Supercharging Supply Chains: New Ways to Increase Value Through Global Operational Excellence

This is a solid introductory effort to supply chain management and the integral function and role SCM plays in contemporary business. The authors do an excellent job describing the importance of operational excellence in an age of increased globalization. The authors also do a superb job in emphasizing the role SCM plays in shareholder value, and how SCM can be used as an X factor in forging competitive advantage. The only fault I see with the book is the focus on speed instead of authoritative SCM optimization. Charles Fine's Clockspeed and other works handle supply, demand, delivery issues in a more balanced and lucid manner.

Supercharging Supply-Chains is aimed at providing senior executives with an overview of the issues, and an approach to achieving operational excellence through the supply chain.Highlights of the chapters include:* Linking operational performance to shareholder value- greater free cashflow & market capitalization , operations as the bridge connecting strategy & shareholder value, key principles for operational excellence (e.g. differentiated supply-chain strategy, organize along processes, collaborate with customers & suppliers, invest in IT, people & expertise, manage by product/channel, outsource elements, think globally, build regionally, operate locally, and execute through focus, measurement & empowerment).* Operations issues- business overview (develop, plan, buy, make, move, sell, market, and finance), only 4 organization structures, key metrics (EMV, share price, return on net assets, net profits after tax), 3 requirements for competitiveness (structure, measures & rapidity), 12 key imperatives (flexibility, plan & measure, structure logistics, leanness, information optimization, unequal customer treatment, operate globally, virtuality & collaborative management, e-commerce, leverage people, operationalize new product introductions, mass-customize & postpone), and dashboard performance measures. * Demand and supply planning- 8 key tenets (high-level accountability, combine demand & supply planning, eliminate impact of product forecast, create a common language & focus on commonality, treat customers unequally, plan for spares & returns, replace inventory with information & analysis, and focus on deployment transparency).* Sales- 4 key steps (segment markets & product groups, identify key value points by customer, identify consolidation opportunities around the customer, and identify & create common processes & systems around the customer).* Sourcing & suppliers- 10 principles (extend chain towards suppliers, organize right people effectively, develop commodity teams, practice global sourcing & supplier management, focus on total costs, simplify, let suppliers manage (vendor-managed inventories, consortium buying, or outsourcing), leverage IT and e-commerce, enhance sourcing automation, partner smart), and 6 basic IT areas (tactical planning & support, core transaction processing, EDI/web, imaging/forms automation/bar-coding, automated purchase orders, and integration with suppliers' IT).* Advanced logistics- reducing capital expenditures by improving use of fixed assets (rationalize distribution networks, outsource select processes, explore shared facilities, optimize use of equipment, and understand tax implications of chain) and reduce working capital by minimizing inventories (consolidate warehouses, use in-transit warehousing, replace inventories with information, reduce distribution cycle time, and implement demand/supply planning & management).* Product