E-Logistics Ning Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3250 words

E-Logistics Ning - Essay Example In practice, it has been proved that the actual benefits and drawbacks of each organizational strategy take a long time to appear; this is a problem when the change on a firm’s traditional policies is attempted since the value of the proposed strategies is difficult to be proved in advance or even in the short term. However, the elements of this strategy and its expected performance – as it can be measured using figures related to the firm’s performance within a particular period of time – can be important indicators regarding the potential value of a strategy in case that it is established in a particular organization. Current paper aims to explore the benefits and drawbacks of the global supply chain strategies of VF Brands, a firm well known in the global Apparel industry. Particular reference is made to the firm’s new global supply chain strategy, the Third Way, and its potential contribution in the improvement of the firm’s relationship with its global suppliers, thus its growth in the global market. 2. Global Supply Chain strategy in VF Brands – critical analysis and evaluation 2.1 Global supply chain strategy in the literature The literature developed in the specific field is based on a wide range of criteria; there are views, which promote a narrow perspective of supply chain management – in terms of the potentials of the specific organizational sector to be changed following the differentiations in the market trends. Moreover, different perceptions seem to exist regarding the elements of a successful supply chain management strategy: in accordance with Mangan et al. (2008) the criterion on which the value of a supply chain management strategy is decided is the level at which this strategy promotes the use of knowledge related to all organizational activities. However, Branch (2008) notes that key priority of supply chain management in modern market is the identification of practices that will mini mize the cost of production. It is further noted that in the context of the global market, the challenges for supply chain are significantly increased; global supply chain management strategies need to address all issues related to a firm’s production needs in the global market – a fact that results necessarily to the increase of complexity of the particular strategies (Branch 2008). Under these terms, the criteria on which the choice of a supplier in the global market will be based cannot be standardized; usually, ‘the differentiation from other players in the marketplace and the existence of a separate identity’ (Branch 2008, p.13) are used as criteria for choosing a supplier in the international market. However, other criteria can be also set in accordance with the needs of each organization and its potentials to respond to the demands of each supplier – demand for specific price, location, time for producing a specific volume of products with â €˜pre-arranged’ characteristics. Also, the level at which a firm accepts its potential dependency on another firm – in the context of the supply chain – can be differentiated. Supply chain, which has been defined as ‘