Thomas College – Class MG 338 M
Professor – Dr. Nicholas Jewczyn, Ph.D.
Stanley Carte
Tuesday November 25, 2014 Abstract
The purpose of this paper is to better understand the writings on Six Sigma and supply chain management as it applies to operation management. A closer look will be taken at buying centers, reverse logistics and third party systems and how they effectively affect supply chain management. Introduction
Supply chain management (SCM) is the oversight 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 …show more content…
Buying center membership typically consisted of individuals from various organizational departments, each representing different roles within those centers. Buying center roles—users, buyers, decision makers, influencers, and gatekeepers—were defined as those involved with the decision to buy, adopt, or use an IT. The contribution to the buying center process is defined as the level of members’ involvement in the buying process. The author suggested that selling organizations needed to involve buyers and other factions within the buying organization. (Foreman, 2014, p.42)
Supply Chain Orientation Mentzer and others first defined the construct of Supply Chain Orientation SCO as “the recognition by an organization of the systemic, strategic implications of the tactical activities involved in managing the various flows in a supply chain” (Mentzer, 2001, p. 22) According to Mentzer and others, organizations would necessarily need to adopt an SCO in order to effectively engage in supply chain management activities. SCO has been shown to positively affect supply chain performance and meet overall customer needs such as delivery information. (Foreman, 2014, …show more content…
Equity ownership: Partial equity ownership can be interpreted as a credible signal that the particular party does not exploit its bargaining power ex post. Network members that have a strong bargaining power in negotiations might put equity at stake to signal their cooperative behavior. (Schäfer, 2014, p. 32)
Global Logistics Trends There are countless links between global trade, global logistics and local economic development. However, identifying and capturing the opportunities these connections present remains a daunting challenge for local and regional economic developers. A strong knowledge of these elements and insight into the factors which impact the movement of goods, both in terms of imports and exports, is essential and often times requires access to trade intelligence, transportation and logistical data. (Spencer, 2012, p.5)
Supply Chains for Goods Movement Supply chains are moving conveyor belts on which multiple custodians participate in moving goods from their global origins to final destinations. Production of goods which require higher labor content often seek the global source where low cost labor is readily available, and the supply chain adjusts to accommodate the new production center wherever it may be located in the world. (Spencer, 2012,