Supply Chain Management (SCM) and Customer Relationship Management (CRM) are two of the most important aspects of any business. Both involve the use of technology to manage processes, enable better customer service and drive greater efficiency in operations. While they serve different purposes, both SCM and CRM are critical tools that businesses must utilize to remain competitive in today’s marketplace.

At the core, SCM is an integrated system for managing all aspects of the supply chain from supplier-customer relations to material sourcing, production planning and inventory management. It includes activities such as forecasting demand, negotiating with suppliers, tracking orders, expediting materials and distributing finished goods. By utilizing technology like enterprise resource planning (ERP), analytics systems and software-as-a-service (SaaS) solutions paired with efficient processes like lean manufacturing or just-in-time (JIT) inventory control methods businesses can reduce costs while improving customer service levels. It also helps streamline operations by providing real time visibility into each process step allowing for enhanced collaboration between players throughout a company’s supply chain network thus increasing operational agility.