Supply chain has gained importance in the current world of business. With the advent of globalization and competitive advantage being key aspects of organizational existence, it is essential to look into sustainability of the same. This research paper focuses on the need for this sustainability and how supply chains can make a difference to the sustainability of the planet. It will also explore supply chain practices that could be a source of competitive advantage.
Introduction
In the world of business there are two inevitable factors - globalization and outsourcing of products and services. These factors have increased the complexities of a supply chain. It is a fact that most business organizations operations are for profit or looking to have a competitive advantage over other competitors. This has increased the need to look at the bigger picture over the past few decades. The need to undertake sustainable development (SD) in its working and not only the financial aspect is of utmost importance. Sustainable Development, as suggested by many experts is the process of sustaining and preserving resources for future generations to utilize while keeping in mind human development. As stated by Norman and Macdonald (2004) in Markley and Davis (2007), sustainability in supply chains can be achieved by delivering sustainable development and fulfilling economic, environmental and social benefits. This has been profoundly used and termed as 'the triple bottom line ' or 3BL.
The main elements of a supply chain include purchasing, operations, distribution, and integration. The supply chain begins with purchasing. Purchasing managers or buyers are typically responsible for determining which products their company will sell, sourcing product suppliers and vendors, and procuring products from vendors at prices and terms that meets profitability goals.
I would love too go to Xavier High School’s HAP Program! I heard everyone is nice there and the faculty is great. The education is awesome and people are successful when they graduate. I would love to be part of that!
Supply-chain management consists of developing a strategy to organize, control, and motivate the resources involved in the flow of services and materials within the supply chain. A supply chain strategy, an essential aspect of supply chain management, seeks to design a firm’s supply chain to meet the competitive priorities of the firm’s operations strategy.
Amazon.com, Peapod, Dell, and many furniture manufacturers use push-pull supply chain strategies. Describe how each of these companies takes advantage of the risk-pooling concept.
Cooperated with partners and leaders in the field of supply chains and transport, the World Economic Forum’s Global Agenda Council on the Future of Logistics and Transportation started to conduct research on the supply chain. The report “Beyond Supply Chains Empowering Responsible Value Chains” analyses the impact that supply chain practices has brought to business, society and environment, and explores the issue how shared value can be made through better supply chain decisions. The report identifies “a set of 31 proven supply chain practices which provide companies with a blueprint of where they can gain both commercial and socio-environmental advantage (both environment and local economic development)—driving a triple advantage” (). In addition, the report “provides a framework for evaluating the potential value at stake behind each of these practices, and an implementation framework for
(1) The supply chain managers should address the sustainability issues and should look at the entire supply
Companies around the world are focussing on incorporating sustainability policy and practices in their supply chain (Ageron et al, 2011). The topic of sustainability has been of great interest for the last decade and businesses have adopted a certain level of commitment towards sustainability practices (Hassini et al, 2012), yet some business tycoons suffer in developing an effective supply chain model.
4. In a service supply chain, the (explicit) cost of information is higher than in a product
Transforming a supply chain into a sustainable network is not an easy thing to do. Amongst the existing obstacles that Johnson (2004) gives us is the considerable size of this network: all along the differents ranks of suppliers that constitute the upstream of the chain, it is very hard to track the original source of the material and to broadcast best practices all accross that path. Furthermore, the lack of legal framework for labor conditions and environment preservation in developing countries makes it the more difficult to enforce
Thought-out the course of this year we have looked at the biological, cognitive, and socio-emotional theories of the human life span from infancy to late adulthood. The biological aspect of life span focused on the physical changes of humans. There are physical changes that have to occur before a baby form in the fetus and then is born to this world. Through-out our life, the physical changes occur constantly till death and even more. There is no psychologist during the whole chapter that focuses on biological theories because physical changes is easily noticed compared to cognitive development. The cognitive theory or development emphasizes on human thought processes. Developmental psychologist, Jean Piaget stated that children go through four stages of cognitive development as they create their meaning of the world. Early on in psychology it has been referred to as Piaget’s Four Stages of Cognitive Development. Lev Vygotsky, was another development list who developed the Vygotsky’s theory which focused on social interaction and culture when it came to cognitive development. The brain is what tells our hands and legs to move. If we lose that ability, we are classified mentally dysfunctional. Unlike the biological and cognitive theories, socio-emotional is based on what is around and how our emotions handles it. This theory involves the unconscious processes that are easily influenced by our emotions.
Green supply refers to the way in which innovations in supply chain management and industrial purchasing may be considered in the context of the environment. Environmental supply chain management consists of the purchasing function’s involvement in activities that include reduction, recycling, reuse and the substitution of materials. The practice of monitoring and improving environmental performance in the supply chain, integrating environmental thinking into a supply chain Management- including product design, material resourcing and selection, manufacturing processes, delivery of the final product to the consumer as well as end-of-life management of the product after its useful life.
The purpose of this paper is to analyze the supply chain of the global apparel industry, including the materials sourced and global manufacturing. First, an overview of the apparel supply chain will be explored, in order to identify the current trends in materials used as well as the purchasing process for fabrics and distribution to retailers. These trends will then be analyzed in order to determine the possible effects that the apparel supply chain may have on global sustainability. This research is conducted based on the assumption that clothing companies develop supply chain processes in order to be the most
Finances are one of the most crucial parts of any business. Every business has to be aware of what type of resources, especially financial resources, it has available to work with. The financial aspect of a business determines almost every other aspect of that business. Being able to utilize budgets, in order to reduce costs and make profit, is imperative.
The solution to the faulty global supply chain, presented by Timothy Smith’s Climate Change: Corporate Sustainability in the Supply Chain, lies within including environmental sustainability into; transnational policy regimes, technological development, and consumptive behavior of society. The legitimacy, authority, and effectiveness of environmental sustainability must come from transnational policy regimes. Supply chains are global from start to finish. As such, the problems associated within the supply chain stem across many different political boundaries and jurisdictions. Only a transnational policy regime, whether it be an existing organization like the United Nations or a new entity, can effectively fulfill the burden of fixing the global supply chain. Over seventy percent of all emissions come from the supply chain (Suh). Environmental sustainability is something many groups are working towards—like the Carbon Disclosure Project-- but, because environmental sustainability lacks legitimacy, authority or effectiveness, these ventures aren’t treated like corporate projects, but rather, pet projects. Likewise, Timothy Smith’s Climate Change: Corporate Sustainability in the Supply Chain, takes into account the expensive nature of enforcement, “Conducting audits is expensive, but the risks
In order to reach supply chain “nirvana” several principles should be considered and followed. While these principles are not a “be all, end all” they will help guide the management to achieve an efficient and sustainable supply chain.