Creating, launching, and scaling a product is one of the hardest things a person can do. As many entrepreneurs know all too well, creating a great product is only half the battle. You can engineer a brilliant product, design it for manufacturing, and engage millions of interested customers, but if you don’t design your supply chain well, they will never receive it. A great supply chain is as essential to a startup as good design, engineering, and marketing. In this book, you’ll learn how to design a supply chain out of nothing and scale it efficiently and effectively. Unlike many books on supply chain, you’ll find targeted supply chain advice for entrepreneurs, not a jargon-filled textbook. You’ll discover the threads that run through the supply chain of every successful startup and how to apply them to your company. This book is your essential guide to building and launching your product and supply chain right the first time.

This book presents trends, developments, and examples of how digital disruption is currently reshaping the logistics industry. Logistics is the invisible force behind the global economy, influencing and providing a lens into all economic activities. Chapters written by respected experts in the field describe how new technologies such as autonomous vehicles, blockchain, Internet of things (IoT), and state-of-the-art freight management solutions are fundamentally changing supply chain solutions. Special emphasis is placed on promising start-ups and venture capital firms around the world that are now investing in the future of logistics. "Supply chains hold significant room for optimization to the benefit of customers, industry participants, authorities and the environment. This book provides a unique set of perspectives from industry leaders covering a wide range of topics. It is a ‘must read’ for anyone seeking to understand and contribute to a better tomorrow in supply chains logistics." — Thomas Bagge, Chief Executive Officer and Statutory Director DCSA “The need for standardisation and digitalisation in logistics is no longer an option. This book gives insights from industry experts, shows trends and innovations in platforms, underlines the need for transparency and how big data and analytics can make a world of difference. It’s an incredible resource if you wish to better understand the new normal of logistics.” — Global Chief Digital & Information Officer, MSC Mediterranean Shipping Company "This book presents readers with a straightforward and comprehensive assessment of supply chain innovation and trends and their impact on the industry. With contributions from several industry leaders, it provides critical knowledge and insight that supply chain and logistics managers need to implement disruptive technologies strategically.” — Rene Jacquat, Founder / Advisor, LogiChain Solutions

Concerted efforts are being pursued by governments and economic institutions to promote the generation of startups, and copious documentation has been produced as guides for these emerging companies. However, little has been written on, e.g., the Operations and Supply Chain needs for Hardware Startups, and the development strategy of the required skills to build flexibility during the initial phases of startup development. This work proposes an initial road guide framework for hardware startups, resulting from the experiences of successful companies within the Robotics Cluster present in Massachusetts (either new ventures or spinoffs from existing companies). System Dynamics methodology is then used to capture causal loops, and to characterize the policies which would enable New Venture growth, so as to analyze the Supply Chain/Operations conditions for Hardware Startup Success. The work is presented in four main sections. The first section contains a bibliographic research to characterize the present conditions of Hardware Startups with special emphasis on the Massachusetts Robotics Cluster, providing an overview of the available resources for startups in terms of their skills development and especially with regard to their Operations/Supply Chain Skills development. A second section considered the directed interview of executives at existing robotics startups (Artaic LLC, Kiva Systems, Rethink Robotics and Boston Engineering) to obtain information regarding their strategic decisions in specific aspects of their Supply Chain and Operations. These interviews are reflected as case studies of these companies. The third phase is reflected as a proposal for a System Dynamics model, based on previous work in the area and complemented by aspects identified as relevant from the interviews. Lastly, the conclusions of this work will attempt to gather the main learnings from the analyzed cases, in terms of Operations/Supply Chain Skills development, laying down some directing guidelines for future Hardware Startup ventures.

