Turbulence in financial and political markets, socio-cultural changes, increasingly demanding consumer behavior, and rapid product development have significantly modified the economic and industrial environment. The economic crisis of 2008 severely shook the stability of supply chains worldwide.
Declines in trade turnover, collapses in capital flows, and currency fluctuations are just some of the factors contributing to the lack of supply chain stability. It is predicted that these will result in a shift in the directions of the flow of goods and services, as well as in the standards for their monitoring and planning.
Markets whose role is growing in the context of global supply chains are separated not only by distance in time and space but also by cultural norms, operational transparency, the intensity and use of oversight and guarantee tools, and ownership structure. These factors increase the risk of supply liquidity disruptions and, consequently, the occurrence of losses. As studies indicate, 85% of organizations have experienced supply chain crises at least once that disrupted their operations. Moreover, in 2010, 56% of the surveyed enterprises recorded between 1 and 5 such events.
In business practice, as well as in the literature on the subject, one can find many different definitions of losses associated with various causes and locations of their origin. The purpose of the considerations undertaken is to identify the causes and locations of losses in supply chains. Based on the literature and reports based on economic practice, the authors have attempted to determine the intensity and causes of this phenomenon.
The essence of supply chains
A supply chain is defined as a group of cooperating enterprises linked together to deliver material goods and services to the final buyer. This chain covers all stages of this process, from the acquisition of basic raw materials necessary for production to the sale of the finished product to the end customer, and even the disposal of waste generated after its consumption. However, it should be remembered that in the modern, dynamically evolving economy, the market complexity of entities satisfying consumer needs is so great that describing the connections between them as a “supply chain” is a far-reaching simplification. Moreover, conducting business while maintaining simple supplier-recipient relationships is no longer possible. The primary goal of integrating links and processes within a supply chain is to provide benefits and create value for customers, which is understood as utility affecting the price and value of a given product or service. Increased value for customers influences the growth of revenues and profits of enterprises participating in the supply chain. The overarching goal of the existence of supply chains is the maximization of the efficiency of the operations of the enterprises functioning within it, which is intended to increase the added value of products, services, and information. Decisions made jointly by supply chain participants and cooperation at all levels (from product design and demand forecasting, through logistics activities, to communication with customers) influence the growth of the competitive advantage of individual links and the increase in benefits achieved by stakeholders. As economic realities indicate, supply chains take the form of complex supply networks with various types of connections.
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Source: Logistyka Magazine 5/2013
Lewandowska_Januszewski_Przyczyny_i_miejsca_powstawania_strat_w_AEaAIcuchach_dostaw.pdf