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Abstract
A “basic supply chain, consists of a company, an immediate supplier, and an immediate customer directly linked by one or more of the upstream and downstream flows of products, services, finances, and information. An “ extended supply chain” includes suppliers of the immediate supplier and customers of the immediate customer, all linked by one or more of the upstream and downstream flows of products, services, finances, and information. An “ultimate supply chain” includes all the companies involved in all the upstream and downstream flows of products, services, finances, and information from the initial supplier to the ultimate customer. Implementing supply chain management (SCM) must undertake acquiring, retaining, and selectively and strategically partnering with customers. This would bring about an integrated and well- aligned supply chain in terms of its objectives and goals. The way supplier relationship management (SRM) can be enabled by IT solutions in SRM, the management of customer relationships can also be IT- enabled by customer relationship management (CRM) solutions available with various vendors. The way sourcing and supply management is linked to the ERP system, CRM is also functionally linked to ERP. The ERP systems provide the backbone of the relationship between SCM and CRM. Relationship marketing is the essential virtue of all CRM programmes. This is also justified by the fact that most companies implementing CRM have customer loyalty programmes such as membership rewards programmes in a place. Also the CRM programmes would invariably require a reasonable amount of automation services rendered, because of the huge number of customers and their transactions involved.