SCOR (Essay Sample)

Coursework
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SCOR
Supply chain is the process that involves obtaining raw materials from their sources, getting them to the manufacturers who in return come up with the finished products for the customers to consume. The whole process is scattered into different divisions and departments of an organization. The supply chain council (SCC) has come up with SCOR which is a framework that strives to create advanced levels of improving the supply chain in order to reduce the costs and slowdown while at the same time increasing the profits for all the players involved in the chain. (Harmon, 2003) Before the introduction of the second generation methodology, the indigenous supply chain processes were more about the academic challenges than the challenges the management of the supply chain faced. In short, the model takes into account all other existing frameworks and puts them together to address the management problem.( Harmon, 2003) With the advent of the internet, the supply chain has quickly transformed from the old models to the more integrated internet based methods as exhibited by pioneers such as Dell and Cisco.
Developed by PRTM, the SCOR process provides a background for users to manage (which includes communication, addressing upcoming issues as well as improving the chain) the supply chain with the long term goal of satisfying the customer needs. The chain can be used to achieve different and important aspects of the supply chain. For instance, the SCOR model is instrumental in determining whether there are gaps in the chain that need to be filled or improvements which need to be made. The framework is also used to define the different types of chains existing within an organization or different organizations.
In addition, many suppliers need to determine whether the existing supply chain gives optimum returns on investment and therefore, the SCOR framework is used to determine viability of the existing supply chain and/or identify an alternative chain for the same business. The SCOR framework does not only identify the weaknesses in the supply chain, but also provides the guidelines for improving it with respect to your business goals and objectives. The SCOR framework is basically an ideal way of improving and analyzing the existing supply chain.
In improving the supply chain, SCOR follows a specific protocol in order to get optimum results. These include;
Review of the corporate strategy which aims at identifying if the supply chain has any existing weaknesses warranting the intervention by the SCOR framework. After identifying that, a decision is made to train the managers on the SCOR model and its application.
Defining the existing process. One of the greatest advantages to the business community is that they can clearly identify and define the process in discrete terms and come up with specific areas that need to be addressed.
Evaluating the performance of the supply chain. The SCOR model enables the managers to establish the performance of the supply chain which they have chosen for the organization they are managing and hence establish whether it competes effectively with other supply chains in the same industry. It will also enable the manager to determine whether the already established supply chain will enable him and the organization meets the set objectives when it comes to customer satisfaction.
Apart from the evaluation of the performance of the existing supply chain, in other cases, the SCOR helps the management of an organization set its goals and objectives with respect to the supply chain. The information on the performance of the existing supply chain also enables the management to reevaluate the goals and priorities this time round putting into consideration the optimum performance of their supply chain.
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