Effect of Supply Chain Management on Customer Satisfaction - Samples

Question: Discuss about the Effect of Supply Chain Management on Customer Satisfaction. Answer: Summary of different cases By reading all the 5 research papers on supply chain management, it was clear to understand thatSupply chain management explain the process of planning, procuring as well as sourcing and controlling the movement of raw materials to finished goods (Zhu, Sarkis Lai, 2013). The administration of the company in supply chain need proper set of objectives that gets involved as well as leads to maximizing products and services from prospective customers. The main objective of supply chainmanagement is divided into two goals that constantly identify the needs as well as desire of customers and the factor that affect the needs, desires and preferences. In addition, flexible communication systems properly help with the information flow from one business to other. It help in developing systems and implementing request from customers where the company has the ability to produce, deal out and transfer products at the right place and right time to the clientele. To summarize each of the cases in detail, it is important to gather facts and data from reliable sources that are about Supply ChainManagement and how far it is linked with customer satisfaction (Yu et al., 2013). Research objectives and research questions The segment properly highlights about research questions and research objectives and points out how the research have been designed as well as whether it can match with the objectives in the most appropriate way (Xu Gursoy, 2015). The segment even discuss about the way on how the research objectives are used to link with the given research topic on Effect of Supply Chain Management on Customer Satisfaction. Research objectives To provide information as well as data about supply chain management and impact on improving sales and customer service To highlight the effect of supply chain management on customer satisfaction To improve sales management as well as customer service for achieving comprehensive development To improve the quality of their supply chain management for gaining preferences with customers after enhancing the value provided (Zhu, Sarkis Lai, 2013) Research questions How far information can be gathered from supply chain management and the impact on improving sales and customer service? What is the effect of supply chain management on customer satisfaction? How to improve sales management and customer service for achieving comprehensive development? How to improve the quality of supply chain management for gaining preferences with customers after value enhancement? Who are the key supply chain members with whom to link the process? What level of incorporation and administration need to be applied for each of the process link? What process needs to be linked with each of the supply chain members? Literature review This segment explain about literature review after properly reading 5 research paper that links with the research topic on Effect of Supply Chain Management on Customer Satisfaction (Wu et al., 2015). The segment critically analyzes the literature individually where each of the new aspects has the potential to inform the reader some of the aspects that are not known before. The sources of data that are cited in the review of literature are peer-reviewed journal articles that are published after 2012 and are recent at the same time. The literature review had been properly evaluated and published by experts who deal or work practically in these areas that being more authentic information before the reader who is going to refer the study in the near future (Zhu, Sarkis Lai, 2013). As rightly put forward by Golicic Smith (2013), Supply Chain concept is a new concept that starts from 1980 and used by companies that operates in commercial sector and industrial activities. In addition, supply chain is a stage and very complex task due to its actual actuality. Furthermore, supply chain management seeks to improve control as well as competence especially in manufacturing and allocation as it shows strong relationship between suppliers and distributors (Zhu, Sarkis Lai, 2013). The mechanism used in this system will help in enhancing the level of competitiveness as well as achieving customer satisfaction at the same time. The Supply Chain Management system of any company is largely influences the customer satisfaction and that give rise to profitability of the business enterprise. Nowadays, the manufacturers understood that the Supply Chain Management can be easily leveraged in offering customer satisfaction and value after removing the barricades between suppliers and customers. In addition, the decision is taken by the management as it links with the Supply Chain Management as it is detrimental to the effectiveness as well as profitability of the entire chain. Good Supply Chain Management ads up to customer satisfaction as it deliver the products in fastest time as well as without errors and reduce the lead time to the orders (Wisner, Tan Leong, 2014). Main business theories The present segment explains about theories used in Supply Chain Management with proper justification and pictorial representation of the frameworks. With the help of these theories, it is easy to gather facts about supply chain management framework and link with customer satisfaction aspects as far as possible (Bustinza, Parry Vendrell-Herrero, 2013). Christopher (2016) identifies three dimensions of involvement that affect outcomes in supplier relationships where the activities are carried out and can be tightly coordinated at the same time. Traditional Supply Chain Management applications in actual falls short as it help manufacturers for managing one of the critical elements by understanding the relationships with the suppliers. The above model explain supply chain management framework for improving the cooperation that are required in the partner selection (Dubey, Gunasekaran Ali, 2015). Interpretive structural modeling is one of the interactive learning processes into a comprehensive systematic model (Zhu, Sarkis Lai, 2013). Even the model highlights the structure of a complex issue or problem as it designs the pattern that implies graphics and words. Interpretive structural model methodology actually helps in imposing order as well as direction on the complexity of relationships among elements of a system. There are several steps that is included in interpretive structural modeling for identifying variables as it is relevant to significant problem or issue. It mainly establishes contextual relationship with the other variables. It is important to understand the fact that the structural model generates from the final reach ability matrix as it removes the transitivities (Rushton, Croucher Baker, 2014). Most of the companies have a tendency to maintain long-term relationships with the suppliers that is purely based upon precision and balance that follows the form of negotiation, partnership and cooperation (Alfalla-Luque, Marin-Garcia Medina-Lopez, 2015). On analysis, it is noted that with cooperation, it help companies to visit supplier factories and try out some of the innovative methods for bringing improvement in the procurement