Carter and Narasimhan (1996) saw SCM as a primary
future trend important for purchasing and supply
management professionals in the 21st century. It is now the
21st century. The scope of SCM has expanded, and its
importance has increased. While originating from purchasing
and supply management, SCM research has evolved into a
body of knowledge focused primarily on integration, customer
satisfaction and business results. Although SCM effortssometimes fail to achieve desired results (Keah, 2002), SCM
is now a strategic tool to improve competitive position and a
major concern for top-level managers.