Reference no: EM132183870

Question: Supply Chain Management

Supply chain management involves tracking the flow of goods and services from the acquisition of inputs to the delivery of output to the consumers. The supply chain represents a connected network of people, organizations, activities, and technologies that help in the development of products or services. The organizational leaders who are in charge of supply chain management need to have adequate details concerning the market and the availability of inputs (Slack, Brandon-Jones, & Johnston, 2013). For instance, they should have details concerning the amount of products that the market requires at a specified duration. The practices enable organizations to obtain the appropriate inputs and develop goods or services that match the customers' expectation. The existence of proper supply chain management programs also facilitates timely delivery of products to the consumers. Organizations use both internal and external supply chains to acquire inputs and deliver them to the market (Dyckhoff, Lackes, & Reese, 2013). The internal supply chains relate to the movement of resources from one department or process to the next. On the other hand, external supply chains involve the acquisition of inputs from suppliers beyond the company's environments and the delivery of output to the markets.

The key objectives of supply chain management include generating optimal levels of customer satisfaction, the timely delivery of output and achievement of strategic goals, flexibility and cost minimization (Slack, Brandon-Jones, & Johnston, 2013). The supply chain managers usually promote customer satisfaction by eliminating errors such as the delay of inputs or inappropriate production procedures. The formulation of well-organized plans for resource acquisition and production of output is also a key strategy that helps in the timely delivery of output to the market. The organizations also attain their strategic goals once they manage to develop products and services that match the market demand on time. In some cases, the demand may change unexpectedly (Christopher, 2016). Thus, the supply chain managers develop strategies of promoting sustainability to cater for such instances. Effective supply chain management strategies, also help in the acquisition of high-quality inputs at reasonably low expenses, hence the minimization of operational costs.

Discussion Question: How can technological advancements improve the role of effective supply chain management in the achievement of sustainability?

References: Christopher, M. (2016). Logistics & supply chain management. Harlow, United Kingdom: FT Publishing International.

Dyckhoff, H., Lackes, R., & Reese, J. (Eds.). (2013). Supply chain management and reverse logistics. New York, NY: Springer Science & Business Media.

Slack, N., Brandon-Jones, A., & Johnston, R. (2013). Operations management. Mumbai: Pearson.