Title: Integrated supply chain management for efficiency improvement

Authors: Zhixiang Chen, Shihua Ma, Jen S. Shang

Addresses: School of Management, Zhongshan University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510275, People's Republic of China. ' College of Management, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei 430074, People's Republic of China. ' Katz Graduate School of Business, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15260, USA

Abstract: Supply chain management (SCM) manages and controls material flow, information flow, and cash flow in a business from the acquisition of raw materials to the delivery of finished products to its customers. An efficient supply chain plays an essential role in determining an organisation|s success. In this paper, we combine system, coordination, and integration thinking to develop an integrated supply chain management (ISCM) model – an |X| model. Based on the |X| model, we propose an implementation strategy for the ISCM. The proposed system improves a firm|s efficiency and effectiveness. Empirical studies based on such implementations are discussed.

Keywords: organisational efficiency; enterprise integration; supply chain management; SCM; supply chain integration; supply chain model; supply chain coordination.

DOI: 10.1504/IJPQM.2006.008380

International Journal of Productivity and Quality Management, 2006 Vol.1 No.1/2, pp.183 - 206

Published online: 12 Dec 2005 *

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