Introduction to Supply Chain Management - Essay Example

?Reflection Paper from Introduction to Supply Chain Management Introduction This is a reflection paper from Chapters to 4 of the Introduction to Supply Chain Management by Hanfield and Nicholas (Hanfield & Nicholas, 1999). In Chapter 1, the authors provide the bird’s eye of view of what supply chain management is all about. Regarding this, they discuss the information system, inventory management and supply chain relationship. Chapter 2 is a detailed discussion about the role of information systems and technology in supply chain management. Here, the authors discuss the importance of information in integrated supply chain management environment, interorganizational information systems, information requirements determination for supply chain IOIS, and information and technology applications for supply chain management. Chapter 3 is about managing the flow of materials across the supply chain. At this point, the authors try to be more specific in order to understand supply chains. They also include specific discussion on reengineering supply chain logistics, and reengineering challenges and opportunities. Then they point out that information systems and technology are key enablers for supply chain engineering. They also included the importance of time in managing the flow of materials across the supply chain. With this, one of the highlights in this section is showing the opportunities for cycle-time reduction across the supply chain. Furthermore, Chapter 3 also includes performance measurement because the authors significantly include the thought that supply chain management is all about issue of control. Finally, Chapter 4 includes the general idea about developing and maintaining supply chain relationships. Regarding this, the authors include the discussion of a conceptual model of alliance development, developing a trusting relationship with partners in the supply chain, and resolving conflicts in a supply chain relationship. Reflection Shown in Chapters 1 to 4 of the Introduction to Supply Chain Management is generally the importance of basic understanding of supply chain management and its potential impacts on the achievement of organizational goals. The authors make it to a point that learning the introduction to supply chain management will pave the way for understanding some important issues associated with the subject matter. In this concern, it is important for instance to understand the integration of information systems and technology in order to come up with effective supply chain management. Furthermore, in the onset of modern age technology and so deliberately advancing technological and information systems revolution, the authors make it a special priority to integrate this reality with the learners. In addition the authors try to be more elaborate in their thoughts concerning the flow of materials across the supply chain. In this section, they especially highlight techniques on how to ensure smooth-flowing flow of materials across the supply chain. So they integrate the concept of reengineering supply chain logistics, challenges and opportunities. For them, it is a matter of time to implement all these techniques so as to ensure productive output, so they integrate the importance of time in managing the flow of materials across the supply chain. Finally, in chapter 4, the authors significantly imply that supply chain management includes substantial issue about building relationship. In this regard, the authors include the idea on how to develop alliance, trust with partners and resolving conflicts that may potentially arise. As noticed, the idea of supply chain management that the authors present in Chapter 1 to 4 includes the point that it is basically part of strategic effort of the company or organization in order to create and deliver product or service offerings on time. Applying this idea in the context of marketing could prove that delivering product or service offerings on time results to probable achievement of high level customer satisfaction. However, in order to do this, supply chain management does not only deal with concentrating on the issue of time. Some other factors like building relationship, employing techniques in logistics, and applying information systems and technology are necessary to achieve concerted effort to achieve organizational objectives. All of these as the authors would want to imply should create harmony in order to come up with smooth-flowing supply chain management. All of these are basic ideas concerning introduction to supply chain management. The authors make it a point that the ideas they present in Chapters 1 to 4 should be sufficient for the learners of supply chain management to learn the basics about this strategic tool for the achievement of corporate or organizational objectives. What they would want to emphasize is simply to treat supply chain management as a special technique or tool in an organization in order to create or deliver product or service offerings on a timely manner without wasting the opportunity in maximizing opportunity cost. In general, the ideas about supply chain management that the authors present in Chapters 1 to 4 are basics but critical in ensuring achievement of organizational goal. The authors would want to impart the idea with their readers that supply chain management is an essential concept that one must be able to take into high consideration in order to succeed in obtaining set goals for the future. To illustrate this, based on the ideas that the authors present, inefficient supply chain management could actually imply poor creation of relationship with possible suppliers. If this happens, one could expect that production department would substantially suffer in obtaining a standard efficiency program. Thus, this would further provide substantial complications and one of them is poor customer service, not achieving set revenue and eventually business loss. Conclusion Introduction to “Supply Chain Management” authored by Hanfield and Nicholas is a good read especially for those who want to learn more about the basics of supply chain management. The authors present their ideas in this book especially from Chapters 1 to 4 in a way that the readers would gain substantial insights on how to treat supply chain management as a special tool for the achievement of organizational goals. In other words, the overall discussion about supply chain management in Chapters 1 to 4 boils down to the fact that having a competitive edge in delivering product or service offerings requires management. This type of management as the authors would want to imply should primarily involve the basic concepts or ideas of supply chain management, where there is clearly presence of general principles of management. Reference Hanfield, R. B., & Nicholas, E. L. Jr. (1999) Introduction to Supply Chain Management. Upper Saddle River, NJ. Read More