Leviticus Robinson
SCLM 426-318F
1.1 Disussion Assignment: Case Trends in Supply Chain Management
August 19, 2022
Write a summary about the trends in today’s Supply Chain Management, discuss challenges and
advantages with working in overseas markets. Support your views with appropriate evidence. Your posts
on the discussion board must be presented in a professional manner (proper spelling, grammar, word
usage, thoughts grouped by paragraph, etc.) with sources properly cited using APA style.
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There are many trends in today’s Supply Chain Management, and I’ll touch on a few in my
summary. First, we must understand that a global supply chain is an international system
company uses to make and distribute goods and services, starting with raw materials and
completing services delivered to the customer. Let’s begin with aligning the business processes
and balancing strategies and how they both play a significant role in outsourcing suppliers,
organizations, and technology. We see that technological evolution drives constant business
technology through the following steps, and formal hierarchies establish strategies with efficient
teams. The trend you see next is the process in which they carefully select a provider in the
Management and Control section. What is the service’s level of knowledge, how fast can they
deliver goods, and what is the financial stability of this company? Outsourcing through a third
party as they seek to find a cheaper provider for their products, all while asking the organization
how big of a risk we will take by picking this company. They must also evaluate if this company
may or may not have the expertise to work and operate in that international setting. The
contractual issues could arise if not detailed specifically to services the selected provider must
perform. Clear-cut goals and objectives are established and explained in the agreement that helps
avoid management issues down the line. Clear expectations must be communicated in every area
to the service provider to prevent contract issues. The trend in assessments is typically the
facility necessities and solutions when meeting obligations from the binding contract.
Establishments understand the importance of assessing the quality of support and service. How
far the review should go depends on the level of product given to the service provider. An
organization can never provide too much oversight regarding the risk they are taking in
evaluating the outsourced company.
Now let's discuss the challenges and advantages of Supply Chain Management working in an
overseas market. We will use Amazon as an example as they try to ensure their products arrive to
a customer within 1 or 2 days at a lower price than their competitors, which is one of its
advantages. But if not delivered in that timeframe, there are challenges behind the scenes that
customers know nothing about. Like lead times, while some global supply chains use shipping
times in weeks, balancing supply and demand can be difficult. Having an air freight agreement in
place can help benefit from the consumer's need for products. Other countries provide cheap
labor, cost, and currency; keep in mind that changes in their government could affect the global
supply chain. When it comes to accountability challenges, companies must verify the potential
risk and issues in legal actions and the harm it may have caused to their brand name and
individual. Another advantage of an overseas supply chain is that the country's customer service
can relate and speak to that customer without language barriers. Still, the challenge for your
company is that you don't have an interpreter to understand what they are trying to explain to that
customer if you're not from that particular country. Then we have the time zone, which most
don't think about, but it plays a massive role in how supply chains operate, from e-mails to phone
calls. Yes, being able to send an e-mail and get a response within 5 mins or pick up the phone
and talk to that person in mere seconds is a clear-cut advantage. Still, it can also be a challenge in
Korea; it's a 12-hour difference. You'll probably have to wait until the next day to get an e-mail
or phone call response.
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References
Wisma, M. (2021). Global business management: Current trends and practices.
The Journal of Applied Business and Economics.
Pinto, P. (2021). 10 Global supply chain management challenges and how to approach them. A
Rapyd Company.