Perspectives of supply chain

What was the year when the UK chart hits included Come on Eileen (Dexy’s Midnight Runners with Emerald Express), Eye of the Tiger (Survivor) and Fame (Irene Cara)?

It was 1982, a year not just famous for its iconic chart hits but also as the year that the term supply chain was first used. Consultants from Booz Allen Hamilton, Oliver & Weber viewed the supply chain as:

‘…a single entity rather that relegating fragmented responsibility for various segments in the supply chain to functional areas such as purchasing, manufacturing, distribution and sales’

1. Network – organisation of customers (downstream) and suppliers (upstream) who are part of the supply chain; this also includes the suppliers of the raw materials needed for production and final consumer of the products and services
2. Flow – movement of the materials, products and information between suppliers, manufacturers, logistics providers and customers
3. Process – Articulation of the core processes involved in the supply chain – planning, purchasing, manufacturing and logistics. More recently this has included the reverse flow of materials at end of life.

‘… the whole manufacturing and distribution process may be seen as a sequence of events with but one end in view: it exists to serve the ultimate consumer’

‘Collection of activities that are performed to design, market, deliver and support its product’

He was describing the process by which businesses receive raw materials, add value to the raw materials through various processes to create a finished product, and then sell that end product to customers.

Talking Point

It has been argued that this lack of consensual definition has hindered the adoption of supply chain thinking in practice.

• Does it matter that different words are used?
• Should we try and move to a common definition?
• What term would you use and why?