Exploring the german business culture Assignment

Exploring the german business culture - Assignment Example The official language is German that is used by over 95% of the population as their first language. Other minority languages include Sorbian, Frisian, Turkish and Kurdish. The communities experience a temperate and marine climate with cloudy and wet winters while the summers occasionally warm. The paper below address the German cultural aspects that should be considered when opening a business venture in Berlin through focus of intercultural aspects such as communication and decision-making styles. Each member has a defined role that he plays in a team. Individual members are respected for their technical ability and knowledge. Most of the organizational roles are undertaken under minimal supervision of the teams. Cross-cultural team management can prove difficult because most people are requested to make decisions in relation to their area of hierarchy. Therefore, decisions made at cross-departmental groups are revisited after the groups have submitted their findings to their superiors. Managers delegate responsibility to a group member who is technically competent to perform the delegated tasks (Gerhart, 2008: 259-274). The appointed person is given concise and clear instructions as the manager does not supervise or interfere with their duties. Socialization within the work quarters tends to be horizontal rather than vertical. Some of the cultural artifacts that characterize the business environment include: The vital aspect of German communication is the direct communication style that is seemingly confrontational. Business discussions and interactive meetings are characterized by open criticism normally directed towards any aspect of the problem, business or project at hand. This should not be considered as disapproval, but rather a method of seeking clarification on the business aspect that attracts their interest. At a personal level, Germans tend to be formally withdrawn, which many people view as being

Literature Review of Health Literacy and HIV Treatment Adherence Thesis

Literature Review of Health Literacy and HIV Treatment Adherence - Thesis Example Health Literacy and HIV/AIDS-----------------------------------------------------------8 5. Why is Treatment Adherence Important for HIV/AIDS-----------------------------10 6. Health Literacy and HIV Treatment Adherence--------------------------------------11 7. Strategies to Improve Treatment Adherence in Low Literacy Subjects-----------15 8. References---------------------------------------------------------------------------------19 Abstract The only effective treatment for HIV/AIDS is regular medication with anti-retroviral therapy (ART). Regularity in timing and dosage of medication is essential not only for the improved health of the subject but also to prevent the emergence of resistant strains of the virus. Non-adherence to the treatment is one of the biggest hurdle in tackling the AIDS pandemic. Among the different factors contributing to non-adherence, health literacy is considered one of the major players. We carried out a literature survey using search terms â€Å" †Å"Health literacy† and HIV†, â€Å"Treatment adherence and HIV†, â€Å"Literacy and Treatment Adherence† and â€Å"Literacy treatment adherence HIV) in the databases of OVID and Pubmed. The relevant articles were reviewed. Any new articles that were encountered amongst these articles in their citations were retrieved and also reviewed. We found that there are a fair number of articles dealing with various aspects of health literacy, educational literacy and HIV/AIDS. However, there are very few articles on interventions designed to improve treatment adherence in low literacy patients. Health Literacy and Treatment Adherence Health Literacy According to Healthy People 2010, health literacy is defined as â€Å"the degree to which individuals have the capacity to obtain, process, and understand basic health information and services needed to make appropriate health decisions†. Apart from the healthcare aspect, where the focus is on communication betwee n healthcare providers and patients, explaining and obtaining informed consent and managing patient’s treatment regime, an extremely important facet of health literacy is in the field of public health. As per the CDC data, the American patient obtains information and makes his or her treatment decision based on the feedback received from the home or the community, while spending just about an hour a year in the medical care provider’s premises. Health Literacy and Health-Related Behavior and Outcome The Council of Scientific Affairs, American Medical Association states that poor health literacy is â€Å"a stronger predictor of a person’s health than age, income, employment status, education level, and race†. The Institute of Medicine reports that nearly half of the US population, about 90 million individuals, have poor health literacy. This culminates into poor understanding of their health status and its treatment, poorer health status, irregularity in d osage consumption, sub-optimal use of health services, inability to understand the do’s and don’t of medication consumption and a higher hospitalization rate. Poor health literacy creates barriers to fully understanding an individual’s health, illness, treatment and medication management. The population at risk includes the elderly (older than 65 years), minorities, immigrants, economically challenged and those suffering from chronic ailments. Not only are these individuals unable to decipher the instructions accompanying

