B2B Integration : A Practical Guide to Collaborative E-commerce

428 B2B Integration — A Practical Guide to Collaborative E-commerce
14.6. SCM Challenges
No doubt the concept of integrated supply chain management is prima
facie alluring but one cannot be blind to the enormous difficulties
accompanying the implementation of such a strategy.
A few of the major challenges companies encounter in SCM
implementation are:
14.6.1. Synchronization in supply chain
Getting suppliers in tune and time with the pace manufacturers maintain
is a threatening challenge facing SCM. Trading partners, with their
individual priorities, pursue different processes and practices. Subject to
individual factors, one may take a longer or shorter time than others for
the same process. Synchronization with all on the time scale is rather a
difficult task.
14.6.2. Building trust through supply chain
The creation, implementation and functioning of a supply chain is not
possible without the trust among the organizations and departments
participating in it. Without trust, there can be no visibility, which is a
key feature of any supply chain system. Lack of visibility in the trading
partners activities and capabilities may entail increased risk in terms of
cost and time, various stages of relationships, identifying constraints
and the ability to manage bottlenecks.
14.6.3. Operational stability
The success of a supply chain is directly dependent on its operational
stability. If one supplier in the chain of suppliers fails to deliver, a chain
reaction could potentially disrupt the business of any company connected
to the chain. Thus, the challenge for manufacturers relying on supply
chains is to maintain operational stability by ensuring supply chain
continuity.