Essentials of Supply Chain Management, Third Edition

CHAPTER 1

Key Concepts of Supply Chain Management

After reading this chapter you will be able to

• Appreciate what a supply chain is and what it does
• Understand where your company fits in the supply chains it participates in and the role it plays in those supply chains
• Discuss ways to align your supply chain with your business strategy
• Start an intelligent conversation about the supply chain management issues in your company

This book is organized to give you a solid grounding in the “nuts and bolts” of supply chain management. The book explains the essential concepts and practices and then shows examples of how to put them to use. When you finish you will have a solid foundation in supply chain management to work from.

The first three chapters give you a working understanding of the key principles and business operations that drive any supply chain. The next four chapters present the techniques, technologies, and metrics to use to improve your internal operations and coordinate more effectively with your customers and suppliers in the supply chains your company is a part of. Chapter 7 presents specific ideas for using technologies such as social media and real-time simulation gaming to promote supply chain collaboration.

The last three chapters show you how to find supply chain opportunities and respond effectively to best capitalize on these opportunities. Case studies are used ...