process and giving freedom to work upon the product at the same time. Negotiation, on the other hand is one of the essential stage or process used for selecting any of the supplier who will deal with negotiations and relies upon certain practices (Zhu, Sarkis Lai, 2013). These activities or practices further take into three other forms such as price based on market or price based on cost or competitive bidding. In case of partnership, it means proper convergence relationship between the company as well as supplier that include various trends and share common trust and success. Companies aim at maintaining long-term relationships to get the partnership as well as determining the extent of relationship with the suppliers in an effective way (Ahi Searcy, 2013). Research methodology Qualitative or quantitative The present segment explains about choice of type research that should be evaluated by the researcher at the time of conducting the research (Zhu, Sarkis Lai, 2013). It is for this reason both qualitative and quantitative data collection methods are explained in the study and provided with justification for the same as to which or both the methods should be used as it links with the research topic in the most appropriate way. In the next segment, research design is also mentioned that include descriptive, exploratory or causal research design as it need to be understood and decided by the researcher before planning for the given research study (Peng et al., 2016). Both qualitative and quantitative literature had been used by the researcher for this research study as it will help in providing more insights of information about the research topic on Supply Chain Management (Wisner, Tan Leong, 2014). Qualitative research is used in the study as it helps in uncovering the trends in thoughts and opinions that is used for solving the problem or issue. The data collection methods mainly vary upon using unstructured as well as semi-structured techniques. Qualitative research takes into account non-numerical data (Monczka et al., 2015). On the other hand, quantitative research generates mainly numerical data or information as it is converted into numbers. From the information gathered, it is clear to understand that modern business are looking ways for generating customers as well as establishing a positive relationship. In addition, even the modern companies are looking at customers as a true partner as well as aims at working with them in order to develop positive long-term relationships. This relationship will help the company to achieve further competitive advantage as it cannot be imitated by any of the closest competitors. The companies even have to plan out a strategy where they can attract as well as retain existing customers and plan to acquire new customers as well. The main focus of these companies is to maintain close and long-term relationships with the customers as well as providing high class and deluxe products and services for satisfying needs of customers and desire to reach high level of satisfaction at the end. The business enterprise relies mainly upon formulating as well as building relationship with the customer s by using simple strategies and conducting market research where information can be gathered about needs and preferences of the customers (Zhu, Sarkis Lai, 2013). Therefore, in order to achieve competitive advantage, it is important or necessary for the business enterprise to plan out ways to add continuous value to its customers as well as creates needed behaviors for generating and delivering superior value to the customers in the most appropriate way. It is the process of supplying and selecting suppliers that shows interdependent relationships as it begins with identifying and describing the supplier needs of companies and also for determining the sources in an effective way (Wisner, Tan Leong, 2014). Exploratory descriptive or causal It is important for the researcher to evaluate whether to use exploratory research or descriptive research or causal research design for this particular research study. Exploratory research design helps in providing better understanding of a situation and used for producing hypothesis. This means statement as it describes how two or more variables are related with each other (Jacobs, Yu Chavez, 2016). Exploratory research design emphasis mainly on gaining proper ideas as well as insights of information for present research study Descriptive research design is used for describing the characteristics of population or situation that is being studied. Descriptive research design emphasis upon determining the frequency where covariance takes place between two variables Causal research design properly used for testing the hypothesis for particular research study and emphasis upon determining the cause as well as effect relationships (Wisner, Tan Leong, 2014) Evaluating the sampling design Probability or non-probability sampling Probability sampling is one of the sampling techniques where the subjects of population get an equal opportunity for getting selected as a representative sample. On the other hand, non-probability sampling is one of the sampling techniques where the individual will be selected as a sample (Heckmann, Comes Nickel, 2015). Probability sampling is also known as random sampling and non-probability sampling is also known non-random sampling. For probability sampling, hypothesis is tested and for non-probability sampling, hypothesis is generated at the same time. Method used for probability sampling is objective and for non-probability sampling is subjective by nature. The result from probability sampling is unbiased but biased in case of non-probability sampling (Zhu, Sarkis Lai, 2013). Combination of sampling methods For this particular research study, the researcher had conducted random sampling method for selecting population and analyzing in case of quantitative data. On the other hand, convenience sampling is used in case of qualitative data (Wisner, Tan Leong, 2014). Sampling size For quantitative study, the researcher had distributed questionnaire on the target population by targeting the majority of companies that operates in China. The questionnaires were distributed to 56 professors and experts as it reflect assumptions and developed by researcher as well as serve the research in an accurate way. For qualitative study, the researcher had conducted interview with 4 managers who are working under manufacturing companies in China (Wisner, Tan Leong, 2014). Choice of research instruments used The research instruments used in the study is questionnaire, interview and secondary sources of data that should be reliable and valid at the same time. There are different choice of research that needs to be understood by the researcher that includes surveys, interviews, experiments and secondary data. For this particular study, researcher had selected interview and questionnaire research instrument for carrying out the research in the most appropriate way. References Ahi, P., Searcy, C. (2013). A comparative literature analysis of definitions for green and sustainable supply chain management.Journal of Cleaner Production,52, 329-341. Alfalla-Luque, R., Marin-Garcia, J. A., Medina-Lopez, C. (2015). 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