Supply Chain Elements and Strategy Essay
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Supply Chain Elements and Strategy
As a practitioner-researcher, you will seek to apply knowledge to real-world situations: in this case, a well-known global business organization.
Choose a well-known global business organization. Focusing on one of its main business units, research the global macro-processes relating to its total supply chain using the resources provided and the Internet. Applying what you have learned from your reading and personal research, address the following.
Describe a key supply chain process success or failure experienced by the business you have selected and discuss the contributing factors. In light of this success or failure, evaluate the importance of supply chain decisions for securing competitive advantage.
Resources
• Mentzer, J. T., Myers, M. B., & Stank, T. P. (Eds.). (2007). Handbook of global supply chain management. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.
o Chapter 1, “Why Global Supply Chain Management?”
This chapter covers global supply chain management (GSCM), including an analysis of the functional areas that must adapt to a GSCM perspective, a discussion of the need to link functional activity management to strategic resource allocation, and a brief overview on how to implement GSCM strategy.
o Chapter 2, “Global Supply Chain Management Strategy”
This chapter provides a review of the research on GSCM strategy (GSCMS), drawing on literature from logistics, operations management, purchasing, and marketing.
Chapter 3, “Assessing the Global Environment”
This chapter discusses the environmental conditions that influence global supply chain decisions, paying particular attention to cross-cultural impacts and increasingly volatile environmental conditions.
Articles
Mentzer, J. T., DeWitt, W., Keebler, J. S., Min, S., et al. (2001). Defining supply chain management. Journal of Business Logistics, 22(2). Retrieved from ABI/INFORM Global database.
This article provides a good review of the main definitions, concepts, issues, and academic literature on the theme of supply chain management.
•Petersen, K. J., Ragatz, G. L., & Monczka, R. M. (2005). An examination of collaborative planning effectiveness and supply chain performance. The Journal of Supply Chain Management, 41(2). Retrieved from ABI/INFORM Global database.
This study analyzes the impact that effective collaborative planning with suppliers can have on a firm’s financial performance. The results confirm that there are real benefits to be gained from integrating suppliers into business planning processes.
• Menzter, J. T. (2007, January 10). Achieving Competitive Advantage Through Supply Chain Management. Retrieved from http://www.industryweek.com/articles/achieving_competitive_advantage_through_supply_chain_management_13355.aspx
This link takes you to the first article in a series that explores the most powerful of SCM competitive advantage principles.
• Menzter, J. T. (2007, January 17). Achieving Competitive Advantage Through Supply Chain Management. Retrieved from http://www.industryweek.com/articles/achieving_competitive_advantage_through_supply_chain_management_13390.aspx
This link takes you to the second article in a series that explores the most powerful of SCM competitive advantage principles.
• Menzter, J. T. (2007, February 7). Are Your Supply Chain Strategies and Reward Structures Aligned? Retrieved from
http://www.industryweek.com/articles/are_your_supply_chain_strategies_and_reward_structures_aligned_13529.aspx
This link takes you to the third article in a series that explores the most powerful of SCM competitive advantage principles.
Barnes, D. (2006, November 8). FT.com site: Personal View: Competing Supply Chains Are the Future. FT.com, 1. Retrieved April 9, 2010 from ABI/INFORM Global database.
This article written by the CIO of UPS discusses the strategic.
SAMPLE ANSWER
Supply Chain Elements and Strategy
Many companies have identified the importance of leveraging their companies and gaining competitive advantage through supply chain management (SCM) practices. This paper describes the success of supply chain process of Coca cola Company, one of the global companies dealing in soft drinks.
Coca-Cola is a multinational company that operates in many countries across the world (CSC, 2014). The company has taken leadership in this sector of beverages for many years as a result of its swift and strategic supply chain management practices. Coca-Cola has managed to expand into various parts of the world through partnership with other companies. The company for instance has partnered with Coco cola Enterprises (CCE) that is in charge of the Western Europe territory to supply its products to the customers (CSC, 2014). This company is world leading market and distributor of Coca-cola products. It buys concentrate from the coco-cola company and then combines with other ingredients of popular beverages in Great Britain, Belgium, Netherlands and other countries such a Norway and Sweden. CCE has as well developed a uniform IT program across it various business units that are critical for expansion of the company in Europe and across the globe (CSC, 2014). These factors therefore have played a key role in the success of the company. Through such partnerships, it has made it easier for the company products to reach many consumers in various locations (Mentzer, Myers & Stank, 2007). The company has as well adapted to many strategies that have seen it emerge as the top most company in this sector. One is that it has identified and stuck to its core competencies and outsources non-core competencies. The company holds the rights of its products which it collaborates with other companies to distribute to the customers. The company as well has appropriate mechanisms that it has put in place to coordinate its functions across supply chain partners. In every country it operates, it has set up its regional offices that ensure that the products are supplied and meet the thresholds or the quality standards. This has s as well made it easier for the company to remain competitive in the markets as it ensures that it provides the right products that meet the expectation of its customers. Furthermore, the company has a range of products that it offers to its clients. This strategy has enabled the company to meet the tastes and preferences of its customers.
Supply chain decisions are important for securing competitive advantage in any company. If these decisions are not good then the company is likely to fail to achieve its goals and objectives. To remain competitive, supply chain decisions of the company must be strategic and well thought out (Petersen, Ragatz & Monczka, 2005). A number of considerations are required to ensure that a company remains competitive with its supply chain practices. The company must understand the customers; who are they, their level of income, their tastes and preference among other aspects. It is important to understand the modalities to reach them and the ways to reach competitive advantage with the customers. Understanding what the customers values allows the company to concentrate on those products and services to meet their expectation. Furthermore, knowing the location of the customers makes it easier to understand the best avenues to reach them at lower cost (Menzter, 2007). Coco Cola Company has managed to achieve its goals and become the best global distributor of soft drinks because it undertakes market research and survey to understand their customers and their distribution, preferences and locations. The company as well values their customers and ensures that it distributes its products to the customers.
References
CSC. (2014). Coca-Cola Supply Chain Management Success Story. Retrieved from: http://www.csc.com/application_services/success_stories/78846- coca_cola_supply_chain_management_success_story#
Mentzer, J. T., Myers, M. B., & Stank, T. P. (Eds.). (2007). Handbook of global supply chain management. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.
Menzter, J. T. (2007, January 10). Achieving Competitive Advantage Through Supply Chain Management. Retrieved from http://www.industryweek.com/articles/achieving_competitive_advantage_through_suppl y_chain_management_13355.aspx
Menzter, J. T. (2007, February 7). Are Your Supply Chain Strategies and Reward Structures Aligned? Retrieved from
http://www.industryweek.com/articles/are_your_supply_chain_strategies_and_reward_str uctures_aligned_13529.aspx
Menzter, J. T. (2007, January 17). Achieving Competitive Advantage Through Supply Chain Management. Retrieved from http://www.industryweek.com/articles/achieving_competitive_advantage_through_suppl y_chain_management_13390.aspx
Petersen, K. J., Ragatz, G. L., & Monczka, R. M. (2005). An examination of collaborative planning effectiveness and supply chain performance. The Journal of Supply Chain Management, 41(2). Retrieved from ABI/INFORM Global database.
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