Supply Chain Management Report: Analysis of Marks & Spencer (M&S)

This report provides a comprehensive analysis of Marks & Spencer's (M&S) supply chain management, focusing on key aspects such as logistics, transportation, warehousing, and customer service. It identifies critical issues and problems within M&S's supply chain, including cost increases, supply chain complexity, consumer demand fluctuations, and risk management. The report examines how M&S managers perceive these challenges and their responses, including cost reduction strategies, simplification of the supply chain, and efforts to meet consumer demands. Furthermore, the report critically assesses the findings, evaluating supplier evaluation, strategic analysis, and demand forecasting. The report provides recommendations for improvement, emphasizing the importance of adapting to dynamic market conditions and enhancing overall supply chain efficiency and effectiveness for Marks & Spencer.

Supply Chain

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION ..........................................................................................................................3
MAIN BODY...................................................................................................................................3
Identifying requirements.............................................................................................................3
Problems in Organization’s supply chain management..............................................................4
The ways in which the organization can respond to the different challenges.............................5
Assessment of the finding critically............................................................................................5
CONCLUSION ...............................................................................................................................6
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................8

INTRODUCTION
Supply Chain management is the situation in which whole production flow related to
goods and services are controlling. It tends to be start from raw components all the ways to
delivering final or finished item to the end-users. An organisation develops a network of
suppliers which move the product along from the supplier of raw material to those company
which directly deals with end users. In context to this the organisation that was chosen in this
report is Marks & Spencer. It is the biggest supermarket chain in United Kingdom. It has its
headquarters in London, It deals in various different products such as clothing, food , cosmetic,
groceries etc. The chief executive officer of the company is Steve Rowe. It serve their services
in approx 1463 different locations. In this there will be a focus on addressing huge range of
requirement which are tends to relates with supply chain of entity, various critical issues in the
supply chain are also discuss under the project. In the assignment in what manner company
perceived issues and how they can respond to them are also explain. Also particular concentrate
will be done on the finding as these are also a part of respective assignment.
MAIN BODY
Identifying requirements
Logistic: As it is management of the flow of things between point of o0rigion and the
point of consumption so that to satisfy the desires and wants of the end-users. The resources that
should be managed in logistic may cover those items that are tangible in nature like
equipment,material, supplies etc. Logistic is consider as part of supply chain management and
engineering that controls, plan, efficient and reverse flow as well as storage of services , goods
between origin point as well as consumption point. Their complication can be analysed and
optimised through dedicated simulation software. It indicates detailed organisation as well as
following most complex operations in the company. Thus from customer service point of view it
is very necessary for management team of M&S to consider logistic because it is beneficial to
ensure that it become helpful to manage huge range of customers needs as well as requirements
which can be perform efficiently and also very effectively.
Operations: It indicates the methods through which various activities are perform in the
company. In terms to Marks & Spenser it is important that activity of transportation is stands in

priority in the operations because with the help of this only it become possible to deliver goods
to customers. Therefore it is important to choose appropriate method of transportation so that
objectives of company to reach the product on time is tends to become possible to achieve.
Marketing and sales: various activities are cover under sales and marketing so that
overall revenues of the company can tends to be increase. And in appropriate manner
profitability manner can tends to be enhance. In the organisation Marks & Spencer it is necessary
for managers that they are able to make concentrate on warehousing because through the use of
big warehouse the increment in the sales revenues can be perform in most adequate manner.
Services: It is necessary that company that must be able to focus on ensuring that
improvement in the level of services can be perform which make it important element in the
company's supply chain management. Thus from M&S managers point of view they tends to
give surety that they can must gain competitive advantage to ensuring that use of various
different services can be done in most suitable manner that helps to attain overall objective and
goals.
Thus, In business entity Marks & Spencer it give surety that all of the above elements
must be considered in an organization’s supply chain. It will be greatly supportable so that the
company is tends to be able to ensure that proper weightage should be given to following factors
such as warehousing, transportation, customer service, warehousing and competitive advantage
can be given this tends to be so beneficial as leads to ensure that the improvement in the overall
efficiency as well as effectiveness level can be brought in most appropriate manner.
Problems in Organization’s supply chain management
Increase in the cost: Today, the supply chain of the company suffers from the problem
of the increase in the overall level of costs (Lamba and Singh, 2017). The reason behind it is that
stock controlling in the organisation need lots of money to do expenditure. Similarly Marks &
Spencer face this type of issues as it happens due to overall increment in costing that tends make
negative impact on operation levels and also to functioning of the company.
Complexity in supply chain: Sometimes the organizations supply chain is very
complicated that tends to develop so many problems in providing products to clients/ endusers.
Thus M& S supply chain face the issues related to complexity that creates overall impact on the

