A Framework for Structuring Drivers Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

A Framework for Structuring Drivers - Essay Example The role of supply chain management in the business performance is crucial. For this reason, Krishnan et al. (2001, 259 supported that ‘supply chain management has become an important part of strategic planning in both large and small businesses since the 1990s as firms increasingly choose outsourcing as an externally-driven strategic growth path’. In order to identify and evaluate the role of supply chain management within a particular business environment it is necessary to examine primarily the whole firm’s operational activities trying to locate any possible barriers that can cause delay on the firm’s development. In this context, Baker et al. (2005, 43) found that ‘the term "operations" has evolved to denote all activities involved in bringing products and services to customers, and businesses have been applying the techniques of operations management to the entire spectrum of business operations; Enterprise resource planning (ERP), customer rela tionship management (CRM), and supply chain management (SCM) all provide an opportunity to enhance existing processes and serve as a catalyst for operational innovation’. In other words, supply chain management is considered to be a tool of major importance for the enhancement of the firm’s processes in all its sectors. However, in order for supply chain management to develop the corporate activities, it has to be based on a detailed plan, which can be differentiated for each firm in accordance with the demands of the market involved and the firm’s strengths and weaknesses.