Differences in Globalization.Differences Between Globalization From Essay

Differences in Globalization.Differences Between Globalization From Above And From Below - Essay Example In the business front, globalization may refer to the aspect of investing resources and conducting businesses beyond domestic and national markets to international markets across the world with a view of enhancing closer relations in different markets (Investopedia 2013, p. 1). Indeed, globalization involves the creation of an open and common global market and investment opportunities. Generally, globalization may define distinct political, economic, and social processes of a given society where it involves the decentralization of modern technologies, ideologies, and practices (Najera 2007, p. 1). This allows for the sharing of information and exercising free will in defined aspects as more people across the globe establish close and relevant relationships. More so, this fosters international trade, international policies, and cultural exchange (Investopedia 2013, p. 1). Ideally, there are significant benefits that relate to globalization in the modern world and hence the support on globalization by various scholars. Nevertheless, there are differences regarding the future and expansion of globalization with some scholars viewing globalization as an inexorable process. This leads to the assumption of different views concerning globalization. This includes globalization from â€Å"below† and globalization from â€Å"above.† The proponents of globalization may relate it to industrial growth in developing nations where such nations benefit from increased employment opportunities and technological transfer from the industrialized nations. Indeed, globalization allows the developing nations to derive economic benefits from the industrialized nations thus fostering economic growth in the developing nations. Nevertheless, we still have critics of globalization who claim that the benefits of globalization are prone to numerous risks. Indeed, the critics of globalization have homogenizing impacts on culture and exploit the domestic people and environment ( Najera 2007, p. 1). Moreover, they assert that globalization demeans national sovereignty and underrates the domestic labor force (Investopedia 2013, p. 1). There are different instruments of globalization, which include the World Trade Organization, the International Monetary Fund, and the World Bank, which recorded immense success in the recent past (Brecher, Costello & Smith 2000, p. 1). As such, it is evident that globalization has taken root and its application in the modern world bears potential benefits. There are different types of globalization, which include economic globalization, cultural globalization, economic globalization, globalization of sport, globalization of higher education, and globalization of medicine, health, religion, and science (Ritzer 2010, p. 60). More so, there are distinct factors that drive contemporary globalization which include technology, capitalism, and multinational corporations (Ritzer 2010, p. 60). Nevertheless, there are differences regardi ng the future and expansion of globalization with some scholars viewing globalization as an inexorable process (Ritzer 2010, p. 60). This leads to the assumption of different views concerning globalization. This includes viewing globalization from â€Å"below† and viewing globalization from â€Å"above.† Notably, there are significant differences between globalization â€Å"from above† and globalization â€Å"from below.† Ideally, we can refer to the view of globalization â€Å"from below† as democratic globalization and refer to the view of globalization from above as corporate globalization. More specifically, globalization â€Å"from below† refers to a situation where individuals (activists) or

Strategic Management Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Strategic Management - Coursework Example This report demonstrates the impacts of incorporation of advanced technologies on the business performance. The research aimed in this paper would help in understanding the need for incorporating technological and process based innovations in the business activities of a company. Such researches can be used by the managerial team of a concern in making their business act more efficiently and effectively in the competitive market. The research project involves the case study of Royal Mail to reflect on the strategic initiatives taken by a business company while incorporating technologies as the key driver. Royal Mail is a government listed company that caters to the delivery of large mail orders to huge number of customers spread along a large geographical basis. This company in order to strategise its activities incorporated data entry technological process in its business activities. The data entry operators of Royal Mail work on gathering and listing a large number of customer data which are duly addressed by the company through electronic mails. Royal Mail makes optimal use of the data entry network to market large number of products through the online paradigm. Further, the data sets are closely analysed by the business company to enhance the profitability parameter through pulling out the less performing objects. Thus through the incorporation and effective utilisation of the data entry technological processes Royal Mail successfully competes in the business environment.

