Supply Chain Shane Preskitt-Bailey Colorado Technical University Instructor: Jeffrey White MGMT345-1404A-01 October 15, 2014 Supply chains are a crucial step in the success of a business. The focus of a supply chain is to keep an eye on the movement of products and materials, as well as providing support and information for the production and distribution departments (Collier & Evans, 2012 2013). Supply chains start with the raw materials and continue all the way through customer service. The supply chain process reduces costs and improves customer service. This gives the company the edge it needs to remain competitive and help the customer get their products quickly and for a lower price. Three companies that have become successful …show more content…
Using their direct sales model, they collect order information from their customers and then pass it on to their procurement and sales departments as well as their external suppliers. Because of their supply, chain strategies Dell can provide their services in real time and give better customer service (Oricle, n.d.). Customers can order from Dell directly through the phone or the internet. Dell has no inventory, because they only order materials from their suppliers when a customer purchases a computer according to the specifications they want. The cost to Dell is low, which in turn allows prices to be low for the customer. Once a customer orders a computer to their specifications then Dell orders the parts and manufactures the product. Then the product is shipped directly to the customer. The success of Dell’s unique supply chain is due to sharing information with their departments and suppliers about the demand of their product. The company is about what the customer wants from Dell. Walmart is the third example of a successful company using supply …show more content…
By using technology Walmart is able keep price low as well as tracking their inventory. This lowers their costs and they pass the savings on to their customers. Walmart also uses technology to manage their distribution centers and truck fleet. Universities use Walmart as an example of supply chain, because they are such a successful company (Traub, 2012). Walmart is a great model of supply chain for all industries. Supply chain is a large part of value chain management. It gives companies a competitive edge. Each example gives different aspects of supply chain. Amazon uses shipping and sustainability to maintain their supply chain. Dell shares all customer input and order information with their departments and outside suppliers as a unique way of using supply chain. Walmart uses technology to track inventory and stock their shelves to save money and lower costs for their customers. Most companies in every market use supply chain to better their resources and save