SOFTWARE IMPLEMENTATION
The last company that I worked for successfully implemented a supply chain management system (SCM). The organization was in the food industry and needed a SCM system to centrally manage and give visibility to the number of products that were being produced and shipped for sale in stores. This tool would allow our organization to identify trends and plan accordingly as well as gain some visibility into markets where our products were not doing so well and then make a decision on how to improve or to sell off that portion of the business.
When implementing a supply chain it is important to keep the following five areas in mind while planning for the implementation: Strategy, Process, People, Technology, and Service and Support. Strategy consists of knowledge around how your supply chain will be contributing to your overall business. You will need to decide what components are applicable to the organization and what components will be supported by senior management. Process refers to the policies and procedures the organization adheres to. Processes should be efficient and easily repeatable. People is how the organization is structured, the structure must support the changes that you are making in the supply chain. Technology refers to the applications and equipment that can make up an automated supply chain. This technology must be reliable, secure, and have the magnitude to grow with the organization and supply chain. Finally Service and Support is in relation to taking care of your supply chain solution. This could include internal or external resources to help speed the implementation of your supply chain solution or to help operate it effectively (Cisco, 2003).
The next major consideration is then around supply ...