Chilean miners Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Chilean miners - Research Paper Example Firstly, the mode of communicating the message about this horrifying incident must be face-to-face as after receiving this news, the families of the victims would need instant physical support and care. Furthermore, in order for the families to stay strong and not lose hope, the news must be broken to them in a manner that helps them in reassuring their selves that nothing terrible is going to happen. For this, it is highly significant for the news breaker(s) to paraphrase their message considering the expected response from the family members after getting the news i.e. the message must include what the rescue workers are capable of doing in order to help the trapped men. Moreover, it is also very important for the people who are going to deliver the message to have patience and to be available as much as possible for the families. It is essential because as soon as the family members will receive this news, they will come up with a variety of questions regarding the safety and well being of their loved ones who are trapped underground and they will be looking forward to the people involved in this matter (the company authorities, rescue workers, the government of Chile, etc.) for all their questions to be heard and answered properly. Many a times when such incidents happen, it has been observed that the people who are responsible for providing endless support to the family members of the victims try to escape from the situation only so that they will not have to answer each and every question that is being asked and also because they have a fear of being accused to be responsible for the incident. Unfortunately, such acts contribute in worsening the already awful state of the victims’ families as all they need during such hard times is to have people around them to cater their worrisome anticipations, such behavior should be strictly avoided. Furthermore, it is also necessary to enlighten the family members regarding the facilities such as drilling narr ow holes up to the level through which air, food, fluorescent lights with timers, games, and other helpful necessities can be supplied down to the trapped men along with exchange of messages (â€Å"Trapped in a Chilean Mine†, 2010) in order to help them survive inside the darkness; which the rescue workers are able to competently provide as this will be helpful in bringing and strengthening the hope in the hearts of families. Moreover, keeping the families up to date with the progress of rescue work is another vital factor to be kept in mind but care should be taken in order to steer clear of giving any kind of false hopes as these would only make the loss, if any, more unbearable to the families at the end. Another important measure to be taken is that of providing professional help of psychologists to the families who are going through this difficult time. It is important for keeping them in healthy mental states (â€Å"Trapped Chilean Miners†, 2010) so that they can learn different coping strategies to survive in this stressful time and also can prepare themselves to accept and deal with whatever is hidden for them in the near future. An added help to cater the needs of the suffering family members would be that of telling them the real stories of successful survivors of similar incidents. What would be the potential needs of the company’s employees when receiving a message about this incident? As in the case of breaking the news to the family members of the trapped men, it would be better if the employees of the company are also given the message about this incident face-to-face instead of using any other mode of communication. It is important because while giving out such sensitive messages, it is always better for the person giving the message to be able to observe the reactions (both verbal and non-verbal) of the message receivers in order to be able to modify the tone and delivery

Union Membership Trend Essay Example for Free

Union Membership Trend Essay On January 27 of this year the annual labor report was released by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. On this very same day the USA Today along with several other media vultures jumped on this information as if they knew what was already going to be on it. The article titled â€Å"Union membership up slightly, outlook in doubt† written by Sam Hananel, summarized the numbers in detail and left no doubt that the current union membership trend will continue in its downward slide. The fact is union membership has been in decline since 1980, and back then the percentage of covered salaried or wage workers was only about 20%. Today the percentage of unionized workers stands at 11.8% down 0.1% from the previous year. The funny thing about these numbers is the political spin everyone has put on them, to include Mr. Hananel; which makes me wonder if I’ve missed some fine print. Upon further review of the article at hand I still remain convince that a negative union membership trend will continue along with the current government practice of downplaying the numbers. Even though the author tried to put a positive on the numbers that fortunate don’t lie. The current percentages of unionized workers mirrors those on record from the time of the â€Å"Great Depression.† The current recession, that yes, we’re still in, doesn’t bode well for any significant positive upswing in union membership. The government will continue to introduce and press on rhetoric that will equate the union membership decline to republican legislative action as this reporter took the liberty of, in mentioning Wisconsin, while dismissing the actions of a democratic legislature in California that succeeded in reducing union benefits. The numbers provided also shed more light on government efforts, which have been dismal at best at all levels. Now labor organizers are focusing some of their efforts on government workers; in an attempt to lure them in as members, but the reality of this trend is that those numbers are severely limited at a time when government workers have not received a raise in two years and are still waiting to see  if they’ll receive one come January 1st while a world-wide hiring freeze was also implemented in January of this year and thus lifted with limitations on certain agencies in July. I don’t believe union membership will ever attain a level in membership numbers that will come close in comparison to the apex reached in the 1930’s when a 1/3 of the salaried workforce was represented. Government Legislation over the years has provided adequate protection for today’s workforce. As the swell in interest on Human Resources activities has created a better management tool for businesses to not only protect themselves but their employees also. I still believe more can be done to protect all workers regardless of union or non-union affiliation. http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/money/workplace/story/2012-01-27/union-membership-growing/52817346/1

