Does your supply chain process serve your organization’s local mission?

Thinking Globally, Acting Locally

A well-integrated supply chain links a firm to vendors everywhere, allowing people to immediately see the least-expensive suppliers, the fastest shipping points and the highest-quality products, often all at once. However, for all the wonders of the global marketplace made real, they’re almost irrelevant to an emergency room doctor treating a car crash victim, a master chef pushing four orders of Beef Wellington out of the kitchen door or a special education teacher working with a troubled child.

The supply chain is a tool to help solve problems. But every organization has its own unique problems to solve.

Organizations look at global technology as a means to solve very local problems. A hospital CIO in an economically disadvantaged community needs technology to help serve its poor patients cost-effectively.

That chef might care about being able to source the best ingredients worldwide, but will be more concerned about executing the perfect meal for the people in front of her. Supply chain management for a school has to serve the needs of the student.

The bells and whistles of globalization matter less than delivering on the core mission.

Insights

• Engaging local organizations (e.g., chambers of commerce) to increase insight into local capabilities.
• Would like to see Economic Impact tied to Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and workforce impact.
• The ability to quickly see how many local resources are available for a given opportunity.