As an MBA student, you will have access to a variety of resources to enhance your understanding of global supply management. As you begin working on your assignments for this course, it will be essential to utilize multiple resources to support your research. I will recommend five key resources, but many more can be found in the university’s library. The five resources provided will help you grasp the concepts of supply chain management and highlight current trends. The key concepts of the course include:
One significant trend in supply chain management is the analysis of the pandemic’s impact, focusing on the breakdowns in the system to minimize future errors. Key factors include supply fluctuations due to the pandemic, inconsistencies in supply, and material shortages (Okorie et al., 2020). The issues of supply inconsistencies and material shortages are interconnected, as a lack of materials directly affects the availability of products.
Resource 1
The Harvard Business Review website offers valuable insights into current trends. An article discusses strategies for overcoming the pandemic’s challenges and preparing supply chain frameworks for future crises. The COVID-19 pandemic exposed numerous weaknesses in supply chains, presenting an opportunity to strengthen them. Understanding these vulnerabilities will give students a competitive advantage as they enter the workforce.
The pandemic highlighted the necessity for more resilient supply chains that do not compromise competitiveness (Shih, 2020). This article provides tools for identifying vulnerabilities in a company’s supply chain, suggestions for diversifying products, utilizing process innovations, and managing stock inventory (Shih, 2020). This resource will aid in analyzing contemporary trends and issues in effective supply chain management, as well as recommending a framework for supply chain management.
Resource 2
This resource from Forbes discusses supply chain collaboration networks (SCCN), which represent another emerging trend in supply chain management. SCCN offers a collaborative solution for supply chain processes based on a public cloud (Banker, 2022). The unpredictability in supply chain processes leads to various challenges. This article serves as a useful resource for students to identify breakdowns in supply chain management and to extract insights on current trends. Additionally, it encourages students to develop their problem-solving skills, aligning with the competency of analyzing contemporary trends and issues in effective supply chain management.
Resource 3
An article published in the Research Policy Journal presents a different framework regarding the roles of suppliers of goods and services (Delgado & Mills, 2020). It explores the distinctions between supply chain industries and business-to-consumer sectors. By utilizing this article, students will gain insights into the role of supply chain management in national economic performance and innovation, using a recommended framework. This resource aligns with the competency of explaining the role of a supply chain in business success and recommending frameworks for supply management.
Resource 4
This article outlines a framework aimed at creating a more sustainable global value chain for the future, emphasizing continuous improvement (Magableh, 2021). It examines the global impact of the pandemic on supply chains and details the trends that informed the development of this framework. The value of this resource lies in its provision of future design frameworks that accommodate ongoing changes as challenges arise. This resource addresses the competencies of explaining the role of a supply chain in business success, recommending frameworks for supply management, and analyzing contemporary trends and issues in effective supply chain management.
Resource 5
This resource provides a detailed overview of the elements essential for supply chain success. It lists traditional components of supply chain management, including manufacturing, warehousing, inventory distribution and management, sales, and delivery (Kulwiec, 2000). The article discusses a framework where traditional supply chains bypass certain steps to sell directly to consumers.