Consumer beliefs and needs have altered. How consumers behave and what we demand has changed. Our willingness to wait to be satisfied or served has reduced and we expect instant product availability and gratification. It should be obvious from this that the supply or logistics system that gets products from production through retailing to consumption has also had to be transformed. Physical distribution and materials management have been replaced by logistics management and a subsequent concern for the whole supply chain (Figure 1.1). This consideration for the supply chain as a whole has involved the development of integrated supply chain management. More recently there has been a concern to ensure that channels of distribution and supply chains are both anticipatory (if appropriate) and reacting to consumer demand, at general and detailed segment levels. There has also been a stronger realization of the need for reverse flows of data and product in supply chains, both to inform demand-driven supply and to ensure appropriate recycling, re-use and other handling and sustainable systems.
No comments:
Post a Comment