Problems addressed by supply chain management

Problems addressed by supply chain management Problems addressed by supply chain management Supply chain management must address the following problems: Distribution Network Configuration: number, location and network missions of suppliers, production facilities, distribution centers, warehouses, cross-docks and customers. Distribution Strategy: questions of operating control (centralized, decentralized or shared); delivery scheme, e.g.,direct shipment, pool point shipping,cross docking, DSD (direct store delivery), closed loop shipping; mode of transportation, e.g.,motor carrier, including truckload,LTL,parcel;railroad; intermodal transport, including TOFC (trailer on flatcar) and COFC (container on flatcar); ocean freight; airfreight; replenishment strategy (e.g., pull, push or hybrid); and transportation control (e.g., owner-operated,private carrier,common carrier, contract carrier, or3PL). Trade-Offs in Logistical Activities: The above activities must be well coordinated in order to achieve the lowest total logistics cost. Trade-offs may increase the total cost if only one of the activities is optimized. For example, full truckload (FTL) rates are more economical on a cost per pallet basis than less than truckload (LTL) shipments. If, however, a full truckload of a product is ordered to reduce transportation costs, there will be an increase in inventory holding costs which may increase total logistics costs. It is therefore imperative to take a systems approach when planning logistical activities. These trade-offs are key to developing the most efficient and effective Logistics and SCM strategy. Information: Integration of processes through the supply chain to share valuable information, including demand signals, forecasts, inventory, transportation, potential collaboration, etc. Inventory Management: Quantity and location of inventory, including raw materials, work-in-progress (WIP) and finished goods. Cash-Flow: Arranging the payment terms and methodologies for exchanging funds across entities within the supply chain. Supply chain execution means managing and coordinating the movement of materials, information and funds across the supply chain. The flow is bi-directional. Activities/functions Supply chain management is a cross-function approach including managing the movement of raw materials into an organization, certain aspects of the internal processing of materials into finished goods, and the movement of finished goods out of the organization and toward the end-consumer. As organizations strive to focus on core competencies and becoming more flexible, they reduce their ownership of raw materials sources and distribution channels. These functions are increasingly being outsourced to other entities that can perform the activities better or more cost effectively. The effect is to increase the number of organizations involved in satisfying customer demand, while reducing management control of daily logistics operations. Less control and more supply chain partners led to the creation of supply chain management concepts. The purpose of supply chain management is to improve trust and collaboration among supply chain partners, thus improving inventory visibility and the velo city of inventory movement. Several models have been proposed for understanding the activities required to manage material movements across organizational and functional boundaries.SCORis a supply chain management model promoted by the Supply Chain Council. Another model is the SCM Model proposed by the Global Supply Chain Forum (GSCF). Supply chain activities can be grouped into strategic, tactical, and operational levels . The CSCMP has adopted The American Productivity Quality Center (APQC) Process Classification FrameworkSMa high-level, industry-neutral enterprise process model that allows organizations to see their business processes from a cross-industry viewpoint. Strategic level Strategic network optimization, including the number, location, and size of warehousing,distribution centers, and facilities. Strategic partnershipswith suppliers, distributors, and customers, creating communication channels for critical information and operational improvements such ascross docking, direct shipping, andthird-party logistics. Product life cycle management, so that new and existing products can be optimally integrated into the supply chain and capacity management activities. Information technologychain operations. Where-to-make andmake-buy decisions. Aligning overall organizational strategy with supply strategy. It is for long term and needs resource commitment. Tactical level Sourcing contracts and other purchasing decisions. Production decisions, including contracting, scheduling, and planning process definition. Inventory decisions, including quantity, location, and quality of inventory. Transportation strategy, including frequency, routes, and contracting. Benchmarkingof all operations against competitors and implementation ofbest practicesthroughout the enterprise. Milestone payments. Focus on customer demand and Habits. Operational level Daily production and distribution planning, including all nodes in the supply chain. Production scheduling for each manufacturing facility in the supply chain (minute by