ABSTRACT
Over the last two decades, most manufacturing fi rms have recognized supply chain management (SCM) as a new way of doing business. Th e implementation of this new approach was a consequence of various changes in manufacturing environments, such as development of information technology (Internet), globalization, and sophisticated customers who demand increasing product variety, lower cost, better quality, and faster response. Competition is shift ing from fi rm versus fi rm to supply chain (SC) versus SC [Vonderembse et al. 2006; Min and Zhou 2002]. Successful fi rms such as Wal-Mart and Dell Computer have survived and achieved a high level of performance through o rganizing, planning, and controlling a SC as a whole.
