Supply M anagement: What's in a Name? Or, Do We Know Who We Are?

Abstract

SUMMARY This article provides a conceptual basis from which to view some alternative perspectives of supply management. These approaches highlight the fractious nature of the purchasing/supply/logistics fields. Additionally, the article includes a proposal fora potentially unifying framework of the strategic components used by practitioners and researchers in supply and related fields.

A strategic skill based model of supplier integration and its effect on supply management performance

“…During the 1990s purchasing evolved and began to be viewed as part of a broader management function referred to as procurement or "the systematic process of deciding what, when, and how much to purchase; the act of purchasing it; and the process of ensuring that what is required is received on time in the quantity and quality specified"). Today, many researchers are taking a broader view of purchasing that also emphasizes supply management, which is "the identification, acquisition, access, positioning, and management of resources the organization needs or potentially needs, in the attainment of its strategic objectives" (Cavinato, 2001;Kauffman, 2002).…”

The Domain and Scope of Scm's Foundational Disciplines — Insights and Issues to Advance Research

“…While there is no agreement on the exact scope of supply, consensus was achieved with regard to supply as a series of linked relationships that add value at various levels and it involves satisfying services and information requirements, in addition to materials requirements (Kauffman 2002).…”

Supply chain management: borrowing our way to a discipline

“…Thus, instead of a noun such as 'Marketing', with a central theory that defines and serves to limit the scope of approaches and questions considered appropriate, as can be seen in the case of the 'four P's' (product, price, promotion and place; Kauffman, 2002), we see that SCM can include approaches both new and adapted from other disciplines that address how to facilitate purposeful relationships with their associated flows of information, materials and services. In this way, SCM is rendered inclusive, and we know that we are witness to SCM whenever we see activities aimed at bringing about better and more coordinated value-adding relationships, particularly between firms.…”

“…Larson and Halldorsson (2002) have noted that SCM represents something new and relatively amorphous. Kauffman (2002) further notes that SCM currently lacks disciplinary focus in terms of content, central theories and methods.…”