Based on eight years of research visiting dozens of startups, tech companies and incumbents, Harvard Business School professor Thales Teixeira shows how and why consumer industries are disrupted, and what established companies can do about it—while highlighting the specific strategies potential startups use to gain a competitive edge. There is a pattern to digital disruption in an industry, whether the disruptor is Uber, Airbnb, Dollar Shave Club, Pillpack or one of countless other startups that have stolen large portions of market share from industry leaders, often in a matter of a few years. As Teixeira makes clear, the nature of competition has fundamentally changed. Using innovative new business models, startups are stealing customers by breaking the links in how consumers discover, buy and use products and services. By decoupling the customer value chain, these startups, instead of taking on the Unilevers and Nikes, BMW’s and Sephoras of the world head on, peel away a piece of the consumer purchasing process. Birchbox offered women a new way to sample beauty products from a variety of companies from the convenience of their homes, without having to visit a store. Turo doesn't compete with GM. Instead, it offers people the benefit of driving without having to own a car themselves. Illustrated with vivid, indepth and exclusive accounts of both startups, and reigning incumbents like Best Buy and Comcast, as they struggle to respond, Unlocking the Customer Value Chain is an essential guide to demystifying how digital disruption takes place – and what companies can do to defend themselves.

Entrepreneur and bestselling author of The Lean Startup, Eric Ries reveals how entrepreneurial principles can be used by businesses of all kinds, ranging from established companies to early-stage startups, to grow revenues, drive innovation, and transform themselves into truly modern organizations, poised to take advantage of the enormous opportunities of the twenty-first century. In The Lean Startup, Eric Ries laid out the practices of successful startups – building a minimal viable product, customer-focused and scientific testing based on a build-measure-learn method of continuous innovation, and deciding whether to persevere or pivot. In The Startup Way, he turns his attention to an entirely new group of organizations: established enterprises like iconic multinationals GE and Toyota, tech titans like Amazon and Facebook, and the next generation of Silicon Valley upstarts like Airbnb and Twilio. Drawing on his experiences over the past five years working with these organizations, as well as nonprofits, NGOs, and governments, Ries lays out a system of entrepreneurial management that leads organizations of all sizes and from every industry to sustainable growth and long-term impact. Filled with in-the-field stories, insights, and tools, The Startup Way is an essential road map for any organization navigating the uncertain waters of the century ahead.

This book is about what effect suddenly becoming disabled and hearing you have zero chance of survival has on someone’s personality and how one can not only survive, but also fight back, recover, and thrive. This is not a "cancer book." Those are written when the survival is new and fresh and the experience is raw. Instead, this book, written with more than a thirty-eight-year perspective, is about human perseverance, adaptability, and strength aimed not solely at those dealing with cancer or amputation but at everyone who at some point in their lives will inevitably have to deal with some sort of knock-down or major setback.

"The documented benchmarks for success and the many examples help explicate the complexities for the reader. The book is organized and written so that it will be useful as an introduction to the field and also as a reference when special challenges arise for the practicing manager." -- DR. JOHN J. COYLE, Professor Emeritus of Logistics and Supply Chain Management, Department of Supply Chain and Information Systems, Smeal College of Business, Pennsylvania State University "The book is a must-read for all supply chain managers seeking to drive down costs and improve profits and must be read before any investment is made in your supply chain. Get copies for your controller and all senior managers...this book lays it all out." -- DR. RICHARD LANCIONI, Chair, Marketing & Supply Chain Management, Fox School of Business, Temple University Expert Strategies for Improving Supply Chain and Logistics Performance Using Lean This practical guide reveals how to identify and eliminate waste in your organization's supply chain and logistics function. Lean Supply Chain and Logistics Management provides explanations of both basic and advanced Lean tools, as well as specific Lean implementation opportunities. The book then describes a Lean implementation methodology with critical success factors. Real-world examples and case studies demonstrate how to effectively use this powerful strategy to realize significant, long-term improvements and bottom-line savings. COVERAGE INCLUDES: * Using Lean to energize your supply chain * The eight wastes * Lean opportunities and JIT in supply chain and logistics * Lean tools and warehouse * Global lean supply chain and logistics * Lean opportunity assessment, value stream mapping, and Kaizen event management * Best-in-class use of technology with Lean * Metrics and measurement * Education and training Valuable training slides are available for download.

