Introduction to Supply Chain Management and Multimodal Logistics

2019 ◽  
pp. 1-28
Keyword(s):  
Supply Chain ◽  
Supply Chain Management ◽  
Chain Management ◽  
Cost Leadership ◽  
Make To Order ◽  
Leadership Strategy ◽  
Make To Stock ◽  
Engineer To Order ◽  
Focus Strategy ◽  
Cost Leadership Strategy

This chapter provides an understanding of basic essence of supply chain management. It introduces a multi-dimensional facet of supply chain management. A typical supply chain has at least three entities, that is, the supplier, the firm, and its customer. The inter-link between these three entities comprises three primary components of a supply chain, namely, the inbound or upstream supply chain, internal supply chain, and outbound or downstream supply chain. However, in a real-life scenario, many firms (especially in case of large and complex firms), the suppliers, and production centres are more than one. This increases the complexity of the supply chain structure. This concept has been introduced in this chapter. The drivers of supply chain have been categorized under strategic and operational drivers. This aspect has been explained, with examples. The chapter discusses the enablers and inhibitors of a supply chain of a firm. It proceeds to explain the issues in assessing and integrating the drivers, enablers, and inhibitors in the supply chain planning process. Bull whip and snow ball effects are two important outcomes of an inefficient supply chain. These concepts have been introduced here. Finally, the chapter concludes by laying down the objectives and the strategies of supply chain management. It prioritizes the focus of supply chain management, stating that customers come first followed by cost optimization. The chapter discusses on the ways to make supply chain agile and flexible. Supply chains are always prone to disruptions; hence, this chapter talks about a resilient supply chain. Next to customer, cost is an important element that enables a firm to keep its price competitive and be profitable. Here the concept of a lean supply chain has been discussed, a way to minimize waste and hence reduce cost. Supply chain management varies with firms' business strategy. The firm may choose to follow either a cost-leadership strategy or a differentiation or a focus strategy and thus would accordingly adopt push or pull or push-pull (supply chain) strategy. In case of cost-leadership strategy, the firm is expected to follow “make-to-stock” (operations) strategy; in case of differentiation strategy it would adopt “make-to-order” strategy; and for focus strategy the firm embraces “engineer-to-order” strategy. This chapter discusses these aspects to correlate the different dimensions of business and its supply chain management. Firms now are focussing on global operation to leverage on opening up of economy, enabling them to lower the cost of operations and achieve the desired quality. Besides, globalisation has also led to widening of market coverage. A brief introduction to global logistics management has been made in this chapter to emphasise on operationalization of a firms' global supply chain.

Evolution of Trust in Business-to-Business E-Commerce

2011 ◽  
pp. 47-55
Author(s):  
Pauline Ratnasingham
Keyword(s):  
Supply Chain ◽  
Supply Chain Management ◽  
The Internet ◽  
Chain Management ◽  
Distributed Information ◽  
Make To Order ◽  
Trading Partners ◽  
Make To Stock ◽  
Trust In Technology ◽  
Business To Business

E-commerce is defined as a means of conducting business electronically via online transactions among trading partners. Forrester Research predicted that B2B (business-to-business) e-commerce could be worth $5.7 trillion by the end of 2004. This study aims to examine the evolution of e-technologies and its impact on trust. Trust refers to reliance on and confidence in one’s business partner (Mayer, Davis, & Schoorman, 1995). We discuss the evolution of e-technologies in light of the evolution of trust in technology trust (or transactional trust) and relationship trust or (relational trust). Electronic data interchange (EDI) was the prominent technology used in the 1970s and ’80s. As we approached the 21st century and with the advent of the Internet, businesses feared that the lack of presence on the Internet would hinder their competitive and strategic advantages. Internet competition in most industries is forcing businesses to search for ways to improve product quality, customer service, and operation efficiency in supply chain management (SCM) in order to remain competitive. Today e-commerce has moved beyond EDI via value-added networks (VANs) by leveraging into the Internet and extending into Web technologies. The Internet is transforming and reshaping the nature of interorganizational commerce by enabling new types of interorganizational relationships. The business benefits include lower costs and more flexible systems that provide a facilitating structure for virtual relationships, enabling the easier identification of suppliers and products and more integrated supply chain management (Dai & Kaufmann, 2000). The Internet has impacted the SCM e-commerce environment by creating a centralized, global business and management strategy (e.g., make to order, assemble to order, and make to stock), and online real-time, distributed information processing to the desktop, thereby providing total supply-chain information visibility and the ability to manage information not only within firms, but also across firms and industries. On the other hand, uncertainties, technical complexities, and concerns about trust have kept many firms from participating actively in B2B e-commerce. Uncertainties reduce the confidence both in the reliability of online B2B transactions and more importantly in the trading parties themselves. In a survey of 60 procurement trading partners involved in supply chain management at U.S. firms conducted by New York-based Jupiter Media Metrix Inc. in 2001, the findings indicated that 45% of the trading partners suggest a lack of trust prevented them from buying goods and trading online more frequently. In the next section we discuss the evolution of e-technologies, followed by its role in supply chain management and impact on trust.

