Supply Chain Management (SCM) is one of the fastest growing areas in manufacturing as well as service oriented organisations and is at the core of success for most leading companies such as Apple Computer, Tata Motors and Maruti.
In the recent global scenario, organisations need to focus on their products and services as well as supply chains used for delivering these products and services in order to succeed as a firm.
Highlighting on this Supply Chain Management concept, a two day Management Development Programme (MDP) was inaugurated at Indian Institute of Management, Ranchi (IIM-R) on Sunday.
Professor Vinod lall, Professor of Operations and Supply Chain Management in the School of Business at Minnesota State University Moorhead, USA and Professor Chandrasekaran, Director of the loyola Centre for Supply Chain Management at loyola Institute of Business Management, Chennai participated in the programme to share their expertise with Jharcraft.
“The purpose of this MDP is to provide us a comprehensive understanding of SCM and the current trends in the industry, so that we are better prepared for meeting the challenges and building an exciting career in the field of SCM,” Jharcraft based Designer Shobha Rani lakra said.
As many as 21 Jharcraft employees along with few Multi National Company people learned how supply chain related functions such as customer service, inventory control, procurement, production planning, transportation, warehousing in private and public sector companies can be dealt in a sequential manner.
Sandeep Patkar, a Value Stream Manager from US based company Honeywell who was the only participant representing a foreign firm, said, “In case if a product is delayed to a manufacturer, custom bonded warehouse or logistics partner or vendor warehouse can be approached by a manufacturer for immediate product availability. This is how supply chain can be used an as alternative.”
“Supply chain management helps in appropriate distribution of money and time management from production of a product to delivering the same product to the consumer,” said another Jharcraft staff.
Supply chain practices can improve the position of a firm. The participants were told about the demand forecasting in the supply chain followed by facilities as a supply chain driver. On Monday, the participants would be taught risk management, transportation, information and invention required as a supply chain
driver.
In order to have a practical knowledge implementation, the participants were asked to draw their own thoughts of materialising products from manufacturing to processing mode.
“The supply chain of functional products like that of automation differs from customized products like silk fabric,” Professor Vinod explained.
Topics covered were strategic as well as operational and content was delivered using a combination of analytical approaches, supply chain games, cases and power point presentations.
It is to be noticed executives and managers typically assume that SCM is a part of logistics, distribution, procurement or marketing but are increasingly realizing the complexity, scope and reach of global supply chains.