The relationship between industrial purchasing strategies, supplier management and procurement in lean and agile manufacturing

Abstract

Consulta en la Biblioteca ETSI Industriales (7984)

[EN] This document presents a synopsis of several points of view about what a supply chain is. All of the authors agree with the fact that supply chain management is fundamental for a firm because every firm depends on it in order to achieve a competitive position compared with other organizations. The supply management thinking (or lean thinking) will improve the efficiency of the firm which tries to incorporate it into its processes; specifically in purchasing management, because this process plays a basic role in the value of organizations. Analyzing (and including) the customers¿ needs will result in a change in the procurement processes and manufacturing processes so that it can be possible to attain some competitive advantage and a good market position, because this analysis can provide the added-value that every company needs for their existing and their prospective clients. Manufacturing strategies will depend on the kind of manufacturing system selected. In this case, assemble-to-order means that the manufacture takes parts called assemblies; put them together in different interesting ways to create the potential final products. So this is an example of manufacturing strategy applied to Lean Manufacturing. On the other hand, make-to-order is used in Agile Manufacturing. In this case there is a continuous improvement to reduce lead-time. Agile manufacturing adapts its production system according to demand changes. Production process (make) depends on the customer¿s needs (order) Referring to distribution strategies, postponement seeks to eliminate risk by matching production/distribution with actual customer demand. Postponement is a business strategy that maximizes possible benefit and minimizes risk by delaying further investment into a product or service until the last possible moment.