Evolution of Trust in Business-to-Business E-Commerce

2011 ◽  
pp. 495-501
Author(s):  
Pauline Ratnasingham
Keyword(s):  
Supply Chain ◽  
Supply Chain Management ◽  
The Internet ◽  
Chain Management ◽  
Distributed Information ◽  
Make To Order ◽  
Trading Partners ◽  
Make To Stock ◽  
Trust In Technology ◽  
Business To Business

E-commerce is defined as a means of conducting business electronically via online transactions among trading partners. Forrester Research predicted that B2B (business-to-business) e-commerce could be worth $5.7 trillion by the end of 2004. This study aims to examine the evolution of e-technologies and its impact on trust. Trust refers to reliance on and confidence in one’s business partner (Mayer, Davis, & Schoorman, 1995). We discuss the evolution of e-technologies in light of the evolution of trust in technology trust (or transactional trust) and relationship trust or (relational trust). Electronic data interchange (EDI) was the prominent technology used in the 1970s and ’80s. As we approached the 21st century and with the advent of the Internet, businesses feared that the lack of presence on the Internet would hinder their competitive and strategic advantages. Internet competition in most industries is forcing businesses to search for ways to improve product quality, customer service, and operation efficiency in supply chain management (SCM) in order to remain competitive. Today e-commerce has moved beyond EDI via value-added networks (VANs) by leveraging into the Internet and extending into Web technologies. The Internet is transforming and reshaping the nature of interorganizational commerce by enabling new types of interorganizational relationships. The business benefits include lower costs and more flexible systems that provide a facilitating structure for virtual relationships, enabling the easier identification of suppliers and products and more integrated supply chain management (Dai & Kaufmann, 2000). The Internet has impacted the SCM e-commerce environment by creating a centralized, global business and management strategy (e.g., make to order, assemble to order, and make to stock), and online real-time, distributed information processing to the desktop, thereby providing total supply-chain information visibility and the ability to manage information not only within firms, but also across firms and industries. On the other hand, uncertainties, technical complexities, and concerns about trust have kept many firms from participating actively in B2B e-commerce. Uncertainties reduce the confidence both in the reliability of online B2B transactions and more importantly in the trading parties themselves. In a survey of 60 procurement trading partners involved in supply chain management at U.S. firms conducted by New York-based Jupiter Media Metrix Inc. in 2001, the findings indicated that 45% of the trading partners suggest a lack of trust prevented them from buying goods and trading online more frequently. In the next section we discuss the evolution of e-technologies, followed by its role in supply chain management and impact on trust.

scholarly journals Supply chain management in construction and engineer-to-order industries

2020 ◽  
pp. 1-8
Author(s):  
Roberto Cigolini ◽  
Jonathan Gosling ◽  
Ananth Iyer ◽  
Olga Senicheva
Keyword(s):  
Supply Chain ◽  
Supply Chain Management ◽  
Chain Management ◽  
Engineer To Order

scholarly journals Management Strategies and The Performance of Youth Agri-Businesses in Kenya: A Case of Farm Africa

