Supply Chain Management

Paper Summary:

This paper examines how the problems arising within Potters, a company specializing in product sourcing of construction materials, are not just the concern of the company, but the various organizations that are affected by the problems as well. It looks at how Potters offers over 24,000 different products and how the key to developing long-term relationships with suppliers and customers is by figuring out what the most prevalent products are for those customers and then developing long-term relationships with those suppliers who offer those particular products. The paper contends that Potters must take a careful approach towards implementing any changes and can do that by understanding the patterns of supply and demand and how quality management programs and ERP implementations are strategic business initiatives that aspire to improve firm performance

From the Paper:

"A method of addressing the issue of 'rolling' stocks can be to have the suppliers be responsible for ensuring that their displays are always stocked with new product. In this manner the suppliers would have an agent that would visit the store on a regular basis to track specific sales items and the effects of various promotions. By asking the supplier to be responsible for their own display areas, the responsibility and need to stock new items on a regular basis would be left up to the supplier. This would also cut down on Potter's employee costs by freeing the employees from having to restock the various supplier's displays. Product sales would presumably be more efficient and profitable since the responsibility to do so would be taken on by the suppliers. "

Sample of Sources Used:

• Al-Mashari, M., Al-Mudimigh, A., (2003) ERP implementation: Lessons from a case study, Information Technology & People, Vol. 16, No. 1, pp. 21-33.
• Anderson, M.G., Katz, P.B., (1998) Strategic Sourcing, International Journal of Logistics Management, Vol. 9, No. 1, pp. 1-13.
• Hashmi, K., (2008) Introduction and Implementation of Total Quality Management (TQM), Methodologies, http://www.isixsigma.com/library/content/c031008a.asp, accessed March 9, 2008
• Laframboise, K., (2002) Business performance and enterprise resource planning, Proceedings of ECIS 2002 Conference, Gdansk, Poland, 2002
• Laframboise, K., Reyes, F., (2005) Gaining competitive advantage from integrating enterprise resource planning and total quality management, Journal of Supply Chain Management, Vol. 41, No. 3, pp. 49 - 64

More papers on Supply Chain Management:

• Analytical Essay # 89144 : "Dell Computer and Supply Chain Management"
• Analytical Essay # 140467 : "Supply Chain Management and Managerial Technology"
• Essay # 71325 : "QVC's Global Supply Chain Management"
• Term Paper # 139282 : "The Supply Chain Management in the Age of ERP Solutions"

APA Citation:

MLA Citation: