Most companies are continuously trying to reduce their supply-chain costs, time to market, and inventory. Optimizing Your Supply-Chain Performance: How to Assess and Improve Your Company’s Strategy and Execution Capabilities presents the "how-to's" (and a few "how-NOT-to’s"!) for conducting assessments of companies’ supply chains as well as identifying areas for improvement. It covers techniques, tools, and methodologies for evaluating current working methods (current state) versus industry best practices and operational optimization. It identifies performance gaps and suggests planning and implementing improved ways of working (the future and ideal states). With a collection of approximately 40 case-in-point examples of supply-chain transformation across a wide array of industries including Fortune 1000 companies as well as foreign global leaders, this book provides a detailed guide for assessing and improving organizational strategy and execution-capabilities for: Inventory management Order fulfillment Sourcing and purchasing Manufacturing planning, scheduling, and execution Overall supply-chain effectiveness Business continuity planning Essentially, this book provides basic knowledge for assessing, improving, and optimizing the end-to-end supply chain, and the case-in-point examples assist in breaking down theories into simple, actionable improvement activities. The author stresses the importance of business continuity and provides grassroots approaches to identifying risks. Based on the author's vast experience out in the field, it gives professionals a new perspective and inspires them to seek world-class performance.

Supply Chain Optimization captures the latest results in a segment of current research activity in supply chain management. This research area focuses on applying optimization techniques to supply chain management problems. The research papers that make up the volume provide a snapshot of state-of-the-art optimization methods within the field. This book presents rigorous modelling approaches for supply chain operations problems with a goal of improving supply chain performance (or the performance of some segment thereof). It contains high-quality works from leading researchers in the field whose expertise fits within this scope. The book provides a diverse blend of research topics and novel modelling and solution approaches for difficult classes of supply chain operations, planning, and design problems.

Globalization, technology and an increasingly competitive business environment have encouraged huge changes in what is known as supply chain management, the art of sourcing components and delivering finished goods to the customer as cost effectively and efficiently as possible. Dell transformed the way people bought and were able to customize computers. Wal-Mart and Tesco have used their huge buying power and logistical skills to ensure the supply and stock management of their stores is finely honed. Manufacturers now make sure that components are where they are needed on the production line just in time for when they are needed and no longer. Such finessing of the way the supply chain works boosts the corporate bottom line and can make the difference between being a market leader or an also ran. This guide explores all the different aspects of supply chain management and gives hundreds of real life examples of what firms have achieved in the field.

In order to experience significant improvement in business processes, successful organizations must launch, implement, and maintain effective transformation programs. Such programs enable companies to fully maximize benefits and avoid potential failures. Optimization of Supply Chain Management in Contemporary Organizations discusses best practices and methods in transformation initiatives that improve the overall functionality and success of supply chain processes. Focusing on performance measurement, change management, and strategy development, this book is an essential reference source for executives, managers, advanced-level students, and professionals working in the field of business transformations and supply chain development.

Proven Solutions for Improving Supply Chain Performance is a collection of about 175 descriptions of scientific management studies in the management of supply chains. Each one of the descriptions of the scientific studies is presented in readable and understandable form for individuals who probably have not had the statistical and scientific education and training to fully understand the underlying studies. The book is significantly different from the popular management literature, which is generally based on “armchair” theories that have little basis on fact, and seldom have been scientifically verified. Although the book is targeted for the supply chain manager/administrator, it can also be used as a supplementary reader in such courses as Operations Management, Service Systems Management, Manufacturing Management, Purchasing Management, and, of course, in Supply Chain Management courses.

Supply Chain Optimization Field Guide is an essential book to help readers understand the dynamics of how a global business operates. In a recent article about the death of supply chain management, it was stated that in this world, forecasts are perfect, machines have no operators, and block chain drives it all. Practitioners in the world of supply chain know that it is central to the management of cash and that systems are never the silver bullet as they do not foresee events; they only provide calculations from the data they are fed. Chapter by chapter, this book provides a comprehensive understanding of the core concepts of people, process, and tools; and how a supply chain should operate in today’s complex world. Readers will learn about how an ideal business maintains no unnecessary inventory, responds to changes, and delivers products on time or defect free—and how this ability is a competitive advantage for any business that can solve the equation. Key functional processes are explained in detail for practitioners to learn how to operate effectively in today’s arena.

Master supply chain management concepts, components, principles, processes, interactions, and best practices: all the knowledge you need to start designing, implementing, and managing modern supply chains! The Definitive Guide to Integrated Supply Chain Management brings together all the knowledge you need to help companies gain competitive advantage from supply chains. Co-written by a leading supply chain expert and the Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals (CSCMP), this reference provides up-to-the-minute insight into the roles of supply chain management in improving customer service, reducing costs, and improving financial performance. Clearly and concisely, it introduces modern supply chain management best practices that have been proven to work in organizations of many sizes, types, and industries. For all supply chain and operations managers and students; and for other professionals who either practice in the field or work closely with practitioners to solve business problems.

The managed flow of goods and information from raw material to final sale also known as a "supply chain" affects everythingâ€"from the U.S. gross domestic product to where you can buy your jeans. The nature of a company's supply chain has a significant effect on its success or failureâ€"as in the success of Dell Computer's make-to-order system and the failure of General Motor's vertical integration during the 1998 United Auto Workers strike. Supply Chain Integration looks at this crucial component of business at a time when product design, manufacture, and delivery are changing radically and globally. This book explores the benefits of continuously improving the relationship between the firm, its suppliers, and its customers to ensure the highest added value. This book identifies the state-of-the-art developments that contribute to the success of vertical tiers of suppliers and relates these developments to the capabilities that small and medium-sized manufacturers must have to be viable participants in this system. Strategies for attaining these capabilities through manufacturing extension centers and other technical assistance providers at the national, state, and local level are suggested. This book identifies action steps for small and medium-sized manufacturersâ€"the "seed corn" of business start-up and developmentâ€"to improve supply chain management. The book examines supply chain models from consultant firms, universities, manufacturers, and associations. Topics include the roles of suppliers and other supply chain participants, the rise of outsourcing, the importance of information management, the natural tension between buyer and seller, sources of assistance to small and medium-sized firms, and a host of other issues. Supply Chain Integration will be of interest to industry policymakers, economists, researchers, business leaders, and forward-thinking executives.

Using strategic supply chain network design, companies can achieve dramatic savings from their supply chains. Now, experts at IBM and Northwestern University have brought together both the rigorous principles and the practical applications you need to master. You’ll learn how to use supply chain network design to select the right number, location, territory, and size of warehouses, plants, and production lines; and optimize the flow of all products through your supply chain even if extends around the globe. The authors present better ways to decide what to manufacture internally, where to make these products, which products to outsource, and which suppliers to use. They guide you in more effectively managing tradeoffs such as cost vs. service level, improving operational decision-making by integrating analytics throughout supply chain management; and re-optimizing regularly for even greater savings. Supply Chain Network Design combines best practices, the latest methods in optimization and analytics, and cutting-edge case studies: everything you need to maximize the value of supply chain network design. For all supply chain executives, managers, strategists, and analysts; and for all students, instructors, and researchers in advanced supply chain management and/or logistics courses.

Computational Intelligence (CI) is a term corresponding to a new generation of algorithmic methodologies in artificial intelligence, which combines elements of learning, adaptation, evolution and approximate (fuzzy) reasoning to create programs that can be considered intelligent. Supply Chain Optimization, Design, and Management: Advances and Intelligent Methods presents computational intelligence methods for addressing supply chain issues. Emphasis is given to techniques that provide effective solutions to complex supply chain problems and exhibit superior performance to other methods of operations research.