Supply Chain Management - Annotated Bibliography Example

Supply Chain Management Annotated Bibliography Lu, Dawei. Fundamentals of supply chain management. New York. Dawei Lu and Ventus Publishing. 2011. Print. Supply chain management is effective and efficient management of all activities that takes place from primary suppliers to the market place. The importance of supply chain management depends much on the length of the supply chains (Lu 30). Where supply chains are very short, there is no need of management but it is very important in long supply chains. Supply chain management helps to satisfy desires of both consumers and suppliers by minimizing wastage of commodities in supply chain. Supply chain management brings together both supply and purchasing management professional who play a leading role in development of food chains whenever possible (Lu 8). Supply chain management contributes a lot in adding value to commodities. This source clearly and effectively gives information that is quite useful in my research. It outlines the purposes and importance of supply chain management in all areas. For instance, in addition to enabling smooth flow of goods and services to the final customers, supply chain management also provides important information to all stakeholders in supply chain (Lu 12). This was it provides a mechanism through which supply chain management pay back to the society. The source also outlines coverage of the supply chain management. Supply chain management manages all processes from extraction of raw materials and all other processes involved before the materials or products reach the final consumer (Lu 19). It helps to make sure that everything runs with high efficiency to save time and costs for both consumers and suppliers. The paper also expresses involvement of supply chain management with interconnections between organizations. This being the area of my research, the article was very important. From this article, I learnt that supply chain management is continually evolving to accommodate new changes in supply chains to day. The supply chain management is very important as it helps suppliers, buyers and internal customers to ensure that goods are transported as expected (Lu 9). This helps to preserve quality and cost of products by shortening the amount of time inventories are held in warehouses. This is because warehousing goods led to deterioration of quality and increased its cost in the process. Supply Chain management also helps to shorten supply chains where possible (Lu 20). This information concurred with my opinion that the longer the supply chain, the more costly the products are due to cost of handing activities involved. My though that warehouses make products’ quality to deteriorate in addition to increasing price of the commodity was confirmed by this source. The fact that this source concurred with many of my thoughts and opinions it was the best in addressing the supply chain management effectively. Slone, Ryan. Leading a supply chain turnaround. Harvard Business Review, pp. 114-121. 2004. According to this magazine article, supply chain management is a very extensive management that deals with all organizations that add value to the products before they reach final consumers (Slone 114). Over the recent years, supply chain has gone through serious of changes to incorporate new strategies for better product access by final customers. Supply chain managers have considered past, present and possible future practices to set the most appropriate practices in style. The whole process of supply chain management aims at improving the quality of the available resources and supply chains in order to boost good trade (Slone 118). Considering all factors it is possible to plan and design supply chain and its management strategy. While this source is relatively old, it is applicable to my study because it offers a case study on how supply chain management has evolved over the years. This article was helpful in my research. It outlines the evolution of supply chain management since 1980s (Slone 116). Changes and strategies that have been put in place have helped people to access appropriate services and high quality goods in any economic situation. With information from this article, it is possible to project the future evolutions of the supply chain management. The manner in which changes occurred and the factors that led to changes are also outlined. It gives the supply chains in all levels up to global level which helps to identify various players and complexities of each supply chain management (Slone 120). The article also explains the environment of each supply chain management depending on the level and both the size and the number of players in the industry. This makes the paper effective in providing the information that I needed in my research considering that all levels of supply chain management are discussed. From the article, I learnt that it is very easy to plan and design a supply chain management strategy given the operating environment. Local, regional and global supply chain managements have many things in common but differ in their scale. Supply chain management is also faced by problems which are related to economic ups and downs (Slone 119). They cause waves which makes supply chain management unable to fully carry out its operation due to shortage of commodities in supply chains and bad practices of some players. Even with these challenges, it is possible to effectively design a strategy based on the situation in hand for effective delivery of services to customers and suppliers. This information was at par with my opinion that it is not possible for any supply chain management to be free of problems. I also concurred to the fact that it is not hard to run supply chain management at any scale with the cooperation with players. CIPS. Knowledge works: Supply chain management, knowledge summary. CIPS. 2014. Web. Supply chain managers help to mange total costs of commodities and consequently are able to foresee and influence businesses’ whole cost base (CIPS 2). Supply chain management is needed in government agencies, private organizations and non-governmental organizations. These