The idea of a supply chain in generic business terms is essentially the story of how a service, or more typically a product, moves from birth into the hands of the consumer. For example, in the case of a jeweler there may be an on the ground contact in Sri Lanka for raw rubies, sapphires and emeralds. There may or may not be an intermediary; anything large-scale or wholesale may find itself inclined to engage such an intermediary. The stone (or in this case, more often, the stones) makes its way into the hands of the jeweler, is cut, polished and set, and then offered for sale.
This is a very simplistic example, and it holds within it the significant movements of what supply chain is. Still, it is more than that. Is this a matter of import, or export, & if so, what are the trade agreements between the two countries, the tariffs and what will the taxes be (on both ends). Other paperwork involved classically includes due bills, bills of laden and most certainly insurance. Depending on what the supply chain is, and what it's for, may also engage considerations of infrastructure (planes, trains, trucks, ships) and warehousing. Since anywhere along such a chain each juncture could represent significant value/expense and/or a developed expertise, supply chain becomes an important part of the larger conversation that is management.
The implications for supply chain in the applied arts may be perceived as lower because of infrequency, yet the significance is not to be diminished. To be put in a position of temporary responsibility for historic garments, to research original footage from a century ago or to be part of an agency that is borrowing a folio of original Maxfield Parrish's are a few examples of having to send and receive the priceless. These examples and more reflect all the management expertise one would normally find in supply chain.
There is a secondary consideration that is more obvious, and that is what you may do as an individual (or even working for a small firm or agency). Being in the digital age, it's entirely possible that a significant amount of what you do may be transferred electronically. Indeed, you may find yourself collaborating with someone on the other side of the planet. At some point however, there is the likelihood that someone will need to see a print, a mockup, something. Color correction and proofing need to be established. Someone somewhere else may also need to have a copy. In these instances we are no longer talking about tariffs and trade, taxes and bills of laden, etc. However, we are talking about shipping, and if it is an object of value (beyond all the protective wrapping within the shipping packaging), at a minimum someone needs to assess insurance (and possibly security).
These are the considerations you would ordinarily need to be aware of when it comes to supply chain and the applied arts. However, a third example is when the term supply chain is used to illustrate aspects of a process, particularly when other individuals represent meaningful aspects within the process. This uses the concept of supply chain as a noun, each aspect being represented by its constituent part. Within your field you would be familiar with the professionals up and down such a chain within a larger vision. This example comes to us from an article on videogame design:
“ ‘The game industry actually produces products,’ Lashin-Curewitz states, ‘and as such, adds value to the economy through the creation of a supply chain, which in turn generates three to five jobs for each game-design position in the industry itself. This includes purchased and outsourced services in the allied computer programming, digital art, digital animation, writing, marketing, advertising and packaging industries.’
Pedone concurs with this assessment, and adds that the uses for video-game technology are more diverse than one would think at first glance.”
For our purposes we will focus on the verb aspect, the activity that supply chain ordinarily represents in business. In turn, alphabetically, here are a few examples you might confront within your field.
reference
Getting in the Game
Getting in the Game
Plans to Make the State a Leader in Video Game Design
Keen Hahn
Story Created: Sep 29, 2010 at 2:43 PM EDT
Story Updated: Sep 29, 2010 at 2:54 PM EDT
2010 Worcester Mag, a Holden Landmark Corporation publication
