HBS PRESS BOOKThe New Supply Chain Agenda: The 5 Steps That Drive Real Value

by Reuben E. Slone, J. Paul Dittmann, John T. Mentzer

Is your company delivering products to customers at the right time, place, and price--with the best possible availability and lowest possible cost and working capital? If not, you're probably alienating your customers and suppliers, eroding shareholder value, and losing control of your fixed costs. These dangerous mistakes can put you out of business. In The New Supply Chain Agenda, Reuben Slone, J. Paul Dittmann, and John Mentzer explain how to reinvent your supply chain to avoid those errors--and turn your supply chain into a competitive weapon that produces unprecedented economic profit for your firm. Drawing on a wealth of company examples, the authors show how to activate the five levers of supply chain excellence: (1) Putting the right people with the right skills in the right jobs, (2) Leveraging supply chain technologies such as system optimization and visibility tools, (3) Eliminating cross-functional disconnects, including SKU proliferation, (4) Collaborating with suppliers and customers to generate a seamless flow of information and supply chain improvements, and (5) Managing supply chain projects skillfully. Apply the steps in this book, and you build a supply chain that delivers as it should--without leaving money on the table.