Introduction
The supply chain management and logistics have been an essential part of all the economies and business entities. The two go hand-in-hand. In essence, the application of E-business in logistics plays a significant role in the integration of supply chain management. In other words, the successful integration of supply chain management greatly relies on E-logistics. For this reason, the present paper centers on E-logistics in supply chain management. In particular, the purpose of this paper is to analyze the findings from a starter article and two major articles about E-logistics and supply chain management. The paper first summarizes these articles and then elucidates the related findings from them.
Summaries of the Starter Article and Major Articles
The article, "What is the right supply chain for your product? A simple framework can help you figure out the answer," by Marshall L. Fisher delves into a framework, which can help businesses understand the right supply chain for their products. The common problems facing many supply chains as highlighted by the author include the inability to forecast demand, the adversarial relationships between the partners in the supply chain, and the dysfunctional practices in the industry. As the author maintains, the leading cause of these problems is the incompatibility between the supply chain and the type of product. The author advises the managers on the steps they can take to succeed in devising ideal supply chain strategy. The initial step is to determine if their products are innovative or functional. The other step is to determine whether their supply chains are responsive or physically efficient to the market, and the last step is to utilize a matrix to formulate the ideal strategy. According to the author, the innovative products need a responsive supply chain while the functional products need an efficient supply chain.
The article, "The effects of technology and TQM on the performance of logistics companies," by Hua Ying Lim and Brah A. Shaukat explores the contribution of TQM and technology on the performances of the logistics firms. According to the authors, the contemporary businesses are adopting total quality management and utilizing technology so as to remain competitive in both the local and international markets. After carrying out the study on logistics firms in Singapore, the authors found out that both technology and total quality management facilitate the improvement in the performance of logistics companies. In particular, the authors discovered that both management and information technologies robustly correlate to total quality management as well as help to enhance relationships with the customers and contribute to quality performance. In the end, the authors advise the managers of logistic companies to recognize the role that technology plays in total quality management and make use of technology in facilitating the ongoing quality improvement efforts.
In the article, "Implementation of a responsive supply chain strategy in global complexity: The case of manufacturing firms" the three authors, Paul Hong, Roh James, and Hokey Min, identify the fundamental variables, which are pertinent to the successful implementation of a responsive supply chain by the manufacturing companies. They make use of the applicable theories and current literature to define the responsive supply chain’s practices, strategy, and drivers as well as the performance results. The article highlights the factors, which impact the degree of a responsive supply chain strategy implementation. They include the supplier and customer bases, industry characteristics, and the size of firms. The article establishes that the integration of inter-organizational resources through the worldwide supply chain plays an imperative role in a responsive supply chain strategy implementation.
Findings
The Role of Technology in Supply Chain Management
The supply chain has essentially turned out to be more and more complex. Ideally, this explains why most of the contemporary businesses are increasingly integrating technology into their supply chain management systems. From the three articles, we understand the importance of incorporating technology into supply chain management. For instance, Marshall (105) suggests that technology facilitates the enhancement in the performance of the supply chain management. Roh, Hong, Min (202) maintains that the application of information technology facilitates the flow of information throughout the supply chain. Brah and Lim (13) maintain that the utilization of information technology is a vital element in enhancing the quality, operational, and overall performance of the business. In essence, technology plays a significant role in keeping a firm’s production on the right track as well as making adjustments, which ensure top-quality products. What is more, the information technology facilitates the improvement in the data accuracy and customer service and the reduction in costs and inventory levels. Without a doubt, the incorporation of technology into the supply chain management systems helps the companies remain on top of the competition.
Responsive Supply Chain
Efficient Supply Chain
Supply Chain Strategy Formulation and Implementation
The three articles advise the businesses on what they can do to succeed in formulating and implementing effective supply chain strategy. According to Marshall (109), the business must first understand the nature of their products, that is, whether they are innovative or functional. After doing this, Marshall advises businesses to determine the priorities of their supply chain and lastly to utilize a matrix in formulating the perfect supply chain strategy. Additionally, Brah and Lim (13) advise the logistic firms to make use of technology to make their operations more efficient. Consequently, the authors suggest that the logistics companies can succeed in both the formulation and implementation of effective supply chain strategy by applying technology. Lastly, Roh, Hong, Min (198) advise the companies on what they need to do so as to succeed in implementing a responsive supply chain that is effective. Specifically, the authors recommend that companies need to provide the fundamental implementation practices and cautiously define a responsive supply chain strategy regarding the product range as well as product offerings’ innovativeness and frequency.
Works Cited
Brah, Shaukat A., and Hua Ying Lim. "The effects of technology and TQM on the performance of logistics companies." International Journal of Physical Distribution & Logistics Management 36.3 (2006): 192-209.
Marshall, L. F. "What is the right supply chain for your product? A simple framework can help you figure out the answer." Harvard Business Review 2 (1997).
Roh, James, Paul Hong, and Hokey Min. "Implementation of a responsive supply chain strategy in global complexity: The case of manufacturing firms." International Journal of Production Economics 147 (2014): 198-210.
