Today's SCM is all about the customer
SCM has historically aimed to increase efficiency and reduce costs.
While these needs have not changed, what has changed is that customers now play a leading role in setting SCM priorities. There is a saying that "customer experience lives and dies in the supply chain."
Customer loyalty is based on a company's ability to meet customer expectations quickly and accurately. Raw materials, manufacturing, logistics, and merchandising and order
management must all be coordinated to deliver specific goods to customers within a reasonable timeframe. To achieve this, companies must view their supply chain through the customer's eyes. It's not just about getting orders to customers on time; it's about doing everything at the right time---before, during, and after order delivery.
Supply chains and their need for agility
Today's supply chains are broad, deep and ever-evolving, which means they must be agile to be effective. In the past, supply chains met company and customer needs through a start-tofinish model that was largely unaffected by change. Consumers now have many choices in
how they buy products---in stores, online, and more. They also expect increased levels of customization.
An agile supply chain can meet these expectations.
Not only that, supply chain procurement has become very fluid. For example, geopolitical and economic developments can have a major impact on manufacturing supply chains. If a manufacturer needs aluminum and cannot obtain it from one supplier due
to trade policies, then the manufacturer must be able to quickly switch to sourcing aluminum elsewhere. The ability to reconfigure your supply chain quickly is critical to successfully navigating