minute). Demand planning and forecasting, coordinating the demand forecast of all customers and sharing the forecast with all suppliers. Sourcing planning, including current inventory and forecast demand, in collaboration with all suppliers. Inbound operations, including transportation from suppliers and receiving inventory. Production operations, including the consumption of materials and flow of finished goods. Outbound operations, including all fulfillment activities, warehousing and transportation to customers. Order promising, accounting for all constraints in the supply chain, including all suppliers, manufacturing facilities, distribution centers, and other customers. From production level to supply level accounting all transit damage cases arrange to settlement at customer level by maintaining company loss through insurance company. Importance of supply chain management Organizations increasingly find that they must rely on effective supply chains, or networks, to compete in the global market and networked economy.[7]In Peter Druckers (1998) new management paradigms, this concept of business relationships extends beyond traditional enterprise boundaries and seeks to organize entire business processes throughout a value chain of multiple companies. During the past decades, globalization, outsourcing andinformation technologyhave enabled many organizations, such asDellandHewlett Packard, to successfully operate solid collaborative supply networks in which each specialized business partner focuses on only a few key strategic activities (Scott, 1993). This inter-organizational supply network can be acknowledged as a new form of organization. However, with the complicated interactions among the players, the network structure fits neither market nor hierarchy categories (Powell, 1990). It is not clear what kind of performance impacts different supply network structures could have on firms, and little is known about the coordination conditions and trade-offs that may exist among the players. From a systems perspective, a complex network structure can be decomposed into individual component firms (Zhang and Dilts, 2004). Traditionally, companies in a supply network concentrate on the inputs and outputs of the processes, with little co ncern for the internal management working of other individual players. Therefore, the choice of an internal management control structure is known to impact local firm performance (Mintzberg, 1979). In the 21st century, changes in the business environment have contributed to the development of supply chain networks. First, as an outcome of globalization and the proliferation of multinational companies, joint ventures, strategic alliances and business partnerships, significant success factors were identified, complementing the earlier Just-In-Time, Lean Manufacturing and Agile Manufacturing practices.[8]Second, technological changes, particularly the dramatic fall in information communication costs, which are a significant component of transaction costs, have led to changes in coordination among the members of the supply chain network (Coase, 1998). Many researchers have recognized these kinds of supply network structures as a new organization form, using terms such as Keiretsu, Extended Enterprise, Virtual Corporation, Global Production Network, and Next Generation Manufacturing System.[9]In general, such a structure can be defined as a group of semi-independent organizations, each with their capabilities, which collaborate in ever-changing constellations to serve one or more markets in order to achieve some business goal specific to that collaboration (Akkermans, 2001). The security management system for supply chains is described in ISO/IEC 28000 and ISO/IEC 28001 and related standards published jointly by ISOandIEC. Historical developments in supply chain management Six major movements can be observed in the evolution of supply chain management studies: Creation, Integration, and Globalization (Movahedi et al., 2009), Specialization Phases One and Two, and SCM 2.0. 1. creation era The termsupply chain managementwas first coined by a U.S. industry consultant in the early 1980s. However, the concept of a supply chain in management was of great importance long before, in the early 20th century, especially with the creation of the assembly line. The characteristics of this era of supply chain management include the need for large-scale changes, re-engineering, downsizing driven by cost reduction programs, and widespread attention to the Japanese practice of management. 2. integration era This era of supply chain management studies was highlighted with the development of Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) systems in the 1960s and developed through the 1990s by the introduction of Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems. This era has continued to develop into the 21st century with the expansion of internet-based collaborative systems. This era of supply chain evolution is characterized by both increasing value-adding and cost reductions through integration. In fact a supply chain can be classified as a Stage 1, 2 or 3 network. In stage 1 type supply chain, various systems such as Make, Storage, Distribution, Material control, etc are not linked and are independent of each other. In a stage 2 supply chain, these are integrated under one plan and is ERP enabled. A stage 3 supply chain is one in which vertical integration with the suppliers in upstream direction and customers in downstream direction is achieved. An example of this kind of supply chain is Tesco. 3. globalization era The third movement of supply chain management development, the globalization era, can be characterized by the attention given to global systems of supplier relationships and the expansion of supply chains over national boundaries and into other continents. Although the use of global sources in the supply chain of organizations can be traced back several decades (e.g., in the oil industry), it was not until the late 1980s that a considerable number of organizations started to integrate global sources into their core business. This era is characterized by the globalization of supply chain management in organizations with the goal of increasing their competitive advantage, value-adding, and reducing costs through global sourcing. 