SCM and the Plastic Fork

Quality and Supply Chain Management

Supply Chain Management-Definition
Author: Jacob (Joey) Anslum
June 15, 2007

Supply Chain Management is the process of monitoring, controlling, and the overall management of a process from the raw material until the finished product is delivered to the customer. As you can imagine there are many steps involved in a manufacturing process if you back track to the origin of product’s basic building blocks; especially if you consider the number of raw materials alone that goes into even the seemingly simple manufacturing of a plastic fork. If you wanted to produce such an item and happened to have a manufacturing facility that could accommodate its production you would still need to procure plastimers, hardeners, dyes, etc. You need to know where these agents can be purchased, lead times, if there is adequate supplies to keep your facility running, transportation to get it to the facility, storage once it arrived, storage for the finished product, buyers, transportation to the buyers, and probably a few more steps that aren’t mentioned. You need to establish a “supply chain” consisting of all of these entities. (Chopra & Meindl, 2007)

Supply Chain Management means putting all of these resources together in order to meet the needs of the customer. In my business supply chains are a way of life. We have certain segments of the supply chain that are managed internally by our own employees in different departments and others in which we use external labor and expertise provided by third party suppliers. Regardless if the supply chain segment is internal or external the objective is always to same, get the finished product to the customer. One of the primary benefits of a supply chain is ensuring there are no gaps in the chain that will cause interruptions to the process. Contracts are often sought out with suppliers, transporters, etc. to provide a specific capacity of services to further ensure there is no break in the chain. As the saying goes, the chain is only as strong as its weakest link. Supply chain management helps to ensure there are no weak links and all carry their loads.
JacobAnslum lives and writes in NW Houston. He travesl internationally representing his company. He recently returned from European tour of suppliers and customers.
Reference:
Chopra, S. & Meindl, P. (2007). Supply Chain Management. Strategy, planning, & operation.
(3rd ed). Pearson Prentice Hall, Upper Saddle River, New Jersey


Re: Plastic fork Jones by Patrick.Darnell on 6/15/2007
Hi Joey:
Now you've done it. Since we have been group mates, you probably know to stop reading right now. Also you, Professor McLaughlin, if you are getting tired of my 'random abstractions,' you might want to stop here. Thank you.

For the rest of you: I have never thought of plastic forks as analogy for process improvement. Had you? What a heavy concept for convergence of supply chains. First off: The plastic fork is not Grandma's antique silver dinnerware, it is a copy of that institutional symbol. Let me continue.


In the context of PHase 3 conducting process improvement analysis -- we first define SCM. Joey aptly says: "monitor, control, and manage raw material to finished product." He tempted me by saying even if: In this case it is a plastic fork. (paraphrased)

Additionally, our course materials suggest: "Process capability measures the ability of a process to consistently meet external customer requirements." The resources also say, "Variability of Processes is due to results of external measurements varying from one market survey to the next." Process Variance is naturally occurring due to cost, quality, flow times and flow rates... all contexts that depend on supply chain alignment. Really good stuff.


Thus, when Joey said plastic forks, I interpreted that as "Hey, plastic forks even have a process." Personally I have always been agog of plastic ware in correlation to outdoor activities. Therefore I agree with Mr. Anslum's analogous corollary, and his identification of a baseline. Everyone needs a baseline to begin one's study.
"So what customer-driven process variance is possible with plastic forks?" I ask happy-heartedly.


Plastic forks, it turns out, have been re-tooled for modern green business. Eureka! And with that I submit compliance has met its lowest rung on the ladder to compliance with oil-free industry. A process that uses Polylactic acid "aka PLA" to manufacture re-duplication of the original plastic duplication of Grandma's original silver dinnerware -- "The fork I used that day and the cups used to serve beer and soda were made from a plastic resin, polylactic acid, aka PLA, a material most often made from corn but also using other plant starches including potatoes and wheat." (DeBare, Ilana, 2007)


-and- "Excellent Packaging & Supply, a small Richmond company started by King and Levine, is carving out a niche as a distributor of compost-able and biodegradable food service products.


They sell dinner plates and coffee cups made from sugar cane residue. Drinking straws and take-out boxes made from corn starch. And Spudware -- forks, spoons and knives that feel like high-quality plastic but are actually made from a biodegradable blend of potato starch and soy oil" (DeBare, Ilana , Chronicle Staff Writer, Sunday, January 7, 2007, RIDDING WORLD OF PLASTIC FORKS)


Well that covers who, what, when, where and how. I am, probably like you, getting an uneasy feeling about "ridding the earth of plastic forks." I have that brain clogging, numbness that wants to ponder "Why?"


Shoutwire.com Article: Survive in The Woods With A Plastic Fork And Some Lint
"Well, here you are lost in the bush again. How did you get there? Beats me. Too bad you didn’t bring a survival kit or some gear. After a quick inventory, you have managed to find a plastic fork and a ball of lint from inside your pockets. You’re screwed, but it could be worse. You could have nothing at all.
... http://www.shoutwire.com/comments/73814/Survive_in_The_Woods_With_A_Plastic_Fork_And_Some_Lint
You build a shelter and a fire.... Alright, so you now have shelter and a fire. But what about your plastic fork? Surely there is some use for it, right? Of course there is. Hopefully you’ve caught a few episodes of Oz, because this is going to require some prison ingenuity."Grab your plastic fork and head over to your new fire pit. Look around and find yourself a small, dry stick that you can use as a “match”.

Light that bad boy on fire. Got it? OK. Now begin gently heating the handle of the fork. It’s important to heat the fork very gently because the plastic will start to burn if it gets too hot. When the plastic begins to soften, gently form the handle into a blade shape using your thumb and index finger. Take your time and do a good job. Once you have the fork formed into the desired blade shape, allow the plastic to cool for a while.

Now the final step. Find yourself a big rock. Not just any rock will do. It needs to be the smoothest rock that you can find. Once you’ve picked your rock, you can begin the process of sharpening your plastic fork. Just sharpen it as you would any other knife. Once you’re done, you’ll have the next best thing to a real knife. Hey, if it works in prison, it can work in the woods too. Now go shank some wildlife." (shoutwire, nd)


--Heck, I don't have a plastic fork, I only have my Spudware-- WWGMD? [...what would grandma do...] Well I could distill it into Vodka! Yay, I'm saved!


(source to anecdote mislaid, retrieved from internet yesterday) http://www.shoutwire.com/comments/73814/Survive_in_The_Woods_With_A_Plastic_Fork_And_Some_Lint


Ps. I graduate in ten days; these are my last ever Discussion boards, and I am happy.

Pat,
You've done it again! I am smiling ear to ear! Thanks!
Courtney P.