Supply Chain Integration: Sunsweet Growers of California

932 Words2 Pages

Global Logistics Mgmt Supply Chain Integration Information technology surrounds us in about every aspect of our daily lives these days. Information technology functions both in our homes, work, and public places. I often wonder how things ever got accomplished without the use of this technology in the past. Checks and balances must be put in place to properly implement information technology and even though it can greatly improve our lives, improper use or implementation will only lead you back to where you initially started. From a logistics integration standpoint, information technology can help companies gain a supply chain edge if properly implemented and used. This is exactly what Sunsweet Growers of California have accomplished. Let’s take a look on how they put the use of information technology in place to assist their logistics processes. Sunsweet Growers deal in the dried fruit industry and faced many manufacturing logistics challenges within the company. Production, scheduling, along with supply and demand issues are just some of those challenges. Sunsweet had to take a close look at their sales and operating procedures so they would be able to properly address logistics challenges they faced. The sales and operating procedures are critical to an efficient supply chain and Sunsweet knew things needed to change. Focusing on the right problem through the sales and operating procedures transformation is critical to help keep the entire supply chain process in balance. Balancing supply and demand and keeping them balanced is not an easy task, but with effective procedures and planning procedures in place Sunsweet would be able to turn things around and bring their supply chain into the 21st century. Informatio... ... middle of paper ... ...is up to date thus ensuring planning and forecasting is accurate and on time. After implementation of all these steps, Sunsweet has seen great improvements and gained significant return on their investment. Information technology has contributed to a more accurate forecast, put in place alerts to notify planners, and improved both delivery performance and cost management. Overall, information technology is here to stay and if used correctly can greatly enhance both the supply and demand portions of a supply chain. Works Cited Upton, Harold, Harpal Singh. (2007, Mar.) Balanced S&OP: Sunsweet Growers’ Story, Supply Chain Management Review. New York: Vol.11. Issues 2; pg 51. Retrieved 16 July, 2011. From. http://proquest.umi.com/pqdweb?index=0&did=1271161961&SrchMode=1&sid=5&Fmt=3&VInst=PROD&VType=PQD&RQT=309&VName=PQD&TS=1243030170&clientId=29440&cfc=1

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