Distribution and Supply Chain Management

Information technology is advancing rapidly, and competition is fierce in nearly every industry. Meanwhile, customer needs and desires are becoming increasingly diverse across locations. This demands that companies continually improve their business processes to meet customer demand with competitive pricing, timely delivery, and high flexibility to meet changing consumer needs for the goods or services offered. However, providing high-quality goods or services, competitive prices, timely delivery, and high flexibility is difficult if only a single company can achieve. Companies collaborate with various stakeholders, from suppliers as raw material processors, to manufacturers who process raw materials into products during the operational process, to distribution networks, and to transportation companies that deliver products to each target market. This collaboration between various parties gives rise to the concept of "Supply Chain Management." A supply chain is a network of companies working together to create and deliver a product to the end user. Supply Chain Management is a systematic and integrated strategic coordination between various business functions within a company and between various companies involved in the supply chain to improve the long-term performance of the company and the supply chain as a whole.