| Chapter 1: | Objectives, methodology, approach and definition of terms |
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This work moves the Supply Chain into the center of the discussion. The Supply Chain can, in the first instance, be represented by means of the physical flow of material. It can also be used to illustrate the underlying organization or organizational segment: procurement, for example, or sales. Finally, the representation is possible by use of Supply Chain processes: the purchasing process, for example, or the sales process. In the course of this study, the primary focus will be on the range of processes within an organization’s Supply Chain.
For the purpose of the structuring of these Supply Chain processes, the so-called Supply Chain Operations Reference Model (SCOR) is utilized and assessed with regard to the possibilities pertaining to its clarification and description. The SCOR model6 was developed by an independent, non-profit-orientated association,7 namely the Supply-Chain Council (SCC).
The Supply-Chain Council was founded in 1996 by the business consultancy Pittiglio, Rabin, Todd & McGrath (PRTM) and Advanced Manufacturing Research (AMR), and originally consisted of 69 voluntary members.8 Membership is open to all companies and organizations that are interested in the application and further development of modern and qualified systems and practices for the management of the Supply Chain.9
This study addresses primarily the following questions:
Since its inception, the SCOR model has been the subject of academic research.10 However, these studies have traditionally been based on a given structure of the model, and in turn been concerned with its applicatory uses.11 At the time of writing, however, no study has focused solely on the model structure itself. Thus, the author has chosen to address the SCOR model in theses format and test it by means of its “operational qualities.”