Assessing the State of Supply Chain Management

Abstract

The great promise of supply chain management has always been that firms working collaboratively in their respective supply chains will be able to leverage the strong relationships that have been created to build quantum leaps in performance for the entire supply chain. As we survey the landscape of supply chain management we do find many instances of companies who have achieved success in delighting their customers with excellent logistics services delivered in a very efficient manner. However, as we examine the broad spectrum of companies, industries, supply chains and different countries, it can be concluded that we have barely scratched the surface in realizing the potential benefits associated with the supply chain management mandate. This article will examine the stateof-the-art in supply chain management in 2008, looking at how we measure supply chain success for individual companies as well as for entire supply chains. We will first examine the short history of supply chain management as a discipline and assess where it stands as a discipline. Next, we will explore key metrics for assessing supply chain performance at the company level and then at the supply chain level. Once the assessment has been explained, we will conclude by examining the key steps necessary to realize the full potential of the supply chain management discipline. Next, we will explore key metrics for assessing supply chain performance at the company level and then at the supply chain level.