THE SEVEN S’S OF SUPPLY CHAIN

Recently, Constellation Research began a study on the Supply Chain.  They have identified 7 competitive elements of the Supply Chain and they all start with the letter ‘S’.  The opportunities identified are generally long standing but unachieved.   All told, I think Constellation Research and the study’s author Jeff Ashcroft have provided a very strong framework for companies to lay out the long-term strategy of their Supply Chain.

Without divulging the contents of the study which Constellation Research will finalize and publish sometime this year, I thought it would be interesting to get feedback from the ‘customers’ perspective.  Currently the report is gathering information from the ‘vendors’ perspective related to the technology required achieving each ‘S’.  To start the conversation let’s review the 7 elements and the  corresponding definition from Wikipedia:

Synergy - in general, may be defined as two or more things functioning together to produce a result not independently obtainable. The term synergy comes from the Greek word syn-ergos,συνεργός, meaning “working together”.

Standards – A technical standard is an established norm or requirement about technical systems. It is usually a formal document that establishes uniform engineering or technical criteria, methods, processes and practices. In contrast, a custom, convention, company product, corporate standard, etc. which becomes generally accepted and dominant is often called a de facto standard

Semantic – is the study of meaning. It focuses on the relation between signifiers, such as words, phrases, signs and symbols, and what they stand for, their denotata.

Serialization – serial number is a unique number assigned for identification which varies from its successor or predecessor by a fixed discrete integer value. Common usage has expanded the term to refer to any unique alphanumeric identifier for one of a large set of

objects, however not every numerical identifier is a serial number; identifying numbers which are not serial numbers are sometimes called nominal numbers.

Synchronization – is timekeeping which requires the coordination of events to operate a system in unison. The familiar conductor of an orchestra serves to keep the orchestra in time. Systems operating with all their parts in synchrony are said to be synchronous or in sync.

Sustainability – is the capacity to endure. For humans, sustainability is the long-term maintenance of well-being, which has environmental, economic, and social dimensions, and encompasses the concept of stewardship, the responsible management of resource use.

Social – refers to a characteristic of living organisms (humans in particular, though biologists also apply the term to populations of other animals). It always refers to the interaction of organisms with other organisms and to their collective co-existence, irrespective of whether they are aware of it or not, and irrespective of whether the interaction is voluntary or involuntary.

How do you see these elements impacting your Supply Chain?  Do you currently have processes or strategies in place that address these categories?  If you see opportunity for your company to improve its Supply Chain what are the barriers you expect – internally or externally?