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PART II ANSWERS TO END-OF-CHAPTER QUESTIONS CHAPTER 2: THE SUPPLY-CHAIN CONCEPT Discuss the differences between supply chain and supply-chain management. A supply chain refers to the activities associated with the flow and transformation of goods from the raw material stage, through to the end user, as well as the associated information flows. Supply chains are not a new concept in the sense that organizations have been dependent on suppliers and organizations have served customers. Although any organization can be part of a supply chain, supply-chain management requires overt management efforts by the organizations in the supply chain. Moreover, supply-chain management cannot be successful unless the participating companies adopt an enterprise-to-enterprise perspective. Using the SCOR model as a reference, explain the role of logistics in supply-chain management. The SCOR model identifies five key processes—plan, source, make, deliver, and return—associated with supply-chain management. It can be argued that logistics is involved in at least four of the five processes. For example, “source” focuses on processes that procure goods and services; recall from Chapter 1 that procurement is part of the logistics “umbrella” at many firms. With respect to making, the concept of postponement has resulted in value-added activities being performed closer to the ultimate customer. Moreover, the SCOR definition of delivery specifically mentions the key logistics components of order management, transportation management, and distribution management. Finally, Chapter 1 pointed out that returned products often present a different set of logistical challenges when compared to forward distribution. Do you believe that competition in the twenty-first century will involve supply chain versus supply chain? Why or why not? Students can support either perspective. For example, there have been suggestions that Wal-Mart has continued to pull away from competitors—particularly