Assemble a killer supply
chain with the knowledge, technology, and tools to succeed from supply chain expert David
Taylor!
- Proven author and supply
chain expert Taylor provides a high-level overview that shows how supply chain initiatives
can contribute to overall business success
- Understand and learn to
solve the complex problems presented by supply chain management
- Features numerous
illustrations, sidebar summaries, and Exploration and Simulation tools and exercises
During the past twenty
years, companies have reduced the time and cost of the manufacturing process. Now, they
are attempting to streamline their supply chains in the same way, but they are struggling
with this initiative. This shift in focus is quickly changing the nature of business
competition. The battle is no longer company vs. company, it's supply chain vs. supply
chain. The formula for winning this new battle is assembling a killer supply chain -- the
one that, like those of Dell and WalMart, will let them deliver products to their
customers faster, better, and cheaper than anyone else. Written by best-selling author
David A. Taylor, this is a guide to understanding and solving the complex problems of
supply chain management. Using Taylor's signature fast-track summaries, graphics,
sidebars, and additional content and exercises on the CD-ROM and Web site, readers will
easily grasp the critical insights into this demanding subject, and walk away knowing just
what they need to know in order to contribute effectively to their company's supply chain
success.
Table of Contents
Acknowledgments.
Introduction.
I. CHALLENGE.
1. The New Competition.
The Thrill of Victory.
The Agony of Defeat.
A High Stakes Game.
The New Competition.
2. The Rules of the Game.
Facilities and Links.
Demand, Supply, and Cash.
Distribution and
Procurement.
Complexity and Variability.
3. Winning as a Team.
JIT Supply Programs.
Retail Replenishment
Programs.
The Problem with Programs.
Insights from Game Theory.
Winning Through
Collaboration.
II. SOLUTION.
4. Supply Chains as Systems.
Business Cybernetics.
A Rogues Gallery of
Relations.
The Dynamics of Delay.
Feedback and Stability.
5. Modeling the Supply
Chain.
The Case for Models.
Conceptual Models.
Mathematical Models.
Simulation Models.
Combining Models.
6. Supply Chain Software.
The Manufacturing Platform.
Advanced Planning Systems.
Supply Chain Applications.
Implicit Business Models.
Internet-Based Systems.
III. OPERATION.
7. Meeting Demand.
Communicating Demand.
Processing an Order.
Assembling the Goods.
Shipping the Order.
Collecting the Cash.
Accelerating Fulfillment.
8. Maintaining Supply.
Triggering Replenishment.
Determining Order Quantity.
Maintaining Safety Stock.
Streamlining Replenishment.
9. Measuring Performance.
Measuring Time.
Measuring Cost.
Measuring Efficiency.
Measuring Effectiveness.
IV. PLANNING.
10. Forecasting Demand.
Projecting Trends.
Aggregating Demand.
Analyzing the Future.
Integrating Forecasts.
11. Scheduling Supply.
Planning with ERP.
Optimizing with APS.
Validating with Simulators.
Integrating Schedules.
12. Improving Performance.
Setting Objectives.
Avoiding Conflicts.
Aligning Incentives.
Improving Planning.
V. DESIGN.
13. Mastering Demand.
Knowing the Customer.
Analyzing the Product.
Shaping Demand.
Stabilizing Demand.
14. Designing the Chain.
Choosing a Strategy.
Exploring Your Options.
Designing the Chain.
15. Maximizing Performance.
Increasing Velocity.
Pooling Risk.
Designing for Supply.
Postponing Differentiation.
Notes on Sources.
Suggested Readings.
Glossary.
Index.
About Author
An internationally recognized authority on object technology, Dr. David A. Taylor has
written numerous articles on business and technology, given keynote speeches at
conferences, and served as the voice of authority for some of the world?s leading
companies. He is the author four books and coauthor of two others, including the acclaimed
Object Technology, Second Edition: A Manager?s Guide, (Addison-Wesley, 1998). Before
founding Enterprise Engines, Inc., a company that develops supply-chain software, Dr.
Taylor worked as a consultant helping Fortune 500 companies adopt object technology.
