Conclusion
The internet has played a huge part in transforming industry value systems through globalisation and supply chain integration. One of the biggest benefits of using the internet for these systems is the ability to communicate in real time between supplier, manufacturer, courier , distributer and ultimately, the customer. It also improves service levels between all parties and reduces logistics costs.
However the advent of global manufacturing companies has led to a number of new challenges. The major problem for large manufacturing companies is storage at their facilities of raw materials and finished products. Another thing global companies need to take into consideration is costs between countries and currencies as exchange rates can change dramatically, either reducing or increasing costs.
While the main benefit of using the internet for value systems and supply chain management globally is communications, it also provides a number of new avenues for business owners to advertise and sell their product such as online stores (Amazon) and auctions (Ebay). This provides many companies the option to cut out steps from manufacturer to consumer thereby increasing profits.
Introduction
The traditional way of managing supply chains has changed dramatically over the past few years. Face to face meetings, phone calls and paper dominated processing systems we originally the main management tools available to logistics managers worldwide. However, today all of that has changed. With the boom of the internet in recent years, websites, online purchasing and online communication have drastically changed, in a positive way. I will use Amazon as an example to demonstrate how the internet has transformed industry value systems thoug...
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...ustomer. It also improves service levels between all parties and reduces logistics costs.
However the advent of global manufacturing companies has led to a number of new challenges. The major problem for large manufacturing companies is storage at their facilities of raw materials and finished products. Another thing global companies need to take into consideration is costs between countries and currencies as exchange rates can change dramatically, either reducing or increasing costs.
While the main benefit of using the internet for value systems and supply chain management globally is communications, it also provides a number of new avenues for business owners to advertise and sell their product such as online stores (Amazon) and auctions (Ebay). This provides many companies the option to cut out steps from manufacturer to consumer thereby increasing profits.
Another key driver for resurgence of U.S. manufacturing is supply chain innovation and according to a survey by Supply Chain Digest of 340 supply chain manager in 2012 showed an important decision driver for off-shore manufacturing is speed to market. In order to reduce the time of product to market corporates leaders are locating manufacturing facilities in U.S. which enhances the ability to understand customer requirements and react quickly throughout the entire value chain when requirements change hence favor production that is slated for U.S. consumption (Ludwig & Spiegel,
Technology plays a big part of the e-retailing industry. It has many positive qualities that impact the industry. Technology simplifies the purchasing process. Since the industry is web based, it helps eliminate the nuisance of not having products when wanted by having the capabilities of placing orders 24/7 at any computer with web access. Technology will also standardize the purchasing process thus reducing processing costs associated with traditional processing.
General Motors is knocking on the door to world class business performance. Ohmae’s five stages of global operation support General Motors aspirations. From stage one to stage five there are significant differences to becoming a global organization. For instance, stage one, states that a company supports arm’s length customer export activity by a domestic company that links up with local and distributors to function. This stage represents the entry level global corporation. General Motors is at stage 4 of Ohmae’s five stages of becoming a global corporation, because it has exemplified the following traits: Systems and tools used globally not just at headquarters, R&D, Engineering and other business operations have a global focus, and all support functions are applied globally. (MFGO 601, WK. #2 Lecture Notes) An example of Ohmae’s, stage ...
Understanding the changes in the market and the growth of e-commerce prompted the organization to invest heavily in its supply chain management forecasting and management system. The development of a network of distribution centers and Direct Fulfillment Centers to position the company to capitalize on the growing e-commerce market indicate a strong understanding of the need to adapt to changing market forces. The company spent over $300 million on new distribution center facilities in 2014 alone, and continues to expand to maintain efficiency in product movement (Cassidy,
Globalization can not only affect a company opening an office in another country but it can affect a small local business as well. As the internet brings the world closer together it becomes far more likely that a business that opened with no intention of selling internationally will have customers form different parts of the world asking for their product. For instance a steel company located in Pennsylvania may suddenly find orders coming in from South American factories. How the steel plant chooses to handle this new international customer could mean ...
