The most recognized challenge in supply chain goes this way. “We plan well; but can’t execute well enough”. PCI architects supply chains to fend against uncertainties and disruptions using a modeling technique and approach.

The Supply-Chain Operations Reference (SCOR) model is the process reference model for supply-chain management PCI uses as a starting point. The scope spans from the supplier's supplier to the customer's customer. This model has been developed to describe the business activities associated with all phases of satisfying an end-customer demand.   This model, called customer-centric, is organized around the 5 primary management processes. Plan, Source, Make, Deliver, and Return (shown in Figure 1).   By describing supply chains using these process building blocks, the model can be used to describe virtually any supply chain, simple or very complex. 

PCI model spans across all events including customer interactions (order entry through paid invoice), all physical material transactions (supplier’s supplier to customer’s customer, including equipment, supplies, spare parts, bulk product, software, etc.) and all market interactions (from the understanding of aggregate demand to the fulfillment of each order).  It does not attempt to describe every business process or activity.  Specifically, the model does not address: sales and marketing (demand generation), product development, research and development, and some elements of post-delivery customer support. The model is silent in the areas of human resources, training, and quality assurance among others.

As shown in Figure 2, the model is designed to support supply chains of various complexities and across multiple industries best fitting Retail, Manufacturing and Distribution/Flow. The model has focused on three process levels and does not attempt to prescribe how a particular organization should conduct its business or tailor its systems / information flow. Every organization that implements supply chain improvements using the SCOR-model will need to extend the model, at least to Level 4, using organization-specific processes, systems, and practice.