What is supply chain management? - IBM
Apr 17, 2024 · Supply chain management (SCM) is the coordination of a business’ entire production flow, from sourcing raw materials to delivering a finished item. The global supply chain is a complex network of suppliers, manufacturers, distributors, retailers, wholesalers and customers. Effective SCM is about optimizing this network to ensure that ...
What Is Supply Chain Logistics? - IBM
Supply chain logistics refers to the management of the production, transportation and distribution of goods throughout a business’ overall supply chain. It encompasses both inbound logistics (how materials and supplies are brought into a business) and outbound logistics (how the business’ resulting products get to retailers and consumers ...
What Is Sustainable Supply Chain Management? - IBM
The practice involves managing the entire supply chain, from raw materials to final disposal, with sustainability in mind, including goals such as reducing greenhouse gas emissions, improving working conditions and adopting eco-friendly practices. Sustainable supply chain management aims to minimize any negative impacts of business operations ...
What Is Supply Chain Risk Management? - IBM
Implementing a supply chain risk management strategy is a way for companies to build the resilience to navigate uncertainty and ensure business continuity. With proactive preparedness, companies can avoid or minimize disruptions, reduce costs, improve quality and enhance customer satisfaction. SCRM also helps companies comply with regulations ...
What is Inventory Management? | IBM
Inventory management, a critical element of the supply chain, is tracking inventory from manufacturers to warehouses and from these facilities to the point of sale. Inventory management aims to have the right products in the right place at the right time. Inventory management requires inventory visibility, knowing when to order, how much to ...
What is a Supply Chain Management Strategy? - IBM
Supply chain management involves coordinating and managing all the activities involved in sourcing, procurement, conversion and logistics. It includes everything from product development and strategic decision-making to information systems and new technologies. But perhaps most relevant today are the capabilities within SCM to help mitigate ...
What is Supply Chain Sustainability? | IBM
Your customers, employees and shareholders want to know you have a plan to address supply chain sustainability. Supply chain sustainability is defined as embedding environmental, social or corporate governance considerations as raw materials are sourced, converted to products and delivered to market. But the supply chain doesn’t end when the ...
What Is Supply Chain Optimization? - IBM
Supply chain optimization makes use of technology and resources like blockchain, artificial intelligence (AI), and the Internet of Things (IoT) to maximize efficiency and performance in a supply network. An organization’s supply chain is a critical business process that is crucial for a successful customer experience.
What is Supply Chain Resilience? | IBM
Gartner defines supply chain resiliency as the ability to adapt to structural changes by modifying supply chain strategies, products and technologies, and agility as the ability to sense and respond to unanticipated changes in demand or supply quickly and reliably, without sacrificing cost or quality. Supply chain leaders that IBM speaks with ...
What Is a Transportation Management System? - IBM
Apr 19, 2023 · A transportation management system (TMS) is a real-time logistics tool that streamlines a company's ability to manage its inbound and outbound shipping. TMS solutions, often provided as software-as-a-service (SaaS), can often plug into a company's enterprise resource planning (ERP) or supply chain management (SCM) software.