Discussion Responses Required - 10 To 12 Hours At The Maximum

Discussion Board Forum 4 Part 2: Supply Chain Management

BUSI 604

Dr. Arthur Mazhambe

October 10, 2017

1. Key Term and Why You Are Interested in It

I am interested in the key term of Supply Chain Management because I believe that the supply chain of any company or corporation is a large part of the foundation and can make or break that organization. I found the reading in Saterlee (2014) very intriguing when they identified the five fundamental principles of constraint management, concurrent versus serial planning, global insight, advance warning and built-in business optimization. Putting all of these principles into effect can lead “to achieve maximum customer responsiveness at the least possible cost” which would be a goal of any organization. While serving the last 25 years in the military and being tied in with the logistics planning of numerous operations and organizations from country to country, I found the five principles true to what I had to deal with or consider on a regular basis.

2. Explanation of the Key Term

According to Saterlee (2014) the term Supply Chain Management can be defined as management of material and information flow in a supply chain to provide the highest degree of customer satisfaction at the lowest possible cost. As described in the previous paragraph there are five fundamental principles that are a must to build an effective supply chain management system and being able to forecast, have an effective distribution and inventory plan, plus an e-commerce network enables the supply chains to interact. The supply chain can cover everything from production, production development, to the information systems needed to direct all the traffic in the right direction. In the global market of today’s world an effective supply chain through multiple countries can be cumbersome but at the same time very productive for an organization.

3. Major Article Summary

The article, Effective Stakeholder Management in International Supply Chain Projects (Angeleanu, et al., 2016), looks at multiple areas of supply chain management that would help any organization improve their structure. The article compares and contrasts two international logistic projects within the same global corporation that focused on the project manager, stakeholder engagement, and how they resolved conflict management. The supply chain management role for the project manager includes the framework of integration management of creating the project plan and its execution, plus the manger also needs to identify the scope, time management, cost, human resources, risk and communication for their supplies. Once all the processes are compiled a project plan can then be produced that can identify the projects objectives, deliverables, resources and how different areas of the project will relate to each other at key times and dates to ultimately meet the project’s completion date and meet their deliverable timeline. The project manager of a global organization must understand not only the organization but also the culture and behaviors within that country. The project manager will have to recognize that through the supply chain they will have to rely on others throughout the supply chain to make key decisions and enforce the project timeline.

The article identifies the cultural challenge in a global company and how important a shared vision in all functions has to be accomplished in order to meet the common goal. Building a strong rapport through the supply chain and establishing that trusting relationships throughout the globe that the supply chain runs is crucial to the organization. Working in unfamiliar cultures and legal environments can put stress on the supply chain and challenge any barriers that may arise within the project.

The article goes onto discuss the stakeholders roles and relationship with the project manager, and how good communication, timeline expectation and key decision points are established. The supply chain has an effect up and down the chain that is spanning across the globe and the success of that organization depends on the synergy of all the elements involved in that organization with one established goal.

4. Discussion

a. The article assisted me with understanding the project manager’s role in establishing a productive supply chain within a global organization and the challenges of cross culture business. Organizations that are successful are able to adapt to changing markets, and reevaluate their processes and policies in order to stay competitive. The old days of warehouse shipping to the direct location is no longer feasible with products being produced in multiple locations throughout the globe and logistic processes that are optimized and information systems interlinked with different countries on the same page. The logistics organization structures are the fundamental aspects of an organization and will make or break that company.

b. The cited work relates to the article, Study on the Application of Supply Chain Management to the Project Management of International Project Contracting Corporation, though published in 2002, it identifies how over the previous decade on how supply chain management was a new pattern of integrating the supplier, manufacturer, and the dealer all across the globe and increasing the efficiency of the supply chain. Though this was not a new concept, the article enforces how the supply chain management has developed with the times of technology and the global market.

The cited work relates to the article, Three perspectives on supply chain management as a strategic capability takes a look at three major articles that were written comparing supply chain management and how some organizations are outperforming others using these strategies. The article concludes that the three different articles all agree that a way an organization manages its supply chain is an important strategic capability and will increase the market valuation of that organization.

The cited work relates to the article, The application research of integrated supply chain for a corporation takes a look at how the future markets competition is growing towards a competition between the supply chains. The article reviews how a company must have a fast and efficient supply chain that must be agile in manufacturing, lean production, keeping an eye on constraints and process reengineering is some aspects. The article focuses on China’s application to the supply chain and learning from foreign related management systems.

The cited work relates to the article, the research of supply chain coordinate when demands effected by the efforts provides a look at the supply chain coordination methods and how to communicate with the supply chain members in an uncertain market, and usually a complex supply chain network. This article discusses how a supply chain contract is an effective mechanism to improve the supply chain and establish rules, incentives plus establish clear responsibilities and obligations up and down the supply chain.

5. References

Angeleanu, A., Keppler, T., Eidenmuller, T. (2016). Effective Stakeholder Management in International Supply Chain Projects: Academic Conferences International Limmited: Retrieved from http://search-porquest-com.ezproxy.liberty.edu/ docview/1779263387/345496E791445FAPQ/12?accountid=12085

Dong, X.. (2008). The Research of Supply Chain Coordinate When Demands Effected by the Efforts. Northeastern University, ProQuest Dissertations Publishing. Retrieved from http://search-proquest-com.ezproxy.liberty. edu/docview/1872239169/EDE24DB581D44A14PQ/1?accounted=12095E

Liu, Z. (2011). The Application research of Integrated Supply Chain for a Corporation. South China University of Technology, PorQuest Dissertations Publishing; Retrieved from http://search-proquest-com.ezproxy.liberty.edu/ docview/1869961947/345496E791445FAPQ/5?accountid=12085

Rigsbee, C. (2014). Three Perspectives on Supply Chain Management as a Strategic Capability. The University of Texas at San Antonio, ProQuest Dissertations Publishing. Retrieved From https://search-proquest-com.ezproxy.liberty.edu/docview/1616724791/345496E791445FAPQ/4?accountid=12085

Satterlee, B. (2014). Cross Border Commerce: With biblical worldview application (2nd ed.). Raleigh, NC: Synergistics International, Inc. ISB: 9781934748121.

Wang, M. (2002). Study on the Application of Supply Chain Management to the Project Management of International Project Contracting Corporation. China University of Mining and Technology, PorQuest Dissertations Publishing. Retrieved From https://search-proquest-com.ezproxy.liberty.edu/docview/10250113861/345496E791445FAPQ/3?Acountid=12085