Supply Chain Management (SCM)

What Is Supply Chain Management?

Supply chain management is the management of the flow of goods and services and includes all processes that transform raw materials into final products. It involves the active streamlining of a business’s supply-side activities to maximize customer value and gain a competitive advantage in the marketplace. SCM represents an effort by suppliers to develop and implement supply chains that are as efficient and economical as possible. Supply chains cover everything from production to product development to the information systems needed to direct these undertakings.

How Does SCM Works?

SCM attempts to centrally control or link the production, shipment, and distribution of a product. By managing the supply chain, companies are able to cut excess costs and deliver products to the consumer faster. This is done by keeping tighter control of internal inventories, internal production, distribution, sales, and the inventories of company vendors.

In SCM, the supply chain manager coordinates the logistics of  all aspects of the supply chain which consists of five parts:

• The plan or strategy
• The source (of raw materials or services)
• Manufacturing (focused on productivity and efficiency)
• Delivery and logistics
• The return system (for defective or unwanted products)

The supply chain manager tries to minimize shortages and keep costs down. The job is not only about logistics and purchasing inventory.

Supply Chain: is the connected network of individuals, organizations, resources, activities, and technologies involved in the manufacture and sale of a product or service. A supply chain starts with the delivery of raw materials from a supplier to a manufacturer and ends with the delivery of the finished product or service to the end consumer.