Supply chain management (SCM) is the practice of coordinating the design, procurement, and flow of goods, services, information and finances, from raw material to parts supplier to manufacturer to distributor to retailer to consumer. This process includes product design, order generation, order taking, information feedback and the efficient and timely delivery of goods and services, and typically involves many or more of the business functions in firms that are linked to specific supply chains. Efficient and effective supply chain management assists an organization in getting the right goods and services to the place needed at the right time, in the proper quantity and at acceptable cost. Managing this process involves developing and overseeing relationships with suppliers and customers, controlling inventory, and forecasting demand. For optimal performance and improved competitiveness, this requires constant feedback from, and coordination with, every link in the supply chain.

Recent advances in supply chain technological support, process design, and management strategies have created an increasingly complex set of administrative, technological, and organizational issues that must be resolved if they are to lead to competitive advantage. The Fourth Annual Supply Chain Management Symposium, to be held in Toronto October 4-6, 2006, will bring together practitioners from public and private sectors and academic researchers in a lively exchange of information and experiences that highlight today's best practices and innovations in technological products, organization and management, pointing the way to improved competitiveness.

• to improve the understanding of how best to transform supply chains and their associated activities, thus enhancing the competitiveness of business, government and not-for-profit institutions
• to enhance interactions among supply chain management practitioners and researchers, creating permanent networking opportunities
• to increase industry knowledge of recent eBusiness contributions to the supply chain management field and
• to showcase research strengths in supply chain management and transformation, and to encourage the corporate community to take advantage of these strengths

For presenters, as practitioners and researchers, you are focused on improving competitiveness through process changes and advances in the efficiency and productivity of SCM. This Symposium provides the forum for highlighting your experiences and findings, and for nurturing some great networking. For delegates, If your organization is looking for ways to transform its organization and execution of SCM, this symposium may give you ideas to help you make those changes. Researchers and practitioners will meet others with similar interests, and through networking will build permanent relationships. For PMAC members, please contact your Provincial Institute regarding maintenance of certification.

In 2000, McMaster University established the McMaster eBusiness Research Centre (MeRC) within the DeGroote School of Business to provide leadership and infrastructure support for innovative eBusiness research to academic and industry partners. MeRC's focus centres on three main activities: Research: To identify and undertake important areas of cross-disciplinary eBusiness research, and secure the resources to support them. Education: To provide eBusiness training and knowledge to current and future academic and business leaders. Outreach: To provide an interface and enhance the dialogue between the business community and academia. MeRC is a member of the Ontario Research Network for Electronic Commerce (ORNEC).

Housed in the new AIC Wing of the DeGroote School of Business in Hamilton, Ontario, MeRC has administrative and researcher offices, usability labs, research and teaching labs, decision centres, and a PhD centre for eBusiness research. MeRC's administrative and research activities are supported by the DeGroote School of Business and McMaster University in conjunction with corporate partners through sponsored projects, MeRC memberships and donations, matched whenever possible by government grants.

MeRC research groups have developed expertise in areas of mobile commerce, eHealth, portals, identity theft, online negotiation, supply chain management, interface design, online trust and privacy, eLearning, knowledge management, and change management, among others. Details about MeRC researchers and the growing list of their publications, presentations and working papers is maintained on the MeRC Web site

Event Management Contacts (MeRC):
Glenda MacDonald, MBA, MeRC Manager,
Tel: 905-525-9140 Ext. 27027, Email: gmacdon@mcmaster.ca
Dr. Elkafi Hassini, Assistant Professor, Management Science & Information Systems Area, DeGroote School of Business
Tel. 905-525-9140 Ext.23954, Email: hassini@mcmaster.ca

Among its academic contributions, PMAC sponsors a Purchasing Management Association of Canada Chair at the Richard Ivey School of Business, University of Western Ontario and a similar Chair at École des Hautes Études Commerciales de Montréal, affiliated with Université de Montréal.

Event Management Contact (PMAC):
Sharon Ferriss, BJ, MBA
Director, Public Affairs and Communications
Tel: 416-542-9129, Email: sferriss@pmac.ca

The Universities of Carleton, McMaster, Ottawa and Queen's, together with the Ontario Research Development Challenge Fund (ORDCF) and forty leading corporate partners, large and small, have established the Ontario Research Network in Electronic Commerce (ORNEC) as the focal point and driving force for electronic commerce research in Ontario. The continuing and growing importance of e-commerce cannot be overemphasized, as it is having an impact on individuals and organizations everywhere. Companies of all sizes are being forced to consider the creative use of electronic commerce to find new markets, improve market share, reduce costs or to satisfy the requirements of their business partners. In many cases this is necessary for business firms to prosper and even to survive in the emerging global marketplace.

Building upon existing strengths and expertise in information technology, business and law, ORNEC intends to be at the forefront of innovative, interdisciplinary, e-commerce research and training, and economic development. Its initial focus will be on three broad and interrelated research clusters including communications technologies, business and administration research and legal and ethical issues. A good example of this approach is a flagship collaborative project on identity theft that will explore all aspects of the problem: business, economic, legal and technological to provide innovative new models to counteract ID theft.

Expansion of the membership of the Network is envisaged, and the integration of new institutional members as well as corporate partners is part of the ORNEC's long-term strategy for optimum impact and sustainability. The role and interest of corporate partnership goes well beyond financial sponsorship, as is evident through research collaborations and the management structure which includes the private sector within ORNEC's governance.

Event Management Contact (ORNEC):
Dr. Robert J. H. Crawhall, Executive Director
Tel: 613-998-5237, Email: crawhall@ornec.ca