TABLE OF CONTENTS This chapter details the changes an enterprise must make as it moves from a level 1 to level 2 position, and prepares itself for an advanced state of progress, and the values that can be generated. In an area occupied by few businesses, the enterprise gains control of its internal processes, segmenting the business into meaningful end-to-end organizational slices. Business processes are finely mapped, using state-of-the-art modeling tools, and the resultant models become instantly deployable in the business. Inhibitors to change are inevitable, however, and the major ones will be described, along with suggestions for overcoming them. Citing results from a recent survey conducted by CSC and Supply Chain Management Review magazine, the authors explain how and why most firms are bogged down in levels 2 and 3 of the five-level progression and what it takes to move into the advanced levels of progress.
With a determination to not only pursue supply chain excellence but also to reflect the results through meaningful financial improvements, the firm is prepared to further consider its progress through the five levels of the supply chain maturity model. Now we consider the changes that an enterprise must make as it moves from an entry-level position and begins to ready itself for the advanced levels of supply chain management. With adequate attention directed to the necessities of level 1, the firm can develop early savings, which can be traced to the financial statements and used to fund later efforts.
