Supply Chain Management Essay

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Introduction A few decades ago, the true understanding of the impact of supply chain management was alien to many companies (Moore, Baldwin, Camm, & Cook, 2002). As Moore et al (2002) continue to state, few companies within different industries understood the important link between strategic goals and supply management principles. This, in effect, meant that purchasing departments were undervalued, seen more or less as order takers and placers, while enjoying little or no respect from other organizational arms. However, this trend, culture and tradition was to reach an instant demise with the comprehension by many companies of the importance of lean management in reducing waste from processes, effectively achieving competitive advantage and …show more content…

Customer demand fluctuations influence the manner in which the supply chain responds and, therefore, it is important to anticipate these functions by utilizing information accurately. Some of the key supply chain business process as stated by Lambert & Cooper (2000) include: demand management, customer service management, customer relationship management, procurement, order fulfillment, product development, manufacturing flow management, and returns. Customer relationship management identifies essential customers or customer groups as targets of the business, key to its core mission. Customer service management provides real-time information across different aspects of the supply chain such as product dates and availability. Demand management refers to inventory practices with regard to customer ordering patterns. Customer order fulfillment entails meeting client needs in regards to product availability dates and is influenced by distribution …show more content…

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