way the goods are need to be provided to the wide range of customers in the competitive market
in most effective as well as efficient manner.
Demands of consumer: As per the needs of audience supply chain are tends to be
developed.(Min, Zacharia and Smith, 2019). The demands of customer are so dynamic in nature ,
it can make impact on sale. As it tends make impact on requirements and desires of customers. In
M&S organisation, the supply chain face many problems related to the customers desires and
thus in this manner it make overall impact on operations & organisation functioning.
Risk level: In the organisation, supply chain involves risk also. This is so because the
company are required to make sure that they can adjust themselves as per dynamic needs as well
as requirements of any time changing in business environment which tends to requires to make
some additional investments in the supply chain (Nakasumi, 2017). This hardship are also face
by Marks & Spencer managers in regards to supply chain management that tends to make
positive impact to performance of organisation.
Supply Chain volatility:The nature in terms to supply chain in various different form of
organizations is quite volatile. This therefore creates an impact on the way these organizations
are able to carry out their wide range of activities. In context to M&S the supply chain which is
being used is quite volatile due to that overall impact are put on the different types of supplies in
the business firm
Demands of Supply chain: The high-level of demands of the supply chain are tends to
be considered by the company. In terms to organisation, it can create a problem because
regularly variation in customer requirements make impact on supply chain also which leads to
affect whole functioning and the way wide range of items are tends to be delivered to the end-
users.
The ways in which the organization can respond to the different challenges
There are different types of ways which can be used by the organizations through which
they are able to ensure that they can respond to the various types of challenges in the right
manner. Thus, it is quite crucial that the managers of Morrisons are able to make the use of the
following ways-
Identifying ways of decreasing the costs- The identification of the different types of
ways in which there can be an increase in the costs has to be done in the organizations which will
be quite helpful in making sure that the right ways can be adopted so that a reduction in these

costs can be brought which will be quite helpful in enhancing the overall level of profitability
(Nunes, Causer and Ciolkosz, 2020). Thus, In Morrisons it is quite important for the managers
that they are able to make sure that these particular ways are implemented which will be quite
helpful in ensuring that the reduction in these particular costs can be done in the right manner.
For this, the managers are required to identify the different types of elements in the supply chain
and thus assess the increase in the overall level of costs. This will be helpful for the company so
that it is able to manage its overall needs and requirements related to the supplies in a proper
manner.
Identifying ways of decreasing the cost: For organisation it is necessary to eliminate or
reduce the complexities of supply chain. It become most crucial in the firm M&S because
different techniques and methods can be adopted that is helpful to ensure that in most suitable
way supply chain complexity is reduce which tends to support a lot to increase level of efficiency
and try to make sure that overall profitability level can tends to be increased.
Reducing the supply chain complexity: It is necessary to the organisation that they are
capable to ensure that reduction in the complexities of supply chain. In terms to Marks &
Spencer it plays a crucial role as under this various techniques & methods can be followed that
can reduce the complexities in such a manner which is right and it tends to increase overall
efficiency of business an also make sure that it helps to improve profitability also.
Fulfilment of the consumer demands: For business growth or survival it is necessary to
determine the demands of consumer through using most suitable statistical as well as
mathematical model to forecast that can be greatly supportable to ensure that organisation can
manage their requirement in most appropriate manner. In context to M&S it is necessary to
identify different types of demand because it helps to make arrangement regarding the fulfilment.
Identification of the risk level: It is important that company are able to identify the level
of risk that are exist in the supply chain in the correct way. In this manner Marks & Spenser
managers can assess the risk and and take initiative steps if require so that they an easily handle
the situation and achieve the targets in profitable manner.
Reducing the supply chain volatility: Identification of supply chain volatility is tends to
be highly important in the organisation. To serve the purpose most convenient and suitable
measures are adopted to eliminate the issues that exist. In the business entity Marks & Spencer ,
managers are responsible to identify the supply chain volatility in appropriate manner and if

