Supply Chain Quality Management - Literature Review Paper Sample

Supply chain quality management (SCQM) is a methodology for performance improvement that clouts chances that are developed by both upstream and downstream linkages of organization's stakeholders like customers and suppliers. In a corporation, the SCQM directly influences the products' quality as well as the overall profitability of the organization. As such, quality control is an essential aspect of a supply chain as aids in maintaining the competitive edge of an entity in the market and also helps the establishment in minimizing its operating costs. Moreover, without quality control in an organization, wastage becomes a prevalent phenomenon that burdens the institution beyond a tolerable level, which eventually results in critical loss levels. In the past, there have been numerous publications authored to expound knowledge on the types of SCQM. For instance, Soares, Soltani, and Liao (2017) classified SCQM into four classifications namely customer focus, quality leadership, supplier focus as well as supply chain integration. Such classifications have been essential for the business leaders in developing and adopting efficient supply chain management strategies. Customer focus is one of the most effective SCQM strategies in an organization whose impact leads to the optimization of the effectiveness of a supply chain and attainment of an establishment's profitability.

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Customer Focus

Customer focus can be characterized as the orientation of an establishment towards serving its customer's needs (Cook, 2010). In the business environment, having customer focus is measured to be a strong contributor to the general success of business organizations. Moreover, having a customer focus entails maintaining an effective client's relations as well as service programs (Coshow, 2014). That is ensuring that all aspects of a business are focused on putting the needs of the customers first. Additionally, customer focus is perpetrated through undertaking a series of activities that are structured to deliver clients' satisfaction. The process entails understanding what the clients' needs in an organization and using effective strategies to satisfy such needs (Barwise & Meehan, 2011). To be successful in a business, entrepreneurs and business leaders must learn to anticipate, satisfy or exceed the needs of the clients in their establishments. One of the most effective strategies that can be used by such business persons is effective communication upheld by business personnel and focused on customers with an aim to identify and satisfy their needs (Cochran, 2006). The following is a series of peer-reviewed research publications that have been published in the past and in support of customer focus in promoting the performance and profitability of organizations.

Literature Review

The practice of customer focus has in the past been associated with the attainment of customer satisfaction. Additionally, this premise has been supported by numerous SCQM research inclusive of a peer-reviewed journal article authored by Yaacob (2014). According to the research, Yaacob (2014) ascertained that customer focus is an end result for other performance assessment measures like the employee satisfaction, cost reduction benefits and innovation attainment in an organization. Subsequently, the attainment of positive results in such evaluation criteria directly translates to the attainment of customers' satisfaction. The analysis of the stated research strongly supported the findings that the adoption of the customers' aspect of SCQM in an organization can help in elevating its level of performance in the market (Yaacob, 2014). Furthermore, a research that was executed by Chai (2009) also supported the effectiveness of adopting customer focus as an imperative strategy for promoting SCQM. According to Chai's (2009) peer-reviewed research, adopting customer relationship practices influences an organization's production performance. Also, similarly to Yaacob's (2014) research, customer focus practices promotes the attainment of customers' satisfaction. Subsequently, elevated production performance in an organization, as well as customer satisfaction levels, results in the attainment of a proper financial performance (Chai, 2009).

Customer focus has also been supported by a peer-reviewed publication that was authored by Wanza, Ntale, and Korir (2017). According to the research, quality was measured to be an essential strategy that can be employed by all businesses to promote customers' satisfaction and business profitability levels (Wanza, Ntale, & Korir, 2017). The research portrayed that customer focus can be employed by an entity as an effective quality management practice (Wanza, Ntale, & Korir, 2017). That is where the quality of work and performance of workers in an organization can be assessed based on the level of customers' satisfaction recorded among the entity's stakeholders. Also, a different reviewed research executed by Fink (2014) illustrated that there is a direct relationship between customers focus and project performance. The research portrayed that the devotion of organizational leaders to customers focus also aids in influencing their employees to adopt the customers' focus strategy (Fink, 2014). Subsequently, this makes such personnel in an organization to promote the level of quality developed in the production and delivery of products and services to the targeted customers. Subsequently, such an occurrence leads to the retention of customers in an organization, who enjoy the quality products and services.

