SUPPLY CHAIN MANAGEMENT: ASSESSING COSTS AND LINKAGES IN THE WHEAT VALUE CHAIN

In response to current market pressures, firms are forming strategies under various industry initiatives to gain competitive advantage. Whether these initiatives entail better service, lower costs, or both, they share a common essence: integrating the supply chain. The objective of this thesis was to contrast firm-level strategic design criteria with integrated supply chain decision criteria for three activities in the wheat supply chain. The model developed provides a mechanism to better understand information requirements necessary for firms to evaluate supply chain integration strategies. Consistent with the strategy literature, these strategies have, heretofore, primarily been analyzed qualitatively. Differences in wheat quality preferences among individual firms comprising the wheat supply chain were found. With the exception of protein, these are all but lost in the complexity of the competitive structures facing each individual firm. Therefore, benefits of supply chain coordination exist, but are either not compelling or tangible. Methods to quantify these benefits and how they are distributed in the supply chain, however, have not been adequately addressed. By quantifying benefits and their distribution among a supply chain, firms can better negotiate vertical coordination strategies, ultimately improving their competitive position. The structure of the wheat flour milling industry has greatly changed in the past few decades. Due to changing rail transportation rates, new mills have been built near population centers.

• Record URL:
  https://www.ugpti.org/resources/reports/details.php?id=419
• Supplemental Notes:
  • Sponsored by the Department of Transportation, University Transportation Centers Program.
• Corporate Authors:

  Upper Great Plains Transportation Institute

  North Dakota State University
  1320 Albrecht Boulevard
  Fargo, ND  United States  581052
• Authors:
  • Titus, M J
• Publication Date: 1996-5

Language

• English

Media Info

• Media Type: Digital/other
• Features: Appendices; Figures; References; Tables;
• Pagination: 153 p.

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Benefits; Food industry; Integrated systems; Physical distribution; Quantitative analysis; Railroad transportation; Rates; Supply chain management; Wheat
• Uncontrolled Terms: Integration; Quantifying
• Subject Areas: Freight Transportation; Railroads;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00722154
• Record Type: Publication
• Report/Paper Numbers: MPC Rept. No. 96-61
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Jun 19 1996 12:00AM