Global Supply Chain Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Global Supply Chain Management - Essay Example This increased tendency of supermarkets selling fresh produce has been driven by consumer demand changes, particularly as the standard of living improves and consumer awareness regarding healthy living grows (Batt & Noonan, 2009: p95). Food has become one of the key measures of life quality, including how the consumers buy the food. Markets that sell produce with no quality guarantee and a poor environment cannot satisfy consumer demand, especially for those consumers pursuing a life of high quality. This type of consumer wants to purchase desirable food within an environment that they feel is comfortable. In the UK, produce markets have gradually given way to supermarkets, which is a reflection of consumer demand changes. Today, at least 80-95% of fresh produce is sold in groceries and supermarkets, which are also the biggest buyers of DGI’s produce, while the commercialization of fruit in the UK today stands at 90%, that of meat products at 50%, and vegetables and grain at o ver 30% (Batt & Noonan, 2009: p95). In such an environment, the traditional transactions involved in selling produce cannot satisfy production and selling of mass produce.   Supply chain management involves a chained process via which services, materials, organizations, and plans flow to the consumer/terminal user from the supplier. Xiao and Chen (2012: p792) contends that the strength and efficiency of the supply chain is always determined by the weakest link within the chain. Unlike traditional management of logistics.