We use cookies to provide you with a better experience. By continuing to browse the site you are agreeing to our use of cookies in accordance with our Cookie Policy.
  • INDUSTRY PRESS ROOM
  • SUBMISSIONS
  • MEDIA FILE
  • Create Account
  • Sign In
  • Sign Out
  • My Account
Free Newsletters
  • MAGAZINE
    • Current Issue
    • Archives
    • Digital Edition
    • Subscribe
    • Newsletters
  • STRATEGY
  • GLOBAL
  • LOGISTICS
  • MANUFACTURING
  • PROCUREMENT
  • VIDEO
    • News & Exclusives
    • Viewer Contributed
    • CSCMP EDGE 2022 Startup Alley
    • Upload your video
  • PODCAST ETC
    • Podcast
    • White Papers
    • Webcasts
    • Events
    • Blogs
      • Reflections
      • SCQ Forum
    • Mobile Apps
  • MAGAZINE
    • Current Issue
    • Archives
    • Digital Edition
    • Subscribe
    • Newsletters
  • STRATEGY
  • GLOBAL
  • LOGISTICS
  • MANUFACTURING
  • PROCUREMENT
  • VIDEO
    • News & Exclusives
    • Viewer Contributed
    • CSCMP EDGE 2022 Startup Alley
    • Upload your video
  • PODCAST ETC
    • Podcast
    • White Papers
    • Webcasts
    • Events
    • Blogs
      • Reflections
      • SCQ Forum
    • Mobile Apps
Home » Supply Chain 2.0
Afterword

Supply Chain 2.0

October 1, 2007
Mitch Mac Donald
No Comments

The question was tossed out casually, almost as an aside, near the end of a focus group held just over a decade ago.

For nearly an hour, the participants—10 logistics, transportation, and distribution professionals—had answered questions about their daily jobs, the changes they'd seen, and the challenges they faced. Then, with just a few minutes left, the facilitator announced that he was switching to a word-recognition exercise. What he wanted to know, he told the participants, was whether they had heard of the terms he was about to list. They didn't have to be able to define them or explain their relevance. All he asked was that they raise their hands if they had heard the word or phrase before.

Together with the dot-com revolution, supply chain management has transformed business as we know it.

The facilitator started out by lobbing a few softballs: Less than truckload—everyone's hand went up. Profit-and-loss statements— ditto. After a few more, the critical moment arrived. The facilitator said "supply chain"; only one hand went up. The term fared even worse in two subsequent focus groups, where not a single participant indicated that he or she had heard of the "supply chain."

The publishing company that sponsored the focus groups had its answer: The term "supply chain" was clearly not part of the mainstream business lexicon in January 1996. It hadn't even caught on with those you'd expect to find at the forefront of the incipient supply chain revolution. But those publishing folks were undaunted. Roughly 18 months later, they launched the first magazine with "supply chain" in its title, and Supply Chain Management Review was born.

The road has been bumpy at times. For the dot-coms, the obstacles that emerged were largely financial. After six years of overheated growth, the sector collapsed when the investment bubble burst. The supply chain revolution, by contrast, was slow getting out of the gate, largely because of organizational barriers. For years, a frequent complaint was that "functional silos" inhibited information sharing and collaboration, making it all but impossible to integrate supply chain activities.

Ten years on, their faith in the concept has been vindicated. Contrary to the critics' predictions, "supply chain management" has proved to be more than just another buzzword. In business as we know it. Today, there chain management has transformed revolution, which took off at about ment. Together with the dot-com fact, the concept has turned out to be a game-changing developthe same time, the practice of supply are multiple magazines (including this one) with "supply chain" in their titles, and the term shows up regularly in mainstream publications like BusinessWeek.

But what a difference a decade makes. Today, the dot-com sector is on the upswing again, enjoying success with a business model dubbed Web 2.0. It's a similar story with supply chain management. By now, many companies have smashed the functional silos and moved on to the next phase: the full integration of activities not only within a company, but also with all of its supply chain partners. Call it Supply Chain 2.0.

  • Related Articles

    "Imagineering" a supply chain

    Rolling out a new product? Consult your supply chain team first

    Worried about your future? Relax!

Mitch Mac Donald is Group Editorial Director of AGiLE Business Media.

Recent Articles by Mitch Mac Donald

Thought I’d something more to say …

Sorry folks, this is not normal

Overdue appreciation

You must login or register in order to post a comment.

Report Abusive Comment

Most Popular Articles

  • Survey: most Americans unaware that truckers face shortage of parking spaces

  • Best practices in logistics sustainability

  • Postal Service plans to seize items mailed with fake stamps

  • Supply chain executives not yet seeing expected results from technology investments

  • Inflation drops again as interest rate hikes hit home, NRF says

Featured Video

20221107korber large vs

Enhancing Customer Experience with Your Supply Chain Strategy

Viewer Contributed
With the rise of e-commerce, many businesses have had to transform their warehouses to handle online orders in addition to regularly scheduled inventory shipments. This means warehouses need more information than ever before to ensure they can meet customers' needs. As a result, companies need to select warehouse...

FEATURED WHITE PAPERS

  • Guide to Pallet Rack Safety

  • 3PLs: Complete Orders Faster with Flexible Automation

  • A shipper's guide to navigating post-pandemic holiday freight

  • THE NEW WAY TO WAREHOUSE: 4 Innovations in Automation & Robotics to Boost Warehouse Productivity

View More

Subscribe to Supply Chain Quarterly

Get Your Subscription
  • SUBSCRIBE
  • E-NEWSLETTERS
  • ADVERTISING
  • CUSTOMER CARE
  • CONTACT
  • ABOUT
  • STAFF
  • PRIVACY POLICY

Copyright ©2023. All Rights ReservedDesign, CMS, Hosting & Web Development :: ePublishing