Marketing Research On Supply Chain And Logistics (Research Paper Sample)

Supply Chain and Logistic Management
Part A: literature review
IntroductionFirm’s resilience is the ability of a company to cope with dynamics of the market and relevant environments. Recent research by Yasuyuki Todo, Kentaro Nakajima, and Peter Matous has shown that the type and structure of supply chain contribute immensely to firm’s ability to cope with change (Yasuyuki et al., 2014). Change in some instances translates to risks especially when it is not anticipated. In the recent past, supply chain has had much attention from researchers than any other aspect of business. With advancement in transportation technology and existence of multiple industriesa producing goods that are demanded across the world, firms are actively reviewing their supply chain traditions with a focus of fragmenting and dispersing production supplies across the world. To minimize cost related to movement of products across international bordersces involve long distances, firms have resorted to establishment of production plants in consumer countries. There are economic benefits accrued to the company like lower cost of distribution, establishment of loyal customer base and reduced exposure to financial risks. This review will seek to determine whether the above mentioned advantages come with increased risks to social stability and environment.Literature review of 8 journalsAccording to International Finance Corporation, there has been a significant shift to a more traceable supply chain especially in business. The motivation behind such shifts is the Endeavor to avoid avoiding risks associated with social and environmental aspects (International Finance Corporation 2013). Purchasing crops that have come through a long line of supply chain puts the processing firm in a risk of purchasing from un-trusted aggregator and exposing producers of such materials to exploitation. This report acknowledges that supply chain management is a vital practice.Martin Christopher in his journal “Logistics and supply chain management” links competitive advantage to provide chain management. This relationship according to Christopher’s words had been overlooked for long and has only been recognized by few firms (Martin Christopher 2013). Success of a business is dependent on supply chain management. The design of such chain should, therefore, be in line with firm’s objectives and purpose. Physical support and demand are interdependent. Supplies and logistics are important to the company to extend to which the firms rely on sales. Supply chain is concerned with both products and information (Christopher Martin 2013) Competitive advantage can be achieved through an effective supply chain management. The relationship of supply chain management and competitive advantage is pictorially represented in the figure table below.
Needs seeking benefit and acceptable price
ValueValue
Assets and utilization Cost differenceAssets and utilization
Figure 1.0 From Christopher’s Supply chain and Logistics management
Alexander Tadeu Simon and his counterparts evaluate supply chain management methodology based on theory model. They acknowledge limited availability of reliable supply chain management journals despite increased interest in the subject. Most available articles are privately held by companies who get them from their consultants (Simon, Di Serio, Pires and Martins 2015). The main aim of this research is to present a methodology (based on Cooper, Lambert and Pagh's original model) for companies to measure their adherence to the SCM conceptual model. They also acknowledge the importance of supply chain in the business by pointing out how competition against firms has shifted to competition against supply chains. Supply chain management is a universal concept compared to logistics according to Simon, Di Serio, Pires and Martins. It is, however, clear that out the piece, the emphasized of incorporating logistics into the definition of supply chain management to include elements of logistics. Logistics is the process of physically availing products and information to the customers and relaying information back to the firm (Simon, Di Serio, Pires and Martins 2015). They concluded that methodology is a diagnostic instrument which enables companies to evaluate their maturity in regard to SCM practice. From such diagnosis, companies can identify activities to engage in to improve degree of adherence to SCM model.An Empirical Study of Antecedents to Information Exchange in Supply Chain by Muller, Martin, Gaudig and Sonja, was done in line with principal-agent theory. The primary focus was to identify systems of reducing or elimination of information asymmetries in current information and determining effects of such asymmetries on information exchange. Contrary to a common believe the empirical study concluded that individual investments in the distribution structure like the building of a reputable mechanism have only long term benefits. The study also showed that explicit contracts have adverse effects on exchange of information (Muller, Martin, Gaudig and Sonja 2011)Karnani and Aneel in their inquiry investigate environmental issues that cooperate responsibility can help a corporation to avoid. Considering the problem related to environment coca cola has gone through in India, this investigation is a relevant work that aid companies in the planning of decentralization of operations especially production. Coca Cola has had a bad experience in India and the choice of Rajasthan may seem to favor the research topic but it was found out that Corporate Social Responsibility do not avert tragedy related to environmental issues (Karnani and Aneel 2014). Karnini and Aneel sugest that to avoid environmental problems a regulatory framework to guide operations is necessary. Most countries do not have structures of engagement with manufacturing company. And that inclusing unsustainable Productions is the source f the problems. Social responsibility can, however, improve personal professionalism (Ribeiro 2013)Valenzo-Jiménez, and Marco Alberto in their research investigated the status of SCM in avocado exporting firms in Michoacan Mexico. They determined how the adopted supply chain affect the competitiveness among each other and juxtaposing the US market to see how such firms can be competitive in the US (Valenzo-Jiménez, Marco Alberto 2015). Agribusiness is an important sector for this topic. Other researchers have shown that agribusiness is highly sensitive to SCM and inquiry to determine the competitiveness of an agribusiness firm, is a relevant question for research. They found out that firms were 60% competitive which according to them it is satisfactory but cannot actually compete with businesses in the US. Effectiveness was mostly based on supply chain management and information exchange.Utilizing measure of improvement in line with individual performance may be in inadequate for testing trade off implication especially where there is no competitive advantage (Sarmiento, Roberto 2015). Sarmiento and Roberto in their inquiry “Performance improvements seen through the lens of strategic” seeks to clarify the misconception that is prevalent about SCM associated trade off. Most practitioners assume that trade off is an inevitable eventuality when decentralizing operations to new areas of operation.ConclusionDifferent researchers have indicated that decentralization of production to enhance supply has much economic befits. Such benefits, however, depend on other factors like the exchange of information (Muller, Martin, Gaudig and Sonja 2011). Risks to social stability has not been inquired independently but caution suggested by researches like inquiry by Christopher Martin acknowledges that despite all the economic and social benefits associated with disintegration of business process to aid supply, there are risk of environmental and social matters may accompany such advantages. Such claims are valid only to the extent at which a farm depend on the environment and labor.Both researches by the International Finance Corporation and Valenzo-Jiménez and Marco Alberto emphasize on agribusiness as a relevant sector to observe in order to get a clear effect of SCM on business. The International Finance Corporation pointed out why agribusiness sector especially the processing firms want to reduce supply chain to a more visible one and such reasons include the desire to protect social and environmental status, fear of buying substandard products from malicious middlemen. Valenzo-Jiménez and Marco Alberto did not show the reason they preferred to base their inquiry on an agribusiness firm.Most researches have shown the importance of supply to business more so to the supply chain management. Food industry especially the agribusiness; firms dictated by the time products before they get the consumer, safety of products and government regulation is a sector where effects of supply chain can be observed. Where products are homogenous the only thing to compete with is price and time which are dictated by the supply chain in reference to 8 review articles, there is no concrete evidence of trade off.Part B: case analysis (coca-cola company)Coca-cola Company is one of the famous companies that have decentralized their production to aid supplies. Success of the firm is one to be recognized with and I intent to enquire on its SCM. Coca-cola is yet to disclose its plans to tackle change in consumer’s preferences especially in the US. It is not however clear whether coca-cola is anticipating a significant shift from sugary drinks to farm fresh products. In 2014, Gallup poll found that US residence were actively reviewing other options of healthier drin...