What is an integrated supply chain process?

largest forces in the industry. Nevertheless, it is squeezed into such a narrow business niche that, from some perspectives, its very survival seems tenuous. Dell competes with many capable and, in some cases, lower cost competitors, has virtually no proprietary technology, and must deal with exceedingly robust suppliers, including Intel and Microsoft.

The heart of Dell's success is its integrated supply chain, which has enabled rapid product design, fabrication, and assembly, as well as direct shipment to customers. Inventories have been dramatically reduced through extensive sharing of information, a prudent choice given the risk of technological obsolescence and reductions in the cost of materials that can exceed 50 percent a month. Even with reduced inventories, Dell's strategic use of information has made possible a dramatic reduction in the elapsed time from order to delivery, giving Dell a significant competitive advantage.

Component inventories are monitored weekly throughout the supply chain and, when there are deviations from plan, the sales force steers customers, by means of discounts, if necessary, toward configurations for which there are adequate supplies. Thus, abundant, timely information is used to work the front and back ends of the supply chain simultaneously.

Speed is a critical factor in the computer industry, especially in the area of inventory. In the late 1980s, Dell measured component inventories in weeks. In 1998, they were measured in days. They may soon be further reduced through real-time deliveries so that, as components are used, they are automatically and immediately replaced. The reduction in inventory not only lowers requirements for capital, it also enables rapid changeovers to new product configurations because no old parts must be used up. Faster time to market for new products translates into increased revenues and profits. The change in emphasis from inventory levels to inventory velocity throughout the supply chain has been made possible, in part, by the Internet.

In Dell's new virtual corporation, inventories are reduced by use of timely information; emphasis on physical assets is being replaced by emphasis on intellectual capabilities; and proprietary business knowledge is being increasingly shared in open, collaborative relationships. This extensive integration of the supply chain can be viewed as a shift from vertical corporate integration to a virtually integrated corporation (Magretta, 1998). Vertical integration was essential in the early years of computer manufacturing when the supplier base was not well established and assemblers had little choice but to design and build components and assemble the entire end product in house. Proprietary component technologies were a main source of competitive advantage, although in some cases they had little to do with creating value for the customer. As the industry matured, multitudes of component suppliers became eager to

Stellium’s Integrated Planning services help companies identify, implement and institutionalize S&OP, Forecasting, Supply, Production Scheduling and Inventory optimization improvements that drive tangible business results

Integrated Supply Chain Planning is the process of aligning the Demand Plan the Supply Plan and Operations plan with the Business plan to deliver Profitability, Growth and other Business Goals.
However, many of the organization’s performance is constrained due to a lack of effective Integrated supply chain planning processes primarily due to factors like the Siloed planning process, Long planning cycles, Lack of ability to continuously sense and quickly respond, Lack of flexible IT systems support and inadequate management focus.
We apply deep and distinctive functional expertise to help clients overcome typical supply chain planning challenges to balance customer service requirements, working capital investment, and customer and product portfolios to achieve the maximum performance from your current inventory investments and network capacity as well as plan for future growth.
Stellium’s typical Integrated Planning Engagements may focus on one or more of the following key areas:

  •  Sales and Operations Planning (S&OP)
  •  Demand Planning
  •  Inventory Optimization
  •  Supply & Replenishment Planning
  •  Production Planning and Production Scheduling
  •  Order Promise / Available-To-Promise

Stellium experts work with the client to develop the future state strategy, organizational design, business processes, and technology requirements to unlock value in your Supply chains to meet Business Goals.


Insights

Effective Supply Chain planning is the key driver for optimal business performance, growth, and ROI. Best-in-class supply chain planning requires best practices in processes, organizational design, and planning technologies.


We combine the power of deep functional & industry expertise, analytics & optimization sciences, process engineering and advanced technologies to deliver inventive solutions. We are a specialized firm focused on helping our clients achieve sustainable results by improving Value Chain and minimizing decision latency across the organization.

What is integrated supply chain management with example?

Integrated supply chain management refers to an enterprise resource planning approach to supply chain management. A business facilitates relationships with all of its suppliers and manages all distribution and logistics activities through a centralized system rather than having multiple systems within the organization.

What are the 4 stages of supply chain integration?

Integration, operations, purchasing and distribution are the four elements of the supply chain that work together to establish a path to competition that is both cost-effective and competitive.

What is the difference between supply chain and integrated supply chain?

Integrated Logistics involves several departments of an organization that work in sync so that distribution operations gain quality and agility, while the Supply Chain involves logistics, but goes beyond distribution and the organization itself.