Washington DC — The Supply Chain Council (SCC) and the Automotive Aftermarket Industry Association (AAIA) have joined forces to make the Supply Chain Operations Reference (SCOR) model and supply chain benchmarking more accessible and affordable to AAIA members, the two organizations have announced. The SCOR model is a process reference that has been developed and endorsed as the cross-industry standard diagnostic tool for supply chain management. As a result of the new alliance, AAIA members will have access to some member benefits of the SCC, particularly around training and benchmarking. SCC said that SCOR enables users to address, improve and communicate supply chain management practices within and between all interested parties using common definitions. "It is the guidebook to how top-performing organizations define, manage and benchmark supply chain processes around the world," the council said. "We often describe the vehicle aftermarket as an incredibly effective supply chain ... and at the same time terribly inefficient," said Scott Luckett, vice president for technology standards and solutions with the AAIA. "The financial pressures are growing to eliminate waste and drive efficiency through collaboration and best practices. AAIA felt an important step to improving supply chain efficiency across the industry was to partner with the Supply Chain Council." Joseph Francis, executive director with the Supply Chain Council, added that AAIA participation in "SCORmark" benchmarking would not only assist this industry segment in better understanding its strong and weak practices in relation to multiple organizations in multiple industries, but given enough participants in one segment, they can see how they compare to their own peers. "Participation in SCOR training and benchmarking improves the world's supply chains as SCOR implementation dramatically improves supply chain efficiency and the ability to collaborate with customers and suppliers," Francis said. The financial impact of implementing best practices in supply chain management can be many times greater than other cost-cutting measures, according to the council. "In this challenging economy, it is critical for supply chain professionals at aftermarket suppliers and distributors to understand the SCOR model and implement the findings of SCORmark benchmarking," the SCC said. More information on the benefits of the Supply Chain Council for AAIA members is available through the association's Web site, www.aftermarket.org.