Supply chain management systems are becoming an increasingly popular application in the manufacturing world. Also known as SCM, Supply Chain Management is the management of materials, information and finances as they are moved in process from supplier to manufacturer onto retailer and consumer. One of the main goals of SCM is to reduce the amount of inventory that is present at any given time, assuming that ample stock is available when required.

Many supply chain management systems are readily available as browser based technology and rapid application development. These options to supply chain systems are a form of tailoring the system to the needs and requirements of the customer. With tailored systems, the software is designed for the specific requirements of the organization and their needs within the industry instead of producing the software to the needs of the industry and not the client.

With browser based solutions manufactures will have real time data access from all areas of their supply chain allowing for implementation of changes to be made swiftly and effortlessly. Organizations will be able to track demand, supply, manufacturing status, logistics and distribution from any location that has a browser available including smart phones, PDAs and other handheld devices. Browser based software allow for a substantial amount of flexibility as they allow organizations to deploy systems very rapidly. There is also no necessity to install the software on each individual computer because it will be available instantly from all locations, this is a great reduction in time and money as the IT department is only required to implement changes to the software at the one central location.

Additionally, supply chain management software is a form of Just-In-Time-Manufacturing (JIT) which will assist organizations in reducing the amount of inventory they keep on hand while allowing them to cut their overall costs.

If you are looking in to supply chain management systems take a look at www.tuppas.com or www.shopfloorreporting.com as these two sites are great manufactures for SCM software and offer online demos which can be very informative.

Cambridge Manufacturing Journals


Manufacturing.gov