Supply chain management SCM

Based on the characterization of a supply chain, supply chain management (SCM) can be defined as a process oriented approach to procuring, producing, and delivering end products and services to customers. It includes sub-suppliers, suppliers, internal operations, trade customers, retail customers and end users. It covers the management of materials, information, and fund flows [2],... 

The optimization of value-added processes is a subject that scientists all over the world have been dealing with for more than 70 years. The first basic algorithms for so-called Linear Programming (LP) were developed at American and European universities already in the 1930s, for the first time allowing the planning and simulation of simple business processes. LP soon became the base of the first software systems and even today almost all Supply Chain Management (SCM) or... 

Many companies, both within the chemical industry and in other sectors, have recognized benefits from involving their suppliers and customers in various aspects of their business. The area of supply chain management (SCM) has become a critical element in the overall business strategy of improved productivity, reduced costs, and better control of the quality and potential risks associated with raw materials and intermediates. Proactive management of supplier environmental performance, as practiced by Hewlett Packard, can lead to product and process simplification, improved resource efficiency, product quality enhancement, reduced liability, and customer perception of the company as an industry leader. 

ERP systems do not provide a complete solution for supply chain management (SCM) or electronic commerce. However, especially for manufacturers, the functionality provided by ERP is a necessary (although by no means sufficient) element of both SCM and, therefore, electronic commerce. This section provides definitions of electronic commerce and SCM and explains the relationships among... 

The term supply chain management (SCM) was originally introduced by consultants in the early 1980s (Oliver and Webber 1982) and has subsequently gained tremendous attention (La Londe 1998). Since 1989, academics have attempted to give structure to SCM (Stevens 1989 Towill et al. 1992 Ellram and Cooper 1993 Bechtel and Jayaram 1997). 

To manage SCs, a broad body of (scientific) literature has emerged since the 1980s. Supply chain management (SCM) aims at the planning, execution, and control of all transformation processes in a defined SC such that the SC s performance is optimized. The main focus of SCM is on the coordinated planning of the SC processes. Rjr planning,... 

But how is supply chain management (SCM) defined by professional organizations The Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals (CSCMP), a professional society, states on its website ([22]) that... 

Supply Chain Management (SCM) represents a significant change in how most organizations view themselves. Traditionally, firms view themselves as having customers and suppliers. Historically, a firm did not consider the potential for either its supplier or its customer to become a partner. In many industries each firm was very competitive with its suppliers and customers, fearing that they would be taken advantage of by them. 

Supply chain management (SCM) is a network of entities that encompasses every effort involved in producing and delivering a final product, from the supplier s supplier to the customer s customer (Supply Chain Council, 1997, in Lum-mus Vokurka, 1999). A key principle is that... 

This chapter presents a modest overview of the considerable literature covering supply chain management (SCM), information and communication technologies (ICTs), e-commerce, and small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). The reviewed papers include the perspectives of all sized firms. Since large firms have led in SCM, and continue to do so, much can be learned from their experiences and their influence over other chain members. The literature on SCM is vast, so only a few representative papers are reviewed. There is much less literature dealing with SMEs hence... 

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. 

The quote by Francis Quinn taken from the periodical Logistics reflects a common response in companies. In essence, they scramble to project the image of responding to the challenges of supply chain management (SCM). How tasks associated with SCM are defined very much depend on the eyes of the beholder. To start the diseussion, Chapter 1 defined the terms supply ehain and supply chain management. This chapter describes how those dehnitions are applied in praetiee. 

While useful for evaluating business unit financial performance, this format is wanting when it comes to supply chain management (SCM). 

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