Although there are many views of supply chain management (SCM), at present, many practitioners look upon SCM as the management of key business processes across the network of organizations that form the supply chain. A supply chain is a network of manufacturers, suppliers, distributors, transporters, storage facilities and retailers that perform functions like procurement and acquisition of material, processing and transformation of the material into intermediate and finished tangible goods, and finally, the physical distribution of the finished goods to intermediate or final customers. According to the definition given by the Global Supply Chain Forum, supply chain management is the integration of key business processes from end-user,to original suppliers that provides products, services, and information that add value for customers and other stakeholders. There are eight business processes that are carried out across the supply chain. They are: Customer Relationship Management: Customer relationship management involves establishing a framework for building Continue reading
Logistics Management
Total Cost Approach to Logistics
Total cost approach to logistics is the key to managing the logistics function. Management should strive to reduce the total cost of logistics rather than the cost of each activity. So logistics must be viewed as an integrated system rather than the individual system, because reduction in one cost invariably lead to increase the cost of other components. Effective management and real cost savings can be accomplished only by viewing logistics as an integrated system and minimizing its total cost given the firms customer service objectives. So the main costs which are involved in logistics function are: Customer service level costs Transportation costs Warehousing costs Order processing and information costs Lot quantity costs Inventory carrying costs Customer Service Level Costs Most business people find it difficult, if not impossible to measure this cost. The cost associated with alternative customer service levels is the cost of lost sales( not only the Continue reading
Business Objectives of Logistics Systems
The General objectives of the logistics can be summarized as: Cost reduction Capital reduction Service improvement The specific objective of an ideal logistics system is to ensure the flow of supply to the buyer, the: right product right quantities and assortments right places right time right cost / price and, right condition This implies that a firm will aim at having a logistics system which maximizes the customer service and minimizes the distribution cost. However, one can approximate the reality by defining the objective of logistics system as achieving a desired level of customer service i.e., the degree of delivery support given by the seller to the buyer. Thus, logistics management starts with as curtaining customer need till its fulfillment through product supplies and, during this process of supplies, it considers all aspects of performance which include arranging the inputs, manufacturing the goods and the physical distribution of the products. Continue reading
Evolution of Logistics and Supply Chain Management (SCM)
The evolution of logistics and Supply Chain Management (SCM) in the 1990s can be traced back to “physical distribution management” in the 1970s when there was no coordination among the various functions of an organization, and each was committed to attain its own goal. This myopic approach then transformed into “integrated logistic management” in the 1980s that called for the integration of various functions to achieve a system-wide objective. Supply Chain Management (SCM) further widens this scope by including the suppliers and customers into the organizational fold, and coordinating the flow of materials and information from the procurement of raw materials to the consumption of finished goods. The objectives of Supply Chain Management (SCM) are to eliminate redundancies, and reduce cycle time and inventory so as to provide better customer service at lower cost. The focus has shifted from the “share of the market” paradigm to the “share of the Continue reading
Distribution Requirement Planning (DRP)
Distribution Requirement Planning (DRP) is a more sophisticated approach that considers multiple distribution stages and the characteristics of each stage. It is a logical extension of Material Requirements Planning (MRP), although there is one fundamental difference between the two. MRP is determined by a production schedule that is defined and controlled by the enterprise. On the other hand, DRP is guided by customer demand, which is not controllable by the enterprise. So, while MRP generally operates in a dependent demand situation, DRP operates in an independent environment where uncertain customer demand determines inventory requirements. The manufacturing requirements planning component coordinates the scheduling and integration of materials into finished goods. MRP controls inventory until manufacturing or assembly is complete. DRP then takes coordination responsibility once finished goods are received in the plant warehouse. The fundamental DRP planning is the schedule, which coordinates requirements across the planning horizon. There is a schedule Continue reading
Location Analysis in Logistics Management
Plant and distribution center location is a common problem faced by logistics managers. Increased production economics of scale and reduced transportation cost have focused attention on distribution centers. In recent years, location analysis has been further extended to include logistics channel design as a result of global sourcing and marketing decisions. Global operations increase logistics channel decision complexity, design alternatives and related logistics cost. Location Decisions Location decision stage of location analysis in logistics management, focus on selecting the number and location of distribution centers. Typical management questions:- How many distribution centers should the firm use and where should they be located? What customers or market areas should be serviced from each distribution center? Which product lines should be produced or stopped at each plant or distribution center? What logistics channels should be used to source material and serve international markets? What combination of public and private distribution facilities should Continue reading