SUPPLY CHAIN MANAGEMENT

The Application of Logistics and Supply Chain Management Activities of ASDA



The Application of Logistics and Supply Chain Management Activities of ASDA

Executive Summary

This writing in an in depth analysis of Supply Chain Management Activities of ASDA. We will be discussing various methods through which ASDA strengthen its suppy chain management. ASDA is a company that deals in British foods. Since the company deals in perishable item therfore it is necessary for ASDA to maintain an effective supply chain management so that it can help the company to provide quality services and foods to its customers. In this writing various recommendations are also stated in order to make the supply chain of ASDA more effective. But before the recommendations are given company's current supply chain model is also discussed. It helps the reader to get a more comrehensive view of what strategies should be developed in order to help the company to achieve its ultimate goals. Furthermore the loopholes in the supply chain system are also dicussed so as to give a clearer picture of the future requirements. Readers can also find the overview of why a supply chain management system is important for an organization and how it can benefit the organization. In addition to this various costs and distributions are also discussed in this writing.

Introduction

This discussion uses the concepts, tools and techniques studies on this module to explore the application of Logistics and Supply Chain Management activities of ASDA with specific reference to their strategy to increase efficiency of their supply chains. In order to do so adequately, the discussion will make specific reference to ASDA's strategy which underpins its desire to improve supply chain. The direction adopted by the discussion will aim to establish how it influences the selection and engagement with suppliers and how the strategy is manifest in the products that are sold in ASDA stores.

ASDA is a brand and a commercial company retailing predominantly British food. ASDA became a subsidiary of the giant U.S. distribution Wal-Mart (the global leader in 1999, P. 2) and has become the second largest retail chain in the UK after Tesco, after overtaking Sainsbury's in 2003. ASDA is the largest subsidiary of Wal-Mart outside the United States, accounting for almost half of the company's sales abroad. At present, ASDA has around 150,000 employees.

Logistics and Supply Chain Management, focuses on the efficient planning and management of logistics networks (Bai & Sarkis, 2012; Bode, Wagner, Petersen & Ellram, 2011, P.12). It will be integrated business management and economics, as well as information technology content and special methods. This allows to capture logistical networks in terms of their overall economic conditions and effects and to analyze control problems along the value chain (Carrasco-Gallego, Ponce-Cueto & Dekker, 2012; Danese, 2011, P.5). Using modern information and communication technologies special advanced planning systems must be used. The focus is on modern application systems for supply chain management, off shoring and on real-time control systems (Golicic & Davis, 2012, ...