"An excellent summary of
the state of supply chain management going into the twenty-first century. Explains the
essential concepts clearly and offers practical, down-to-earth advice for making supply
chains more efficient and adaptive. Truly a survival guide for executives as they struggle
to cope with the increasing competition between supply chains." Christian Knoll, Vice
President of Global Supply Chain Management, SAP AG
"Through real-world case
studies and graphic illustrations, David Taylor clearly demonstrates the bottom-line
benefits of managing the supply chain effectively. Although the book is written for
managers, I recommend it for everyone from the executive suite to the shipping floor
because they all have to work together to master the supply chain. But beware-you can
expect many passionate employees demanding improvements in your company's supply chain
after reading this book!" David Myers, President, WinfoSoft Inc., Former Board Member of
Supply Chain Council
"A comprehensive,
thoroughly researched, and well-designed book that gives managers the information they
need in a highly readable form. I am already starting to use the techniques in this book
to improve our international distribution system." Jim Muller, Vice President of Produce
Sales, SoFresh Produce
"Supply chain management
is a deceptively deep subject. Simple business practices combine to form complex systems
that seem to defy rational analysis: Companies that form trading partnerships continue to
compete despite their best efforts to cooperate; small variations in consumer buying
create devastating swings in upstream demand, and so on. In his trademark fashion, Taylor
clearly reveals the hidden logic at work in your supply chain and gives you the practical
tools you need to make better management decisions. A must-read for every manager who
affects a supply chain, and in today's marketplace there are few managers who are exempt
from this requirement." Adrian J. Bowles, Ph.D., President, CoSource.net
"David Taylor has done it
again. With his new book, David makes supply chain management easy to grasp for the
working manager, just as he did with his earlier guides to business technology. If you
work for a company that is part of a supply chain, you need this book." Dirk Riehle,
Ph.D.
"David Taylor has done a
masterful job of defining the core issues in supply chain management without getting
trapped in the quicksand of jargon. This concise book is well written, highly informative,
and easy to read." Marcia Robinson, President, E-Business Strategies, author of Services
Blueprint: Roadmap
"Taylor has done a
tremendous job of giving readers an intuitive grasp of a complicated subject. If you're
new to supply chains, this book will give you an invaluable map of the territory. If
you're already among the initiated, it will crystallize your insights and help you make
better decisions. In either case, you can only come out ahead by reading this book."
Kevin Dick, Founder of Kevin Dick Associates, author of XML: A Manager's Guide
"My motto for compressing
data is 'squeeze it til it gags.' In the current business climate, that's what you
have to do to costs, and Taylor shows you many ways to squeeze costs out of your supply
chain. He also writes with the same economy: This book contains exactly what you need to
manage your supply chain effectively. Nothing is missing, and nothing is extra." Charles
Ashbacher, President, Charles Ashbacher Technologies
Today's fiercest business
battles are taking place between competitors' supply chains, with victory dependent on
finding a way to deliver products to customers more quickly and efficiently than the
competition. For proof, just look to Dell and Amazon.com, both of which revolutionized
their industries by changing how companies produce, distribute, and sell physical goods.
But they're hardly alone. By revamping their supply chains, Siemens CT improved lead time
from six months to two weeks, Gillette slashed $400 million of inventory, and Chrysler
saved $1.7 billion a year.
It's a high-stakes game, and
you don't have a lot of choice about playing: If your company touches a physical product,
it's part of a supply chain--and your success ultimately hangs on the weakest link in that
chain. In Supply Chains: A Manager's Guide, best-selling author David Taylor explains how
to assemble a killer supply chain using the knowledge, technology, and tools employed in
supply-chain success stories. Using his signature fast-track summaries and informative
graphics, Taylor offers a clear roadmap to understanding and solving the complex problems
of supply-chain management.
Modern manufacturing has
driven down the time and cost of the production process, leaving supply chains as the
final frontier for cost reduction and competitive advantage. Supply Chains: A Manager's
Guide will quickly give managers the foundation they need to contribute effectively to
their company's supply-chain success.
350 pages