4. specialization eraà ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬phase one: outsourced manufacturing and distribution In the 1990s, industries began to focus on â€Å"core competencies† and adopted a specialization model. Companies abandoned vertical integration, sold off non-core operations, and outsourced those functions to other companies. This changed management requirements by extending the supply chain well beyond company walls and distributing management across specialized supply chain partnerships. This transition also re-focused the fundamental perspectives of each respective organization. OEMs became brand owners that needed deep visibility into their supply base. They had to control the entire supply chain from above instead of from within. Contract manufacturers had to manage bills of material with different part numbering schemes from multiple OEMs and support customer requests for work -in-process visibility and vendor-managed inventory (VMI). The specialization model creates manufacturing and distribution networks composed of multiple, individual supply chains specific to products, suppliers, and customers who work together to design, manufacture, distribute, market, sell, and service a product. The set of partners may change according to a given market, region, or channel, resulting in a proliferation of trading partner environments, each with its own unique characteristics and demands. 5. specialization eraà ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬phase two: supply chain management as a service Specialization within the supply chain began in the 1980s with the inception of transportation brokerages, warehouse management, and non-asset-based carriers and has matured beyond transportation and logistics into aspects of supply planning, collaboration, execution and performance management. At any given moment, market forces could demand changes from suppliers, logistics providers, locations and customers, and from any number of these specialized participants as components of supply chain networks. This variability has significant effects on the supply chain infrastructure, from the foundation layers of establishing and managing the electronic communication between the trading partners to more complex requirements including the configuration of the processes and work flows that are essential to the management of the network itself. Supply chain specialization enables companies to improve their overall competencies in the same way that outsourced manufacturing and distribution has done; it allows them to focus on their core competencies and assemble networks of specific, best-in-class partners to contribute to the overall value chain itself, thereby increasing overall performance and efficiency. The ability to quickly obtain and deploy this domain-specific supply chain expertise without developing and maintaining an entirely unique and complex competency in house is the leading reason why supply chain specialization is gaining popularity. Outsourced technology hosting for supply chain solutions debuted in the late 1990s and has taken root primarily in transportation and collaboration categories. This has progressed from the Application Service Provider (ASP) model from approximately 1998 through 2003 to the On-Demand model from approximately 2003-2006 to the Software as a Service (SaaS) model currently in focus today. 6. supply chain management 2.0 (SCM 2.0) Building on globalization and specialization, the term SCM 2.0 has been coined to describe both the changes within the supply chain itself as well as the evolution of the processes, methods and tools that manage it in this new era. Web 2.0 is defined as a trend in the use of the World Wide Web that is meant to increase creativity, information sharing, and collaboration among users. At its core, the common attribute that Web 2.0 brings is to help navigate the vast amount of information available on the Web in order to find what is being sought. It is the notion of a usable pathway. SCM 2.0 follows this notion into supply chain operations. It is the pathway to SCM results, a combination of the processes, methodologies, tools and delivery options to guide companies to their results quickly as the complexity and speed of the supply chain increase due to the effects of global competition, rapid price fluctuations, surging oil prices, short product life cycles, expanded specialization, near-/far- and off-shoring, and talent scarcity. SCM 2.0 leverages proven solutions designed to rapidly deliver results with the agility to quickly manage future change for continuous flexibility, value and success. This is delivered through competency networks composed of best-of-breed supply chain domain expertise to understand which elements, both operationally and organizationally, are the critical few that deliver the results as well as through intimate understanding of how to manage these elements to achieve desired results. Finally, the solutions are delivered in a variety of options, such as no-touch via business process outsourcing, mid-touch via managed services and software as a service (SaaS), or high touch in the traditional software deployment model. Supply chain business process integration Successful SCM requires a change from managing individual functions to integrating activities into key supply chain processes. An example scenario: the purchasing department places orders as requirements become known. The marketing department, responding to customer demand, communicates with several distributors and retailers as it attempts to determine ways to satisfy this demand. Information shared between supply chain partners can only be fully leveraged throughprocess integration. Supply chain business process integration involves collaborative work between buyers and suppliers, joint product development, common systems and shared information. According to Lambert and Cooper (2000), operating an integrated supply chain requires a continuous information flow. However, in many