Supply Chain Performance and Evaluation Models

Preface

What is the best way to evaluate supply chain performance? This may seem like a simple question, but the answer to it can be quite complex, given that the supply chain can be regarded from many points of view, such as financial, information, strategic, operational, suppliers, clients, shareholders and societal. The complexity of the systems involved can be best understood through systemic analysis and modeling; in this way, an insight can be gained into all of the interactions in each of the subsystems. Performance evaluation cannot be conducted without the use of modeling or an approach which identifies the values created for all of the supply chain. Performance is linked to value created. This book aims to explain the requirements for modeling, to show how managers can model an organization’s supply chain and, in this way, through the understanding they have gained of value creation and its attributes, they can take the performance evaluation into consideration more effectively.

Models for evaluating performance are management tools which allow strategic changes to occur [NEE 95]. One of their characteristics is that they show several points of view regarding the organization of the supply chain (financial, strategic, operational, etc.) in order to make analysis over time and space possible. This book presents the different supply chain performance evaluation models. It explains why it is necessary to evaluate the contribution of the supply chain to the value creation ...