Ferdows, K., Lewis, M., & Machuca, J. A.D., 2003. Zara. Supply Chain Forum: International Journal, 4(2), 62-66.
Today, many companies enter the global market, and some companies have become extremely successful in the global marketplace and others still struggling. In Theodore Levitt’s article “The Globalization of Markets”, he states that a well managed corporation focuses on selling standardized products with high quality and low priced instead of focuses on selling on customized products with high cost. Levitt defines the differences between multinational corporation and global corporation, and adopts many specific examples to proves his view. He defines the multinational corporation who operates in many countries and adjust its product based on the taste of specific region. This will result in a high cost to produce the product because company have to input more resource into each individual product. However, global corporation sells similar product worldwide at relative low cost. According to Levitt, the cultural differences are becoming more and more “homogenized”; therefore, becoming a global corporation will lead to the successful of the company in the global market.
As mentioned above, this article deals with the common pitfalls supply chain management deals with in terms of information and operational problems. The first problems we see are based on communication between sites. The pitfalls that communication creates are not having a metrics for the supply chain, insufficient knowledge about the meaning of customer service, incorrect information about the delivery method, and not enough information regarding the databases used among companies.
The large initial capital investment needed for new entrants is another major barrier. The cost of machinery and manufacturing is expensive. It is hugely important and costly to have a global presence in manufacturing as it is extremely expensive to ship machinery to clients around the globe.
Lean manufacturing and just-in-time processing are great business strategies that can severely stress a supply chain. The supply chain and supply chain management is a critical operations management element for any major company to succeed and remain competitive in the global market. The supply chain is one of many pieces critical to maximizing value to the end customer and requires close management to minimize external impacts. If a company is relying on another company to supply the raw materials needed for their production line, then impacts to this other company could impact their supply chain. Careful risk management is needed to optimize performance. As a company expands into global markets and global suppliers, this risk and management challenge is multiplied. The global nature of the company could impact important activities such as transportation, funds transfers, suppliers, distributors, accounting and information sharing. Disruption to the supply chain can significantly reduce revenue, cut market share, inflate costs and threaten production. A major disruption would have obvious impacts to profit, but could have additional intangible impacts to the credibility of the company if products are not delivered on time.
The Scotts Company started selling hardware and seeds in Marysville, Ohio in 1868. It specializes in seeds, fertilizers, peat, potting soils and other organic materials. By 1995, Scotts was the world’s #1 marketer of lawn and garden products. European operations were launched in 1993, with HQ in Lyon, France, and additional five European businesses acquired in UK, France, Germany, Austria and Benelux.
Supply Chain Management (SCM) is the management and control of the flow of goods. It includes the movement and the storage of raw materials, work-in-process inventory, and also finished goods from the origin to the consumption. SCM has been defined as “design, planning, execution, control, and also monitoring of supply chain activities with the goal of creating net value, building a competitive site, leveraging global logistics, combining supply with demand and measuring performance universally” 1. As part of my task, I will discuss the topics of logistics, communication within the supply chain, such as, information systems and Electronic Data Interchange (EDI), relationships with partners, the environment of SCM and the marketing channels and process. My objectives are to inform you how the process of SCM works, how it enables profitable growth and enhances customer satisfaction. SCM creates all positive outputs, according to the Journal of Operations and Supply Chain Management, results showed positive effects of SCM on all performance dimensions, backed-up by the resource-based and relational views of strategy 2.
4. Discuss the forces that are leading international firms to the globalization of their sourcing, production, and marketing.
With the globalization of a product, a company might benefit in many ways. First, by sifting its production or services overseas, the company can reduce its overall production costs due to availability of low-cost labor. Second, working collectively with other companies overseas allows companies to access technical knowledge or resources that are either unavailable or are too expensive at home.
Currently in the global environment, there is a strong sense of competition that must be achieved through better performance, almost all firms are competing in international markets due to the reduction in barriers for capital and tariffs. With the new changes in both communication and technology, the consequences faced are that production processes are no longer within national boundaries but spread across (Debrah & Smith, 2002).