What are the traits of supply chain excellence?

 This is where it starts. Firms with best supply chains often have valid corporate strategy that the supply chain organization builds on and around. This drives planning, tactical design, milestones and other steps in strategy development and implementation.

You must have a direction to what you are doing to deal in the global business environment. The best have a supply chain management strategy that enables them to plan the tactical operations and to prioritize suppliers, customers and products. Strategy sets the platform for supply chain execution.

Supply chain leaders understand that supply chain management is a process that crosses their company and extends beyond the company. They know SCM is about the flow of products and information and that the supply chain stretches from suppliers through to store shelves or to customer warehouses.

The supply chain strategy reflects their present position in the market and with supply chain management and what must be done to align with and drive the company strategy. If the company's strategy means a significant shift as to market, products or customers, then the supply chain must change. There is no such thing as "one" supply chain management approach and one-size supply chain does not fit all.

The strategy is long-term, recognizes globalization, and has a growth focus. They also understand how dynamic the strategy must be. They know there is often resistance to change that can happen within companies. That means the supply chain strategy must be a facilitator of change, be agile and able to recognize, incorporate and adapt to drive toward the changes required.

 The best know that lean supply chain management is more than warehouses and transport topics. It must include the total supply chain, both domestic and, especially, international. They stay focused on adding value as defined by customer, using the pull which complements SCM, keeping a customer focus, and removing the waste of inventory and time.

Hi

 According to me following are few traits in Supply Chain Managements:

Strategy: This is where it starts. Firms with best supply chains often have valid corporate strategy that the supply chain organization builds on and around. This drives planning, tactical design, milestones and other steps in strategy development and implementation.

Metrics: Results matter. But the right measures matter too.

Lean: The best know that lean supply chain management is more than warehouses and transport topics.

 Technology. They use technology as a process enabler.

Supplier performance. They understand that supply chain success depends on supplier performance.

Integration and collaboration. They recognize the supply chain process requires integration throughout the organization and beyond with suppliers and customers 

Other. They also are involved with-

Risk mitigation.

Green. 

 Results matter. But the right measures matter too. They know how well their supply chain is or is not performing because they have key performance indicators to tell them. Financial measures are poor ways to evaluate, direct and manage supply chains. For overall evaluation, good supply chain executives look at select metrics, such as the perfect order, for both customers and for suppliers. Namely it is an order that is delivered complete, on time and accurate.

They also focus on a key enemy of all business-time. International sourcing has created opportunities for lower-cost products. However it has also created challenges as to lead-times, reliability and resultant impact on inventory levels, potential out of stock conditions and logistics costs.

Supply chain excellence is a relative theory. Excellence per say, would vary from supply chain to supply chain. Infact, it isn't easy to assess or measure performance across a supply chain.  There are +Ves and -ves that even out, and in general every supply chain exists because that is the way it works. As time passes, business change...the Demand is always increasing, and it is a constant catch up game. To be able to meet most of your demand requirements is by itself a great achievement, that too if you are consitent about it. I would say, if we have the right inventory at the right places at every node in the supply chain in most time intervals consistently that by itself is excellence. This is no mean feat to achieve, I trust you would agree.