Cis109
CIS109: Intro Mgt. Info Systems
02/22/2013
Issues of Supply Chain Management
Dr. Laurant Jolly
Strayer University
Issues of Supply Chain Management
Supply chain management (SCM) is the management of a network of interconnected businesses involved in the provision of product and service packages required by the end customers in a supply chain (Wailgum, 2012). Supply chain management spans all movement and storage of raw materials, work-in-process inventory, and finished goods from point of origin to point of consumption. The concept of Supply Chain Management is based on two core ideas. The first is that practically every product that reaches an end user represents the cumulative effort of multiple organizations. These organizations are referred to collectively as the supply chain. The second idea is that while supply chains have existed for a long time, most organizations have only paid attention to what was happening within their “four walls.” Few businesses understood, much less managed, the entire chain of activities that ultimately delivered products to the final customer. The result was disjointed and often ineffective supply chains (Handfield, n.d.).
Supply chain management, then, is the active management of supply chain activities to maximize customer value and achieve a sustainable competitive advantage. It represents a conscious effort by the supply chain firms to develop and run supply chains in the most effective & efficient ways possible (Handfield, n.d.). Supply chain activities cover everything from product development, sourcing, production, and logistics, as well as the information systems needed to coordinate these activities.
The organizations that make up the supply chain are “linked” together through physical flows and information flows. Physical flows involve the transformation, movement, and storage of goods and materials. They are the most visible piece of the supply chain. But just as important are information flows.
02/22/2013
Issues of Supply Chain Management
Dr. Laurant Jolly
Strayer University
Issues of Supply Chain Management
Supply chain management (SCM) is the management of a network of interconnected businesses involved in the provision of product and service packages required by the end customers in a supply chain (Wailgum, 2012). Supply chain management spans all movement and storage of raw materials, work-in-process inventory, and finished goods from point of origin to point of consumption. The concept of Supply Chain Management is based on two core ideas. The first is that practically every product that reaches an end user represents the cumulative effort of multiple organizations. These organizations are referred to collectively as the supply chain. The second idea is that while supply chains have existed for a long time, most organizations have only paid attention to what was happening within their “four walls.” Few businesses understood, much less managed, the entire chain of activities that ultimately delivered products to the final customer. The result was disjointed and often ineffective supply chains (Handfield, n.d.).
Supply chain management, then, is the active management of supply chain activities to maximize customer value and achieve a sustainable competitive advantage. It represents a conscious effort by the supply chain firms to develop and run supply chains in the most effective & efficient ways possible (Handfield, n.d.). Supply chain activities cover everything from product development, sourcing, production, and logistics, as well as the information systems needed to coordinate these activities.
The organizations that make up the supply chain are “linked” together through physical flows and information flows. Physical flows involve the transformation, movement, and storage of goods and materials. They are the most visible piece of the supply chain. But just as important are information flows.
References: Bidgoli, H. (2012). MIS2, 2nd edition. Handfield, R. (n.d.). What is Supply Chain Management? Retrieved from http://scm.ncsu.edu/scm-articles/article/what-is-supply-chain-management Hunsche, C. (n.d.). Solving the Five Biggest Supply Chain Challenges. Retrieved from http://supply-chain.org/top-supply-chain-challenges Kokemuller, N. (2009). http://www.ehow.com/info_8036657_key-issues-supply-chain-management.html Wailgum, T. (2012). Supply chain management definition and solutions. Retrieved from http://www.cio.com/article/40940/