As brick and mortar enterprises go about web enabling their processes, there is one area where most of the early action should take place - the Supply Chain. A web enabled Supply Chain management (e-SCM) solution is the digital nervous center of the entire business and an effective e-SCM solution can save companies millions of dollars in costs.

E-SCM is the optimal combination of technology and business processes that optimizes delivery of goods, services and information from the supplier to the consumer in an organized and efficient way. It gives companies involved in developing, manufacturing, distributing and retailing of products access to all of the critical information they need to plan their operations in an efficient way - whatever and wherever they need it. A complete supply chain management solution also includes customers, service providers and partners. So, we can conclude that e-SCM is a large, dynamic network of complex but well-defined relationships with multiple channels in the business which provides accurate information to everyone in the network.

E-SCM provides brick and mortar companies the flexibility and the agility to be in constant control of their business. It improves efficiencies and reduces costs substantially while giving companies the adaptability to modify their business processes without having to undertake major technological initiatives.

The Internet has changed all that. It has transformed the old-fashioned primordial process into something closer to an exact science. Creating an integrated e-supply chain solution will be a major key or barrier to entry and provides critical competitive edge over competitors as it:

	Speed up production and responsiveness to consumers
	Improves order fulfillment
	Improves customer service and satisfaction
	Improves order management
	Improves decision making
	Improves forecasting and demand planning
	Improves warehouse/distribution activities
	Reduces paperwork
	Reduce administrative overhead
	Avoid costly disasters
	Reduces Inventory build-up
	Decrease the number of hands that touch goods on their way to the end customer
	Eliminate obsolete business processes
	Reap cost-cutting and revenue-producing benefits
	Garner higher profit margins on finished goods
	Shortens Sales cycle
	Strengthens partnerships
	Effective integration of supply chain management in an organization can save millions, by improving customer service and reducing inventories. The key to getting optimum value out of automating your supply chain is to make sure you have your internal systems working well before you start extending them out over the Internet.