Demand chain management – The implementation

Most current supply chain models were developed during a period of relative stability. Today, the environment is discontinuous, volatile and unpredictable. This requires a major rethinking and revitalisation of existing supply chain models. Supply chains are much more than warehouses, transportation...

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Main Author: D Ericsson
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Operations Research Society of South Africa (ORSSA) 2011-12-01
Series:ORiON
Online Access:http://orion.journals.ac.za/pub/article/view/111
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author D Ericsson
author_facet D Ericsson
author_sort D Ericsson
collection DOAJ
description Most current supply chain models were developed during a period of relative stability. Today, the environment is discontinuous, volatile and unpredictable. This requires a major rethinking and revitalisation of existing supply chain models. Supply chains are much more than warehouses, transportation and technology, they are people powered and have to be treated as social and political as well as economic and technical systems.<br /><br />The most difficult yet challenging and rewarding factor is the change of mindset from approaches based on the old industrial paradigm to the new knowledge oriented paradigm. From "one size fits all" to customisation and buyer behaviour oriented segmentation based on structural flexibility. The new approach requires a change of processes and management systems, but most of all, a change of mindset, organisation structure and behaviour.<br /><br />This may create internal resistance that has to be overcome to reach the desired future state. This future state is highly dependent on cooperation and consensus with external companies, and the next step is therefore to extend the alignment approach to the chosen partners in the demand chain. The development towards channel rather than company competition requires an interorganisational approach to channel design. Internal alignment and cooperation is necessary but not sufficient, which means that an agile and dynamically aligned demand chain has to be created.<br /><br />All this is well known and documented in both research and theory. However, the challenge is to implement these theories, models and behaviour in practice. This paper presents one practical approach to implementation of the theories put forth by Ericsson [Ericsson D, 2011, Demand chain management - The evolution, ORiON, 27(1), pp. 45-81.].
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spelling doaj.art-9a3b049b27c44ce29ce6bebef68b8fbf2022-12-21T22:08:31ZengOperations Research Society of South Africa (ORSSA)ORiON2224-00042011-12-0127211914510.5784/27-2-111101Demand chain management – The implementationD Ericsson0University of BoråsMost current supply chain models were developed during a period of relative stability. Today, the environment is discontinuous, volatile and unpredictable. This requires a major rethinking and revitalisation of existing supply chain models. Supply chains are much more than warehouses, transportation and technology, they are people powered and have to be treated as social and political as well as economic and technical systems.<br /><br />The most difficult yet challenging and rewarding factor is the change of mindset from approaches based on the old industrial paradigm to the new knowledge oriented paradigm. From "one size fits all" to customisation and buyer behaviour oriented segmentation based on structural flexibility. The new approach requires a change of processes and management systems, but most of all, a change of mindset, organisation structure and behaviour.<br /><br />This may create internal resistance that has to be overcome to reach the desired future state. This future state is highly dependent on cooperation and consensus with external companies, and the next step is therefore to extend the alignment approach to the chosen partners in the demand chain. The development towards channel rather than company competition requires an interorganisational approach to channel design. Internal alignment and cooperation is necessary but not sufficient, which means that an agile and dynamically aligned demand chain has to be created.<br /><br />All this is well known and documented in both research and theory. However, the challenge is to implement these theories, models and behaviour in practice. This paper presents one practical approach to implementation of the theories put forth by Ericsson [Ericsson D, 2011, Demand chain management - The evolution, ORiON, 27(1), pp. 45-81.].http://orion.journals.ac.za/pub/article/view/111
spellingShingle D Ericsson
Demand chain management – The implementation
ORiON
title Demand chain management – The implementation
title_full Demand chain management – The implementation
title_fullStr Demand chain management – The implementation
title_full_unstemmed Demand chain management – The implementation
title_short Demand chain management – The implementation
title_sort demand chain management the implementation
url http://orion.journals.ac.za/pub/article/view/111
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