The omni-channel supply chain, circa 2000
Two years ago I began writing about retail e-commerce, mainly highlighting the struggles that brick-and-mortar retailers have had competing against the likes of Amazon.com.
Two years ago I began writing about retail e-commerce, mainly highlighting the struggles that brick-and-mor¬tar retailers have had competing against the likes of Amazon.com. Amazon succeeded in being the “Wal-Mart of the Internet” by innovating a supply chain designed to dominate large-scale, on-line, unit-based order fulfillment. My two columns on the subject were: “Holiday e-commerce: Innovation required” (Jul/Aug 2014) and “e-commerce innovation needed by retailers” (Mar/Apr 2015).
The big e-story these days is omni-channel retail supply chains. Consultants and software companies have been aggressively marketing their wares largely to business-to-consumer (B2C) supply chains. But, what about business-to-business (B2B) supply chains? More importantly, what about hybrid B2B and B2C chains? Surely (by definition) these, too, are omni-channel.
The e-business book
The only book project I was ever a part of was as a co-author of a book written by AMR Research (now part of Gartner Inc.) and Computer Sciences Corporation (CSC). Commissioned in April 2000 by the Council of Logistics Management (CLM), now the Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals (CSCMP), our job was to provide practical advice to its members about leveraging the Internet. The research added to the knowledge our organizations previously had on where things were headed. The book had two themes:
- Internet leverage. How companies were leveraging the Internet and electronic connectivity to support and enhance current supply chain management processes and practices.
- New business models. What leading companies were doing to align their supply chains in support of new e-business models for conducting business over the Web, including internal productivity enhancements and external benefits.
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Two years ago I began writing about retail e-commerce, mainly highlighting the struggles that brick-and-mor¬tar retailers have had competing against the likes of Amazon.com. Amazon succeeded in being the “Wal-Mart of the Internet” by innovating a supply chain designed to dominate large-scale, on-line, unit-based order fulfillment. My two columns on the subject were: “Holiday e-commerce: Innovation required” (Jul/Aug 2014) and “e-commerce innovation needed by retailers” (Mar/Apr 2015).
The big e-story these days is omni-channel retail supply chains. Consultants and software companies have been aggressively marketing their wares largely to business-to-consumer (B2C) supply chains. But, what about business-to-business (B2B) supply chains? More importantly, what about hybrid B2B and B2C chains? Surely (by definition) these, too, are omni-channel.
The e-business book
The only book project I was ever a part of was as a co-author of a book written by AMR Research (now part of Gartner Inc.) and Computer Sciences Corporation (CSC). Commissioned in April 2000 by the Council of Logistics Management (CLM), now the Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals (CSCMP), our job was to provide practical advice to its members about leveraging the Internet. The research added to the knowledge our organizations previously had on where things were headed. The book had two themes:
- Internet leverage. How companies were leveraging the Internet and electronic connectivity to support and enhance current supply chain management processes and practices.
- New business models. What leading companies were doing to align their supply chains in support of new e-business models for conducting business over the Web, including internal productivity enhancements and external benefits.
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About the Author
Larry Lapide Dr. Lapide is a lecturer at the University of Massachusetts’ Boston Campus and is an MIT Research Affiliate. He received the inaugural Lifetime Achievement in Business Forecasting & Planning Award from the Institute of Business Forecasting & Planning. Dr. Lapide can be reached at: [email protected].Subscribe to Supply Chain Management Review Magazine!
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Article Topics
Amazon · E-Commerce · InSights · July 2016 · Omni-channel ·It’s high time to go beyond visibility Driving supply chain flexibility in an uncertain and volatile world View More From this Issue