Supply Chain Management is part of an organisation’s business or initiative that ensures goods, services, or products deliver to customers easily. Supply Chain Management, also known as SCM, notes how their customers’ needs are commensurate with what they offer or can offer.

The world has gone from just having physical stores or businesses to online merchandise. Planning how to reach your wide range of customers effectively has a lot to do with Supply Chain Management. Let’s talk about the importance.

Importance of Supply Chain Management

Reduced Operating Cost

Retailers and manufacturers rely directly on Supply Chain Management to reduce operating costs. Retailers bank on a company’s SCM to sell their products and services. The business world has become highly competitive, and retailers can’t afford to lose a customer. Right SCM boosts sales.

The same applies to manufacturers too. Dell computers took orders from customers and retailers worldwide, building their specifications and sending the products to them. Supply Chain Management saved more than 10 million dollars. Dell didn’t have computers lying without use and retailers had no computers lying in warehouses.

With an SCM, both sides of the market do more.

Effective Customer Service

A business or organisation’s sole purpose is to meet customers’ needs. Supply Chain Management manages customer service to ensure demands are met. When a call is placed to your organisation about a product, customer service reaches out to SCM to ask or investigate what customers want. Customer service 24/7 accessibility is partly dependent on Supply Chain Management. SCM ensures proper and on-time delivery.

Quality Products

Supply Chain Management increases product quality at customers’ request and in a highly competitive market. They believe services and products must be durable and reliable.

Logistics and Supply Chain Management

Logistics focuses on the supply chain’s movement and storage of goods. It entails organising and carrying out the storage and transportation of products between various supply chain nodes. Facilities, personnel, equipment, and other resources are coordinated by logistics to make sure that things move when they should and that there is room for them at the next stop.

A more thorough approach is supply chain management (SCM), which includes all aspects of coordinating, including sourcing, producing, shipping, storing, and selling. The ultimate goal of SCM is to find processes that ensure a smooth, efficient flow of goods, deliver an excellent customer experience, and progress the business.

Supply Chain Management Courses

MBA in Supply Chain Management

Supply chain management MBA is a professional master’s degree program that puts the business administration curriculum with special courses in supply chain management. The duration of an MBA is between 1 to 3 years and its core purpose is to give a robust understanding of SCM and its requirements like statistics, marketing, finance, economics, and accounting. MBA can be offered online or in physical classes.

MBA ensures a more focus and deep learning curve is attained through related supply chain courses.

SCM Certification Courses (APICS, CSCP)

The demand for a Supply Chain Manager is getting rather intense, hence the need for notable management certifications. Interviewers have said that interviewees with certifications tend to do better than their counterparts without certifications. Certification from notable courses like CSCP and APICS also increases your earning power. Industries appreciate people who go the extra length to get knowledge, so they repay them in cash.

APICS

American Production and Inventory Control Society, is an American organisation which recently merged with the Supply Chain Council SCC and the American Society of Transportation and Logistics. It is one of the most recognised certifications, having certified more than 125,000 professionals.

CSCP

 Council of Supply Chain Management, is another top certification program that dwells on the supply chain field and also covers supply chain end-to-end. The program is important for those in Supply Chain Management who are analytical and problem solvers. It gives a good hands-on experience to those interested.

PG Diploma in Supply Chain Management

A Post Graduate Diploma in Supply Chain Management allows you to see better what goes on in SCM. A PG diploma might be the best option if you have a bachelor’s degree. A diploma will build on what you already know and give you an even clearer picture, something more advanced. Courses taken will deal with what makes up a supply chain, why they are important and improved methods.