Advances in IT have transformed the way organizations interact with each other. To enable organizations to respond to this change, new management paradigms have evolved. This text looks at the value of knowledge management in supply chain management and how supply chain partners can use IT to improve organizational performance.

Globalization, technology and an increasingly competitive business environment have encouraged huge changes in what is known as supply chain management, the art of sourcing components and delivering finished goods to the customer as cost effectively and efficiently as possible. Dell transformed the way people bought and were able to customize computers. Wal-Mart and Tesco have used their huge buying power and logistical skills to ensure the supply and stock management of their stores is finely honed. Manufacturers now make sure that components are where they are needed on the production line just in time for when they are needed and no longer. Such finessing of the way the supply chain works boosts the corporate bottom line and can make the difference between being a market leader or an also ran. This guide explores all the different aspects of supply chain management and gives hundreds of real life examples of what firms have achieved in the field.

New technologies are revolutionising the way manufacturing and supply chain management are implemented. These changes are delivering manufacturing firms the competitive advantage of a highly flexible and responsive supply chain and manufacturing system to ensure that they meet the high expectations of their customers, who, in today's economy, demand absolutely the best service, price, delivery time and product quality.To make e-manufacturing and supply chain technologies effective, integration is needed between various, often disparate systems. To understand why this is such an issue, one needs to understand what the different systems or system components do, their objectives, their specific focus areas and how they interact with other systems. It is also required to understand how these systems evolved to their current state, as the concepts used during the early development of systems and technology tend to remain in place throughout the life-cycle of the systems/technology. This book explores various standards, concepts and techniques used over the years to model systems and hierarchies in order to understand where they fit into the organization and supply chain. It looks at the specific system components and the ways in which they can be designed and graphically depicted for easy understanding by both information technology (IT) and non-IT personnel.Without a good implementation philosophy, very few systems add any real benefit to an organization, and for this reason the ways in which systems are implemented and installation projects managed are also explored and recommendations are made as to possible methods that have proven successful in the past. The human factor and how that impacts on system success are also addressed, as is the motivation for system investment and subsequent benefit measurement processes.Finally, the vendor/user supply/demand within the e-manufacturing domain is explored and a method is put forward that enables the reduction of vendor bias during the vendor selection process.The objective of this book is to provide the reader with a good understanding regarding the four critical factors (business/physical processes, systems supporting the processes, company personnel and company/personal performance measures) that influence the success of any e-manufacturing implementation, and the synchronization required between these factors. · Discover how to implement the flexible and responsive supply chain and manufacturing execution systems required for competitive and customer-focused manufacturing· Build a working knowledge of the latest plant automation, manufacturing execution systems (MES) and supply chain management (SCM) design techniques· Gain a fuller understanding of the four critical factors (business and physical processes, systems supporting the processes, company personnel, performance measurement) that influence the success of any e-manufacturing implementation, and how to evaluate and optimize all four factors

Integrates the theory and practices of supply chain management. This book focuses on how to build a competitive supply chain using viable management strategies, operational models, decision-making techniques, and information technology. It also includes initiatives such as e-commerce, collaborative planning, forecasting, and replenishment (CPFR).

Supply Chain Management (SCM) has always been an important aspect of an enterprise’s business model and an effective supply chain network is essential to remaining competitive in a global environment. By properly managing the flow of goods and services, businesses can operate more efficiently while managing most of the workload behind-the-scenes. The Handbook of Research on Global Supply Chain Management is an in-depth reference source that covers emerging issues and relevant applications of information pertaining to supply chain management from an international perspective. Featuring coverage on topics such as the global importance of SCMs to strategies for producing an effective supply chain, this comprehensive publication is an essential resource for academics and business professionals alike interested in uncovering managerial insight and logistics solutions.

Business practices are constantly evolving in order to meet growing customer demands. Evaluating the role of logistics and supply chain management skills or applications is necessary for the success of any organization or business. As market competition becomes more aggressive, it is crucial to evaluate ways in which a business can maintain a strategic edge over competitors. Supply Chain and Logistics Management: Concepts, Methodologies, Tools, and Applications is a vital reference source that centers on the effective management of risk factors and the implementation of the latest supply management strategies. It also explores the field of digital supply chain optimization and business transformation. Highlighting a range of topics such as inventory management, competitive advantage, and transport management, this multi-volume book is ideally designed for business managers, supply chain managers, business professionals, academicians, researchers, and upper-level students in the field of supply chain management, operations management, logistics, and operations research.