Essay Sample on Supply Chain Management: Planning, Sourcing, Manufacturing, Delivering

Introduction

Supply chain management involves a series of activities that are used in planning, implementing, sourcing, manufacturing and delivering raw materials from their origins to the industry. The raw materials are processed to finished products in the industries and finally transported to the market for consumption. Supply chain management in the United States incorporates the planning of proper supply and demand strategies for the company because they play a significant role in ensuring that products reach the users, and they can give feedback for them.

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As the current global market place continues changing, it has become necessary for companies to examine issues that might affect the supply of the business (Liu W., Bai, Liu L., and Wei, 2017, pp. 1-25). Supply chain management has taken different directions over the past decade, with new trends emerging every year. The latest trends have made it hard for the industries in the United States to stick by one supply chain process (Larsson and Kamal, 2020, pp.1-6). The industries have also been faced with the task of ensuring that their supply teams are up to date with all new trends to regulate competition from their rivals and satisfy their customers.

Drawing capabilities that emerge from the supply chain and development of positive relationships between suppliers and consumers has helped the industries to experience several advantages (Ghadimi, Wang, and Lim, 2017, pp. 72-84). The advantages include lower costs, positive responsiveness, capital investments and reduced inventories. To achieve these benefits, the industries need to have a supply chain management that is purposive and well planned (Herczeg, Akkerman, and Hauschild, 2018, pp. 1-26). The supply chain management of the United States' companies also faces different challenges that leave the company vulnerable to risks of loss and collapse. The challenges include the shortage of raw materials, wars either trade wars between economies or political wars, changes in climate, recall of products, economic uncertainties, and more stringent governmental regulations (Arunachalam, Kumar, and Kawalek, 2017, pp. 1-18). The management of the industries must know these threats before they affect their activities and ensure that they always have strategies to deal with them in case they emerge.

Conclusion

Supply chain management of industries in the United States includes the planning of supply and demand to gratify the requirements of their clients. The supply chain is divided into service supply chains and manufacturing supply chains, which help to define the processes that are followed in the delivery of products and services to the final consumers. The industries must have a strong management team to ensure that it can deal with potential risks and keep the industry ahead of other competitors.

References

Arunachalam, D., Kumar, N. and Kawalek, J.P., 2017. Understanding big data analytics capabilities in supply chain management: Unravelling the issues, challenges and implications for practice. Transportation Research Part E: Logistics and Transportation Review, 114(C), pp.1-18. Available at: https://paperdownload.me/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/5388-understanding-big-data-analytics-capabilities-supply-chain-management-unravelling-issues-challenges-implications-practice.pdf [Accessed 27 Jan. 2020].

Ghadimi, P., Wang, C. and Lim, M., 2017. Sustainable supply chain modeling and analysis: Past debate, present problems and future challenges. Conservation and Recycling, 140, pp.72-84. Available at: https://pure.coventry.ac.uk/ws/portalfiles/portal/21658574/Binder16.pdf [Accessed 27 Jan. 2020].

Herczeg, G., Akkerman, R. and Hauschild, M.Z., 2018. Supply chain collaboration in industrial symbiosis networks. Journal of Cleaner Production, 171, pp.1-26. Available at: https://backend.orbit.dtu.dk/ws/files/138596352/MELJU_1_s2.0_S0959652617323387_main.pdf [Accessed 27 Jan. 2020].

Larsson, T. and Kamal, S., 2020. The top 10 supply chain risks of 2019. Available at: https://www.supplychainquarterly.com/topics/Strategy/20190514-the-top-10-supply-chain-risks-of-2019/ [Accessed 27 Jan. 2020].

Liu, W., Bai, E., Liu, L. and Wei, W., 2017. A Framework of Sustainable Service Supply Chain Management: A Literature Review and Research Agenda. Sustainability, 9(3), pp.1-25. Available at https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/5438/f1a514bb480a982116f7b8c05d6b0b4e753d.pdf [Accessed 27 Jan. 2020].