Supply Chain Management is a collaboration network with all of your suppliers, distributors, dealers, and customers. The goal of the approach is to provide efficient and open exchanges of information, goods and services across organizational boundaries so that every party benefits. The result is that all partners in the value chain work as one unit and produce a streamlined method of delivery to your customers.

Review Strategic Plan and identify all potential partners
Isolate preferred partners and set up meetings with these partners
Create a cross-functional team to articulate drivers for relationship, that is, compelling reasons to partner: efficiency, customer service, market growth, profit growth, or stability
Meet with prospective partner and exchange information on drivers to see if relationship is workable
Evaluate features of shared organizational environment with prospective partner
Examine Management Components to determine appropriate type of partnership
Review drivers and jointly develop action plans for each driver
Exchange information with Partner—inventory levels, demand forecasts, production schedules, delivery dates, etc. that will facilitate supply chain partner performance
Repeat the above process with every prospective supply chain partner
Integrate all the processes of the supply chain for maximum efficiency
Manage the supply chain as one comprehensive process. This may involve re-assigning or re-structuring the organization, automating information, changing management processes, eliminating activities, etc.
Set up periodic meetings with Supply Chain Partners to evaluate progress