In this essay, I will discuss the notion of Supply Chain Management through analysing the different types of supply chains. Next I will look at the concept of sustainability and how it applies to SCM. This will lead into the discussion that SCM also involves the process of New Product and Service Design as well as Strategic Capacity and Project Management. A supply chain entails various entities that are involved in the beginning to end business process of delivering a product (good or service) to its end consumer (Cooper, Lambert & Pagh 1997). This process of supply chain management (SCM) consists of many activities and information flows such as the procurement of materials, the process of manufacturing and packaging, followed by the storage and warehousing of the finished products before being distributed to retailers for the end user’s consumption (Cooper, Lambert & Pagh 1997; Griffin & Thomas 1996). SCM involves the coordination of the following functions: strategic supplier partnerships, quality of information sharing, management of internal functions and loyal customer relationships (Barbosa-Póvoa, Barros & Blanco 2013). Successful integration of these functions should, in turn, enhance the flow of output and maintain an effective relationship between suppliers and customers and hence ensure their expectations are being met (Hung et al. 2010). As customer needs differ, so too does the diversity of supply chains, which can be adapted to a business’s specific needs. The four main types of supply chains include: lean, agile, fully flexible and continuous replenishment. Lean supply chains are characterised by cost- and waste-minimisation through the ability to obtain maximum output from minimum usage of resources including that... ... middle of paper ... ...the project. Vivid Sydney’s annual lights festival, for example, engages in managing its Strategic Capacity for the Vivid project by planning sufficient resources to last its 18-day festival (Vivid Sydney 2015). SCM is evidently a comprehensive structural tool, providing businesses with a range of choices to best align with the nature of their operations. Various concepts are also threaded throughout the supply chain process, notably, that of sustainability. The idea of sustainability is not limited to lean supply chains, as it also exists in the context of fully flexible and continuous replenishment supply chains as they are concerned with having the resources to adapt to external situations in a sustainable manner. In similar vein, SCM extends beyond procurement, production and logistics systems as each type of supply chain is designed to serve diverse situations.
A supply chain is a system through which organizations deliver their products and services to their customers. The network begins with the basic ingredients to start the chain of supply, which are the suppliers that supply raw materials, ingredients, and so on. From there, it will transfer the supplies to the manufacturer who builds, assembles, converts, or furnishes a product. The chain now needs to get the product to the consumer by transporting the finished product from the manufacturer through a warehouse or distribution center. An example is that Wal-Mart has a nearby distribution center where products are delivered there and then split up to be delivered to a retail Wal-Mart. “Wal-Mart will take responsibility for breaking down larger loads and delivering the product to other Wal-Mart stores” (Ehring 1).
Abstract: This paper hypothesises that, whilst Six Sigma as a change and improvement strategy is delivering significant business benefit to practitioner organisations, it has not been successfully adapted to deliver similar benefits across supply chains. It demonstrates by reference to the literature that most published applications of Six Sigma in supply chains are related to the application of traditional internal Six Sigma methodologies to the internal processes of a supplier to the “Six Sigma Organisation”. In this paper, the issues particular to an application of Six Sigma in a broader supply chain context are discussed, with reference to specific supply chain issues. It is concluded that Six Sigma does have something novel to offer organisations over and above the contribution of existing approaches to supply chain improvement, and a conceptual model is proposed that is consistent with the literature and has potential to support such an introduction. Although rooted in the supply chain realm, SCOR adherents see a role for the methodology as the gatekeeper – identifying the projects most likely to render ROI using SCOR, Lean or Six Sigma. There is already a natural link between Lean and Six Sigma at the program and project execution level. The model integrates the Balanced Scorecard, SCOR model (Supply Chain Reference model) and Six Sigma DMAIC (define, measure, analyse and improve) methodology in a two-level framework. This is a strategic-level cycle, developing focused projects to generate maximum business benefit, and an operational-level cycle, applying Six Sigma and lean tools in a DMAIC cycle to deliver supply chain improvements. Cautions and requirements for the success in practice of such a model are discussed and it is concluded that the model should be tested in practice to validate and develop further the methodology.
