ADVANCED SUPPLY CHAIN MANAGEMENT ASSIGNMENT

NIHHAR NIMISH TATED SAP-ID: 80012100955

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Q1. A solid supply chain system is essential to the smooth operation of any
manufacturing facility, from the acquisition of raw materials through the
shipment of finished goods to consumers. The many components of supply
chain management may be broken down into categories like "supply chain
phases," "supply chain characteristics," and "elements of supply chain
management." It's surprising that more CEOs don't place a higher priority on
supply chain strategy given the profound impact it has on all elements of
supply chain tactics, management, and decision making.
As discussed in the given article, the following are the key element critical
to a supply chain strategy:
1. Strategic Partnership: Communication, ground rules, expectations,
mutual trust, and shared risk-taking are all crucial components of any
successful strategic collaboration.

2. Make-Buy Decisions: Cost, time, quality, and intellectual property are

just few of the factors to consider when deciding between in-sourcing
and out-sourcing.

3. KPIs of a Supply Chain: Facilities, inventory, transportation,

information, sourcing, and pricing are only some of the drivers, along
with quality, timeliness, delivery integrity, flexibility, pre- and post-
service, and cost.

4. Synchronization: What allows for a steady supply and demand

throughout the supply chain is the speed and efficiency with which
data, money, and products and services move from one point to the
next.
 5. Integration: An efficient supply chain requires close cooperation
between vendors, internal distribution networks, and customer
information systems. The degree to which all parties involved in the
supply chain have established and maintained the channels of
communication, trust, and cooperation necessary to keep the supply
chain functioning as a competitive advantage.

6. Scope: The whole spectrum of tasks (including design, planning, and

control), resources, and goals that the company wants to achieve via its
supply chain.

7. Reverse Logistics: Services in reverse logistics, such as repair,

recycling, guarantee, recall, and similar options. A feature like this in
the value chain can help the company ultimately save up its resources
and improve their margins thus positively impacting its profits.

8. Project Sustainability: production and distribution capabilities that

reduce waste and pollution over time. This point goes hand-in-hand
with the previous element as they both aim to cut down affluences
that can impact the environment amidst the process

9. Regulatory Compliance: The companies have to make sure that they

abide by the law of the land and conduct the process as per
government regulation and required compliances.

10. Global: Free trade with everyone in the world, including all the
factors one must take into account to meet a greater variety of possible
client requirements. An initiative like this can build a stronger
network which can later be leveraged on critical decision-making
situations. (for e.g. sourcing)

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Q2 Strategy in Supply Chain: What Drives It?

There are six key supply chain drivers that affect supply chain performance,
and they are facilities, inventory, transportation, information, sourcing, and
price. It boosts efficiency and productivity inside the company.

1. The first link in the supply chain is the facility, which is where raw
materials, intermediate products, and completed items are all kept and
prepared for shipment. The efficiency of the supply chain is heavily
influenced by the facilities' location, capacity, and adaptability.

2. Second, we have the inventory, which includes everything in the

supply chain from raw materials to WIPs to final goods. Supply chain
responsiveness and efficiency may be greatly altered by reevaluating
inventory rules.

3. Transportation is the third link in the supply chain, and it has been
used to move inventory via a wide variety of multimodal routes and
modes. The effectiveness and responsiveness of transportation are
significantly influenced by the methods used.

4. Data and analysis on stock levels, facility locations, shipping methods,

and customer needs are all examples of information that is used in the
supply chain. For this reason, knowledge is the most crucial factor in
determining supply chain effectiveness. Supply may be made more
effective and reactive with the use of data.

5. Fifth, the term "sourcing" refers to the method by which items are
sourced from a certain area or company. The term "sourcing" refers to
the process of acquiring goods or services from a vendor in accordance
with a set of criteria, including but not limited to the following:
 availability, price, quality, timeliness, and condition. Managers are
accountable for "make or buy" decisions and the selection of certain
suppliers or groups of suppliers for specific tasks. In order to boost
supply chain efficiency, managers choose suppliers and negotiate
contracts with them individually.

6. Pricing is the method through which a company decides how much to

charge customers for its products and services. Customers in the price-
conscious segment are affected by prices.

7. Seven, supply chain responsiveness to demand changes and the

demand profile it strives to match are affected by pricing.

In addition to the aforementioned, the following are also significant factors

in the success of any supply chain:

1. First, in terms of quality, an essential part of supply chain quality

management is a company's capacity to identify and resolve product or
operational concerns before they escalate into more significant
problems like supply chain interruptions.

2. There are several positive outcomes from keeping the supply chain
moving quickly. Improving customer happiness is only one side effect
of streamlining the supply chain; other benefits include reduced
shipping costs and times, better inventory monitoring, and
streamlined operations.

3. Third, delivery works in the same way as transportation in that it

boosts happy customers.
 4. Having integrity and being true to one's word is called "fidelity." All
parties involved in a supply chain depend on accurate information
being communicated.

5. Supply chain management encompasses five distinct phases: pre-

service, during-service, post-service, sales, and operations. It's useful
for strengthening connections with both internal and external parties.
With the right approach, a supply chain may improve customer value
while still being efficient and effective.

6. Understanding the various supply chain costs is helpful in developing

effective solutions, which brings us to point number six. It aids in risk
management by decreasing the severity of any disruptions and
minimizing their overall effect on the business.
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Q3. Long-term supply and demand are in sync thanks to competitive supply
chains, which integrate strategy, implementation, and management to do the
following:
• Strike a balance between the supply chain's responsiveness, efficiency,
flexibility, and complexity, as determined by the needs of the
business's customers
• Managing fluctuating levels of demand and supply without sacrificing
profit and margin performance is a key priority for every company.
Supply chain management and strategy are becoming more intertwined to
provide businesses an advantage in the marketplace. Prior to now, supply
chain planning had too many moving parts to be easily grasped. With so
many moving parts (including but not limited to partners, functions,
responsibilities, priorities, orders, and the flow of materials), it was only
possible to get insight into a limited subset of the whole domain. However,
with the advent of the Internet and cutting-edge IT, the whole supply chain
could be integrated, from the most strategic planning to the most detailed
level of tactical implementation. Gaining this expertise allowed me to
develop, organize, and execute supply chain operations in accordance with
strategic and tactical directives from all tiers of stakeholder management.

Due to this development, the concept of supply chain competition emerged.

One reason why integrated supply chain strategy, planning, and operations
may provide businesses an edge is because they are often difficult to
replicate. Opportunities, connections, markets, and collaborations resulting
from integration can take some time to mature. Once the data is compiled,
however, it may be used to support the organization's overarching goals and
objectives. Supply chain strategies are most effective when they complement
the overarching corporate plan or that of individual departments. This is
better defined by a hierarchical structure. Therefore, it is important to design
the supply chain to ensure that the supply chain strategy is implemented.
Last but not least, supply chain operations, or the actual implementation of
supply chain management, must match the expectations established in the
supply chain strategy. This promotes cohesion and concentration at every
stage of the process. When all links in the supply chain are functioning as
intended, it aids the company's strategy and objective.

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