Customer-Focused Supply Chain Strategy: Developing Business Value-Added Framework

--Pankaj M Madhani

Customers are crucial to any business as without customers, there is no sales; and without sales, there is no revenue and profits. Hence, there is a lot of attention on ‘customer-focus’. With competition now at the supply chain level, competitive advantage comes from the ability of supply chain partners to coordinate and integrate strategies aimed at satisfying the end customers of the supply chain at a relatively low cost. Customer-focused supply chain strategy provides an approach to respond to these challenges as it strives to match supply and demand, thereby driving down costs simultaneously improving customer satisfaction. This study underlines the significance of customer-focused supply chain strategy. It also provides supporting matrix to underscore various attributes of customer-focused supply chain strategy; develops 4Rs (responsiveness, resilience, reliability and realignment) framework for building customer-focused supply chain strategy; and formulates business value-added framework to emphasize the overall benefits in terms of improved firm performance.

© 2017 IUP. All Rights Reserved.

The Impact of Automation on Business and Employment in South Korea

--Yongjun Choi and Bud Baker

The use of machines to reduce or replace human labor is a phenomenon as old as work itself. Such developments, often described as ‘automation’, may confer great benefits on businesses in terms of reduced production costs, potentially increased quality, and enhanced profits. However, those benefits also come with inherent burdens, which tend to disproportionately affect those least equipped to bear them, including small businesses and those workers with lower educational attainment or less developed job skills. Reduced wages, higher unemployment, and decreased social stability have long been recognized among the undesirable side effects of automation. This paper looks at the reality and inevitability of automation, especially as it could affect employment in South Korea. We address the likely impact on the Korean industry, concluding with steps that could mitigate the undesirable effects of automation, including possible reduction in work hours, increased spending on employee training, and greater attention to workforce planning and outplacement.

© 2017 IUP. All Rights Reserved.

A Study on Indian Logistics Network and Its Impact on Economic Growth

--Nagendra Kumar Sharma and Gyaneshwar Singh Kushwaha

The purpose of this study is to investigate the Indian logistics network and verify the economic growth led by logistics performance. The paper views the logistics network as a unified entity comprising four sub-networks: Information and Communications Technology (ICT), transportation, warehousing, and institutional framework, within which service providers carry out functions of movement, storage and delivery. The hypotheses have been formed on the basis of existing literature and further verified with the help of in-depth discussion on the information. The study finds that the Indian logistics network has a positive relationship with Indian economic growth led by Indian logistics performance.

© 2017 IUP. All Rights Reserved.

The Integration of Project Management with Supply Chain Management in Indian Pharmaceutical Projects

--M Raja Shakar Reddy, Nasina Jigeesh and Prabhu Kumar

Different stages in a project have clearly articulated objectives and outcomes. Well-defined objectives and outcomes characterize the different stages of a project. Effective management of each stage contributes to the overall success of a project. Project Management (PM) methodology and techniques have attracted the attention of every sector of business. Even though they made a late entry into pharmaceutical industry when compared with others, the pharmaceutical industry has been aggressively adopting them. Supply Chain Management (SCM) in the pharmaceutical industry has gained a lot of prominence in view of the need to reduce the time in the delivery of projects. It plays a critical role in ensuring the supply of raw materials for manufacturing the pharmaceutical products. This paper attempts to analyze the integrative role of PM and SCM for successful delivery of pharmaceutical projects as per client requirements. It presents a real-world case study covering nine major projects of multinational companies (MNCs) that were outsourced to a leading Indian pharmaceutical company. The study examines the end-to-end activities involved in manufacturing of drug from the stage of project-proposal to delivery of product to the client. The results indicate the importance of integrating PM with SCM in meeting the requirements of the client projects.

© 2017 IUP. All Rights Reserved.