Before we start, we would like to briefly introduce the definitions of Supply Chain and Supply Chain Management (SCM).
The increased competitions between businesses in the market resulted in increasing product offerings from these businesses which in turn shortened product life cycles. As a result, it has become essential for these businesses to adapt the new technologies to better manage and control their supply chain management. So, experts have identified the successful needed practices to develop more effective supply chain managements.
Supply chain management is basically refers to the fundamental supply chain analysis of the organization which predominantly describes functionalities from source to the delivery point. In this process of delivery, supply chain management framework divides in four categories: In Planning the products and suppliers evaluated and selected, Sourcing pull the information process including contracting, ordering and expediting, Moving is a physical process from suppliers to end user and Paying is the financial process including payment and performance measurement.
Two words, lean and agile, combine to make the word leagility. Supply chain managers need lean supply lines to eliminate waste and keep costs low. They also require agile supply chains to get the right amount of the product to the right place in order to satisfy the ever-changing nature of the marketplace. Traditional management recommended a lean supply chain for products with a stable demand, yet low profit margin. Conversely, products with a high profit margin and volatile demand should have an agile supply chain (Van der Vorst). Modern managers may benefit from studying hybrid supply chains that are both lean and agile.
Supply chain management has been defined as that process that involves the management of information, materials, and all the finances that are handled within and across the entire supply chain process (Christopher, 2016). The management is usually done through out the entire supply chain management from that moment when the suppliers are involved through all the manufacturing activities, different distribution activities, and the way that the products are served to the final product consumer (Turban, et al., 2002). The process also includes all the activities that different organizations offers to their customers as after sale services for purposes perfecting their services and products towards their highly valued customers (Christopher,
The conceptual framework presented as in Fig. 1 is drawn from the SEM approach. In this study, the indicators were developed on the base of used common indicators in previous research as constructors TQM and SCM. In our conceptual model, the latent variable "SCQM" comprises a number constructs: Leadership, Strategic Planning, Human Resource Management, Process management, Continual Improvement, Factual approach to decision making, Management Supplier Relationships, Customer Focus.
In today world, supply chain management plays important role in businesses. In order to create efficient supply chain, right approach is essential. This essay will explain about Lean synchronization one of the most popular supply chain philosophy, role of talent and technology, and four principles to success in continuous improvement.
Supply Chain Management (SCM) is an essential element to organisation success by maximizing customer value and achieve a sustainable competitive advantage. The source of competitive advantage can also include innovation, brand image, product range, customer care, compliance to regulations and reduced risks. Supply Chain Management (SCM) has seeking all possible areas to improve the competitive position and generate the greater cost saving to the organisation especially during this economic downturn.
There are various ways to improve supply chain in the competitive environment. Lean synchronization is considered one of the best techniques. Lean philosophy targets are producing perfect quality of products and reducing waste. The most important part of lean philosophy is focus on eliminate all of the waste. Waste can identify as activities that is non-added value both in production
In all, supply chain operation management has helped many global companies in handling and distributing their products as it is a one-stop solution provider from one warehouse direct to end user. By building trust among the trading partners with effective communications would improve performance metrics both the company and the solutions provider.
A supply chain is a network of facilities that procure raw materials, transform them into intermediate goods and then final products, and deliver the products to customers through a distribution system [1]. The basic objective of supply chain is to “optimize performance of the chain to add as much value as possible for the least cost possible.
To further accommodate the everyday consumer while boosting efficiency, supply chains are learning to balance the concept of lean versus agile. A lean supply chain makes an effort to remove any non-value added portion or waste to increase production and profit. Lean is a relatively new standard across most industries. With an ever-increasing demand in consumer wants, many supply chains are shifting their focus towards an agile strategy. This will allow more flexibility within an organization to adjust to market demands and to do so in a timelier
Coyle, J., Langley, C., Gibson, B., Novack, R. and Bardi, E. (2008).Supply Chain Management: A Logistics Perspective. 8th ed. Cengage Learning, p.366.