Importance of supply chain in companies

Should more companies work to make supply chain design a core Competence?

While businesses place a strong emphasis on their core strengths, some have not yet identified supply chain design as one of the activities or processes that set them apart from their rivals (Elliot, 2011). The supply chain competes instead of the companies in today's market. Consequently, for businesses looking to gain a competitive edge, developing and reengineering the supply chain design is essential.

Companies can employ several techniques to turn their supply chain into a core competency because it is a crucial weapon in competition. Due to the current competitive environment, businesses should start reasoning in terms of how the benefits of a supply chain capability weave into broader core competency (Elliot, 2011). More companies can make supply chain a core competency because it is a process which requires critical thinking and employing various aspects like innovation, modern technology and analyzing the strategies used by the competitors to design it in a manner which can assist them to attain a competitive advantage.

More companies can work to make supply chain design a core competency because in the recent nature of competition only the enterprises that consider doing so are the ones which are likely to attain a competitive advantage (Barbara, 2010). Small and big companies should think of their transformational capabilities because most of them operate in dynamic environment. The supply chain should be designed to deliver products on time, and with minimum cost, while maintaining quality.

Many companies can work to make supply chain a core competence because it only requires analyzing various aspects which can improve the supply chain design to be classified among the things which the company does better (Craig, 2011). Some of the factors may include minimizing the lead time, using the proper distribution channels and so forth. According to Anton (2014), companies which will not consider improving their supply chain will face challenges in surviving in the competitive markets. This means supply chain design has become fundamental in business operations and therefore each company should make it a core competence.

Apart from gaining competitive advantage, supply chain is used as a source of information which assists the company to attain information concerning the consumer’s view regarding the quality of goods and services (Jay, 2012). This means making the supply chain design a core competency is imperative in production because it assists companies to produce goods and services based on consumer preferences.

Fbci (2011), the nature of supply chain design determines if the company will be able to deliver a unique value to the customers. This means making supply chain a core competence is essential in ensuring the customers get an outstanding value from the company. More company should learn how to coordinate supply chain and integrate multiple technologies to ensure it is efficient to assist in ensuring their customers gets the unique value of their organization.

More companies making supply chain design a core competency will assist them to invest in the strengths that differentiate them, and set different strategies which unify their organizations (Elliot, 2011). Investing in the strengths that differentiate the companies can assist the management to plan on how to take advantage of these strengths to not only gain a competitive advantage but also to improve the production processes.

More companies working to make supply chain a core competency will assist them to create a competitive advantage it will help them to do things which their competitors are yet to explore (Li-fang, 2013). Some of these things include shortening the lead time, using the most efficient distribution channels and so forth. It will also assist more companies to expand into wide variety of potential markets. Making supply chain a core competency enables companies to gain real picture of other markets and also analyze the strategies used by their competitors.

Without knowing the customer expectations, companies cannot improve their products to match the customer requirements. Supply chain is one of the channels which allow information to flow from the customers through the suppliers to the company (Terry, 2013). These mean more companies should make a supply chain a core competency because it is among the mechanisms which can allow them to attain a competitive advantage through producing and providing high-quality goods or services to their consumers.

There are so many opportunities which can be unlocked by more companies making a supply chain design a core competence. For example, classifying the supply chain among the things which a company does better will assist the management to learn different aspects concerning potential markets; analyze the strategies used by competitors and so forth (Pankaj, 2012). Making supply chain a core competence can also make companies to continue working to improve their supply chain so as to match the needs of the company.

More companies can make supply chain design a core competency because if competitors have considered developing their supply chain design to be among the things which they do better, it means the companies which have not the same will have challenges in competing with their rivals. Making supply chain design a core competency assist in ensuring both small and large enterprises meet customer demand through delivering the expected goods and services at the right time. It will also assist assists the companies to avoid inventory risks because goods or services will be produced based on demand.

More companies working to make supply chain a core competency will help in ensuring there is healthy competition between the companies (Mohesen, 2016). This is because more companies will have a competitive advantage, meaning competition will only hurt the businesses that have not made their supply chain a core competency. Improving supply chain design assists not only the organization but also the consumers because it makes them attain quality goods or services at the right time. It also makes the companies which do not think supply chain can play a significant role in assisting them to attain a competitive advantage to realize it is a fundamental tool which can be used to win competition.

More companies can make supply chain a core competency because it only requires determining what can be improved or how the supply chain can be designed to assist the organization in attaining a competitive advantage (Craig, 2011). Making supply chain a core competency is a task that requires analyzing the weaknesses of the current supply chain and finding the proper measures which can be used to design it in a manner which can enable the management to classify it among the things which the company does better.

References

Anton. P. 2014. Why Research in Sustainable Supply Chain Management Should Have No Future. Journal of Supply Chain Management, 50(1), 56-89.

Barbara. F. 2010. Introduction to the Special Topic Forum on Global Supply Chain Management. Journal of Supply Chain Management, 46(2), 90-100.

Craig. C. 2011. A Call for Theory: The Maturation of the Supply Chain Management Discipline. Journal of Supply Chain Management, 47(2), 80-90.

Elliot, E. S. 2011. Introduction to the Discussion Forum on Using Experiments in Supply Chain Management Research. Journal of Supply Chain Management, 47(3), 137-400

Fbci, B. 2011. A Supply Chain Management Guide to Business Continuity. New York: American Management Association.

Jay. B. 2012. Purchasing, Supply Chain Management and Sustained Competitive Advantage: The Relevance of Resource-Based Theory. Journal of Supply Chain Management, 48(2), 78-90.

Li-fang. S. 2013. Core Competences, Supply Chain Partners' Knowledge-Sharing, and Innovation: An Empirical Study of the Manufacturing Industry in Taiwan. International Journal of Business and Information, 8(2), 56-89.

Mohesen. V. 2016. Sustainable Supply Chain Management: A Brief Literature Review. The Journal of Developing Areas, 50(6), 37-78.

Pankaj. M. 2012. Value Creation through Integration of Supply Chain Management and Marketing Strategy. IUP Journal of Business Strategy, 9(1). 567-700.

Terry, C. R. 2013. Special Topic Forum on Resources and Supply Chain Management. Journal of Supply Chain Management, 49(3), 78-80.