areas provide a widespread job market to supply chain managers all over the world. They can be required to provide information concerning movement of raw materials and warehousing. Supply Chain managers are required by government strategists while planning to reduce costs of important commodities in the country. They are also required to give advice on infrastructure as a way of increasing supply of cheap commodities (CIPS 2). All these areas offer job to Supply chain managers. This article was very important as it contained information concerning compatibility of supply chain managers with the governments’ or organization’s strategies and objectives. This makes them secure jobs in these areas as they are helpful in assessing various price outcomes of propose actions by the general management of the organization (CIPS 3). Their ability to influence the whole cost base of a market is a very important factor that makes them highly marketable. This article helped me greatly in my research as it clearly and pinpointed various areas where supply chain managers are employed. Since my research was aimed at the job market of supply chain managers, this article was very instrumental. It also explained that supply chain managers are able to provide instrumental advice to all organizations and agencies in need of their services. This opens further doors of employment as they can be employed as they can employ themselves through creation of consultant firms. From this article, I learnt that supply chain managers are very marketable. All sectors of economy which include private and public corporations create uncountable chances for supply chain managers to secure employment (CIPS 2). They are able to control prices in any market at local, regional, and international levels. This makes supply chain managers to be instrumental in all economies in the world. My thoughts and opinions were justified by the information I obtained from this article. Some communities starve due to high costs of important commodities. This price can be reduced if supply chain is properly managed. Also, inflation result from difficult movement of commodities within supply chains. By controlling costs of commodities in supply chains, supply chain managers can affect the life of anyone in the society and consequently this guarantees them employment. Slack, Newton & Johnson Sylvester. Operations Management. London. Prentice Hall. 2012. Print. Supply chain managers influence costs in all markets and consequently are able to influence the whole cost base (Slack & Johnson 3). Government and private corporations and organizations want to keep cost of available products reasonably low. While the government wants to lower cost of living to its citizens, private organizations want to regulate costs so as to maximize their profits. For these conditions to be achieved, supply chain managers are required. This means that the job market for supply chain managers is very wide. All market and governmental levels need them and consequently they are guaranteed employment opportunities (Slack & Johnson 4). They can be required to provide information concerning warehouses and movement of raw materials. Supply Chain managers are required by government to plan for reduction of costs of important commodities in the country (Slack & Johnson 7). They are also required to give advice on infrastructure as a way of increasing supply of cheap commodities. This is an indicator of wide market for the supply chain managers. This article was very helpful in my research on supply chain mangers job market. It highlighted their importance in ensuring the government and private organizations. They ensure these organizations provide enough information so as to come up with strategies that will lead them to achieving their objectives (Slack & Johnson 13). This helps them to be employed in these areas in order to help them assess various price outcomes of proposed actions. This article helped me greatly in my research as it clearly and pinpointed various areas where supply chain managers are employed. It covered nearly all information that I wanted concerning employment of supply chain managers as my profession. It also explained the importance of supply chain managers in organizations and agencies in every economy and in all levels of operation. This was an eye opener in my research as it covered a wide range of employment opportunities. From this article, I learnt that supply chain managers are very marketable. No place in various sectors of economy where they are not important. They are employed as advisers on the planning and designing process of supply chains. They are also employed as strategist in various sectors of economy to regulate costs of various commodities and consequently influence whole cost base in local, regional and global markets. This makes supply chain managers very important people in all global economies (Slack & Johnson 1). My opinions were justified by the information I obtained from this article. It is possible to regulate costs of commodities through effective management of supply chains in all areas. This can be used to stabilize prices for and therefore reduce chances of occurrence of inflation. Prices can also be reduced if supply chain management reduces time taken by commodities in warehouse. Supply chain managers can improve lives of anyone in the society. Carter, Craig & Easton, Liane. "Sustainable supply chain management: Evolution and future directions". International Journal of Physical Distribution & Logistics Management, Vol. 41 Iss: 1, pp.46 – 62. 