• Advertise
  • Contact Us
  • About Us
  • Supplier Directory
  • SCB YouTube
  • Login
  • Subscribe
  • Logout
  • My Profile
  • LOGISTICS
    • Air Cargo
    • All Logistics
    • Express/Small Shipments
    • Facility Location Planning
    • Freight Forwarding/Customs Brokerage
    • Global Gateways
    • Global Logistics
    • Last Mile Delivery
    • Logistics Outsourcing
    • LTL/Truckload Services
    • Ocean Transportation
    • Rail & Intermodal
    • Reverse Logistics
    • Service Parts Management
    • Transportation & Distribution
  • TECHNOLOGY
    • All Technology
    • Artificial Intelligence
    • Cloud & On-Demand Systems
    • Data Management (Big Data/IoT/Blockchain)
    • ERP & Enterprise Systems
    • Forecasting & Demand Planning
    • Global Trade Management
    • Inventory Planning/ Optimization
    • Product Lifecycle Management
    • Sales & Operations Planning
    • SC Finance & Revenue Management
    • SC Planning & Optimization
    • Sourcing/Procurement/SRM
    • Supply Chain Visibility
    • Transportation Management
  • GENERAL SCM
    • Business Strategy Alignment
    • Education & Professional Development
    • Global Supply Chain Management
    • Global Trade & Economics
    • HR & Labor Management
    • Quality & Metrics
    • Regulation & Compliance
    • SC Security & Risk Mgmt
    • Supply Chains in Crisis
    • Sustainability & Corporate Social Responsibility
  • WAREHOUSING
    • All Warehouse Services
    • Conveyors & Sortation
    • Lift Trucks & AGVs
    • Order Fulfillment
    • Packaging
    • RFID, Barcode, Mobility & Voice
    • Robotics
    • Warehouse Management Systems
  • INDUSTRIES
    • Aerospace & Defense
    • Apparel
    • Automotive
    • Chemicals & Energy
    • Consumer Packaged Goods
    • E-Commerce/Omni-Channel
    • Food & Beverage
    • Healthcare
    • High-Tech/Electronics
    • Industrial Manufacturing
    • Pharmaceutical/Biotech
    • Retail
  • THINK TANK
  • WEBINARS
    • On-Demand Webinars
    • Upcoming Webinars
    • Webinar Library
  • PODCASTS
  • VIDEOS
  • WHITEPAPERS
Home » How to Create an Integrated Approach for Supply Chain Management

How to Create an Integrated Approach for Supply Chain Management

March 7, 2017
SupplyChainBrain

An integrated approach to supply-chain management involves creating alignment across the business processes and throughout the supply-chain application suite. Such an environment requires that the supply-chain planning and supply-chain execution processes and applications are tightly coupled where planning activities and execution activities are interrelated. Ultimately, the idea is that the flow of material and information throughout the supply chain becomes a unified process. 

Delivering on the promise of an integrated supply chain requires an organization to create business processes that flow from end to end across the supply chain and implement a technology architecture conducive to delivering a singular view of the supply chain across the entire organization. The business process must be developed with the objective of optimizing the performance of the entire supply chain with the understanding that trade-offs will have to be made in some instances.

Several key points must be considered when attempting to build out an integrated approach:

Break down organizational silos: For an integrated approach to SCM to be effective, the end-to-end supply-chain organization must operate as a unified entity.

Define organizational objectives: Move beyond business unit and functional unit design and metrics. Look at the organization holistically and define the objectives as a complete entity.

Align business processes: Take a cross-functional approach to business process design. Start at a high level and map out the supply-chain flow with the goal of creating an end-to-end mapping of the business process.

Design the IT architecture to support an integrated approach: Leverage a cross-functional approach to IT systems design. As much as possible, standardize across the organization in terms of the applications that are used. Seek to eliminate, as much as possible, disparate applications in favor of leveraging a common set of applications across the business.

Reshape leadership and culture: For most organizations, the single biggest impediment to delivering an integrated approach to supply-chain management is culture change. Change of this magnitude must be driven by leadership. Leadership must collaborate and drive the effort to deliver an integrated supply-chain organization.

Designing and achieving an integrated approach to supply-chain management are not easy tasks. For most organizations, it will require a complete overhaul to both business process and IT architecture. However, making this change need not be conducted with a big-bang approach. Take a strategic approach to change by evaluating the current processes and IT and leverage the current state as the foundation for process and technology design. During the process of mapping the current state, identify gaps and seek to close the gap by creating a road map to the future state.

