Sustainable Solutions for SCM

Figure 1.8 Classification of the changes in the business environment To describe a supply chain as agile, it must have certain capabilities that will allow it to cope with these changes. The most frequently presented ones are [49]: • Responsiveness – the key to achieving agility is the ability to identify the change correctly and in time. • Competency – the ability to effectively achieve the goals in the area of agility. • Flexibility – the ability to use different procedures and tools to achieve the given objectives. • Quickness – the ability to perform all activities as quickly as possible. The supply chain can acquire these skills only if it is well-designed and controlled. The basis is the maximum sharing of information throughout the supply chain, which should be completely open and should be done in real time [10]. Sharing information is important, but it is not the only corner-stone of agility. Other means include [40]: • Collaborative relationship – creating cooperation within the supply chain on such a level so that the suppliers and customers develop new products together. • Process integration – the supply chain is understood as a single unit with integrated processes. • Customer/market sensitivity – the supply chain is able to quickly and effectively read the market changes and customers’ needs. Summary of the concept of agility is shown in Figure 1.9. At the beginning, there are changes in the business environment which affect or may affect the supply chain. According to their quantity and scope, it is necessary to determine the range of the required agile capabilities of the supply chain. The supply chain will acquire these capabilities if it consistently respects the goals of agility and if it applies the designed basic procedures.

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