Chapter 5: Strategic networks and platforms Flashcards
What is a strategic network?
Defined as a collection of different organisations that are seperate in legal terms but work collectively to try to achieve long term strategic advantage
What is a strategic platform?
Means by which the transfer of goods or services between provider and consumer can take place
What is a supply chain?
Encompasses all activities and information flows necessary for the transformation of goods from the origin of the raw material to when the product is finally consumed or discarded
What is transations between business and suppliers referred to as?
Upstream supply chain
What are the transactions between the business and its customers referred to as?
Downstream supply chain
What activities are included when managing the supply chain and moving materials and products from node to node?
Production planning
Purchasing
Materials management
Distribution
Customer service
Forecasting
What is the push and pull supply chain?
Raw material at one end of the supply chain.
They are connected to manufacturers and distibutors, who are in turn connected to a retailer and the end customer
Although customers are the source of the profits, they are at the end of the chain in the ‘push’ model
What happens in the pull model?
Customers use electronic connections to pull whatever they need out of system.
Electronic connectivity gives end customers the opportunity to give direction to suppliers
Customers have a direct voice in the fuctioning of the supply chain
What are some general issues that an organisation need to consider in relation to its suppliers?
Overall supplier strategy - take account of the sources, number of suppliers and cost, quality and speed of delivery, make or buy and outsourcing
Antagonism or partnership? - in the past the supply chain was defined as antagonistic relationships. It is now recognised that it is based upon partnership
E-procurement gives rise to a number of specific applications that the organisation can use to manage its upstream supply chain. What do these include?
EDI (Electronic data interchange) - organisation linking its system to those of its suppliers
Use of the internet
Disintermediation - organisation may be able to buy its supplies online directly from an earlier stage in the supply chain
What are the benefits of e-procurement?
Labour costs reduced
Inventory holding costs reduced
Production and sales should be higher
Firm may benefit from a wider choice of suppliers
Greater financial transparency and accountability
Greater control over inventories
Quicker ordering
What are the potential risks of e-procurement?
System will not function correctly
Staff might be reluctant to accept new procurement methos
No cost savings realised
What are some other uses of technologies within the upstream supply chain?
Communication
Information gathering
Extranets
Big data
Blockchain
Cloud computing
What are the key activities of upstream supply chain network?
Procurement and upstream logistics
What is e-procurement?
Electronic methods used in every stage of the procurement process
What is e-sourcing?
Electronic methods for finding new suppliers and establishing contracts
What is e-purchasing?
Covers product selection and ordering
What is e-payment?
Tools such as electronic invoicing and electronic fund transfers
What is downstream supply chain management?
Need for organisation to manage its transactions and relationships with its customers
What is vital to effectively manage the organisations customers?
Needs and behaviour are analysed and understood