The Outlook

Achieving an integrated approach to supply-chain management is a significant undertaking. It requires a fundamental shift in the traditional operations of the business as well as a rethinking of how to leverage technology to achieve objectives. However, when the supply chain is effectively integrated, the operation becomes far more agile, flexible and responsive.

    RELATED CONTENT

    RELATED VIDEOS

    Business Strategy Alignment Global Supply Chain Management Retail
    KEYWORDS Business Strategy Alignment Global Supply Chain Management Retail Supply Chain Analysis & Consulting
    • Related Directories

      Tecsys, Inc.

    SupplyChainBrain

    U.S. Regulators Claim Amazon Used Secret Algorithm to Increase Prices

    More from this author

    Subscribe to our Daily Newsletter!

    Timely, incisive articles delivered directly to your inbox.

    Popular Stories

    • A HAND HOLDS A CELL PHONE IN FRONT OF A LAPTOP. A FLOATING QR CODE CAN BE SEEN BETWEEN THE PHONE AND LAPTOP.

      The Mysterious Case of the Disappearing QR Code

      Data Management (Big Data/IoT/Blockchain)
    • A WORKER IN COLD WEATHER GEAR WRITES ON A CLIPBOARD IN A WAREHOUSE

      Automating the Cold-Chain Warehouse

      Business Strategy Alignment
    • Multiple cars are being put together by robotic arms on an assembly line inside of a factory. Photo: iStock.com/Traimak_Ivan

      Podcast | Will an Investment ‘Supercycle’ Spark the Revival of American Manufacturing?

      Sourcing/Procurement/SRM
    • A RACK OF FASHION CLOTHING IN NEUTRAL COLORS

      Five Visibility Benefits for Fashion and Retail Supply Chains

      Global Logistics
    • A LOOKING-DOWN VIEW OF AN OPEN PIT RARE EARTH ELEMENTS MINE

      U.S. Weighing Record $1B Loan for Massive Lithium Mine in Nevada

      Education & Professional Development

    Digital Edition

    Scb august 2023 lg

    2023 100 Great Supply Chain Partners

    VIEW THE LATEST ISSUE

    Case Studies

    • JLL Finds Perfect Warehouse Location, Leading to $15M Grant for Startup

    • Robots Speed Fulfillment to Help Apparel Company Scale for Growth

    • New Revenue for Cloud-Based TMS that Embeds Orderful’s Modern EDI Platform

    • Convenience Store Client Maximizes Profit and Improves Customer Service

    • A Digitally Native Footwear Brand Finds Rapid Fulfillment

    Visit Our Sponsors

    Antuit Zebra Anvyl AutoStore
    BEUMER Group Blue Ridge Global Brother
    CHEP Cleo Coenterprise
    Data Capture E2open Enveyo
    Eva Air ForwardX Robotics Frayt
    GAINSystems Generix Geodis
    GEP Global Supply Chain Marketing Summit GreyOrange
    Here Holman Logistics Infor
    Inmar Kinaxis Lexis Nexis
    Locus Robotics Logility LogistiVIEW
    Lucas Systems MCA Connect MPO
    Old Dominion OneRail Overhaul
    PartnerLinQ (Visionet) Port of Virginia Ryder E-commerce by Whiplash
    Saddle Creek Logistics SAP Shyft
    Sourcemap SPS Commerce Tecsys
    TGW Systems Thomson Reuters Veho
    Verusen Walmart Workshop
    • More From SCB
      • Featured Content
      • Video Library
      • Think Tank Blog
      • SupplyChainBrain Podcast
      • Whitepapers
      • On-Demand Webinars
      • Upcoming Webinars
    • Digital Offerings
      • Digital Issue
      • Subscribe
      • Manage Your Subscription
      • Newsletters
    • Resources
      • Events Calendar
      • SCB's Great Supply Chain Partners
      • Supplier Directory
      • Case Study Showcase
      • Supply Chain Innovation Awards
      • 100 Great Partners Form
    • SCB Corporate
      • Advertise on SCB.COM
      • About Us
      • Privacy Policy
      • Contact Us
      • Data Sharing Opt-Out

    All content copyright ©2023 Keller International Publishing Corp All rights reserved. No reproduction, transmission or display is permitted without the written permissions of Keller International Publishing Corp

    Design, CMS, Hosting & Web Development :: ePublishing