Free Custom «Disaster Management Using Supply Chain» Essay Paper

The term “disaster management” may have different meanings in the business and social world. However, in this report, the term is used in the meaning that is centered on the analysis of ideas and elements that are involved in supply chain practice and the way that disaster management may be implemented in the supply chain sphere. The analysis that is presented in the report provides an in- depth view of the industry. In addition to that, the analysis gives out essential and exact details of the subject matter. There are ways and means how the supply chain should be incorporated in the business industry. Also, the report reveals why the whole process of disaster management is important, since it is the backbone of the business industry. Therefore, a clear analysis of disaster management and ways how it will be implemented into the business sector are imperative. The senior management of this organization has to clearly focus on this matter and try to identify whether the issues in focus may or may not be helpful in the long run. Consequently, the report discusses the role of disaster management in supply chain practice.       

 

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Description of Supply Chain Practice

In the modern world, it is imperative for organizations to form a unity, which will allow them to perform better in terms of supply and demand. Then, this means that an organization has to come out with a clear way through which it can include its suppliers and other entities in its supply chain. Therefore, for a consultant, it is quite important to provide a clear analysis of the supply chain practice. The practice of supply chain management has existed since 1980 and has been steadily increasing in the course of time and in addition to that, gaining a wide coverage in terms of acceptance. Therefore, it is in the best interest of managers of this business to be focused on this subject matter (Blanchard 2007). The increase in the popularity of supply chain management can be explained mainly by the fact that organizations have seen the need for incorporating their resources together towards increasing their benefits. This part of the report focuses on this issue as a means of increasing the awareness of the subject matter. Supply chain practice entails all subject matters that are related to supply chain partnerships. The term is in no way a description of the logistics function. Therefore, numerous organizations are shifting their focus to this subject matter as a way of raising awareness through which the supply chain can be used as a tool of enhancing their bargaining and market strengths rather than a way of disposing goods. This is because there is a need for establishing a strong relation between each and every players in the financial market, which is something that may have been ignored for some time now. The supply chain strategy, therefore, should be linked to the general business strategy as a way of increasing its strengths, and that is the point when it comes to increasing the power of a business. Thus, there should be a careful strategy as to how this would be implemented into a business, which leads to the focus on supply chain practice. This is one of my aims as a consultant in the business arena and in this report. As  it has been mentioned above, supply chain practice involves the relationships between various individuals on the market, customers and vendors being chiefly among them (Cousins 2006).

Therefore, it holds that sales and operations have to be put in line to create a strategy through which the whole process may be kept in line. The supply chain process also involves demand and planning. In addition to that, it involves the procurement procedures. Inbound and outbound logistics are also an area of focus of the subject matter. Therefore, the whole process is diverse and involves a great variety of matters. The above-mentioned are some of the key elements that are incorporated in supply chain practice. Finance and accounting are also important elements that have to be considered and are not included in the above list, since they contribute to the whole process (Jespersen 2005). Therefore, to be quite precise, the issues listed above are interrelated in one way or another in such a way that they cannot be ignored in the supply chain process. Therefore, they should be analyzed in such a way that the overall outcome is calculated as a return. The supply chain process is also the one that continuously changes in the course of time and, consequently, it is subject to review. It means that for the organization to be successful, it has to clearly analyze the whole process with each passing day and minute, which would be of great help. The whole process is a complex issue which is of great importance in the business sector; that is why it cannot be ignored no matter what the situation is and what other alternatives there are. The role of supply chain practice in the supply chain is usually to create a path through which the supply chain will be made better. It reveals that supply chain practice helps in the creation of a better supply chain from a traditional point of view, and that is why it is quite imperative in the field of management. The report then analyzes further the importance of supply chain disaster management which is the process of looking for ways and means how to handle disasters which may come up in supply chain practice with regard to the elements discussed (Gattorna 1998).                        

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Industry Scan of Supply Chain Practice (Disaster Management)

In order to further analyze the overall importance of supply chain practice, it is also important to research the main issue discussed in this paper, which is disaster management. Many industries in the world have made use of supply chain practice and in order to get a clear view of the subject, it is imperative to focus on them one by one. The organizations that would be mentioned to shed light on this matter include Hewlett-Packard, Wall-mart, West Co., and many others. The companies mentioned above have made use of supply chain management in one way or another, which is important to consider when analyzing how they can be helped in the future, and what they should change in the way they operate.

Disaster management is usually connected with the interdisciplinary field of strategic organizational management. In this context, it means the way how a supply chain can be protected from risks (Harrison 2005). This would ensure the existence of the organization in the present and future. Hewlett-Packard is a computer company and, therefore, it deals with components that are in high demand in the current market. The company has reviewed a number of its supply chain practices since the 1990s. The implementation of changes in the supply chain included the changes in the way the products were distributed. This later led to the implementation of a disaster management strategy. This involved changes in the supply chain system so that there would be a second supply chain strategy in case the first one did not work; that is why the supply chain of the company has always been sufficient. The financing of the supply chain is also one that is always changing, which means that the supply chain may be funded in a series of ways. Later, this is likely to lead to the necessity of implementing ways and means to ensure that the supply chain will constantly be funded and that there would be no scenario which will consider any lack of funds. This then leads to the question in focus. What is the best way to fund a supply chain? The best way may never be found. However, what can be found is a way that will ensure that finances are evenly distributed, which will lead to the increase in suppliers that would be interested in the supply chain. Therefore, the supply chain is well-monitored in the aforementioned company (Graham 2005).

