E‐volution of a supply chain: cases and best practices

Supply chain management (SCM) is an integrating philosophy to manage the total flow of materials, information and finance from supplier to ultimate customer. The goal of SCM is to meet the needs of the final consumer by supplying the right product at the right place, time and price. Companies use SCM as a way to meet the competitive challenges of today's business environment. The focus of SCM has shifted from engineering efficient functional processes to the co‐ordination of activities in a supply chain network. The aim of this paper is to examine the stages in the evolution of the supply chain to an electronic supply chain. To illustrate and support the types of evolutionary progress involved, best practices and case studies are provided and analysed.