Supply chain integration:challenges and solutions

Since its introduction by management consultants in the early 1980s, supply chain management (SCM) has been primarily concerned with the integration of processes and activities both within and between organisations. The concept of supply chain integration (SCI) is based on documented evidence that suggests that much of the waste throughout businesses is a consequence of fragmented supply chain configurations. However, there is also evidence to suggest that the achievement of higher levels of intra- and inter-firm integration presents an array of managerial challenges. The need for innovation in all aspects of SCM is widely recognised. Given the pivotal role of the integration paradigm within SCM, any meaningful innovation in this area must focus heavily on this issue. This chapter outlines some of the challenges by exploring the evolving SCM business context. It goes on to relate SCM theory to the widely cited Porter value chain concept. The core of the chapter provides a detailed description of SCI based on a wide variety of literature. It does so with particular reference to the challenges inherent in implementing an integrated business paradigm with a view to identifying a range of possible innovative solutions. The adoption of more integrated supply chain structures raises questions regarding the nature of both internal and external customer/supplier relationships. The effective management of such relationships is, therefore, given particular focus

DATStats: results from 85 studies using the Drug Abuse Treatment Cost Analysis Program (DATCAP)

The Drug Abuse Treatment Cost Analysis Program (DATCAP) was developed and launched in the early 1990s to help addiction researchers and administrators estimate the economic costs of substance abuse interventions. This paper presents summary results from 85 DATCAPs completed over the past 10 years. After first grouping the DATCAPs into 9 treatment modalities, cost measures (normalized to 2001 dollars) are reported along with client caseload information. Additionally, the distribution of costs across 6 resource categories is presented for each of the treatment modalities. The average weekly economic cost per client ranged from $82 per week for outpatient drug court interventions to$1,138 per week for adolescent residential treatment. As expected, labor was overwhelmingly the most utilized resource across all modalities, ranging from 48% to 88% of total economic cost. Addiction researchers, program administrators, and policymakers now have cost estimates and resource distribution information for various treatment modalities serving diverse populations

Impact of Outbound Logistics in Purchase Decision of Small Electronic Home Appliance Traders in Chittagong

Outbound logistics focuses on the distribution to the point of sales, such as - collection, storage, and distribution systems etc. Marketers must understand – what the customer wants in terms of logistics and how it can create value to the customers? Based on this scenario, this study focuses on the fact that lack of understanding about the elements of outbound logistics is leading to lack of identifying it as value creation tool to impact the purchase decision in home appliances industry. In total around 490 home appliance traders is selected based on convenience from Chittagong city and interviewed based on a questionnaire in May 2016. Factor Analysis is used to identify the most relevant factors from 14 variables and then a regression analysis is used to show how each of those factors related to outbound logistics in small home appliance sector is impacting the purchase decision. The outcome is the trader's purchase decision equation which a marketer can use to identify the elements of outbound logistics where he can focus more to strengthen his logistics channel