International Supply Chain Management 342 - Research Paper Example

Chain supply management regards the overall management of goods and products, from their place of origin, to the destination. According to Blanchard (2010), chain supply includes amongst others the storage and movement of raw materials from the source arenas keeping work-in-process inventories, and the eventual supply of finished products from the point of manufacture, to the market area for consumption. Towards meeting the needs of the consumer-base, various joint enterprises, channels and interlinked networks are vital.

In this regard, supply chain management is defined as consisting of the design, pertinent planning, execution, management/control and constant monitoring of all supply-related activities; this with the main objective of creating net value for the firm enterprise. In the international chain-process, the building of a competitive infrastructure, the advantage of global logistics, the synchronization of existing supply to prevailing demand levels, and the eventual measurement of global performance standards are included.

Thus, supply chain management (SCM hereon), draws majorly from the fields of: logistics, operations management, information technology and procurement; striving for an all-inclusive integrated approach. The integration of core business processes, especially across the supply chain, is for the main purpose of creating value for both the consumers and other stakeholders at large (Blanchard, 2010). As portrayed by the Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals (CSCMP), the process of supply chain management encompasses different aspects of the business enterprise.

These include the sourcing and procurement of raw materials, followed by conversion into end products, and eventual logistics management. Thus, as Cooper, Lambert, & Pagh (1997) portray, inclusive in this regard is the coordination and subsequent collaboration with existing channel partners i.e. intermediaries, third-party service