Research Proposal On Supply Chain Management

Submitted By ClaireArase1
Words: 1984
Pages: 8

TABLE OF CONTENT

1.0 Research topic………………………………………………. 3

2.0 Introduction………………………………………………….. . 3

3.0 Research questions…………………………………………… 5

4.0 Research objectives…………………………………………….6

5.0 Literature reviews………………………………………………. 7 6.1 Supply chain management (SCM)……………………...7 6.2 Drivers of supply chain management and main initiatives…………………………………………………. 7 6.3 Buyer-supplier relationships……………………………. 8 6.4 Buyer-supplier relationships in fashion industry……... 9

6.0 Research methodology………………………………………. 10

7.0 Quality levels………………………………………………….. 11

8.0 Resources……………………………………………………... 11

9.0 Conclusion. …………………………………………………….11

10.0 References……………………………………………………. 12

11.0 Appendix ……………………………………………………… 13

1.0 RESEARCH TOPIC
The topic selected for this research is “ the impact of supplier-buyer relationship on companies performance: an empirical research on textile and fashion industry” this topic will explore how the relationship between suppliers and their buyers can give a company competitive advantage, as these have evolved as key discussion for companies given the ever increasing competition in business environment. This topic will identify the issues fashion industry faces when developing relationship with its key supplier. As well as, explore ways of mitigating these issues.

2.0 INTRODUCTION

Herrmann and Hodgson (2001) defined Supplier Relationship Management SRM as a process involved in managing preferred suppliers and finding new ones whilst reducing costs, making procurement predictable and repeatable, pooling buyer experience and extracting the benefits of supplier partnerships. It is focused on maximizing the value of a manufacturer’s supply base by providing an integrated and holistic set of management tools focused on the interaction of the manufacturer with its suppliers. To remain competitive organizations have had to adopt and improve in their performance through several ways, which includes rapid product development (fast to market), providing higher service and product quality and reducing delivery cost. In addition, there is an increasing awareness of how organisations can work effectively with their suppliers to achieve good performance and best results. (Hacker, S.K et. al 1999. p 1)

Similarly, organisations have become leaner and flatter in structure. Suppliers are increasingly involved in providing services and support, in some cases organisations are outsourcing more of their activities, especially when the activity has been acknowledged as outside the organisations core competencies.in other cases. Suppliers are beginning to provide technical activities that had ones been provided internally by organisations. However, given the fact that organisation-supplier dynamic has change over the years. In the past, organisations relied on their power to award and take away business from their suppliers, often setting up win-lose situations. As a result, adversarial climates are frequently developed. However, today more and more organisations and their suppliers come together for mutually beneficial reasons based more on symbiotic relationships based on value exchange instead of organizations exercising power over suppliers. When organisations and their supplier relationship become strategic in nature they can be refereed to as business partners. (Hacker, S.K et. al 1999. p 2)

In recent years the focus of supply chain management has moved from just being production efficient to Customer driven and partnership synchronisation approaches. This shift in strategies requires high-level of collaboration between suppliers and buyers. The dynamic process of a supply chain requires constant flow of materials, information and funds across multiple functional areas both between and within chain members (jain et al. 2006,2007a). Every member of the supply chain has to cooperate with his or her business partners in