the organization. This article covers the seven most popular SCM practices (Strategic Supplier Partnership, customer relationship, level and quality of information sharing, demand management, procurement, inventory management,) and describes how SCM can give a company competitive edge and improved performance.
As supply chains have moved from a cost focus to a customer focus and now currently to a strategic focus, the need to think strategically about the supply chain has never been more important. The success of a strategy is only as good as the company’s ability to fully and properly execute it. A great supply chain strategy, linked with operational excellence, can provide success for not only the company in question but also its partners and customers.
Christopher (1992) describes a supply chain as a network of organizations that are involved, through upstream (i.e. supply sources) and downstream (i.e. distribution channels) linkages, in the different processes and activities that produce value in the form of products and services in the hands of the eventual consumers. Supply chain management is the efficient management of the end-to-end process, which starts with the design of the product or service and ends with the time when it has been sold, consumed, and finally, discarded by the consumer. This complete process includes product design, procurement, planning and forecasting, production, distribution, fulfillment, after-sales support, and end-of-life disposal. The Supply-Chain Council defines supply chain management as the "effort involved in producing and delivering a final product from the supplier's supplier to the customer's customer (Larson et al., 1998). Supply chain management is customer oriented and is aimed towards the integration of business planning and matching supply and demand across the entire supply chain for bringing instantly, costless, seaming less and frictionless products to
Additionally, to better balance supply and demand, a company must coordinate its supply chain management (SCM) strategies with its customer-relations management (CRM) strategies. This is essential because SCM strategies often focus on economic metrics while CRM strategies often focus on customer feedback. Thus, if both strategies can be integrated to work in unison, the company should be able to develop a
According to O’Brien (2011), “supply chain management helps a company get the right products to the right place at the right time, in the proper order quantity and at an acceptable cost.” In recent years, companies have begun to restructure their supply chains to incorporate more technology that can be used not only by themselves, but also by their customers and suppliers. Technology is necessary to enable the increase in collaboration allowing internal systems to provide more visibility to different data views externally in a safe and efficient manner; therefore, allowing for greater analysis and decision-support for supply chain managers (Carter, 2007).
Supply chain management (SCM) is the process that is utilized by a company to ensure that its supply chain is efficient and cost effective. They are aiming at providing the highest degree of customer satisfaction at the lowest cost through management of material and information flow in the supply chain. It requires the commitment of supply chain partners to work closely to coordinate order generating, order taking and order fulfillment. To balance customers' demands with the need for profitable growth, many companies have moved aggressively to improve supply chain management.
Supply chain management, is the dynamic management for supply chain exercises on boost client quality and accomplish a maintainable aggressive advantage. It speaks to a cognizant exertion toward the supply chain
All the managers recognised that supply chain performance is important in improving competitive advantage. They evaluated the supply chain based on tangible (e.g. cost) and intangible perspectives (e.g. time). The companies also had high-level communication information with their partners in the supply chain, in which they exchanged information regarding accuracy, value and criticality. The companies acknowledged that e-procurement enhanced partner relationships, information sharing, and supply chain integration.