U.S. World Leader in Supply Chain Management

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RESPONSE:

1. How do you see the concepts of Supply Chain Management being a force to aid a country in world dominance?

Supply chain management (SCM) is the control of materials, information, and finances as they move in a process from supplier to manufacturer to wholesaler to retailer to consumer. Supply chain management involves coordinating and integrating these flows both within and among companies. The ultimate goal of any effective supply chain management system is to reduce inventory (with the assumption that products are available when needed). http://www.eduka.com/News/Glossary-of-Terms.aspx

In other words, SCM is an integration of business that processes from the end user through original suppliers that provide products, services, and information that add value for customers. It is force for world dominance as it allows the company to produce goods for less and provides value to customers, and thus gains advantage over the competition. For example, the 21st century has been, so far, a prosperous one for China. The country has become enriched by its powerful manufacturing industry, which offers low operational costs and a seemingly unending supply of cheap labor to companies across the U.S. and Europe (http://www.networkworld.com/news/2008/120808-big-supply-chain-troubles-in.html).

As 2008 comes to a close, however, China's dominance as the world's leading supplier is in question. The factors threatening China's supply chain dynasty, including a worldwide economic recession, volatile energy prices that make shipping products from China expensive, and mistrust of Chinese products, are quickly stacking up like runaway train cars, each pushing the other down a dangerous track. "It's clear that the Chinese do not have control of ...