Introduction
Supply chain management is the reformation of industry supply-side practices to maximize consumer value and to attain a competitive advantage in the industry. Supply chain management (SCM) denotes an attempt by suppliers to create and execute supply chains that are as proficient and cost-effective as possible. Supply chains envelop everything starting production, to product improvement, to the information systems required to guide these activities. In order to accomplish the purpose of this paper, the following are major discussion issues justifications, objectives, research approaches and information analysis.
Justification
Supply chain management is a suitable research topic for a degree study due to various reasons. SCM involves the planning and organization of all undertakings involved in procurement and sourcing, adaptation, and all logistics control activities. Prominently, it also comprises coordination and cooperation with channel associates, which can be intermediaries, suppliers, third-party service contributors, and consumers. In essence, SCM integrates supply and demand organization within and transverse corporations (CSCMP 2009). Numerous empirical data used in the study of SCM. Since there are necessary literatures concerning the topic, it is a suitable research area to enable secondary and primary data collection. A research comprising secondary data and primary data increases the validly and reliability of the research outcomes.
In various sectors, supply chain research implemented in an objective and independent manner. The research regards community, businesses and government effort as vital to the research implemented to capitalize on the potential for relevance of research results. As part of stakeholder involvement, consultation executed to ensure the significance of the effort.SCM has broader area for study, typically research topics categorized into the areas of operations research, supply chain strategy, intelligence, technology and interaction. Many researchers concentrate on benefit of supply chain to industries and trade issues; however, in this research the scope goes further to analyze how SCM is effective in academic.
The commercial supply chain idea and its profit are well acknowledged and a region of study and execution in industry and hot conversation and study in academia (Murali and Venkata 2012). However, people have not transplanted this incorporated material and data flow idea from industry to the areas of academia. There would be gains to faculty, students, and managers at multiple academic stages, if the idea implemented to join the secondary and collegiate levels of education (Murali &Venkata 2012). The scope and extent of SCM-associated study is increasing, but there are still several chances available to broaden and augment knowledge about supply chains. There are chances to enlarge the theoretical fundamentals of the SCM field and to provide study that helps supply chain executives to handle and solve problems (Stock 2009).
Research objectives
The main research objective concerning supply chain would be how to integrate SCM benefits into the academic environment.
Specific objectives:
- To determine how academic stakeholders can adopt SCM technique of competitive advantages into academic competitive concept
- To determine how to implement the philosophy of SCM in higher education systems and environment to gain competitive advantages
- To analyze how different SCM types influence academic progress in learning environment
The Key Academic Ideas
Traditional theories of SCM empower education supply chain (ESC) management in service corporations. For SCM theory expansion, components defined purposely. Investigators will have to reach an agreement designation of SCM so that the system may move on with the expansion of SCM theories and sub-theories (Stock, 2009). When analyzing the documented SCM literature, scholars from fields such as operations research, organizational behaviour, logistics, management, and industrial technology, have produced the volume of articles relating SCM-related journals. However, each of the fields applies their specific strategies, methodologies, and objectives to SCM. Few studies take a multi-disciplinary approach. While nothing is intrinsically wrong with taking precise strategies to studying SCM, the discipline only boost incrementally, rather than observing significant advance such as those discovered when procedures are reengineered (Stock 2009).
There are distinctive differences concerning the two supply chains:
The industrial supply chain is incorporated in data flow, productivity requirements (both quantity and quality), and data flow as a system. The educational supply chain not incorporated from kindergarten to college. While the learning levels incorporated for a metropolis or county from nursery to high learning institution, there is disconnect in the linkage from the high school to the collegiate stage. There are inadequate reports from colleges and institution of higher education to the high schools on the development and shortcomings of learners the high schools supplied. The moment there is coordination from collegiate to high school levels. It is sporadic and informal, not consistent and formalized (Gagnon, North Carolina and T State University, 2003).
The commercial supply chain instigates its preparation by scanning and assessing consumer requirements, both existing and prospect. Afterward they schedule the components, service, product, and raw resources backwards all through the supply chain coordination. The educational system does not establish the number of students it requires to enter each level of the organization by surveying the manager market for present or future requirements. Students just input the system at first by age. On the other hand, the number of learners entering the educational system forecasted at every stage (Gagnon, North Carolina and T State University, 2003).