2020 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
pp. 59-83
Author(s):  
Michelle Wambui Muiruri ◽  
Fr. Paul Mathenge ◽  
Dr. Joseph Ntale
Keyword(s):  
Interest Rates ◽  
Pearson Correlation ◽  
Management Strategies ◽  
Case Study Research ◽  
Market Price ◽  
Statistical Tool ◽  
Cost Leadership ◽  
Leadership Strategy ◽  
Focus Strategy ◽  
Cost Leadership Strategy

Purpose: The general objective of the study is to assess management strategies and performance of youth agribusinesses in Kenya: case of Farm Africa. Three research objectives were used; to find out the effect of differentiation strategy on the performance of youth led agribusiness at Farm Africa, to establish the effect of cost leadership strategy on the performance of youth led agribusiness at Farm Africa, and to assess the effect of focus strategy on the performance of youth led agribusiness at Farm Africa.Methodology: This study adopted a case study research design. The study population was all the 30 youth who participates in agribusinesses. Census method was then used since the population was manageable. This research study used questionnaires as the primary research instruments for data collection. A statistical tool known as Statistical Packages for Social Sciences (SPSS version 20) (Park, 2015) were used for the process of data analysis. The data that was collected was analyzed by use of descriptive statistics and Pearson Correlation analysis method as well as regression analysis.Findings: The study concludes that differentiation costs had positive significant relationship with the performance of agribusinesses at Farm Africa. The study concludes that cost leadership strategy led in the improvement of performance of agribusinesses at Farm Africa. The study concludes that majority of the farmers that were studied adhered to focus strategy because it helped them in improving overall performance of agribusinesses at Farm Africa. The study concludes that finance was a key determining factor in the performance of agribusinesses.Unique contribution to theory, practice and policy: The study recommends that farmers at Farm Africa need to adhere to product differentiation such that they cannot easily be copied by rivals. The study recommends that farmers should have flexible product costs together with water tight market price strategies that could promote performance. The study recommends that in order to enhance focus strategy, farmers should strive to exploit differences in cost behavior in market segments in order to improve agribusiness performance. The study recommends that policy makers should come up with farmer friendly financial policies that will cushion farmers from high interest rates charged by financial institutions such as MFIs and commercial banks.

scholarly journals Competitive Strategy Analysis from Entrepreneurship Stories

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Şeyma Gün Eroğlu ◽  
Ayşe İrmiş
Keyword(s):  
Production Process ◽  
Local Market ◽  
Competitive Strategies ◽  
Strategy Analysis ◽  
Cost Leadership ◽  
Differentiation Strategy ◽  
Leadership Strategy ◽  
The Cost ◽  
Focus Strategy ◽  
Cost Leadership Strategy

Organizations apply two basic competitive strategies in general. These are the cost leadership strategy and the differentiation strategy. The application of any of the mentioned strategies by focusing on a smaller field in the market is called a focus strategy. Companies gain value in the eyes of customer with the strategy they choose. The aim of this study is to analyze the competitive strategies applied by the enterprises and the results of these strategies. A semi-configured interview on the entrepreneurs of two firms which open to a wider market from local market in Denizli with their own brands, was conducted. The first enterprise, which has been maintaining its existence for 80 years and has many branches in the different provinces, is a firm producing sugar and sugar products (Firm A). The second, which has been maintaining its existence for 84 years and has branches in close neighbor cities and provinces, is a firm producing soft drinks (Firm B). The common feature of both firms is that they keep their local characteristics and take their competitive power from the local people. In the research, the competitive strategies of entrepreneurs have been defined and analyzed by benefiting from the entrepreneurship stories that have been brought up to the present day. It was concluded that firm A applied differentiation strategy in the product, production process, and market, while firm B differentiated in the production process without any differentiation in the product and used the focus strategy in the market.

scholarly journals IS SMEs ABLE TO CONSTRUCT BUSINESS STRATEGY TO IMPROVE ITS PERFORMANCE USING ITS OWN ABILITY? (STUDY ON SMEs KARAWO HANDICRAFT IN CITY OF GORONTALO, INDONESIA)