Whirlpool is an organization that basically deals with appliances. The organization has employed a team of executives whose main aim is to suggest ways and means how the supply chain of the organization may be put in line with those of other organizations operating in this market area. What this then gives the organization is the relationship that is bound to make the company have a higher bargaining power in the financial market. Therefore, the company has also employed a disaster management strategy for its supply chain in such a way that the logistics position is one that is always manned. The logistics branch insures that the whole process which is being undertaken by the organization is manned, which, therefore, means that the customer is in the center of attention of the company’s supply chain. Therefore, the organization has insured that the logistics are always updated, and this has created a series of positive outcomes for the organization in the industry.

As it has been mentioned above, the supply chain is one that always changes in the course of time, which may influence the quality of services. Thus, there is the need for insuring that the customer is always provided with high quality services, which is one of the main tasks of organizations’ supply chain disaster management. If implemented properly, this is a practice that plays one of the most important roles in successful performance of an organization. The best way for the organization in focus to increase its input and also output is to come out with a clearly defined supply chain strategy that encompasses all the elements that have been mentioned above (Graham 2005). Supply chain practice has to have a short chain cycle, which means that it has to be quite responsive to changes. This then leads to the realization that the supply chain is one that will always be focused on both suppliers and consumers. Supply chain practice also includes execution, which is necessary to analyze to implement the strategy successfully. This, therefore, would raise the question as to whether the industry in the study has the right means of executing the supply chain strategy in relation to supply chain practice. This means that the firm in focus has to suggest a way through which the whole process would be made better, so that it can have a competitive advantage over its peers. The overview of other firms in the industry has created a niche through which the performance of the firm in focus can be made better in such a way that the whole industry would improve in terms of growth. Supply chain management cannot be focused on one idea and, therefore, the diversity is one of the factors that must be considered. The organization has to insure that the supply chain is well-protected in terms of logistics and finances, which is likely to lead to better business performance and higher incomes in the future (Harrison 2005).             

Strategic Analysis

Strategic analysis is defined as the process through which it is possible to analyze the business environment within which the business operates and also the organization itself in order to suggest the right strategy. The manufacturing industry constantly changes, which, therefore, means that there is a need to carry out a strategic analysis of the supply chain. In this analysis, it is necessary to study weaknesses and strengths of the organization to come up with clear recommendations for the future. A SWOT analysis of common supply chains shows that the main strength that many of them have is their ability to quickly respond to changes in demand in the market. However, this is not the case in all of the organizations. The opportunities for growth are also diverse, which leads to the necessity to study the market in which the business operates. The current manufacturing industry is one that is not purely technological, and if the firm takes this opportunity and moves towards technology, it is bound to increase its sales in the market. This would mean that the whole process would be beneficial in the long run. The main aim of carrying out the study on supply chain practice is to come up with clear recommendations through which the market and the supply mode can be incorporated in such a way that the future will be guaranteed in terms of finances. Consequently, the opportunities provided in the SWOT analysis are really important.

The weaknesses of the manufacturing industry are notable, which means that supply chains are not quite flexible with regards to the demands of the customer and also the creation of relationships. Therefore, it would be in the interest of the organization in focus to come up with a clear strategy that would ensure that the weaknesses of other organizations can be used as strong points of the organization in question in terms of the supply chain. The disaster management of a supply chain is one that focuses on the SWOT analysis and the threats that the industry faces in terms of supply chain management (Kildow 2011). Therefore, it is of great importance for the organization to use data in such a way that the threats that the whole industry may encounter may not really affect the organization in the present or future. Since the organization in focus is in the manufacturing industry, it would essential to analyze its best interests and opportunities. Handling the supply chain weaknesses always eliminates the threats, since they are symbiotic. Threats which include the lack of embracing technology may only be checked by incorporating a new technology for faster and better delivery in the supply chain. Benchmarking is also a matter of concern in supply chain disaster management, since it generally involves the comparison of the performance metrics and business processes in order to come up with the best strategy. Therefore, it would be quite efficient to measure the costs and the time. The supply chain of the manufacturing industry is one that is not steady. Thus, it means that there is the need to always strengthen it. Therefore, it means that the use of a long supply chain is quite risky in terms of the end costs to the consumer.

