Transforming Supply Chains

Chapter 4

Tailored supply chains give flexibility

Competing on differentiation

Introduction

Following on from the core concepts of alignment introduced in Chapter 2 and the ‘outside-in’ premise explored in Chapter 3, we will now examine in more detail the implications of these ideas for the management of the supply chain. In particular, we will develop a profile of the five key supply chain configurations needed to support differentiated responses to the most common buying segments. Once hardwired into the enterprise, a portfolio drawn from these supply chain types can enable more effective alignment with customers in a range of target markets to be achieved without undermining efficiency. Taken together, they constitute what has become ...