companies, management has reached the conclusion that optimizing the product flows cannot be accomplished without implementing a process approach to the business. The key supply chain processes stated by Lambert (2004)[10]are: Customer relationship management Customer service management Demand management Order fulfillment Manufacturing flow management Supplier relationship management Product development and commercialization Returns management Much has been written about demand management. Best-in-Class companies have similar characteristics, which include the following: a) Internal and external collaboration b) Lead time reduction initiatives c) Tighter feedback from customer and market demand d) Customer level forecasting One could suggest other key critical supply business processes which combine these processes stated by Lambert such as: Customerservice management Procurement Product development and commercialization Manufacturing flow management/support Physical distribution Outsourcing/partnerships Performance measurement a) Customerservice managementprocess Customer Relationship Management concerns the relationship between the organization and its customers. Customer service is the source of customer information. It also provides the customer with real-time information on scheduling and product availability through interfaces with the companys production and distribution operations. Successful organizations use the following steps to build customer relationships: determine mutually satisfying goals for organization and customers establish and maintain customer rapport produce positive feelings in the organization and the customers b) Procurement process Strategic plans are drawn up with suppliers to support the manufacturing flow management process and the development of new products. In firms where operations extend globally, sourcing should be managed on a global basis. The desired outcome is a win-win relationship where both parties benefit, and a reduction in time required for the design cycle and product development. Also, the purchasing function develops rapid communication systems, such aselectronic data interchange(EDI) and Internet linkage to convey possible requirements more rapidly. Activities related to obtaining products and materials from outside suppliers involve resource planning, supply sourcing, negotiation, order placement, inbound transportation, storage, handling andquality assurance, many of which include the responsibility to coordinate with suppliers on matters of scheduling, supply continuity, hedging, and research into new sources or programs. c) Product development and commercialization Here, customers and suppliers must be integrated into the product development process in order to reduce time to market. As product life cycles shorten, the appropriate products must be developed and successfully launched with ever shorter time-schedules to remain competitive. According to Lambert and Cooper (2000), managers of the product development and commercialization process must: coordinate with customer relationship management to identify customer-articulated needs; select materials and suppliers in conjunction with procurement, and develop production technology in manufacturing flow to manufacture and integrate into the best supply chain flow for the product/market combination. d) Manufacturing flow management process The manufacturing process produces and supplies products to the distribution channels based on past forecasts. Manufacturing processes must be flexible to respond to market changes and must accommodate mass customization. Orders are processes operating on a just-in-time (JIT) basis in minimum lot sizes. Also, changes in the manufacturing flow process lead to shorter cycle times, meaning improved responsiveness and efficiency in meeting customer demand. Activities related to planning, scheduling and supporting manufacturing operations, such as work-in-process storage, handling, transportation, and time phasing of components, inventory at manufacturing sites and maximum flexibility in the coordination of geographic and final assemblies postponement of physical distribution operations. e) Physical distribution This concerns movement of a finished product/service to customers. In physical distribution, the customer is the final destination of a marketing channel, and the availability of the product/service is a vital part of each channel participants marketing effort. It is also through the physical distribution process that the time and space of customer service become an integral part of marketing, thus it links a marketing channel with its customers (e.g., links manufacturers, wholesalers, retailers). f) Outsourcing/partnerships This is not just outsourcing the procurement of materials and components, but also outsourcing of services that traditionally have been provided in-house. The logic of this trend is that the company will increasingly focus on those activities in the value chain where it has a distinctive advantage, and outsource everything else. This movement has been particularly evident inlogisticswhere the provision of transport, warehousing and inventory control is increasingly subcontracted to specialists or logistics partners. Also, managing and controlling this network of partners and suppliers requires a blend of both central and local involvement. Hence, strategic decisions need to be taken centrally, with the monitoring and control of supplier performance and day-to-day liaison with logistics partners being best managed at a local level. g) Performance measurement Experts found a strong relationship from the largest arcs of supplier and customer integration to market share and profitability. Taking advantage of supplier capabilities and emphasizing a long-term supply chain perspective in customer relationships can both be correlated with firm performance. As logistics competency becomes a more critical factor in creating and maintaining competitive advantage, logistics measurement becomes increasingly important because the difference between profitable and unprofitable operations becomes more narrow. A.T. Kearney Consultants (1985) noted that firms engaging in