Getting the supply chain right can make the difference between amarket leader and an also-ran. Globalization, technology, and an increasinglycompetitive business environment have wrought huge changes in firms' abilitiesto move material, information, and cash around the world from the supplier'ssupplier to the customer's customer. Dell transformed the way people bought and were able to customise computers. Wal-Mart and Tesco have used their huge buying power and logistical skills to ensure the supply and stock management of their stores is finely honed. Manufacturers now make sure that components are where they are needed on the production line just in time for when they are needed and no longer. This book explains the four ways that supply chain management can be strategic to companies, helping them not just to cut costs but to stimulate dramatic growth, and how they can organize to make it happen. It is told in layman's terms that apply to all companies so that anybody can understand and apply the best practices, and it contains hundreds of examples across many industries.