Bricks Matter: The Role of Supply Chains in Building Market-Driven Differentiation

Preface

We firmly believe that bricks matter. Behind every shipment, there is an order. It is satisfied by a manufacturing and a logistics process. The customer's expectation is that the order will be perfect. Getting it right requires the alignment of the organization from the customer's customer to the supplier's supplier. It sounds easier than it is.

Supply chain management is three decades old. It is still evolving. While the term supply chain was used in logistics and warfare for decades prior, 2012 is the 30th anniversary of the use of the term supply chain in commercial manufacturing.

Over the three decades, the processes have changed greatly. Technology has been a major driver. Connectivity, business analytics, and e-commerce increased the pace of fulfillment and the customers' expectations. While clicks (the world of the Internet) are sexier than bricks (the world of fulfillment), companies cannot move forward without effective and efficient operations.

Like the annealing of steel, the processes were challenged and refined by many forces. This included the evolution of global markets and increasing business complexity. Many companies failed first before they could go forward. The greatest moves forward came not from success, but from failure. Material event after material event created a boardroom understanding of why bricks matter. This book is a synopsis of this journey.

For manufacturers, retailers, and distributors, the supply chain is business. The book is a compilation ...