Supply Chain Management (SCM) was once a "pie in the sky" concept that could not be fully achieved. A key barrier was the cost of communicating with and coordinating among the many independent suppliers in each supply chain. SCM is possible because of three changes: technology has developed that simplifies communication, new management paradigms have developed that are shared among supply chain members and simplify their coordination efforts, and the development of a highly trained workforce.
Managers recognize that costs can be reduced while customer satisfaction is increased when...