Service Parts Planning Overview

Abstract

Supply chain management is the process of planning, implementing, and controlling the operations of the supply chain with the purpose to satisfy customer requirements as efficiently as possible. SCOR structures the supply chain management processes into plan, source, make, deliver and return (SCOR 2006). Another way to structure the processes is to differentiate between goods movements within the company and goods movements to the external customer resulting in a structure as demand planning, order fulfilment, distribution, production and procurement (Dickersbach 2008). These structures fit for most of the companies—at least we are not aware of any counter-example—even though the supply chain and the supply chain management might look very different from company to company—especially across different industries. From this point of view, the same approach fits for service parts as well. Nevertheless there are several specific features for service parts planning which have justified SAP AG in alliance with Caterpillar Logistics Services, Inc. and Ford Motor Company to build a completely new solution for Service Parts Management (SPM). According to the nature of the development partners, the primary industry focus within the SPM solution is engineering, construction and automotive.