Guide to Make in Supply Chain Management

Abstract

Supply chain management is a fast-growing business. Over the last ten years, it has driven companies around the world to change structure and – maybe more importantly – the way they think about operating in a global environment. Everything we consume from the food we eat and the clothes we wear, to the cars we drive, is configured from components that have travelled from different corners of the world. As consumers request high-quality products at lower cost, supply chain management has become as critical as sales, marketing and finance in today’s organisations. Companies that produce and move products are finding it more and more difficult to make themselves unique or different from the competition, where success is evermore difficult to achieve. As a consequence, releasing opportunities in supply chains is now, as ever, the goal to beat competition – and provide better service at lower cost. During our work as supply chain trainers for large multinational companies in various industries we have met professionals all over the world who are passionate about achieving these goals. This guide is designed to help professionals, students and everyone else with an interest in this topic to structure their thoughts and methodologies. Business practitioners who work in supply chain management and those whose business functions interact with it will also have an interest in reading the guide. Students, whether studying at universities or in vocational training, will find this guide a comprehensive introduction to supply chain management. But also people working in other contexts, such as charity projects or professional industry bodies will find this text useful with its intuitive models and many practical examples. In writing this guide, we have tried to connect with our readers by using simple and straightforward models. By including real-life examples and case studies of best practice, the guide aims to bring supply chain theory to life. The practical approach and format will enable readers to capitalise on the insights presented in the guide. In preparing this book, we have drawn greatly on the thoughts and concepts of others. If we have omitted to give any credits where credits are due, we apologand hope that they will make contact to include in future editions. Learning is an interactive experience, so we welcome any feedback or ideas of how to improve this guide. After all, we have learned most from the people we worked with. If you would like to get in …