Contemporary Topics
This page will discuss three major contemporary topics that are currently popular in GSC in 2018.
The first topic I will be discussing is making the supply chain more responsive. Over the years, supply chain has progressed immensely with new technology such as machines and the internet which all aid to help supply chain with producing new goods and services for its customers. This has helped companies create a higher volume and range of products, but this does not mean that the supply chain is completely fool proof. There are still disruptions and bottlenecks that occur within the chain that can slow down production. The GSC community's goal is to mitigate these disruptions and create an efficient supply chain that produces products in a timely manner for consumers.
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The next major topic in the supply chain community is the power of customer demand. This topic is huge within this community because without consumers, supply chain workers would not have a job. The supply chain is mainly based on how to create products more efficiently and in a productive manner but this would not be their goal if there was not consumers behind the product asking for it. It is extremely important in supply chain to put the consumer's needs and wants first and to take that into consideration when producing. This is especially important when it comes to shipping the product and making sure the product not only reaches the consumer in a timely matter but also that the good is in perfect shape so that the customer is able to use the product.
Lastly, the topic I will be discussing is growth. As the community's name has the word "global" in it, worldwide growth is an important aspect in GSC. As supply chain grows larger, more markets all over the world are opening up as well. Markets in China , Mexico and possibly even Cuba have opened up which creates more expansion within the logistics side of supply chain which deals with shipping orders and making sure the good reaches the consumer. Now that there is more markets worldwide, there is more options for consumers to purchase goods from overseas and this is all due to the development of the internet.
Important Terminology:
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Supply Chain: A network of manufacturers and service providers that work together to create products or services needed by end users. These manufacturers and service providers are linked together through physical flows, information flows, and monetary flows.
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Supply Chain Management: The active management of supply chain activities and relationships in order to maximize customer value and achieve a sustainable competitive advantage. It represents a conscious effort by a firm or group of firms to develop and run supply chains in the most effective and efficient ways possible.
Research Questions:
1. In regards to making the SC more responsive, what are the key areas that need to be focused on in order to have a smooth running SC?
2. How is data used in regards to finding out how satisfied the consumer is with the products or goods they are recieving?
3. How does world-wide competition affect the local markets in the United States?