Abstract
Supply chain management is a complex process that requires a high-level dedicated governing body or steering committee to meet the various needs of the supply chain's multiple customers. Because a supply chain system is complex and nonlinear, there may be multiple reasons for poor performance. Supply chains can fall victim to feedback loops that reinforce negative actions and behaviors. Improving a supply chain requires understanding functional deficiencies and, also, how such deficiencies interact with one another to degrade overall performance. The identification and correction of these deficiencies require putting the elements of the supply chain into the context of the organization's strategic goals, mission, and vision, using multiple levels of perspective from the satellite view to the ground level. In this context, organizations can productively employ the familiar tools of quality management, such as strategic planning, process control, and process improvement. They can also draw on the considerable expertise of academic experts in the specific fields of forecasting, scheduling, inventory analysis and queuing theory.