Firms and other organizations have in the past also tried to seek ways through which they can promote their customer focus strategies. Additionally, this is because it is evident that customer focus results in the long-term profitability of a business. A reviewed research that was published by Fan and Ku (2010) is an example of such research publications. The stated publication validated that customer relationship management is an essential customer focus strategy that can be used to promote the organization's knowledge of their clients and market (Fan & Ku, 2010). Subsequently, this would aid in promoting the organization's profitability performance through customers' retention. The need for customer focus as an imperative prerequisite for achieving business success can also be supported by a reviewed journal article that was developed by Wuyts, Rindfleisch, and Citrin (2014). The publication provided a discussion of how a large number of firms today are hiring external customer support professionals as part of their customer focus strategies (Wuyts, Rindfleisch & Citrin, 2014). In such cases, the outsourced customer support services' providers serve the clients on behalf of the firms in an effort to provide quality solutions to all the clients' needs. Subsequently, this results in the attainment of customers' satisfaction and realization of an enhanced level of profits by the involved organizations.

The effectiveness of customer focus as an essential SCQM strategy can also be supported by research published in a reviewed journal article by Demir, Demir, and Nield (2013). The researchers supported their hypothesis that customer-focused selling impacts the buyers' destination of choice as well as their purchasing decision. Furthermore, the journal publication emphasized that in an organization, all the personnel should be focused on building the trust as well as credibility the clients have on the personnel (Demir, Demir, & Nield, 2013). That is by developing and offering the solution dimensions to customer-focused selling as well as influencing the customers' decision of purchasing. The effectiveness and importance of customer focus as an effective SCQM can also be supported by a reviewed research publication that was developed by Bechet, Bonnabry, and Pichon (2015). The research illustrated the effectiveness of customer focus in promoting the overall success of an organization while dealing with clients. The findings of the study also indicated that the development of personnel knowledge is essential for the successful implementation of customer-focused strategies in an organization (Bechet, Bonnabry, & Pichon, 2015). Moreover, the research considered the sharing of similar understanding among all the personnel in an organization to be imperative in the successful implementation of customer-focused strategies (Bechet, Bonnabry, & Pichon, 2015).

In a different reviewed research publication that was authored by Kumar, Venkatesan, Reinartz (2008), adopting a customer-focused approach through sales campaigns can significantly improve the financial performance of an organization. According to the stated research, the utilization of customer-focused strategies led to the attainment of high-revenue clients by the organization (Kumar, Venkatesan, & Reinartz, 2008). Subsequently, the stated occurrence significantly elevated the amount of revenue that was realized by the organization by the end of the financial year. In this case, Kumar, Venkatesan, Reinartz's (2008) research further validated the effectiveness of using the customer-focused strategy of SCQM in promoting the overall success in an organization's performance. Ultimately, a research that was developed by Celsi and Gilly (2010) also advanced the need for organizations to adopt effective customer focus strategies. The research focused on how employees in an organization can use advertising as an effective method of identifying and meeting the customers' needs (Celsi & Gilly, 2010). The strategy is an example of a customer focus method that can be utilized by different organizations in promoting customers' loyalty for an establishment's products. The peer-reviewed research can support the need for customer focus in organizations through its vast information that outlines the merits of having proper customer focus strategies in an organization.

Conclusion

In conclusion, from the literature analysis, it is evident that customer focus is one of the most effective SCQM strategies in an organization. Additionally, this is because customer focus leads to the optimization of the effectiveness of a supply chain and attainment of an establishment's profitability. Also, from the literature review, customer focus is an end result for other performance assessment measures like the employee satisfaction, cost reduction benefits and innovation attainment in an organization. Moreover, adopting customer relationship practices by upholding customer focus influences an organization's production performance. Additionally, customer focus results in the long-term profitability of a business. Furthermore, it also aids in promoting the overall success of an organization while dealing with clients. Ultimately, the literature review analysis illustrated that adopting a customer-focused approach through sales campaigns can significantly improve the financial performance of an organization. As such, the concept of customer focus is an essentiality that warrants an emphasis in all organizations so as to attain a high level of client loyalty and overall corporate performance. Subsequently, the adoption of the customer focus by businesses will warrant an increased profitability to the organizations through elevated sales of their products and services.

References

Barwise, P., & Meehan, S. (2011). Beyond the Familiar: Long-Term Growth through Customer Focus and Innovation. New York: John Wiley & Sons.