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In the ancient Greek fable about the
tortoise and the hare, the speedy and overconfident rabbit fell
asleep on the job, while the "slow and steady" turtle won the race.
That may have been true in Aesop's time, but in
today's demanding business environment, "slow and steady" won't get
you out of the starting gate, let alone win any races. Managers
these days recognise that getting products to customers faster than
the competition will improve a company's competitive position. To
remain competitive, companies must seek new solutions to important
Supply Chain Management issues such as modal analysis, supply chain
management, load planning, route planning and distribution network
design. Companies must face corporate challenges
that impact Supply Chain Management such as reengineering
globalisation and outsourcing. Why is it so important for companies to
get products to their customers quickly? Faster product availability
is key to increasing sales, says R. Michael Donovan of Natick,
Mass., a management consultant specialising in
manufacturing and information systems. "There's a substantial profit
advantage for the extra time that you are in the market and your
competitor is not," he says. "If you can be there first, you are
likely to get more orders and more market share." The
ability to deliver a product faster also can make or break a sale.
"If two alternative [products] appear to be equal and one is
immediately available and the other will be available in a week,
which would you choose? Clearly, "Supply Chain Management has an important
role to play in moving goods more quickly to their destination. " |
