In today’s business scenario supply chains are crucial for competitive advantage. Many of the successful business models have their key source of competitive advantage in their supply chain. Companies like ECCO shoes, PepsiCo or Dell are highly dependent on a fast and agile supply chain. The supply chain in today’s business scenario is having a far important role than only delivering goods. The supply chain today is integrated with strategy, marketing, new product development and even HR functions. Contemporary supply chain used to only serve as a delivering mechanism from finished goods to end users however now it has to reduce inventory, lead time, provide forecasting data, customer feedback , understand customer requirements and develop partnerships also. In today’s world supply chain needs to be more agile to bridge the gap between customer expectation and available products. In the world of globalization the first mover advantage is key to success and so developing a quick and efficient supply chain becomes the biggest challenge for any organization.
