Abstract
Essentially all large global businesses are facing intense competition not only domestically, but also internationally. In the current economy, the customers are expecting better products at lower prices, higher service levels within shorter response time, all in a highly inflationary environment. Through a review of the business literature and a brief case study on 2 large global firms in the Pittsburgh, PA area, the connection by evaluating different variables, including supply chain competencies, resilience, agility, and purchasing management, this chapter reviews supply chain technologies, concerns, and their successfully implementations.
TopIntroduction
Supply chain management (SCM) is a generic term that describes the actual means of movement of physical products and their related services from raw material acquisition to finished goods to delivery to the ultimate customer (e.g., the last mile). It involves the management of logistics and financial services and the operational processes to transform items that customers need and desire at the right place, the right time, for the right price. Hence, SCM requires the active planning and monitoring of a business’s supply-side activities to maximize customer value and gain a competitive advantage in the marketplace (Azadeh, et al., 2014; Cheelu, et al., 2014; Murugan & Rajendran, 2014; Rathnayake, et a., 2014). SCM-related policies and procedures follows the idea that all goods and services available in the market are the result of multiple organizations throughout the supply chain working seamlessly together without disruption. Over the last 100 plus years of the history of supply chain management, SCM-related strategies have has evolved from an initial focus on improving relatively simple, but very labor-intensive processes to the present-day engineering and managing of extraordinary complex global networks (Ketikidis, et al., 2013; Mateen & More, 2013; Nobari, et al., 2018). In this chapter, supply chain technologies will be evaluated in terms of different technologies available and the use of some of these technologies by Giant Eagle and PPG, service and manufacturing large global business firms headquartered in Pittsburgh, PA.
Key Terms in this Chapter
Supply Chain Resilience: this term refers to attempts by management to mitigate the supply chain risks associated with distribution in demand and delivery. Such disruptive events, especially with supplies under stress dur to the Covid-19 pandemic and high inflation, allows strategies to develop proper preparation in dealing with disruptive events.
Business Case Study: A type of qualitative case study approach that used the information surround the company or industry that helps the reader understand the context of which the best business practices described in the study.
Agile Supply Chains: As in contrast to lean supply chains that try to eliminate wastes and reduce costs, agile supply chains refer to quickness of responsiveness to changing business conditions and opportunities for grow and/or profitability. Terms such as competency, flexibility, and speed to change and adapt to different scenarios by changing human capital, physical and financial resources to manage these changes are measures of agility.
Lean Operations: A general term the suggests that a business enterprise practices low cost and high quality in its operational tactics and strategy that meets or exceeds customer demands.
Supply Chain Management (SCM): Managing the entire flow of actual goods and services from raw materials into final products/services to the ultimate customer. Includes all processes in that transformation and communication in both forward and reverse logistical services.