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ariawan ◽  
Made Sudarma ◽  
Djumahir ◽  
Ghozali Maskie
Keyword(s):  
Human Capital ◽  
Business Strategy ◽  
Capital Investment ◽  
Structural Equation ◽  
The Body ◽  
Cost Leadership ◽  
Differentiation Strategy ◽  
Leadership Strategy ◽  
Focus Strategy ◽  
Cost Leadership Strategy

Status: Preprint (belum di terbitkan pada Jurnal manapun)The objectives of this study were to analyze and investigate the human capital resource of SMEs to achieve the expected level of performance and to see if the quality of human capital had been appropriate enough to be able to apply certain business strategy. This study also intended to see if the cost leadership strategy, differentiation strategy, as well as appropriate focus strategy to improve the performance of SMEs. This study employed a survey design in which researcher conducted a survey to managers or owner of 68 SMEs of Karawo handicraft in Gorontalo city. This study also employed the structural equation or PLS approach using warpPLS application to analyze the data. The finding of this study showed that the ability of the human capital owned by the SMEs had not yet maximized in improving its performance. The role of the mediation business strategy (cost leadership strategy and differentiation strategy) have been appropriate and matched the ability of the human capital to improve the performance of SMEs. The result of this study enriches the body of knowledge related to the resource based theory and the development of strategic management of the human capital investment for the implementation of business strategy to achieve good performance and system. This study also offers practical benefit for managers or owners of SMEs, and government in developing the business. The data were collected using cross sectional strategy by analyzing the opinions and perception of the managers or owners of the business. Future researchers are encouraged to expand this by involving bigger number of sample and broader scope of study. Future researcher may also develop this study using mix method research design to verify and take action on the interesting result of this study related to the implementation of focus strategy based on the ability of the human capital which has been confirmed to have the highest coefficient path, yet did not have significant effect to the improvement of the performance without the involvement of mediational variables such as the combination of focus-cost strategy or focus-differentiation strategy.

Information Systems as the Key Enabler in Engineer-to-Order Supply Chain Management

2017 ◽  
pp. 426-439
Author(s):  
Arun N. Nambiar
Keyword(s):  
Supply Chain ◽  
Information Systems ◽  
Supply Chain Management ◽  
Data Storage ◽  
Value Chain ◽  
Data Exchange ◽  
Effective Means ◽  
Chain Management ◽  
Engineer To Order ◽  
Future Direction

Engineer-to-Order (ETO) environments are gaining more and more popularity these days with customers demanding custom-designed products to meet their specific needs. ETO enterprises are often having to rely on the combined design capabilities of the entire value chain in order to satisfy customer requirements. Due to the increased level of interaction with customers and between partners in the value chain, it becomes imperative to have an effective means of communication and data storage. Information systems can be leveraged to streamline the communication process and improve data exchange between the members of the value chain. This chapter will examine how information systems can be the key enabler in ETO supply chain management and identify some of the issues involved. The chapter will conclude with suggestions on future direction for research in this area.

Retail Supply Chain Management Trends

2020 ◽  
pp. 2089-2108
Author(s):  
Kumari Smriti
Keyword(s):  
Supply Chain ◽  
Supply Chain Management ◽  
Customer Service ◽  
Leadership Strategies ◽  
Chain Management ◽  
Cost Leadership ◽  
Retail Strategy ◽  
Retail Organizations ◽  
Customer Intimacy ◽  
Product Leadership

Improving the organization's performance and securing competitive advantage over others greatly depends on the supply chain management as it is seen that the competition is no longer between the organizations, rather they are amongst supply chains. This study is based on collecting the information and data about the supply chain management from 60 retail organizations. This study will show the aspects of supply chain management in the retail domain highlighting the challenges, capabilities and the priorities for the next 2-3 years. As retailers choose to concentrate either on product leadership private-label or high touch customer intimacy or on cost leadership strategies, their supply chain priorities and investment decisions are tailored to the specific requirements. While retail is extremely diverse, but retailers across the globe share many priorities — balance the availability of the inventory; control the costs and customer service in order to maintain the retail strategy. Our effort has been to explore how retailers are managing these priorities and getting ready for future.

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