Individual corporations within every level of the commercial supply chain are characteristically for profit corporations with financial liability to their stockholders. The academic structure is not profit oriented and has no stockholders. Nonetheless, each academic level has stakeholders like parents, accrediting agencies, taxpayers, state and federal monitoring agencies, and alumni to whom the structure is accountable. Industrial supply chain (ISC) overtakes raw material, modules, components and others, which do not encompass the capability of self-improvement or self-awareness, along the sequence. On the other hand, academic systems supply intelligent individuals with innate acquaintance, emotions, self-awareness, reasoning ability, and the capacity for self-improvement out of the supply chain. Therefore, the individuals require special treatment (Gagnon, North Carolina and T State University 2003).
SCM educational theory concerns the use of supply chain to enhance educational advantage. Why employ the ISC as a model to incorporate academic systems? Both academic and industrial systems have a number of similar objectives. The objectives comprise high quality productivities from each level and complete outputs that gratify the needs of the society and marketplace. Secondly, minimized cost of operating the system and minimized general lead-time from the input level to the last output (Gagnon, North Carolina and T State University, 2003). The other objective is to reduce inventory and delay moment at every stage. Lastly, through efficient forecasting and information transfer, the mechanisms have the corresponding of supply capability at each level with demand. However, the ISC possesses a number of features missing in the academic description. These features are integrated productivity design, quality control for access to every stage, incorporated information systems, and inter-organizational associations (Gagnon, North Carolina & T State University 2003).
Regarding other concepts of SCM, most practitioners and researchers would consent that exceptional supply chain operations and strategies outcome from good teamwork, harmonization, and incorporation. There are some research trials to scrutinize behavioural matters in the supply chain (Stock, 2009). Positively, there are customer conduct issues addressable, but also those behavioral matters relating to supplier teamwork and harmonization, such as generating and maintaining calculated alliances and partnerships. Even the very exact matters, such as contract arbitration with various vendors, suppliers, and third-party service suppliers, have behavioural consequences associated with them (Stock 2009).
Research Approach and Research Methods
Research Approach
This research proposal would use a deductive strategy as a key study approach. It begins with a literature assessment, which is the secondary source of data. By initiating from theory, the objective is to find out some causality connecting the two diverse incorporation of tactic in cross-educational management and the complementarities (Loska 2013). The point is to get some complementarities that distinguish the two firms’ incorporation strategies.
Research Design
The study will adopt mixed research methodology that comprises both qualitative and quantitative research designs to collect data. The proposed design is chosen based on its strength in analysis to integrate primary quantitative elements that employ deductive scientific methods. It proposed that quantitative data be collected using structured questionnaires administered sample population. Qualitative approach is useful to the study because of its objectivity in corroborating secondary against the primary data to t achieve the study’s key objectives (Loska 2013).
Research Methods
Interviews: Interviews facilitate face-to-face interactions with human participants during primary data collection. The interview questions structure to allow the respondents to give their opinions. Tactics use to collect interview data comprises taking notes or taping the interview. However, the interview design scheduled of questions either closed or open or a mixture (Wisker 2007).
Questionnaires: Questionnaires frequently seem a reasonable and easy alternative as a way of gathering information from research participants. They instituted in closed structured giving participants scale of responses or YES/No options. Data collected from this method easily analyzed and presented (Wisker 2007).
Setting
The research proposal will set on education industry. SCM has been commercial oriented, but it has insights that can assist in academic chain levels.
Access to the Data
The structured questionnaires sent online for those outside upon coming to an agreement with the respondents to complete and return. For sampled establishments within targeted locations, appointments sought and research assistance with the help of lead researcher, will physically facilitate their completion by the respondents. Secondary data refer to reassessed data from earlier findings for other purpose, which comprises both raw data and conclusions (Harrell and Bradley 2009). Primary data collection process assists in collecting original data for the intended purpose. A research can be conducted using only secondary data; however, without inclusion of primary data make the data bias and least reliable (Harrell and Bradley 2009).
Data Analysis
The data collected from the questionnaires and physical visits to sampled fusion restaurants because this helps in the evaluation of the specific observations and study organizational factors. The findings of the research compared to those from my background of the study to avoid the weaknesses seen in earlier studies of this nature dissertation with the initial questionnaires collected and analyzed. The data presentation ought to be in a format understandable to readers. Statistical software such as excel has table and chart capabilities assist in data analysis and presentation.
Conclusion
Supply chain management is a suitable research topic for a degree study due to various reasons. Numerous empirical data used in the study of SCM. Since there are necessary literatures concerning the topic, it is a suitable research area to enable secondary and primary data collection. Traditional theories of SCM empower education supply chain (ESC) management in service corporations. For SCM theory expansion, components defined purposely. Investigators will have to reach an agreement designation of SCM so that the system may move on with the expansion of SCM theories and sub-theories. The research proposal will use deductive strategy as a key study approach and adopt mixed research methodology. Data collection instruments that will be appropriate are questionnaires and interviews.