The Supply Chain Differentiation Guide

A: Conception of the supply chain guideline: Introduction
- Why do we need a SCD guideline?
- Supply chain assessments
- Principles and advantages of the supply chain differentiation approach
- Structure of SCD-Guide
- Scalability of the approach
- Morphological box for SCD
- Example cases
- Challenges of an application of the supply chain assessment
B: Description of TO-BE supply chain: SCD-Guide preparation: Internal analysis: company strategy
- External analysis: company and environment
- Summary of strategic internal and external analysis
- Application example and possible output
CM 1: Customer segmentation and supply chain strategy
- Goals of content module 1
- Customer requirements and segmentation
- Assignment of supply chain strategies to customer segments
- Application example of SCD-Guide CM1b and possible output
CM 2: Manufacturing strategy and supply chain management
- Goals of content module 2
- Product modularization
- Modularization and decision of real net output ratio
- Alternative to modularization: the formation of material groups
- Manufacturing strategies
- Manufacturing strategies and supply chain strategies
- Supply chain strategies and customer order decoupling point
- Application example of SCD-Guide CM2
CM 3: Goals of content module 3
- Buyer-supplier relationships
- Implications of buyer-supplier relationships on the sourcing procedure
- Supplier management and supply chain strategies
- Alternative approach to managing suppliers: The ABC analysis
- Application example of SCD-Guide CM 3
CM 4: Goals of content module 4
- Producing internationally
- Implications of the manufacturing strategies on the supply chain processes
- Supply chain processes in a differentiated supply chain context - The Dell case
- Application example of SCD-Guide CM4 and possible output
CM 5: Supply chain governance
- Goals of content module 5
- Supply chain governance structure
- Information sharing in supply chains
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Erik Hofmann (Dr. rer. pol., Technische Universität Darmstadt, Germany) is Vice President of the Chair of Logistics Management (Director: Prof. Dr. Wolfgang Stölzle) as well as an Assistant Professor at the University of St. Gallen. His primary research focuses on the intersections of logistics and supply chain management on the one hand, and on finance, performance and strategy issues in supply chain management on the other.

Patrick Beck is a Research Associate at the Chair of Logistics Management (Director: Prof. Dr. Wolfgang Stölzle) at the University of St. Gallen, Switzerland. He studied at the University of Mannheim, Germany, as well as at the University of Edinburgh, United Kingdom, and holds a Master of Science in Business Administration. His research focuses on supply chain strategy and supply chain differentiation.

Erik Füger is a Managing Partner at Inova Management, a Zurich-based business consultancy with a focus on supply chain management. Before his consulting engagement, he was a member of the executive board of a leading ancillary construction company and gained experience in different functions, e.g. manufacturing, engineering and logistics, as well as finance and accounting.