The characterization of the current business practices by variations in demands and differences in customer requirements has motivated many firms to be responsive. Responsiveness is an increasingly important skill for firms in today's global economy; therefore firms must be agile. Supply chain agility can be regarded as an operational strategy, concerning customer responsiveness and flexibility...

It has been said in this world of virtual corporations that it is no longer companies that compete, but supply chains. When you look at the model of a corporation today, the traditional vertically integrated business seems to be a thing of the past. A prime example of this is Nike. They own no factories, trucks, or stores, yet are one of the world's most successful retail firm. Today's supply c...

organizations around the world are seeking for tactics and techniques in order to survive in today's turbulent competitive environment. one of these approaches is outsourcing logistics supply chain operations in terms of third-party logistics companies. the results of the researches in supply chain, confirms the importance of third party logistic companies and the synergy of these companies for...

More sophisticated customer demand chains and electronic business pose new challenges to supply chain management. Delivery sizes decrease as a result of more deliveries directly to the point of use. Customers are demanding products and deliveries customised to their specific needs. Also, the information concerning small, customised deliveries has to be shared in volatile supply networks. This a...

Research paper Purpose To provide empirical evidence of benefits from IT in supply chain management. Design / methodology / approach Data in this qualitative study was collected through multiple inquiries. SCM consultant interviews gave understanding of the current state of practice. A survey of 48 progressive companies was conducted to identify what IT solutions they have implemented in SCM. T...

The major oil industry upstream activities include the exploration, drilling, extraction, pipelines installation, and production of crude oil. In this paper, we develop a mathematical model to plan for these operations as a crude oil supply chain network design problem. The proposed multi-period mixed integer linear programming model entails both strategic (e.g., facility location and allocatio...

Organizations both in Australia and around the world are increasingly recognizing that competitive success depends on how well the supply chain works in delivering value to customers. Supply Chain Intelligence (SCI) is a tool deriving from data warehouse technology which enables supply chain partners to collaborate by providing visibility of information and online analytical capabilities across...

With the advancement of information technology and increased market competition, construction companies are driven to employ supply chain management strategies to seek competitive advantage. Managing logistics is one component at the core of such strategies. An effective logistics system ensures delivery of the right products and services to the right customers at the right time while minimizin...