CHAPTER 8Defining Supply Chain Opportunities

Now that conscious design and real-time management of a company's supply chain is possible, how does a company use this ability to its competitive advantage? A well-designed and -managed supply chain will enable a company to offer high levels of customer service and at the same time hold its inventories and cost of sales to lower levels than its competitors. This chapter will lay out a process to use for defining the supply chain management opportunities available to a company.

The Supply Chain as a Competitive Advantage

As companies such as Walmart and Amazon.com have so clearly shown, if a company can design and build a supply chain that is responsive to market demands, it can grow from a small company to become a major player. Efficient supply chain operations are central to being able to satisfy market demands ...

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