Recently, to accelerate the implementation of the manufacturing supply chain enhancement project and promote the deep integration of the modern supply chain system into the manufacturing industry chain, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, together with the Ministry of Transport and the Ministry of Commerce, issued the "Guidelines for Improving the Supply Chain Management Level of Manufacturing Enterprises (Trial)" (hereinafter referred to as the "Guidelines"). To better understand and implement the "Guidelines," the following interpretation is provided:

1. What is the background for the issuance of the "Guidelines"?

The Party Central Committee and the State Council attach great importance to the work of industrial and supply chains. General Secretary Xi Jinping has repeatedly emphasized the need to optimize and stabilize industrial and supply chains, maintaining the resilience and stability of global industrial and supply chains as an important guarantee for promoting world economic development. He stressed that industrial and supply chains must not fail at critical moments, which is an essential characteristic of a major economy. The report of the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party clearly proposed efforts to enhance the resilience and security level of industrial and supply chains. The State Council requires actively promoting supply chain innovation and application, facilitating manufacturing collaboration, servitization, and intelligence, and promoting the improvement of the manufacturing supply chain service system.

In recent years, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, together with relevant departments, has focused on areas such as supply chain standardization, digitalization, and greening, strengthening the construction of the supply chain standard system, and actively promoting the improvement of supply chain management levels in manufacturing enterprises, achieving positive results. At the same time, it should be noted that most domestic manufacturing enterprises' supply chain management is still in its initial stages, lacking systematic policy guidance. There is still a need to enhance the understanding of modern supply chain innovation and development concepts and improve the construction of standard and institutional systems to meet the needs of high-quality development.

Currently, a new round of technological revolution and industrial transformation is in full swing. The digital economy and the real economy, modern service industry and advanced manufacturing are accelerating deep integration. High-quality development of manufacturing is at a critical stage. Enterprises are the main force driving high-quality manufacturing development, and an efficient and secure supply chain is an important guarantee for enterprises' high-quality development. To address the shortcomings and weaknesses in supply chain management of manufacturing enterprises, the formulation of the "Guidelines" and the guidance for local industrial and information technology, transportation, commerce departments, and related management service agencies to organize implementation will help gather forces from all sides, assist manufacturing enterprises in improving supply chain management levels, and play a positive role in optimizing enterprise production and operation, improving quality and efficiency, and enhancing industrial resilience.

2. What are the scope and target audience of the "Guidelines"?

The scope and target audience of the "Guidelines" include three aspects: First, manufacturing enterprises, aiming to guide them to clarify the overall requirements and key directions for improving supply chain management levels. Enterprises can tailor strategies based on their actual conditions, formulate supply chain development strategies and overall optimization and improvement implementation plans from a strategic perspective. Second, industry associations, bidding service agencies, supply chain solution providers, platform enterprises, etc., aiming to guide various social organizations to play an active role in helping manufacturing enterprises improve supply chain management levels. Third, local competent authorities at all levels, aiming to improve policy guarantees and support environments for enhancing manufacturing enterprises' supply chain management levels and strengthen organizational implementation.

3. What are the main directions the "Guidelines" guide manufacturing enterprises to improve supply chain management levels?

The "Guidelines," oriented towards promoting high-end, intelligent, and green development of manufacturing, guide manufacturing enterprises to improve supply chain management levels from six directions.

First, strengthen multi-dimensional collaboration of enterprise supply chains. Clarify the main connotations of multi-dimensional collaboration in supply chains and propose four specific measures: actively build efficient collaborative organizations, promote efficient collaboration in business processes, comprehensively promote sharing and common use of factor resources, and collaboratively innovate to improve manufacturing levels.

Second, achieve lean management of enterprise supply chains. Clarify the main content of lean supply chains and propose three specific measures: eliminate waste in all supply chain links, promote optimization of the entire supply chain process, and improve the standardized supply chain system.

Third, accelerate the digital transformation of enterprise supply chains. Clarify the main connotations of supply chain digitalization and propose three specific measures: formulate effective supply chain digitalization strategies, strengthen the construction of supply chain management systems, and improve the ability to apply supply chain digitalization.

Fourth, improve the enterprise green supply chain system. Clarify the main connotations of green supply chains and propose four specific measures: vigorously promote green supply chain design, actively carry out green procurement, deeply advance clean production, and conduct product carbon footprint accounting.

Fifth, build a global supply chain network for enterprises. Clarify the main connotations of global supply chains and propose three specific measures: orderly integrate into the global supply chain network, jointly build and share international logistics infrastructure, and improve global supply chain coordination capabilities.

Sixth, enhance the resilience and security level of enterprise supply chains. Clarify the main connotations of supply chain resilience and security and propose four specific measures: strengthen risk warning and response preparedness, improve supplier risk management systems, diversify logistics and transportation networks, and build a proactive and responsible supply chain risk control culture.

At the same time, the "Guidelines" also establish a reference indicator system for the supply chain management level of manufacturing enterprises for enterprises to refer to in practice.

4. How do the "Guidelines" serve and guarantee the improvement of supply chain management levels in manufacturing enterprises?

The "Guidelines" guide social organizations to strengthen supply chain management service support from three aspects: First, strengthen consulting service support, encouraging the construction of manufacturing industry chain and supply chain information databases, product databases, and expert databases; second, strengthen standard service support, encouraging enhanced standard promotion, application services, and implementation effect evaluation; third, strengthen talent service support, encouraging integration of industry and education, and science and education, cultivating knowledgeable, skilled, and innovative supply chain management talents.

At the same time, it proposes three guarantee measures led by the government: first, strengthen organizational implementation, build an integrated work coordination promotion mechanism of "government, industry, academia, and research"; second, strengthen supply and demand linkage, enhance cross-regional and cross-field supply chain information sharing and communication; third, strengthen benchmark guidance, build a selection system for typical supply chain management cases in different fields.