Melnyk et al.2014 Essay

Supply chains manage the movement of products from the acquisition of raw materials through production and finally distribution to the end user. A properly designed supply chain can create many opportunities to drive down cost and increase revenue opportunities. In order to create a supply chain that is sustainable and flexible it is necessary to identify and align company goals and initiatives with the manufacturing and distribution of products.

Russell, R. S., & Taylor III, B. W. (2014). Operations and Supply Chain Management, 8th edition. Hoboken, New Jersey: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

ReferencesJoansson,J2008,http://bsminfo.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=625&Itemid=147, accessed 15/05/2009Li, Y, Yu, J & Xu, L 2006, 3PLs in supply chain management, http://www.globrand.com/2006/18441.shtml, accessed 12/05/2009Rudnick, M 2008, Best Buy, Super-Regional See Major Gains in White Good, http://www.allbusiness.com/company-activities-management/sales-selling-sales/9341175-1.html, accessed 14/05/2009Weng, D 2006, 3PLs-The Breakthrough of Supply Chain Innovation, http://ww

What is the right supply chain for your product ? is the question asked by Marshall L. Fisher in his article titled, “What is the Right Supply Chain for Your Product ?” published in March-April 1997 issue of the Harvard Business Review. Author raises the question stating the fact that new ideas and technology implemented haven’t lead to improved performance. Performance has not become better but rather in at least some cases, has worsened due to costs rocketing to unprecedented levels.

“Considering present market conditions and the way in which industry demand fluctuates nowadays, firms willing to remain operationally efficient will become more reliant on supply-chain management, This is one of the main reasons for which Wal-Mart has been capable of growing at an annual rate of 15.4%.”（Aleksandrov）

The best organizations worldwide are discovering a strong new supply of competitive advantage. It 's known as supply chain management and it encompasses all of those built-in activities that bring product to market and create satisfied customers. The supply Chain management program integrates issues from manufacturing operations, purchasing, transportation, and physical distribution into a unified program. Positive supply chain management, then, coordinates and integrates all of these hobbies right into a seamless approach. It embraces and hyperlinks all of the companions within the chain. In addition to the departments within the group, these partners comprise vendors, carriers, third party companies, and information programs vendors.

Through our study, supply chain challenges, the operational and economic impact of changes, and possible improvement options were identified. Generated data were analyzed and recommendations made based on the findings.

“The best supply chains aren’t just fast and cost effective, they are also agile and adaptable and they ensure that all their companies interests stay aligned.”- Hall L Lee

As previously stated, supply chain includes every activity linked to the movement of goods from the raw-materials phase to the end-user stage. The proponents of this business process recognized that vital productivity improves from management of material flow, relationships, and information. Actually, the success and productivity of a business is dependent on the delivery of improved customer and

Nowadays with globalization, global supply chain management is becoming a very important issue for most of businesses. The main reasons of this trend are procurement cost reduction, purchasing risks control, and revenues increasing. For instance, companies may set up overseas

This way the whole supply chain can benefit from individual skills and assets which will create a synergy.

Master Project in International Logistics and Supply Chain Management Authors: Lining Bai Ying Zhong Tutor: Jönköping Jens Hultman 2008-01

Fundamental to any business organisation is the need to have an effective supply chain strategy (Aronsson, Hakan & Maria, 2006). This is achieved mainly by how an organisation can develop and implement its supply chain strategy. Development and implementation of these strategies may differ from one institution to another, but the general idea is the same across all organisations (Brewer, & Thomas, 2001). This article, therefore, shows the general importance of supply chain strategy to any organisation.

The supply chain management basically involves processes and activities which are involved in the planning, organising, controlling and implementing the cost effective flow of goods from the point of origin to the point of consumption. The whole process will have different players like the supplier, manufacturer, distributor, retailers and the customers themselves as the end point of consumption. The supply chain has changed drastically over the years. This days they are very global in nature. Involving various complex interactions and flow of goods, data and funds between companies which are situated in different countries and continents. Even though the companies are spread across the world the manufacturing plants generally follow a similar structure which normally comprises of the suppliers, manufacturing plants, distributors, retailers, inbound and outbound logistics providers. There were a lot of challenges which arose because of the competition which made the companies to rethink their strategies in order to get the product to the right place at the right time at the lowest cost possible. The companies should always look at improving the whole supply chain and every player in the chain should coordinate with one another if they want to increase the efficiency. The organisation should realise the strategic importance of supply chain as it is a key to building a sustainable competitive edge. (Li, Ragu-Nathan, Ragu-Nathan, & Rao, 2006).

However, in recent years, supply chain management has emerged as the foundation in many industries regardless of their size for creating the included relationship between suppliers and customers. This is because the supply chain management has contributed to the increase of offshore sourcing. As a result, globalization has progressed, international trade and capital flows have been expanded, which in turn has contributed to the intensity of price competition.