needed correct measures are taken by them so that supply chain volatility can be diminished
which is helpful in ensuring that supplies in the company can be managed in correct way in the
organisation.
Fulfilment of demand: For smooth running of business it is essential to organisation that
huge range of desires of consumers are find out as this task are perform by marketing team of the
company. And through recording data as well as using most suitable model forecasting can be
done and Also smart strategies are follow by company so that to organisation can gain
competitive advantage.
Assessment of the finding critically
Suppliers evaluation: It is most significant for the company to evaluate suppliers in the
most appropriate manner. Thus it is quite important Management of Marks & Spencer is tends to
give surety that suppliers proper evaluation are needs to be done because than only organisation
can leads to identify suppliers who gives facility at low cost. As this helps to improve
profitability level which helps to increase the chances of business survival.
Strategic analysis: It is very important in te organisation to analyse the available
strategies time to time and if there is need to make alteration than it tends to be done. As this is
helpful for organisation like M&S because it make sure that with proper analysis only a person
can take most appropriate and correct decision for supply chain management that leads to help in
ensuring that related goals and objectives are tends to be achieved.
Use of demand planning: For company it is important to ensure that demand analysis
can be done only by doing planning in most appropriate way. (Wu and et.al., 2016) Thus for
M&S it is important that with the help of their use in the firm it will be able to ensure that it can
formulate an most convenient & suitable plan in terms to different types of demands. To take
right decision it supports the most.
System Monitoring: It indicates a situation where only specific user group has the
access in context to important information which is tends to be required across groups of
multiple user. Therefore, in the organisation Marks & Spencer it is necessary that the
management team can take most suitable actions so that the data silos can be reduced in the right
manner efficiently and effectively. It helps to take correct decisions efficiently in context to
supply chain management.

Removing data silos: system monitoring are tends to be perform continuously because
by using suitable techniques as well as methods the managers of the company will tends to be
able to ensure that the can assess the inflows and outflows of stock in most significant manner.
Thus, in this way it will be able to give surety that in correct way the monitoring are tends be
carried on that will be quite beneficial in ensuring that recommendations as well as conclusions
can be derived in most efficient manner.
CONCLUSION
From deep study and analysis it is conclude that Supply chain management covers
various techniques and methods that can be used by the company to ensure a proper management
with regards to various types of supplies. Different types of factors that relates to supply chain
are tends to be required to considered. Also firms are face large number of problems in the
business. Organisation manager try to solve and overcome with these issues correctly. In the
organisation improvement in the factor supply chain can be done when the situation is exist
where various techniques or method are used which is beneficial to ensure that recommendation
as well as conclusion can be done in most effective way.

REFERENCES
Books and Journals
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Operations & Production Management. 16(2). pp.180-191.
Lamba, K. and Singh, S. P., 2017. Big data in operations and supply chain management: current
trends and future perspectives. Production Planning & Control.28(11-12). pp.877-890.
Min, S., Zacharia, Z. G. and Smith, C. D., 2019. Defining supply chain management: in the past,
present, and future. Journal of Business Logistics. 40(1). pp.44-55.
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Saberi, S. and et.al., 2019. Blockchain technology and its relationships to sustainable supply
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Wu, L and et.al., 2016. Smart supply chain management: a review and implications for future
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