In a move which will see numerous benefits for companies in the
Southern African region, UTi, a global supply chain solutions
provider listed on Nasdaq, has worked with the internationally
recognised Supply Chain Council, to facilitate the launch of a
South African chapter.
UTi chairperson Tiger Wessels says that with the globalisation of
economies South African companies have to become more efficient in
the distribution, importing and exporting of raw materials and
manufactured goods. Wessels remarks that increased logistical
efficiencies are fundamental to the success of companies that want
to participate in the global economy.
„Many South African companies have identified tmini portable rock crusherhe importance of
managing the supply chain, and local associations often provide
only personal networking and discussion forum opportunities for the
industry, without offering internationally tried and tested tools
to facilitate tangible efficiency improvements. „I believe that if
South African companies are to be taken seriously at an
international level, we must take an even more professional and
dismobile cone crusher plantciplined approach to supply chain management,“ he
maintains.
After extensive evaluation of the available options, UTi found that
the supply chain operations reference-model (Scor), endorsed and
documented by the US-based Supply Chain Council, provides one of
the best fast-track improvement frameworks for companies interested
in improving the supply chain.
„Scor, as a tried and teslatrobe wash plants ligniteted reference model for supply chain
management, is entirely appropriate for the southern African
context. „Through the launch of a local chapter of the Supply Chain
Council we, at UTi, are committing ourselves to supporting and
promoting this model in southern Africa,“ remarks Wessels.
The council, an independent, non-profit, international
organisation, was set up in 1996 in response to the ngravel crusher for saleeed for common
standards and tools in measuring supply chain performance. It was
launched as a grassroots initiative by Pittigloi Rabin Tood &
McGrath (PRTM) and AMR Research with 69 voluntary member companies.
Its mission remains to advance the state-of-the-art in supply chain
management systems and practices.
Through the internationally proved, multidisciplinary Scor model,
the Supply Chain Council hcrushers used for uraniumas been able to introduce and maintain a
common standard for implementing supply chain management
improvement programmes across a broad cross-section of
industries.
Members of the council include leading international manufacturers,
distributors and retailers, but also technology suppliers,
academics, consulting firms and government organisations.
The council has 650 members worldwide, including Fortune 500
companies such as BP, British American Tobacco, Coca Cola, Daimler
Chrysler and Procter & Gamble. The members have access to the
intellectual capital knowledge base of the council, as well as
access to the Scor model which they can use for reengineering,
modelling or benchmarking their supply chain.
They can participate in council activities as well as the
development and maintenance of the model and thus provide
benchmarking data. Wessels says that the Supply Chain Council
welcomes new user-members and makes Scor available to them with the
goal of advancing global supply chain management practices and
procedures. Given the development potential of the southern African
region, UTi submitted a proposal to the international body, who
subsequently authorised the establishment of a southern Africa
chapter.
„With this initiative, local companies, consultants, educational
institutions and associations in South Africa and the region will
now have direct access to the Scor methodology, as well as to the
experiences and knowledge-base of other leading companies who
support and implement best practices,“ Wessels concludes.
The South African Chapter will host the 2003 Africa Supply Chain
World Conference in the first half of next year, in Johannesburg.