The Essential Supply Chain
Steve McVey - September 1, 1999

Supply Chain Management vs. Enterprise Resource Planning

Where Supply Chain Management (SCM) was once viewed as a way to obtain a competitive advantage, companies are now beginning to perceive it as a logical and necessary extension of Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP). There are several reasons for this trend. First, traditional ERP systems simply lack the advanced planning tools necessary for companies to respond to an increasingly competitive business environment. Second, advances in computing power and data transmission enable disparate entities to communicate efficiently and at a low cost. Finally, vendors have observed the complementary nature of SCM and ERP and are engaged in consolidat..