Q1

Key Business Process Action Required

Customer Relationship Management
Customer Service Management
Demand Management
Order fulfilment
Manufacturing flow management
Supplier relationship management
Product Development & Commercialization
Returns Management
Maintaining customer rapport, mutually
beneficial plans for organization and the
customer
Up to date and real time information to
customers and assisting the customers
Forecasting for demand, reducing
uncertainties for demand variability
Minimizing the total delivery cost
Coordination between manufacturer and the
suppliers
Relationship building with suppliers,
negotiating the product and service
agreement with suppliers
Co-ordinate with customers, developing
production technology in manufacturing
Finding ways to minimize returns

Q2
The key elements of supply chain management highlight its distinguishing

characteristics and also presents the inter – alia relationship between them as well. There is a

strong reason that the key elements are not only inter related but interdependent as well as the

businesses are complex set of function and none of the key elements can work in isolation.

Additionally, the co-ordination between the various key elements is required for confusions

in information flow and having seamless services.

The objectives and policies for each of the eight key supply chain processes should be

co-developed by the owners of the respective key areas and be linked with the overall

strategic supply chain policies of the firm. The functional divisions should also devise the

policies that supports and complement the key processes. For example, in order to achieve the

goal of low-cost processes, the CRM might find ways that can reduce the delivery charges

and still meeting the customer expectations, automating the ordering process and keeping

customers informed as an in-built process of the order management and developing vendor

management that ensures inventory supply with minimum wastage and lowest possible cost.
 While the customer relationship management and customers service management go

hand in hand, it is necessary that the it works in coordination with demand management and

order fulfilment. At each stage it is necessary that the communication between the firms,

customers and supplier is maintained. Supplier relationship management is just the mirror

image of CRM and should be dealt with care in maintaining and making suppliers available.

Q3

In case the high efficiency is required in the supply chain management of the

business, then the factors that would be required are – high volume, businesses that follow

trend, focus on end efficiency and low cost. These factors apply aptly on companies like Wal-

Mart who require highest level of efficiency at low cost.