Supply Chain Management Case Study 2022

Supply Chain
Management
CASE STUDY OF M&S
STUDENT DETAILS
2020

SCM 1
Table of Contents
Introduction................................................................................................................................2
Company Overview...................................................................................................................2
Supply Chain and Logistics Management System at M&S.......................................................3
Challenges in SCM in Retail industry........................................................................................4
Role of RFID (Radio-Frequency Identification Technology)....................................................5
Sustainable practices in Supply Chain Management.................................................................6
Conclusion..................................................................................................................................7
References..................................................................................................................................8

SCM 2
Introduction
The management at organisations is required to focus on the customer needs and
requirements within the industry in order to achieve organisational success. The supply chain
management is effectively focused on ensuring that the activities within the organisation are
effective and are as per the strategic goals and objectives of the organisation. The
organisations within the industry effectively focus on the industry developments and
competitor’s practices and ensure that they are able to contribute towards the change
management within the industry.
The analysis is focused on analysing the supply chain management effectiveness at Marks
and Spencer and identifying the challenges that the M&S or other organisation within the
industry deals with. Such analysis helps is effectively analysing how the supply chain
management can be improved within the organisation and its effectiveness can be ensured.
The report also analyses the organisation’s practice in ensuring sustainable practices within
the supply chain management and ensuring the achievement of social and environmental
goals and responsibilities.
Company Overview
Marks and Spencer Plc (M&S) is one of the largest brands in British clothing and food retail
industry. The organisation has its headquarters in London. The organisation was established
in 1884 and started its business operations as a food retail store that was focused on providing
the household goods, toys and other retail products. The organisation, later on, focused on the
acquisition of a clothing brand within the industry, and through such practice, it entered into
the fashion business. Marks and Spencer at present deals over 1463 stores across 57 nations,
and is focused on providing the customers with the quality products and delightful shopping
experience (Britannica, 2020).
The organisation effectively focuses on the innovation and the integrity within the process
and such innovative and creative thinking and decision making add towards the value
creation within the industry. M&S has resulted in being the UK’s market leader in the women
wear, by focusing on the customer requirements and providing them with fashionable and
innovative products within the industry. The management at the organisation has effectively
adopted the strategies and policies through which they are able to contribute towards the

SCM 3
development of the organisation and to ensure that they are able to focus on the competitive
factors within the industry (M&S, 2019).
The retail industry is changing at a fast pace as with the internationalisation of the markets,
the customers within the industry are exposed to multiple options and choice, due to which
the competitors are focused on introducing innovative and creative products so that they can
grab the customer’s attention within the industry. The emerging retail sector is effectively
focused on utilising digitalised technologies so that they can enter into e-commerce and can
provide the customers with quality shopping experience while they are at home. Such
technologies are not reshaping the way the organisation interacts with customers but also the
way in which the internal activities or the process at the organisation is being conducted
(Grewal, et al., 2017).
The retail sector is more focused on the transparency within the organisation in order to
improve the organisations focus on the sustainable and ethical development within the
industry. Supply Chain is the key focus area within the retail industry that the management
focuses on as it ensures the effective transfer of the products and service to the ultimate
customer and ensures that the customer’s needs and requirements are being fulfilled and the
organisational policies and strategies developed as a competitive factor within the industry
(Deloitte, 2020).
Supply Chain and Logistics Management System at
M&S
The success of the business is mostly dependent on the effectiveness of the supply chain
management system adopted by the organisation since it is focused on the multiple
approaches within the organisation it is required that the management effectively conducts
the industry analysis and accordingly develops policies and strategies to ensure the
effectiveness of the supply chain. The supply chain should include the customer needs and
requirements, effective planning, and the inventory and logistics management process. So
that the products that are being provided is as per the requirements and is being provided
when required by the customer (Hugos, 2018).
Marks & Spencer has adopted different supply chain management for different product lines
so that the product can be effectively transported from the place of origin to the ultimate
place of consumption. M&S focuses on the stakeholder’s interest within and outside the