Healthcare cost are on the rise and becoming a major concern in the US economy. In fact, healthcare spending is the largest individual contributor to US gross domestic product. Various stakeholders such as government, insurance and payors are now looking at the healthcare providers and manufacturers to come up with innovative and cost-effective solutions. Medical device manufacturers rely heavily on startups to provide new technology solutions to market. Yet, survival rate of these startups is very low. Various factors contribute to the success of these startups such as: market scope, financial support, supply chain integration, patent protection, regulatory compliance, founders experience and more. This thesis investigates supply chain integration factors contributing to the success of medical device startups. Sixteen key supply chain integration factors were identified using systematic literature review and interview research methodology. A survey was conducted to a range of industry participants to validate these factors. Survey responses were then analyzed and validated using statistical application SAS JIMP. Most of the factors stem from regulatory requirements as laid down by U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Out of sixteen factors, Quality management system, good manufacturing practice and collaboration with suppliers and distributors were identified as most critical to the success of medical device startups. These supply chain integration factors were further categorized under three major categories namely compliance, cost and collaboration. A medical device startup need to manage simultaneously all supply chain integration factors under these three categories. The findings of the research would be useful to medical device startups to bring lifesaving innovative solutions in market and contribute to success of these startups.

Everyone can impact the supply chain Supply Chain Management For Dummies helps you connect the dots between things like purchasing, logistics, and operations to see how the big picture is affected by seemingly isolated inefficiencies. Your business is a system, made of many moving parts that must synchronize to most efficiently meet the needs of your customers—and your shareholders. Interruptions in one area ripple throughout the entire operation, disrupting the careful coordination that makes businesses successful; that's where supply chain management (SCM) comes in. SCM means different things to different people, and many different models exist to meet the needs of different industries. This book focuses on the broadly-applicable Supply Chain Operations Reference (SCOR) Model: Plan, Source, Make, Deliver, Return, and Enable, to describe the basic techniques and key concepts that keep businesses running smoothly. Whether you're in sales, HR, or product development, the decisions you make every day can impact the supply chain. This book shows you how to factor broader impact into your decision making process based on your place in the system. Improve processes by determining your metrics Choose the right software and implement appropriate automation Evaluate and mitigate risks at all steps in the supply chain Help your business function as a system to more effectively meet customer needs We tend to think of the supply chain as suppliers, logistics, and warehousing—but it's so much more than that. Every single person in your organization, from the mailroom to the C-suite, can work to enhance or hinder the flow. Supply Chain Management For Dummies shows you what you need to know to make sure your impact leads to positive outcomes.

Health-Care Solutions from a Distant Shore Health care in the United States and other nations is on a collision course with patient needs and economic reality. For more than a decade, leading thinkers, including Michael Porter and Clayton Christensen, have argued passionately for value-based health-care reform: replacing delivery based on volume and fee-for-service with competition based on value, as measured by patient outcomes per dollar spent. Though still a pipe dream here in the United States, this kind of value-based competition is already a reality--in India. Facing a giant population of poor, underserved people and a severe shortage of skills and capacity, some resourceful private enterprises have found a way to deliver high-quality health care, at ultra-low prices, to all patients who need it. This book shows how the innovations developed by these Indian exemplars are already being practiced by some far-sighted US providers--reversing the typical flow of innovation in the world. Govindarajan and Ramamurti, experts in the phenomenon of reverse innovation, reveal four pathways being used by health-care organizations in the United States to apply Indian-style principles to attack the exorbitant costs, uneven quality, and incomplete access to health care. With rich stories and detailed accounts of medical professionals who are putting these ideas into practice, this book shows how value-based delivery can be made to work in the United States. This "bottom-up" change doesn't require a grand plan out of Washington, DC, agreement between entrenched political parties, or coordination among all players in the health-care system. It needs entrepreneurs with innovative ideas about delivering value to patients. Reverse innovation has worked in other industries. We need it now in health care.