Effective supply chain management

Abstract

In a time of shortening product life cycles, complex corporate joint ventures, and stiffening requirements for customer service, it is necessary to consider the complete scope of supply chain management, from supplier of raw materials, through factories and warehouses, to demand in a store for a finished product. Hewlett-Packard has developed a framework for addressing the uncertainty that plagues the performance of suppliers, the reliability of manufacturing and transportation processes, and the changing desires of customers. Several cases in which entire product families have been reevaluated in a supply chain context are described. The methodology presented should help others to manage their own supply chains more successfully.