A supply chain is generally composed of many different organizations or departments that are responsible for all the activities that are required to
satisfy the customer demand in production or service systems. Which functions are included within these activities?
These activities include many different functions such as procurement of materials from suppliers, production, warehousing, distribution, marketing, financing, after sales service etc.
What are the main processes that exist in supply chains?
Procurement of materials for production, processing these materials into final products, transportation of products between different locations, warehousing
and distributing the final products to customers are some of the main processes that exist in supply chains.
In a typical supply chain, different companies such as suppliers, manufacturers, distributors and retailers ................... in order to satisfy the customer demand.
work together in an integrated manner
Supply chain management aims to:
produce and distribute the products to the right locations, at the right time,
in the right quantities, in order to maximize systemwide profitability while satisfying customer service levels.
..................refers to the processes to obtain or buy goods or services required for production.
Sourcing
What does "Distribution" refer to?
the movement of products between the facilities in the supply chain and the delivery of finished goods to the customers.
What are the components of a typical supply chain?
Suppliers, producers, distributors, retailers, customers and various service providers.
Why is the competitive strategy developed?
to satisfy more of the customer’s expectations than the competitors.
What is effectiveness of a supply chain about?
how well the supply chain is meeting the expectations and demands of the customers.
How is a supply chain’s responsiveness measured?
A supply chain’s responsiveness is measured by its ability to respond to wide ranges of quantities demanded, meet short lead times, handle a large variety of products, build highly innovative products, meet a high service level and handle supply uncertainty.
A .......... ......... is a speculative one and production is initiated in anticipation of customer orders based on forecasts. On the other hand, a ........... .......... is a
reactive one and execution is initiated in response to actual customer orders.
push strategy/pull strategy
Supply chain management decisions can be classified as ................., ............... and ................. level decisions depending on their significance and the time span that they cover.
strategic, tactical and operational
Some different distribution strategies are:...........
Direct Shipping, Hub and Spoke Model, Pooled Distribution, Cross-Docking, Milk Runs.
What is the main objective of logistics?
The main objective of logistics is to satisfy customer expectations at minimum
cost.
What do "Logistics management" activities include?
Logistics management activities include the incoming and outgoing transport management, fleet management, stocking, material distribution, order completion, logistics network design, inventory management, supply-demand planning and third party logistics service provider activities.
In what way "changing market structures" and "customer expectations" affect the supply chains?
Customers expect more specialized products and supply chains need to be flexible to produce different varieties of products depending on customer needs in order to be able to compete in the global market.
What does reverse logistics refer to?
Reverse logistics refers to the activities related to the collection of products from the end users.
What is "Remanufacturing"?
Remanufacturing is the process of collecting used items, extracting the useful parts and reusing these parts in the production of new products.
Why do companies engage in recycling and remanufacturing processes?
Companies engage in recycling and remanufacturing processes either because of
legislation in their countries or because of economical reasons.
In what way "Artificial intelligence" is useful in supply chain management?
• In-demand forecasting
• Production planning
• Predictive maintenance