Describe the major obsctacles, that must be over come to successfully manage a supply chain?

Answer 1

Well, there are several major issues and the answer depends on the type of Supply chain you are dealing with. For example, in a manufacturing environment, one is likely to face a Kanban system (aka Just in Time). The challenges presented with a just in time system include: Getting the needed item from supplier to manufacturer at a specific time or when on-hand supplies reach a certian pre-determined level, EDI (Electronic Data Interchange) systems which must be able to synch with suppliers and customers, creating and maintaining an accurate forecasting system, and the associated costs to implement all of these. In non-manufacturing environment, the process is somewhat similar. Just in Time systems require that suppliers be geographically near the point of manufacture, where in non-manufacturing environments, suppliers could be located anywhere in the world. (The proximity is needed in a Kanban system to ensure that only the needed amount of the item being supplied is on hand at any given time without the worry of ever running out of the item.) One example of a non-manufacturing supply chain is retail distribution facilities.

Answer 2

There are no obstacles other than the willingness and the money required to adopt best practices. Supply chain is a very long chain and covers many different functions which sometimes are too expensive to implement considering the payroll that has to be supported.
I meant long since the chain starts from the supplier till it reaches the consumer, you will have outsourcing, inventorying, manufacturing, storing or inventorying again, promoting, transporting and selling to the customer which is a long chain with very many different types of specialists who has to be coordinated and supplied with equipment and payroll. Unless one is not willing then limited editions can work.