global supply chain
In today’s uncertain and turbulent markets, supply chain vulnerability has become an issue of significance for many companies.
As supply chains become more
complex as a result of global sourcing and the continued trend to ‘leaning-down’, supply chain risk increases.
The challenge to business today is to manage and
mitigate that risk through creating more resilient supply chains.
Supply chain managers strive to achieve the ideals of fully integrated efficient and effective supply chains, capable of creating and sustaining competitive advantage
[1].
To this end they must balance downward cost pressures and the need for
efficiency, with effective means to manage the demands of market-driven service requirements and the known risks of routine supply chain failures.
Better
management and control of internal processes together with more open information flows within and between organisations can do much to help.
However, in an age of lengthening supply chains serving globe-spanning operations, recent events around the world have provided frequent reminders that we live in an unpredictable and changing world [2].
Natural disasters, industrial disputes,
terrorism, not to mention the spectre of war in the Middle East, have all resulted in serious disruptions to supply chain activities. In these situations ‘business as usual’ is often not an option.
Modern commercial supply chains are in fact dynamic networks of interconnected firms and industries [3]. No organisation is an island and even the most carefully controlled processes are still only as good as the links and nodes that support them.
All are dependent on efficient and reliable transportation and communication systems, an obvious point, but one that is often overlooked [4].
These issues are the subject of the Centre for Logistics and Supply Chain
Management’s on-going programme of research into supply chain risk and vulnerability. The work presented in
As supply chains become more
complex as a result of global sourcing and the continued trend to ‘leaning-down’, supply chain risk increases.
The challenge to business today is to manage and
mitigate that risk through creating more resilient supply chains.
Supply chain managers strive to achieve the ideals of fully integrated efficient and effective supply chains, capable of creating and sustaining competitive advantage
[1].
To this end they must balance downward cost pressures and the need for
efficiency, with effective means to manage the demands of market-driven service requirements and the known risks of routine supply chain failures.
Better
management and control of internal processes together with more open information flows within and between organisations can do much to help.
However, in an age of lengthening supply chains serving globe-spanning operations, recent events around the world have provided frequent reminders that we live in an unpredictable and changing world [2].
Natural disasters, industrial disputes,
terrorism, not to mention the spectre of war in the Middle East, have all resulted in serious disruptions to supply chain activities. In these situations ‘business as usual’ is often not an option.
Modern commercial supply chains are in fact dynamic networks of interconnected firms and industries [3]. No organisation is an island and even the most carefully controlled processes are still only as good as the links and nodes that support them.
All are dependent on efficient and reliable transportation and communication systems, an obvious point, but one that is often overlooked [4].
These issues are the subject of the Centre for Logistics and Supply Chain
Management’s on-going programme of research into supply chain risk and vulnerability. The work presented in
References: Strategies”, International Journal of Logistics Management, Vol. 13, No. 1, (2002), pp 1-13 December, (2002), pp 17-22 [3] No. 3, (1989), pp 187-200 [4] Conference, Dublin, (2004), pp412-419. University (2003). Available electronically at www.cranfield.ac.uk/som/scr [6] Chapman and Hall, (1992) [7] Christopher, Martin, Logistics and Supply Chain Management, Pitman Publishing, London, (1992) [8] Collins English Dictionary, Harper Collins, Glasgow, (2000) Taking”, Management Science, Vol.33, No.11, (1987), pp1404-1418 25 behalf of DTLR, DTi and Home Office, (2002) [11] (2002), pp 1-11 and Lee, Hau and M. Wolfe, “Supply Chain Security without Tears”, Supply Chain Management Review, January/February, (2003), pp 1220 Logistics Management, Oakbrook, Illinois, (2002), pp 316 [13] Volume 5, No.1, (2002), pp13-44 [14] Publishing, 2004. Cycle”, Control, September (1998), pp 17-22 [16] Ireland, Rom and Robert Bruce, “CPFR : Only the Beginning of Collaboration”, Supply Chain Management Review, Sept/Oct (2002), pp 80-88 International Journal of Logistics Management, Vol. 14, No. 2, (2003), pp 111 26