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Success Factors in Supply Chain Management Essay Supply chain management (SCM) works with the process flow of information as well as products from supply chain organizations. Development in technology facilitates organizations ability to coordinate activities for use of supply chain servicing. The Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals (CSCMP, 2011) defines supply chain management in the following way: Supply chain management encompasses the planning and management of all activities involved in sourcing and procurement, conversion, and all logistics management activities. Importantly, it also includes coordination and collaboration with channel partners, which can be suppliers, intermediaries, third-party service providers, and customers. In essence, supply chain management integrates supply and demand management within and across companies (p.1). There are four basic components within the supply chain management that are essential for SCM processes. First, ensure that to manage resource requirements, a strategy exists which the customers needs are met for services/products based on their strategic demands. Secondly, the appropriate business supply chain partners, in fact, are the ones that will provide the end product from materials, servicing requirements through payment processes, delivery of goods, pricing, and any other method by which the process will be measured. Third would ensure that operations is on board for ensuring the schedules take into consideration tasks for packaging, testing, process preparation, and delivery preparations. Lastly, logistics requirements are well thought-out, such as warehousing, orders, return processing, carrier/delivery service, and invoicing. SUPPLY CHAIN MANAGEMENT SOFTWARE PACKAGE COMPARISON For the SCM software package review, there were three companies in the comparison: SAP Supply Chain, PackManager, and IBS Enterprise. One area of concern was with PackManager whereby once installed technology support is not a provision. Daniels and Daniels (2012) indicate the areas of the five basic supply chain management activities which include plan, source, make, deliver and return. The comparison of the three SCM software packages above assist businesses in making an appropriate decision based on their specific needs. Each company had something that others may not have and, as a result, supports that one company may not be the viable solution for every industry. . To complete a comprehensive review of SCM software packages, the site which assisted with the compilation of data, FindTheBest.com (2014) CONCLUSION SCM is the dynamic managing of SC activities which take into consideration customers value as well as manage a viable benefit. The comparative review indicates that there are many choices in SCM software. Each of these will provide a †¦ supply chains in the most effective efficient ways possible (Handfield, P. 1, 2011). Wang et al (2009), further stated that the †¦problems, criteria, needs, alternatives and other variables will vary from one entity to the next, there is no universal solution (P. 95). In order to support the best choice for the appropriate SCM, then key factors should be quantified in the overall decision process. REFERENCES Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals (CSCMP). (2011). Logistics Management. Retrieved from http://cscmp.org/aboutcscmp/definitions.asp Daniels, P., Daniels, A. (2010). _Business Driven Technology_ (4th ed.). Retrieved from The University of Phoenix eBook Collection database Find the Best. (2014). Retrieved from http://FindTheBest.com Handfield, R. (2011). What is Supply Chain Management?. Retrieved from http://scm.ncsu.edu/scm-articles/article/what-is-supply-chain-management Wang, Z., Yan, R., Hollister, K., Xing, R. (2009). A Relative Comparison of Leading Supply Chain Management Software Packn mages. International Journal of InfDrmDtion Systems and Supply Cnagement (IJISSCM), 2(1), 81-96. doi:10.4018/jisscm.2009010106