Is it just a name change or even more ? e.g. Logistics was replaced by SCM.
Demand chain management = customer relationship management. Consumers, customers, partners, distributors are all parts of the demand chain and are the focus of CRM.
Demand chain management as a concept has been integrated into the supply chain management paradigm as it was recognised that demand chain management and supply chain management are the same, just looked at from a different point along that chain. As supply chain management is concerned with the network from point of origin to point of consumption it, by default, includes the demand chain.
But scholars such as Mark Rainbird (2008,2004), Christopher (2002), Hikkila (2002) see Demand Chain as an emerging concept which though emanates from SCM yet a bit different in several sense. Christopher argue that SCM to be replaced by Demand Chain Management because of its philosophical orientation.
Yet there is no clarity in the literature. Please suggest me how can I progress in my research on the same.
I think the biggest distinction between SCM and DCM is the focal firm's perspective of the supply chain. Whereas SCM aims to efficiently manage the upstream relationships with suppliers, manufacturers, and producers, the DCM approach rather focuses on the information and material flow downstream towards the retailers, service providers, and customers.
SCM focuses on the supply of products, parts, or components - DCM focuses on the forecasting and satisfaction of the customers' demand.
Thanking you Dr. Christian Konig for valuable input.......Can you please suggest me which research philosophy (Positivist/ interpretivist/ realist) should be followed to conduct my doctoral research on Demand Chain Management? As most of researches so far studied the phenomena qualitatively and put forth the propositions.
Hi Arun, i think your philosophy should not be based on your topic. Rather the other way around, according to your philosophy, you should pic the appropriate methodology and data collection/analysis approaches. It depends on what research you want to apply, an inductive or deductive approach, where you either explore a phenomenon that results in a theory, or you test a theory, respectively. I am sure you can use quantitative techniques in order to test certain propositions, which would be aligned with a more positivist philosophy. However, there is a lot of interpretation and rigour necessary in order to identify your philosophical standpoint. Hope this helps, and i am not a doctor yet, work is still in progress...
i woulkd suggest you look at two significant contributions to your debate. Firstly Suzanne de Treville et al (2004) wrote an interesting positioning article about DCM in the Journal of Operations Management (Vol 21, pp 613-627. Secondly Simon Croom et al wrote an equally interesting lit review contribution in 2000 in the European Journal of Purchasing & Supply Management Vol 6 pp 67-83. Both give a good starting point for developments in the last decade or so.
The business trends indicate that the Demand Chain Management (DCM) cannot replace SCM. Shrinking product life cycles and innovative information technology applications started a reaction that has raised the performance expectations of supply networks. The Supply Chain needs to deliver more value in new ways, to be faster to market, to become more flexible in responding to demand changes, and to reduce costs. To achieve these higher service levels, many companies have turned to external suppliers to provide them with capabilities that they themselves could no longer provide. The the need for higher and deeper levels of coordination among the companies can except a Demand chain management as a concept needs to be integrated into the supply chain management.
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