comprehensive performance measurement realized improvements in overall productivity. According to experts, internal measures are generally collected and analyzed by the firm including Cost Customer Service Productivity measures Asset measurement, and Quality. External performance measurement is examined through customer perception measures and best practice benchmarking, and includes 1) customer perception measurement, and 2) best practice benchmarking. h)Warehousing management: As a case of reducing company cost expenses, warehousing management is carrying the valuable role against operations. In case of perfect storing office with all convenient facilities in company level, reducing manpower cost, dispatching authority with on time delivery, loading unloading facilities with proper area, area for service station, stock management system etc. Components of supply chain management are as follows: 1. Standardization 2. Postponement 3. Customization Theories of supply chain management Currently there is a gap in the literature available on supply chain management studies: there is no theoretical support for explaining the existence and the boundaries of supply chain management. A few authors such as Halldorsson, et al. (2003), Ketchen and Hult (2006) and Lavassani, et al. (2009) have tried to provide theoretical foundations for different areas related to supply chain by employing organizational theories. These theories include: Resource-Based View (RBV) Transaction Cost Analysis (TCA) Knowledge-Based View (KBV) Strategic Choice Theory (SCT) Agency Theory (AT) Institutional theory (InT) Systems Theory (ST) Network Perspective (NP) Materials Logistics Management (MLM) Just-in-Time(JIT) Material Requirements Planning(MRP) Theory of Constraints(TOC) Total Quality Management(TQM) Agile Manufacturing Time Based Competition (TBC) Quick Response Manufacturing (QRM) Customer Relationship Management(CRM) and many more , Supply chain centroids Tax efficient supply chain management Tax Efficient Supply Chain Managementis a business model which consider the effect ofTaxin design and implementation of supply chain management. This is different in the context of an international issue as businesses which is cross-nation pay different tax rates in different countries. Due to the differences, global players have the opportunity to calculate and optimize supply chain based on tax efficiencylegally. This is one method of gaining more profit for companies in the international trade, i.e. within the parameter of a global supply chain. Supply chain sustainability Supply chain sustainabilityis a business issue affecting an organizations supply chain or logistics network and is frequently quantified by comparison with SECH ratings. SECH ratings are defined associal, ethical, cultural and healthfootprints. Consumers have become more aware of the environmental impact of their purchases and companies SECH ratings and, along with non-governmental organizations ([NGO]s), are setting the agenda for transitions to organically-grown foods, anti-sweatshop labor codes and locally-produced goods that support independent and small businesses. Because supply chains frequently account for over 75% of a companyscarbon footprint[14]many organizations are exploring how they can reduce this and thus improve their SECH rating. For example, in July, 2009 the U.S. basedWal-Martcorporation announced its intentions to create a globalsustainabilityindex that would rate products according to the environmental and social impact made while the products were manufactured and distributed. The sustainability rating index is intended to create environmental accountability in Wal-Marts supply chain, and provide the motivation andinfrastructurefor other retail industry companies to do the same. Components of supply chain management integration The management components of SCM The SCM components are the third element of the four-square circulation framework. The level of integration and management of a business process link is a function of the number and level, ranging from low to high, of components added to the link (Ellram and Cooper, 1990; Houlihan, 1985). Consequently, adding more management components or increasing the level of each component can increase the level of integration of the business process link. The literature on business process re-engineering,buyer-supplier relationships,and SCMsuggests various possible components that must receive managerial attention when managing supply relationships. Lambert and Cooper (2000) identified the following components: Planning and control Work structure Organization structure Product flow facility structure Information flow facility structure Management methods Power and leadership structure Risk and reward structure Culture and attitude However, a more careful examination of the existing literature[19]leads to a more comprehensive understanding of what should be the key critical supply chain components, the branches of the previous identified supply chain business processes, that is, what kind of relationship the components may have that are related to suppliers and customers. Bowersox and Closs states that the emphasis on cooperation represents the synergism leading to the highest level of joint achievement (Bowersox and Closs, 1996). A primary level channel participant is a business that is willing to participate in the inventory ownership responsibility or assume other aspects of financial risk, thus including primary level components (Bowersox and Closs, 1996). A secondary level participant (specialized) is a business that participates in channel relationships by performing essential services for primary participants, including secondary level components, which support primary participants. Third level channel p articipants and components that support the primary level channel participants and are the fundamental branches of the secondary level components may also be included. Consequently, Lambert and Coopers framework of supply chain components does not lead to any conclusion about what are the primary or secondary (specialized) level supply chain components (see Bowersox and Closs, 1996, p.93). That i