Research on supply chain cost reduction based on process and time analysis

With increasingly intense competition many companies have extended the scope of their cost management activities across organizational boundaries. Supply chain cost reduction becomes a new source of achieving competitive advantage. Although interests in reducing supply chain cost are growing, few researches have been directed towards a systematic development of supply chain cost reduction. To reduce supply chain cost, firstly the structure of it should be seen clearly. This study analyzes the supply chain processes and supply chain time, identifies the components of supply chain cost and how these costs occur and be influenced. Based on the analysis and integrating previous research findings, this paper presents a theoretical model, which provides the foundation and specific techniques for cost reduction in supply chain.