2011. Print. In this journal article, Carter and Easton explore the subject of sustainable supply chain management (SSCM) and its future (46). Based on a systematic literature review of journal articles published over the past 20 years, the authors establish that over the past 20 years, sustainable supply chain management has undergone tremendous change. From stand alone researches with a bias on environmental and social areas, today, experts in the field of supply chain management research on SSCM based on different perspectives including social corporate responsibility. SSCM has in itself become a theoretical framework much as its research is methodologically rigorous. This journal article was published in 2011, which means that it is recent. In this respect, it passes the currency test. The two authors of the article are scholars affiliated with different reputable universities in the United States. While Carter is affiliated with the Arizona State University, Easton s affiliated with the Center for Logistics Management, University of Nevada. Given their institutional affiliations and expertise in the field of supply chain management, the authors come out as authorities in the field and therefore credible sources of information. In their study, the researchers clearly note the purpose of their study and provide a background to the issue they are focusing on. The researchers rely on information drawn from different reputable sources to develop their background to the study and literature review. In this respect, the source comes out as one that is objective and that is not biased in any way considering that the authors state and evaluate different points of view. The authors use an academic tone to communicate their message to their audience which comprises experts in the field of supply chain management. This is evident in the fact that they do not use first and second person pronouns in presenting their arguments. Furthermore, the article is arranged systematically to include an introduction, research design, findings and conclusion. The article presents a lot of important information regarding SSCM and its development. While one would think that sustainability in supply chain management is not important for businesses, the authors findings emphasize that the contrary is in fact the truth - a notion that I fully agree with. The article is useful in tracing the history of sustainable supply chain management and predicting what the field or subject will be like based on recent trends in the market. From the article, I have learnt that SSCM is growing in importance in the business world as it plays a vital role in directing limited resources for use in projects that are impacted by economic, social, and environmental factors. Sarac, Aysegul, Absi, Nabil & Dauzère-Pérès, Stéphane. A literature review on the impact of RFID technologies on supply chain management. International Journal of Production Economics, Vol. 128, No. 1, pp. 77–95. 2010. Print. In this journal article, the authors seek to establish the importance of RFID (Radio Frequency Identification Device) technologies on supply chain management (Sarac, Nabil, and Dauzère-Pérès 77). The authors conduct their research based on systematic literature review research method. According to the authors, RFID technologies can help in improving information accuracy, raising the efficiency of business processes, and reducing inventory losses. The authors note that different RFID technologies have different impacts on supply chain management. Sarac, Nabil, and Dauzère-Pérès are supply chain management experts and scholars associated with the Center of Microelectronics in Provence (CMP) of the École des Mines de Saint-Étienne. The authors pass out as authorities in the field of supply chain management and are therefore credible sources of information. Published in 2010, the article is recent and, therefore, can be relied on for up-to-date information. In the article, the researchers conduct a literature review relying on different sources of information that have been recently published. Some of the works analyzed by the researchers include ROI analysis, simulations, experiments, analytic models, and case studies. The article stands out as one that is objective and that is not biased in any way. The authors state and evaluate different points of view which emphasizes their lack of bias. The authors use an academic tone to communicate their message to their audience. This is evident in the fact that they do not use first and second person pronouns in presenting their arguments. The authors are not concerned about selling a product but are keen to present facts as they are. The targeted audience comprises experts in the field of supply chain management. The article is arranged systematically and includes introduction, research design, findings and conclusion sections. The article tackles an important topic with regard to supply chain management. RFIDs play a great role in such areas as tracking of inventory, equipment, and personnel which may go a long way in improving productivity and reducing losses. On the other hand, RFID devices cost a lot to the extent that the money invested in their purchase should not be in vain. Considering this perspective, it is worth noting that the study conducted by Sarac, Nabil, and Dauzère-Pérès adds value not only to the academic world but also to businesses. From the article, I learn that research in supply chain management involves systematic evaluation of sources and may involve different research methods including case analyses, experiments, simulations, and analytic modeling. The article is useful to my study in that it presents an overview of RFID technologies that are currently available, how they are used, and their impacts to businesses. Furthermore, the article provides direction on the possible use of RFID technologies for more use in managing the supply chains of both small and large organizations. Works cited Carter, Craig & Easton, Liane. "Sustainable supply chain management: Evolution and future directions". International Journal of Physical Distribution & Logistics Management, Vol. 41 Iss: 1, pp.46 – 62. 2011. Print. CIPS. Knowledge works: Supply chain management, knowledge summary. CIPS. 2014. Web. Lu, Dawei. Fundamentals of supply chain management. New York. Dawei Lu and Ventus Publishing. 2011. Print. Sarac, Aysegul, Absi, Nabil & Dauzère-Pérès, Stéphane. A literature review on the impact of RFID technologies on supply chain management. International Journal of Production Economics, Vol. 128, No. 1, pp. 77–95. 2010. Print. Slack, Newton & Johnson Sylvester. Operations Management. London. Prentice Hall. 2012. Print. Slone, Reuben. Leading a supply chain turnaround. Harvard Business Review, pp. 114-121. 2004. 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