Supply chain management roles

In addition to their use as stand-alone systems, LPs are often included within larger systems intended for decision support. In this role, the LP solver is usually hidden from the user, who sees only a set of critical problem input parameters and a set of suitably formatted solution reports. Many such systems are available for supply chain management—for example, planning raw material acquisitions and deliveries, production and inventories, and product distribution. In fact, the process industries—oil, chemicals, pharmaceuticals—have been among the earliest users. Almost every refinery in the developed world plans production using linear programming. 

The dissertation consists of 5 chapters in addition to this introduction. Chapter 2 lays the foundation by establishing the role of production network design within supply chain management. To this end key terms are defined, the role of Advanced Planning Systems in production network de-... 

Focusing on the complex area of the market where chemicals are required at short notice and in fairly small quantities, chemical distributors have developed over time into important players in the value chain from producers to consumers in a broad role, serving as supply chain managers offering a wide range of logistics and value-added services. 

Over the course of time, however, leading distributors like Brenntag developed more and more towards the concept of supply chain management. Today, chemical distributors play a number of essential roles in the value chain between chemical producers and consumers (Fig. 12.1). 

If the distributor does not play an important role in terms of value-added and customer access, a direct disintermediation approach may be advisable. Such a strategy is unlikely to lead to complete elimination of the distributor, since chemical producers will not want to build capabilities speciBcaUy for the complex supply chain management of small customers. However, the distributor s role will change more to that of a logistics service provider. The approach of some of the consortia remains to be seen here. 

Distribution is an important activity in the integrated supply-chain management of pharmaceutical products. Various people and entities are generally responsible for the handling, storage and distribution of such products. In some cases, however, a person or entity is only involved in and responsible for certain elements of the distribution process. This document sets out appropriate steps to assist in fulfilling the responsibilities involved in the different aspects of the distribution process. The guidelines are intended to apply to all steps in the distribution/supply chain. The relevant sections should be considered by various role players as applicable to their particular role in the distribution process. The document does not specifically cover... 

The first step in a supply chain audit is to map chain structure and ownership as well as associated flows of physical products and information (orders) between members of the supply chain. The role of a supply chain map is to get a picture of the overall supply process and where the particular retail store fits. It reminds the manager that the current supply sources may need to evolve as the product characteristics change. 

These leaders were from engineering backgrounds. Within their companies, they were thrnst into the world of supply chain management from either mannfactnring or procurement roles. When they started. 

The big lesson for us was that the role of supply chain management goes beyond operational excellence and cost efficiencies. 

E-Com Supply Chain and SMEs by Ron Craig, takes the perspective of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in supply chains. It reviews the important role of SMEs in national and world economies. The chapter provides an extensive overview of literature on supply chain management (SCM), information and communication technologies (ICTs), and e-business. Both opportunities and challenges for supply chains in general and SMEs in particular are considered. The future direction for researchers and practitioners are pointed out. 

Role of the supply chain manager is a supply chain czar needed ... 

These recommendations open the topic of possible roles for the supply chain manager, a role that is potentially broader than that of the demand manager. We address that role next. 

Table 6.1 describes choices for a supply chain manager s missions, the timeframes of concern to the supply chain manager, and roles and responsibilities. Also indicated are the traditional functions that are likely to be affected by each mission or role. This is an indication of the impact a decision to assign that role to the supply chain manager might have. 

The remainder of Table 6.1 defines roles and responsibilities for the supply chain manager. These, of course, depend on the assigned mission. The purpose of the list is to present some of the possible options sorted by time horizon. Long-term items, often one to five years, are infrastmc-ture decisions described in the description of Hayes and Wheelwright s manufacturing strategy model in Section 4.3. 

Intermediate-term roles and responsibilities, often defined as monthly, quarterly, or yearly, involve production planning and customer fulfillment policies. This could include the S OP process described earlier in this chapter. Another option is operating cost reduction — supply chain level This implies that the supply chain manager will undertake or participate... 

Linking the Supply Chain with the Customer 83 TABLE 6.1 Missions and Roles for the Supply Chain Manager... 

Previous chapters touched on the role of information and associated processes and systems. Chapter 25 described supply chain technology applications. Chapter 23 described the work of the Supply-Chain Council and the Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals (formerly CLM) in promoting supply chain process integration. Within the company. Section 16.3.3 described the S OP (Sales and Operations Planning) process for intermediate-term information exchange between operations and marketing. 

In supply chain management (SCM), linkages play the roles of eon-ductor and sheet music. The SCOR model from the Supply-Chain Couneil is an example of one method for coordinating the supply chain. Another example, in the Toyota Production System, is the kanban system that signals the need for more parts. Proactive systems deseribed in Chapter 30 that use business rules to automate decision making are another example. The decision to use any particular technique at a point in time is an important supply chain design feature. 

Conner, Martin P., The supply chain s role in leveraging PLM, Supply Chain Management Review, March 2004, pp. 36-43. 

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