What is Supply Chain Management?
Supply Chain Management, or operations, refers to a set of functions that control the flow of goods and services between suppliers or vendors, company facilities (manufacturing plants, warehouses, distribution centers, etc.) and consumers. Major supply chain sub-functions include sales and operation planning, procurement, materials management, order management, manufacturing and production, distribution and master data management. Effective supply chain management is essential in industries where goods must be manufactured and delivered to customers through the cost-effective procurement of various raw materials, or inputs, from third party suppliers. This includes retail (e.g., Target, Walmart, etc.), Pharmaceuticals and Consumer Packaged Goods. In some cases, selected supply chain functions may be outsourced to a third party to improve effectiveness and reduce costs.
Sample Downloads
-
Manufacturing & Production Benchmarking ReportBenchmarking Report Bundle -
Vendor Payment Processing Cycle TimeBenchmarking Report -
Supply Chain Management KPI EncyclopediaKPI Encyclopedia -
Order Management Best Practices GuideBest Practices Guide -
Supply Chain Management Organization Chart TemplateOrg Chart Template -
Returns ProcessingWorkflow Template
A typical supply chain management function is composed of several groups, or teams, that work together to develop, manage and improve the company's supply chain strategy. This includes the development of demand forecasts, effective management of third party vendor contracts and arrangements, management of raw materials, distribution channel development, and customer order management. Browse our supply chain organization chart page to learn about the roles and responsibilities of each major function. Then, download our org chart template (PDF, Visio) to further understand supply chain organizational structure, and support improvement efforts within supply chain operations.
Big-box analytics without the big price tag
Why are the world’s biggest consultancies and tech providers beyond the reach (and budget) of so many companies? They're not structured to "peel off" various sub-services for you to engage. We are. (In fact, we proudly count many of those big consultancies as OpsDog clients!). Let us leverage our 25 years of experience implementing business intelligence for Fortune 500 leaders to bring you analytical services at astonishingly affordable prices.
Learn more about our KPI-driven business intelligence services:
Check out our supply chain best practices page to view selected descriptions of work methods that have been proven to produce better results (as compared to other, similar methods). Want more? Download our Supply Chain Best Practices Guide, which provides a healthy selection of valuable best practices that can be incorporated to improve supply chain operations. There might not be only one "best" way to perform every task. However, there is always a "better" way.