Long supply chains are quite risky, and that is the part where disaster management gets involved. Therefore, it is imperative to apply a short supply chain that would insure that both the manufacturer and the consumer are satisfied in the end. This explains why benchmarking is important. Therefore, the firm in question should be clearly set in such a way that the process which it uses in acquiring and delivering its products does not involve middlemen, and that would insure that the brand and the costs of the product are maintained. The best firms in the industry still do not employ short profitable chains, and that would be a strong point to consider. In addition to that, the costs of products in the market are driven by middlemen and that is why a short supply chain is quite profitable (Tang 2007). The results of having are short supply chain are immeasurable, and this is one of the points that should always be considered in influencing a firm’s choice of the supply chain. The spider and robot analysis are also quite important in the manufacturing industry, since it is through them that the trends in the market can be traced. Therefore, it would be in the best interests of the organization in focus to analyze the way the whole industry is set, so as to come out with a hybrid of the whole process and it is only through this way that the firm can outperform its competitors in the market.          

Managerial Implications

Managerial implications of carrying out this test are numerous, and that is the point on which the senior management would be focused most. The need to come up with a supply chain that will establish good relationships between all the players in the market is one that would insure that the managerial wing meets all of its recommendations including the goals that will help the business outshine its competitors in the industry. Therefore, the management should take all the factors that are mentioned in this report seriously, since this is the only way that the firm can perform better than its competitors. There are numerous companies in the world that have always been changing the way that they supply their products without seriously considering the implications of the changes and carrying out a risk assessment. This is the part that the managers should always take into account, since it is the point which will help the company to survive in the business market. The supply chain that is quite efficient is the one that meets the risk assessments, which have been mentioned here. It is one of the challenges which the management has to consider, suggesting a chain that would be universally acceptable and also financially viable. This is the task of the management wing of the business. Numerous reports have been conducted in this field and some of them have not been quite efficient and have led to the fall of the whole industry or a firm. Therefore, the report that is presented is quite broad in terms of ideas. Also, it considers the negative impact that it may have. While implementing certain recommendations, the management is also interested in the profits that it will be able to make by means of these recommendations. This is important, since the assessment which is carried out in the manufacturing industry is one that is centered on the creation of a better business environment; that is why it is important to incorporate it in the management system. The profits of using a supply chain that is assessed are immeasurable, and it reveals the fact that the report would be profit-oriented, which would lead to the increase in profits and risk proofing, which makes it quite important in the financial market.           

Recommendations

In order to insure that the company has the best supply chain, it is imperative to analyze the report thoroughly and highlight the most important points. The report touches on a wide range of issues, therefore, insuring that the corporation will make profit and improve its performance. Also, it considers all important factors and focuses on what it can achieve in the long end. The strategies that have been discussed in the paper should be put into practice by the company, since ignoring them would mean that the whole organization would not be centered on profitability, which is one of the main factors of the company’s survival (Simchi-Levi 2004). Utilizing the assessment risks of a supply chain has numerous strong points and therefore, using the assessment that has once worked for one of the big companies in the world is important, and this is one of the main reasons for the research. It is not wise to suggest anything in the report without carrying out a second study of the subject matter. The manufacturing industry is one that is slowly losing its importance in the markets because it greatly depends on the products that it produces. This is why the analysis that has been carried out has focused on technology. For that reason, it would be in the best interests of the organization to insure that it incorporates the technology into its systems of supply, so that the whole supply chain is beneficial in terms of finance. The whole supply chain should also be short. What a short supply chain does is that it helps to come up with a way through which the products reach the consumer without the assistance of middlemen who only augment the costs.

This report has narrowed down to mentioning some of the companies that have the best supply chains. Therefore, it would be also in the interests of the company to analyze deeply the changes that have been made since the incorporation of the supply chain by the organizations, which will help to foresee probable results and identify future prospects. Finally, with regard to recommendations, it is in the best interests of any organization to carry out a risk assessment for any supply chain that it is willing to incorporate into its business, and that is why the recommendations which have been put forward in this report are quite important. Additionally, the supply chain that a business focuses on should be not only unique, but also one that is beneficial to the financial market (Simchi-Levi 2004).        

Conclusions

In conclusion, creating a supply chain is one of the main tasks that any organization has to implement in the best possible way. Therefore, it means that the supply chain is as important as any other issues in the financial market. The manufacturing industry is one of the strongest industries in the financial market due to the fact that many of the goods and services in economy come from that industry. This report touches on supply chain practice providing an in-depth analysis of disaster management, which is one of its integral parts. The chain of supply is one the most important issues, and every organization in the financial market is willing to make its supply chain stronger. However, what analysts fail to realize and notice is the fact that the supply chain is always subject to threats that can be financial or logistics. Therefore, it is necessary to come up with a disaster management plan. Also, it is pivotal to thoroughly analyze the mode and means through which this whole process can be made better. The main focus should be placed not on the way how obvious threats can be neutralized, but on the way through which some potential threats can be made easier to tackle. One of the main threats that exist in the supply chain is the industry itself. This means that new technologies must be properly implemented, which is one of the strong points of this research analysis. Finally, supply chain practice is one that any firm cannot do without. Due to my being a consultant, the importance of this issue has been heavily stressed in this report.