Supply Chain Management

Supply chain management is the method for developing the process and the role of the series of enterprises in order to deliver goods and services after production in a manufacturing unit. In relation to the modern day context, a large number of organizations operate their supply chain management independently throughout the same region or beyond the national boundary. There are various functioning areas that have been observed during the process of supply chain management of an enterprise such as, production planning, marketing, manufacturing, sales and distribution to clients or customers along with purchasing activities with other vendors (Chidambaram, Whitman, & Cheraghi, “A Supply Chain Transformation Methodology”). I will provide a brief discussion about supply chain management of Ben & Jerry’s, an American ice-cream manufacturing enterprise along with its transformation methodology of providing their products in the global context.

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The organizations in the present day context are highly focused to deliver their offerings according to the desires of the customers due to the immense growth in the communication networks along with changing face of globalization. Therefore, the competition within the enterprises can be considered to be extended globally in the modern business environment (Chidambaram, Whitman, & Cheraghi, “A Supply Chain Transformation Methodology”). The supply chain management system of Ben & Jerry is one of the effective tools for the organization in its endeavor to expand to more than 30 countries of the world. With the concept of effective global supply chain management system, the strategy of Ben & Jerry’s consigns transformation methodology along with making use of appropriate management techniques that help the enterprise to lead among the various competitors around the globe (Ben & Jerry’s, “Company”).

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In order to address the transformation related challenges on a global basis, Ben & Jerry’s focuses on various transformation steps for efficient supply chain management around its different units of enterprise. Moreover, the organization sets long-term goals and prepares effective strategies to successfully achieve its objectives along with preparing strategies that result in significant changes in its business environment. The supply chain management of Ben & Jerry’s initiates effective models to be considered as the world class parameters around the different units of the organization in different countries (Ben & Jerry’s, “Company”).

The transformation strategy within the supply chain management system of Ben & Jerry’s has become highly advanced with the usage of technological advancements in their storing and manufacturing process. The organization has already acquired several steps to develop energy efficiency at their various ice-cream processing plants situated in the different countries across the world. Additionally, Ben & Jerry’s had made upgradtion of more than 2 million refrigerated and frozen cases to supply to its retailers and vendors to sell their products. The effective supply chain management strategies and the technological advancements facilitate the company to be regarded as a USD 7.2 billion enterprise by selling ice-cream globally (Environmental Leader LLC, “Ben & Jerry’s May Make Warm Ice Cream to Reduce Emissions’).

Supply chain management of an organization entails the method of delivering the appropriate products to the customers at the right time at the appropriate place. A properly developed supply chain strategy enables to enhance the satisfaction level of the customers, minimize the inventories along with reducing manpower of the enterprises. The appropriate and effective supply chain strategy can assist the organizations such as Ben & Jerry’s to attain the height of helms within the actions of the organization.

WORKS CITED:

Ben & Jerry’s. Company, 2012. Web. 03 Jul. 2012.

Chidambaram Solayappan, Whitman Larry & Cheraghi S. Hossein. A Supply Chain Transformation Methodology. Supply Chain Management, Nov 17-20, 1999. Web. 03 Jul. 2012.

Environmental Leader LLC. Ben & Jerry’s May Make Warm Ice Cream to Reduce Emissions, 2009. Web. 03 Jul. 2012.

 

One thought on “Supply Chain Management

  1. Ben and Jerry is definitely an amazing company. They started out as a small business and now has grown to a global enterprise. I’m sure they have adopted many different types of operations management methodology in entering the global market. Their success in distribution is definitely, in part, due to their transformation strategy discussed above. I’m wondering if this strategy has any effect on how they manage raw material input, and in dealing with suppliers in different countries.

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